Me, The Real Girl

I went to public school from pre-school until fourth grade.  My parents decided to pull me out of school and HOMESCHOOL from fifth grade to Senior.  I was not fond of that idea.  I cried about not seeing any kids any more, and for peats sake... even the teachers!  But one thing I will never cry over- the fact that I am a REAL GIRL. 
Growing up and being schooled at home meant learning how to cook, how to sew and many other wonderful "household" trades.  Science experiments, grammar lessons and mathematics were also on the long list of subjects of study.  To say the least, I was obsessed with Lord of the Rings (lol) and "prairie life"- anything to do with Laura Ingals Wilder was right up my alley. 

See... I wasn't telling a fib...

 At the beginning of every school year my mom would write "Welcome to the First Day of School", then the year, on the chalkboard in our school room and my brother and I would stand in front (with our Guineapig and Cockatiel ha ha) for her to take a picture. 
When I was going into 9th grade my parents decided to enroll me in a private Christian school, Academy Northwest, aka Lewis County Learning Center.  I met alot of wonderful students, parents and teachers during the four years of Highschool that I attended there.  
In my mind I thought that a REAL GIRL should be someone that is confident in who she is, beautiful not just one the outside, but also on the inside.  A woman that doesn't care what others say about her, is always on time, has a gazillion friends, all the guys flock to her and is a wonderful mentor for all.  Or so I thought.  Think about it- Who could really be all that, ALL the time?!  Through trial and error I realized truly what a REAL WOMAN is; Proverbs 31 explains just that.  When I was younger I tried so hard to make myself into something that I thought the world would love.  Someone that everyone would want to be friends with.  But SUPRISE..... life never works out the way that you want it to.  That's why it's called life!  
I tried to "fit in" and look like "one of the guys" so that the guys that I had crushes on would notice me.  Big, fat, STUPID mistake for sure!! Now that God brought me to be with the man of my dreams I realize that putting on makeup and wearing GIRL clothes is a GOOD thing!!  I was trying so hard to be someone on the outside that I just wasn't... and besides, what man would want to look at his girlfriend that looks like, well another man?! lol ;)  The first time I met my love it was at an Archery Range, and true enough, I was there actually to shoot, not to check out the other guys. lol  But keep in mind that even though I love to hunt and camp and all sorts of other outdoor activities- I still get up an extra half-hour early to throw on some makeup for the deer in the woods at five in the morning :)  I am so thankful for waiting to see who God would bring into my life!  He brought me my perfect balance... someone that appreciates me for just me.  No strings attached.  Period.  He loves me for all my faults and faliures, my clumsiness, my scatter-brained ideas, the rabbit trails that I talk, and the endless phone conversations that I drag out just because I want to keep hearing his voice.  
Now that I am older I appreciate the REAL GIRL that God has made me to be... full of failures and mistakes; HE still loved me enough to die for me- Now THAT'S what I call love.  No strings attached.  Period.