I'll never forget the night Kerry proposed to me.  Most people who knew him would probably find it very difficult to believe he was just a big softie.  But he was - especially with me and the kids.  It was July 8, 2010, and we were sitting on the steps of the front porch of the house.  He was telling me stories of the deployment he had just come from in Kuwait.  Without warning, he gently grabbed my hand, and told me that he had brought something back for me.  When he came back outside and sat beside me, I didn't see anything in his hand.  He simply gave me the softest, most romantic kiss imagineable, and said of all the stories he had just told me, the one that meant the most to him was the story of us.  That's when he pulled the most beautiful diamond ring from behind his back, placed it on my finger, and told me that nothing would make him a better and happier man than to have me as his wife.  Of course I was balling my eyes out, but then he pulled out this long blue jewelry box and opened it.  It was a gorgeous kartush that he had designed and had made for me while he was deployed in Kuwait.  Everything on it was symbolic of our relationship, and I cried even harder as he explained what everyting meant.  The 22 diamond-cut stones around the outer edge represented the 22 years that had passed since we first dated back in high school.  The roman numerals represented the day we first met - July 25, 1988.  The middle section actually rotates, and he said that having me back in his life again has completely turned his life around.  He then told me the open heart in the middle section represented how empty his heart has been for so many years, but that our love for each other would fill it up.  Then he showed me one side of the middle section.  It had the name Essa above the open heart and Bella below it.  Kerry told me he knew the name on my birth certificate, but that I was his 'Bella', which he said was Italian for 'my beautiful" - because he believed that I was the most beautiful person in every way, and that I was his once again.  On the other side of the middle section was the name Charles.  Kerry simply said that it was my true name and should have been all along.  Then, as he was sitting beside me, he asked me if I would complete him by marrying him.  Of course I said yes.  How could I not to such an amazing teddy bear as my husband.  I was never happier than all the moments we shared together....as teenagers and adults.

Even though my husband would deny it to the ends of the earth, Kerry had this incredible knack for 'sleep-eating'.  We're both diabetics who love sweets, so we made it point to keep sugar-free popsicles in the house.  There was never a morning that I didn't wake up with popsicle sticks stuck to my forehead, back, arms, cheeks - wherever.  One night, I made it a point to stay up until he fell asleep just to see which one of us was right.  Around 3:40 am, Kerry sat up in bed (eyes still closed), stood up, and felt his way to the kitchen by bracing himself against the wall.  Might I remind you he never opened his eyes.  All I heard was the freezer opening and paper rattling.  This joker made his way back to bed with 7 doggone popsicles, sat up in bed (eyes STILL closed) and ate all of these popsicles with the biggest smile on his face.  He looked too cute for me to be upset with him...until I was making the bed the next morning.  When I straightened out the sheets and comforter, a boatload  of popsicle sticks rained down on the bed.  Gotta love man like that.

I loved my brother to death, but he had the ugliest damn Afro (Half-Fro) in the entire world!  For some reason every so often he would grow that ugly shit out.  WTH man, Stop that! LOL