My Story {Part 1}

Since many of you slipped into my blog for the first time during my 31 Days series, I am taking a few days to introduce myself to you and share my story, starting way, way back at the beginning... 

{inspired by Tiny Twig}

I was born in 1980 to a couple of young parents.  My mom was eleven days shy of twenty and my dad was ten days past twenty-four.  They had been married one day short of two years.  I was a little red-haired, talkative baby.  I said my first word at eight months and never stopped after that.  One day when I was around four, I was walking with my parents in the mall.  I talked on an on and on until finally my dad said, "Kristin if you can walk from here to Sears without saying a word, I'll give you a quarter."  Sears was within sight, but I walked only a few feet before I said, "Oh, Dad, it's too hard!" 

I had a little brother who was my best playmate.  We played with our Fisher Price barn, giving our people names like Mrs. Egg and Uncle Max.  We even played Barbies and GI Joe together, though I didn't like it when Ken was more interested in fighting the other Ken than going out on a date with Barbie.  We also had a game we called Cowboy Ronus.  It involved an pretend family.  Ryan was the lead character, Cowboy Ronus and I was his wife, Wife.  One summer afternoon we were playing in the floor of the kitchen and I asked what we were going to name our second son.  (Our first was named Little Boy.)  Ryan peered into the cabinet and quickly decided to name him Pots-and-Pans. 

There were two defining moments of my childhood.  One was when I had just turned eleven and we began to homeschool at the beginning of my sixth grade year.  Fifth grade had been a particularly isolating year at school so I was glad for the new adventure, though I spent a few lonely years of middle school as I drifted from the public school friends I had in elementary school and before I formed the solid relationships I had with a group of friends in high school.  

The second defining moment was when my little sister, Kati, was born the year I turned thirteen.  Though it was an adjustment to have a sister after our family had not changed for eleven years, I thought it was wonderful to welcome a new little person.  I don't remember experiencing any jealousy, though sharing a room with a toddler was a little inconvenient, especially during her naptime.

part 2: life after high school and meeting Brian