We're Married!!

Hey All!
The wedding was gorgeous!

We've been married for almost 4 months now and I'm so happy.
Here are some of the wedding photos!

Getting all tucked in

MUAH!

Introducing... the bride and groom

Yummmy... cake!

At the club after the wedding

Wedding Planning Part VII - Wedding Gown Pics

I went for my 2nd wedding gown fitting today.  The seamstress took in the chest and added the bustle to the back so my train won't get in the way when it's time to get my party on.  Here are the photos from todays fitting.  I'm definitely rocking my natural hair to the wedding.  Check out some of the styles I'm considering for my wedding.

These photos were taken with my iPhone so as expected they aren't the best quality. I tried to enhance them on my computer.

20 Questions for Your Spouse

Either on a date or during a private conservation, try using the question below to learn more about the heart of your spouse.  Allow the topics to raise additional questions that you may want to explore, but keep the mood and focus positive.  Listen more than you talk.

Personal

Question 1: What is your greatest hope or dream?

Question 2: What do you enjoy the most about your life right now?

Question 3: What do you enjoy the least about your life right now?

Question 4: What would your dream job be if you could do anything and get paid for it?

Question 5: What are some things you've always wanted to do but havent had the opportunity yet?

Question 6: What 3 things would you like to do before the next year passes?




Question 7: Who do you feel the most safe being with? Why?

Question 8: If you could have lunch with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

Question 9: When was the last time you felt filled with joy?

Question 10: If you had to give away a million dollars, who would you give it to?

Marital

Question 11: What are 3 things that I do that you really like?




Question 12: What are 3 things that I do that drive you crazy?

Question 13: What have I done in the past that made you feel loved?

Question 14: What have I done that made you feel unappreciated? Question 15: What are 3 things that I can work on?

Question 16: Of the following things, what would make you feel most loved -- Having your body massaged and caressed for an hour? Sitting and talking for an hour about your favorite subject?  Having help around the house for an afternoon? Receiving a very nice gift? Hearing encouragement about how appreciated you are?

Question 17: What things in the past do you wish could be erased from every happening?

Question 18: What is the next major decision that you think God would want us to make as a couple?

Question 19: What would you like your life to look like in 5 years from now?

Question 20: What words would you like to hear from me more often?

When asking these questions: offer encouragement and a listening ear. Refuse to allow this to become an argument or time for you to criticize.  Let this be a time for your to express themselves.

Wedding Planning Part VI

Everyday is more and more exciting for me.  In a little over 2 months we will be on the beautiful sandy beach saying "I Do!"...

Then the very next day we will sail away on a cruise ship for our week long honeymoon.

I CAN'T WAIT!

Let's discuss what we've done.

We've paid off the florist, the photographer, the rental company, and almost done with the catering.  The honeymoon cruise is paid off as well.

As stated before I have my dress, but I still need to get my jewelry, my shoes, and my hair.  We purchased my fiances suit and shoes this week, but he still needs his shirt.

We will be purchasing our wedding bands next month (May).

Some things we still need to think over is whether we will have a Bridal shower, will we have a rehearsal dinner, and what will go in our Out Of Town Bags?

I'm not stressed out over this wedding at all.   All that matters to me is getting married to the love of my life and living happily ever after.

Kinky Curly Coily Me!

For the past 2 weeks my cousin and I have been discussing going natural with our hair.

Meaning, we would no longer put chemical relaxers in our hair and we would allow our hair to grow out naturally. Chemical relaxers can damage your hair and it has done so to my hair.

After watching hundreds of YouTube videos by brave women who decided to go natural and cut off all their relaxed hair, my cousin and I were inspired.

Friday night we got together and ate some food and drank some Nuvo and made the decision to do the BIG CHOP!

She cut off my hair and I cut off hers!

Now why did I do this? Why was I so concerned about no longer using relaxers? Why didn't I just wear a weave or braids?

I want to learn my hair. I have no idea "who" my hair is!

I really don't.

I have no idea how often it prefers to be washed. I would go a month without washing my hair because it was always in sew in weaves and didn't want to ruin the texture of the hair.

I have no idea how much moisturizing it needs. When you wear a sew in weave, your hair is concealed underneath, so I often just rubbed grease on my scalp every so often, but had no real understanding of whether or not to do it more or at all.

Cutting off all my hair was liberating. During my hair journe I will spend time learning what it needs and how to manage it.

My goals are to have my hair grow long, thick, and healthy with no relaxers! I can't wait for the years to pass and I watch my hair transform into this!

Almost There

It feels like months ago, I was excited about starting graduate school. It was a new chapter in my life because up until that moment, no one in my family had gone to Graduate School to pursue a Masters Degree. This was legendary.

My family supported my endeavors. My Coco Puff supported me. And of course my Divas did as well. I started this journey in the NYC Teaching Fellowship, a program established to bring in non education bound people into the education field to fulfill high need positions in low income schools. They bring you in on a crash course track that feels like a roller coaster the whole way through.

For starters, I started my Graduate coursework during the summer of 2008 and I was unable to work at all because I had to co-teach at a summer school from 8-12, then I raced to classes at my assigned college from 1-7. I did this everyday all summer. I had no income and I was exhausted and stressed about becoming a teacher. Additionally at this point I had no secure placement in a school for the upcoming school year.

Somehow I got through it.

August 2008 comes and I was put in a special education classroom with no real life hands on training at all. I had all the theory taught and learned in textbooks behind me, but that's about it. In addition to working full time as a "teacher" I was attending 2 graduate courses a week for 3 hours at a time. When the days are over, I felt overwhelmed and unsure of myself. How can I teach these kids with all of their different disabilities and all of my many insecurities?

Somehow I got through it.

When Winter Break came in December 2008 it felt like a dream come true, but unfortunately the NYC Teaching Fellows don't look at that time as a time for you to enjoy your vacation after working so hard at a strenuous job and a rigorous course load. They had me attend class Mon-Thurs during the winter intercession(Jan 2009) every day! The winter intercession only applies to colleges, meaning elementary schools aren't on break anymore, so I went to work everyday and then raced to class from 5-830 every night. It was horrible!

Somehow I got through it.

Three days after intercession ended the spring semester begins and the torture begins again from Feb-May 2009.

Somehow I got through it.

Summer for colleges and summer for elementary schools don't match up. So while I'm pushing through the month of June 2009 with 8 year olds who can't wait for summer vacation next month, I'm taking summer classes at college because summer begins in June for colleges. Mon-Thurs from 5-8:30 I have class after a long day of work. When will this all end???

Somehow I got through it.

When July 2009 came, my body needed the rest so badly. I just wanted to do lots and lots of nothingness. BUT I couldn't, the drive inside of me doesn't allow me to sit still and do nothing all day, all week, all month, all summer. I would spend hours online, go to the gym, I planned my wedding, I participated in an internship, I went to the movies weekly, went out to dinner often, baby-sat for friends, read lots of books and magazines, cooked all the time, and went on a very nice vacation with my Fiance to the Bahamas click here for photos.

Somehow I got through it.

The school year started up again in September 2009 for both work and graduate class. It felt easier this time around, but still tough going to school because I'm working on my thesis. I finished my Fall semester last week and I don't have to participate in the January intercession. Thank God!

This does mean that when I complete next semester, Spring 2010 (Feb-May), I'll be all done with Graduate school! I'll be getting my diploma on May 26th 2010!!!

God brought me through it.

Holiday Blues

I have a bad case of the Holiday Blues.

I have no desire to go visit family for Christams. Now a days I'm just so busy I have no desire to go anywhere at all. This cold weather has got to go. I don't remember it getting this cold so early in recent years. It makes me dread going outdoors altogether.

I want to give gifts to some very important people, but 'm not really motivated about the shopping part.

Case in point: Today at work we had our Secret Santa gift exchange gathering and guess who forgot to get the gift for their secret person? I ran out on my lunch break to buy a gift and was so frantic about the whole thing.

I bought a gift that was very nice and the person loved it! Thank Goodness!

Coco Puff and I realize that we need a new microwave so that will be our Christmas gift to eachother. I guess that eliminates the stress behind gift searching.

The one thing that excites me this season is getting into my car and playing my 4 favorite Christmas Carol CDs. I don't know what I'd do without these CDs this season.