Archives for October 2013

October 21, 2013 By 5 Comments

Case of The Mondays

Our modem went out this weekend and we’ve been without internet…which actually wasn’t all terrible.  I kind of enjoyed the internet free time except when I needed to pay some bills online, wanted to blog and buy Amon an adorable banana shirt. Yes, I know you all have been on pins and needles, but thanks to my friend Ashley E’s recommendation, Amon officially has a banana shirt.  You can all sleep easier tonight.

By the way, thank you for all the banana shirt links you guys sent my way.  You guys are too kind.  Always.

I’ve been enjoying the new Avett Brothers Magpie and The Dandelion.  Like really really enjoying.  Like I can’t quit it.  And don’t want to.  It’s lovely.  And Souls Like the Wheels, well, just don’t, don’t even get me started.  I could seriously get my weep on every time I listen to it.

I told myself I was going to eat really good and drink all my water for the day and you know what, there I was at 11am on the dot in the McDonalds drive-in.  What?!?!?!  I blame the pure craziness of yet another kid’s doctors appointment.  I will spare you all the details, but you know when a human enters an animals cage or sticks their hand in the cage…how the animal backs up into the corner…well, we’ll just let your mind mull that one over.  Turns out too, Huddy has quite the strong man hand grip when shots are involved.

It’s fair to say he officially hates, ummmm, loathes, shots.  I promised him he could pick lunch.  I couldn’t just let the boys partake alone.  And one of Harper’s little friends recently told me their hamburgers were made from dog.  All I could think was, “Mmmmm, dogs are delicious.”

I did go to Zumba tonight, which was quite interesting.  Janet brought her A-Game, but unfortunately I only brought my shoes I wore in the Color Run.  Turns out the very finely sifted cornstarch color, which was clinging tight to the soles of my shoes, only made for extremely slippery shoes on a newly finished gym floor.  I was a hot slippery mess.  All. Over. The. Place.  It was comical.  Brea thoroughly enjoyed watching my slip filled dance moves.

Then I found myself at Target shopping for a Cinderella themed birthday gift for a friend’s little.  Josh text me to let me know we were finally back online.  I high-fived myself in the shampoo aisle.

And that was kind of my day in a small nut shell.  Oh and Amon is still randomly sleeping his way through 2013.  I am now seriously considering making a 2014 calendar with all his random sleeping pictures.  It would probably be on the Best of 2014 Calendars List.  Clearly.

So how was your day?  Hopefully good and fun and full of laughter and hamburgers made out of dog 🙂

Happy Monday.

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October 18, 2013 By 4 Comments

9:12 am

It’s 9:12 am at the Kelley house and I’m rambling today…rambling like a fool.

*I may have, just maybe, fallen asleep on our couch for approximately 3 minutes and 14 seconds.  The boys were all sitting at our kitchen table playing play-doh…including Amon, who really just stands in a chair and looks around while throwing the cookie cutters all on the floor.  Huddy and Sol have been given strict instructions not to give him play-doh.  When I woke up startled like someone was about to murder me I quickly realized Amon had been eating this said play-doh.  How did I come to this conclusion, well A) I saw him shoveling the play-doh in his mouth, B) There was evidence on his face, particularly the corners of his mouth and C) Huddy said, “He’s been eating play-doh.”  Guilty.  Seriously guilty.  Apparently teal play-doh is super yummers.

It only took me 15 horribly blurry and fuzzy pictures to get these two.  I gave up.

*I keep forgetting to show you guys my new business card.  Dana over at Lifelines Designs does all my digital artwork for me…business and personal.  She’s done every one of my many business card designs, return labels, Facebook and blog buttons, gift card designs, etc  and she’s done tons of Christmas cards, birthday invites, Gotcha Day announcements, thank you notes, etc as well.  She is seriously the best…my total fave.  I trust her judgement and she makes things awesome and she’s fast.  Please check out her SHOP HERE and her FACEBOOK PAGE HERE.

Thank you Dana…as always, you are simply greatness.

*Last night I searched Etsy for waaaaay too long looking for Amon a cute banana shirt.  It’s lame, I know, but he digs bananas so very very much.  No luck.  Still searching.

*I bought ingredients for Bunny’s Cake.  Unfortunately it’s for a family and not us.  I kind of want to make one now for us and then re-buy the ingredients and make another one for next Friday.  Bunny’s Cake is magical and it makes me think of Mom and all my aunts. You should really just go ahead and make it…then proceed to send me email after email after email telling me how happy you are I shared this recipe with you and how it changed your life and how you think it’s kind of like manna from heaven.  Although my brother Chris would argue and say manna is really more like angel food cake, but I digress.  Make Bunny’s Cake and you can just thank me later.

*Speaking of cooking…even though I am normally really terrible at it…baking and cooking are different in my personal opionion…I made this Slow-Baked Mac & Cheese and yeah, ummmm, it’s totally delicious.  Amon ate it like he eats bananas.  We are actually not a big mac & cheese family…not for any particular reason, just none of us have ever been big fans…some of us have texture issues…but this stuff was amazing.

*I’m preparing to leave for Swaziland soon.  I am insanely excited/kind of freaked.  I’m traveling alone…and that makes me a tad nervous.  The team I’m meeting up with I do not know and I just found out I’m the only girl on the trip.  Just little things, but I’m excited and I know this is where God has put me and lead my heart.  I know it.  Several of you have asked about sending donations with me which is incredibly sweet.  I have quite the list, but the major thing our carepoint needs right now as far as supplies is pencils.  Lots and lots of pencils.  When it was asked how many to bring, they said as many as you can.  So if you would like to send something to Swaziland for these amazing kiddos, pencils are a grand idea.  Shoot me a message and I’ll let you know where to send them.

Oriental Trading got quite the hit up…not all pencils, but bubble wands and wooden Christmas ornaments and bead necklace kits too.  My agenda for the trip is literally to meet families and hang out with the carepoint kids all day long.  I’ll also be learning new ways to come along side these incredible brothers and sisters in Christ.  I’m over the moon about what God may have in store.

And now it’s 10 am.  Why yes it did take me 48 minutes to right this little post.  It quite possibly could be because I have had to stop a million times and pull Amon down from the table, stop him from turning the bathwater on (a new little lovely trick which I loathe), out of the toilet, out of the laundry room and get him out of the laundry basket which he got himself trapped in.  So maybe it wasn’t a million, but somedays it sure does feel like it.  Glad it’s Friday.  Peace out.

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October 17, 2013 By 5 Comments

Trying New Things

When I look over my work from over the years I can see trends.  I can see different stages I went through creatively.  I can see differences.  Sometimes I look back at a piece and wish I could burn it.  Ha, but it’s true.  When I was at my cousin Rebecca’s house I told her two different times I wished she would take down two different pieces of my art.  I see the issues and flaws…she sees me and memories.

I always wonder if friends and family get tired of my gifts of art.  I don’t want them to, but honestly, the most sincere gift I can give is something I pour my time, heart and creativity into.  It’s not always art, but it’s definitely a frequented gift.

My brother Chris’ birthday was at the beginning of October.  I wanted to give him something that he would know came from my heart…that he would know held my sincerity and love.

I have a hard time trying new things in my art…stepping outside of the techniques which I know deeply…which I have tested and created and changed and work for me, but I wanted to try something new.  It may look like a simple canvas…like something which was easy, but it wasn’t…at least for me.  I wanted to use some of my Mom’s favorite hymns from one of her hymnal books.  And Tennessee.  Tennessee because this is where we were born and raised…where out relationship began.

Getting the outline of Tennessee the size I needed was difficult…free handing part of the state was not my most comfortable venture.  I can doodle, but when it comes to accurately depicting our state outline…I was a fish out of water.  Once I finally got the outline, then it was keeping the hymns in good condition while painting over the outline accurately.  This may all sounds crazy and you may have a much easier way, but for me, this was new…the techniques and style.  In the end, I think Chris understood and appreciated the love behind the piece.

Trying new things can be intimidating and take you out of your comfort zone, but sometimes when you do, you are really glad you did.

Happy Thursday.

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October 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The Color Run {becoming tradition}

The Color Run has been to Nashville three time now and we’ve participated all three times.  If you’ve never had a chance to enjoy the happiest 5k on the planet, you must…you just must.  It is so much fun…my favorite 5k ever.  Harper’s quite a fan too.  She even picked this for her birthday last march.

This year we got to enjoy all the color fun with the Barnes family.  It was the best.  Harper, Huddy, Sol and Amon all love Josh, Melody, Jarred and Luke…Josh and I do too.  It was their first time, so we were able to show them the ropes.

And always…always take before and after pictures…clean and then doused in color.

I love all these smiles.  Seriously.

In the past, The Color Run, has used 4 different powdered colors.  I was a little disappointed this spring run they only did three with one liquid color.  Still fun, but we were still waiting for that fourth color.

Yellow.

Pink.

Let’s go ahead and discuss how awesome Amon did…covered in colored.  There were a few tears here and there, but the kid rocked his color well.

And blue.

Those lashes.  Those lashes.

And then the after party.  Everyone goes crazy with all their different colored individual bags of color.  The fun, crazy fun color covered after. #tonguetwister  I’m especially loven’ the very statuesque dude in the background with his pink and blue face and Hercules pose.  So funny.

I feel like if Amon could talk he would have said, “What the what Mom and Dad..this is redonk.”

Thanks Barnes’ for the best day…you guys rock and are far too much fun.  Until next year…

Happy Wednesday!

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October 15, 2013 By 10 Comments

Being On The Other Side

Saturday we participated in the American Heart Association’s Nashville Heart Walk.  I was surprised at how emotional I was.  I knew it was a big day…a day we had pushed to raise funds for…a day in which you guys helped raise funds for research…a day which held such deep importance to our family and Amon…a day which held a memory that will forever be in my mind and heart.

Last year I literally watched out Amon’s hospital room window as people walked to and from the heart walk.  I remember how badly I wanted to be out of the hospital…how badly I wanted Amon to be okay and ready to go home…how badly, so so badly I just wanted my mom.  And there we were, one year later, together as a family of 6 walking, participating and remembering together that Amon is a survivor.

I found myself tearing up at every corner.  Harper writing on the tribute wall…a big heart with Amon’s name in the middle.

Checking Amon into the survivor tent and realizing for the first time…he’s a survivor.  Watching the kids play in all the bounce houses and watching Amon eat banana after banana after banana.

Searching with Harper for the poster tent just so she could make an Ace of Hearts poster.

Watching Harper, Huddy and Sol fill out their tribute tags.

Mr. Kelley…Josh’s dad…Amon’s Big Daddy…Amon’s most favorite person in the world other than Josh, being there to support us and Amon…to celebrate with us.

Walking with my brother Chris, my sister-in-law Kim and my niece and nephews.  Walking with others who have traveled a similar road, but with our own stories and outcomes.  Walking with people who understand.  Receiving a hug from Courtney…her knowing how important this day was to our family.  Receiving a tight hug from Rebecca…a mom whose little boy has had multiple heart surgeries…knowing she understands my heart and how important research is.

Having those conversations where I realized Harper understands what this is about…how Amon will have to have another surgery, but maybe, just maybe, because of the money which was so generously given, when Amon needs the surgery they won’t have to cut him open next time.  Harper doesn’t want him to have two scars.

My sunglasses hid my tears well.  I had a hard time saying certain words, spelling Amon’s name to Huddy and Sol, giving hugs, watching all the people around us…hearing their words, reading their shirts, everything.  When we finally got home and the walk was through we sat with Amon.  He was tired and deliriously cute.  We soaked him up.

It was a really emotional day..being on the other side of a year ago and my heart was reminded of how people and families can travel similar roads, but come out in very different places.  How the outcome was not always what was prayed for or long for or desired.  How Amon is still here with us and so many others are not.  My heart is overwhelmed for those families.  I have so many questions for God, but He reminded me yet again of how blessed we are…how what an honor it is to be Amon’s mom, to watch his life unfold and how humbled I am to be a small part of it.  I have no idea why we are so blessed with this child…no clue…but I am incredibly and deeply thankful.

Thank you!  Thank you for giving to help further heart research.  Thank you for being kind and thoughtful and generous and loving.  With the deepest sincerity, thank you for giving in honor of Amon.  We far exceeded our goal because of you.  Just thank you…truly, truly, truly…thank you.

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October 14, 2013 By 2 Comments

So Long Fall Break

So bummed…so incredibly bummed.  Today Harper went back to school and it is officially the end of fall break…which we lived up.  When I was clued in about fall break…just a few days before it began…we immediately started scheming.  How much fun could we pack into a weeks worth of freedom…a lot I tell you, a lot.

I also promised Harper some girl time.  She’s a good kid.  She has a sweet heart.  And she lives for girl time.  It’s not easy being the only girl with 3 little brothers, but she wears it well and with more tolerance than I probably would.  I wanted to make sure I followed through and delivered.

Playing outside every single day.  Fall break held amazing weather.

Lunch outside almost every day as well.  High-5 on less crumbs under our table.

Lots of crafting and painting.

A playdate with a sweet, easy friend…collaborative fall mural, lunch at McDonalds and ice cream included.

The Heart Walk.  A whole other post coming on this event.  My heart almost burst and my sunglasses hid my tears well.

Smorgasbord lunches and dinners because who has time to plan what their cooking on fall break?!?  Not me.  Leftover pizza, black beans & chicken, broccoli and applesauce…it’s whats for random refrigerator finds dinner.

Sleepovers which included girl time and crafting and popsicles.

The circus…which was amazing and creepy all at the same time.  The glowing butterfly lady acrobats were her favorite.  When they did their super fast spin gig they released glitter…it was whimsical…and she was hooked.  Huddy’s favorite part was the tigers  and Sol’s favorite part was the dogs.  Yep…the dogs.

Oh and The Color Run.  What, what!  Third time it’s been to Nashville…third time we’ve rocked it out.  We’re addicted.  It’s officially a Kelley tradition.

And now we’re coming down off our fall break high and it’s a hard habit to quit…all that fun…ugh, we’re already jonenen for more.  Bring on Christmas.

Happy Monday!

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October 11, 2013 By 3 Comments

Photo Dump

I miss Ashley.  I got to see her for like 4 days straight and then she had to leave.  I don’t understand what the big deal is with just moving to Tennessee and snagging a house directly next door…or across the street would work too.  I feel this is not too much to ask…at all.

I’m getting after my running hard this month.  So far, so good.  I just wish it wasn’t so dang dark every morning.  We’re starting a trend with shadow pictures.

A shippish baby gift.  Come on baby Hutton.  Let’s get the show on the road.

Forgot to share the name of the local pumpkin patch we went to…Honey Suckle Hill Farm.  Hit them up.  We had a grand time.

He’s wild and crazy and drives me bonkers some days, but almost always is rockin’ a smile.  It’s quite the parenting conundrum.

Nashville’s Heart Walk is tomorrow morning.  I’m weepy…I don’t know why…yes, I do…I miss my mom and I just so wish she could have met Amon.  She would have been there tomorrow…without question, but excited to celebrate lives…Amon’s life…and help raise funds and awareness.

Oh, hey Josh and Melody…we like you guys.  The Kelley kids are quite smitten.

Another tooth gone.  The Tooth Fairy actually did her dang job in a timely manner this time.  Alarms were set and we received a reminder text.  The Tooth Fairy is a complicated mythical creature.  Who knew.  And yes…her lashes…I know…I wish they were mine…I’d like to lather them up with mascara.

He’s my sleeper.  Forever & Always.  And his hair makes my face sweat.  Sol is just being Sol.

Another photo for Amon’s Sleeping 2014 Calendar.  This started out as a game of peek-a-boo.  He would pull the blanket down and smile and laugh.  Then apparently he hid a little too long.  He kills me.  My fave…his sweet puffy hair.

Money and gift cards burn holes in Huddy’s pockets.  Josh took him to spend a bit of his birthday goodies and he came home with a new…wait for it…gun.  I was totally shocked.  I kid.  I wasn’t.  Guns are his new love language.  Should we be worried?!?!  Awwww, no way.  His heart is gigantic…big enough for guns and Jesus.

And Harper and my niece Lyla did some crafting together this week.  Fall canvases…yes, please.  I just adore creative kids…their little minds and their thought process and watching them put their plan into action.  Love how their pieces turned out.

We’re ending our Fall Break with a bang.  We’ve got the circus and the Heart Walk and The Color Run all lined up for the weekend.  I think it’s going to be grand.  Have a good one.

Happy Friday.

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October 10, 2013 By 9 Comments

In Other News…

You may have noticed a trend in Amon’s clothing…or lack there of.  I would like to publicly admit Amon doesn’t wear clothing 87.3% of the time.  Consider evidence A,B,C & D…all taken on different days, but you would never know because, well, he’s only wearing a diaper.  It’s his uniform.

I suppose it’s a little on the 4th kid sad side, but really, it’s more on the genius side.  No clothing equals less laundry for me.  And that means we save money on clothes and detergent…which, by the way, I’m so happy I’m not alone in my hatred for the crazy large leaking container of laundry detergent.  Thanks for making me feel less alone and angry.  And Amon does have clothes…I was kidding about saving money on clothing…before I get a hateful email 🙂

When we go out in public, I do put clothes on him.  You’re welcome Public.  I try to keep us Kelleys some what presentable when out doing our biz.  And I would also like to publicly thank Target, which is surely to be the shopping choice of Jesus, for their adorable polka dot Up & Up brand of diapers.  You clothe my child.  I would be a fab endorser for Target.  Cough, cough.  Target, are you out there?  Did you hear me?

So that’t it.  I feel better.  I think you regulars already knew the truth since he’s not dressed in pictures…like a lot.  Any other parents out there who claim their unclothed babies with pride?  We should unite.

Happy Thursday!

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