So I know we had planned on getting married on December 18th, but because of the justice of the peace registry schedule we ended up with a date for December 19th. My dad supposed to fly in on Dec. 17th, the day behind me but due to weather delays in Chicago he missed his connecting flight in London. He was put on a flight which was re-scheduled 2 days later to get into Freetown on the 19th at 7pm, 6 hours after we would have been married. So my dad called on the 18th at 8 or 9 at night and asked if there was any way we could reschedule the wedding. As it happens we were able to reschedule for the 23rd, praise God. So we did finally get married almost a week late, but it did happen and we have so many pictures to prove it. I will try and post some later this week or when I get home on Jan. 6th.
Finding time to post here with finishing wedding plans, arranging transport and paying for internet has limited what I had hoped to do on this blog, but fear not, I will make up for it eventually. For now it is enough that we survived the ceremony, reception and I am now Mrs. Gee Paytoe Gbayee...
Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
When did December Happen?
Is it seriously December? I have this huge OMG feeling of excitement and a little stress and just general craziness.
There is so much to do and get done; I must admit my list looks very different from Gee's list. My list includes getting 7 days of sub plans written, finishing 4 commissions, cleaning my classroom for my bridal shower, packing, repacking, altering my dress, and a whole host of other little misc items that need to be figured out. Gee's list includes getting the suit jackets finished by the tailor, checking into our marriage license, planning our reception, graduating from college (he walks on the 6th), getting a bed (long story), painting, shopping and many other things I am sure I have left out. Who knew such a simple Justice of the Peace wedding needed so much planning. I am so glad we are doing it this way; as much as I would love to have all my friends and family there, I knew if we had a wedding in the US it would have been huge. I would much rather have a reception when we are both in the US when it is not all the pressure of getting married, but rather a big celebration.
The stress of finishing everything is growing, but I know it will all work out in the end. It always does. 13 more days until I leave, I guess I should get back to finishing some things on my list...
There is so much to do and get done; I must admit my list looks very different from Gee's list. My list includes getting 7 days of sub plans written, finishing 4 commissions, cleaning my classroom for my bridal shower, packing, repacking, altering my dress, and a whole host of other little misc items that need to be figured out. Gee's list includes getting the suit jackets finished by the tailor, checking into our marriage license, planning our reception, graduating from college (he walks on the 6th), getting a bed (long story), painting, shopping and many other things I am sure I have left out. Who knew such a simple Justice of the Peace wedding needed so much planning. I am so glad we are doing it this way; as much as I would love to have all my friends and family there, I knew if we had a wedding in the US it would have been huge. I would much rather have a reception when we are both in the US when it is not all the pressure of getting married, but rather a big celebration.
The stress of finishing everything is growing, but I know it will all work out in the end. It always does. 13 more days until I leave, I guess I should get back to finishing some things on my list...
Friday, November 28, 2008
Day of Thanks
I know that Thanksgiving is mainly an American holiday, but I personally think it is a good time to review all the wonderful things that I am thankful for. For the first time since 1966 my mom's dad was at our family Thanksgiving meal with my mom's half brother and sister, for this I am thankful. This was also the first time my dad's mom was not with us as she passed away in September, yet I have many years to look back on of wonderful memories I shared with her, for this I am thankful. My mom's sister who has struggled with MS for years was able to come and with minimal assistance she was able to enjoy this day with her dad as well, for this I am thankful. I was able to talk with Gee's sister on the phone to wish her a happy Thanksgiving, for this I am thankful. To be able to spend the day with my family, I am thankful.
As I look towards the future I hope with every fiber of my being that this is the last Thanksgiving Gee and I will be apart. As we are ever closer to getting married I am excited. However the time is coming when I will have to return to the US and start filling out visa applications and it is daunting. I am a little frustrated at the hoops we will be jumping through and ultimately the decision of when Gee will be able to come to the US is out of my hands completely. My desire is for Gee to be in the US this summer, but we will have to wait and see. In the end I am sure a few months will seem like nothing compared to the time we have already spent apart; and truly I am thankful for all the wonderful times we have had already even with such great distance between us. I am thankful for the amazing person I have the privilege of spending the rest of my life with.
As I reflect on all the things I am thankful for I realize I need to be thankful everyday not just once a year. So here is to a year in which I am always going to try and count my blessings first and everything else will fall into place.
As I look towards the future I hope with every fiber of my being that this is the last Thanksgiving Gee and I will be apart. As we are ever closer to getting married I am excited. However the time is coming when I will have to return to the US and start filling out visa applications and it is daunting. I am a little frustrated at the hoops we will be jumping through and ultimately the decision of when Gee will be able to come to the US is out of my hands completely. My desire is for Gee to be in the US this summer, but we will have to wait and see. In the end I am sure a few months will seem like nothing compared to the time we have already spent apart; and truly I am thankful for all the wonderful times we have had already even with such great distance between us. I am thankful for the amazing person I have the privilege of spending the rest of my life with.
As I reflect on all the things I am thankful for I realize I need to be thankful everyday not just once a year. So here is to a year in which I am always going to try and count my blessings first and everything else will fall into place.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The Begining of the Middle
This is the blog for Gee and Abi. We wanted a place to share our journey. We have already come a long way to get to this point (hence the beginning of the middle).
In May of 2003 we met in Sierra Leone. It was the closest thing I have ever experienced to love at first sight. After a mere 6 days we were engaged. After a long and strange set of circumstances (which I may go into at a later date) we are finally about to get married!
I have to come right out and say it is only by God's grace we are getting married at all. I admit that I have been struggling to make this happen for the last 5 years on my own. Struggling is the word I am using because it seemed like the harder I tried to get to Africa or get Gee to the US the more everything would fall apart. Finally I gave up and decided if we were ever going to get married it wasn't going to be of my accord. Low and behold God started providing left and right, never enough for me to feel confident, but just enough to need to trust Him every step of the way. There are still a few things that He will have to coordinate since I am unable to control everything (even though I still try hard to do so). Truly it is only by God's grace we are able to move forward in our relationship at all.
I am not the one to tell you how many days we have left before we get married (math is so not my thing), but I know Gee is counting for both of us. I will be flying out to Sierra Leone on December 14th. I will arrive there on the 16th, followed by my dad on the 17th (that is what we get for scheduling flights separately). Then we will be getting married on the 18th!!!
But before all that Gee and I are still really busy. Gee graduates on December 5th; and he has the pleasure of planning our wedding and our reception since he is there and I am not. I am trying to get caught up on 6-ish commissions, make sub plans for a week's worth of classes, and get everything else pulled together before leaving.
Welcome again to our blog! We hope to share pictures and video of our wedding here, but more than that we hope to share our world.
In May of 2003 we met in Sierra Leone. It was the closest thing I have ever experienced to love at first sight. After a mere 6 days we were engaged. After a long and strange set of circumstances (which I may go into at a later date) we are finally about to get married!
I have to come right out and say it is only by God's grace we are getting married at all. I admit that I have been struggling to make this happen for the last 5 years on my own. Struggling is the word I am using because it seemed like the harder I tried to get to Africa or get Gee to the US the more everything would fall apart. Finally I gave up and decided if we were ever going to get married it wasn't going to be of my accord. Low and behold God started providing left and right, never enough for me to feel confident, but just enough to need to trust Him every step of the way. There are still a few things that He will have to coordinate since I am unable to control everything (even though I still try hard to do so). Truly it is only by God's grace we are able to move forward in our relationship at all.
I am not the one to tell you how many days we have left before we get married (math is so not my thing), but I know Gee is counting for both of us. I will be flying out to Sierra Leone on December 14th. I will arrive there on the 16th, followed by my dad on the 17th (that is what we get for scheduling flights separately). Then we will be getting married on the 18th!!!
But before all that Gee and I are still really busy. Gee graduates on December 5th; and he has the pleasure of planning our wedding and our reception since he is there and I am not. I am trying to get caught up on 6-ish commissions, make sub plans for a week's worth of classes, and get everything else pulled together before leaving.
Welcome again to our blog! We hope to share pictures and video of our wedding here, but more than that we hope to share our world.
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