The Places I Have Been...

                I know it has been a while since my last post, and many of you have certainly brought this to my attention :) ... But I must confess the reason why it has taken me so long to get back on here and give you something new to read... because, well, I have been ensued in an internal battle with myself...  The next thing I very much wanted to share with you all is also something quite personal... even a bit embarassing I must admitt.  But my time of thought and debating the issue is over and I have decided to just share with you all this wonderful moment in my life... Not be embarassed, but proud of where I have been, what I have made it through, and where I am now...
                As most of you know, Mick is my second husband... but honestly, as he once lovingly said to me, "No.  You are my first." ... Words that took my breath away because of the message of love behind them.  That even though we have both been married before, we both truely feel that right now our lives have finally begun, that for the first time we are truely "married" and have found love, and know what that truely is.  We both know we still have more to learn about the mysteries of love but we are happier than we have ever been in our lives and we learn "love" more and more everyday as we are giving it to each other...  Mick I love you, and I will never stop thanking our loving Heavenly Father for sending you into my life, you have shown me, as no one has ever before, what real, true love is. 
                Since moving here to the wild, beautiful, foreign land that is Australia I have been swept up in happiness, my future bright all about me, and yet there were still bits of my past still peeking out from the shadows.  One of the biggest issues I have had to face is my three names.  Yes, three names.  My former married name, my maiden name, and my new married name.  My old married name seemed to be staring back at me everywhere... on my bank card, on my passport... But most of all on my Unites States driver's liscence.  An old photo id I had to confront each time I opened my wallet reminding me of my past, a dark and sad time in my life staring up at me, like a ghost. 
                I was tired of being that person, almost emotional and angry when ever I still had to sign that old name onto paper.  I was done with it and I wanted it behind me.  I wanted to be a part of my husband, have his name, the name of the man I love.  Over time, since being here, the only document that had proof of my true name was on our marriage certificate...  We began the long battle of changing my name at the bank, and on my liscence but were turned away over and over and over again... We needed more proof... more paperwork!  It was maddening... and so for months I lugged around my three names...  My three identities... Kind of like a super spy... but no... not really.
              Finally sucess... a huge sucess... we got my name changed on my passport... Thank you America, my home sweet home.  And so armed with my new, appropriately named passport we set out again... got turned away again, but perservered... finally made it to the bank with all the right proof, and finally got my bank card with the correct name!  And so it was... a few weeks ago that we set out to the Department of Transportation armed with my new proof... Ready to declare to the world, "I am Brooke Travis damit!!!"  And finally... FINALLY, like a magic wand waved across... I became Brooke Travis, once and for all.  No longer does that old past stare up at me, but the brightness of my future, reminding me of the blessings God has given me, and that truley, Yes: BLESSINGS COME AFTER TRIAL.  I am living proof of that. 



My old photo...



My new photo