What a decade!! 2019 owes me NOTHING!

I can not believe how FAST these 10 years have flown by! I remember thinking "I'll be 40 next year!" Funny thing is now I am saying "I can't wait to turn 50 next year!" It's like I blinked and POOF here comes 2020. As I look back I begin to toot my own horn and sing my own praises. I think I rocked the hell out of my 40's! I actually did a Benjanette Buttons on y'all! I mean that with every ounce of my being. I want to start off this decade wrap up with the goals I set for myself upon turning 40. I wrote a REINVENTION OF MS. CHANEL: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE blog (check it out) detailing a few things I wanted to accomplish in my 40's and they were as follows: return to my natural roots, finish the degree that I started in 2006 and open myself up to dating again. I accomplished every goal I set too! After almost 6 years of being single and celibate I fell in love with someone who rejected me, shit happens, but was still able to date twice after that. One relationship was 90 days exactly and the other was two and a half years. I have no problem remaining single if I it affords piece and peace of mind. My NO CRUISE cherry was popped as well as visiting an island or 2. The Bahamas and Balmoral Island were beautiful!

Career wise, I worked retail 9 of those years with 1 year being given to YP (digital Yellow Pages). I made the most money I have ever made while working there and have nothing to show for it sadly. There has been so much growth financially since that time, I just wish I would have been more disciplined at that time. It wasn't until the end of 2017 that I began to take my finances serious and since that time I have raised my credit score by 120 points. In 2020, another 100 will be added. We are in pursuit of 800 over here!

This decade made me a lot of things ... (SING IT) harder, better, faster, and stronger BUT one of the most loved positions earned is that of a Nana/Granny. In this ten year span I was blessed with Daysha Michelle, MiJael Chaylea, MiKaela Chaniya and Divine Mayah. I prayed for a grandson in the midst of all of these little ladies and was informed there is one, a handsome little fella too but I don't think I will ever get to know him. That's for another blog entirely. Let me show you my four princesses better known as #DemVannGirls.

Daysha and I

Divine and I

MiJael and I

MiKaela and I

As many ups as there were in this decade, like my daughter returning back to Jacksonville for good, there was one constant down, my son's imprisonment. I began blogging about these trials and tribulations in 2011 - MOTHER OF AN INCARCERATED SON (check it out). It highlights a lot of the 7 out of these 10 years my son has been incarcerated and we enter 2020 with him still behind bars. We pray this is his final time. He was away for his 21st, 25th and 30th birthdays as well as my 40th and will miss my 50th. Prayerfully, it is of his own will and the will of the Most High, this will be the last time he is locked up and his 31st birthday is the last birthday that he is away. But on a brighter side, he is STILL above ground and for that I am grateful. This was our last visit of 2019, December 25th.

So here I begin with how I looked when I turned 40 and the transformation of the decade. No, I was NOT bad looking (never have been, never will be) but just keep watching at how good these 10 years and I were to myself. I was overweight for my age and height according to THEIR charts. I had cardiac issues as well so at the entrance of my 40's I had health problems to deal with and deal I did.

WHAT BLESSINGS IN YOUR 40'S LOOK LIKE!!

While attempting to get my weight under control, without much success, I decided to return to my natural roots in 2011. It was not easy in the first few months. I was asked what was wrong with me, if I was going through a midlife crisis or if I had switched to "the other side". A lot of people did not embrace my change but so many others did. For each negative, non-approving comment made I received 2-3 positive. It became an easy peasy journey from there. In a previous blog, I spoke on how my daughter was a huge influence on this decision, one that I will never regret. I am 8 years strong in my natural journey now. It would prove to be one of the best decisions I would ever make. I celebrated this new adventure with a photo shoot alongside my daughter.

In 2012, I began a journey to weight loss using the Body By Vi system. It worked so well for me that I became a distributor. It was an easy side hustle because I did not have to pitch it to anyone, my success on the program spoke for itself. The pictures here are from the first 90 day challenge and the 2nd picture is at the 13 month mark. I lost a total of 50 lbs in that time. I've been able to keep 20-25 lbs off since initially taking this challenge.

1ST 90 DAY CHALLENGE

DAY 1 VS 13 MONTH MARK

With all the bridge walking and exercise that I constantly shared via social media while living the VI LIFE came an opportunity I attempted to turn down on more than one occasion. Let's go back a year or 2 before the offer when I began something new, line dancing, which is a fun way to exercise. It was after this time that I left the job as Store Manager at Ashley Stewart, became an Account Executive for YP and back to retail at K&G. I was approached by one of the instructors with the Justice League of Fitness about instructing a line dance aerobics class. I did not want to instruct, I only wanted to dance but after a few "I believe in you speeches" I am now 4 years in with the fitness instruction. Not only do I instruct with the JLOF on Wednesday, I also have a class at The Diva Physique on Thursday evenings and starting January 24th I will have a class at the Arlington YouFit location on Friday evenings. I am more than grateful to Leroy Mosley for seeing in me what I did not see in myself. This is how I will make my living in 2020 and beyond! Join me why dontcha?

Those who really know me, know that I have been a bus rider for this entire decade as well, up until the last few months. As a result, with all the extra things I would being (work, line dance classes, school, etc) my time on the bus became later and later. Coming home sometimes at almost 10 p.m. and these are not the safest streets. I needed to protect myself and my son advised me to arm myself. I have never wanted anything to do with a firearm but at his request I asked my FB friends who would be open to accompanying me to the range and training me on firearm use. That same day, July 5, 2016 I was at the range with my cousin Danielle and my brother Tim.

Fast forward 3 years, I am now a proud firearm owner as well as the Vice Commander of the Black Gun Owners Association Jacksonville chapter, earning a certificate as a certified NRA Instructor and becoming a business partner with Grid Iron Firearm Training (G.I.F.T.). I went from being scared to death of even being in the same room with a firearm to owning and instructing all within two years. This decade has been simply awesome!

A little ways up I mentioned returning to school as a goal. I enrolled in 2015, took my time, and walked in May 2019 with my B.S. in Converge Communications from FSCJ. It was a long 4 years with many struggles, oft times wanting to give up but with a great support system and perseverance I finished victoriously with honors! This picture does NOT truly show how excited I was ... well, maybe it does. I said I would finish before I turned 50 and dammit I did!

Once I was done with school it seems the flood gates of time opened up. I now had more time to do things like spend more time with my granddaughters and prepare for the approaching HALF OF A CENTURY birthday! I am turning 50 June 2020 and I could not be more excited. I began thinking about things I wanted to do differently going into this next decade. My 'influencer' (check out that blog) returning back to Jacksonville gave me the best idea ever ... lets LOC N LOAD! I decided to join the LOC NATION! She returned August 2019 and I began my journey the next month. She started them with coils and my good sister friend Niki will continue to bless the crown. I am excited at what they will look like by my b-earthday as they are budding already! They begin budding before my first retwist at six weeks.

What I also decided to do was work for myself in 2020 hence the created hashtag #2020ALLME! I have too many talents and not working on my dreams/goals to create the work atmosphere I desire is no longer an option. November 2019 "The Storm Affect - T.S.A." was created. Under this umbrella I will host events, manage social media accounts, create content, instruct line dance and firearm classes. Find me on FB and make sure you follow as well as Grid Iron Firearm Training. So many things have opened up since I put it into the universe to include hosting an event on a cruise in November 2020.

2017 brought about a bigger awareness of self and diving into my spiritual side has opened me to so many things. If I never overstood who and what I am before I overstand now. In the next decade, manifesting my destiny will be at an all time high. I appreciate you all for coming along for the ride. Here's Chapter 49.

CHEERS TO 50! CHEERS TO THE NEW YEAR!