Some of Me

This week I have been thinking about something that we heard during home group last week. The pastor that we have been watching says that women "report to build rapport". That's what we do, we tell a little bit about ourselves every time we get together and that's how we feel close and how we build relationship. So I thought I would share some of the moments that stand out in my life. This is my report. I want to post some more detailed stories down the road. This is just a start. There are other important things too, I'll get to those another day.

1. I was born 2 years and one day after my only sibling, Josh. To this day, we celebrate our birthdays together. People always think it would be a drag to share your special day but it's not, we like it, it makes it special and unique.
   
2. I was diagnosed with a heart condition when I was three. It was caused from a high fever I had as an infant.
   
3. I was a terribly shy child.
4. I was an embarrassingly early bloomer.
5. I wore glasses, braces and headgear, simultaneously.
   
6. My mom and dad divorced when I was twelve. All of my life has been affected by this event, my hopes, fears and desires, where I place value and what I strive for, all of it. Even though I can see how God has brought about great things that would never have happened if my parents had stayed married, I have never really recovered. There will always be a painful wound because of it.
7. I was a rotten teenager.
8. I wrecked the driver's ed car. Not just a fender bender, a real wreck.
9. My first job was at Wild Waters.
10. I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior the week I turned eighteen.
11. I met my husband ten days later.
12. I didn't go to college until I was twenty five and then I dropped out.
13. I got married at age 21.
    
14. Had baby number one at age 23.
15. Pregnancy caused a road map of bulging varicose veins on my legs.
16. While in the pre-op room at the hospital waiting for the for the doctor to come start surgery on my veins, a sweet nurse informed me that I would not be having surgery that day because I was pregnant.
17. Baby number two at age 24.
18. We planned on having a vasectomy, but didn't follow through.
19. I had surgery on my veins (two babies too soon).
    
20. Miscarriage at age 26.
21. Baby number three at age 28.
    
22. I had placenta previa during this pregnancy.
    
23. God showed us his might. Our new baby was born with a large hole in her heart and was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. God healed her of both of these.
    
24. After lots of breastfeeding and pregnancy I wanted to have a glass of wine, for the first time in years, with my family while on vacation but thought first I should probably take a pregnancy test just to make sure I wasn't pregnant. I was. No wine.
    
25. Baby number four at age 30.
26. I am now a homeschooling mamma, a happy wife, and a child of God. More than anything, I want to know God and I want my kids to grow up to know him too. I am tired almost all the time, I am scared because I don't know what I'm doing most of the time, I have lots of varicose veins and I love coffee.