I am writing this from a place of gratitude and admiration....  

I can honestly say: I AM PROUD OF MYSELF & so thankful that I did not give up! 

This weekend I will be graduating from Law School.. something I dreamt of since I was a little girl!

~Funny Story~

My mom use to watch America's Most Wanted ALL THEE TIME when I was growing up. Although I was scared to go into dark room by myself 😅😰 because I just knew the boogie man was in my house after every episode, I remember thinking: "when I grow up I'm going to be a lawyer who sends bad guys to jail!" That coupled with Law & Order, A Time to Kill & The Good Wife had me committed to this dream of one day becoming an attorney.

(Newsflash- It's not like it seems on TV.. but that's a different post haha) 

& well here I am today, one step closer to accomplishing that dream 😩😁🎉

I didn't really do anything that the next person couldn't do, you just have to Set Goals & Accomplish them! 

Here are 5 things to encourage you to  Just do it: 

• 1. Start by Starting - There's something about starting that seems shameful. We tend to look at other people who have been further on the journey we're headed towards and get discouraged. DONT. Be inspired by the people who have gone before you. Stop allowing comparison to hold you back. It really is the thief of Joy. Be proud of where you start & celebrate the small accomplishments along the way. It's going to make the success feel so much better in the end.

• 2. Write IT Down - I truly believe in Writing the Vision & Making it Plain. Confession: I am a planner. I love to plan things. I love cute stationary, & I have about 4 active "calendar/todo list" I reference a few times a day. It keeps me organized & on track but more importantly, it keeps me focused! There's something about SEEING it written down that makes it tangible. & checking things off your "list" makes you feel like you're getting things done- Making progress towards the finish line, & it helps to keep you going. If you don't already, I'd encourage you to write down what you see yourself accomplishing in the next year, & work every day, week and month - at fulfilling that goal. You'd be amazed at how much can change in a year ;)

• 3. You DO NOT NEED their approval - In this digital age where everyone seems to be looking for validation & approval through social media, remember that you weren't put on this earth to please people. You don't need any ones approval for what you feel led to do.... oh & guess what, you will never be successful trying to be a people pleaser- it's impossible!!

 Also, do not allow someone who gave up on their dreams talk you out of yours. Not everyone will understand, not everyone will think you can do it. That is ok, God did not give them your vision for a reason, he gave it to YOU to see what you'd do with it despite the adversity & what "they" have to say. Once you realize that he has equipped you with all you need and that the approval of man will always amount to nothing, you'll begin to thrive. & do so abundantly! (In other words, ignore the haters lol)

• 4. Don't get in your OWN way - Confession: before committing to going to law school I was holding myself back. I made every excuse in the book during my senior year of college as to why I wasn't going right away....("I just wrote a thesis, my brain needs a break... I'm going to just work a year... I have a kid, I need a job... Law school will always be there.... I will go ..... eventually.") Eventually turned into three years and everything I "tried" doing during that 3 year period wasn't really fulfilling, and it never seemed to "work out." As soon as I stepped out on Faith and decided to take the LSAT to jumpstart the process of me going to law school, EVERYTHING FELL INTO PLACE! *If you've been a reader of my blog since the beginning, you know what I mean :)

If you continue to talk YOURSELF out of it, IT will never get done. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Once you start believing you can do something, you realize that you actually CAN. Don't waste time holding yourself back making excuses or thinking that you can't. Even if no one else believes in You, YOU have to believe in YOURSELF! 

• 5.  FAITH it until you make it- even in the stages where you don't see your thing working out, and you hit road blocks and hardships.....you HAVE to keep going. When you are called to do something IT will not be easy! No really. It will not be easy! You have to trust YOUR process & wait on God by Faith, what he began in you he will be faithful to complete. The race is not to the swift and fast, but to those who continue to endure. Finish the RACE & you will reap the REWARD.

You are Powerful, Brilliant, Beautiful & Brave.

Go Make {IT} Happen

*Smiling for a whole 'nother reason, all smiles through all Four Seasons*  

If you are friends with me on Facebook, & Instagram then you already knew this.. but on the off chance you didn't & read the "Who We Are" like who is Ian?! ... lol - WE HAD A BABY!  👶🏽

I know you're probably thinking "people have babies everyday B" 🤣 But still.. for us, this is a miracle as you know if you follow my blog.

After suffering 3 miscarriages we finally got to meet our Rainbow Baby- Noah Ian on Feb 14, 2017 (his birth story will come at a later date) so we're beyond Excited. & Thankful. & Grateful. & Hype. & Blessed.

      God did that!! 

So before going any further allow us to introduce the newest edition:

  #BabyBae  

           📟 Paging Dr. Cutie  

For this child we have prayed & the Lord granted our petition. 1 Samuel 1:27 💙

Hey everyone-  its been a while since my last post & a ton of things have changed in my life. (Life update post coming next. YAY!!!!)

I decided to revamp my blog & give it a facelift {New Name-Logo & Layout} since law school has finally come to an end (My last law school final is in 3 days eeeeekkkkk {feels so unreal})

Although the "Journey to JD" is almost over, I will still continue to post about my experience as a wife, mother, and law student and how I balance[d] it all. 

As I write this I'm in my home office that I recently redecorated and I AM SO IN LOVE. 

I've always heard people say that "an inspirational workspace was key to success" and unfortunately it took my 3 years to finally take that advice (usually the dining room table was my favorite place to study despite having a designated office space) now, I come in the office to"work" even when I do not have any haha. 

This redecorated office space will get great use as I plan to actually blog -regularly, and studying for the Bar Exam will take place soon. 

I posted a few "Insta-Stories" and some people asked to see more of the office so here are some pics :) 

Husbands Degree wall 

vs. MINE - 2nd Degree Loading....lol 

Kinda went Kate Spade crazy - her office stuff is so cute & the little sayings are adorable!

Box Quotes- "Put a lid on it,  keep it together, Stow Away" 

The calendar has a cute quote for each month- "Stretch your wings" for May

File Tray - "Things to Do"

Desk Organizer - "Bits & Bobs" 

Pen Holder- "A Stroke of Genius"

I decided to revive my blog because I get tons of DM's on Instagram and messages on Facebook with questions related to Law School, Christianity, Teen Pregnancy, Motherhood, Infertility (none of which I'm an expert on, just speaking from experience) so I figured my blog will be a great way to answer those questions moving forward. 

As this chapter of my life ends and another one begins I'm looking forward to you being on the journey with me. 

Stay Tuned. 

Ps. I promise it will not be as long as last time before I post again! I finally have the time and have so much to share! 

The announcement we didn't get to make… 

I'm not writing this post to get sympathy, but rather to raise awareness... Today is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Day. It’s not discussed much, but it's time for us to #BreaktheSilence, here is my story. 

First, let me start by saying this, since the moment we got married, as a matter of fact, when people learned of our wedding date, the questions began rolling in.. "Are you pregnant? When are y'all going to have kids? Ok it's time for another baby? What are y'all waiting for?" .. The list goes on & on..I just want to say this, on THAT [because I could write an entire post on it alone] - STOP asking about other people's reproductive life! You don't know the circumstances of their life or their journey, & if you are close enough to them... You don't have to ask because you already know. -----Thanks. 

                               Now back to the reason reason for this post. 

I've heard stories of women having miscarriages before. I heard the statistic of 1 in 4 ... but It never dawned on me that I would one day be that ONE in Four.

I mean I got pregnant at 14 without trying so surely I could get pregnant & have babies when I "wanted."

I never rationalized that for every pregnancy and birth announcement I saw via social media that there was one that failed, until now. It's ever real & apparent, & I want to open your eyes too. 

The thing about miscarriage is that so many women suffer in silence, they feel alone, and isolated from the world out of FEAR. Fear of judgement, fear of humiliation, & fear of feeling like a failure. 

I'm choosing to use this as an opportunity to start a conversation about something that's almost taboo. So that the ONE in four women like me, can feel "normal" & hopeful if or when they experience this. 

Fear is paralyzingly, someone once said its {False Evidence Appearing Real} & you can either continue in Fear or turn that fear into Faith & allow God to do a great work in you. When you focus on fear you'll always be a prisoner. But when you focus on Faith, nothing will keep you from what God has for you. The latter is what we've chosen & I pray this post inspires someone else to do the same! 

Whether you believe life begins at conception or once the embryo becomes a fetus, I'm not here for that debate. Every woman who has the opportunity to experience new life forming inside of her womb is a walking testament to a true Miracle. Period.

So Here's our Story: 

When we began "trying" we were ignorant to miscarriage... Not completely.. I mean my husband is a Doctor, he's seen it, diagnosed it, & had to explain this reality to women many times.  We were just ignorant in thinking it couldn't or rather wouldn't happen to us. We like many others thought "trying to get pregnant" was the "Fun" part... Boy we were sadly mistaken. [That’s a whole other story] 

I mean we got pregnant our second month trying. But the month we didn't get pregnant was a roller coaster. I was a mess!! Symptom spotting and learning all these new words like: TTC, BBT, EWCM & the dreaded AF .. When AF came that month I was so sad, all my hopes came crashing down & all those symptoms were nothing! Well, Just normal PMS. 

But the second month it happened, it was the real deal, I was pregnant & so thrilled. I tried not to symptom spot or test early & it really helped ease my nerves and emotional stability that month. I was going to be a mommy again, 11 years later how awesome right?! 

Once I got confirmation from my doctor, I ran to the store to put together a "Surprise Announcement" for my Husband to share the news with him. It was a few days after Father's Day & this was going to be his first child so I thought it was just perfect "timing." I had already purchased a few cute onesies because I mean.. We were trying & people get pregnant right away... 

He initially thought it was a late gift from his step son, so his reaction was priceless when he opened the box. A moment we will never forget. 

Just a few days after I told my Husband ... It happened, we were traveling to Charlotte to visit our Friends for the weekend. I had some light cramping that morning but I thought nothing of it. By the time we got settled into Charlotte  which is only a 2 hour drive from where we live, I began to spot & my heart just broke.. I knew, I knew in my spirit right then what was happening when I went to use the bathroom. I just didn't want to accept it. Something in my spirit told me, when the cramping started, but I chose to ignore that voice.. Thinking the enemy was just trying to scare me, & I couldn't let him win! But instead God was trying to use me, I just didn't understand how. 

We ran to the store to purchase pregnancy test because I wanted to ease my mind.. I needed to see the + on the test.. & I did. But again my Husband & I knew at that moment, it really meant nothing.. What was happening couldn't be stopped and a Pregnancy Test would still be + because my HCG would take time to drop low enough for the HPT to read negative. 

For the rest of that day I just laid in our hotel room and cried my self to sleep in my Husbands arms. 

We never got to see our friends... & once we returned home I went to the ED the following morning where they confirmed that my levels had gone down and there was no longer a viable pregnancy. 

My sweet Husband was working in the hospital that day so he brung me lunch as I just waited to be released. Because again with a miscarriage, there is nothing you can do but wait... There's no medication to stop it, or "special" procedure that doctors can preform to reverse it. So I waited it out... In a physical and literal sense. 

When I finally felt a little better I shared the news with my family & they were so encouraging, supportive, & most importantly - Prayer warriors. They wished they'd known sooner, but of course I thought.. We'd have a chance to "Announce" it to them and it would be so exciting for us all.. But that announcement never came..! 

They say that things get better the second time around, but for us the second time was even worst. I prayed so hard the first time that, it would be the last time.. But it wasn't. I mean I had heard of women going on to have successful pregnancies after miscarriage so I thought surely this would be the case for us. 

Just a few months later, there we were again.. This time I knew I was pregnant, I mean we were trying, right?! I had all the symptoms, but I refused to take a test because I didn't want to get a - . 

So I tried to wait as long as I could to find out. We celebrated my birthday, again In NC, this time in Raleigh & when we returned home. I was like ok, late Bday gift I'm ready for you!! 

We stopped at the store to buy a HPT & I took it as soon as we hit the door.

We waited in the room & went to look together, we were so shocked & excited to see "pregnant +"!!  My husband of course said "I knew it... You've had all the symptoms." ~Translation you've been soooo moody lol. ~ 

We immediately prayed, & tried not to get "too ahead of ourselves" because you know what happened last time.. But anyway... 

This time I wasn't waiting to tell my family, I realized the first time, I really needed them, from beginning to end on this journey, especially if anything were to happen.. I would need them again to be my support system, encouragement & Prayer warriors. I did not want to suffer in silence because I wanted to make the perfect "announcement." I just wanted to bask in the glory of each day, We were Pregnant! 

As soon as I got confirmation from my doctor via blood work, I called my mom, I told my sisters, my best friend, & even my son & again we ALL were extremely Happy!! 

The fear and reservations I had vanished & I was taking each day, each week, one step at a time. 

& then it happened, AGAIN... 

Exactly One Month ago Today. (This post was written in 2015) This time it was even more gut wrenching. 

The first couple of appointments everything seemed fine, HCG was doubling accordingly the symptoms were certainly there. The doctor wanted me to do an early ultrasound because of the previous miscarriage this time however, just to be sure everything was on track. 

While apprehensive, it was exciting... You mean I get to see this little miracle even sooner?! Yay!!! I prepared for the ultrasound and thought about it that entire week. That day I googled other 6W5D ultrasounds so I'd know what I should "expect" to see & when I got in the room and we only saw the SAC I knew instantly that something wasn't right... But I wanted to hold on to hope. 

The ultrasound technician tried to be optimistic in saying "well it's still early so we may be able to see the baby next week," but again that small voice was preparing me, I knew it was the beginning of the end. 

I scheduled that appointment to be back in a week.. & told my husband about everything when I got home. Next week came but not before the spotting over the weekend. I was going into that appointment knowing the deal, & the only surprise I got was that my husband was there in the waiting room when I arrived to be alongside me this time. 

She did the ultrasound & again, No Heartbeat.. I thought I'd cry, but I had prepared myself so I didn't. When she went out the room to get the doctor my husband looked at me and said "this is our testimony" and he was right. It was so reassuring to hear that because at this time the enemy was trying to have his way in saying my husband would be disappointed because right now I wasn't able to give him a baby. Thankfully I have a God fearing man who instead prayed with me and told me, it's til death do us part, when we took those vows we meant them, we already have one child, (his step child) & that I'm stuck with him no matter what!! { If you know my husband, he's a jokester so while it was a very sentimental time I couldn't help but laugh because of the way in which he said it.} God knew I needed him to be there & that his patients for once... Could wait ;) 

The doctor came in still not wanting to "say just yet" but instead, "come back in a week for another ultrasound."  That week came and she finally said the pregnancy wasn't progressing and I would miscarry naturally. 

I had already accepted it. My body went in "labor" or so it felt like labor for those 30 mins 4 days after that appointment. 

I sat in the bathroom letting Nature take its course. My husband would check on me every now and then & my son just gave me my space (he's super clingy, so giving someone space is a miracle by all means lol) & after ..... I felt a sense of peace, I was on the road to truly healing. God was cleansing & purifying me through the process and I was coming out victorious.  

Now I can truly empathize with other 1 in 4's and hope what I've endured can help someone else. 

                     A few important things I've gained from this experience 

        Trust God with ALL your heart! 

• Learn to trust God & be content with him & only him.. Walk by Faith as hard as it is, you don't just get hand outs from God.  You have to walk with him and TRUST him to do what he said he would do. 

        There's a time & season under the sun for everything. 

•Don't let anyone not even yourself instill fear in your heart because of What it may "look" like... That seed gets in your Spirit & in the way of you trusting God. This is your journey, your testimony, your story. Embrace it.  When you are walking according to Gods will, EVERYTHING IS WORKING TOGETHER FOR YOUR GOOD! & eventually you will be rewarded for your faithfulness.  

Some people ask "well how do you know this is Gods will or if I am in it?!" It's simple. The apostle Paul wrote "rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is Gods will for you" When you are praising instead of pity partying, you're growing, & learning, & sometimes that's what God wants to teach you the most through that test. 

         This is not the end. 

•It is not over!! "This sickness is not unto death but so that the son of God can be glorified through it." John 11:4 

Sometimes you feel like God made you a promise he didn't keep, & you get angry with God when things didn't go your way. That's when it's hard to keep worshiping. But my question is this, Can you worship while The Word is working?

What he started he will be faithful to complete until the day of Christ Jesus. Let it be well with you, the process is not always easy, but keep the Faith and until you see the manifestation know that it's not over. 

The devil would love for you to give up and be defeated. God created us with this very intentional purpose, to "multiply & subdue" the earth. The devil comes to steal, kill, & destroy, he wants nothing more but for you to quit. Don't let him WIN. This is only the end if you choose for it to be. We cannot control our circumstances but we can control our choices. Choose Victory over defeat. 

            The bigger the difficulty the greater the blessing. 

•God didn't promise you'd never suffer loss. But he did promise that he's the restorer of all things. Rest in his arms and in HIS promises. Focus on praise and you will find peace and happiness. Everything that has been taken away from you will be restored!! If you just ........ Wait upon the Lord. 

That's the season we are in .. WAITING .. Everyones waiting is different for some it may be IVF, Adoption, or even Surrogacy---But no matter the process remember to be content and rejoice every step of the way! Is it hard at times? Of Course! But it is also a blessing. Our marriage is stronger because of this. We haven't let multiple miscarriages put a wedge between our union because there's only room for God in that space.

We are in total contentment, & it's peaceful. We know God is in control. & what he's promised us, he will be faithful to complete & bless us with .. In Due Season!! He cannot lie :) 

"And let us not lose heart & grow weary & faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due TIME & at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen & relax our courage & Faint." - Galatians 6:9 💜 

Edited to add: We went on to miscarry again in April 2016 shortly before conceiving our Rainbow Baby. It was hard. Really Hard. & at that point we gave up on “trying” and just decided to wait. However, that next month on our anniversary trip we conceived our most expensive souvenir to date :) We really, let GO & Let God. No trying, no caring if we did or did not. It was too exhausting to even worry.

Today we are so fortunate, so full, so blessed, so thankful that we are now parents to three beautiful children including our special Rainbow Baby Ian, and sweet Baby Girl, Noelle.

So I know I said I'm going to post once a week.. YEA YEA YEA... I've come to realize that right now that may be unrealistic given my obligations to being a full-time Wife, Mother, AND Law Student. Bear with me.

With that being said, I honestly have 2 assignments I should be working on right now instead of blogging, but I'm attempting to some what stay true and committed. So here's to talking about moot court.

Some of you may or may not know what Moot Court is.. I really didn't until law school. But its basically a group of individuals from law schools who enjoy appellate advocacy learning how to properly present cases to a bench of court of appeals judge based on any given issue. This is the fun part to me, considering that before moot court you have to write a "Brief" which is not so brief because its comprised of over 15-25 pages (sometimes longer) of case precedent trying to persuade the judge, why they should rule in your favor before they even see you in court.

We are a small school, my class is comprised of 82 students, and we all knew only 32 would advance to the next round, and then 16 would advance to the semi-final and only 4 would go to finals. I HAD NOOOO PLANS ON ADVANCING, but I was told the further along you go the higher your oral argument grade is for the class. So I joked with my friends that I was "Finna Murder Moot Court" because I wanted all the points lol.

Ok so basically some people have a terrifying fear of public speaking, me not so much. However, when I first heard of this assignment, although I was not nervous, I was annoyed that the judges were going to cut me off before I finished my "points" with thousands of questions... and I HAD TO LEARN HOW TO KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON LOL. 

I practiced a lot with my mentor and a few people who actually compete on the moot court team (These are the cream of the crop.. NATIONALLY they win or place in every competition they compete in) so that I could get some practice with handling those questions, and they all laughed to see me go from cutting them off the first time I practiced, telling them (who were acting as my judges) "as I said before" hahahah they were like noooo Judge will be soooo upset if you say that to them! Oops. To where I was that following week when competition rolled around. 

Ps. Remember I said there are no breaks in Law School, Spring "Break" WAS spent practicing for moot court which began that Monday we got back.  

Any-who the first round, went ok, I had three judges who hammered me out the gate, they didn't even let me finish my intro before they began to throw questions at me, BUT I LOVED IT. hahah It kept me thinking on my feet and as my family always says "I have an answer for everything" I was truly in my element, One of the judges later told me they did that because they saw that I COULD handle it, Go Figure! 

On my way home I just began to praise God, although I had no Idea where I matched up number wise after just the first round, I had confirmation from God that this was my calling, moot court just felt so right, talking to the judges, and advocating for my client was what God created me to do. So I was happy. 

I spent the next day preparing for round two.. Shortly before N and I had lunch together and he let me practice with him being my judge.. (Hilarious to get a Doctor to try and ask legal questions) bahahaha 

 Second Round.. Went the same as the first! The judges HAMMERED ME! But I felt good about it. I had noooooo real plans to advance I just joked around with my friends. Low and behold, we all met in the supreme court room later Thursday night when everyone was done with their second round, to hear the names of the 32 who would advance, because this meant you had to argue again on Friday in front of 3-5 judges. So me and my crew were sitting there, and Prof T says I'm going to call the names in order based on where you rank... 1. Whit R. 2. T. Wallace..... I was so shocked that my name was called so soon it was almost like i didn't hear it, He said ummmm are you present. I was sitting right in his face lol I said ohhhhh yea! He said well what argument do you want to chose, I WENT WITH WHAT WS ON BRIEF" Defendant actual knowledge" this was THE HARDEST argument to make in the competition, but I wanted to challenge myself!

 SHOCKED IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT REALLY. I wanted to advance but I had no Idea I'd come in second place out of the top 32, that just felt awesome!

The next day was the same thing, I argued in from of three judges in the quarter final round and came out as one of the top two amount the four in my room.. which meant morrreeee arguing, AT THIS POINT I was sooo Tired and ready for it to be over.

Now we get to the semi final round and only 1 person from each room would advance, and there was a panel of 5 judges, I emphasize the amount of judges because this means more questions from more people, that you have to keep up with, answer, and attempt to get back to the point you were trying to make. This time I was a little nervous, thankfully my husband was there to cheer me on. Letting me know that I'm better under pressure, and I've been here before (One of my favorite sermons from Pastor F)

Just like the other rounds, I handled it well. Did not advance ;( but I felt great knowing I fell short by one two points, both the guy who advanced and I won two judges and then the tie breaker judge chose him by two points! That was great. Not only did I not plan to advance, I certainly didn't think I would be in the top 4. So to come in 2 and lose in the semifinal round, made me happy! AND I GOT THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF POINTS FOR THE GRADE EITHER WAY so hey whats there to complain about.

It was sooo much fun, and the Professor who runs moot court said one of the judges was shocked I didn't make the final 4 :)

Everyone keeps asking if I PLAN TO JOIN THE MOOT COURT TEAM, and as of now I say IDK but I do no, no I don't plan to join. However they are having a meeting and serving chipotle Monday so I will be there for the free grub. lol

I'd rather join trial team and given my family life--- with all the traveling I cant do both, but I MURDERED MOOT COURT! :)

Ok so seeing as though I started this blog to document my journey in law school, its only right that I give a review as I'm nearing the finish line of my first year!

I have been gone wayyyyyy to long. Sorry. Law School will do that to you, but I will try my best to keep updates going. Weekly :)

I'm currently writing this post in what is suppose to be an "Assessment DAY" from what I know its an hour long survey so the law school can "see how its doing". Well as you see I'm not participating. "Im only here" for the free lunch ticket they will provide when its over.. Which brings me to my first point!

• Meetings are your friend! - OK SO no one really enjoys sitting in long seminars or boring meetings listening to speakers, but what you will learn is that almost all law schools cater to their guest, in a literal sense, so as a reward for attending you get free food at most of these events which is a winnnnn! This may not seem like "much" but as a law student trust me its a gift from God! & You also do sometimes get to network and meet great people who can help you along the way!

• CONSIDERATION... before law school if someone where to ask me what that meant I'd have a totally different meaning.{If you decide or have attended law school you know what I mean or you will learn} Upon completing Contracts I (MY FAVORITE CLASS- or maybe its just my professor and I'm bias. Whatever. Rice Rocks!)... my appreciation for consideration has changed, and I'm looking for it in every promise or statement given by someone! hahah Which leads me to my last point for now....

• Torts is tortious! As a 1L you learn what a "Tort" is and then you begin to see them everywhere. It literally changes the way you maneuver through life. I know for me it has, as well as some of my classmates. You view life through a different lens, causing you to be wayyy more careful, which I guess can be a good thing.

But whats not a "Good Thing" .. is that fact that in law school there is no such thing as a

BREAK

.. No really they are all "

Illusory

" They gave us a "fall break" so I thought, ----- that was a time to prepare for midterms 1st semester... THEN-  I kept hearing everyone say "On Thanksgiving break" you want to shorten your outlines... I didn't realize this meant that on Thanksgiving Break, you could only afford to take a "Break" for about two days to enjoy all the food and family, because upon returning ughhhhh your hit with 1st semester finals! BRUTAL.... THATS ALL I WILL SAY FOR NOW ABOUT FIANLS.. BRUTAL. 3 HOURS OF Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress. {For Each Test}

And not to mention spring break... If you're anything like me when you think "Spring Break" you remember undergrad and taking trips to the beach and having fun.... well Um yea.. In law school, you can do that but you probably will carry along with you 60lbs of books instead of a bikini. 

Spring Break while relaxing because we didn't have class every day was really an opportunity for us to get to work on our outlines.. {Outlines... are your lifeline in law school- you learn to love them} & preparing for moot court! ... I will talk more about that in my next post! 

Theres so much I have to say but I need to cut it short.. Its almost time to pretend to do the survey so i CAN GET FREE FOOD! 

I feel so relieved with this update. I've been gone way too long. So much has changed! God has been blessing my family and although law school is hard and every other day I want to quit, I'm so happy to be living out my dream!

So not only are we half way through July.. Which means we are half way through the year... yea already( seems like it was just January 1st) .. but Hubby is halfway through his first away rotation as a married man.

Boy has this month been interesting...

I've actually enjoyed the peace and quiet with out him or the kid around, just me all alone in the house = Serenity.  lol

I took a trip back home last weekend and really enjoyed spending some time with the kid before he went on his overnight camping week & my family... especially seeing my dad who hasn't been feeling too well lately. ( He's is the walking definition of faith, so he refuses to see a Doc, but God has given him signs that everything will be ok ) .

Although he wasn't too happy with my trip to Baltimore July 8th, I enjoyed just being around my family.. seeing my sisters, and going to MY church... (We have been visiting churches here but we have not found "the one" yet so going to NBCC was so refreshing.. I was even able to attend one of this years Vacation Bible School classes :)

Ne who about July 8th... yessssss as I said before GIRLS LOVEEEE BEYONCE.. only this time I realized that I actually like Jay Z more. I went to M&T Stadium to see the On The Run Tour featuring the married Duo and I have to say that I was more excited for Jigga Man than Bey (Guess its my NY roots) .. but I will say that to all who went it was not a waste of money, they put on a great show... To see them show intimate family pictures and videos was amazing! I admire how private they are with their personal life. "This is not real life" .

Since being back home again things have been more relaxed and refreshing.. Counting down the days til pieces of furniture arrive lol... I'm actually about to put together our dresser.. the nightstands came yesterday. I will post some pics of our home once my projects are completed.

I actually plan to surprise hubby today and go visit him on his rotation and maybe stay a day or two. (He's only an hour & 30 mins away) !!! Hope everyone is doing well.. I am certainly enjoying the last bit of summer break that I have until LAW SCHOOL begins next month ... eeeekkkk!

Seems like just yesterday we were saying our "I Do's" & then exactly a month later we are saying "See you later" .. It's bittersweet when u have a person with you for a month straight and then they leave for a month... lol this is currently me and Doc W's situation..

Congratulations to him.. he's made it to his final year of medical school. Officially an MS4. While I am extremely happy for hubbs, this left me to be here ... in this new city .. no friends .. no family.. all alone .. I've taken this time though to really get in tune with myself.. have heartfelt conversations with God, and to prepare for the year that is ahead for me.

As a new wife & a mother away from her support system, I know this year will be "Tough" but I feel like God has given me this time to prepare.. peace and solitude "ALONE" because it will not always be this way. I truly understand why Paul says its better to be single than to marry.. You have to devote so much of your attention to your spouse & their needs that sometimes you neglect your own.. better yet... sometimes you neglect time with God.

So I am honestly taking full advantage and loving it.

I miss the kid tremendously though. He's been with his dad for almost 3 weeks & will be with him the entire summer.. The first couple of days were rough but now I'm "ok" .. Thankfully Hubbs will be home tomorrow for a few days because he has to take his step 2 board exam this weekend..  & I will be going home this weekend to visit the KID & Family.. I miss them!

It's been a long while since I've posted. Sorry to myself.. But I've been super busy with preparing for this next chapter in my life.

Doc W & I officially tied the knot on May 30, 2014, ( post & pics coming soon) hence my absence with wedding planning 

& as of today we moved in together!! 

As I drove away from my family & friends yesterday I couldn't help but shed tears thinking about this huge step I am taking (moving 4 hours from family) & being a wife. -- The memories were flooding my thoughts on the way to our new "home" and I was over come with a ballet of emotions. 

Although I didn't move to another state lol this is still a huge step. Having not only the responsibility of being a mom with no support system, but also being a wife. It's technically just us and we are all we have out here in this new place.. It's scary but exciting! 

I have a lot of "Important" stuff to handle for the next couple of weeks & then once we settle in I think it will actually hit me that I'm here to stay because as of now I just feel like I'm visiting! Lol 

My goal is to post more, share my blog with friends & family so they can remain up to date, & continue using it as my outlet ... 

I know I haven't posted in a while .. It's been a busy beginning of the year for me.  

Been so excited planning our "Wedding" & enjoying being engaged to my best friend. This weekend we had our engagement pictures taken at our Alma Mater (HU) & I couldn't have been happier when the photographer sent a sneak peek to Facebook this AM. 

Here they are!  Dying to see the rest :) 

--- Love. Love. Love. 

I don't even know where to begin but ... We are officially Engaged!!! So this means I'm officially off the Market, & I'm one step Closer to becoming Mrs. W 😁. 

I get to share my life with my best friend & soul mate. God has truly brung us together & I'm forever grateful for his blessing & grace. 

Here's how it all went down .. 

The future Hubby & I went ring shopping back in June or so... I speculated that he would propose around our anniversary Nov 30 BUT I GUESS THAT WAS TOO OBVIOUS so I was clearly wrong! 

On NYE my dream finally came true! Doc W is a 3rd year medical student (all my MS WIFE'S AND DOC'S WIFE'S KNOW MY STUGGLE) .. & he told me he had to work NYE so I didnt expect to see him.

I got dressed all cute for NYE service that began @ 9 .. upon arrival of course everyone wanted to know where he was & I'm like oh he had to work, blah blah blah.. each time someone asked I got sad.. but I realized this would be a reality for us in his profession... some holidays would be spent alone, so get us to it is what I kept telling myself...

So....

Fastforward to around 11:15 he walks in-(I didn’t see him at all even though I was sitting near the door smh) as someone was giving their testimony and he was blurted out an "Amen” so I turned around like what are u doing here lol.. with the confused face I gritted on him & mouthed “u lied to me” lol he asked for the mic next to give his testimony.. then walked to the front of the church.. I’m thinking at this time what the heck is he doing everyone else did this from their seat why are u going to the front, that's so extra.. and he proceeded to give his testimony and then he said: “but I can’t go into 2014 without applying a certain verse that I’ve meditated on for my entire life, Proverbs 18:22 says that He who finds a wife finds a good thing (when I heard that I dropped into the seat & began crying lol) & he called me to the front "can u come up here".. and the rest was a blur… before I knew it he was on his knee and I was saying yes!

I was so excited I didn’t even see the ring until someone screamed that’s a “rock, let me see” & I looked down & screamed!!!!! It was exactly what I always dreamt of a "Yellow Diamond" :)

I never expected to get this until maybe well into His career, he certainly made a dream come true! 

I love him & 5 days later I'm still sooooooo Happy! 

So its January 1st, and I've neglected my blog for the past two weeks.. but in the New Year I'm hoping got post more :) 

Ive been VERYYYY busy with the Holidays, all the shopping for the kid, and preparing to spend time with family and so forth. 

My Christmas was truly blessed! The older you get the more you realize that the things you "want" cannot be purchased.

Hope everyone had a Blessed Christmas 

Well not technically alone because my immediate family still had dinner together, but no GiGi( my Grandma went to ATL to visit my oldest cousin) or Doc W. Unfortunately hubs is on his internal medicine rotation and had to work thanksgiving day.... Seeing as though he's not a hop skip and a jump a way we didn't get to see one another! Bummer, yea I know... Not sure how you doc wives get use to that but I guess I will figure it out over time...

Thanksgiving was still phenomenal as always! Just thankful for another opportunity to come together with family and share Gods goodness in our lives each and everyday... God has certainly blessed me in the last couple of months! There's so much to always be greatful for...

I pray you all have enjoyed your thanksgiving and time off with family!

In other news our anniversary is tomorrow... And Doc W sent me flowers to work... (Yes I had to go in for about 4 hours..smh) but they were a complete surprise... Totally brightened up my day and office space!

Ohhhhh how I'm counting down to Cyber Monday, not really a fan of the Black Friday crowds.

Happy Holidays folks!

Just when I thought God had already done enough.... 

Ha! On wednesday I received my Official Scholarship information and Im so happy to say that God has blessed me with a Dean's Scholarship!!!!! Many of you who have traveled down the road to graduate school be it law, masters, or medical, know exactly what I mean when I say this is nothing short of a miracle that I will not go into deeper debt (under grad loans) for law school.... and for all the fellow medical spouses you understand that those med school loans are enough for 3 people so we didn't really want to accumulate much more debt and God made that happen for us! 

I truly know that this is all in his divine will and purpose for my life because everything is just falling into place.. I have learned that he will never bring you to a situation without the means to bring you through it, and when you do things his way, on his time table they will be blessed..While I may not have graduated the top of my undergraduate class, or scored over a 170 on my LSAT, he has continued to show me favor throughout this process!....I'm just a normal girl from a big city (NY) with a Big Heart, Big Dreams & an even BIGGER GOD! 

I can't wait to send my recommenders thank you cards and share the great news! 

Im much more excited with the financial burden being lifted and ready to begin the countdown to entering law school in August of 2014.

T MINUS 8 MONTHS!

Soooo I have some great news... Although I'm sure you probably already know what this is "I GOT ACCEPTED INTO LAW SCHOOL" To God be the Glory! 

Although I've worked so hard over the past 6 months of my life to get to this point I still can't believe this is now a reality. (&& that I can put the LSAT behind me for the rest of my life) !!!!!!!! 

On Monday as a Family we "Touched & Agreed" as the bible instructs us to do... & great things started to happen the next day for my family.. My confirmation came two days later while I sat at my desk at work and recived an email, as I thought with the LSAT, I heard it go off and something in me knew what it was. 

I opened it about 10 minutes later and I saw a message from one of my Two First Choices.

It had only been about a week and a half since I submitted my application to them so I was completely shocked to hear from them this soon. I had to get up and text Doc W "answer your phone, it's an emergency" because I needed to share my great news with him first! ( I contemplated on using the word emergency .. But I figured hey if the hospital can make you run when you hear that word... I should be able to too.. I know Evil, hahahah judge me later). 

I ran from my desk to call him...&& we screamed and praised God together. 

I later shared with my family the news and everyone offered sincere congrats. 

I'm so excited to actually be able to say I am going to Law School in 2014! This will be the greatest 25th Birthday Gift everrrr! This journey is going to be challenging and I'm ready to embrace that. I look forward to all that God has in store for me and this next chapter in life :-) 

I will continue to keep my readers posted and I look forward to sharing the journey with you all! 

........ yea those dots symbolize my life right now! It's friday and I have nothing to do, and when I say nothing I mean... I've submitted applications to my top choices... I checked the status' already which say "under review".... and now I just feel like I'm missing something... It was just yesterday all of my time went into studying for the LSAT, and then into preparing my applications.. now all that its over... & I have nothing to do! I'm more than stoked for the break seeing as though they are hard to come by at work. (We have mandatory systems training for the next two weeks, this week was the first week... on the bright side.. we get free lunch everyday.. we've had pizza, pasta, chic fil a, subway and the likes... a detox is MANDATORY when this training is over... the down side is not technically getting a "lunch break" but hey free meals... I won't complain) ....

Not to mention Doc W. is currently on call tonight delivering babies so him occupying my "free" time is out of the question... the kid was "sick" today ( In my motherly opinion he's fine, he really played hookie.. but hey, we've all been kids before, so I let him have the day off).. so he isn't in a friendly playful mood. (gotta continue his act for the rest of the day). so that leaves me with nothing to do!

Im halfway through a book me and the Hubs have been reading entitled "So You Want To Be Married" ...(I Love it, a must read for couples pursuing marraige) so I will probably finish that over the weekend... catch up on some Life Time Movie Network and continue to be ...BORED LOL .

So as I mentioned before, instead of refreshing my email every 5 seconds after taking the #LSAT, I was actually productive while playing the waiting game.

I used the time waiting on my scores to ensure my letters of recommendations were received and processed by LSAC, I began filling out my applications with all the information that I could, and I worked on the final edits of my personal statement.

I would encourage you to do some of these same things during your waiting game. It not only alleviates stress, but depending on the time you apply, it positions you for early admissions to your top choices. (Grant/Scholarship opportunities, and it allows you to gain entrance before the slots are tight).

(Writing your personal statement while your studying for the LSAT is helpful also, it takes your mind off of the daugnting test for a second, and reminds you of how awesome you are and why again your actually "studying" to get a good score to gain entrance into law school)

** Make sure you get your statement proofed by everyone you know! (ok not everyone) I started with an unbiased friend who has written several book over the past few years. Then I passed it along to my boyfriend who allowed one of his fraternity brothers who is currently a practicing attorney, to proof it. I made revisions and edits where necessary and recommended, and then solicited my sisters best friend who is an esteemed publicist for one of the local school districts to make the final edits, to ensure everything came together, that it made sense, and that there were no grammatical errors, the previous editors missed **

Once she gave this to me, I was ready to go! My applications had already been completed many in which the personal statement was the only thing missing. I am currently going through the

Process,

 I submitted applications today to my top choices, and I look forward to hearing from them in the coming weeks!!!

So just 4 days ago I received my long awaited {ok not really it came 2 days early} LSAT score. I had already planned to attended an "Expierence Law Weekend" at Liberty University law school in Lynchburg Va prior to receiving my score, but attending with score in tow made it even more fulfilling! 

Something that is top priority to me is my faith as a Christian and most people believe lawyers to be very deceitful people. For that reason and a few others I am very interested in the two law schools in the Nation based on Christian Values and Principals. Both ironically in VA, one being Liberty and the other Regent (Close to home-- 40 mins in fact)! 

I arrived on Thursday night for an early morning beginning Friday at 8:30 am. 

Driving up to the campus was a sight in itself, Liberty is located in the mountainous region of Virginia, so in the middle of the fall you can just imagine the beauty of the mountains and trees. 

Upon arrival we were greeted by some faculty and staff members in the mountain view room. [The name of course gives away that one wall is all glass and you can look out into the beautiful mountains, they seem endless.] We signed in and recived a couple of cool trinkets {Liberty Lip balm, a coffee mug of course a pin and notepad, as well as a book bag} to carry along with us when we depart. They provided breakfast, lunch, and a snack (Chic Fil A) throughout the duration of the day! I will never forget that harvest peach salad! It was amazing!!! 

We had several events planned which included us sitting in on an actual law class ( I chose Civil Procedure) & learned a lot from a skit of the Famous Mattel case, we reviewed Rule 11, 26, & 37 sanctions. Very insightful lecture & interesting lecture. 

We had a couple of panel discussions with the faculty and current students, of course they answered the million and one questions us prospective students had. They were very helpful and welcoming! Everyone was.. 

I've heard some positive and negative things about Liberty and it's culture pre visit, I didn't let those negative connotations alter my view or my opinion. Honestly after visiting this weekend they have jumped to the too of my list regarding my school choices. Their loving and close nit "family" is something I felt myself being apart of and the love of God and Jesus resognates heavily in that place and I LOVE IT. 

Not to mention I spoke with the Admissions Commitee told them my scores and just had genuine conversations with some faculty who asked what I was waiting for to apply, they would love to have a student like me at their School :-) 

I am looking forward the application process, and certainly open to all the Liberty has to offer. (They have a replica Supreme Court room, two court room/classrooms, and the number one Lawyering Skills program in the nation... They are also one of 12 out of all ABA approved schools to have 100% merit based scholarship retention!!! I'd love to join their student body .. Oh and did I mention it's only 45 mins of Doc W's school!! He's hoping to complete his residency in this area as we'll so it would just be perfect, and if it's in Gods will it will all fall into place.  

Stay Tuned. 

Well the numbers are in! Like so many of you [those who've taken the LSAT & those who plan to take it one day] I waited in anticipation for the past 23 days for my LSAT Score to come in ... & today was that day of Truth! 

As I sat at my desk at work... I heard the email sound go off on my phone... & for some reason I just "knew" what it was! 

I actually opened it by accident. (I wasn't ready) lol .. Once it was open there was no looking back... So I peeked at the score, yes peeked one eye open as I scrolled down to where it said "Your October 2013 LSAT score is" & I couldn't contain myself! 

The exact score I wrote down at the beginning of my study process is what what I received!!!! 'Write the vision & make it plain' Habakuk 2:2

Just like I thought. Section 2 was a wammy... By far the weirdest of questions & structure! I felt so uncertain about that section and as I guessed, it was the practice section! :) 

To my suprise I actually scored the most points in my challenge area [Logic Games]! Whooo hooooo! That was the first section and I thought at the time man these games can't be this easy but I Guess that Logic Games Bible (book) came in Handy! 

The weight has been lifted and now I can move forward with the application process! I'm so excited... The journey has really just begun! 

Well well well. October 5th has come & gone. I'm still in shock. Sometimes I look over at my books like I'm suppose to be reading them.... But prayerfully I never have to open them again...! 

The night before my test my routine was pretty exciting. I guess lol. 

I grabbed some Blue Bell Ice Cream (Krazy Kookie Dough--cake batter ice cream with sugar cookie pieces) amazing! Then watched Legally Blonde for a little motivation. Let's face it, watching Elle Woods get a 179 & get into Harvard  Law gives us normal people hope :-) 

I attempted to go to sleep around 10pm but failed. Miserably. I simply couldn't sleep. So I convinced Doc W to stay on the phone with me. He laughed at how anxious I was. My mind was racing, although I packed everything (or so I thought). I was like what should I wear, should I bring a jacket although the weather was saying it would be 80 degrees, what snack should I bring. What if I over slept or my alarm didn't sound. I had a million what if questions that he brushed off by encouraging me to calm down & go to sleep. 

Eventually I did but it was a light sleep... I heard every creek in the walls that night... I woke up around 6:30 after Doc W called as a just in case my alarm didn't go off. Oh yea I forgot to mention he came down this weekend to surprise me so Saturday morning I got a text and met him after getting dressed. He followed me to the testing center. That I def scoped out the day before. Don't forget to Do THIS if you can! 

To my surprise it was the schools homecoming so the parking lots and entrances were blocked off.. So I illegally got on campus and parked right in front of the building. We said a prayer for my success on the test, & not to get towed and then I headed in. 

My Mug Shot: 

I had coffee that morning so I had to use the bathroom upon entering the building. I found the class I was suppose to be in that wa listed by last name. I was the first to arrive to my room so the test instructor advised me to wait. I sat & waited, & waited, more people showed up.. I waited some more... Then she finally says get your ID & test ticket out. Oh shoot. I realize at this time my ID was the one thing I forgot to put in my ziplock so I raced down to my car, thankfully I illegally parked in front of the building or I would have been in trouble... Then I rushed back up, got checked in and was ready to roll. 

The test was a challenge but I feel good about it. We were done by 1:15 so I spent the rest of the weekend celebrating with Doc W. 

Today I also went back to work & that was amazing. Helped me to not refresh my email every 5mins looking for my score :( lol. The struggle. 

Still learning the ropes in training but it seems pretty exciting. 

I will update more hopefully since the test is over, now I'm anticipating October 30th. Test Score Release Date by email 😲😬