Introduction

These first introductions always send me on an interesting journey. To try and sum up my life, personality and interests in a quick introduction has always been difficult. It's kind of like packing at the end of an 18 month or 2 year mission. How do you pack up memorabilia and souvenirs of 18 months worth of service, testimony, love, and friendship in one suitcase and a carry on? It's basically impossible. But, I suppose I'll give the best possible first introduction I can muster.


I came into the world on December 26, 1984. Because of this birth date, my mom wanted to name me Noel. My dad, on the other hand, did not appreciate the name Noel as much as my mother did, so they struck a compromise by naming me Crystal Noel in hopes that the name Crystal sounded Christmassy, especially when coupled with Noel. I enjoy my name and think it works.

I come from a blended family. What does "blended" mean? I've often wondered why this word is used, because in reality, all families are blended. Each spirit who comes to earth is a unique individual, and then blends themselves with other spirits resulting in a family unit. My family background, however, fits the definition of blended family one can find on google definitions. "A blended (or complex) family denotes a step family in which both new mates have one or more living kids from prior partners."

A few months before I turned 7 years old, my dad began experiencing painful migraines and double vision later resulting in a grand mal seizure. The doctors then diagnosed my dad with a malignant brain tumor and gave him two years to live. My dad passed away a couple months before my 9th birthday, leaving my mom to raise my 2-year-old brother, my 6-year-old sister, and me by herself. A little over two years after my dad's death my mom re-married a man with five children thus making us a part of a blended family.

My first memories of childhood take place in Germany because my dad worked for the military. When the brain tumor diagnosis took place, we moved to Portland, Oregon which is where I call home. I love the constant rain, green and trees of Portland.

Growing up in a blended family was not easy for me, therefore I needed some sort of outlet. This resulted in me saving my baby-sitting money up for a guitar allowing me to put my poetry to music. Writing, playing my guitar, and singing are my favorite pass times, especially when I put them all together.

I'm an extremely passionate person. I really don't feel things on a level, even basis. I'm either really happy or really upset. I'm either excitedly anticipating something, or I'm disappointed. I'm either laughing or crying. Well, that last one might be an exaggeration, but I'm a pretty extreme person. This is sometimes a good thing, and many times it's not. But, I believe it helps in my writing because I can passionately express myself through words. Many of my decisions are made emotionally as apposed to logically. I base a lot of my actions on how I feel. The top 4 subjects I feel passionately about are 1) the Gospel 2) family 3) writing and 4) music. When I can fit writing with the other three subjects, my life is bliss. And that's me in much more than a nutshell.