Candy Cane White

So things have really ramped up here lately. We've been in this little area of Montana for two years almost to the day and our time here is coming to an end. Prayers get answered but in HIS time not ours. I'm super excited to say that a move is forthcoming. But first.... Candy....

There are seventy four thousand reasons why Dave is seriously the bestest ever... Mainly though is that after seventeen years of being partners in marriage, growing together rather than apart and frankly God's Grace, he's my guy. And he spoils me. I'm still not sure why but hey, Dave gets what Dave wants cause Dave treats us girls like queens. (Frankly, I'm really glad about that though because my girls already realize how awesome their dad is and how different from most dads he is! Win-win for when they start looking for guys in their lives!) But anyway, if Dave wants a gun, he gets a gun. If Dave wants to go shooting, we go shooting. We spoil the Dave anyway possible.

But since I flew in from my cruise at midnight and we were hours from our little town, we stayed the night in big town. The next morning while the kids' swam and had breakfast, Dave took me to pick a car.

Yeah. Pick a car. Simple as that.

We rolled up and at the dealership of the brand that he's obsessive about (because these are literally 58% made here in the USA by USA workers babe) and he pointed out a gas and a diesel and said drive, choose. So I did and then we went and had yogurt and talked about it, then we came back and he said, pick a color and I did.

I followed him home in my very first brand new car ever. It had 150 miles on it. It is freaking pimped out and I love it so very hard.

Except, I teared up on the way home.

Cause see.... I remember the seventeen years it took us to get here. I remember when we couldn't get a vehicle and scrapped up cash. I remember when our interest rate was through the roof and I cried when he brought it home cause it was "really ours?" and didn't matter at all that it was ten years old and a big chunk of our budget, cause we needed something safe to drive our babies in. I remember each and every second hand car that we learned to save up and buy with cash once we discovered Dave Ramsey. I remember the feeling of paying off every single vehicle we have ever owned. I remember our agreement that we'd never buy new cause we could never afford that. Times change but frankly we don't.

I sat in the lounge area and listened to my husband neogotiate a helluva deal on that new car. And I had to duck my head and let my hair hide my smiles when the sales manager passed my way. They never saw him coming, very few really do. He's a freaking shark. I love it. And to show off a little.... he had the sales manager come take me to the storeroom and pick out a new hat and accessories that Dave had them sweeten the deal with. He gets a kick out of seeing me in my new hat, lol.

So I'm driving that sweet ass car home. The payment isn't much considering. The deal was great, the interest rate was amazing and frankly we'll pay it off quick cause that is our thing. But as I'm driving my mind is flipping through the process of how we got here...

Never in a million years could I imagine that my husband would decide that he would drive my truck and "momma should have the new car" cause I "deserved it". Nope, I deserve none of what I have.

But I thank God each and every day for that man and my marriage and my life. It's been a long battle to get here and here is really blessed right now.

The kids named the car Candy. Cause we name everything. The color on the paperwork was Candy cane white. So there you go.

Dave got me some candy.

Excuse me while I go order him some gun crap.

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Mexico was freaking worth it

So a normal day in my life is a good day. I'm blessed and I thank God for our amazing blessings. It's freaking awesome. When Dave gifted me with a cruise for finishing my MBA, I was so excited. Then I got anxious. See I rarely go and do anything by myself. But part of this trip was going to be me on my own.... I'm very comfortable following Dave's lead so I was very nervous about leading myself. But months of waiting and planning finally came down to the actual trip.

So here we go....

I left on a Saturday and the weather was so windy and rainy I was certain they would cancel the first leg of my flight. But sadly no, lol. Dave and the girls travelled to see Princess' last high school softball game of the year so I drove myself to the tiny little airstrip here in town where I could take my first leg.

Dave had double checked my bags and then threw in the stuff I'd forgotten like bandaids (seriously) and shampoo, then loaded them into the Yukon for me. I was to park, unload and my bags are all on little wheels so as to not hurt my arm, then put my keys in the little door them to pick up later that day. Myself and a man that was 6'7" climbed into a 9 seater plane with a pilot who was seriously looking as young as my teenager. That was a horrible flight but I managed to pray my way through it lol.... then I landed at a regional airport that was big enough to have a real plane pick us up. Three hours of chilling and hanging out, I loaded up and off we went.

Seattle was a fast trip. My flight was delayed a little but that worked out so I could grab a salad and sadly the massage place was closed. I wandered around and when the anxiety got a little tough, I just called Dave and he talked me through it. Then I sat down on the stairs in the middle of everyone and facetimed my girls before they went to bed.

I landed in LAX at midnight. It was humid and hot and at some point I went ahead and changed from jeans and sweater into shorts and tshirt. I absolutely love staying at the Crown Plaza hotels but they were booked and they didn't have a Homewood Suites nearby so I stayed at the Renaissance by LAX which was the bestest freaking hotel ever. The people are helpful and awesome and the bed was so comfy. I crashed and then the next morning at freaking seven thirty there was a pounding Connie on my door. She'd flew in from SLC that morning on a direct flight. Whore was not gonna let me sleep anymore. So we jumped up and down on my bed catching up. We didn't have to leave for the airport for several hours so we literally hung out.

We shuttled back to the airport where we get our prearranged transfer with Carnival. We rode in a nice big ass air conditioned bus to Long Beach. We were early but there was literally a line already. We got Faster to the Fun so we had priority and before we know it we were literally walking straight onto the ship where our room was ready and perfect. Our bags were delivered early except Connie's big one, cause she's lucky like that lol. We enjoyed a drink and lunch on the pool deck then took a three hour nap, cause that is how we roll lol.... the boat took off and we did our safety drill (where I learned that I'd likely drown in case of a sinking cause I couldn't pay attention to say my life... boring as hell). We dressed up for dinner that night (as we did almost every night).

I won't bore you with everything cause it's a freaking lot. Our room was on Empress level which was close to the bar and close to the elevators and close to the dining room. I spent way too much money at the spa. Connie got me hooked. I had a head massage and a deep hair treatment. I managed to get a oxy facial that changed the entire feel of my face, hello I'm glowing! and a leg/foot massage. Felt like a freaking million bucks. Love love love the spa. I managed to sunbathe and yet I'm still whiter than paper. I walked/ran on the jogging track. I drank a shitton of pina colada.

The food , omgeeeeee the freaking food. I ate lobster, steak, prime rib, beef rib, freaking French snails that were amazing and braised rabbit. They had gluten free bread for me at every meal. They had my meals prepared separate and served separate to keep from being contaminated.

Since Connie's mean, and I'm claustrophobic we ended up taking the stairs everywhere which means I actually lost 3 lbs on this trip bahahahahaha.

We walked Catalina Island for couple hours and then returned to the shit with goodies and a nap.

Mexico was a freaking blast. Soldiers with oooozies everywhere were a little scary but we managed. The reality of people working the fields and watching people drive while nursing babies and a man on a motorcycle with a baby strapped to his chest was overwhelming. Def appreciate my world! Blessed...

We went to the blowhole outside of town. It was nice and the goodies were great. I got the girls handmade bags and Dave a freaking handmade wooden hammock chair. Then we managed to hang out and eat and eat and eat. I only lost Connie twice.

We went horseback riding on the beach. The beaches there were beautiful. And empty. Apparently everyone was working, it was amazing to have the whole place to ourselves. My poor old slow nag and I did the hokey pokey and enjoyed our two mile ride. Connie and her horse ran the last mile, during which he stumbled and she hurt her back.

Upon returning to the states, we learned that she fractured her T12. She literally broke her damn back. On a horse in Mexico. It's a wonder she's not kin to me.

I won at bingo. I won at roulette. I freaking won quite a bit lol. And I'm smart so I cashed out and got a pina colada to celebrate then went to bed. lol

All in all it was a great trip.

We debarked and promptly send Connie on a direct flight home to her hubby and the ER. I spent another 36 hours in the Renaissance hotel being pampered and got a cab to the biggest mall in the Hollywood area to spoil my girls.

I made it home to my peeps.

I walked down the stairs at the airport Friday night.... Dave had on a nice shirt. My babies were dressed up and holding both a sign and balloons. I freaking lost it. I missed their freaking faces so much. It was a huggy snuggy party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They freaking missed the mom....

And the WIFE.

Next time, they are totally going with me. I missed them.

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I leave tomorrow peeps

Tomorrow, I'll have breakfast with my babies. I'll corner Dave in a closet for some sugars ;) and then I'll wave them off. Princess has her last high school softball game tomorrow in a nearby town. Dave and Duchess are going to cheer her on while I load up on a puddle jumper plane at our tiny airport here in the middle of nowhere Montana.

I'll get to a bigger city also in Montana where I'll be bored till my flight takes off again. This time going to Seattle. Woohooo..... Very excited

My husband, the impossibly awesome Dave is sending me on a cruise with my BFF.

Why?

Ummm I've been a military wife and staying home with our babies while he toured the world.... and I got my Masters this year..... and it's a huge surprise and he freaking loves me.

He upgraded my flights to first class, so this girl will be happy happy happy and hopefully not as gassy as I am now. I'm anxious about traveling alone hence gas. Reality.

I'll come home with pics and updates and everything.

Otherwise we've been boring and blessed as usual. Hope you and yours are wonderful

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