to get to where we are now

The first few months of married life was not the most ideal...nor was it all that enjoyable! But wow, can we laugh about it now.
The day after our wedding reception, I got a terrible case of the stomach flu at my in-laws (which had raged through my family's house the week before). That day was the day Aaron and I were planning on moving all our things in a U-haul to Beulah since Aaron started work the next day.
So, I remember trudging up the stairs at my in-laws' with a bucket in hand and feeling slightly embarrassed that I looked so disgusting. Traveling with the flu wouldn't have been so bad, except the pickup didn't have air conditioning...and it must have been about 90 degrees out. (humid with no breeze none the less) Driving those three hours to Beulah I think was the most miserable I have ever felt in my life. I knew I had married the right guy, though, when we stopped at a gas station along the way and Aaron got me a popsickle and ice water. I am usually not a fan of them but wow, that popsickle tasted so amazing.
Life two months later, and two moves later, found us living in the living quarters of a shop. It was a temporary living situation since we were planning on buying a house (and moving it onto a lot) but we needed someplace to live short term until all that happened.
Now the shop we were in was evidently not sealed very well from outside critters. July wasn't so bad for critters - an occasional smash of a spider or squish of a grasshopper every day or so was probably the extent.
Come August though, we became overrun by crickets. I can still remember sitting on a chair on my computer while Aaron was at work, and hearing a crunch, crunch sound. I was so baffled to what that sound was until I looked behind the chair and saw the HUGEST cricket I have ever seen eating a pretty large (and obviously juicy) grasshopper. About the same time I saw that cricket, he saw me.
And the crunching stopped.
I slowly and quietly backed away from the scene (the last thing I wanted that cricket to do was jump on me...!!) and grabbed Aaron's cowboy boot. I waited until I heard the crunching begin again and I snuck around the chair. As quickly and swiftly as I could brought that boot down hard on the two of them before the cricket could jump. It is safe to say I squished them both to a pulp. (I didn't want any chance of that cricket being alive!)
"When will we be able to move, again?" I promptly asked Aaron when he arrived home from work that day.
A couple weeks later Aaron and I were both so excited when our house we had bought was moved onto the basement Aaron and his dad and brothers had built, and we were finally able to move in.
After we moved in, there was still quite a bit of work that had to be done....
...retexturing the whole house
...moving walls/remodeling/adding a bathroom
...painting
...new flooring/new carpet
...new countertops
...moving windows
Glad we are done and so very thankful for the help we got from family! Spring/summer plans for us include building a garage onto our house, re-siding, and re-roofing. We still have the whole basement to finish...but that can wait!

The shop