House Hunting, Mother's Day and P90X

If I've seemed MIA lately, it's because I've allowed two things into my life that are eating up a lot of my free time: house hunting and P90X. With interest rates low, my credit score higher than its ever been, and the real estate market being the best for buyers it might ever be in mine and Brett's lifetime, we've decided to buy our first home in Florida. This has meant evenings and weekends filled with MapQuest, model homes, and meeting our realtor to tour listings. It has unfortunately also meant that I've been spending every spare second online checking out listings, taking virtual tours, and searching the public records to find out how much they originally bought that house for. There is so much to know, and so much to consider. Should be buy a single-family home? Should we opt for a townhome or condo? Should we stay in Sanford, or move further out to DeBary, where our dollar might go farther? Can we afford the payments plus the association fee? Should we focus on new construction or look for a fixer-upper?

I've literally spent hours online looking for "the perfect place" that, obviously, doesn't exist. Then there's the issue of my credit. We're trying to qualify in my name alone, as Brett has already amassed a considerable amount of debt in his own name with student loans. My credit has been terrible since 2000. I attribute it to a number of things including not listening to my parents about getting into debt and, of course, that "drug" thing. When my mortgage broker initially pulled my credit last month, he determined I'd have to pay off the last remaining collection accounts that still showed on my report. I paid them off and got letters from all the creditors saying such. It boosted my credit score quite a bit, so I should be in good shape.

Another time-sucker the past 30 days has been P90X. If you aren't familiar, it's a 90-day boot-camp style training program designed to get you in the best shape of your life in 90 days. It comes with a nutrition guide, but I haven't been following it, as my goal wasn't to lose weight, just shape up. The workouts last an hour to an hour and a half six days a week and are absolutely grueling, which is the main reason I've stuck with it even this long. With other workouts I've tried, I might have broken a sweat, but at the end of the workout I never really felt like I had done all that much. After these workouts, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt I've burned calories and pushed my body to the absolute limit. My 30 day results are what I expected; I'm bigger all over. I've definitely gained some much needed muscle, but because I've been working so hard, I've also been eating a lot! This is supposedly normal, and my hunger and weight gain should level out during month two. The most impressive result I saw in my 30 day before and after pics was the magical "lift" the workouts have given my bottom! It's amazing!

Lastly, Brett and I went up to my parents' house for Mother's Day. Mom and I had a yard sale to raise money toward a down payment on mine and Brett's new place. It was a beautiful weekend, so we spent a lot of time outdoors. Here are some pics...