Tuesday, March 25, 2014

way back when...

Do you ever think back on your life and wonder "what the heck was I thinking??" Or maybe there are no words and you just have to roll your eyes or facepalm? 
After Eric and I got married (close to 6 years ago, say whaaaat?!) I made huge, ridiculous, unrealistic goals that we had to reach by our first anniversary. Are you ready for these?... Pay off all of our debt (mostly mine, the necessary debt like car and school), buy a truck, buy a wave runner (and trailer), and if we were on a roll we could always buy a house. Did I mention I was 20 and Eric barely turned 22? Oh and I was still building my clientele while Eric was at the bottom of the totem pole of his profession AND in school! HA HA! HAHAHA! Can you imagine the reality check I experienced when we celebrated our one year anniversary and hadn't crossed anything off the list? We still lived in our studio apartment (we lovingly called it "the box"), we still lived paycheck to paycheck, BUT we did pay off our debt within a month or two after our one year mark. So at least there was that. I spent the first few years of our marriage always wanting and wishing for more than we had. Always setting goals that really should have been categorized as dreams (that would have made life way less stressful, ha!). I was young and dumb naive and I had a lot to learn about life.
What a relief it is for me to say that now I am totally happy and content with where our life is and it just feels so good! Do we still have goals? I make new ones everyday (and it's usually a new vacation destination, ha!). Do we still have dreams? Oh, do we ever! Eric wants to retire by 40, own a private jet, and rebuild numerous hot rods :) I have no doubt that I will have my moments of wanting and wishing (and not in the dreaming kind of way), and they will be ugly. And in the future when I look back on them? I will have no choice but to roll my eyes and facepalm (or beat my head against the wall? Whatever works!) :) Growing up is hard and sometimes it just plain sucks. But at the same time, thank freakin' goodness we grow up and learn to live a better, happier life along the way!
All picture from our firstish year of marriage. All of my pictures are stuck on our broken laptop so I did the best I could with what I could find :)

21 comments:

Dee Stephens said...

We're in our late 30's and still haven't even begun to reach our goals b/c of the economy. Our biggest dreams are to have a lakefront home and a big college fund for Shelby.

Sarah said...

Now that I've seen that show on HGTV: Island hunting, new goal! I want a private island! :)

Yes thankfully we grow up and learn from our mistakes.

sara [at] journey of doing said...

You guys make me giggle... but it's good to dream big! :) The debt thing is AWESOME!! I love that for you! (We are still living in a box. It happens. LOL) There's nothing better in the world than being content where you are RIGHT NOW. So - embrace it! Celebrate it. Just be it. :)

Elizabeth said...

You have obviously grown up and realized our mistakes. The pictures of yall are precious!!!

Love Always,
Elizabeth
thejourneycreatingme.blogspot.com

Kirsty and Seth said...

Ha, I don't think you're the only one to sometimes have unrealistic expectations! Dreaming and making future plans is always fun though and having joy in the journey!

www.kirstyandseth.blogspot.co.uk

Pamela said...

Girl we all do that!! We also have pictures like that too hahah!

Lizzie @ This Happy Life said...

I think we can all look back at some point of our lives where we were a little too naive! I know I can!! :)

Julie said...

I'll join the club to own a private jet - then own a condo in an exotic place, travel all the time oh and be a billionaire to do all that ;)

Nicole@mamashiptips said...

I want to live by the beach.. my goal

Alyx said...

Uhhhh I think paying off your debt by the first anniversary is pretty dang good. We have all consumer debt paid off, but between the two of us, we have $45,000 of students loans and who knows when those will be paid off! That and I feel like we will forever owe on a mortgage. ;)

Erin LFF said...

I feel ya girl, we all make unrealistic goals. I used to think I'd be married at 22, a kid by 24, another kid by 26, living in our dream house etc! Ha, I'm almost 27 and no babies still in site! But we are happy and that's what matters :)

Tracy said...

I checked everything I ever thought I'd do/wanted to do (relationship-wise and professionally, anyway) by 25...and then I realized that I didn't want the professional half of my life anymore at all. So I quit my job and went back to school and now my life has basically been turned upside down. I have a new set of goals and dreams, and who knows if I'll ever really be happy, but at least I'm happy working to achieve them!

Tracy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Linzi Scarsella said...

My hubs and I have so many pics like this too, haha :) whatever the goal, you guys still have the most important thing in mind. Your love, and family!

Linzi Scarsella said...

My hubs and I have so many pics like this too, haha :) whatever the goal, you guys still have the most important thing in mind. Your love, and family!

Laynah said...

This is such a hard thing to learn! I heard a talk the other day that said to try praying to Heavenly Father and asking him if he would help you see that the blessings he has given you at this time in your life are ENOUGH for you. You are pretty enough, your car is nice enough, your home is clean enough, etc. Ask him to help you feel that it is enough.

Jessie said...

Lol. I love your honesty! I feel like I'm a rollercoaster when it comes to wanting/dreaming/contentment. Some months I'm good, others I'm trying to keep up with the Jones'.

Miki {Becoming What I Always Was} said...

Life definitely throws you for those loops. We still make unrealistic goals all the time and my heart breaks when we don't reach them. I also make really easy goals like deposit that check that's been in my wallet since Christmas, which I still haven't accomplished.

Cayla said...

Oh girl, I am with you on this one! We were going to go back to Mexico for our honeymoon, have a house, pay off his truck, etc, etc. Well, when life hands you lemons that doesn't exactly happen! Almost 2 years later, we JUST bought a house and are still swimming in debt. I get so jealous seeing other couples take multiple vacations a year, haha.

Elizabeth [Chasin' Mason] said...

Oh man. I totally agree! Looking back on my younger self, I would have so much advice for myself...that I'm sure my younger self wouldn't take! Haha. Live and learn. But hey, if we didn't come from where we came from, we wouldn't be where we are today! How philosophical of me lol.

Crazy Shenanigans-JMO said...

Yay for being content!

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