Go Leafs Go!

I come from a very, very sports obsessed family.  My dad has loved football all his life, and worships the Green Bay Packers.  Hockey was a prominent sport in our home, being a very Canadian family -- my uncles all played, both of my grandpa's were hockey obsessed (well, the one who is still alive still is, of course).  My dad's cousin played in the NHL, which was a Big Deal when I was a kid.  Hockey, hockey, hockey all around me.  Both of my brothers played/play hockey, and Scooter also plays football (as he has really followed in my father's footsteps as a football obsessed guy!).

The Toronto Maple Leafs getting into the NHL play-offs this year has been a Big Deal.  It's the first time they've been in the play-offs since 2004!  Whether or not they really have much of a chance after this first round of play-offs remains to be seen, but meanwhile we are all having fun cheering on the Leafs.  On Saturday, Mr. Lock and I enjoyed Game 2 of the series against Boston with our Sitcom Group of Friends.  Since the Leafs won, we decided it would be bad luck if we didn't watch Game 3 together, too!  So, we're getting together tonight for Game 3, which is back in Toronto.

Normally, other than my family being sports obsessed, I couldn't care less about hockey... however, I'm finding this year's play-offs very fun!  I think it all has to do with the excitement of watching it with my friends. Hoping for an action-packed game tonight!

Go Leafs!

The Wedding Venue Search is On!

So, Mr. Lock and I have pretty much decided to be open about wedding dates until we find the venue we like.. because their availability will then matter a lot.  We have begun to hunt for the right venue at the right cost.  So far, a lot of golf courses seem to be quite inclusive in their packages so we may end up with one of those.  We've seen two in person so far, and both weren't quite right (terrible decor inside, too dark, not the right feel for me).  I think I've resigned to having an outdoor ceremony, but I need to like "Plan B" (read: rain plan!) very much, or else I'm not okay with that venue.  I don't even want to have to think about the weather, I want to be very much fine with the indoor option for ceremony.  We do know we aren't looking to have a ceremony off-site, so we are looking at venues that provide a space for the ceremony and reception (again, golf courses seem to be good at this).

It felt like a bit of a stressful weekend, as we began to look at venues in person.  Made me a little worried that the venue hunt will be a bit more complicated than I initially thought.  However, there are now two places we are really hoping to see and are really hoping will be "the ones", so tomorrow I may give them a call if I still haven't gotten a response to my initial emails.

If we did have our choice of date, we are probably looking at May 24, 2014.  Our other two favourite potential dates are May 31st or July 5th of 2014.  However, still open to venue availability if the place is right.

Most teachers tend to get married in the summer months... 2014 is a very busy summer for Mr. Lock's family, it was actually very hard to find weekends in the summer that work for all of us... so, I've figured that as long as we get married in May, before report card time really begins, then I will be fine (this time of year I'm not feeling nearly as much pressure or stress as September through February, for example).  Then, we will just wait and go away on a bit of a honeymoon trip at the start of my summer break.  It's pretty common these days to wait for a honeymoon anyway, so not a big deal!

We will also have our home in February 2014, and a whole new set of expenses... so we may just go on a very small honeymoon trip anyway, perhaps a driving trip somewhere like the East Coast of Canada, because we both have never been there!

Anyway, this is just the initial planning... venue has to come first, because until we have that figured out there isn't much point planning anything else!  I am very excited to be engaged... I've certainly spent the last week and a half very busy already.  Though I wasn't sure I wanted a full, traditional wedding... I know that my family will highly enjoy it, and it's special for both mine and Mr. Lock's parents, so I am warming back up to the idea... I'm just going to try to be cost effective where I can, because we are on a bit of a tight home budget too.

Oops, missed the A to Z challenge AGAIN... however... I'M ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!

So, whatever letters I missed... TOO BAD!  Big things have just happened!!!

It all happened last Wednesday!  Mr. Lock and I had to go up to the sales centre for the new build home we are purchasing, it was our day to "firm up" on our purchase (no going back now!).  Turns out, Mr. Lock had a very, very exciting surprise for me that day, too!

So, on our way to the sales office, he asked if I wanted to drive past our "pile of dirt" (our pet name for the lot our new home will be built on).  He knows I like to go by it every chance we have.  I said yep, and said I'd prefer to go past it on our way to the sales office rather than after.

Little did I know, Mr. Lock had gone up there earlier that day!  He took the day off work, I didn't know at all!  We arrived to our pile of dirt, and Mr. Lock said we should stomp around on it a bit.  We got out of the car, and near the sign with the lot number, there was this rolled up blanket.  I honestly thought someone was throwing their garbage on our property!

Then, Mr. Lock began to unroll the blanket, and I was very confused... I saw plant stems, and said out loud, "Oh man, they are throwing away old plants!".... then I saw more of the unrolled blanket, and said, "Oh.  Wait. Those are really nice roses.  OH MY GOD I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO DO!".

Then I looked at him, and he was pulling a ring box out of his jacket...

"I DO KNOW!  OHMIGOD, YOU ARE PROPOSING?!?!"

He got down on one knee, had time to say "Will you marry me?", meanwhile my hand was already out in his face and I was already saying, "YES, YES, OH YES!".

So, we have now been THROWN into wedding planning, let alone finishing up this house buying stuff!  LOTS suddenly happened -- what a MONTH April has been!!!!  Trying to blog every day, and then NO blogging time!  Aaah! haha.

I am just SO impressed that he was able to surprise me.... I had NO idea it was coming!!!  I thought maybe he'd propose by this summer... we are buying a home together afterall... but he did a fantastic job taking me by complete surprise!  Turns out he was ring shopping well before all this house buying stuff began happening, so that was all just a happy coincidence.

So, this was all VERY, VERY exciting and suddenly I am overtaken with the fun of celebrating being engaged, and planning a wedding -- we need to find a venue a.s.a.p before places we like are booked up for 2014.

Squee!!!  ENGAGED!!!!  WHEE!!

My ring...

M is for... Mom

Today M is for Mom.  It seems a simple word.  I am just so fortunate to be so close to my own mom.  When I was a kid, I was a daddy's girl all the way... but as I grew older, though I retained my close relationship with my dad, I really did grow a lot closer to my mother.  Now, I am able to go to her with anything.  She and I have a very open, adult relationship and I understand what it means for mothers and daughters to become friends.  I love how much we laugh together, how she comes to me for help and support just as I can always go to her.  I just love my mom, and appreciate her in my life very much!  I hope to one day be the mom she was to me for my own kids, and I hope I can develop the same strong relationship with my future children that she has with hers.  Love you, momma.

H, I, J, K, L are for.... House (buying) Is Just Kinda Labour-intensive!

 

 House buying...

Is... 

Just... 

Kinda...

Labour-intensive!

I have a very good reason for why I pretty much missed an entire week of A to Z blogging...

Mr. Lock and I are buying our first home!!!

Last Saturday the paperwork began, then we had to deal with the bank to move some funds around and make sure we had our financing approved, we've had to deal with a lawyer reading over our Purchase and Sale agreement, we've been excited with our family, and have visited the model home multiple times!

So... there you go!  I missed blogging because real life got VERY exciting!  House (buying) Is Just Kinda Labour-intensive, alright?!  

I am so excited to document the process here as we go!  It is a brand new build, a semi-detached home.  Right now our closing date is February 2014, so there is lots of time before we move from our rental condo still.  It's just wonderful to start the next stage of our lives together, moving on to becoming home owners!!

Wooooo!

Also, I could use some input to help out a friend of mine, can you quickly give your two-cents over at this post here?  Anyone is welcome to comment with their opinion, please!  How would you most likely choose a veterinarian, word of mouth or via some other search method?

Unrelated, but a quick question for pet owners!

Yes, yes, I'm waaaay behind on A to Z blogging... but I will catch up.  haha.  Right now, I need help from pet owners / future possible pet owners.

When you are choosing a veterinarian, do you prefer to choose someone based on a word of mouth recommendation or do you search for a vet using a search engine or phone book listing, etc?

My best friend is a veterinarian who is just taking over a new business, and they are making some marketing decisions.  Your answer about how you choose a vet would be really helpful!  Thanks so much!

Whoops! Missed a couple days...

I've missed a couple of days for my A-Z blogging.  I am EXHAUSTED... I will "catch up" by the weekend, but for now... an early bed time!  SORRY!  (It's very ambitious of me to blog EVERY DAY, sigh!!!!).