He Went and Got His Bag. Again. ❤️

Well, despite being disappointed that we didn’t get our power back tonight, I honestly don’t think this evening could have ended on a better note!

My husband has been going into town and religiously checking his email, waiting on confirmation of something he’s been working incredibly hard toward. Tonight, he finally got the news! He has officially completed all of his schooling, training, and testing, and he is now officially in his Master Tech position!

When he goes to work tomorrow, he’ll be working in the highest technical position available in his field. The only place to advance from here would be into management. That certainly doesn’t mean he’s finished growing professionally or financially. It just means he’s reached the top of the technical ladder, and I could not be more proud of him!

I have to admit, there were a few times throughout this process when I worried he was taking on too much. Between working long hours, taking classes, studying, and testing, I just didn’t want him getting in over his head. I probably wasn’t always as encouraging as I should have been, but it certainly wasn’t because I didn’t believe in him. I just knew how much he already had on his plate. But here’s the thing. These are HIS dreams. He’s the one who gets up every morning and goes to that job, and if there’s something he wants to accomplish, who am I to tell him he doesn’t need to? My job is to encourage him and cheer him on, even when I think he’s absolutely lost his mind. 😂

And now that he’s finished, I think this might actually turn out to be one of the best positions he’s ever had! Don’t get me wrong, the responsibility is tremendous, and the work itself is extremely technical. The hours are better, the pay is phenomenal, and he won’t have to work himself half to death in overtime to make good money. One of his coworkers was telling him just the other day how much he’s going to love it, and I think he’s right. He’s worked incredibly hard to get here, and I’m so happy that all that work is finally paying off.

I’ve watched this man set goals and absolutely crush them for years. It’s honestly inspirational to watch somebody decide they want something and then do whatever it takes to make it happen. Gary has this little saying whenever he’s got his mind set on something. He’ll tell me, “I’m gonna go get my bag.” And y’all, he does. Every single time. 😂

The funny thing is, he isn’t one to brag on himself. He’s actually pretty quiet about his accomplishments, especially when he’s working toward something big. He’s certainly not quiet around me, Lord knows, but when it comes to telling other people what he’s doing, he tends to keep things pretty low-key until they’re done. I understand that, though. There’s something a little intimidating about announcing a big goal before you’ve accomplished it. What if something goes wrong? What if you don’t pass? What if it doesn’t work out? I think sometimes it’s easier to just put your head down, do the work, and let the results speak for themselves. And that’s exactly what he does.

Something else that makes me incredibly proud is how much the people he works with genuinely love him. Every time I meet somebody from his company, they tell me what a great guy he is and how much they enjoy working with him. He’s a complete clown, and anybody who knows him knows that, but he also takes his work extremely seriously. I think being able to balance those two things is a pretty wonderful quality. He’s good at what he does, and people genuinely enjoy having him around. You really can’t ask for much more than that.

I remember many years ago when he made over 100K for the first time. That was a HUGE milestone for him. I remember how excited he was and how he almost couldn’t believe he’d done it. At the time, that felt like such an incredible accomplishment, and it was! Looking at everything he’s accomplished since then just makes me even prouder. For sixteen years, I’ve watched this man continually challenge himself, set bigger goals, and keep moving forward. He just doesn’t stop.

And you know, the thing about all of this is that these are Gary’s goals and dreams. I suppose it would be easy for somebody to ask, “Well, what about you? What about your goals?” And my answer to that is pretty simple. Gary has made it possible for me to live out one of the biggest dreams I’ve ever had.

When I met him, I was almost 35 years old, and I honestly never thought I would have the opportunity to become a mother. I don’t think there was a person on this earth who wanted children more than I did, but for a long time, I just didn’t think it was going to happen for me. Then along came Gary, and everything changed. Not only did I get to have the children I’d dreamed about for so long, but because of his hard work and the life we’ve built together, I’ve been able to stay home and raise them. And I cannot even begin to explain what that has meant to me.

I was 37 when I had Gage, and one thing I can say with absolute certainty is that I have never taken a single second of my children’s lives for granted. Not the birthdays, the Christmas mornings, the school activities, the dances, the holidays, or even the most ordinary Tuesdays. None of it. I had already spent years watching my friends’ children grow up, and I’d seen firsthand just how quickly childhood disappears. When people told me it goes by in the blink of an eye, I already knew they weren’t kidding. So when my turn finally came, I wanted to soak up every bit of it. And thanks to Gary, I’ve been able to do exactly that.

I realize that staying home and raising children isn’t everybody’s dream, and that’s perfectly fine. It was mine. It doesn’t matter to me whether anybody else understands it or not. Different people want different things out of life, and I’ve never believed that a woman’s dreams have to look a certain way to be worthwhile. This is the life I wanted, and I feel incredibly blessed that I’ve been able to live it.

It’s also given me the freedom to explore my creative side, to paint, write, and spend time doing the things I love without feeling like I’m putting some tremendous financial burden on our family. I get to be a mother and a wife and an artist, and I don’t have to feel like I’m constantly choosing one over the other. That’s a gift I don’t take lightly.

Maybe one day when the kids are grown and gone, I’ll decide I want an entirely different chapter in my life. But knowing myself, I seriously doubt it. 😂 I imagine I’ll just get even more wrapped up in my art, find a dozen new creative obsessions, and continue doing things my own slightly unconventional way.

My mama used to joke that when I got older, she could just picture me wandering around in a garden wearing some big, ridiculous, floppy hat. She was always saying something about me wearing funny hats when I got old, and I never really understood what she meant by that. But the older I get, the more I think I understand. I don’t think it was really about the garden or the hat. I think she just knew I was always going to be somebody who did life a little differently. Somebody who was perfectly content puttering around, making things, growing things, creating things, and generally entertaining herself in her own little world. And you know what? She was probably right. 😂

I’ve never been somebody who dreamed of sitting behind a desk, climbing a corporate ladder, or spending my days staring at a computer screen. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of those things. They’re just not me. I think anybody who really knows me has always understood that.

What I wanted was the kind of home and family life I grew up with. I wanted to be the mama who was there. The one making memories, showing up for everything, and finding happiness in the ordinary little moments that make up a childhood. I wanted to give my children the kind of love and presence that I was so fortunate to grow up with. And thanks to my husband, I’ve been able to do that.

So when I celebrate Gary’s accomplishments, I’m not just celebrating another promotion or a bigger paycheck. I’m celebrating the man whose determination and hard work have helped make my dreams possible, too. He has never made me feel like my dreams were any less important just because they looked different from his.

I’d love to say this will be his forever job, and maybe it will be. But knowing my husband, he could wake up next week and decide he wants to pursue an entirely different career, and I wouldn’t put it past him to go do that too. 😂 Whatever he decides, I know he’ll give it everything he’s got. And I’ll be right there cheering him on, just like he’s always been there for me.

Anyway, I just had to brag on my husband for a minute because he certainly isn’t going to do it himself. After everything we’ve been through these past few days, this was such wonderful news to end the night with.

I’m so proud of you, Gary. Not just for what you’ve accomplished, but for the man you are, the husband you’ve been to me, and the example you set for our children. You work hard, you stay humble, you make people laugh, and you never stop pushing yourself to be better. You’ve spent years working toward the life you wanted, and in doing so, you’ve given me the opportunity to live the life I wanted.

I don’t know how I could ever thank you enough for that.

You said you were gonna go get your bag, and baby, you went and got it. Again. ❤️