Bigger and Better Things? No, Not Really

Sometimes the way life works completely and totally baffles me.

Just yesterday I was posting all about our families budget.  Things are tight at casa de Oh Mandie.  But that's ok, it's how we prefer it.  Together Mike and I chose to sacrifice a lot so that I'm able to stay at home with my boys.  And anyways, not driving a brand new car with a giant car payment is not sacrificing to me anyways.  Our family prefers to living simply, finding an abundance in love rather than objects on monitary value.

I wouldn't say that we've ever really struggled, but at times we've certainly walked a fine line.  But God has always provided for us, in ways that we couldn't even comprehend.  Our cupboards are full, our health insurance is paid, and the roof over our heads keeps us safe. 

Mike works hard, harder than any man I've ever known, the exception being my own father whom Mike works just as hard as.  To make Christmas happen last year my husband took on two additional jobs on top of his full time one, working in excess of 70 to 80 hours a week.  One of those two extra jobs he still works at seasonally, doing maintence for our local airport and plowing the runways in the Winter.  He's amazing and he does it all to provide for his family.  I appriciate that man and everything that he does for us more than I could ever express. 

After years of him working so hard it's amazing to see him catch a real break.  Mike, my very awesome and very amazing husband was given a really great promotion yesterday where he works as a line service tech, fueling all sorts of aircraft, one that was quite sought after between the guys whom he works with. 

Mike's new position as a supervisor comes with a pretty sizable raise, which could make life substantionally easier for us.  But I'd be kidding myself if I said that it will really change things.  It won't, because this is who we are.  We are not new car people, we are fix the Jeep with your own two hands people.  We are make it from scratch people, not buy it from the store people.  We are make do with what you have or do without people. 

Raise or no raise, we are rich.  We always have been rich.  We've just chosen to be rich on the things that matter.

And so we celebrated with a kid drawn card and some scrumptious cheesecake brownies, because that's just how we do things around here.

I'm so proud of you, Mike.  You inspire me and your willingness to put your family first has always and will always amaze me.  It's just one drop of water in the bucket of all of the reasons why I love you so.