A Lifetime of Love

I did it! By the grace of God and my supportive husband, I successfully completed another semester of college. I gratefully took my last final exam yesterday morning, and we celebrated the end of the semester by going to Carowinds for a little bit of family time. I haven’t had time to write, in part because I was studying for exams, but also because we’re just so busy. The Lord has provided us with a home that's conducive to entertaining, and we like to honor Him by inviting others into our home. I host events for the MOMS Club on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, but outside of that, we have entertained family and friends the past 3 weekends in a row. Although the preparations can be tiring, we enjoy the fellowship it provides. Last night we had a couple over that we just recently met. The ironic thing is they are both from Ohio, near my hometown. We had a great time getting to know them, and their infant son, on a more personal basis. After the kids went to sleep, we played a couple o...

I have been exhausted lately, due in part to waking to nurse the baby and school. Also, Ta has a double ear infection, although today he seems to be doing better. His tubes are once again clogged, but I am thankful they are still in place after 16 months. We were told they wouldn’t last more than 6-9 months, so they’ve been a great investment! Because of his ears, he hasn’t been sleeping very well. However, T.G. has slept through the night the past 2 nights. What a blessing! As some of you know, she has been my stubborn child when it comes to feeding. She would not take a pacifier, wants nothing to do with a bottle, and at 5 months I attempted infant cereal. She gagged and puked, and made it clear she only wanted to nurse. Needless to say, she is trying my patience in that area! However, the past couple of days I have been able to get her to eat some cereal. Sunday evening she went on a feeding frenzy and ate about 3 tablespoons of the stuff. Monday night I wasn’t so lucky...

God has a funny way of answering prayer. . . TJ received his first ever Presidential Citation at Winthrop. He is such a hard worker, and every year his efforts and dedication go unnoticed. He reminds himself daily of Col. 3:23, “And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto man” to ease the frustration he so often feels due to the politics involved in working at a State-run agency. Today was his day to shine, and, unfortunately, I was not there to celebrate with him. He was taken by surprise, which makes his achievement all the more memorable. Good for you, babe! I’m proud of you- keep up the great work!

Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." I've been thinking about this verse, meditating on it, since receiving the letter in the mail. I had prepared myself mentally, knowing full well we could not afford the tuition. But, as TJ so eloquently put it, it would have been much easier if Th had not been accepted. I am talking about Th’s acceptance letter into the Montessori program. The letter arrived in the mail Saturday, but insult was added to injury when I got home from school this evening. A woman from the school phoned to set up his placement interview to match Th to a teacher based on his learning style and personality. I am such a huge proponent of the Montessori curriculum, and I had hoped and dreamed that my children would be able to attend this particular school. Unfortunately, though, the 3 and 4 year old program is not funded by the State, meaning it is a private school until the children reach kinde...

Today’s entry is dedicated to my pastor and church. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I LOVE OUR CHURCH! Our church is a second family to us, and without them, TJ and I would be lost. Our pastor and his family have done so much for us over the years that we’ve been a part of our church, the most recent of which was caring for the boys while I was in labor with T.G. TJ’s mom and dad each live about an hour and a half away, and the afternoon I went into labor, it took some time for his family to stop what they were doing, get some things together, and then make the drive to the hospital. We didn’t want the boys at the hospital until they needed to be there. TJ missed Ta’s birth because he was with Th in the waiting room, and he didn’t want to miss another miracle birth because he was with the other children. We called our pastor, and he and his wife Gretchen came to the hospital, picked up the boys, and took them out for pizza. After eating, they brought them back to their hous...

I am feeling a little sad today. It’s been a rough couple of weeks, beginning with the brutal killings of 2 Charlotte police officers. They answered a 911 call and someone (he was only 25!) shot the 2 officers point-blank in the head. They never had a chance to draw their weapons- it was an ambush. One of the officers left behind a 2 year old, and his wife was 7 months pregnant. That really hit home for me. The other officer left behind his wife. Obviously on Monday the VT massacre was difficult news to accept, but yesterday everything compounded when I was listening to the 5 o’clock news. A local weather forecaster, Melissa Greer, succumbed to a rare type of cancer. She was 27, my age. TJ and I, as well as the entire Charlotte viewing area, have been following her story since she announced the cancer in December. She was 6 months pregnant when they discovered the cancer, and her only option was to deliver her baby 10 weeks (or so) early, then have a hysterectomy. She flew to Iowa for ...

I was privileged with the opportunity to use TJ’s iron. This may come as a shock to some, especially since I am the one who typically could care less if my clothes are wrinkled. I mean, I chase after 2 kids and nurse a third one all day, every day. I don’t see the point to ironing because, as soon as I’m done, my clothes are immediately wrinkled again. Usually, if I have something that needs ironed, I’ll lay it out for TJ to do when he irons his clothes. He takes care of me like that! Today, though, I didn’t decide what I wanted to wear until the last minute. TJ had already ironed his clothes and was about to leave for work. However, ironing was a necessity this morning. This particular pair of pants I chose to wear was extremely wrinkled, and I really had no other choice. As he was leaving, I asked him where I could find the iron (isn’t that sad- I have no idea where he keeps it!). He looked at me quizzically and told me to use the old one! Are you kidding me!?! He reluct...

My Favorites. . . As I was studying for my final exam in Teaching Elementary Reading, I came across a page in my notes which contained a list of children’s books that my class compiled. Below are my favorites, and contact me if you have any that you recommend. It’s been years since I’ve read these, and I plan to read as many as I can over the summer. Series Nancy Drew Babysitters Club Amelia Bedelia Ramona Quimby books Corduroy books (my kids love Corduroy!) Harry Potter Individual A Wrinkle in Time The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Mr. Popper’s Penguins Where the Red Fern Grows My Side of the Mountain Charlotte’s Web Dear Mr. Henshaw Tallahassee Higgins (I LOVE this one!!)

I am still exhausted, and thankful the semester is drawing to a close. I have a final exam next Tuesday evening and another Saturday morning. This next week will be crazy with me trying to study for both exams, so it doesn’t look as if I’ll get a break anytime soon. Once I finish my exams, I need to begin making some scrapbook pages for Th and Ta’s teachers before they finish up their year of preschool. For Th’s class, I decided to put together a class album since his teacher isn’t returning next year. Th has had this particular teacher twice, and she is absolutely wonderful! I thought it would be nice if we presented the teachers with a class gift at their picnic on the last day of school. Another mom is helping me to contact everyone, but it’s still a feat considering not everyone is willing to put the time and effort into it. That means I have to compensate for that by making their pages in addition to mine. I thought about not including them but that was just a fleeting tho...

The sound of silence, except the television and baby swing in the background, is a welcomed relief. I am exhausted- mentally and physically. We dedicated T.G. at church this morning and held a reception afterwards at our home. We have a brief hiatus until returning back at 5:30pm for Th’s Pee-Wee performance. Overall it was a great day. Her dedication allowed us to spend time with some family we haven’t seen in over a year. Plus, as an added bonus, TJ agreed to pay for a cleaning service to come and do some “Spring Cleaning” on Thursday before our out-of-town guests arrived. It was wonderful to come home to my ENTIRE house being clean AT THE SAME TIME! That hasn’t happened since we moved in. It takes me 2 days to clean my house, one day per floor. I am also exhausted from the demands of school. I completed my research paper this past Wednesday and readily handed it in. My class was given an extension until this Monday, but I needed to just be done with it. I am such a type...

Isaiah 61: 1-3 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. These are my verses, and have been my verses for almost 3 years. This is my interpretation of those words, and perhaps it will better illustrate why I have claimed them for myself. Verse 1- The Spirit of the Lord is upon me- I am a Christian. The Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek- I was hand-picked to go through this situation to bind up...

Psalm 126:2, “Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.” I read this verse and finally thought of the word I had been searching for to describe TJ’s family. They aren’t sarcastic; instead, he and his sisters are witty. I, on the other hand, am not very witty, and I think that’s why I have such a good time with them. Something funny will happen and someone ALWAYS knows just what to say and when, making the entire situation even funnier. Their wit is what brings out the child in TJ. He tries to be witty with me, but it usually fails because I just don’t get it. Sorry, babe! Jeremiah 17:7-8 writes, “Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neithe...

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” As I look around, new life is everywhere, including in my house! We went to the plant nursery over the weekend, but the weather has been too cold for us to plant our young flowers outside. We are temporarily storing them in our kitchen and dining room. It is a beautiful sight, and a reminder of God’s gift of salvation. Just as the flowers bloom, thrive, then die off in the fall and winter, Jesus was on this earth for a short season before becoming the sacrificial Lamb of God. His time on the cross, too, was only for a short season. However, His reign in Eternity will last forever. Easter, and the beautiful spring flowers, are a wonderful example of this truth. I fully understand that the season of parenting small children will soon be over, as well; however, while I am in this season, sometimes it is very difficult. I have decided to really apply the truth taught in this verse to...

We spent the evening with the in-laws tonight. My husband has 4 sisters, 2 older and 2 younger. I love all of them for different reasons, but I consider myself closest to the 2 that live near us (we see them more often). Anyway, it’s always fun to get together with them. They are both very laid back, and his older sister is very sarcastic. She says what most people think, but not in a rude way, just, well, sarcastic. I love to watch the dynamics of his family, the way they interact with each other, especially with his mom. My husband is very laid back himself, but when he gets together with his sisters, he becomes a kid again. I’m not saying that in a bad way. I think it’s great. There are 9 years between the oldest and youngest, so they are all very close to each other. My family, on the other hand, spans 14 ¾ years between me (the oldest) and my brother (the youngest). There are 6 years between my sister and I. I’m not saying we aren’t close, but the dynamics of my family are...

Some days I think I’ve lost my mind completely. Today is one of those days. My sister-in-law told me of this place that takes pictures with live rabbits for Easter for a very reasonable price. I called last week and scheduled an appointment to have the 3 kids get their picture taken with the bunnies. The appointment was today at 11:15AM, and Ta woke extremely early, so it was a blessing when he willingly laid down for a morning nap at 8:45AM. I thought things would go relatively easy since he was well-rested, the baby had just nursed, and Th is 4 ½. Boy, I couldn’t have been more wrong! Have you tried to get a 4 ½ year old to hold a 4 month old without slouching and complaining? Today, I tried it! It didn’t go so well! Plus, the bunnies kept jumping out of their basket, and Ta, being the ever-so-gentle child that he is, thought that meant they wanted to be held (smothered is more accurate!). Prying those furry things out of his hand was no small feat, plus, once again the bab...

The anniversary of my grandmother’s death was on Sunday, April 1st. I can’t believe it’s been 8 years. As most people feel towards their grandparents, I loved this woman dearly. I affectionately called her “Nana”, and obviously her death affected me a great deal, but it’s even more so now that I have a daughter. There have been so many times in the last few months that I wish my Nana could have met T.G., held her in her arms, and compared her to me when I was a baby. When I was about 14 or 15, Nana made a doll for me. It was, and is, the most beautiful doll I have ever seen. She has curly dark hair and a beautiful baby blue dress with pink flowers. I absolutely love it, and it is one of my most cherished possessions. A few years ago, one of her bows fell out of her hair, and it sat on my dresser, waiting for me to find time to glue it back in her hair. One day T.G. was wearing a cute baby blue outfit with pink flowers. I saw the bow sitting on my dresser and decided to use it to ma...

We survived the camping trip, and despite not getting any sleep, actually had a wonderful time. The host family has an awesome set-up, and my kids couldn’t decide what to do first. At first glance, you’d never know what excitement lies just down the path to their back yard. It just seems like a bunch of trees with a path that leads to the pond. But, once on the path, there is a zip line that will quickly take you down the hill. If you don’t know what a zip line is, it’s a rope tied around 2 trees, one uphill and one downhill, with a swing on it. The kids made good use of this, especially when unloading the van. They brilliantly tied our bags to the rope and sent it down the hill, saving them from having to carry everything down. Although I didn’t get a chance to ride on it (I really did want to!), our kids thought it was the most fun thing they’ve ever done. Once we were at the bottom, there was a swing set, creek, and of course, the pond. Our kids were so enthralled with the z...