What Happened...

My lovely, sweet husband and father sent me, my mom and Molly on a girl's getaway trip for a few days while the "big kids" went on a special trip to stay with their YaYa.


The destination?


Austin, Texas.


10 years ago, Vance and I drove a U-Haul containing all of our belongings straight down I-35 from Minneapolis, MN to Austin, TX.  And Austin has claimed a special place in our hearts ever since.


We simply loved living in Austin.  Vance was attending graduate school full time and I was working to support us.  We were not yet parents and the day to day worries and responsibilities that we now face were far from our minds.  We gulped up Austin and all of the fun it had to offer.  The two years that Vance was in MBA school were two of the most fun years we have had in our married life, thanks in large part to the city of Austin.


All that to say that any chance we get, we head south to revisit some of our favorite Austin spots.


So when Vance said that I needed a break, the destination was naturally Austin.


We spent 3 full days visiting the same places that I often frequented during those carefree days from years ago.  But this time, something was different.


As I stood in front of a mirror in a dressing room, I couldn't help but wonder what happened...


to my collarbone,


to my cheekbones,


to my waist,


to me!


I barely recognized the person staring back at me in the mirror!


And it wasn't just my lack of collarbone that was different.  There was more.


Instead of shopping in the cutesy boutiques for fun clothing,
I visited the "maternity and nursing boutique" in search of new nursing bras.


Instead of picking up unique trinkets in the specialty shops,
I picked up 2 rattles and a new brand of diapers in Babies R Us.


Instead of eating only one fajita and sipping on my favorite strawberry/lime swirl at the Hula Hut,
I ate a full three fajitas and sipped on plain water.


Instead of purchasing fun new cosmetics at Sephora,
I purchased baby sun screen and "healthy" deodorant.


Instead of going to my beloved Vickmay for a facial to bring out my natural youthful glow,
I went in hopes of having the brown "pregnancy mask" that made it's way onto my face over the course of the past years lightened.


Instead of buying fun new shoes for myself,
I purchased new "flip flops" for my kids.


What happened to me?


Well...


I turned 35 instead of 25.


I became a grown up.


I started caring less about what other people think of me and more about what God thinks of me.


And most importantly, I became a mother.


That's what happened to me!


So I may not have a collarbone, a waist, cute clothes, fun makeup, new shoes, or milky white skin anymore...


BUT I do have something that is far, far more valuable than any of those things.


I have them...

And three new nursing bras and five new pair of underwear over which I am extremely giddy!


I mean, really, who needs cute clothes when you can rock a really great nursing bra!


Now if I could only get the "healthy" deodorant to keep me from stinking, things would be grand!