Nervous Wreck

As  many know, I have a lot going on in my life. I like to keep busy and I certainly keep myself very busy. This semester has allowed me to finally take a course that I have wanted to take for quite some time, photography.

I have loved photography since a preteen. As a teenager I bought my first manual 35 mm camera (which I still own) and recently received a nice DSLR from my ex-husband as a Christmas gift (again, we are friends... a think I still believe is healthy for our kids).

Here are some of my recent pics. This weeks assignment was focusing on a long list of elements of design, trying to showcase one of the elements on the list.

Oh but you ask, why did I say I was a nervous wreck? Well there are many life changing decisions being discussed right now...which can be a stressful time. So much going on. I will announce the news soon, I promise  :)

Introductions

Actually, Just an introduction. I thought today's post would be a nice time to introduce myself.

Hi, my name is Christine.... I am a mom to three awesome kids. I also go to school part time. I currently attend a community college and I am working my way towards a bachelors in Chemistry. I am hoping to transfer in the next year. I work as an undergraduate researcher at a local university as well as a tutor and supplementary instructor in Chemistry at my community college.

I grew up in southern California. My parents separated and divorced when I was 18 months old. A long custody battle ensued, but at least they both wanted me? I went back and forth weekly as a child, until I hit middle school. Then my mother sacrificed her ability to see me to make me more happy and stable in school. I lived with my father during the week and saw my mother on weekends. Once I hit high school mom bought a house in the city I attended so that I could live with her again. For most of my childhood I was a quintessential "daddy's girl".

I met John a month after graduating high school. I was 18. In a whirlwind romance we got engaged 5 months later and married 9 months after that (no I was not pregnant). We went on to have 3 awesome kids (whom I will introduce in a long post all about them), but romantically parted ways in 2011, when I was 25. He and I have been through a lot together and I am proud to say that he is one of my closest friends. (Still drives me crazy sometimes, but then again... we are all human).

I met Richard 4 months after John and I discussed how to deal with my feelings of wanting to leave the marriage. As a rather impulsive person I fell hard for him right away. He is a very patient and calculated person, so he took time to really think about his feelings. Our relationship began as a long distance one. A year later he was living with us after completing his bachelors in Physics. Now we are 2 1/2 years later still quite happy. No whirlwind romance this time. He wants everything to be well thought out beforehand (though there has been talk of a ring in  my near future..)

The next chapter in our life is about to begin, but I am not ready to announce it just yet....

Welcome one and all....................

Welcome to my life. Part of me would love to share the long story of how our family began our odd journey into redefining what today's society deems a family, but honestly I am tired (its almost 1 am here!). So maybe cliff notes? Plus maybe a little can be told at a time as we progress through this adventure, together.

Our odd, but fun, family consists of the following: Myself (Hiiiii), my soon to be super cool ex husband (its legally in the works, but paperwork paperwork), my awesome boyfriend of 2 1/2 years, our three awesome kids (aged 6,5,and 3 years old), my interesting father, and a crazy but good teenager (19) that we took in.

Why do we live this way? Good question... and there are many reasons.... none of which I wish to list at the current moment because I am ready for bed!

For now I begin with, Hi, my name is Christine and I am proud to share my family with you.