Well, most of you know me as Natalie Renae. I get asked all the time, "what is your real last name?" My name is actually Natalie Renae Chilton. I wear that name with pride because thanks to my husband, my saving grace, I was able to leave behind the last name that I resented for my entire life, but I will get to that later :)
I was born and raised in a little town about 2 hours from where I am currently. That little town was Sallisaw, Oklahoma, the county seed of Sequoyah County. I attended school at Sallisaw from Kindergarten all the way through my senior year (((Class of 2002))). I knew early on in life that it was not the place for me. I needed more, I needed bigger, I needed....well.....better. I always dreamed of graduating high school and moving far off for college and I had the grades to do so, but due to finances and family circumstances, that was not logical. A full ride scholarship will get you to the school, but it will not pay your bills, or buy your food or put clothes on your back. So....there I was. Stuck in Sallisaw. No worries though, I had a fantastic group of friends that made it worth my while to stay for a little while. I got an amazing town house when I turned 18, moved out on my own, worked 40+ hours a week waitressing at a local steak house and went to college full time at a local JUCO. I was having a ball and living life as most other 19 and 20 year old kids do :)
My best friend, Tierney, had been going to OSU, as did my boyfriend, so I made it a habit to stay in Stillwater almost every weekend. Stillwater was my getaway. My home away from home, my reason for getting away. We went to parties and games, met lots of amazing people and did lots of shopping. I LOVE Stillwater and the atmosphere that surrounds it. Tierney moved back home, the boyfriend and I didn't stay together and there I was....back in Sallisaw! But I had my BFF in town, so we lived it up! A few months later, she told me she was moving to Tulsa :( Well....I could live there. I didn't say anything to my mom other than I was coming to T-town to see Tierney and her mom. It happened to be the same weekend that she moved here. I literally drove to Tulsa in my shiny green, country girl truck and T and I went applying for jobs....all over Tulsa! We had no idea where we were, what side of town was "good" or "bad," what we were going to do, or where we were going to live. By the end of the first day we had accepted jobs at the same place and found an apartment, right by where we always said we would live....next to a mall LOL
I drove home later that weekend and told my mom I was moving to Tulsa THAT NIGHT! OMG! Of course, she cried and asked for me to stay, but I knew that if I didn't leave then, I would never get out. I would always be that girl that never left her hometown and I do believe that I have more dislike for my hometown than any single person ever has. Why? I had a, well...for lack of better terms....not so great childhood from an early age. My parents divorced when I was young and the man that should be my "dad"......well he isn't. Not only is he not my dad, he is one of the "big wigs" in the town....you know...the Sheriff, the city commissioner, yada yada yada. I am not going to harp on it because I have spent many years not liking where I came from and to be honest, not liking who I came from. I am over that.....I just hate going to the town that a lot of others think so highly of him and want to ask me how I have been and if "he" knows I am in town. It never fails. It always happens. So....I stay away.
Well....here I was in Tulsa! I was moving into an apartment I couldn't afford. Working at a job that didn't pay well. Loving life!!!! Then it happened. I had been in Tulsa only a few months and spent all my days off at the swimming pool in my apartment complex. One day, I was laying out at the pool and there was this guy there with two kids. I assumed they were his siblings. Come to find out it was this cute guy and he said his name was Nico! What kind of name is that? He had gone and got his niece and nephew to spend the day with them and they wanted to go swimming! After hours of not even noticing he was there, he came up to me and introduced himself and gave me his number....and the rest is history LOL!
Now here I am, the person you know as Natalie Renae. Since that day at the pool, almost 9 years ago, we are married with two beautiful kiddos, Brock and Ryan. Not a day goes by that I don't think my lucky stars for my family. I also think my family, both the good and the bad, for teaching me that I could never walk away from my family. That unconditional love is forever and that no matter how bad the situation gets, your husband and your kids will always come first!
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