Canada, eh?

Wow, we've been on quite a ride for the past year and a half!  I do hope to one day start posting again, about anything and everything.  Here's an update:

• My hubby got an awesome job offer late summer/early fall of 2011.  The only thing was, it was in Canada!  That's home for my husband.  We talked and talked about it.  Wrote many pros/cons lists.  Then decided to go for it.  Ultimately, we want to start a family soon and we felt that with our lifestyle and ideals, starting it in Canada would be best for us.  He signed the contract, we started my Canadian permanent resident process, and he moved.
• My husband is the love of my life, my best friend, my soulmate.  Living apart from him was extremely hard.  Thank goodness for technology!
• Well, the job ended up not working out after only a month.  He stayed up there a bit longer to see if anything else was available and to help his parents out around their home renovation.
• After a couple months, hubby came home and started looking for a job around here again.  Man, the job market really bites!  It was tough living off just my salary.  I did not make enough to cover all of our expenses, but thankfully I have an awesome Daddy who helped us out when he could.
• After another couple of months, we talked about moving to Canada again.  We had received the last piece of information pending to submit our application right before hubby was laid off.  We misread the application rules and thought that if hubby didn't make a certain amount of money, he couldn't sponsor me, so we didn't mail the application.  I started re-reading everything and realized that since we don't have kids the income restriction DID NOT APPLY! /facepalm
• So, we decided to send in our application which they received on May 2, 2012.  The estimated processing time was 11 months, so we figured it would be sometime in summer 2013 that our application would be approved and we'd move.
• Hubby went back to Canada to help his brother out with some things and to help his parents out some more with their ongoing home renovation.  It helped us, too, as they covered his living expenses.
• Hubby came home mid-November for a 2-month visit so we could spend the upcoming holidays together.  He prepared our house to be put on the market while here and on December 10, 2012 I received my Confirmation of Permanent Residence! WAY earlier than expected!  It helped that we had been married and living together over 3 years at the time of application and had no kids.  Ours was apparently a pretty straightforward and easy application.  My husband attributes it to my "mad paperwork skillz".
• He returned to Canada mid-January 2013 which meant we didn't get to spend our 4-year anniversary together; however, hubby had an interview on February 1st that lasted almost 3 hours!  We were pumped!  Who would spend that much time talking to someone they weren't seriously considering to hire?!  His next interview was on February 11th that took another couple hours AND they offered him the job!!  He started on February 25th. 
• We picked a date to move.  As, I'm a tax accountant we wanted it to be after April 15th so I didn't leave my work in a bind and also we wanted it to be after the snow was finished.  Hubby flies in April 19th and we drive out April 21st!  Just a week away.  Omg, my stomach just did some flips.
• Man, over a year with only one income.  I don't know how others do it and with even less income.  It was hard, but I think it was a blessing for us.  It really forced us to scrutinize our expenses.  It made us have to stick to a budget.  We cut out a lot of frills like a Smartphone, cable, turbo internet, online gaming with monthly fees, no vacations, etc.  We didn't buy each other presents for all the holidays.  Spending time with each other and family was the best gift.  
• Now that we're back to 2-incomes, we still have our budget.  Yes, I will still be working after we move.  I am very thankful my company is keeping me on.  I've been their tax accountant for over 7 years now.  I will be able to remote in and have access to everything I need to continue to handle my responsibilities for them.  
• After we dig out of the hole we're in, we have plans to continue to live within one income.  You never know when we might be at only one income again.  We have goals like saving up to buy some property and building a small house, saving for vacations, saving for retirement, etc.  Our plan is that the 2nd income will go strictly towards savings for our goals/dreams.
• So, you can see it's been a crazy time for us.  I can't wait to see my husband again.  I look forward to this next chapter in our life.  Now if only I can get my Daddy to move closer to Canada ...