Tuesday, July 01, 2008

A Request from Cat

Miss Cat has asked that I participate in a little meme she has going on over on her blog. I usually don't get involved with all that, but I like her and this one makes me think. Plus, I like to try and post something on a semi-regular basis for your viewing entertainment.

Here's the deal. Think back on the last 15 years of your life.What would you tell someone that you hadn't seen or talked to for 15 years? How would you sum up your life? You get 10 bullet points. A list of 10 things to summarize about you. At the end of your list, tag 5 more people and send on the love.
  • 1993 found me married to the girls' dad. Nothing doing but I had to have the full dream by having a baby. I almost pulled a Princess Diana because Paige was born 11 months after our wedding...5 to 6 weeks early. Growing up fast took on a whole new meaning watching my baby in an incubator for almost a month.
  • 1996 found me with a body makeover obsession. My marriage wasn't a dream...more like a nightmare. I sought to fix it by fixing me? Still unclear on that one. All I know is I lost 107.5 lbs to become this person that scared me. I was looking good and had a husband who was so jealous, he couldn't breathe right. I found that by being obsessed with working out and not eating kept me from going crazy over a marriage that didn't seem to be working out. It was the one thing I had control over.
  • 1999 found me having Kenna. I was borderline anorexic when I got pregnant with her. I remember my Daddy looking at me and telling me if I didn't eat, he would put me somewhere and make me. I gained 80 lbs and almost had a nervous breakdown over it.
  • 2001 found my baby turning 2 and by the end of the month....their dad moved out in a huff. I wouldn't let him back in. I was turning 30 and knew that I did NOT want my girls raised in a home full of a man screaming and carrying on. When he left, I found out I was stronger than I ever thought. There were quite a few people who verbally beat me down...saying I needed to take him back. I stood firm because I knew what had been happening in my home while no one else did.
  • 2002 found me with a divorce under my belt and dealing with the loss of my Grandaddy. I had met The Man by this point and I was hard case. He had to date me a year before I'd let him become a part of my children's lives. In fact, he told me I loved him and that we were going to live happily ever after. I was struggling to make it on my own with two kids, but it was okay. I was making it.
  • 2003 found me giving in, admitting The Man was right and marrying him. He made Chief and while he was going through a mind numbing initiation into that coveted Club, I was planning our wedding. He was pinned on the 16th, we were married on the 20th. We had one night for a honeymoon before jumping into married life.
  • 2004 brought The Boy in our life. He completed our family and it was decided three kids were enough. (My uterus rejoiced over this.) I then discovered the anxiety of awaiting orders for the next duty station. And they wonder why a lot of military wives are on nerve pills. Orders came through for Norfolk and we decided to send The Man on alone as it was only supposed to be for under a year.
  • 2005 was a blur for the most part. The Man headed to Norfolk in January and we rarely saw him the whole year. Six months turned into 18 months before we knew it. By Christmas, we knew he would be in Georgia the next year and I considered going to Georgia as the single parenting gig wasn't in my plans long term.
  • 2006 was the most life changing year of my life thus far. We moved away from everyone we knew and our lives as we knew it. I floundered and stumbled in a new place while my husband was gone out to sea more than he was home. He got injured and we had to ride the anxiety train again not knowing how life was going to turn out.
  • 2007-present. I learned that even if I am older, I can adapt and make a home and a life for our family. Issues were settled as The Man found a perfect shore duty to finish out his 20 years. We are now living life happy together. Raising our children together. Looking into a future that is still a bit cloudy past retirement, but it'll all work out. I feel sure of it.

That's the past 15 years in a nutshell for Miss Hope. There were alot of details left out, but you get the general idea. Now I get to pass the love on and ask 5 of my blogging friends to participate. Hmmmm.....who do I want to be nosy about?

I'll take:

  • Pike's Pickles- I know I owe you one! I haven't forgotten!
  • Miss Krys- I adore me some Miss Krys.
  • Tiddly Winks- I know you don't like these things, but the past 15 years have been crazy for you, too!
  • Queen of This Kingdom- fellow subwife here. She's one to be admired.
  • Random Thoughts- Miss Em is another fellow subwife. The past ten years alone for her have been a wild ride!

Now I have to go shave my legs because I have the dreaded yearly woman's visit (that I haven't done in 4 years) this afternoon. Oh joy.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow a lot has happened in the last 15 years for you! Life is definitely an adventure!

Michelle said...

Oh my...I was so hoping I wasn't on the list....Let's see...that one shall take some thought but I will eventually (I GUESS) get around to it.....

I will get ou back for this...LOL


Good answers...I knew them already, because I lived them too...but great answers for all the other bloggers...I wish we could re-capture one of them!

Monogram Queen said...

Wow you ARE a strong woman. Congratulations! I am so glad life is good for you now.

LMAO at your shaving your legs for the yearly woman visit. I do too, and obsess over the stupidest things. I'm sure they could care less, or don't even notice. They have seen it all! LOL

Stefany said...

Groooooooan. I knew I shouldn't come visit you this morning. I think I will have to go to the Dr myself in order to get on some good medication for this little assignment.

Stefany said...

Gosh...this is really going to be hard. Will you hold my hand?

Musings of a Housewife said...

Hi. You won the PakNak giveaway. Let me know if you still want the ones you mentioned in your comment, and what your mailing address is, and I will get the info to the PakNak people. :-) Thanks!

Stefany said...

You ought to be proud of yourself. Paknak and all. . .

Hermes said...

Older? You're one year younger than me. You are not allowed to call yourself old. Cuz I'm not. I am spry and goofy as a school kid. Please.

Jill AKA busymom said...

I am pau (hawaiian for finished) with my assignment...thanks for stopping by and giving hugs!

I think it is amazing when we look back and see where God has brought us from...it helps us embrace where he is taking us!

I am off to check on Mel and Ems progress!

Sugar. said...

Wow. Thank you Ms Hope for being so open about yourself. You're awesome!

Missy said...

Happy Fourth!

Mrs. Em said...

Me??? I have to go back 15 years??? You realize that will take me to.....age 11!!

LOL I just about died of laughter over that!! I feel so much older than I really am!

It was so great seeing all this written out, although I knew what was going to be on your list. ;) Hope, you are so much stronger than you will ever know. It's wonderful to read everything that you've been through and then be able to see you now and say, "But even after all that, she's HAPPY!" You have truly come into your own down here.