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Nicole Chryst

Wellness Educator

 

Chasing truth, beauty, goodness, and all things naturally wholistic.

Faith over fear.

Ephesians 2:8-10

 

I’ve been married to my high school sweetheart since 2003. Together, we have four amazing children, by birth and adoption. When I am not homeschooling my favorite students, I spend my days on our 7-acre property where I try my best to love my family well and experiment with hobby homesteading. My favorite things to do are cultivate my ever-expanding gardens, wrangle chickens, ferment all the things, sourdough bake with einkorn flour, and figure out new ways to use herbs and essential oils. I believe God has tasked us to be good stewards of our spaces in the world, and I guide my children to do the same.


I am a board member of The Sparrow Fund and an Empowered to Connect Facilitator. I love to dig in the dirt, cook nourishing food, capture beauty through my camera lens, watch the sunrise on the beach, and spend time with good literature on my porch while sipping on a hot cup of coffee.

6 months

I’ve experienced a lot of difficult things over the last several months.  The most difficult of my life.  My Daddy’s passing weighs heavy on me every day still, 5 months later.  So much pain and loss.  So much heartbreak.

But this boy.  This precious boy who we said yes to and who is our son.  He has redeemed a lot of the hardships.  I will admit that the days aren’t always easy.  We aren’t living a fairytale.  But my goodness, he is special.  My heart bursts with love for him.  He is lovely and joyful and funny and goofy and stubborn and even a little bossy sometimes.  He absolutely loves life and delights in everything.  He gives me hugs and kisses all day long.  He says “I yaaaa yew” more times than I can count in a day.  He smiles.  He laughs.  He plays.  He is learning to communicate his needs.  He is learning that we will always come for him.  He is learning his place in our family.  He is learning how to love and how to be loved.  He has grown in unbelievable ways.

As I rocked him to sleep tonight, I just stared at him.  I ran my fingers over his forehead, through his hair, and over the outside of his ear as he drifted off to sleep.  I watched his sweet little eyelashes bat up and down until they eventually stopped moving.  He laid asleep in my lap as I reflected on the little person he is becoming, simply in awe of all that the Father has done in this boy’s life.

He’s been in our arms for 6 months.

Six months.  It hardly seems real.

In that Guangzhou Civil Affairs office, our lives changed forever six months ago.  I fell in love the minute I laid eyes on him.  He instantly became a son and brother; an orphan no longer.  I became a mama for the fourth time.  My husband became a new daddy all over again.  And our older three children gained a new brother.

We are forever bonded together as a family.  And with that bond, my prayer is that his many losses will be redeemed.  Not forgotten.  But redeemed.  He experienced so much heartache in his three years.  But in the short 6 months he’s been our son, he has already given us so much.  I hope that we can give the same to him.  Life is a little more complicated, but oh so much sweeter.  The days feel a little longer, but they are God-given.  I’m a little more exhausted each day, but they are beautiful.  And we are in this thing called life together.  No matter what.

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Affiliate Disclosure

I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website. Your purchases through affiliate links help support my work in bringing you real information about health and wholistic wellness.

CONTACT ME

Street, Maryland

443.690.2385

nicole@naturallywholistic.com

Affiliate Disclosure

I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website. Your purchases through affiliate links help support my work in bringing you real information about health and wholistic wellness.

CONTACT ME

Street, Maryland

443.690.2385

nicole@naturallywholistic.com