a quote from Sullivans Island

I just finished reading, "Return to Sullivans Island"  by Dorothea Benton Frank.  It was great!  Just like the first one.  As I was reading the final chapter Friday night, this quote jumped off the page at me:

 

 

"If I didn't learn anything this summer, I learned this.  When the world's like this, I mean the economy and all, it doesn't take money to make you rich.  It takes purpose.  You have to know who you are and go do what you're suppose to be doing.  You only learn that -- I mean really learn that -- from people who love you.  Your family shapes you when you're really young and then holds you together when trouble comes along."

 

 

I've learned this very thing. 


For those of you who are new to my blog, I have THE MOST amazing and supportive family.  I also have been blessed with friends who are like family.  And it is true... your family and friends really do help to "shape you" and they are the ones who "hold you together" when things fall apart.  Granted, there are a handful who have shocked me by their absence.  Others have surprised me with their sudden disappearance.  While these have certainly been hurtful, I am overwhelmed daily by the love and support I receive from those who truly love and care for me.  God is faithful and good.  I am blessed. 

I sat down to read my devotion this morning and this is what it said: 

"Christ living in us will enable us to live above our circumstances, however painful they are.  Perhaps you who read these words find yourself almost crushed by the circumstances you are now facing.  You wonder how much more you can stand.  But don't despair!  God's grace is sufficient for you and will enable you to rise above your trials.  Let this be your confidence:  ' Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship....  NO!  In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. '  Romans 8:35-37"

I am learning my purpose and I am working to fulfill it.  I am "more than a conqueror"  because of Christ and His love for me!

Happy Monday, friends.


Until next time...



the importance of journaling

 

JP takes medicine each morning for ADHD.  Recently, while packing our bags to leave for the beach, I misplaced his pill bottle.  My entire family TORE the house apart looking for it.  I remembered picking it up, but I had no idea what I did with it.  Eventually, we all gave up.  We needed to get on the road and I literally had looked everywhere.  We left for the beach without his medicine.  Thankfully, the pills build up in your system, so missing two or three days was not going to affect him, but the point was, I lost the bottle.  I was so frustrated!  After we returned home, I opened my underwear/sock drawer and low and behold, THERE WAS JP'S MEDICINE!  How in the world did it end up in my underwear drawer?  To this day, I still do not remember putting it in there.  Or WHY I would have placed it there.  I must be losing my mind.

 

Yesterday morning, I had to teach a second grade class at my mom's school.  Tuesday night, I laid out my jean skirt, black tights, and a top to wear.  I knew that my black boots were in another closet in my sister's room. When I went to grab the boots so that I could get dressed, they were gone.  I KNEW I had seen them.  I sent a text message and asked my sister if she had worn them that day, or carried them somewhere.  She wrote me back quickly, "No, they are in the bottom of my closet.  I saw them last night."  I looked again.  Gone.  At that point, I just needed to put on clothes and get out the door.  I pulled a different outfit from my closet, threw it on and rushed to school.  When I got home that afternoon, I began looking for the boots again.  Sound familiar?!  My mom, my sister and I tore up the house in our search.  We even started to blame the boys! I was sure Preston or JP hid them,  thinking it would be funny to watch me try to find them.  (JP has done this before!)  At one point, my mom told me to go look in MY closet.  "I didn't pick them up, mom!  I just saw them last night.  I would remember moving them!"

 

Frustrated, I went to my closet sure that I would not find them.  Guess what?  There sat my black boots!  Once again, I had picked something up, moved it to another location and had absolutely no recollection of doing so!  I must be losing my mind.

 

 

My point in sharing this with you is this:  How are we supposed to remember what God does for us on a daily basis if we do not write it down?  And trust me, if you are a child of His, He leaves an imprint on your life each day.  I promise.  It may be small, but it's there.  Sometimes you may not be able to see it right away.  I was thumbing through my journal this morning and found an entry from October 12th.  On this date, I was apparently struggling to find peace.  I prayed for it and "claimed it."  The very next day the devotion I read was taken from Numbers 6:26, "The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace."  I ripped that page from the devotional, highlighted the passage and taped it to my journal entry.  Had I not written down my thoughts, anxieties and prayer, I may not have remembered what I had requested from God.  This morning, I sit here with a big smile on my face, reminded of how attentive God is to our needs. 

 

It is very therapeutic to have something tangible to read through. Thoughts, memories and prayers you might otherwise not recall.  When I read my journal entries, I clearly see the fingerprints of God.  They are EVERYWEHRE.  So, do yourself a favor, and journal.  You don't have to enjoy writing.  Throw one or two lines on a piece of notebook paper.  If you aren't the creative type, begin by jotting down your prayers.  You will be amazed at how, over time, they will come together and form an amazing story.  Your story.  That is part of the reason I love to blog.  I am not naïve enough to believe that people all over the world just LOVE to read my daily logs.  The main reason I do this is for myself.  I want to remember my journey.  And clearly I cannot rely on my mind! 

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. 

 

Until next time...

 



#tbt (throw back thursday)

 

This was JP on Christmas morning December 2006, in Guatemala.  He was four months old.  We woke him up bright and early so that we could play "Santa" to all of the kids at his children's home.  Can you get over how deliciously cute he is?!  He'll kill me one day for this, but I couldn't resist.  It was my first Christmas with him.  Now that I think of it, all I did that week was dress him up in a variety of outfits.  He was my little doll!

And he still is.


Until next time...

divorce & my seven year old son

Divorce is difficult and life changing for anyone.  But I have to say, when a child and/or children are involved, it takes the stress and pain to a completely different level.  Please understand, I do not claim to be an expert on the topic, but in this post I thought I would share with you a few strategies I have found to be helpful in dealing with the emotions of my son. 

When my ex and I separated a little over a year ago, one of the first things I did for JP was set up an appointment with a therapist.

In the beginning I was so overwhelmed, I had no idea what to do with myself, much less JP.  It just made sense.  And I am very thankful to say, I have no regrets!  Both families, along with my circle of supportive friends have worked overtime to make sure that JP feels secure and loved in his environment.  JP LOVES his doctor and really looks forward to talking with him each month.  If you, or someone you know is facing a divorce, or ANY life change, consider finding a solid professional to encourage what you already have in place in your home.  If you find a GOOD doctor, they will make themselves available to talk to both you and your child.  I share my concerns with him and he is there to advise me on how to approach various situations as they arise.

You will not find pictures around my house of me and Scott as a couple.  However, if you walk into the boys' room, you will see a family portrait hanging above the television, a small framed photo of the three of us when JP was a baby, and a picture of Scott and JP on the dresser.  It is of upmost important to me for JP NOT to feel like he has lost his family.  I have made it very clear to him on more than one occasion that just because his daddy and I do not live together anymore, we will ALWAYS be his family.  And nothing will change that.

Routine has proven to be extremely essential in our house.  Children have very little control in situations like these.  I know, in the beginning, JP was very angry and confused.  In his little mind, he didn't know when he was coming or going.  When he was with me, he wanted to be with his dad.  When he was with Scott, he wanted to be with me.  It was really ugly for a while.  JP's emotions were all over the map.  One thing that helped was developing a routine.  At the suggestion of a close friend, I bought a little calendar to hang on their bedroom wall.  I put X's, (or you could use stickers), on the days that he was going to see his daddy.  This provided consistency and security in knowing that he will always have time with both of us.  I am amazed at the difference this made.

This one is hard.  When your family has fallen apart and you see your child cry almost daily, enforcing discipline is NOT AN EASY THING TO DO!  It doesn't matter what type of discipline  you use, it is only important that you stay consistent.  Trust me, it is the best thing for them!

This one is self explanatory.  BE HONEST.  Age appropriately, of course.  About a month ago, at the suggestion of his doctor, I took JP for a walk downtown and asked him if he knew what the word divorce meant.  When he said no, I explained that it meant that a husband and wife were no longer married.  His response was simply, "okay."  At least for now.  The therapist recommended that I not offer up any information that he does not ask for.  When he is ready to ask questions, he will. 

JUST LOVE THEM!! I tell JP every single day how much he is loved.  I remind him all the time that he has more than one family who think the world of  him.  I tell him how proud I am of him and how special he is to me.  If you do nothing else, DO THIS! 

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.  I am a much better mother to JP when I am happy and at peace.  On the weekends I do not have him with me, I travel.  I hang out with friends.  I read.  I take long baths.  I take care of myself.  I could go on and on with this one.  Find a new hobby, if you have to.  Bottom line, you know what you like...  DO IT.

That's a wrap, friends.  I hope this has been helpful for someone.  Happy Humpday!

Until next time...

i am officially jolly

It has taken some work to get this girl into the Christmas spirit this year.   I won't lie, it is a DAILY choice, but I feel like I have definitely had success.  I have made a conscious effort to engage in specific activities with the kids pertaining to Christmas.  This serves two purposes -- it fosters my "merry" attitude (stop rolling your eyes!) and the kiddos have fun and are happy. 

So, in this post, I thought I would share with you a handful of  "Get into the Christmas Spirit" activities.  Some of them, I have done over the past few weeks and a couple I am planning to do. 

1) Make Christmas cookies

Everybody can do this.  Even if you HATE cooking/baking or anything that resembles it.  You can go all out and make them from scratch, (not me!), or you can drop by your local grocery store and find ALL SORTS of pre cut Christmas cookie patterns.  This year, the boys and I are sharing this activity with friends!  That adds a little extra fun.

2) Hot chocolate anyone?

 

Unlike most Americans, I do not like coffee.  GASP!  But is there anyone who does not like hot chocolate?!  I don't think so.  Again, this is super simple.  I let the kids open the packet, add the water/milk and stir in the chocolate and marshmallows.  (For those of you who are teachers, you can even get wild and have the little ones count the marshmallows as they drop them in the mug!)  For the record, I didn't do that!  Haha. We drank this yummy sweetness in front of the Christmas tree with the lights on.  Simple, but joyful. 

 

3)  Read books!

 

 

 

This is one of my favorites!  The boys and I do this often.  There are so many really great books out there that celebrate Christmas.  If you are not from a religious background or have a Christian faith, you can find books about Santa or giving.  The local library or bookstore carries ample books that spotlight all denominations and varying beliefs.  Pictured above is my favorite.  Hands down.  It is a beautiful story about Jesus and our place in this life.  Please note, you do not have to BUY these books.  Go to the library and check them out.  Or, I have actually carried JP and Preston to Barnes and Noble and sat on the floor of the children's section and read to them.  All that matters is that you READ.  And they LOVE it.

 

4)  Add a little color

 

 

 

I love to color.  Many nights, we have coloring contests in our house!  This is another activity that costs little or nothing at all.  I pick up crayons and holiday coloring/activity books at the dollar store and we're good to go.  If you really wanna JAZZ things up, grab a few glue sticks, construction paper, child appropriate scissors and glitter!  Spread everything out on the table and you can be sure the kids will find something to do with it! 

 

5)  Holiday movie night!

 

 

 

Another easy one.  After dinner and baths, bring the sweet-smelling bundles of joy into the television room, pop some pop corn and settle in for a night of entertainment.  If your kids are anything like ours, they'll likely fall asleep.  At that point, you can switch from PG animation to the Hallmark channel! 

 

6)  Roper Mountain Holiday Lights

 

 

 

This is targeted to my local friends.  You MUST visit this!  You can go on the website to double check, but I know, at one time, it cost something like $5/car to go in.  Once you're in, there is hot chocolate/coffee, Santa and various activities to enjoy in addition to the beautiful lights.  BONUS:  If you are an educator, carry your pass and you get in for free.

 

7) Festival of Lights @ James Island County Park

 

 

 

You will definitely roll your eyes at this one.  If you have not been to see the Festival of Lights on James Island in Charleston, you are missing out.  No excuses.  Pack up your car and head down to the low country and experience this with your children!  From Greenville, you can easily get to Charleston in a few hours.  We have driven down, spent the day on the beach or downtown and then seen the lights in the evening.  Inside the park, there are many activities to enjoy.  A trail, a train and Santa's workshop.  LOTS of fun, trust me!!  Again, if you do not have the means to make it a weekend getaway or an overnight trip, if you are from the Upstate, it can be done in one day.  You will not regret it - gas money well spent.  Promise!

 

 

Okay, I stole this last little treat idea from a friend.  I have not yet tried this, but will be making them with the boys in the near future!  We might even leave Santa and his reindeer one or two. 

 

Snowmen

 

 

The only ingredients you need are pictured above.  Powdered donuts, small Reese's peanut butter cups and toothpicks.

 

 

They will end up looking a little something like this.  I couldn't find the exact picture my friend used. I, personally, will turn the Reese cups upside down and stick the toothpicks (or pretzel sticks) in the sides for arms.  YUMMY!

 

Now, you should have plenty to keep you busy until the big day arrives! 

 

Until next time...

 

 

 

 



















a party, a parade and a movie date

I took JP to his other grandmother's work Christmas party Saturday evening.  We had a really nice time. JP LOVES seeing his cousins! ( I do too! )

Afterwards we walked down Main and met Nanny for the Christmas parade.

The whole day was perfect.

 

 

After lunch on Sunday, JP and I went on a "date" to see the new Disney movie, FROZEN.  About the only thing I can say about this movie is, GO AND SEE IT!!  It was great.  The story was really cute, the animation was amazing (as always with Disney), the characters were likable and fun, and there was even a little twist near the end!  Definitely put this on your "must see" list.  If you don't have a list, make one and write this movie down! 

 

I hope everyone has an amazing Monday!

 

 

Until next time...

 



so this is how we'll roll

I am so excited to see all of you who have already joined me on this site!!  I am really looking forward to sharing life with you.  I thought I would explain a little bit about how I plan to do things here.  Especially for those of you who are new and didn't follow the Live, Love, Laugh blog. 

I LOVE to write devotions and inspirational articles.  I also love to get on a good ole fashion Soap Box, maybe even two!  I read a lot of gossip and entertainment magazines, so from time to time I will dish out my two cents on the happenings of HOLLYWOOD. I watch a lot of movies and read a lot of books, so always be on the look out for my reviews!  In short, you can expect a little bit of everything.  Having said all of that, let me make it clear that this is primarily my FAMILY blog.  I enjoy writing about the boys, me and my best friends and various things that take place within our little corner of the world. I love to travel, so there will be times when I only post pictures.  You will learn very quickly that I LOVE photography and take tons of pictures of just about everything I do.

I will do my very best to post at least something Monday thru Friday.  I will not post on the weekends. 

One thing I tried in the past was "blog sharing." I would like to give that another try.  So, if you love to blog or write and feel you have something interesting (and family friendly) to share, PLEASE email me and let me know!  I will be more than happy to invite you to be a guest blogger.  You will find my email address on the sidebar.  Also feel free to email me if you have a specific topic you would like for me to write about ---- I will give it my best shot.

I ask you to remain patient with me.   I may play around with the colors and/or font style on the blog until I am 100% happy with it's appearance.  Eventually, I wouldn't mind turning this into an actual website.  I have to do a little more research on the different hosts.

Thanks again for stopping by!  I would love to hear from you anytime!  I love receiving feedback from readers, either in the comment section of the post, or by email.  I hope you all have an amazing weekend!

Until next time...