Six years ago I was living in a camper in a friends backyard. I was driving a car with leaks in the floorboards and a leaky sunroof. I had an infant daughter and was pregnant...the only thing I hadn't managed to mess up was my job. I was single, broke, and yet I'll be honest - I thought I had the world by the balls (as the saying goes). I had always wanted a family and though I was scared to death about how I would feed my family, I knew God would provide.
I wasn't interested in dating really and just thought my position in life was to be a mom and in my heart that felt like perfection. I didn't think being a single parent was hard, in fact it was perfect for an only child because there's no compromise in single-parenthood (especially when Dad isn't involved monetarily or otherwise). I pick the daycare, the school, the place to live, down to the bedtimes and what's on the menu.
This bliss went on for two years and my life came together. I moved out of the camper, bought a more reliable car, started putting money back into my retirement fund, etc...
Four years ago I wanted to go on a date and I called a friend and said exactly this: "I want a reason to get dressed up (other than work) and talk grown up talk. I don't want to get laid or married - know anyone that might want to go eat and chat with me?" My friend Amanda called back a few days later and came up with someone. She thought we would have fun but she told me first things first, I needed to go shopping. Apparently my wardrobe had dwindled down to baby spit-up stained yoga pants and sweatshirts on one side of the closet and black business suits on the other side.
Amanda and I went shopping and she talked me into a green blouse with matching jacket, a new pair of jeans, and then with a smile she told me to buy a new bra because the old one wasn't doing a thing for my figure...only a friend can tell you that your girls are sagging and get away with it.
A year ago I married that very man who took me on that date. He was about as interested in a relationship as I was and we both enjoyed the food, the conversation, and the company. Somehow though, God had more in the cards for us. Now I have a husband, the children have a father, and we are expecting another child. If I could talk to the me from six years ago she wouldn't believe a word of this story.
Something has become important to me because of all these twists and turns - I am always trying to freeze time one way or another. Is it because I'm afraid of dying? No, not really...I think it's because I hardly believe it myself. We have photo sessions every few months, I'm embracing my baby belly to the point of thinking it's cool when the older children rub my belly in public and I don't even freak out when they encourage strangers to rub with them. And today - we are going to freeze time in another way. We are having a belly cast done so none of us every forget every curve that was Breccan's first home (I should have told you, the baby is a boy and his name is Breccan). The children are going to help and we are already planning how it will be decorated and where the finished product will be hung.
Big thanks goes out to Emily at Beautiful Birth - she is the Doula coming to do the casting today and she has also become a dear friend - check her out:
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beautiful-Birth/119792111411362
On the Web: http://www.beautifulbirth.org/
The process will also be photographed and someday I hope to look at them with tears in my eyes and hopefully grandchildren on my knees. Thank you God for all the twists and turns and other broken roads that brought us to this day and thank you for knowing more about what I need than I do.
Stay tuned for more posts about my growing belly (and by the way - yesterday I was 3cm so I'm pretty happy this little guy hung in here so we could do this today; the girls will be here in 45 minutes and I'm excited!!!!)
How do you freeze time? Have you ever thought about why it's important to you?
May your paths be abundantly filled with lemons, sugar, sunshine, and twists and turns to keep you on your toes!
Love,
~Crystal
I wasn't interested in dating really and just thought my position in life was to be a mom and in my heart that felt like perfection. I didn't think being a single parent was hard, in fact it was perfect for an only child because there's no compromise in single-parenthood (especially when Dad isn't involved monetarily or otherwise). I pick the daycare, the school, the place to live, down to the bedtimes and what's on the menu.
This bliss went on for two years and my life came together. I moved out of the camper, bought a more reliable car, started putting money back into my retirement fund, etc...
Four years ago I wanted to go on a date and I called a friend and said exactly this: "I want a reason to get dressed up (other than work) and talk grown up talk. I don't want to get laid or married - know anyone that might want to go eat and chat with me?" My friend Amanda called back a few days later and came up with someone. She thought we would have fun but she told me first things first, I needed to go shopping. Apparently my wardrobe had dwindled down to baby spit-up stained yoga pants and sweatshirts on one side of the closet and black business suits on the other side.
Amanda and I went shopping and she talked me into a green blouse with matching jacket, a new pair of jeans, and then with a smile she told me to buy a new bra because the old one wasn't doing a thing for my figure...only a friend can tell you that your girls are sagging and get away with it.
 |
| Our family BEFORE the addition! |
Something has become important to me because of all these twists and turns - I am always trying to freeze time one way or another. Is it because I'm afraid of dying? No, not really...I think it's because I hardly believe it myself. We have photo sessions every few months, I'm embracing my baby belly to the point of thinking it's cool when the older children rub my belly in public and I don't even freak out when they encourage strangers to rub with them. And today - we are going to freeze time in another way. We are having a belly cast done so none of us every forget every curve that was Breccan's first home (I should have told you, the baby is a boy and his name is Breccan). The children are going to help and we are already planning how it will be decorated and where the finished product will be hung.
Big thanks goes out to Emily at Beautiful Birth - she is the Doula coming to do the casting today and she has also become a dear friend - check her out:
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beautiful-Birth/119792111411362
On the Web: http://www.beautifulbirth.org/
The process will also be photographed and someday I hope to look at them with tears in my eyes and hopefully grandchildren on my knees. Thank you God for all the twists and turns and other broken roads that brought us to this day and thank you for knowing more about what I need than I do.
 |
| check out this baby belly!!! (thanks Oh! Photography) |
How do you freeze time? Have you ever thought about why it's important to you?
May your paths be abundantly filled with lemons, sugar, sunshine, and twists and turns to keep you on your toes!
Love,
~Crystal
It was fun shopping with you :) I'm so glad it worked out between you two!!
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