My wife and I got married in October 2008. I was living in Louisiana and her in Virginia. We now both live in Virginia. Our salaries and investments etc. vary greatly. Should we file married and jointly or separately?

You can file as married filing jointly (MFJ) or married filing separately. In most cases, it is better to file as MFJ. If you file MFS, you will not get many credits and deductions.
Read Your U.S. Tax Return: Filing Status for Married