My son had a “perfect” day in kindergarten today. You wondering what that means? Well, put it this way - we have been struggling since the first day of kindergarten to get a smiley face for every section of his day. Learning to read - check; understanding the concept of adding and subtracting - check; goofing out in the bathroom - check; pouring milk into peas at lunch - check. You get the point. Well today we made a significant turn. The teacher was pleased with every aspect of his day. We made a big deal of this milestone and all he wanted in return were Legos. Legos it is! The feeling of accomplishment was priceless. His gold medal was Indiana Jones Motorcycle Chase. Watching his happiness made me yearn for the days when life was so simple. I thought to myself, if only I could go to the office and get through an entire day with smiley faces. Maybe if society followed the rules of kindergarten we could all get through the day with happy faces and Legos as our prize. Wouldn’t that be nice?

We are always good listeners.
We are helpers, not hurters.
We are walkers, not runners.
We are builders, not breakers.
We are talkers, not shouters.

I can’t believe I got married two months ago today! This is my first official post as a married woman. You may be wondering what two months of marraige has taught me. I have learned a thing or two and they are as follows:

1. Apparently married or not, you should not go to the bathroom with the door open. Your husband will not think this is cute.
2. It’s ok to go to bed angry. (Although this is something I learned while playing bridezilla) It’s actually nice to have your own bed for one night!
3. Don’t get defensive when your husband wants to talk about how much money you are spending. Just try not to listen!
4. Read the Five Languages of Love together and tell your husband that even though the test doesn’t say so, your love language really is receiving gifts.
5. Don’t start taking out the trash and you will never have to.

Ok, so these probably aren’t words of wisdom from a married woman, but they are some fun things I wanted to share. I can say without a doubt that I have enjoyed every single minute of being married. Two months down, many, many, many more to come!

In the current edition of U.S. News & World Report their staff shared 50 ways to improve your life. These are quick tips and advice that can improve your body, mind, money, world, and play. I highly recommend picking up this issue. I was pleasantly surprised to see that one of the quick picks was to “purchase a health care gift card.”

Our team at Trio Solutions Inc. has been working with our client, MedExpress in Augusta, Georgia to develop gift cards that give the gift of better health. In a country where health insurance premiums are soaring and small, medium and large businesses are struggling with providing affordable health benefits to their employees we have all been very excited about this new concept. Our thought is that employers can now provide their employees with gift cards in increments of $25 to $1000. The article in U.S. News & World Report just valided that we are on to something and it makes us proud to help our clients be on the cutting-edge. We are very excited about offering this to businesses in the Augusta area.

Some of the other tips that I enjoyed and hope to do in the new year include:

• Stop drinking bottled water. There is nothing wrong with our tap water
• Say good-bye to baseball legends. Go see a baseball game at Shea or Yankee stadium
• Teach your children how to vote
• Take time to listen

If you can’t get the current issue, check out this video of the staffers at U.S. News & World Report sharing the different ways to improve your life in 2008.

Trio Christmas Party on Water’s Edge

This time of the year is full of so much cheer and everyone at Trio Solutions indulged in some holiday festivities on Dec. 13 at our annual Christmas party. The evening began with a harbor cruise abroad Water’s Edge. The sunset was breathtaking, the wine flowed well and the music (although not Christmas carols) was jamming thanks to DJ/Captain Jamie Holcombe. Some great rock ‘n roll from the 70s and 80s always gets folks in a party mode. After the harbor cruise we met up with our friends and significant others at Chai’s Lounge. The evening was full of Christmas cheer. We should do this more often. Merry Christmas everybody!

Man, you can never go wrong with oysters, music and friends and that’s just want our friends at Love Inc. provided on Sunday. Love Inc. is a Charleston-based nonprofit organization that helps elderly citizens throughout the Lowcountry. They are amazing people and it’s hard not to get infected by their caring spirit. They have a program called Adopt-a-Grandparent and go into nursing homes and make the residents feel special and human again.

On Sunday, they held a fund raising event at Goldbug Island on Sullivan’s Island. The weather was perfect! They provided steamed oysters by the bucket and a variety of bands played throughout the day. The women at my church were so generous and provided tons of baked goodies so Point Hope United Methodist Church had a booth and sold them to help raise money. Almost $200 from brownies, cookies and cakes - not bad!

From L to R - Dillion Faust, Tammy Faust, Thuy Patterson, Jamie Holcombe, Hannah Holcombe, Jennifer Cherock and Josh Clark

Do you remember the first day of school? I actually don’t. I can remember bits and pieces of kindergarten but I don’t actually remember the first day. But that’s okay because the joy of having kids is that you get to re-live your youth all over again. My oldest child, David started kindergarten today at Laurel Hill Primary School. It’s a great school and seems like a private school with a public school tuition which is awesome! I think we were as excited and anxious as David (probably more so because we know what is ahead of him). And in David’s mind as long as Spiderman is there by his side then he can tackle any new adventure.

Inspiring. Amazing. Funny. Strong. This chick, Kris Carr, is all of those things and so much more. If you haven’t heard about Kris and her story, please check out the trailer on her Web site (www.crazysexycancer.com) and be sure to tune in later this month to watch her documentary. Whether or not you’ve been personally affected by cancer – her message is sure to leave a lasting impression on viewers, survivors, and fighters. Educate yourself, laugh a little, shed a tear or two…and take part in one woman’s journey to fight the good fight and to live life to the absolute fullest!

Take care,
Jennifer

Msg from Kris:

Sexy Cancer will be airing on The Learning Channel (TLC) this August 29th at 9 pm! Amen! Yahoo! Yeehaw! Please tune in and spread the word like wild fire. Help us headbutt the ratings and show that cancer really does have an audience - it should! We all know and love someone affected by it. Oh, but the good news doesn’t end there, no, no, no mon cherie, on August 27th my advice from the trenches girlfriends guide to cancer, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips published by skirt books! hits the stands like a hurricane! Every golden tool you need for the journey is in this book! Finding the right doctor, navigating insurance companies, stylish hospital gowns, dating, sex, changing appearances, nutrition, spirituality, fertility etc, etc darlin’. Grab a copy for yourself or pass it onto someone you love. It’s a nitty gritty manual for facing cancer head on, and if i do say so myself, it’s hilarious!

Last week my dream came true, I made it on the Today Show. And I didn’t even have to go to New York! For all of you avid Today show viewers like myself, you are well aware that Al Roker made a trip around the US last week searching for the next Today show couple for Today Throws a Wedding. One of my best friends lives in Miami and after making a life size wedding cake sign with mine and Russell’s picture on it, she was ready for Al when he made his stop. Not only was the poster featured in numerous commercial breaks, but Liz also got an interview with Al! View the “Meet Some Miami Couples” video.

Many young girls dream of their wedding day. They envision the perfect dress, flowers and venue. I, on the other hand, always dreamed of getting married on the Today Show. It has been my dream since watching Sunny and Chris get married in NYC. Although I may not be choosen as a finalist (I am still hopeful!), I can at least say I finally made an appearance on one of my favorite shows. It was the best day ever. All of my my friends and family who saw the show, called us. Now I know why celebrities love the spotlight. Fame is addictive! Next up- American Idol.

Working on the fund-raising event for Carolina Autism was so rewarding. I had the opportunity to help with everything from hand delivering invitations to setting up the evening of. This was definitely the highlight of my internship with Trio. Here are some pictures from the event.

So as we all know, the CNN/YouTube Democratic debate was held in Charleston this past Monday and I had the great pleasure of meeting John and Elizabeth Edwards while they were in town. Well I didn’t really meet the Senator but I did shake his hand. I did however meet Mrs. Edwards. As PR chair for the Lowcountry Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure I worked with the Edwards campaign office (which they were great) to set up an opportunity for some of our survivors to present her with a banner (signed by hundreds of survivors) and a bouquet of pink roses. Lucy Spears also gave Mrs. Edwards a Komen lapel pin which I noticed later that evening Mrs. Edwards was proudly wearing during her post-debate interview with CNN. We only got about five minutes of her time but she was so gracious and it was really cool to be able to hug her and let her know that A LOT of people are behind her.

BTW - the lapel pin that Senator Edwards is wearing is a tribute to his son, Wade. It was Wade’s Outward Bound pin. My heart goes out to them. I know their son is so proud of his parents.