New Beginnings... THE UPDATE

Well the last six weeks have flown by... here's a quick look at what happened:


5 August 2006

I arrived in the U.S. to get married!! (had to carry my dress the whole way!)

9 August 2006

Jesse meets THE PARENTS!! (they'd spoken over phone and email many times before!!)

11 August 2006

We drive off to Batimore & Washington, DC to be with friends.

14 August 2006

Drove from DC to NYC and stayed for two days...

Visited more friends...

AND check out Columbia University's Master's in International Affairs program (for me) and Law school for Jesse. We FELL in love with the campus and felt the programs would be a perfect fit for us both! Look out September 2007! (We are now in the process of applying and taking respective tests: GRE & LSAT!)

18 August 2006

The Mom, Dad & Tyler McConnell arrived in Erie, PA to meet the Risner's for the first time!

24 August 2006

Craziness continues... my bridesmaids took me out for a farewell to single life!

25 August 2006

Rehearsal - everyone is in town!!

26 August 2006

WE GOT MARRIED!!!!

28 August 2006

We departed for Paris and spent 7 full days in a tiny apartment in the 3rd Arrondissement... it was AMAZING!!!

5 September 2006

Arrived back HOME in Durban! (we will be living at the McConnells home while they are in the U.S. on furlow for the next year)

8 September 2006

We hosted a South African reception for our friends that were unable to join us in the U.S. (I got to wear the dress again too!!)

AND NOW... we are loving married life! We have spent our spare time studying non-stop for the GRE & LSAT we are taking at the end of the month.



Jess has started his job with Development Research Africa as a Politics and Governance Sector Researcher and I am continuing to volunteer and work with MSA & ICARE. I have also begun taking French lessons!

Stay tuned for the next adventures of Jesse & Christy! We promise to never have a dull moment!!! :) (sometimes we wish we did!)