Happy anniversary to us!

Johnny and I celebrated our 9th year of marriage and 14 years back together this week! I truly love our relationship. Johnny and I fell in love more than 21 years ago...but it wasn't the right time back then. I knew from the moment of our first kiss in June 2005 that he was "the one" for me, though. Our life together is even better than I could have imagined back when we met. :) It hasn't been perfect by any means...but it has all been worth it to get to where we are today. 

You know...they talk about the "seven year itch" in relationships where people start losing interest or become dissatisfied in the relationship by the time the seventh year rolls around. However, I think the opposite is true for us. The first six years of our relationship were definitely the hardest. Dealing with exes, moving in together, blending families and finances, adult children and their pets and/or families moving in and out, and various other things...we had a rocky start (and that rocky start lasted awhile). We got married on our 5th anniversary and during that first year of married life, there were times I wondered if we'd even make it to our first wedding anniversary. It was an especially chaotic time in our lives and I don't think either of us handled the stress well. The biggest thing at the time was the fact that Johnny's daughter, her husband, their four kids, four dogs, and a cat moved into our living room a couple months after our wedding. We already had Johnny's mom living with us, my two kids, three dogs, and three cats. What was supposed to be "for a couple weeks" turned into six months. 

But by August 2018, everyone else had moved out and we finally had a sense of normalcy for pretty much the first time in our relationship. We were able to rearrange and redecorate the house the way we wanted (which has been an ongoing process). Johnny retired from pool work (while still working for USPS) and I started doing transcription work from home to bring in some extra money. We were able to file Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2019 so that we could make payments over a five year period which eased the financial burdens that we'd been struggling with years before. We were also in the position to be able to buy our first car together after dealing with our previous vehicles getting old and crapping out. We were still dealing with teenagers, but I think we were in a better place to be able to handle all that comes with raising teenage girls. 

Then when Covid hit in March 2020...things really settled in to a comfortable routine for us. Johnny also started working from home and we were basically spending all day together everyday. It's funny...we talk more about how our day is going now that we're both at home together than we did when he was gone at work for the majority of the day. Then I started CandiMaker in 2021 and Johnny has been wonderfully supportive. He always asks me what things I've sold and says "good job" every time he hears the cha-ching notification from my phone letting me know I got another sale. 

And then in 2025, Johnny and I finally became empty-nesters for the first time ever. It's just us, two golden retrievers, and three tabby cats enjoying a nice life together. My favorite thing is sitting at the coffee table in the living room to eat dinner and watch a show together...which is exactly what we did to celebrate our anniversary. We ordered Hibachi Boy for dinner and finished an episode of The Bombing of Pan Am 103. :) 

Happy anniversary to us! 

Another Valentine's Day!

Yesterday was the 11th Valentines day that Johnny and I have spent together! It's still hard to believe that it's been so long. :) I love where our relationship is at...it's very comfortable and we just truly enjoy the everyday routine of our life. Some people may find it boring...but I love not having any drama or stress. We've both been working from home for the last 4 years and it's been so nice. We spend a little time together in the morning before Johnny starts his work day and then we get to chat during his breaks. Then after he gets off work we sit down and have dinner together and watch an episode of one of our shows or watch a movie, documentary, or stand-up special. Then he usually goes to bed earlier while I stay up and work for a few more hours. And, of course, we enjoy spending time together with the dogs. Now that all our human children are adults...the pups are our little kids now. ;) We love watching them play and talking about how cute they are and taking pictures of them. It's a nice, quiet life...and I couldn't be happier. :) 

For Valentine's Day, I got Johnny a Crazy Shirts t-shirt. He's been wanting some for awhile...I'd gotten him one for Christmas and another for Valentine's Day. I made Cheez-It Chicken Fried Steak, mashed potatoes, and corn for dinner and we watched a stand-up comedy while we ate. So it was a very nice day. :) 

I bought some duck topper to see if it helps Bozley with eating more of his food. Yesterday he barely ate any of his food. He'd just push it around and then give up. It's always difficult to get him to eat all of his food...but some days he's worse than others. He also won't eat it at all unless we put a little bit of water in it and heat it up. He LOVES duck jerky so I'm hoping that the powdered duck jerky will add a flavor that he likes to his food and he'll eat it better. 

I passed 500 sales in my CandiMakerStickers Etsy shop! :) So far I've had less sales in February than I did in January, but I've had higher profit in February. I had several larger orders which made a difference. I just added magnets to my Etsy shop and I got another eBay order for stickers. I'm slowly working on adding more of my stickers on eBay, but it's been going pretty slow. 

It didn't help that I've been sick for the past week. It's just a chest cold. I haven't felt horribly bad...I've just been very blah. There were only a couple days where I didn't really feel like doing anything at all and I ended up going to bed early. One of the days I was feeling not very productive, I redid my packaging stickers that I put on all the envelopes that I send orders out in. I'd been just using my matte sticker paper and cutting my own stickers, but it was a lot more time-consuming than I wanted to deal with. So I found some good labels that are the sizes I need and already pre-cut on the page. So while I was laying around, I set up my print templates and now I can just print a few pages off at a time and not have to worry about it. If I run out in the middle of an order, it just take a few seconds to print some more now. 

I think that's about it for an update. :) 

Always so busy!

I've been pretty busy since my last post. 

Johnny and I celebrated our 6th/11th anniversary! It's hard to believe it's been so long. But I've been in love with that man even longer. As of June, it's been 18 years! On his birthday, I'd given him tickets to see the Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon" 50th anniversary show at the dome theater...it was pretty neat. I'm not really a Pink Floyd fan...but he really likes them. And it had been awhile since we'd seen a show in the dome theater. It was really nice to have a night out. 

I've been really busy with CandiMaker stuff...as always. I've been planning to retake all my product photos, but the set-up I had just wasn't working out. Initially I had the light on the tall tripod and was holding my phone to take overhead shots...but that was really hurting my back and the photos were less "uniform" so I was having to correct the perspective and do lots of cropping. Then I was using my tall tripod for my phone and the desktop tripod for my ring light...but I needed more flexibility with placing the ring light because the glossy laminate on my stickers catches glare too easily. So I got a tripod that I can leave clamped to my table to take pictures with my phone from overhead and then use the tall tripod for my ring light. Oh! And I decided to take the tabletop off my art desk, cover it with contact paper, and set it on top of the drawers where my Cricut sits. I even put contact paper on the shallow cardboard box that I keep in front of my Cricut to keep the mat flat. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. :) 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Candi Pride (@candimaker)

So this weekend my plan is to finally retake my product photos. I have quite a few new sticker designs to list as well. I've also been thinking a lot about different products that I want to make in the near future too. I like to do a lot of planning before I launch new products...make sure I have my pricing and materials and everything all worked out first. 

But first thing tomorrow I'm going to update my spreadsheets with all the new end-of-the-month figures. While I had 5 less orders in August than I did in July...I had more revenue in August. It definitely helped that I had one order for (25) 3" stickers! And today I had 5 orders...breaking my previous record for 4 orders in one day. :) Since June, I get about 5-15 orders per week. AND I've maintained Star Seller every month since June. Of course...that's just for my sticker shop. 

Since I'm not very active in my other Etsy shop...it's pretty dead. I'd been getting at least one order a month in my other Etsy shop...but I didn't get an order in August aside from my sister. She's my biggest customer for sublimation transfers. ;) In fact...tomorrow I'll be printing like 90 pages for her. I'm still trying to decide what I'll ultimately do with my other Etsy shop.   

On that note...I'm going to get a little more work done before I go to bed.

Still so busy!

August is over and this is the first time I've come back to post again. I've still been super busy...mostly working on editing photos. I'm almost finished with the first batch...I'm just cleaning up some edges a little bit. This is largely why I stopped doing photography professionally...because I'm way too much of a perfectionist and I have a hard time just leaving them alone and saying they're good enough. And especially with these photos...I didn't actually take these pictures. A wonderful photographer who has been taking the girls' pictures since Aubry was just a few months old took them. So I really want them to look good. Really it's just the marks on the white floor that are the most time consuming part. I want it all to look natural and smooth. I'm getting there...it's just taking awhile. The later pictures in the batch are all right...but in the beginning I wasn't doing as much so I'm going back to clean those up more now. Total there are 155 pictures...but luckily not all of them are on the white background. 

But...Johnny and I did take some time for ourselves on our anniversary! Our anniversary also happened to fall on National Fajita Day...so Johnny and I cooked fajitas together for dinner, cuddled up with the pups and watched some documentaries on Netflix. We always enjoy our Netflix and chill time. :) I'd much rather spend time curled up at home together than going out. I love our quality time together. My favorite part of the day is when we sit down to eat dinner and either catch up on our shows, watch a new documentary or stand-up comedian on Netflix...or if it's a weekend we'll watch a longer movie together. 

Ashlyn is doing well in school so far this year. If she passes all her classes this semester, she doesn't have to attend class next semester...so she's been working hard to keep her grades up. It's still hard to believe that she's already a senior! We're getting her senior pictures taken in October (the same photographer that I'm editing photos from now). We'll have to order her graduation invitations, tassel, and some 2023 clothes and accessories like we got for her sister in 2020. 

Speaking of...Aubry is doing well at WSU Tech. As of last week she was still getting all As in her classes. She's passed most of the online coursework and then she will have the lab work to do. She is really enjoying her college experience. Of course, she's also really looking forward to the job--and paycheck--that she'll be getting after she finishes the program. ;) 

Other than that, I've also been keeping busy with CandiMaker stuff. I started selling sublimation ready-to-press transfers in addition to sublimation designs. I haven't had as much time as I'd like to create new designs...but hopefully things will calm down and I'll have more time to devote to it. :) 

Happy Anniversary to us!

Johnny and I just celebrated 10 years together and 5 years of marriage. :) 

Ten years seems like a long time...but it doesn't feel like a long time. I mean...we've experienced so much together and we've shared so many moments over the years...but it just seems like the time has gone by so fast. 

I love our relationship though. It just comes so easily. I know you generally have to work to make a relationship work...but I feel like we've put in that work and now it just feels effortless. 

Had Johnny and I stayed together the first time we dated, we actually would have celebrated 17 years together this year. But...so much happened in our lives in those seven years we were apart. I think we both grew and became the people who could make such a successful life together now. I've always believed that everything happens for a reason...and I think that's especially true of all the things that had to happen for us to end up working at the same place at the same time, meet and fall in love, fall apart and then come back together...to end up happily ever after. 

We've both had very volatile relationships in the past. Speaking for myself, I know that I have had a history of being VERY stubborn, saying everything I think (often complaints or criticism), and honestly just focused on a lot of the wrong things. But...I was with guys who were the very same way. Like with XH...both of us were very stubborn, fought constantly, and always focused on what the other person was or wasn't doing...and the way we wanted things to be. It was never a partnership where we worked together. There was a lot of, "well if you're not going to do X then I'm not going to do Z." There was too much resentment and no appreciation from either of us. 

Even in the 6-year relationship I had right before Johnny and I got back together...it was a very different kind of relationship. The first four months of the relationship we were truly dating...but after that it was far more of a long-term "friends with benefits" arrangement than an *actually* relationship. We enjoyed each other's company and I stayed at his house when my kids were with their dad...but I had my own place and we weren't planning any sort of exclusive future together. So it became a situation where...if one of us got pissed off, I just went home. We'd either get over it...or not. It was pretty inconsequential. Don't get me wrong...we loved each other and care about each other very much...but it was in a much different way. I just understood him more than most people and I let him be who he is without trying to change him...and he appreciated that. But we were still two very strong-willed and mouthy personalities who clashed often.  

But things are totally different with Johnny. I'm definitely not as stubborn, I've learned that silence really is golden, and we focus on appreciating each other instead of criticizing each other. Johnny and I are just *nice* to each other. We say nice things and even use cutesy pet names. We say please and thank you. We say "I love you" every time one of us leaves...whether it's just leaving the room or leaving the house. We also do nice things for each other...even when it's just little things like making a favorite snack or doing a chore around the house so the other doesn't have to. That's not to say everything is perfect 100% of the time. We're human and sometimes we get annoyed or cranky or just have a bad day...but those moments are few and far between. Johnny and I are also a lot alike in a lot of ways...from our thoughts on religion and politics to the things we like to see and do. 

But even the things that are different about us...we still complement each other in a way that works so well. For example, Johnny is good cop and I'm bad cop. I have no problem telling the kids no...while he's usually the "nicer" one who is more lenient. We're like that in so many ways. 

Ultimately we're in it together, forever. I really enjoy our life together. :) 

Here's to 10 years...and a lifetime of many more! :) 

Start of a New School Year!

It's hard to believe that "summer" has ended and Ashlyn is already back at school. She had a good first day and likes several of her classes. I think she is most excited for her photography classes. She's also in drama club again this year and may possibly be assistant/stage manager...just as her sister was. I think it's really awesome that they were able to have that one year in high school together (when Aubry was a senior and Ashlyn was a Freshman) to introduce Ashlyn to some things that she might not have otherwise tried. It's hard to believe she has just two years left! 

Ashlyn reluctantly let me take her picture the morning before her first day of her junior year. She's wearing her new shoes and jeans...but she didn't wear any of her new shirts that Johnny had gotten her because they're all long-sleeve shirts and hoodies...and it was pretty hot that day. But...she's been wearing hoodies since then so maybe the air conditioner is working really well at the school. :P 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Candace Pride (@tinycandi)

Aubry had her first emergency room visit and overnight hospital stay this past week. She was actually in the ER overnight waiting for a bed to open up and then spent one more night after that. She is fine now...it was more just a precautionary measure. 

Johnny and I also celebrated our 9th year together and 4th year of marriage! It's both hard to believe that it's been that long and also seems that it's been even longer. I can't imagine my life without Johnny...and it's getting harder to even remember what life was like before we got back together in 2012. We've been through so much over the last nine years (and even before when we met in 2005) but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I actually found Johnny's anniversary present this year through an ad that was on Facebook. I ordered it at the beginning of April because I didn't quite trust that it would get here in a timely manner (it did arrive later than scheduled and I had to contact them multiple times, but it did end up getting here a little less than a month after I ordered it). It's a canvas with a print that looks like a cassette tape with the lyrics to 'our song' printed on the ribbon and then a couple pictures of us. I really like how it turned out. :) 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Candace Pride (@tinycandi)

In other news...FedEx lost Johnny's birthday present. UGH. And of course, Lowes won't have the refund processed until after, like, an entire month. It's a new tool set in a hard case where everything has a designated spot so it's easy to keep organized and to know if something is missing. This way I can get the hodge-podge of tools out of the armoire in the office. I'm going to be cleaning it out to keep my printer and supplies in there...that way I can try to reduce the amount of dust that gets to the printer. I had a really hard time finding my printer, but it was FINALLY delivered this week. Large format printers are nearly impossible to find in stock right now. I ended up having to get a more expensive model than I was planning to because the only printers of the previous model I could find on places like Amazon and Walmart Marketplace were marked almost $400 more than list price because they're so hard to find. So at that point it made more sense to just get the newer one for about the same price. With the supply chain issues, it's also difficult to find some substrates in stock as well. But I've been keeping myself busy with trying to get the office cleaned up and organized so I can get everything set up for my new adventure. I've also been trying to get all my digital design elements organized, creating designs, researching, etc. I can't wait to see everything really start coming together. 

The dogs are still doing great! It's so much fun watching Bozley and NovaLee play together. They always keep us laughing, that's for sure! :) I was finally able to schedule their appointment with the groomer. I'm so glad she was able to get both dogs in...I think they'll do a lot better if they're both there together considering how antsy they seem to get when the other isn't around. And I don't think Nova has ever been to the groomer before, so I'm hoping she'll do well. And then we also have her appointment scheduled to be spayed after that. It'll be weird not having her taking up all the room in the bed that night. :P  

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Candace Pride (@tinycandi)

Happy Valentine's Day!

I posted a similar version of this to Facebook...but here is a quick survey about me and Johnny in recognition of Valentine's Day. 

When and where did you meet? In January 2005 when we were both working for the USPS.
Who was interested first? Johnny started flirting with me first and then I fell hard. 

When and where was your first date? Dinner at Red Lobster then we saw "Must Love Dogs" at the movie theater in August 2005.

When and where was your first kiss? In the Walmart parking lot after work in June 2005. 

Who initiated the first kiss? Johnny did. We were chatting and listening to a Matchbox20 CD in his truck and he held my face with both of his hands...and gave me the best first kiss I've ever had. :) 
How long have you been together? It'll be NINE YEARS in August 2021 (not counting the 4 months we were together in 2005). 
If married, how long? It'll be 4 years in August 2021!

How long did it take you to get serious? Well we fell in love in June 2005, were together for 4 months, then we didn't get back together until 2012 so...7 years! ;) 

What is your age difference? Johnny is 13 years older than I am.  
Who is taller: Johnny. 
Who said I love you first? I said "I'm falling in love with you," first. He said "I love you," first. 
Who has the worst temper? Johnny. And he stays mad longer than I do. 
Who is the most sensitive? Johnny.
Who is the most crazy? Define crazy. :P Johnny is more adventurous. I'm more nosey. So it depends on how you look at it. ;) 
Who is the loudest? Johnny. 
Who is the most stubborn? Johnny
Who falls asleep first? It definitely depends on the night. 
Who is the better driver? ME! Johnny would say him...but it's definitely me. :P 
Who drives when you are together? Usually Johnny (which doesn't mesh real well with the previous question). ;) LOL.
Who is the most competitive? Johnny...largely because it goes back to being stubborn. 
Who is the most social? Definitely Johnny. We were both more social when we were younger, but he is still more social than I am.
Who is the best cook? We're both good cooks...I just cook a lot more often than Johnny does and I cook a wider variety of things. And he's the one who cooks out on the grill. 
Who is the better morning person? Definitely me...but I hate mornings! It just takes Johnny a lot longer to get up and going where I can just bounce out of bed and get ready for the day if I have to.
Who is the funniest? We're both funny in different ways. Johnny is silly and playful where I'm more smartass and witty. 

Who is the bigger neat freak? Again, both in different ways. I'm more OCPD about organization and Johnny is more of an OCD surface cleaner. 
Where do you eat out most as a couple? We don't eat out as much as we get food and bring it home to eat. But actually eating at the restaurant...probably Olive Garden or Abuelos. 
Who plans date night? Either/Both. We don't usually do a lot of planning for date nights...we typically just decide and go. Johnny usually wants to go out more than I do so he "plans" it more, I suppose. 
Who picks where you go to dinner? I tell Johnny to pick because he's more picky about what he feels like on any given day...where I can just find something I like from pretty much anywhere. But it usually ends up with him making me pick...which means I say a few places until he decides which one sounds the best. ;) 

Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong? Me. 
Who wears the pants in the relationship? We both wear pants (and since we're both working from home now...it's usually PJ pants!) ;) I like to joke that Johnny wears the pants, I just tell him which pair to wear...but he doesn't listen to me anyway (like when I tell him to change into his work jeans when he's doing stuff around the yard but he wears his good jeans and ends up with grass stains). ;) LOL! 
Who has more tattoos? Johnny...he has one and I have none. 
Who sings better? We're probably about the same. We really just sing along to the radio in the car.
Who hogs the remote? Johnny, definitely! Usually we try to pick something to watch together in the evening, though. 
Who spends the most money? If you don't count the fact that I pay the bills and get the groceries, Johnny typically has more money going out each month than I do.  
Did you go to the same school? Definitely not. Johnny graduated high school a year before I started Kindergarten. ;) LOL. But we didn't go to school in the same towns, either. 
Where is the farthest you have traveled together? We've only been to Missouri and Oklahoma together. We almost got to the Texas border when we picked up Bozley from the breeder...that's the farthest we've been. We definitely need a vacation! 

Post a picture of you and your valentine: 💕🥰💕

Candi and Johnny - Easter 2013

Happy Anniversary to Candi & Johnny!

This is one of my favorite pictures of me and Johnny. It was taken at my grandparents' house on Easter in 2016. It's hard to believe that we have been back together for EIGHT years...and married for three. It feels like we have been together forever, but it also still feels like just yesterday. 

Our relationship -- and our life -- is very calm and content. We have very little drama in our life. I mean...we're raising teenagers, so there's a little bit of drama. :P But he and I don't have drama with each other. It's just really nice to have such a strong connection with someone and to still be so in love after all this time. And even more than that...we still LIKE each other. We like talking to each other. We like spending time together. We like doing nice things for each other. I believe that's how relationships SHOULD be, but so many times...it's not. I feel very lucky to have such a wonderful man in my life. 

Here's to many more years of happiness! <3 

My Favorite Valentine

I really can't say enough good things about my relationship with Johnny. As of today, we have been together 7 years, 5 months, and 27 days. I can say without a doubt that it has been the most satisfying relationship that I have ever had. There's just a very calm and loving nature about our relationship. I think we have both matured in life and in our relationships to the point that we know what truly matters and how to achieve peace and happiness.

When I was younger, there was a certain battle of wills in my relationships. I was very focused on what was "fair" in the moment instead of in the bigger picture. I also had a tendency to speak every single thing that came to mind and to hold on to a lot of resentment. I'm an easily annoyed person, so there was often a lot of "shit-talking" for lack of a better word. And the guys I had been in relationships with before were the very same way...stubborn and somewhat "aggressive" personalities. So there was a lot of harsh words and keeping score going on in those days. It really just doesn't make for a very good relationship at all. Even when the relationships last awhile, it's a VERY rocky road.

But now? I'm still a person who gets easily annoyed...I just don't feel the need to point it out. In the grand scheme of things, it just doesn't matter. And...my annoyances are really MY issues, not his. It's not like he's doing something *wrong* or anything like that...it's usually just that I'm really impatient or that I personally like things a certain way that differ from the way he likes things. He gets annoyed with things, too...we ALL do. That's just the nature of living with someone else...especially when you've gotten used to doing things a certain way. Johnny and I were in our 30s and 40s when we started living together...so we had several decades of doing things a certain way before we started mixing things up.

Sometimes we do say things about the little quirks...but we don't do it in a bitchy way. For example, Johnny likes to channel surf and at times, it can seem to go on forever. IF I say something after awhile, it's usually just to suggest a show to watch or to remind him that his food is getting cold (if we're eating). But then that's it...and I try to say it without "pouting" or anything like that and I just wait until he is done. Because again...in the grand scheme of things, it just isn't a big deal. And it's not like getting pissy about something is going to make it go faster or change anything anyway. So what's the point, you know?

We also don't argue about housework or things like that. I work from home and most days I have plenty of time to get the housework done. On the days when I'm busy or just don't feel good...Johnny doesn't complain about what I didn't get done. And more than that, he notices the things I do and lets me know that he's grateful. He doesn't have to do that...but it does make a difference. A person is more likely to *want* to do things when they feel appreciated. Something as simple as "thank you for getting that done" or "the house really looks good" makes a world of difference. And likewise, I also want to make sure that Johnny feels loved and appreciated as well. He works hard to provide for our family and I want him to know that it isn't taken for granted. And I try to keep the house clean to make things easier for him after a long day at work...knowing that it's something that he doesn't have to do in addition to working (especially with all the overtime he works).

We don't fight about money, either. There is a lot of "playing to our strengths" in our relationship. I happen to be better at money management than Johnny is. He tends to have holey pockets. ;) So on payday, I make sure all the bills are paid first. I try to plan meals and do what I can to save money on groceries and household necessities. While it's not really Johnny's favorite thing ever (because bills and groceries are boring things to spend money on!), he does recognize that I keep us on track.

It's more than just not fighting about things though. Johnny and I are *nice* to each other. We say nice things to each other throughout the day and send "just thinking about you" texts. He texts or calls me during his breaks at work. We say "I love you" in nearly every text message. We often get each other little things we think the other will like or that mean something special to us. Even something as simple as a cat pop socket for my phone that he saw at Kwik Shop and thought I would like or a card with a peacock feather on the front (the theme of our wedding). We still hold hands and kiss each other goodnight. After almost 8 years together, those things have never changed.

We're also very attentive to the other's needs. We take care of each other and do things to make life easier. Whenever I am hurting, Johnny asks what he can do for me...and I do the same for him. We almost always go to each other's doctor's appointments together. We love and support each other always.

And we try to spend quality time together...even if it's just catching up on our shows or relaxing on the couch during the weekend. We're not a couple who likes to go "out" a lot. Even when we have date night, it's usually just dinner and a movie or a trip out to the casino. Every once in awhile when we can afford it, we go to a concert or something. But for the most part, we like to chill at home. We are perfectly happy spending all day on the couch...binge watching one of the many TV shows we like or checking out a new documentary on Netflix.

We've been in love with each other for 15 years...and after all this time, he is still my favorite Valentine. I feel very lucky that I get to spend the rest of my Valentine's Days with the love of my life. <3

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Candi Pride (@tinycandi) on Feb 14, 2020 at 6:30pm PST

So much to be thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving 2019! There's so much in my life to be thankful for...

I have an amazing husband who loves me and treats me well. He is supportive and kind. I've never met someone so generous and willing to help...not just me, but everyone around him. We enjoy our time together and Johnny makes me smile every single day. I've never been so happy. He is the love of my life and I couldn't imagine spending my forever with anyone else.

I have two pretty great daughters. They're teenagers now and while there's a lot of bickering and typical teenage attitudes, they're really good kids and I'm so very proud of the young women they are becoming. I'm thankful for the school they attend and the many opportunities that are available to them for choice of classes and extracurricular activities (more so than at their old school) and I'm proud of how well they are doing in school. I'm also very thankful that they're overall healthy kids and I hope that is always the case. Oh and I'm truly thankful to have primary custody of my children and no longer fighting with XH over everything anymore. I'm thankful all that drama is behind us.

I am thankful for my family. My mom is truly wonderful...and she has always been there for her loved ones through everything. She is also the inspiration for how I raise my own children. I can't say enough good things about her. And my dad is always there when we need him...and likes to spoil his girls. My sister also strives to take care of her loved ones and always tries to be the person in your corner. She never fails to makes me laugh and her gif game is strong. ;) I also have very involved grandparents who have always had a prominent place in my life...as well as close knit extended family members. This is also the first Thanksgiving that my Uncle Billy will be home for. He's back home after living in California for 30-some years. He retired from the Navy a short time ago and finally made it back home. So I'm thankful for that as well. :)

I'm thankful for the roof over our heads. Johnny bought this house back in 2006 and the girls and I have been living here since 2013. I love the town we live in and I couldn't ask for a better location. We have plenty of room and I've enjoyed being able to make it "our" home.

I'm thankful that we have a nice vehicle that gets us to where we need to be! Last year was spent dealing with a multitude of vehicle issues which led to finally trading in our previous vehicle for a new car. Johnny likes that it's sporty looking, but I'm just glad it's reliable! I'm also thankful we were in a position to be able to get new tires this week.

I'm even thankful for our pets. While they can drive me crazy sometimes...they also provide countless hours of entertainment, snuggles, and happiness.

I'm thankful for Johnny's job and my own job as a law enforcement transcriptionist. I'm thankful for the ability to work from home and to make my own schedule around the needs of our family. It's been a wonderful opportunity and I'm so glad that I found it. I'm thankful that we are able to pay our bills and provide food and all the necessities of life.

I'm also thankful that I'm getting my child support again...especially now that I have a senior. It helps us to be able to get the extra little things...like the "Class of 2020" sweatshirt AND sweatpants that Aubry wanted and a bigger senior ad in the yearbook. And with two daughters in high school, there are more dresses for school dances, more activities (and the $10 here and there to stop for food on the bus ride home), etc. We always make sure the kids have what they *need* but it also helps to be able to say "yes" to some things they *want* as well.

I'm also thankful for the little things in life. Netflix and Amazon Prime...so Johnny and I can binge watch shows together. We also recently discovered that the Dog Whisperer is on Disney+ so I'm thankful for that! Pajama pants so I can be comfy. The pressure cooker I got from my grandma so I can make quick and easy meals for my family. The Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer I got from my grandma so I can make cookies and not wear out my shoulder holding my old hand mixer. Our new carpet cleaner to clean our floors and upholstery.

There are SO many things to be thankful for...the big and the little things! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Happily Ever After

Since it's our anniversary, I thought it'd be the perfect time to tell the story of us. :)

Johnny and I met when we were working at a data entry center for the post office. We started dating on June 28, 2005. Back then, we had a much different relationship. I was in the middle of a messy divorce and he was coming off of his own bad break-up. We kept our relationship separate from everything else in our lives. We didn't go to each other's homes or bring each other around our kids. We just hung out after work and talked for hours. With everything that was going on in our lives at the time, it was nice to have someone there to lean on. And the more I got to know him, the more I fell in love with him.

I'd never been with someone I had so much in common with. From our views about relationships and parenting to opinions about religion and politics...we were so alike in so many ways. I finally understood what it felt like to find your other half. It was like Johnny was a piece of my soul that I'd never known was missing until he came along. I truly believe he is my soulmate.

At a time when our lives were already so chaotic, it became more and more difficult to find time to see each other. We'd both been offered a career position at work in September, but I was unable to take it because the job required flexible hours and I just couldn't do that while I was in the middle of a custody dispute. But it meant Johnny was working a different shift than I was, so we weren't able to see each other at work anymore. And with his second job and our family obligations, there just weren't enough hours in the day to spend with each other. We went our separate ways in October and we fell out of touch after I stopped working for the post office in December 2005.

Johnny and I didn't actually speak to each other again until I looked him up on Facebook one day in the summer of 2009. We were both in other relationships at the time, but we enjoyed chatting as friends. We didn't see each other again until June 6, 2012 and it felt as though no time had passed at all. We were still just as much in love as we'd always been. We started dating again in August 2012.

Our relationship is unlike any we've ever had before. There is no bickering over trivial things. I can count on one hand the number of actual arguments we've had in the last seven years. We just make it a point to truly be nice to each other...which is surprisingly overlooked in a lot of relationships. You get caught up in the things going on around you or allow yourself to become resentful about things and the niceties tend to not be a priority. But even after all this time, Johnny and I still hold hands everywhere we go. We say "I love you" in nearly every text message we send to each other. We say please and thank you and we always try to help each other. We don't tell each other what to do and we try to be appreciative. It's just a very loving relationship where both of us are committed to making it last forever. And he truly makes me happier than I've ever been. We can be doing absolutely nothing at all except sitting in front of the TV watching our favorite show in our pajama pants...and there's nowhere else I'd rather be. 

Johnny also has a wonderful relationship with my daughters. I couldn't have chosen a better man to be their stepdad. The best gift Johnny has ever given me is the wonderful example we set for my kids. They can see what a good relationship looks like...where two people love, respect, and never give up on each other. He also tends to be the "good cop" to my "bad cop" so it balances out the girls' lives a little bit. ;) They love to hang out with Johnny and they have fun telling jokes and being silly. 

We were married on our fifth anniversary in August 2017. We had a beautiful wedding at the lake where we spent a lot of time together back in 2005. We wanted something small but meaningful...a special day to celebrate with our family.


Our wedding party consisted of my daughters as bridesmaids, my nieces as flower girls, and Johnny's son and step-son as his groomsmen (Johnny's daughter and her family were living out of town at the time and couldn't make it). It was a short, relaxed ceremony officiated by my sister (pictured next to Johnny...and ordained by the Universal Life Church) followed by a pot luck reception. My cousin took photos for us and helped my mom and sister with hair and make-up. 

We had a peacock theme in jewel tone colors. Aside from the cake, we did everything ourselves. We already had the arch and some of the supplies from previous weddings. We purchased the rest of the supplies on sale (and with coupons) from Michaels and Hobby Lobby. The girls and I found our dresses at Ross Dress for Less (all three for about $50 total!) as well as the mosaic vases. Johnny's pants, shirt, and tie came from Kohls (yay for Kohls cash!) and we just asked the groomsmen to wear black pants and a white button-up shirt. It was a beautiful wedding that we put together for less than $1000. 






Everything came together beautifully. We played "Everything I Do" by Bryan Adams at the beginning of the ceremony as I walked in. I wanted an 80's love ballad...but 1991 is close enough, right? ;) My sister and I wrote up the ceremony ourselves to be unique to me and Johnny. We had also had a sand ceremony with my daughter's and Johnny's son and step-son as "Overjoyed" by Matchbox 20 played in the background. Rob Thomas and Matchbox 20 have always had a special place in our relationship... and we've seen him in concert together twice. :) So picking that song was easy. And immediately after our wedding ceremony, we took pictures with all our guests and enjoyed a potluck dinner and yummy cake. It was nice being able to casually chat with everyone...and the air-conditioning was definitely a must because it was a typical HOT August day in Kansas. 

It was one of the very best days of my life and I'm still so excited to be married to my best friend. I look forward to every single day I get to spend with the love of my life...my husband. :)