My Charm Bracelet

In the summer of 2003, I visited Brian's family here in Ohio for the first time. Brian picked me up at the airport then we went and spent a few hours in Newport, Kentucky before heading to his house. I remember it being so special because his family were so anxious for us to arrive (at least that is what Brian told me.) When I walked in I found his mom sitting at the table waiting for me with a gift and Brian's baby photos:) What a precious memory! They welcomed me and accepted me from the very start.

The gift she got me was a charm bracelet. It was so thoughtful. And though I do not wear it on my wrist, it is a treasure I hold dear to my heart. That is why I thought it would be something special that I could blog about and share with you.
These are the first 2 charms that she started me off with. I don't think these came with a card, at least I don't have one in my memory box that goes with it. However, I am assuming that she knew three things about me right away. One, I love pictures. Two, I love Jesus. And three, if you notice, the stones in the cross are purple and as the entire world knows, purple is my favorite color.
The next one she got me is actually my favorite of them all because of what it represents. She sent me this heart when Brian and I were becoming more serious and beginning to talk about marriage. It came with probably one of the sweetest cards I have ever received. There is no way, I could describe in my insufficient words how precious her words were, so I would like to quote a portion of the card she wrote to me.

"I chose a heart charm because Brian was my dear little boy, and all these years I have carried, protected and nurtured his heart within my love. He has grown into a fine, young man with strong, Christian values seeking God's will for his life. He feels that you are a part of God's will for him and he has given his heart to you, Janelle. With this charm I acknowledge that you are the one he will now turn to. You are the person he has chosen to fulfill his dreams. You are now the protector of his heart and I trust you to hold his heart within your love now, Janelle."
I believe the next one she got me was the cell phone. About a year before Brian and I got married, he showed up at my dorm with my first, very own, cell phone. He figured we were getting married, might as well get a joint plan, plus we were running up phone bills being separated at the time. I was so excited about my first cell phone! It was such a great surprise! The first person I called to share my excitement with was Vicki. I think that made her feel special so she bought me this charm. In the card it said she couldn't help but to think of me when she saw it:)
The next one she gave me was this picture of Brian when he was about 9 months old.
The next one she bought me was an engagement ring when we got engaged. Unfortunately, I could not find the card that went with this one. Maybe, she did not get me a card with this one because I can not recall it in my memory but who knows. She was so cute when we got engaged, I have to tell you this story. Shortly after we got engaged I went up to visit him and his family for a weekend. Brian picked me up from an exit from who I was riding with from college. Then we met his parents somewhere so we could go to dinner. It was dark out, so when I got in the car (so that we could all ride together to the restaurant), she waves her hand at me from the front and said, "I don't want to see it, I don't want to look at your hand in the dark, I want to see it in the light, don't show me until we get there!" It just made me laugh.
That night she gave me the best present ever! Since, she had gotten a new ring later in her marriage, she took the diamond out of her original engagement ring and had it set on a necklace for me. I was completely overwhelmed with this gift. It is the most generous thing I have ever received in my life. It is so very special to me and I wear it almost all the time.
The next one she gave me was in the waiting room on the day of my wedding. It came with a sweet card telling me how happy she was that I was becoming her son's wife, that she loved me and hoped that she would become more to me than just a mother-in-law but a friend as well.
Here are the two latest additions to the charm bracelet that she recently gave me, this summer.
The first one, represents how happy she is for me about starting to work in women's ministry with my pastor's wife, and that she believed the Lord would use my talents to bless others.
And last but not least, the home sweet home represents Brian and I buying our first home. In the card she wrote, "I am so happy that you have you own home. I am confident that you will turn this house into a home filled with love."
So there you have it, my charm bracelet. I am looking forward to the next addition to it!