Tuesday, May 12, 2009

who i am, part 1

i've been wanting to do a series of posts for awhile.
for a couple reasons...
1. so that my children know who i was as a PERSON one day...not just their mom.
2. so that those of you that have "met" me through this blog will understand more of who i am (i've often wondered things about you...like how long you've been married, or how many siblings you have, etc...and would LOVE others to do this same thing...hint, hint)
so, here we go...who i am, part 1

i'm going to cover the first half of my life pretty quickly.
the years won't always go this fast :-)
and i'm not sure when part 2 will come...but it will...

i was born to Alden and Dorian on April 10, 1977.
Easter morning.
my dad grew up "in the South" - in North Carolina.
he is the oldest of 3 boys.
he grew up driving tractors and growing crops and talking SSSLLLOWWW with all his relatives a stone's throw away.
my mom grew up all over - the daughter of a Colonel in the Air Force.
she was the youngest of 4 girls.
she grew up moving a lot and being in very "polished" circles of people high up in the military life...

my parents met in college.
and both really gave their lives to Christ in college.
(i just heard my dad's testimony for the first time the other week...not sure how i went 32 years without hearing it word for word from him...but it was amazing...listening to how God calls people to Himself never gets old!)

they got married young.
right after my dad graduated.
and my mom didn't graduate - she needed to be with this man that was headed into the Air Force! :-)

they moved 3 (i think?) times before i came along in Germany.
my mom was so beautiful.
i can't find any pictures...she has them all i guess.
but she had this long, beautiful dark hair.
and my dad. just looked so YOUNG!
(i'm sure no one says that about us :-))

my brother, Phillip, was born when i was 2 years old.
this is me around 3.
i had NO hair til i was around 2 years old.
it was finally growing in by now...

we moved from Germany to South Carolina (Steve was born there...3 years after Phillip) to Ohio to Colorado (Hannah was born there...4 years after Steve) to Alabama (Hannah was 3 weeks old when we moved! i remember that drive across the country well...) to Virginia.

my childhood was great.
lots of love, stability, support.
so many blessings.
i remember hard times - my grandparents dying, a stillborn sister, an uncle leaving this life way too early - but i grew up with parents that were always leaning on the only One that could get them through times like that. they always loved their Lord and each other. so no matter how sad circumstances were around us, i felt a peace amidst it all.

my dad ended up retiring from the Air Force while we lived in Virginia.
my parents always thought that when he retired, that we would move back "home" - to North Carolina - where my dad was from.
and my dad retired shortly after my uncle (his brother) passed away suddenly - which left the family business needing some extra help.
so...the summer before my senior year in high school, we moved to North Carolina.
i was sad (that's an understatement....left behind a boyfriend i was certain i would marry...)
**side note - this is the "Smith Family kid car" - my parents got it when i turned 16...and it lasted through me and both of my brothers! hysterical, huh?

so, back to my sadness of moving.
i was so sad (and causing everyone else such misery) that they sent me back to Virginia!
i lived with friends of my parents for that year so that i could graduate up there.
and the rest of my family actually ended up moving back to Virginia after that year.

as a person in those days, i was quiet.
very involved in Youth Group at church.
my Youth Pastor's wife spent a lot of time with me...for years we would get together once a week. i got to see her live her life...be a wife and mom and "grown-up". i had my own mom as a model also...but you know how you think of your mom...she's, well, your MOM :-) it was such a blessing to have this other Godly woman to also observe and learn from. she was such a REAL example of how to live life well and for His glory.
i got decent grades.
i wasn't amazing at anything.
but fine at everything.
just liked to blend into the crowd.

graduated high school.
headed off to college.
James Madison University...

20 comments:

Holly said...

that was fun...can not wait for more!!

I'll copy. I promise. But I think you'll be disappointed that it sounds vaugley - ok, almost identical, to your story ;-) - should that stop baffling me at some point??

Kate and Geoff said...

how did i forget that you were born in Germany? Amazing to have known you so long and still learn things from this post.

Tisha said...

How fun to read! Very excited for the next installment.
Love this idea! I won't copy though. My story is not like yours at all, much less pleasant.
I'll stick with enjoying yours : )

Ali said...

does anyone else think Bailey looks just like Courtney when she was 3?

Megan said...

Love it! Loved learning new things...like moving back to VA for the boyfriend...I actually once changed schools (kinda) for my high school boyfriend, but never changed states! LOL! I look forward to installment number two. I have had my own idea for a series for the past year and still don't have it written. So not sure I can jump on yours quite yet and run with it. But it's fun!

Christy said...

I LOVED that!! so many things I didn't know about you...and YES you look SO much like Bailey--I agree Ali :)

Tisha said...

Bailey looks EXACTLY like you.

Michelle said...

Yes! I could have sworn I was looking at a picture of Bailey!

Peyton said...

that is crazy, it really does look just like Bailey! love the post, learned new things, ready for part 2!

Michelle said...

Wow,cool thanks for sharing, I hadn't put mine in a blog but in a book, I guess i feel it's kind of personal, but awesome of you to let people see who you are. Very Cool, and yes Bailey is the spitting image of you.

anthonyandbeth said...

i love love love this! i only know what i have learned from Katy or what i've learned on the blog. i do in a weird way feel like i know you and i'm connected to you in some way. i loved reading about the things that make you who you are today. very much looking forward to part 2!

Katy said...

okay so after i've known you for 16 years, I had NO Idea that you were "hairless' until 2 - that gives me great hope! Because you have FABULOUS hair now - and lots of it -a nd your girls do too! so maybe my bald baby girl will turn out okay? :)love you my friend!

Lauren R. said...

Hi Courtney! It's Lauren (from IBC)... I found your blog through Jenny G's. I've been reading it for about a year now and have been meaning to leave a comment for some time now. Thank you so much for your story. Living overseas it sometimes feels lonely and like no one else is going through the same thing I am. So thank you again for sharing your experiences. It's really encouraging to know other moms are feeling the same way I do.

Julie said...

that was fun to read courtney! Thanks for sharing. And I think both your girls look just like you! And I love your hair!

Beckysblog said...

Wow, that was fun. I might have to copy!

beckley said...

That was SO fun, Courtney! So FUN!

My middle name is Dorianne. But I like to pronounce it Dorian. Afterall, my parents made it up with my grandmothers' names.

And figment was big at our house.

And my dad was born to a Chaplain in the Air Force- wonder if they knew each other? Robert Beckley. They travelled everywhere, too.

Cassie said...

so fun!!
weird story...we moved away from my "home town" to my current town the middle of my 7th grade year. i, too, made my family miserable over the move. they let me move back for my senior year and live with very good family friends. i now find that weird, so i'm glad i'm not alone! :)
anxious for part II! :)

Ice Cream Lady said...

Hi. I'm new to your blog, but I bump into you all over the place (Holly's blog, Tisha's blog). I like your comments and thought I should see what you're all about. I am really enjoying your story. Thanks for sharing.

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Unknown said...

I've followed your blog for quite some time and enjoy it so much! We too, adopted our daughter at birth. Adoption is very rewarding!

On a side note, I was reading your "Who I am" post and noticed that you are the first person that I have came across that shares the EXACT same birthdate as I do. I have known many that were born on April 10th, but not another born in 1977. How neat!

Thanks for all of your honest postings.