Can I get a do Over?

"Boy there are things that I really wish I could "do over" or time I'd like to get back". If you sit long enough thinking that and reminiscing about what you had, you can actually get physically sick! And AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!! You are where you are because it's where you've placed yourself. Sometimes still, I look at what my friends have and what they've accomplished and I get urgh because I don't. But then those same friends, the REAL ONES that is, don't make me feel less than, they treat me just the very same. I'm not less than but = to and that feels totally AWESOME!! I can't get my teenage years back, they're long gone! My twenties aren't coming back either. But here I am thriving in my 30's, doing things that I had once began to give up hope on!! I don't have to wish on a star neither do I need a "do over". I'm where I should be <3

Working Mommy's Plight

Today I thought I would have been a little sad because I'm missing out on my 5 year old twins Mother's Day celebrations and I'm used to ALWAYS at events!! I'm so blessed to have Rhulaunda E. Donald as a friend, sistergirl, mother of my godson and teacher to one of the twins, she called me and put me on speaker phone so that I could "be" at their celebrations today!!! Thank you Rhu, that meant a lot to me. It's teachers like you, Courtney Santos, Courtney Hodges, Lyndsey Keith and more that go out of your way to make great things happen for our children!! <3 you all!

Beyond Blessed and Thankful

God is always showing Himself to me even in the midst of the chaos. Right now tears were streaming down my face as I sat at my desk, not from sadness or sorrow, but out of pure joy and thankfulness. If ya'll remember I was deathly ill last June, had no health insurance and I accrued thousands of dollars worth of medical bills! Well the hospital called me to let me know that my once over $5,000 balance is now 0! The weight and pressure lifted as the counselor talked to me all I could do was cry as she told me. So even when you think He doesn't hear you because things are not going as you think they should, just know that He WILL work it out for you!!! ..Feeling so blessed right now

I gotsa J-O-B!!

After graduating, I was working as an temporary employee of the college I graduated from, the beautiful, the prestigious College of Charleston ;-)within a couple of months and after filling out countless job applications,going on a few interviews, I began to feel a little discouraged. Finally in December, I got a call back that sounded truly promising!!! It was from the College of Charleston, I was asked if I was still interested in the position. Lord knows I tried not to sound too overjoyed or excited (all the while I was jumping up inside, cheesing from ear to ear and feeling so humbled). I had to work at my other part time job right before I had my interview. So I had a mad dash to change out of that uniform into something MUCH nicer. And wouldn't you know on the way to my interview, a sista got a visit from "Aunt Flo" O_o I didn't let that deter me, did what I had to and kept it moving!! The interview was no longer than about 15 minutes, I was so confident and thrilled! I had a knowing that the position was mine. A couple days later, I received the offer!!! A sista girl was crying and praising the Lord honeTy...and you know I ACCEPTED!! January 7th of 2013, I began my new position as the Administrative Specialist II in one of the BEST departments on campus!!!

April 21st 1998...The day that changed my life for the better....

April 21st 15 years ago my life changed for the better. Sure I was an 18 year old college freshman...so of course my life was suppose to be FA BO LO US <---yeah I know that isn't the way to spell it but I just felt like reliving rapper Fabolous' continuous and annoying spelling of his name in every rap song he sung back in my day (or as my kids would say, "back in the olden days") My life had become fabulous not because I had met some incredible dude, not because I some over achieving student, but it had become fabulous because I'd become a mom at 5:52 p.m. on a Tuesday evening! Christopher 2nd name 3rd name last name (I can't divulge my baby's whole name up here ;-) had come into this world and made me a better person, but more so he provided me with the title of Mom. The circumstances in which he came to be and who the "donor" of the sperm was, no longer mattered to me, because he was beautiful, perfect, precious...PRICELESS. I would become mama and daddy, since "daddy" wasn't man enough to step up (sad to say some 15 years later he still isn't, but I digress... To my boy, I say that you were fearfully and wonderfully made and there is no one like you and I love that! You're intelligent, funny, brave, lovable, an awesome big brother, son, grandson, great grandson, nephew, student, friend, young man, athlete and so much more...

I'S BAAACCCK

So....let's see here. I've been pretty slack with this blog of mine. :-( A lot has happened in this past few months, both good and bad...all dealing with issues with my family life, hair, new job <--- whoot whoot But I'm back now and I'm promising not to leave you hanging....AGAIN!!!

Go Chrystal It's Your Birthday!!! (Yay me)

So 33 years ago, September 20, Henry and Annie Chapman, gave birth to one of the world's most gorgeous babies....ME!!:-) Seriously, today's my birthday and just like a kid, I'm excited!! If you know me, you know that I absolutely love love love celebrating!! This year is a little different than most for me, this year I am happier than I've been in a long time to see this day arrive. June 16th of this year, I became ill with a fever, earache, strep throat. I figured hey I'm a mom of quite of few little people, there is NO WAY that I have time to slow down, I'll just go get checked out, take the meds prescribed and I'd be just fine. WRONG ANSWER!! Fast forward a couple weeks later, I've lost hearing in that ear and my ear is completely swollen shut! Days later, a develop a crazy pain in my head that can best be described as feeling like someone was stabbing my brain! A couple days after that, my vision starts to blur and I'm seeing double. Now I can't drive because my left eye has completely crossed! An ER visit while on vacation in which no one could tell me what was wrong, followed up with more antibiotics and ear drops! My first ENT visit, it's noted that I still have the infection but it has gone behind my eardrum and I have lost hearing in that ear. The doctor and nurse notice my eyes but say nothing. I tell them that I haven't always been cross eyed but that this has happened since I've been sick for the past month. They are CONCERNED! I'm scheduled to meet with a optometrist immediately. At the optometrist, I can tell something is really wrong because of the strange silence. I've had a stroke in my stroke in my eye and she can't understand why. As I go to check out, she stops me and tells me that she recommends I get an MRI. What the What? An MRI?? I tell her that it would not be possible for me, I don't have that type of money. She sits me down and tells me she's already called the ENT doc and they strongly suggest I get it done. They search around for a cheaper place, one that could work with me with the payments. At the MRI, I went in, got it done, and left with the image on a disc. I went into work the next day (thanks Rhu for being my chauffeur on many many days)and I was called by the ENT to come in. I couldn't I had to work, was my logic but I'd be there on the day that was already scheduled for my appointment. Okay the nurse said, see you then. I get a call a few minutes later from her and I need to come in IMMEDIATELY! Okay, a little nervousness is starting to set in. She tells me I need to begin my "treatment" ASAP. Huh? What? TREATMENT? Treatment for what? I get picked up from work and head straight there. Found on my MRI...is a mass growing in my brain!! I'm asked several questions so that they could verify that I wasn't experiencing any brain trauma. The doc is amazed that I could walk, talk and just function. I was NOT suppose to be able to do that in my condition O_o I'm admitted to the hospital to begin treatment, if that doesn't work, I'd have to have surgery on my brain. My husband and four of my children were with me for a couple of hours before visiting time was over, before they left the ENT doc was able to come in and speak with all of us. It was at this time that he made us aware that if I had not come in when I did, I wouldn't have lived. He had even spoken to the head of ENT at the Medical University about my case because it was so extremely rare! Hey I guess I'm just unique like that :-) I'm hooked up to iv's and given a ridiculous amount of antibiotics and steroids to fight off the infection. And while I'm alone in that hospital room, I have a little time to think and put things in perspective.... It's been 2 months and I'm still here, loving life way more than I've ever before, refusing to stress out about things I have no control over and the things that I do. So all in all, I thank God for sparing my life, because there are so many things that I haven't done or seen..but most of all I want to be here for the loves of my life, my children! Today I'm proudly singing, dancing, and shouting at the top of my lungs, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!