Joy & Tears

Yesterday my mom-in-love and I got to hang for a bit. First she accompanied me to the hair salon to get a much needed haircut! (Those of you with curly hair know that the perfect way to tell if you're due for a trim is if your curls are looking more like frizzy waves than bouncy tendrils.) Then we ate at this cozy spot in Danville called "Father Nature's Shed."

{I love that her eyes match her glasses!}

{I, unfortunately, don't have glasses to match my eyes in this pic, but I have hair to match my eyes! That has to count for somethin . . .}

Spending time with Momma Mish is always fun, and she always feeds me (which makes me love her all the more!) She's one of the sweetest women ever, but BEWARE: she's got a firecracker personality and will eat you alive if you mess with her or her loved ones!

So, the day was great but when nighttime rolled around I had a bit of a sobbing session on my husband's shoulder. (Left a big ol' wet spot on his shirt.) While I was with Jon's mom I felt fine, but a wave of sadness hit me once I got back to the apartment. So, when Jon got home from work he became my comfort bear. I was clinging to him like peanut butter on jelly! I literally hugged him from behind while he shaved and brushed his teeth; I was not letting go of the man! (Poor husband. I warned him there would be days when I'd need some extra comfort!) He was totally fine with it. He thought it was cute (thank God, or else he'd be sick and tired of me by now.) Unfortunately, the sadness didn't dissipate until I sobbed it all out. Then, I made my way to the bathroom to remove my makeup and I had the whole raccoon-eyed look going on. I sniffled my way through washing my face. I felt so pathetic, and sad! 

To make me laugh, Jon grabbed hold of me and hugged me from behind (just like I had done to him earlier) and wouldn't let go til I finished my nighttime routine. It worked! I laughed and felt better.
I'm so glad he's the one I get to cry on. 


"Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5)

Heaters, Toilets, and Nighttime Routines.

Despite the amazingness of marriage, there are those moments when one would rather stab needles into one's armpits than have to deal (for one more second!) with one's beloved life partner.
With that said, Jon and I have totally opposing views when it comes to having the heater on. I, Becky, am of Puerto Rican descent, and I truly believe my body was made to be in a tropical paradise. The East Bay is nowhere near being a tropical paradise, therefore I do get very cold here from time to time.
Jon, on the other hand, is a walking talking boiler; he is almost always warm. He never has to wear a hat or a scarf or gloves (although he does like gloves, more for the look of 'em and not for the warmth of 'em.) So, you can imagine how things go for us at night when I turn on the heater in our room (which is basically a switch-controlled vent system) and he immediately starts to sweat.

"Babe, I'm sweating. Do you have to have the heater on?"

"Yes, babe. I'm freezing!"

"Okay, so just get under the covers and warm up. . . and turn off the heater."

"No. Let the room warm up first, then I'll turn the heater off and get under the covers."

With that I leave the room, closing the door behind me (so as not to let an ounce of warmth escape) and I brush my teeth, wash my face, and do all of my other nighttime stuff. In the meantime, Jon is in the room roasting like a pig and I know that eventually I'll hear the *click* of him turning the heater off. Happens every time. Once I'm done I walk into the room, shiver, and climb into bed, still wearing my socks and robe. He turns over and says:

"I'm sweating. Had to turn the heater off."

"I know."

"Why are you wearing your robe?"

"Because I'm COLD, you warm-blooded mammal!"

"Oh."

With that we both fall asleep.
Romantic, isn't it?

The random plus side of all of this is, I actually enjoy scrubbing the toilet now. I mean, it's so much better to scrub a toilet that only 2 people use, rather than scrub one that's used by a family of 5+. I would much rather scrub after Jon any day!

Our Weekend

Married life here in Cali has been great thus far. Jon was off from work for all of Christmas week, so we got to spend every waking moment together (AHH!!) Thankfully, he still loves me. On Christmas Eve we went to Horatio's (an awesome restaurant about 5 minutes away from our home, by the water.) 

{Random sidenote: there was at least one person at almost every table wearing red that night. Loved it!}

The service there is uhmazing and I was quite happy up until the moment we walked out and the hostess eyeballed Jon for a little bit longer than she should've. I walked up to her, smacked her upside the head for being disrespectful, and went on my merry little way I took it as a compliment (yes, my husband is a dapper young fellow) and kept it movin'. 

{I love how he looks wearing a wedding band!}

I smell Christmas!!

Just a few days ago Jon and I finally got around to "putting up" our Christmas tree. It's all of 3 feet tall, more like a bush (don't laugh at us!) and most of the height is thanks to the big ol' pot it's sitting in. Thank you, Target, for our very own Rockefeller Center extraordinaire!

{I made Jon take some pictures of me by our very first tree. He thought it was funny, but I was serious about documenting our baby steps towards future Rockefeller Center Christmases in our very own living room.}

Midnight Tea

I've been married for all of 33 days now and my life has never been more interesting (to say the least.) 
This is the kind of stuff you'd hear in our apartment on a daily basis:
Me: Do you really have to leave all your chin hair all over the bathroom sink??
Jon: Do you really have to leave ALL your stuff all over the bathroom counter??
(We both burst into laughter and that ended that discussion.)


Thankfully, God invented laughter! There have already been countless instances when Jon and I are getting on each other's nerves but one of us saves the day by making a funny face just in the nick of time. Then, we both start laughing and we get over ourselves. 
"A cheerful heart is good medicine..." (Proverbs 17:22)

Anywho, the night before last I woke up with a stomach ache. It was about 3:30AM and my awesomeful husband jumped right out of bed to make me some tea. He even asked me what kind I wanted! (We only had one kind available, but it was thoughtful of him to give me imaginary options.) I came out to the living room and waited for my cup o' tea. He brought it to me, a plastic fork for stirring and all! 
Instead of heading back to bed, we both stayed up and watched a sappy, romantic, awesome Hallmark Christmas movie: The Christmas Card. If you haven't seen it yet, please watch it for my sake! It's a great movie for this season. 

So, I drank my tea with honey while I cuddled up with my honey (thank God for a man who's willing to watch a chick flick every now and then!) Once the stomach ache subsided I was ready for some real food, and so was Jon. We had some chicken breast leftovers in the fridge, so I threw together some yummylicious chicken sammiches. They were mmm mmm good! (I ate mine with some cherries on the side. Yum-O!)
We ended up heading back to bed at 5:55am exactly. (I don't why I remember the exact time, but I do.) 


Moral of this story: it's awesome to be married to your best friend! 

Amigos.

I must tell the world- Jon has some of the most awesome friends ever!

And these are only a handful of 'em. 

Before I got married I always told myself I would never marry a guy unless I felt totally embraced by his family and friends. God truly fulfills the desires of your heart when you wait on Him. I have never felt more loved and encouraged than I do now. Intimate friendship is a gift from God, and I've seen exactly how Jon benefits from his friendships. Now I'll be able to stand by Jon's side and grow with him as these amazing people pour their love into our lives. It's my pleasure to love 'em back! 

There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24 NLT)

Badda Bing, Badda Boom!

I'm finally here in the ever so foggy and rainy Bay Area!!! I've never been more excited to have bad hair days in my LIFE! (If you could see my hair right now, you'd know exactly what I mean when I say bad.) Anywho, I learned a BIG lesson yesterday: it's never fun to land in San Francisco on a super foggy day, so I should definitely avoid such plane rides at all cost. 

W is for Wedding.

On Saturday, November 20th, I had the pleasure of marrying the man that God set apart for me.

Photo: Johnny D. 

 My friends and family were able to capture some of my favorite moments on their handy dandy digital cammies 

Photo: Johnny D. 

and, thanks to Facebook, Jon and I have been able to enjoy the various "Jon & Becky's Wedding" albums that have been posted since.

Photo: Liz P.

Thanks to the picture-takers, I'm now able to look back and realize that yes, I did actually dance, laugh and enjoy myself! (phew!) It almost felt like all I did was pose for pictures. 

Photo: Liz P.

Although the reception was mostly a push & pull experience (as is the case during most receptions, everyone wanted a piece of the bride. It's too bad I didn't have a duplicate.) I did my best to enjoy and truly relish what I knew would be a once in a lifetime celebration. 

Photo: Liz P. 

I already miss our wedding, and I wish we could do it all over again! I feel so blessed to have been completely surrounded by people who love us. There's no better feeling!

Sweaters, Bow Ties & Romance

1. Ever wonder where Noah & Allie would have met had their love story unfolded during the cold winter months?

Christmas Cheer

Over the weekend, while browsing through the amazingful Christmas selection in Barnes & Nobles, I came upon a book cover that made me think of the holiday classic A Christmas Story. . . 

and one of my all time favorite movie scenes came to mind.

If you've never seen this movie you should definitely watch it this Christmas!

Perfect Peace.

Be anxious for nothing. . . 

Mrs. Pack-a-lot

As I prepare to make the big move (from the Bronx to the Bay Area) I'm having trouble keeping my room's mess level under control. This is just one corner of my room as it looks right now. 


Don't judge me. 

2094.

For the first time in the history of my entire life I felt a twinge of sadness settle in my heart as I came to the realization that I would not be around to experience the year 2094. Please, don't cry for me just yet. Listen first, then cry.

Good Riddance!

Today I'm thankful for the ending of this torturous semester.
Do you have any idea what it feels like to be taught by an 85 year old raging atheist?

He'll be a GREAT dad.

Recently Jon and I had the opportunity to receive some exciting preparation for parenthood. This was us on the evening of Thursday, November 18th. 

We were on the train, headed to our wedding rehearsal in Brooklyn. 

When Far Apart

For the last two nights I've slept on my twin-sized childhood bed all by my lonesome. I'm thinking there's something wrong with this picture.