Where the Sun Always Shines and Puppies Are Delivered on Your Doorstep

     "Where do you see yourself ten years from now?"  I can't even begin to count how many times I've been asked that question.  And I'm sure, most of you can say the same thing.  "Married, with 3 well-behaved kids, a wonderful husband, making lots of money. -where the sun always shines and puppies are delivered on your doorstep ..."  or some pageant winner answer like that   -That's what I THOUGHT...not what I SAID.

     Truth be told, I had no idea.  Truth be told, I still have no idea.  Don't get me wrong, I understand the implications behind the question.  But, every time I'm asked that question I give it a little chuckle and move on.  What I can do, however, is look at the past and see how far I've come.

     Many people don't know the story of how Mack and I met.  Here's the synopses: I was dating his manager.  My boyfriend at the time said, "Wow, I know a guy that would be perfect for you... he's a super Christian."  Little did he know that he was exactly right.  Mack and I started dating 3 months later.  He told my parents that he wasn't ready to settle down yet because he still wanted to "sew his oats."  Yes, you can laugh... Because, for those of you who know Mack, know that he is naive and innocent.  Suffice it to say, my parents thought highly of that comment.  Only to find out that Mack didn't understand what "sew your oats" meant and thought that it meant that he still wanted to accomplish his goals in life.  -I guess that depends on your goals. ;)

     Anywhos, he joined the military after we dated for 8 months... he was gone for 6 months.  We wrote love letters to each other.. yes, a real life Dear John (except with a happier ending).  There are 32 love notes total. If you're lucky I may share later.  Moving on... He flies me out to Missouri where he surprises me with proposing.  I guess he didn't really do a good job proposing, cuz by the end of it I thought he was breaking up with me.  Next thing I know, he's down on one knee asking for me to marry him.  So, the southern lady I am, I say "Yes."  He leans in (slow-mo), reaching for my hand... I'm leaning in (slow-mo), reaching out my hand.  He goes to grab my hand... I go to grab the ring.  I grab the ring and slip it on there myself.  I know... romantic..the story of our lives.

    OK, this synopses is turning into a book, I know.  We get married... I continue school in Florence... on Fridays I drive 4 hours to NC to be with Mack on the weekends... then on Monday morning I wake up at 4am and drive to Florence and take classes for the week.  Then go back down on Friday.  I do this for a year.  Then he's sent to another school.. then deployed.. then Kyle.. then Columbia.. Halle.. HERE WE ARE.

    Are you still with me?  Looking back on those five years.  WOW, God has been great!  All the school trainings, deployment,  my schooling, MARINE LIFE in general... all of that and I still feel like I made the right choices.  How wonderful it is to be able to look back on my life and know that I took the right path.  How it feels to wake up next to the person that God has given to me for the rest of my life.  Yes, sometimes in the middle of the night when Mack is snoring as loud as a freight train, I get great satisfaction in pushing him and pretending I'm asleep when he wakes up.  But what wife doesn't?  And,boy, what a privilege it is to raise these two blessings that we call Kyle and Halle.  I can only pray that in five years I can look back and say the same thing.  -God is Good!