Laughter is Food for the Soul!!! Laughing Baby!!!

Every time I see this video I could burst with joy!! Makes me miss my babies at this age. My oldest used to laugh hysterically when I would pop bubble wrap and the sound of zippers...My youngest loved to play with brown paper bags and blowing bubbles. Babies are so innocent and precious, can't help but to love'em!! Cherish these moments while they are little because they grow up soooo fast. I hope this makes you as happy as it made me this morning!! LOL! Have a great day. (smile)

Dating while Married...

My favorite sport...BOXING!! My first ever live boxing fight. So much fun, can't wait to do it again.

I love date nights with my husband, making time to have fun together!!! Kids, work, school, bills, can take over every second of the day. Its so awesome to go out and have fun with the hubby!!

How To Love:::: LilTunechi

If I wasn't already a fan of this dude, LilTunechi (Lil Wayne) I'd definitely would be a fan after hearing this song...How To Love. This song pulled at my heart strings the first time I heard it. For several reasons, (1) It was *bleep* free, I didn't hear alot of explicit lyrics so I didn't have to turn down the volume around my kids. (2) It sounded so sincere, like he was singing the lyrics from his heart. I love songs with passion and depth. (3) I could identify with the lyrics. Not that I've have issues loving a man because I am currently VERY in love and have been for almost 2 decades with hubz *swoon*. I consider myself to be very fortunate in that area. SO GRATEFUL. My issue is more so with women. I have always had trust issues with women. I will meet a super cool gal and almost immediately retreat and/or find a way to become distant and withdrawn. I seem to have difficulty letting my guard down and giving my heart in friendships. I have had the same circle of friends for so long which are predominately family members(my besties are my cousin and sister).

I don't know what angle Weezy F. Baby was coming from when he wrote this song but I'm sure we can all relate in some way or another. Maybe from low self esteem, a broken heart and/or issues trusting men or women...or maybe just not knowing how to love. I am choosing not to let betrayal and disappointments deter me from loving and building. Everyone is different, not every person you meet is out to break you down. Encouraging you all, including myself to learn how to love...AGAIN.

Beyoncé - Best Thing I Never Had

Daddy.....

I'm a Daddy's girl to the core!

Beyonce took the words out of my mouth....I cry every time I hear this song. I love you Daddy!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my hubby! He painted these pictures of me and the girls about 6 years ago. He is a great father!! Enjoy your day Babe!! <3

Marsha Ambrosius - Late Nights & Early Mornings

MESSAGE!!!!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

Mother and Child by Cbabi Bayoc

Mother and Child by Kadir Nelson

Joy of Her World by Wak

Queens by Frank Morrison

Spring is around the corner!!! FREE fun in the Sun with the kiddos...

The little one loves flowers..

Its so much to discover and explore... 

Lowe's Garden Center... My girls helped me pick out flowers to put in the flower bed this Spring..

In Pet Smart...The little one wasn't too excited to see dogs roam free in the store. LOL!

I love this picture!! LOL!

The sun is SHINING!!! Its awesome to get out and enjoy the sunshine. You don't have to spend tons of money to have fun with the kiddos. Nature always has something new and exciting to learn and enjoy!

Flashback Friday

Far ..far ..far away from here...(reminiscing)
my plate and his

Valentine's Day::: DIY

I bought this little heart patch at Michael's for less than $5 bucks.. Its an iron-on that took about 3-5 minutes to make.

I bought this plain red Cardigan from Target, it needed some V-Day flair so I ironed on the sequined heart, Worked like a Charm!! .....I also added the red gem brooch that I purchased from Goodwill (Brand New) to my hat to spruce it up a notch. When my hair is looking crazy these hats always save the day!

Happy Valentine's Day ya'll!!!

Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream came true...continue to DREAM!!

"I have a Dream.....that one day little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."

My students and I, 2 years ago...I miss them so much!!! <3

"......when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Habari Gani!!! Happy Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a holiday that celebrates family, community and culture. December 26-Jan 1



Umoja (oo-MOH-jah): Unity
Success starts with Unity. Unity of family, community, nation and race.
Kujichagulia (koo-jee-chah-goo-LEE-ah): Self-Determination
To be responsible for ourselves. To create your own destiny.

Ujima (oo-JEE-mah): Collective work and responsibility
To build and maintain your community together. To work together to help one another within your community.

Ujamaa (oo-jah-MAH): Collective economics
To build, maintain, and support our own stores, establishments, and businesses.

Nia (NEE-ah): Purpose
To restore African American people to their traditional greatness. To be responsible to Those Who Came Before (our ancestors) and to Those Who Will Follow (our descendants).

Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah): Creativity
Using creativity and imagination to make your communities better than what you inherited.
Imani (ee-MAH-nee): Faith
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The Story of Kwanzaa by Donna L. Washington and Stephen Taylor, ages 6-10
Kwanzaa by Trudi Strain Truit and Ceceilia Mindin Cupp, ages 6-7
Horrible Harry and the Holidaze by Suzy Kline, ages 7-10
Kwanzaa Crafts by Carol Gnojewski, ages 8-9
A Kwanzaa Story, or How One Gentleman Found His Way by Nancy Guthorn Harrison, young adults
Kwanzaa Fun, Great Things to Make and Do by Linda Robertson, ages 5-8
My First Kwanzaa by Karen Katz, ages 3-6
Seven Spools of Thread a Kwanzaa Story by Angela Shelf Medearis, ages 7-10

If you have stories and ideas you're willing to share about how your family celebrates Kwanzaa in an eco-friendly way, Contact Celebrate Green.

SOURCE::: http://www.celebrategreen.net/

Merry Christmas!!

Wishing all of my awesome readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Fantasia's new video!! I'm Doin' Me...

I'm so happy for Fantasia!! She looks great and I'm glad she is bouncing back..

Phatty or Fatty??

A year or so ago I was encouraged by a few pals to open up a blog...I have blogged for many years...primarily as an outlet or a place to dump all my thoughts and interests. I've journaled on Blackplanet, Xanga, Myspace, Chocolate Brides, Facebook and most recently here, on Blogger. Trying to find a title was a challenge... I thought of the majority of my friends and what audience I wanted to target. Most of my family can be described as thick, CHUNKY, chubby, BIG-BONED, fat, Healthy and the smallers ones would be considered curvy. I've NEVER been skinny, even when I was smaller I was still categorized as being a "THICK" chick...

On many of the social networking sites I would browse profiles and see women that I would consider small or thin referring to themselves as thick or curvy. They ranged from sizes 6-10 with a little booty and boobage but they called themselves thick.

Some would see me out and about and consider me morbidly obese because they would never want to be my size in a million years. I can imagine some women would rather drink clorox on ice than to be as big as me.

So the debate is; Should plus size women refer to themselves as curvy when society sees us as FAT??? Hmmm?? Both sides of the spectrum could argue this topic back and forth all day, whether or not these little video chicks with boobs and a pinch of badonk are curvy... and/or.. Are my fellow plus size divas PHAT or FAT?

After its all said and done, I am who I say I am. You are whoever you say you are...just like that chick who is a 12/14 but always claims to be a size 4/6...let her be whoever she wants to be. She may get the side eye and a twisted lip topped with a YEAH RIGHT but who really cares? Is there a blue ribbon and a trophy at the end of the day?? I think we are all guilty of sizing people up LITERALLY...I'm so over it...I can care less what you see when you look in the mirror...I'm all for positive self image regardless what the scale says. I'm all about promoting high self esteem and working your assets! Find that part of you that is your strength and bedazzle the crud out of it!! *2 snaps in a Z formation! HMPH!


Feels good to finally get this rant out of my system..DO YOU ladies..stop worrying about the next chick...last time I checked none of my naysayers were around when it was time to pay my bills so they can kick rocks in some flip flops!! Work what you have ladies, whether you have a little or a LOT...DO YOU!

So if you are pretty in the face but thick in the waist, SO BE IT! If you are small, big gut, flat butt or down with the itty bitty *itty committee, WERK IT!! I encourage you all to be healthy, eat right and be active but in the meanwhile while you continue to carry around those thunda thighs...BE FIERCE!! Folk gonna talk about you anyways, so you might as well love yourself anyhow!! *drops mic and switches off stage*

October is...

October is the most powerful month of the year for me... (trying not to get choked up as I type this) October is my birth month....October is the month my babies were born...October is Breast Cancer Awareness month...Every time I see that pink ribbon that represents breast cancer and breast cancer survivors I am reminded that breast cancer is real...That pink ribbon symbolizes so much more to me now, its no longer just a cute little pink ribbon...its a reminder of how close I came to loosing my best friend, Vee.

Vee, my shero...my cousin/BFF/spiritual counselor, biggest cheerleader and supporter/my friend. She is a SURVIVOR!! BREAST CANCER FREE!!!!

Me giving Vee a kiss, this pic was taken in 1977/1978


Me and Vee at the Maxwell/Jill Scott concert (Summer 2010)


Having a good time, as usual.



BFFz

Vee rocking her fro!! We are going natural together!

My sister, Me, my cousin Mary (Vee's sister) and Vee Vee in Dallas Texas..

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One Fall evening while sitting in the audience of my then 10 year olds recital, I received a call. It was from my bestie, Vee...I wasn't alarmed because we talk daily, if not every day every other day. So I quietly exited the auditorium and stepped outside to take the phone call. Like any other day I see that its Vee calling and I answered the phone, "Sup, chick"... I proceed to goof off as usual... I'm always clowning when we talk on the phone until I notice that Vee is whispering. Her voice sounded weak and faint, I could barely hear her....I could tell she had been crying.

REWIND::::A few weeks prior she mentioned that she was getting a series of tests done before her insurance lapsed. She was starting a new job and wanted to get as many visits as her insurance would allow because she would be w/o insurance for a few months. I joked around when she said she was getting checked for breast cancer. I said something like, "Girl you ain't playing, breast cancer tests???? WHY??" She found a lump in her breast but I dismissed it quickly and reassured myself that it was nothing...it would go away. Vee is young and healthy, no way could it be breast cancer...

FAST FORWARD::: Standing outside of my daughter's school my best friend told me that the test results were indeed positive, it was confirmed that she had breast cancer. Not only did she have breast cancer she had the most aggressive type and the cancer progressed to stage 3.. At that moment I think I stopped breathing. I had to lean on a tree to keep from fainting because my knees seemed like they wanted to give out. I just kept saying, No, No, NO....that can't be right...no. At this point we were both weeping, not uttering a single word. I have no idea how long we continued to hold the phone...she said, "Go back inside so you won't miss baby girls performance." (its her style to think of others first)

I joined my husband and younger daughter in the auditorium and continued to cry like a baby. Of course my husband was concerned so I texted him throughout the recital so he would know what was going on. He was trying to hold it together because he was crushed also because Vee is very dear to both of us. People were looking at me but I didn't care, its was no way to hide the fact that we were hurting. After the performance my daughters' principal comes over to rub my back and said, "I used to get emotional at my children's performance also when they were little." I forced a smile and nodded. Too distraught to even speak.

So we get home and I call Vee...no answer...I let her be. I knew at that moment that she was somewhere hurting and it was absolutely nothing I could do about it, NOTHING.

Over the next few months Vee would have surgery and procedure after procedure...followed by chemo and radiation...followed by more surgery. She had every test in the book. Up until this point I had always protected my cousin/BFF...our mothers are sisters..we are 5 months apart so we have always been close. I was always running to the rescue to fight anybody and anything who tried to hurt her. This time in her life she had to be brave and fight this battle alone. She had her family and friends to pray and support her but this was Vee's fight..a fight for her life. She fought so gracefully...She continued to pray through the pain and heartache. Watching her hair and eyelashes fall out from chemo broke my heart.... She was the one going through and yet she was consoling me.

A little history on Vee, I have never seen/met or heard of anyone more genuine. I have never seen her talk negatively about anyone, never hurt a soul. It was me who was the hot head, it was me who would take off my earrings in a heartbeat to break somebody off...not Vee. I had to lean on God for understanding. In my little mind, she didn't deserve this pain and misery. God had a bigger plan, he saw the bigger picture. He was molding Vee into this mighty woman of Christ that she already was/is...but now she is FEARLESS!! She put on her lacefront wigs and jazzy outfits and kept it moving. She didn't just sit on the couch and wallow in her pain...she continued to go to work and praying all day and night like our Grandmother whom she is named after.

Today as I type this she is CANCER FREE, Praise God!! The battle isn't quite over because she has to recover from all the side effects of radiation but we serve a mighty God, by HIS stripes she is already healed. COMPLETELY.

Once upon a time I considered myself to be the strong one but I stand corrected. Its not always the most aggressive and loudest one who possesses the most strength...its the one who perseveres through the storm...she is not bitter, she is not broken...she is a survivor and I admire her even more. It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to my bestie, Vee Vee! I love you girl!! See you at the top!!

------

A poem I wrote for her::

gum poppin

earrings floppin

jeans croppin

donk droppin

no stoppin

US

saturday mornin

kinfolk stormin

hoola hoopin

front porch stoopin

vacation bible schoolin

kid sis foolin

droolin

over crush

hush

quiet type

opposite

of me

WE

YOU

ME

cousins

Grandmas' namesake

i remember

september,october

365

so live

long drive

I-35

red dirt

mini skirt

shiny shirt

roomies

A.M.

nail paintin

amazin

cuz

friend

thick

thin

begin

no end

WIN!

much love,

'Cornflake'© 2009 (Michelle Williams)

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http://circleofpromise.org/jointhecircle

Ladies, I beg of you to do your monthly breast exams...Breast cancer is real and it affects young black women also. I was ignorant to think it was only a mid aged white woman illness...No one is exempt from this disease, men even suffer from breast cancer. Take charge of your health...for info on reproductive health visit http://www.thebrokenbrownegg.org/

Shout Out from the Mocha Peach!!!

My friend, The Mocha Peach recently gave me a shout out yall! YAY! I feel so geeked because she is amazing! She has one of the REALEST blogs on the net. She gives a straight no chaser perspective to relationships, sex and dating. I just love her! You gotta love it when folk keep it real!! Check her out yall, you will be glued to your seat!

No matter what....

My weight changes all the time. UP and down...I may loc up my hair or I might even chop it all off again. Whether I dress like a hippie or a classy business woman, I AM FABULOUS. Happiness is a inside job. Nothing or no one should determine your worth. Love yourself, regardless of the twists and turns of life. I AM FABULOUS and so are YOU!!!

A day out...

The lake

My sister and daughters....in the Avon store.

My daughter giving me that "put away the camera Mommy" face! LOL!

My sugaz!

Me

Me and my oldest baby!

Daddy's girl!

The lake

We found something interesting....Ew

Playing in the water...

looking for seashells..

skipping rocks

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We had a fun day in the sun!! It was nice hanging out with my sister and daughters. We spent most of the day outdoors enjoying some fresh air!!! Fun Times.