365 days since my Lil' Miracle arrived :)

"Hello, is that Geebeemislowah" The voice on the phone asked. Hearing my name distorted like that is something I've gotten used to, so I replied, "You mean Gbemisola? Yeah, that's me."

"I'm calling from the lab with your test results" she explained. "Congratulations, you're pregnant!"

WHAT??!!

"What?!" I shouted, "that is sooooo not possible! There's no way I can be pregnant"
"Well you are, congratulations again" she said, as she got off the phone.

That, my friends, was how I found out I was expecting a baby on my birthday last year.

To say that I was shocked is an understatement. I couldn't believe it. It took a while for me to wrap my mind around the fact that I was pregnant. I was sad :(

Yes. Sad. Very Sad.

*insert long story here*

I know I've promised to share this story before, but let me confess, I've been unable to bring myself to write it because it requires dredging up memories of a really dark period in my life. This girl is a coward. I'll give it a shot soon. Today? Tomorrow? The honest to goodness truth is that I don't know.

Suffice it to say, that the time between March, when I found out I was pregnant, and October, when I gave birth, was the most trying period of my entire life.Thankfully, God brought me through.

This scripture is my testimony:

"...Weeping may endure for a night,

But joy comes in the morning."

I went through all of that for a reason and even though I don't fully get it yet, I know that I wouldn't have experienced God the way I did if I didn't go through all I did. GOD IS FAITHFUL.

It's hard to remember all those dark days right now, because Joy has indeed come.When I hear David laugh, I wonder how I could ever have told God I didn't want to be pregnant. David is such a delightful child. There is NO way I could have earned such an AMAZING blessing from God. As he turns one today, my heart is filled with gratitude to God that He gave me David Ademidara MomoreOluwa, My Lil' Miracle.

What life lessons could Humpty Dumpty possibly teach me?!

The frenzied rush to get everyone ready and off to school has become our new normal these days. We had one of the not-so-crazy days last week. Everyone was in a good mood and we were all singing, Nathan using the chance to show off some of the rhymes he's learned in his new school. I didn't know a lot of them, so I would chop mouth ad lib, and then sing really loud when he sang one I knew. When we got to Humpty Dumpty, I was like, yeah, I know that one and we sang the version I knew:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Then Nathan sang this version that I had never heard before and I was blown away! Not because I didn't know the words, but because of the lesson in it for me. Nathan was preaching to me!!  

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

Humpty Dumpty knew what to do,

He fixed himself with tape and glue.

I was like, "What did you say?!"

It was a light-bulb moment for me. Humpty Dumpty did what?!

Humpty Dumpty rewrote his story.

He accepted responsibility for his own life.

He didn't accept the verdict of the kings men as final.

He fixed himself. He did something about his life. He may not have looked pretty, all taped up, but he was fixed. He was no longer the victim. He...

I could go on and on, but you get it.

I made a recording of him singing it that morning. You can view it on my youtube channel. I couldn't stop thinking about it and on our way to church on Sunday, they kept singing it.

When we got home, I got a chance to make a better video. They wouldn't stand still, but of course, after I promised to bribe them with give them ice cream, they co-operated :)

Here's the video.

Like the bible says... "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings..."

Thanks for coming by again and again.
May your dreams come true
xxx

Friends and fun at The Rub :)

It was a few days to my wedding when I got a call from my friend, Deji. He wanted to find out how things were going and if I needed anything. I thanked him and said everything was fine and then he asked what car I was going to ride in to church. Shocked that I was seriously considering riding in "Funmileyi", my faithful rugged Nissan Sunny, he offered me the use of his car he had just bought. He wasn't going to let me get away with another of my crazy schemes... Bride driving her self to church? Maybe in the movies, but not in Lagos.

I was pleasantly surprised by his thoughtfulness. Preparing for my wedding without my parents had taught me that the only One I could really count on was God. Life had shocked me into growing up. Taking care of myself without asking for help quickly become a lifestyle. Deji's kind gesture meant a lot to me particularly because it was his idea, not mine. I have been told that I give off a vibe that suggests I don't need help, perhaps that's why I don't get people offering to help me often. That's fine, I don't have a sense of entitlement. I also don't like waiting around hoping to be rescued. If I want something done, I do it. On the rare occasion that someone not only anticipates my need, but also attempts to help me meet it, I really really appreciate it and I do not take it for granted. It's the little things make my heart smile. I don't forget.

He's in town for a course and we got a chance to hang out last week Friday. We had fun, reminiscing about old times as we laughed and talked over dinner. His wife, Yinka, and I are best of friends. She was one of my bridesmaids and she's extra special because we were born on the exact same day :). We've all come a long way since our Daystar singles fellowship days and God has been kind to us.

We found this really cool restaurant, Jonathan's The Rub, tucked in a cozy little corner and we had a good time. The food was really good, catching up and spending time together was even better. Fun times :)

The Lobster Taco was really good! By far the bestest Taco I have ever had.

I had the Red Snapper Santa Cruz served with a side of  Mac and  5 cheeses. Words . Cannot. Describe.

 Jonathan's The Rub gets 10/10. We're definitely going back.

 I'm going to keep being nice by bringing you more pictures of food ;) If your tummy rumbles, that's a signal for you to say a prayer for me. Hehehe. Pray! Pray for your sister... lolzzz

Thanks for coming by again and again.
May your dreams come true.
xxx

Of forgiveness, Chicken Lollipops and Bacon Wrapped Chicken.

Once in a while, you come across a blog that inspires you.

That's the effect Sabirah's blog has on me. Her post about forgiveness made me think deeply. It's hard to believe that she's so young. I admire her.

I found this picture of Chicken Lollipops she put up. Yummy.  

source

Reminds me of one of my new discoveries, Bacon wrapped Chicken. Yum Yum Yum, Delicioso! 

Home made appetizers for the win!

So what if it came in a box from the store?

I had to carefully unwrap the box, arrange the pieces in a pan and bake it in my oven. It doesn't get anymore "home made" than that joor. Scratch "made from scratch". *adjusts chef hat*

One of my friends thinks I'm crazy because when I'm hungry, I like to look at pictures of food. It gives me pleasure, especially if it's food I already ate. I feel like I'm breaking the "you can't eat your cake and have it" rule. *cheeky grin*

I like breaking rules. Tell me I can't do something and I immediately find myself trying to figure out just how I can get away with doing it. Explains why I got into a lot of trouble as a child... Yeah, that and my big mouth... My aunty used to call me "Radio Lagos". If only talking was an Olympic sport... 

Do you like to look at pictures of food too, or do you, like my friend, think I'm only punishing myself? 

I would like to know what you think.

Thanks for coming by again and again.

May your dreams come true

xxx

Labor Day Weekend :)

Labor day weekend was fabulous. We had a proper dinner date for the first time since we moved here. 

Not having anyone to babysit, we've had to make do with lunch dates and movies while the munchkins are at daycare. Going out to eat with them is fun, but I don't need to be a mind reader to know that the other diners (who are gracious enough to smile after having had pieces of food thrown at them) and the people who have to clean up after us don't like us very much.

You can imagine how excited I was when Dooshima offered to babysit when she was around. I'm so grateful to her. She's really great with them, and knowing they were in good hands, we were able to  relax and have a great time.

Dinner. 

At the movies :D  We saw Sparkle. Whitney Houston is/was such an amazing actress. I doubt that there was a dry eye when she sang "His Eye Is On The Sparrow". 

It was a fun weekend, we enjoyed having Dooshima around. We had a Crawfish feast. Fun times!

Alexis loves Aunty :D

Debola and Dooshima doing justice to the Crawfish 

See the serious looks on their faces? Figuring out how to eat Crawfish is not a joke at all o. Just yesterday, I was tweeting about how I need to learn how to eat Crawfish in public without looking like a village girl. I ended up spending a good chunk of what was supposed to be Study Time watching YouTube videos of how to eat Crawfish. I had a good laugh. You should look them up. Jokes for days...

Thankfully, I didn't laugh and forget why I turned on my laptop in the first place. I was feeling like a good girl, taking my online English Composition quiz which I thought was due  on Thursday  on Monday night. Imagine my relief when I found out it was closing at 8am on Tuesday. I would've been so pained, especially because it was really easy. We had 45 minutes for three attempts and I only needed one attempt and 5 minutes to get a 10/10 score. Yeah, I'm showing off *dusts shoulders off* Lol... School's cool ;)

Thanks for coming by again and again
May your dreams come true
xxx

First day of school :)

It's been crazy these past couple of weeks. Crazy good.

Nathan got into the Head Start program this year and we're really glad because it's perfect for his transition from  a faith based pre-school to Elementary school when he turns 5 next year. He wasn't picked last year and even though there was a long waiting list, he made it. God keeps showing up for us and we are so grateful.

See how excited my baby is?

He's been looking forward to "real school" all summer. I tried explaining to him that Kindergarten doesn't start until next year, but as far as he's concerned, not going to his regular daycare for pre-k 4 is "real school". Why rain on his parade? 

                           

He's wearing his "I will make history" shirt :) 

As other kids cried and clung to their moms, I was pretty chuffed to see him so independent. The tears we had to wipe were those of Alexis'. She didn't see why she couldn't stay.

She had already claimed her own seat in his class :')

As I watched them, I was reminded of how blessed I am. I do not take God's blessings for granted. This  verse of scripture expresses my heart's desire. I don't ever want to lose sight of how important my job as a mom is as I pursue my dreams.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.                   3 John 1:4                     

My first day of school
Unlike Nathan, my first day day of school started off pensive. Thankfully, it didn't stay that way and I tweeted this picture in the middle of my first class. Teacher was teaching, Gbemi was tweeting. See my life? :P

By the time classes were over, I was sure that going back to school was the right choice. I wasn't afraid anymore. Errr.. that is not entirely true... I'm still afraid of Algebra. So afraid, I didn't register for any math courses this semester at all. The fear is reeeeaaaallll!!!!

In the weeks leading up to resumption, I was afraid. Thankfully, all that fear served a good purpose. My fear drove me to my knees and as I took time to reflect and ask God for direction, I closely examined my career choices and realized that while Fashion Merchandising was a good career option, I wasn't passionate about it. It was familiar and wouldn't be hard to study, but as I tried to answer the question:

"what would you be doing if financial reward wasn't an issue?" 

I knew I wouldn't pick fashion. I would not do it for free.

What I would do, which I am already doing for free and which I absolutely love, is being there to listen and offer encouragement when people share their cares and concerns about love and marriage. It gives me a lot of pleasure to see people find love and to see marriages thrive, especially if the couple had given up before. Watching God restore marriages, praying along with those who need it and just sowing seeds of love. I love researching possible solutions to issues, so that I can do more than pray or say "it is well". If you follow me on twitter, you already know I can go on and on and on, talking about love, God's way. I have since been named "Aunty Ifesowapo" by Atoke. @gbemisoke is a Love Ambassador. No shame. I often get DMs and Emails with requests for prayers, questions or advice and I find myself carrying burdens of people I barely know because I have come to realize that beneath the strong facades we try to put up, we are all the same, we want to love and be loved. The reason a lot of people suffer in silence is that we think our problems are exclusive to us, so we plaster on our practiced smiles and say "it is well". Jesus did not die for us to endure such pain. I am not ashamed to say that I struggle too. I have issues, questions, imperfections and it bothers me when I cannot do more than pray. I like searching for answers and I love to share them.

I have since changed my major and I'm studying to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. A Psychology degree is a requirement for a Masters in MFT, which I need to be licensed to practice. I studied Business Administration back home, so I'm doing Psychology first. It's going to take me so much longer to finish school, but I don't mind at all. I'm so passionate about love and how to make it work, I don't mind putting in all the years of study, just so that I can move beyond empathy to helping people find solutions. One part of me thinks I'm crazy. Debola is convinced I am on the right path and he has been very supportive, patiently listening as I went on and on (and on and on and on), trying to clarify the random thoughts in my head, praying with me as I asked God what He really wants me to do with my life, and just being there... I do not take all of that for granted. Having a supportive partner is such a great blessing.

When the day comes that I am weary, I will come back to this post and hopefully, I will be reminded of this joy and immense sense of gratitude that I feel and I will find the strength to keep going, to keep smiling as I did on the first day of school :)

I've stopped taking on sewing projects so that I can focus on my family and school for now and I'm hoping that as soon as I settle properly into this "adult education" thing, I'll  be able to blog more.

Thanks for coming by again and again,
May your dreams come true
xxx

ImproVacation Day 2

Wassssuuuuup people!!!

*cartwheels across the room* 

I'm in a very good mood! You can tell, right? Yesssss I am :D :D

Day 3 of our improvised vacation (improVacation) wrapped up nicely and I am in avery happy place. We saw an awwwwwww inducing, movie about an older couple trying to get the spark back into their marriage today. Hope Springs, starring Meryll Streep and Tommy Lee Jones. Lots of lessons I'll share with you later. This post is about yesterday. Day 2.

I posted this pic on Twitter on our way to the movies yesterday and my head is still swelling from the compliments. Y'all know I have no shame when it comes to getting positive feedback :D :D My sister's husband said it is obvious that I have been "revitalized" since The Hubs got back. See my life? So I have been "devitalized" since abi? It's true though. He just has a way of "gingering my swagger" lol. It's obvious I'm high. Very high.

It's all good. Y'all know that Jesus is coming soon right? Yes He is, and since there's no marriage in heaven, my plan is to maximize the moment and "chop the life of my head" as I faithfully obey His command to "occupy" till He comes. Can I get an AMEN?! ;;)

We saw The Amazing Spiderman in 3D. I felt like a teenager, sneaking popcorn into the movies. We're no fans of sodium loaded movie popcorn, so we  popped our own kettle corn at home. You should have seen us squealing and giggling as we reached out to touch the web Spiderman shot at us... fun times :D

Did I mention that I got us the movie tickets for free? Yeah! I collected promo codes from cereal boxes and exchanged them for movie tickets online. The buzz I got was just >>>> Look out for me on Extreme Couponing soon ;)

We did Japanese cuisine after. Chicken and Shrimp Teriyaki. Yum yum yum. And the number one enemy of my waistline, ice cream from MarbleSlab. Counting calories is not permitted when you're on holiday, so zero guilt.


These past couple of days have been extra special, perhaps cos this whole "ImproVacation" The Hubs came up with has a big lesson in it for me. Real life, the way things are for me right now and perhaps you too, can be crazy, unpredictable, refusing to go according to plan, but we have a choice. We can complain about how nothing seems to be going our way and make ourselves (and those around us) miserable, or we can choose to make the best of it and have a great time if we take our eyes off what's not working and remember to be thankful for what is.

"A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; 
   a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day."
                                        Proverbs 15:19 

The most inexpensive holiday of my life has turned out to be the best by far. I am grateful for an amazing man, who is teaching me to make the best of what life brings. Steady helping me become a better person. Leading by example.

I celebrate you, Adebola. When I count my blessings, I count you twice.

Three hearty cheers for my "Chairman"

Gbosa! 

Gbosa!! 

Gbosa!!! 

I'm laughing so hard,there are tears in my eyes. I am one grateful girl. I owe it all to God. He has blessed me more than I deserve. If you're believing Him for a miracle, I join my faith with yours. He will bring His word to pass in your life. Did I hear you say Amen?

Thanks for coming by again and again.
May your dreams come true
xxx