On September 1, 2012, we became a 2 MINI household! What I thought would NEVER happen, took 8 years to become a reality. You see, when I bought my first MINI Cooper in 2004 (it was an ’05 Chili Red Cooper), I had no idea how much my life would change over the next 8 years and the wonderful people I would meet as a result of this little car.

I wasn’t even aware there was a local MINI enthusiast club until I found Sunshine MINIs online and went to my first event – The inaugural Mickey & MINI. From that very first event, my wife, Laura, was with me – probably thinking to herself, “these people are nuts!”.

When I attended my first track weekend at Sebring International Raceway, Laura was there cheering me and the other MINIacs on as we raced around the track. This event naturally led to me trading in my 2005 Cooper for a 2006 Chili Red MINI Cooper S. Again, Laura was there putting up with what was becoming a MINI addiction :).

Track weekends became a frequent occurrence and Laura supported me along the way as I progressed at my high performance driving events. She was there supporting me as I became an admin for Sunshine MINIs and when I took on helping to plan various events within the club.

So when it came time for Laura to choose her next car, I was quite excited that the MINI Countryman was available with a 3-seat rear bench and 4 doors (a requirement for her next car)!! Having had to put up with my MINI addiction for 8 years, I thought this would be the perfect time for me to show my appreciation for all she has done for me, and to show her just how special the MINI community really is.

I decided to contact as many fellow MINIacs as possible to get the word out that Laura’s car was coming and that I wanted to make the delivery REALLY special. The idea was that we would pick up the car and then go to dinner, but when we would get to dinner, there would be a bunch of MINIs all lined up, welcoming her as an official member of Sunshine MINIs.

The response I received was overwhelming. People from all over Florida said they wanted to come and celebrate this special night. Friends from as far away as Jacksonville, Spring Hill and Tampa all came to welcome Laura to the club! The restaurant (La Bambas’s in Coconut Creek, FL) reserved a private room for our dinner and we filled it with 35 of the nicest people you’ll ever meet!

Everyone got a chance to sign a special custom poster that was made for Laura with a picture of her MINI and the name “MATH-U” across the top (that’s what she called her Countryman). At each place setting was a 4 x 6 version of the poster that everyone was able to take home as a momento of the night. Since it was Labor Day weekend, and we had people in town from such long distances, we invited everyone over the next day to continue the fun with a BBQ.

By the end of the weekend, Laura was beaming. She was simply in shock that so many people came from various distances to come celebrate and welcome her into the MINI community. This not only touched her, but me as well. You see, I knew the MINI community was special, but this just took it to a whole other level for me and my family. You guys ROCK!

A HUGE thanks to all the MINIacs that came out and made this weekend possible. Special thanks to Giorgio Ortiz, Long Giang, Greg Brown and the entire Vista MINI team that made our delivery so smooth and so much fun – definitely the best car buying experience Laura has ever had! As a special bonus – our good friend Alex also picked up a brand new Countryman the night before and met us at the dealership for a photo op with the 2 Cosmic Blue MINI Countrymen!

So now that Laura has her new MINI, what is she going to do now? Go to Disney World, of course! Mickey & MINI 2012 is just a few weeks away and we both will be there in our MINIs!! See you there!!

Click HERE to see MATH-U’s gallery!