Life

One of the biggest questions I get from friends, family and just regular people is how we travel so much.  I figured I would do a post on how we live our life in general which gives us the freedom to do so many things.  I am not saying this is right for everyone, but just what is right of us.

The hubby and I have been together for 17 years married for almost 11.  We met when I was still in High School.  Now I am not saying this is for everyone.  The hubby and I are very lucky to have the relationship we have and be where we are.  I love him more than anything in this world (except for the kiddo of course)   We have worked our butts off to get here.  He truly is my best friend and I know I can trust him with anything.  We have found what works for us and I am lucky to have a husband who has been willing to work through the ups and downs with me.  Crazy moments and all :)  The hubby and I have hit many a rough patch, and before we had the kiddo we separated for a small time period.  This truly was the best thing for our marriage.  It gave us the change to really see what we loved in each other and that we wanted nothing more than to be together and share our live with one another.  This isn't to say we don't have our arguments but we always find a way to work it out.

We bought our house a year before we got married, and luckily before the market went through the roof.  We only have about 950 square feet with two bedrooms and one bath.  I know a lot of people who can't believe we do it, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  This allows us to travel, have a boat, Seahawks tickets, etc.  I love having a smaller house.  It forces us to spend time together and really know what is going on with one another.  We eat all our dinners together, talk, and play a ton of games.  I feel like we are the Three Musketeers.


We spent years trying to get ourselves to a place where we have minimal debt and we lived with very little for a long time before we bought the house.  We had no cable TV, no Internet,  lived off of Raman Noodles & PB & J's and two very old vehicles we were given by our families when we were in High School.

When my Dad passed away a few years ago I was very lucky to have a decent inheritance.  This allowed us to pay off the hubbies vehicle and buy me a new one cash.  It also allowed us to buy "real" furniture for the house and pay off the final bit of debt we had.  We now have a few larger debts (mortgage & student loans, etc) and a few smaller debts and recurring monthly bills.  We learned many years ago that if we couldn't pay cash for it we didn't need it.  So we save up and pay cash for everything.

After my Dad died I took a really hard look at my life and thought what do I really want out of life.  Now before my dad got sick I always figured I would have a great big house with the newest vehicles and top of the line electronics which was how I grew up.  After my Dad got sick I realized none of that mattered to me.  All I could think about was memories I had with my Dad, which grew stronger after his passing.  My mom stayed at home while he worked.  He spent 30 years in the Air Force, followed by working at Boeing and the Post Office.  In 2003 my dad took to me Italy and I fell in love with traveling.  My Dad worked really hard to support our family and there were sometimes that he didn't get to spend as much time with us because he was TDY or had to work late. He would always say to me"Kiddo when I retire I am going to travel and I am taking you and your family with me"  It never happened.  My dad passed away at the age of 57.  He got sick with cancer at 56.  Way too young in my opinion to go, and with so much life left to live.  I made my decision at that moment that I didn't want to skimp on memories.


Coming up on my Dad's birthday this week and the 10 year anniversary of his passing in a few months, I am reminded that the decisions that the hubby and I have made in our lives are worth the sacrifices.  I look forward to making many more happy memories with my family.

Again I am not saying that this is how everyone should live, just how we live our lives.  I am a true believer that everyone must make their own happiness and just because your choices wouldn't make others happy or people are a bit mean to you don't let them effect your happiness, just be you.