Merry Christmas, everyone!!! Tis’ the season, so for my blog post announcement today, I will be festively narrating via
A Christmas Story, a.k.a. one of my favorite movies of all time! I feel a little like Ralphie writing his C+ theme, may the words pour from my penny pencil…

About two years ago, we found out we would be moving away from our adoptive home of Stevens Point back down to the Milwaukee area where both Zac and I grew up. We were both dreaming of what our new adventure would bring yet we knew we would miss life in Point, our home and the wonderful community that we happily chose as ours after college.

Even though for roughly six months out of the year you have to dress like Randy, we love it up here!

We ran toward our new life:

(I’m really trying to work in a shot of Scut Farkus and Grover Dill, but we didn’t have any bullies chasing us out.)

We lived life for a while in a little town just north of the city, trading tall pines for Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan was beautiful, but I really missed those tall pines. Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double-beatloaf…

Fast-forward to this fall. Life threw us a wonderful, surprising turn-of-events, and we got an opportunity we could not pass up that would take us back up to Point! We felt like the Old Man getting his telegram about his major award. Hot damn’ it’s comin’ tonight, tonight:

“Fra-gil-e…it must be Italian!” (Again, in no way relates but I must obviously include.)

I am fortunate to have the business I do in that it’s not really affected by where I’m physically located. Point is where I started my business seven years ago and began driving all over our gorgeous state of Wisconsin for weddings, so back-to-Point just means a little more driving for this girl again! Not a problem. Unless I get a flat…oh fuuuuuudddggeeee.

*Please note, this has never happened to me.

My clients are so sensational. They didn’t even bat an eye when I told them we were relocating back to Central Wisconsin…all I received were the kindest notes of, “Of course you are! Congratulations!!” and “We are so, so happy for you and your family!” They know me. No decoding needed!

That’s why I am so grateful for each and every one of the people I work with and have worked with. I mean that. They are amazing, really. Not at all like a crummy commercial. Son-of-a-bitch…

Our friends and family have been very supportive too. When we told everyone we were moving back, no one looked at us like the “I like the Wizard of Oz” kid. He’s super-weird.

And I wasn’t lying on my Facebook Page. I really do have so many more photos to post from this fall. It’s ridiculous. They are filled with people in love and happy families. The good stuff. It’s been killing me. I haven’t gone colorblind. (This one is a stretch, but I love that line. Zac and I fight about color more than is normal.)

Our time away has had its highs and lows. We had a lot of fun at points, and we had times where I wanted to beat the proverbial sh*t out of life. Who hasn’t at some point? Coming back up without a very special dog has been the hardest part.

Most days now though, it’s been like snow on Christmas morning:

Not a pink nightmare:

Thank you Santa, this is already shaping up to be a fantastic Christmas and new beginning!

You still with me? Don’t let the Bumpass hounds get your turkey while you’re distracted, before you can get worms.

“Deck the hollls with barws of horry, fa-ra-ra-ra-raaa, ra-ra-ra-ra”

“No, not ‘Fa-ra-ra,’ ‘La-la-la’!”

I hope you’re still smiling at this. Thank you for indulging me.

Merry Christmas, Everyone! From our family to yours! Now if someone could just help us find that perfect house…

Holy crap, I almost forgot!

Don’t shoot your eye out.

“Wow, that’s great.”

* All of this greatness in imagery is copyright Warner Bros. and MGM (I think)…though I wish I could have somehow dreamed this movie up. It delights me far more than should be allowed.