Skip to main content

Thursday Update: 02/19/09



Happy Mid February! Sometimes I really just can’t believe how the time flies by. Growing up the ‘old folks’ always say that, and as a kid you just shrug and say whatever…but seriously…where DOES the time go!? Things have been pretty busy for us lately, and maybe that makes it go faster…I don’t know. I just find myself more and more perplexed by the speed at which life happens these days. I guess Ferris Bueller really did know what he was talking about when he said “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” So true.

Last week I mentioned that Matt and I got a new car, but didn’t elaborate. We sort of accidentally bought it! It wasn’t an impulse or anything like that…it just happened much faster than we intended. We had been contemplating a larger vehicle for a while now. Something that the wheelchair easily fit into and that we could still have room for passengers (where a wheel wasn’t sticking out between their heads), something that was taller than a sedan so Matt could easily get in, but not too tall so I wouldn’t have trouble loading the chair, something that wouldn’t cost us much more than our current car…etc. So we went out with the idea of trying several vehicles which we thought would be good contenders. Until you actually try to put the chair in a car, you don’t know how it’s going to fit. We checked out several cars and drove a few, and were ready to leave to ponder our options when I had to meet the manager. Matt and I know this trick, of course, from his brief stint as a car salesman. If the customer wants to leave, let the manager talk to them. I just smiled and went along with it, knowing full well that I wasn’t going to buy any of the cars we had just driven. The manager was friendly and asked what we were looking for etc. I told him our needs and he pointed out a Dodge Journey on their showroom floor. It was a 2009, but had been a rental so it was used. It was all spiffed up, shiny, and new. They quickly went to work showing me all the nifty compartments and features. I liked the looks of it, but was SURE it would be way out of our price range. Then he showed me what the MSRP was and what they had it listed for and I got a little more interested. I begrudgingly agreed to drive it, if they’d be willing to take it out of the showroom…which of course they were. They ran around moving cars out of the way, virtually falling all over themselves to sell us this car. We loaded up the car with the wheelchair and took it for a spin and…yeah…we loved it. Of course, we still weren’t sure we wanted to commit to that car…but we went back inside to talk numbers just to see where we’d end up. I knew what I wanted the payment to be, and that’s what I told the salesman. We went back and forth a few times, but I stayed firm (Matt was so proud of me…he actually turned to me and said ‘good job’ at one point!). Finally the finance guy came out and assured us they’d get us to the number we wanted and told us to take the car home. We agreed, if he was SURE the financing would be what we wanted…he was POSITIVE…so we drove home in our new car…a little stunned at what had just happened. I went back the next day to finalize things and sure enough, the financing was even LESS than what we were expecting!! We were both so tickled…the car has any feature we could ever want in a car, and more! It’s just perfect for us and I think we’ll be happy with it for a good long time. We felt so fortunate we could afford to get a car so new with so many features and warranty etc…it is a blessing and we are glad it worked out, even if it happened faster than we intended!

Last Friday I went to my cousin Brooke’s surprise 30th b-day party. It was SO much fun. I was worried that with the bad snow we were having that we’d have trouble getting over there and my cousin Amber and her husband Nathan wouldn’t be able to get down to Ankeny from their house…but they made it safe and sound and we all headed over there in time to watch Brooke and her husband Brett come in and be surprised. Matt was nervous about trying to walk out in the snow, so he stayed home. I was bummed he didn’t make it, but had a good time playing darts with Amber and Nathan and catching up with Uncle Rick and Aunt Beth.

Saturday was one of the laziest days I think I’ve ever had. Normally I’m doing laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc on the weekends. I had already done most of that on Friday, so Saturday…I took the day off. I didn’t do much of anything and it was delightful!! I did manage to get off the couch long enough to make Matt his traditional Valentine’s Day cookie…but that’s about it. For an explanation of To Blave...check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BRI0NtQ1DU
We made popcorn and watched movies…and it was just a perfectly lazy day together!

Sunday after church we went to the Home and Garden show downtown Des Moines. We always enjoy going and wandering around all the booths, dreaming about things like screened in porches, pergolas, fireplaces, and of course…PLANTS! George was working a booth for the cabinet company he works for so we stopped by to chat there a few times as well. We probably spent over 3 hours wandering around, taking it all in, talking and just enjoying the day together. Days like that…I love. Just me and Matt, no particular thing to do…no timeline…no commitments. We just talk and just are. While I wish it was like before and we could walk hand in hand through the crowd, I am happy to push him and lean down to whisper in his ear about the different things I see and think. Just being able to do something we’ve always like to do together…what a blessing that is. Times like that make me realize how fortunate we are…how lucky we are to be able to share something like that together still. This life isn’t easy – and some days the grief of what’s been lost swells up inside and we cry…but most days we just look at each other and smile and soak in all the good that still surrounds us. I look at Matt and I am thankful…not just for the fact that he’s still here, but that I know him at all. I am better for having been his wife. I am blessed by him. I just love him so much. I thank God that He chose me to be in Matt’s life and that He gave me the gift of this amazing love for my husband.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Carrie Anne - The Beginning of the Story

So, I’ve been trying to sort out how to start this story. It’s been difficult to articulate. Difficult to pick which details to share, and which to hold close. But it’s a story too good, too beautiful, not to share – so here goes! When Matt and I first became parents, we thought our family was complete. We envisioned raising Ethan surrounded by loving friends and family – just the two of us. Given all that we had gone through to finally become parents, we felt content with just the one child. The most adorable boy in the whole wide world. Our Ethan was the apple of our eyes – the most amazing gift. We marveled at all of his accomplishments, soaked up all his love and personality, and celebrated the joy of parenthood at every exhausting, wonderful turn. Along the way, we’ve built a strong and loving relationship with Ethan’s birthmother. We visit yearly, and stay in close contact with pictures, emails, and texts. I have attempted to describe my feelings for her many times over the
1 comment
Read more

I may as well tell you...

I had a miscarriage. I’ve debated for weeks whether or not to acknowledge it publicly. It’s such a personal thing…and this is such a public medium. But a few months have gone by and I’m no closer to feeling ok about it and truly nothing else on my mind really compares, so here I am, letting the world in on my secret. Over the past few weeks I’ve found very little comfort in the fact that only a small handful of people know about the miscarriage. It became nearly unbearable this week, during all our wonderful family Christmas celebrations. Being surrounded by so many people who love me and support me and have no idea how my heart has been broken – it’s a lonely place to be. Not that I would want them all to bombard me with pity or questions or sad looks in their eyes – I realize I can’t have it both ways. But a little acknowledgement goes a long way and I simply can’t ignore or deny the fact that something major happened in my life and impacted me, impacts me still.   It was a warm
4 comments
Read more

WE'RE ADOPTING!!

Bah! I said it…er wrote it…out loud. There it is, in black and white for the world to see. (Pause for a drink and a breath) Matt and I are in the very early stages of planning to adopt. We have had a few meetings with an adoption agency, we are gathering the necessary information, and we are making plans to get this ball officially rolling SOON. It has been a very long and winding road to get us to this point, and honestly I never thought we’d get here. Adoption isn’t what we started out hoping for. It isn’t where we thought we’d end up. But here we are – gearing up for what will surely be a life-changing experience for us with hearts full of hope and excitement. The topic of adoption has come up in the past, but we quickly dismissed it for one reason or another. Matt and I have had our fair share of insecurities about whether or not adoption would be a good option for us. Who would look at our family profile and pick us?? It was a burning question that we probably still have
5 comments
Read more