who i am, part 4

if you missed the first 3...they are on the right, in the sidebar...

so, we get that my first year being a mom wasn't all "peachy"...
it had it's hard moments.
but i never doubted that it was where i wanted to be.
i questioned things about it...like why i was the only one of my friends to have a baby, or why we had to live in a 1 bedroom apt {only out of comparison...the girls from our church that i was JUST getting to know from a playgroup had 1 baby...and a big, beautiful HOUSE!}, and why our entertainment budget was $20 for the month {"entertainment" being going out to eat, renting a movie, etc.}

i remember that our budget was SO tight that if, by some miracle, we got to the end of the month and didn't use a couple dollars of our grocery budget i would "splurge" and buy a fountain diet coke at the grocery store! and feel VERY luxurious!

at the time, i HATED all that.
but, now, i'm so thankful.
pat is a WISE man. yes, he's smart in the "world's eyes"...but that's not what i'm talking about.
he is WISE in how God wants us to use our {His} money.
this will be a recurring theme, i think.
but God used money, once again, to show us that HE will provide...if we are obedient.
{this DOESN'T always mean you'll get more money...but sometimes it might!}
now...years later...we are still just as aware of every dollar that comes in and goes out of our hands. more money comes in...and we are so thankful and blessed and recognize that it could change any day...we do NOT take it for granted.

anyways, my whole "growing up" years i was looking forward to getting married and having kids one day.
and here it was!

when rebekah was almost a year old, Pat got a raise and we were able to think about buying a home.

which, in this area, meant we had to move further out. {significantly longer commute for pat}
and we bought a townhouse.
i loved that townhouse.

and, as Rebekah started walking and talking, i started ENJOYING my days with her.
i was getting plugged into mom's groups at church.
we had kids all over our new neighborhood.
sidewalks to go for walks on.
{by the way, i STILL am using that diaper bag. it's not even really a diaper bag. but once you find something that works, you have to stick with it! i've tried others since then...but none fit stuff "just right."}


life started feeling good.
the headaches from all the crying in the beginning started to be forgotten.
and we decided to have another baby.
joshua's birth was the easiest of ALL 4, by far.
and it fits his personality :-)
my water broke at 11 pm. the night before his due date.
pat was asleep on the couch. i had just finished watching "law and order" {i used to LOVE that show! now i can't stand it!}
we got right in the car.
drove to the hospital.
got the epidural as soon as they could get to it.
felt maybe 2 contractions...and they didn't even hurt.
he was born at 2:03 am {ON his due date!} after 2 pushes.
welcome Joshua Alden Cassada!
{his middle name is my dad's name...we pray he would be just as humble and loving as his namesake}

life with 2 little kids was so fun!
full, some craziness...but mostly fun!

and it was around this time that i met kelly.

we had a mutual friend, Kristin, that was in one of my playgroups.
we ALL loved to paint/create and Kristin thought i'd enjoy Kelly.
the 3 of us signed up for a Bible study together.
and Kelly soon became one of my lifelines.
you know the ones.
you watch how she talks to her kids.
you watch how she disciplines her kids.
you watch how she does her hair :-)

she was kind enough to start inviting me over.
i think for the next 18 months-2 years i spent a morning at her house every week...and sometimes an evening too!
we would paint together most of the time.
or just talk.
we did do a Bible study in her house one spring.
and Pat and her husband, Dave even liked each other {you know how hard it is to find couples where you BOTH like each other!}
many nights we'd go there and put Rebekah to bed in their basement...and their kids would go to bed...and we'd eat Baja Fresh {or some YUMMY dinner Kelly made!} and hang out.

i soaked her and her life UP.
she has 5 kids (her youngest is Joshua's age) and she just blessed me by letting me be in her home. and talk to her. and listen to her. i suppose she was my mentor. although i wouldn't have said it at the time.

i learned so much from her...about parenting, and friendship, and marriage, and painting, and taking care of a home...i STILL get in situations where i think, "i wonder what Kelly would do right now?"

you can't FORCE a mentor relationship like that.
it has to happen naturally to be that amazing.
and i'm so thankful that God sent her and that she gave her time to me.
it was and still is such a treasure to me.

in "part 5", i'll tell you one more thing Kelly and Dave shared with us...and why she isn't a part of my daily life anymore...