12 Years

Yesterday's post was about a car, but that's only part of a much bigger occasion. 12 years ago was the day Michelle and I entered into marriage. Yes, Ruby will be an effective reminder of this particular anniversary, but to tell you the truth, every part of every day is a reminder of my precious bride. She's a part of me in so many ways. We've made it through life's ups and downs, always growing stronger as individuals and as a couple, but most importantly, as followers of Christ.

I'm loving every minute of my life with her. I don't deserve her or any of my blessings, which is why I live each day in a constant state of thankfulness.

Ruby

Since I've known Michelle, she always would express how much she liked the Mercedes-Benz roadster convertibles when they would pass by, so naturally it's always been a lofty dream of mine to actually get one for her someday. Well, this desire started taking flight a few days ago when I found a 1982 380 SL Roadster (on the internet) for an amazing price. I thought that surely there was an underlying deficiency in this car's past that has brought it's resale value down. I called the owner and he turned out to be the kindest man you can imagine. He seemed to be honest and candid about how he and previous owners had cared for this car. As the saying goes, "If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is"; however, the further I researched this car, the more and more I realized that this was simply an incredible opportunity. It had half the national average of miles and the asking price was a few thousand less than it's NADA market value according to its condition. At 27 years old, it's now a classic, yet much of it's mechanical make-up is new because of the thousands of dollars the previous owners had invested in the upkeep of this car.

In an effort to not drag this out much further, I'll just summarize by saying that Michelle and I decided to buy this old girl. Mr. Russell (the man who sold her to us) had named her Ruby, so in honor of him and his kind nature, we will also call her Ruby. Please enjoy these pictures from today. I'm sure that we'll make many memories in this car.

These next two shots are from our voyage home from Atlanta with the newest addition to our family.




This photo was taken right after Michelle parked Ruby in our garage for the first time.



Noah was the first to take a joy ride with Mom because he turned 9 yesterday. He deserved it for many other reasons as well. He's a great kid and an awesome son.


This shot really captured the moment. I'm sure Michelle and Hannah will have lots of time to bond as they cruise around town together.