The Big Gift

The stack of bills I took out for the purchase

So, yesterday I lead into today's post saying Matt gave me a big gift that I'd tell you about later. It wasn't a done deal yesterday so I didn't want to say anything, in case somehow it turned out to be nothing more than a dream.
We are a family of 5 - a growing family of five - that find it hard to deal with the current vehicle situation. There's the fact that a weekend away has us packed to the rafters or that we can't bring any aunts, or uncles or cousins for sleepovers because there's no extra room, or that I'm stuck in rural Alberta all day with three small kids or that I feel like a burden on extended family when I have to call to bum rides to places or that one day, we will have another baby and it will be absolutely mandatory that we upgrade. There have been many many MANY conversations about vans. I have been begging and pleading for months now and on Emmett's birthday, Matt told me we could start looking. SO exciting! But, with the Christmas rush, I didn't push forward until last week.

I am now in the minivan club :)

I have a dear friend who has a great dad that is mechanically minded. He told me if I found a van I liked, he would check it out for us so I sent him some links. None of those panned out. I was given more criteria to look for in choosing and away we went again. Monday night, I sent a few other links to more vans. Well, Tuesday afternoon, I get a call from him telling me he heard back about a van and was going to look at it if that was okay with me. Um, yes please! I didn't even know which van it was but I was anxious the whole wait to hear how everything went. The call came in about 15 minutes later. "This is an incredible deal! You have to call her and buy it. If you don't, I will!" :)
Being a good wife, I double checked with Matt first that I had the go ahead to do it and then I made the call to the sweetest lady and arranged for the purchase of our very own van. I've been giddy all day waiting to get it. I still can't believe it's real life! We are loving our van.

Note: Oakley might be more excited about it than me...maybe. ;)

Two vehicles! In OUR garage!

*Insert mushy post title here*

Well, here we are again. Matt and I have made it around the sun together once more. Today marks 8 years since that bitterly cold January day where we joined our lives and promised each other and God that we would be faithful and true. What a beautiful thing.

I tell Matt quite frequently that there are some times when I look at him and my heart almost explodes because I just love him so dang much. We have been through a lot together, ups and downs but he remains my faithful companion, my strongest support, my inspiration and motivation.

Today, he gave me the gifts of:

• a kiss before he went to work
• still sounding cheerful even after I'd called him too many times at work. :)
• doing the big monthly grocery trip for me
• surprising me with flowers
• getting the boys off to bed
• letting me win crib by one point (this was actually because he thought he HAD won due to miscalculation)
• and a pretty big one that we'll get into another day

How does one girl get so lucky??

I sure love you, Matt! Here's to eternity.