Looking back to when it all started it seems like we were both kids then, Stephen in his third year of teaching at McKinley, a place where he was well known and most referred to him as the “mayor.” And myself, going on my eleventh year of teaching and returning from an amazing trip aboard. Both of us quickly discovered how passionate we are about our professions, our students, and seemingly each other :) What began as flirting each morning, hoping that he would stop into my classroom to greet the kids and me with his smile, turned into us with two children and a lifetime to go. We still sneak post-its into each other's lunch and notebooks, because now we don’t share the same hallways. Than, when I was walking through the hallways of Mckinley one could hear the students calling out Mr. Lombardo’s name, and I found myself intrigued by his demeanor, or what some may say his "riz", granted he needed a new wardrobe, and although I already had the wardrobe and heels, I needed to polish up my Puerto Rican attitude :) Together we have learned to bring out the best in one another, laugh together, and raise our two beautiful boys, Tristan and Sebastian.

From that first date at Star Wars, Artichoke Pizza to getaways to the Hamptons, Montauk and LBI, birthdays, promotions, and unfortunately, losses, the loss of my Titi Carmen, during Covid. We endured, we grew, we matured, and we became a family of four, full of that same energy we had on the first day we met.

Our first vacation was to San Diego and Stephen, bless his heart, put up with me whining about not being in Miami, where it would’ve been hotter! I made it up to him by taking him to this adorable little bungalow in the Hamptons, called BeeHive, where we made our only little pot of honey, Tristan. We didn’t know how blessed we would truly be, but here we are getting ready to walk down the aisle with our boys by our side.

Thank you each and everyone of you for being by our side during this journey. Thank you for being the family we have chosen and we hope you can celebrate our love on October 12th, 2025 nearly 8 years after it all began.