Authors: Robin Jones Gunn

Tags: #teen romance, #Christy, #Hawaii, #Little Mermaid/Lille Havfrue, #Copenhagen, #epistolary story, #diaries, #diary, #journal, #Todd, #missions trips, #travel in Europe, #Salzburg, #The Sound of Music, #boarding schools, #Valentine's Day, #juvenile fiction

Christy Miller's Diary (16 page)

BOOK: Christy Miller's Diary

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After Katie’s graduation ceremony last week, Todd and I drove her to a celebration at Rick’s parents’ house, and I gave her my present in the car. She said she really liked it.

I didn’t tell her how long it took me to put it together. It was a scrapbook. I searched for as many old photos of the two of us as I could find. Then I had them scanned and copied, and I put them in the album. I think she really likes it. I hope she does.

She was in a wedding today and got this crazy idea to hide a dove in her bouquet and then release it at the end of the ceremony.

She went to Escondido and saw my old boss, Jon, at the pet store. I was so bummed when she told me because I would have liked to go with her to see Jon. I can’t believe he still works there.

I’ll be eager to hear how her fine-feathered scheme turned out. Todd has a big meeting at church tonight to find out if he’s going to be full-time during the summer.

May 22

Sing with me, Sweet Silent Sis! Happy anniversary to us!

Can you believe it’s been a year that Todd and I have been married? And can you believe it’s been two years since I found you in the cute shop in Rome and brought you along for our splendid European adventure? You have been the best of bests.

And speaking of bests, not last night but the night before—sounds like a rhyme we used to chant when I would jump rope with Paula when we were kids—we had a crazy night.

First of all, the day before that, Katie moved in with us, and Todd found out the church was going to continue his contract for full-time through the summer. Eli moved out of his apartment. Rick moved to Redlands—I think it was Redlands. He’s opening another restaurant, and he needed to be closer.

So two nights ago Katie was here, feeling very low, and I was trying to cheer her up when Todd came home. He’d been helping Eli move some of his furniture.

Katie was beyond bummed that Eli was leaving for Kenya in the morning. It was like she just discovered him after being on campus with him all school year and not really taking his interest in her seriously. I told her she should call him and tell him good-bye. Then, I don’t know if it was Todd or me, but one of us reminded her of how she always wanted to go to Africa. I don’t know what happened, but something seemed to break open inside her.

Within a few hours she packed up everything related to her life here and resolved to go to Kenya. We drove her to the airport, and she and Eli connected, and they boarded a plane. I guess. We haven’t heard from her so I don’t know exactly how everything turned out.

When Todd and I were driving home at six in the morning, we kept saying to each other, “That was a God-thing, right? It wasn’t too random, was it? We didn’t push her into anything, did we?”

I don’t think we did. With someone else, possibly we could have pressed too much. But this is Katie. Independent, spontaneous Katie. Somehow it all seemed to fit.

So now we don’t have Katie living with us, nor will she be moving into the apartment down the way.

Todd said this morning that, if I didn’t mind, he’d like to spend our anniversary here in our apartment, just the two of us. Nice and quiet.

I got off work at the bookstore a little early and went to the grocery store. Oh, and how did I get to the store, you may ask? In my new car. Katie sold me her car for $1. As she was getting everything in order to go to Kenya, she asked if I had a dollar.

Then she gave me the pink slip for Clover. (That’s what she named her car.) I didn’t realize at the time what a huge blessing this is. I have my own car! I’ve never had my own car. Katie is the most amazing friend.

Anyway, I went to the grocery store to get what I needed to make a nice anniversary dinner. Todd really likes this chicken I make that’s coated with breadcrumbs. I found a way to make it so it doesn’t get dried out. My mom told me to brush the chicken with mayonnaise and then squirt lemon juice on it before rolling it in the breadcrumbs. I’m not saying it’s the most health-conscious recipe, but Todd loves it. So I’m making Todd’s Chicken, as we now call it, and baked potatoes and green beans. He’s going to be so happy. I even found some coconut mango ice cream, which I know he’s going to love.

Todd’s Chicken is in the oven, I’m all freshened up, and I set the table and lit candles. I love being married. Hurry home, Todd! I’m ready to celebrate! Happy first anniversary to us!

May 23

Quick note, Silent Sister.

Guess what I have sitting on our bedroom dresser right now, filling the room with their spicy-sweet fragrance? That’s right. A dozen white carnations! Todd walked in the door last night and had his hand behind his back. He had that little boy grin of his, and his dimple was showing. Then he pulled out the carnations, and he kissed me. It was just like the very first time he kissed me in the middle of the intersection when I was fifteen! Well, maybe not exactly like that time because that time Bob and Marti were waiting for me in the car and the light turned green and people were honking at us.

But what was the same was the way that he looked at me right before he kissed me. It was the same look he gave me before our very first kiss, as if our standing there face-to-face was the most amazing and important moment and one that he didn’t want to miss for the world. It was so sweet and so rich. His look and his kiss were full of love.

I’m telling you, I could fall in love with this guy all over again.

Now, I have to face reality, don’t I? I have to admit that I’ve come to the last of your lovely, blank pages, dear Silent Sister. Thank you for giving your empty self to me and allowing me to place my many scattered thoughts here for safe keeping. You know I’ll keep you for always. I’ll visit you many times before my life is over. And hopefully, I won’t lose you again for months at a time!

I know that you will continue to make me laugh aloud. You’ll probably catch a few more of my salty tears when I read the words that you and my Dear Silent Friend have both graciously held for me all these years.

Perhaps one day you’ll see an unfamiliar pair of eyes scanning your pages, and you’ll feel a different pair of hands holding you. Those eyes and those hands will quite possibly belong to my daughter. (And no, I’m not trying to drop a surprise on you here. Todd and I aren’t expecting a baby. But I hope we will someday.)

And if we do have a daughter and if she grows up and wants to know what I was like when I was her age, I will invite her to read the words you’ve so patiently held for me because I’ll want her to know that what she’s feeling is normal. And I’ll want her to know that her mother was a goof sometimes. And was overly emotional sometimes. But more than anything, I’ll want her to see the ways that God worked in her mother’s and father’s lives. These entries will give evidence that we were a couple of a God Lovers who were extremely blessed.

And she will also know that even before she was conceived, she already was tucked away in a special corner in the secret place in my heart.

Forever,

Christina Juliet Miller Spencer

(Kilikina)

Copyright

Christy Miller’s Diary

First electronic printing in 2012 by eChristian, Inc.

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Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. The “NW” and “New International Version” trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society.

The verse in the “November 30” entry is from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Copyright 1946, 2952, 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission.

The verse in the “April 8” entry and the verse in the “April 2” entry are from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.

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Produced with the assistance of Livingstone, the Publishing Services Division of eChristian, Inc. Project staff includes: Dan Balow, Afton Rorvik, Linda Taylor, Linda Washington, Ashley Taylor, Lois Jackson, Joel Bartlett, and Andy Culbertson.

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