Day 7: My most treasured item(s)

There are three pieces of jewelry that mean the world to me:

My new birthstone necklace.

My wedding ring.

My thumb rings.

I love these pieces for different reasons and for the memories they invoke.

Kevin bought me the birthstone necklace for Christmas. He got it from The Vintage Pearl, a great website with beautiful and unique jewelry.  I might have strongly hinted for it (or sent him a link saying, "If you love me...").  But he takes hints well.  I love it because it's a symbol of our sweet little babies, who are constantly getting less little and more sweet, which is a nice trade off.

Every time I look at my wedding ring, it reminds me how blessed I am.  I remember when Kevin and I were dating, he was so careful to guard my heart (and his). He didn't want to say anything flippantly that might hurt me down the road.  Even though I knew beyond any shadow of any doubt that we were going to get married eventually, I had to let him reach that decision on his own and in his own time.  He didn't let on that a proposal was anywhere on the horizon...but I'd learned to be okay with that.  The funniest part is how--just to bug him--I would send him pictures of rings I liked.  Then, on the night he proposed, he asked me what kind of ring I wanted, and I said, "Oh, something simple.  A solitaire, not with a lot of diamonds around it or anything..."  The man's face turned white!  He said, "um...What do you mean, not a lot of diamonds?"  I clarified that I wanted one big stone--not a lot of little stones. A diamond band would be swell, but not a cluster.  The color returned to his face.  I didn't know that he had the ring in his pocket at that time!  He picked it out all by himself, and it is the perfect ring for me. 

My thumb ring is special for a totally different reason.  I bought it myself, with one of my first paychecks from Kaufman ISD.  I hated my job.  I hated my life even more.  But I loved that ring.  I'd always wanted a cool thumb ring.  I also loved the gym I joined that year.  I would go work out for an hour or two every day after school.  I would de-stress and not think about the nightmare my life had become.  Those hours at the gym paid off in a huge way as far as my health and waist size went...it also seemed that the more I worked out, the more focused I became, and the less hopeless my life seemed.  I'll be first to admit I was not in a good place spiritually.  But I was blessed, because people that loved me were praying for me.  I started to feel like a human being again.  Someone that deserved to be happy.  That spring I quit my job at Kaufman, got a job in Van and never looked back.  The only thing I miss is that gym.  When I look at my thumb ring, it reminds me that life does get better, God does have a plan, and whatever He's got in mind is way better than what I tried to do on my own.