Archives for November 2013

November 15, 2013 By 10 Comments

Heavy On The Amon Pics

Today…randomness…I do it well.

Anyone else’s kids get dried toothpaste everywhere?  No?  Just us?  The boys are notorious for leaving dried toothpaste in our bathroom.  Recently Amon found some on the doors of our vanity.  And proceeded to lick it completely off.  #savedmecleaningtime

Amon and Lion have been BFFs since the hospital.  It is kind of the cutest thing ever.  He wraps his little arms around Lion’s neck so tightly.  I can’t get enough.

I love Amon’s banana shirt Ashley E turned me onto, but I have definitely decided it should say “I’m” instead.

She made us parents.  She was a tiny little baby thing.  I watched them hugging the other morning and all of a sudden I realized, more than ever before, time is flying.  Her long skinny legs now dangle to his knees.  It just isn’t right.

We don’t need a stroller anymore.  He walks so proudly by himself, sometimes holding onto my fingers.  He can wander with the best of them.

Thanksgiving is so close.  Crazy close.  Harper’s class is gearing up for their big pow-wow.  A family built pueblo was assigned.  We hot glued, we painted, we conquered.

Amon + a swivel chair + a bad fall + X-rays + broken bones + a long day = a crazy tired dude…who continues to sleep anywhere he pleases.

And I’ll leave you today with the world’s cutest kid in a bright red cast.  He’s feeling much better today and his broken little arm bones are on the mend.  And I’m resisting the urge to decorate his cast in Sharpie doodles.

Hope your weekend is crazy good.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , 10 Comments
November 14, 2013 By 12 Comments

The Contents From Under Our Stove

I’ve publicly professed my hatred for all things involved in cleaning our house.  I even admitted I have never…ever, ever, ever…in all our 8 years in our house…cleaned our baseboards.  So why on earth would I ever think to clean out from underneath our stove.  Are you kidding me?!?!?  The farthest thing from this “hates to clean” person’s mind.

So when the boys spent about 45 minutes yesterday trying to fish all kinds of treasures out from under our stove, I was slightly intrigued.  With each swipe of their bug net I found myself anticipating what they would haul out.  It was grossly wonderful and entertaining.

They even had a little system.  They would each take turns being the swiper.  At first they went solo with just the bug net and the other person commenting and cheering the other on when they brought out a pretzel M&M or booing when only a pile of dust bunnies was retrieved.  Then they had the grand idea to have the other person hold a flashlight so visibility was better.  Duh!

I would like to point out here that the boys felt mittens were necessary when cleaning out from under our stove.  This, however, did pose a problem for Sol when he found a penny and could not physically pick it up with his mitten fingers.

They made a pile of all their findings on the kitchen counter.  The most exciting moment was when Huddy brought out 4 green gum balls in one single swoop of the net.  There was cheering.  Then there was a full conversation between the two of them about whether or not they should eat the gumballs.  It was intense.  I advised to not.

So I know you are all on the edge of your seats…anticipating what all exactly the boys fished out from under our stove.  In the words of Huddy and Sol as they took their final inventory:

4 pieces of dust (some clearly more bigger than others), 1 penny, 1 piece of paper, 1 piece of flattened popcorn, 1 car, 1 army man, 1 dirty glitter pom pom, 1 plastic top, 1 blue bouncy ball, 1 pink nerd, 1 pretzel M&M, 1 plain M&M and 5 green gum balls (from The Great Green Gum Ball Explosion of June 2013.)

There you have it.  You can all rest a little easier tonight.  Here’s to little boys who are fun and make my days way more interesting…and to never, really cleaning out from under our stove.

Happy Thursday!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , 12 Comments
November 13, 2013 By 10 Comments

Carol

I met Carol in Africa.  She was actually there visiting her ‘daughter & son-in-law’ who are ground staff there in Swaziland. She is a beautiful woman full to the brim of life.  She has a personality you are drawn to like a flippin’ magnet.  She’s godly and bold and tells it like it is…honest and truthful…and hilariously funny.  She was poised and so lady like and yet fun and had a laugh that made me want to join in.  She believes in the older generations speaking life into the younger generations.  She called me things like baby, darling and honey in conversation.  She asked me questions and inquired about me.  She told me she was proud of me and I wanted to crawl over the van seats and sit in her lap and let her hug me.  Totally not creepy at all.  Somehow Mom came up and she said, “Oh baby, how’d she die so young?” and she confirmed with, “It’s hard without your momma.”  She asked to see pictures of my kids and I felt so drawn to the wisdom she spoke and the parts of her own story she shared.  I found myself hanging onto every single word.  She spoils her grandkids and confirmed what Mom had told me before…grandkids are just a different kind of love…and just maybe she loves them a little more than her own kids.  It’s a fierce love.  I loved her luggage and the small tribal animal key chains on her wool roller bag.  She wore cute clothes and was pretty much magical…like Mary Poppins, but a Mary Poppins who hugs and cries and laughs and lives life to the fullest and gets you into the Delta SkyMiles Club Lounge in the airport even though you don’t have any status.  Every person she spoke with would end up smiling or laughing…she was crazy friendly and it was contagious.  She travels the world and is hospitable and invests in people’s lives and loves bigger than life.  She talked about her grown kids and how you never stop worrying about them.  When she realized her grandbaby was not the little one crying on the playground nearby she said, “Praise Jesus.”  I’ve never met a woman more like my mom.  I told her casually in conversation that she reminded me of Mom and credited it more towards the fact that they both liked to walk a lot.  Lame.  I know.  What I wanted to tell her was all of this.  I wanted to absolutely sob my heart out and tell her how much I miss and long for my mom.  I wanted a giant, tight, bear hug.  I wanted a feeling that felt like Mom.  That’s what I really wanted.

How long did I know Carol…Momma C…oh, about 48 hours if not less and you know what, that was long enough to know what a special, God loving, people loving, tenderhearted woman she is.  I joked and told her I wanted to pick my family up and move right next door to her in Georgia.  I might have been serious, but if Carol ever reads this, we’ll just stick with it being a joke…I can’t go all creepy stalkerish on her just yet.

Carol, you gave me a sense of my Mom, so strong and true, that I haven’t felt in a long time.  You were the perfect ending to my trip.  And I may have written this and cried like a big baby just 2 rows in front of you on our plane while I fought with an old South African lady for a smigde of my arm rest.  Thank you for being the woman God has called you to be.  Thank you for believing in the investment of younger generations.  My heart was blessed by you.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 10 Comments
November 12, 2013 By 2 Comments

I Like Today

It’s quiet in our house…Amon is already asleep.  He fell asleep in the post office this morning while I stood in line.  If I had my phone with me I would have snagged another picture for the imaginary Amon’s Random Sleeping Through 2014 Calendar.  But alas, my phone sat in my car.  Oh well.  I did get all my happy mail shipped off…full of Swazi goodness.

It was raining this morning which canceled my run, but put me on the couch at 5:15am snuggling with Solomon.  He never gets up early…and he’s not much of a snuggler, so I was content with the change in plans.  Then it started snowing.  I watched as our kids gathered around our kitchen table to eat breakfast all together just like they do every morning and I felt a little extra blessed.

Amon and I went to the bank…the snow had stopped and fall broke through instead of winter.  I stopped in the bank parking lot because I just couldn’t not get a picture of God’s grand color palette disguised as fall.

I need to do laundry and have actually already folded and put away one load #winning, but there’s still more…a lot more…waiting on me.  Dirty, sweet blankies which I kind of adore in all their ragged glory, but are screaming for a wash.

I’m working on narrowing down our Kindness Advent for December.  I like to change things up a bit each year, but there are always favorites which hang around year after year.  Our December takes some planning, but it’s so very much worth it.

While flipping though my notebook I took to Swaziland with me I found this quote I had jotted down by Shauna Niequist from her book Cold Tangerines.  It stopped me in my tracks.  Such a good, good word.  I remember writing this down on the plane ride home from Ethiopia after meeting Amon for the very first time.

I’m thinking hard about our future and hope is on my heels.  Praying for the people and children of Swaziland and what our role as a family, mine as a blogger and everything in between could play in helping change the world…in big or small ways.  Like I said…hope…it’s on my heels…and it feels grand.

And before my littlest dude wakes, I’m going to nail some more things down…research a little more…maybe figure out what’s for dinner…and start some art.  My mind is full and I’m ready to start doing.  I like today.

Happy Tuesday!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , 2 Comments
November 11, 2013 By 5 Comments

Home

I’m still on full recovery from the time difference and a killer 16 hour non-stop flight from Johannesburg to Atlanta.  It was brutal on the way home.  By the time I landed in Nashville I did some math and I had been awake for 36 hours with about 2 hours sleep.  Crazy town people, crazy town.  Plus on the airplane I was in an intense arm rest battle with the old South African lady who sat next to me.  She did not want to share.  I was cracking up on more than one occasion during the long flight at her dedication and pushing abilities, plus her ability to ignore me.  It was intense.

The last few nights I’ve been asleep by 8pm.  That’s a freakin’ record right there.  I’ve been cashing in 9+ hour sleep nights…and yet I’m still exhausted.  How can this be.  It’s nice to be home though and of course I was over the moon to see Josh and the kids.  They’re my jam.

I’m happy to report that Josh did not cut Amon’s hair, but he did make him grow up some which I am completely unenthused about.  Amon now sits at the table like a big kid with his plate and large fork.  It’s redonkulous.  Amon’s redonkulous.  It’s just all redonkulous.

And he took the front part of Amon’s crib off too.  Geeze.  Right before I left Amon had gotten out of his crib and he continued in his escape route while I was away.  He’s so big…I mean, he’s sleeping on a real legit pillow.  I’m slightly mortified, but then over come by the cuteness of it all.

Josh also takes it upon himself to change all the things he really hates that I do to the house whenever I go on a trip.  This time he hid several of my favorite couch pillows and one of the old quilts I love in the top of our closet.  He also hid our owl cookie jar.  Did you gasp too?  What’s not to love about an owl cookie jar…especially when it’s holding cookies.  When confronted about the changes he made, he responded with, “I was just trying to make things easier on myself while you were away.”  In which I responded with, “Yeah because an owl cookie jar causes you all kinds of problems.”  Whatevs.  Can’t wait for him to get home from work today.  Pillows…check.  Quilt…check.  Owl cookie jar…check.  #thebattlecontinues

And now I’m getting down to business again.  Making changes and decisions and getting all for realz up in the Kelley house.  Setting back into our daily routine, but yet, thinking things won’t exactly remain the same for much longer.  It’s all complicated in our hearts and heads…we’re having lots of debriefings…lots.  And I’m going to get back down to the business of Saturday Sales as well…especially with Christmas around the corner.  I have lots of new ideas swirling around in my head…any canvases you’d guys be interested purchasing?  I’m all ears.

So here’s to a new week…here’s to a new day.  I think it’s going to be good.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , 5 Comments
November 7, 2013 By 8 Comments

Swazi From My Phone

A South African sunset for my birthday.  Kind of the perfect gift.

Rhinos and Cape Buffalo at our lunch stop…this is Africa.

They said it’s the world’s best ice cream bar and now that I have partaken, I most definitely concur.

Handmade candles.  Absolutely gorgeous and vibrant with color.  I wanted to take up residence.

Ginormous cabbages and the sweetest little carriers.

Joy.  It’s pure and beautiful.

Thankful for technology that has come to Swaziland in the form of solar powered water pumps.  Crazy amazing.

Lunch time cuties.

Handmade soap which is completely rad.  I bought several and I’m going to share a bar with you guys.  #swazigiveaway  Love the hands by the way…I want these in my house.

Silliness and laughter and smiles are most definitely cross cultural.

These kids are infectious…take up residence in your heart…completely invade…and it’s wondrous.

And the world’s most perfect placemats exist in Swaziland.  Who knew.  Handmade and outrageously gorgeous.  One of these may be in the Swazi giveaway too.  #rainbowloveforever  #gottashare

It’s been real.  I’m thankful and blessed.  Tonight I head back to Tennessee and the 5 people I adore most.  Swaziland, I’ll be back soon.

Happy Thursday!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , 8 Comments
November 6, 2013 By 3 Comments

Empowering & Self-Sustaining

Each day just gets better and better.  I take that back…they have all been equally amazing and incredible and humbling and it’s just a pure privilege to be here.  I wish I could stay much longer, but I’m also ready to see Josh and the kiddos.  It’s been a whirl wind of a trip and just as the other days, today floored me as well.

Today we visited other more developed care points.  And really it’s kind of crazy how God can use His people and their resources and move them in a certain direction, formulate a plan and then execute that plan.  These care points were all different and awesome in their own way.  There sat giant play grounds in the middle of Swaziland and schools and strawberry plants in a green house and solar powered water pumps and a church building and gardens because people cared and wanted to come along side their sisters and brothers in Christ…because they want to spread God’s love and build relationships.  It was incredible to see how God has plans and He’s going to fulfill those plans using His children to support one another.

We’ve been supporters of CHC and AIM, but honestly, the stakes have been raised with this trip.  I have seen these people…these families in action and I’m in awe.  All of the staff work their butts off to empower and love fearlessly the people and children of Swaziland.  I seriously cannot put into words how amazing it was to watch them in action…the care point coordinators, the drivers, the go-gos, the discipleship leaders & teachers and the ground staff coordinators.  It takes a lot of people, but they are certainly doing God’s work…and doing it well.

We were able to visit their farm today and I was totally impressed.  I had read quite a bit about it before the trip, but was personally very excited to see it in person.  Jumbo, AIM’s ground coordinator here in Swaziland, seriously blew my mind.  It was so much, much more than I ever imagined.  The farm is huge and awesome and everything Jumbo told us further reminded me what this whole thing is about.  Empowering and self-sustaining.  300,000 cabbages…now that’s a crap load of cabbages.  There is also maize and beans and rose geraniums.  This farm isn’t even three years old yet and it’s already self sustaining and providing 21 jobs to Swazis.  They feed the kids at the care point and families in the communities, they sell food and the oil from the rose geraniums plants.  I had never even heard of rose geraniums, but serious research and thought has gone into this.  So big, so awesome, so well thought out and planned…It was incredible.

Last night we got to hear from Julie who heads up Timbali Crafts.  She works with around 100 women who are go-gos or cooks from the care points.  They sew all sorts of beautiful bags and head bands and Christmas ornaments and kindle cases and zipper pouches and aprons and pillow covers and placemats and seriously, I bought a ton of gorgeous items.  And extra to share with you guys in a giveaway when I get back.

I loved hearing her talk and hearing her passion for these woman.  I love that she is working and be led by God to help give these woman opportunities to have a job…to be apart of a business and earn money and feel as if they have even more of a purpose.  She is helping empower these woman and it’s crazy beautiful.  Please check out their site and purchase…Christmas is coming…For realz.  And head over and like Timbali Crafts on Facebook and then tell your friends.  Gorgeous stuff made my gorgeous woman.

This is one of the things I love about this group…they’re trying to work themselves out of a job and spreading God’s love and His name while they’re at it.  They’re pouring into this nation of children and people.  They’re helping to provide jobs and modeling what a family should look like.  They’re helping meet needs and teaching skills and discipling and literally linking up arm and arm with the Swazi people.  I feel like I’m not even doing it justice…I feel like I’m falling so short in explaining the depth and magnitude and the beauty of it all.

I want to stay just a bit longer, but I’m also anxious to get home and unload the week…my thoughts and ideas and where God has my heart and all the what ifs and what nows.  What do I do now?  I don’t want this time to have been for nothing…I don’t want my heart to have gone unchanged or unscathed…I don’t want to not act.  I already text Josh and told him I’m ready to de-brief.  I hope he’s ready.

Happy Wednesday!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , 3 Comments
November 5, 2013 By 3 Comments

The Sweetest Feet

Today will be one for my life book.  One of those moments where Jesus came right down and sat beside me and said, “Listen up Laura.  Soak up every moment because this day is for your heart.  These moments are to remind you of me…me and the deep love I have for you and all My children.”

The kids here amaze me.  Just absolutely floor me.  They are gorgeous, smart children with infectious loud laughs and eyes that are ocean deep.

We spent the first part of the day just hanging with the kids…just playing and sitting and smiling and laughing. Then we filled bags with things like peanut butter and crackers, beef jerky, trail mix, Skittles, dum dum suckers, matchbox cars, bubbles wands, pencils and plastic gold medal necklaces.  I felt giddy and wild with excitement as I sat on the concrete floor apart of this assembly line of people who were filling these bags.  I was in charge of the gold medals and the matchbox cars.  I so wanted pictures, but there I sat filling bag after bag after bag.

We also colored wooden Christmas ornaments.  When planning for a trip like this you think you have all these “good” ideas, but then when you’re here…you’re actually with the kids…you realize your good ideas weren’t that grand after all.  The plan was for the kids to color these wooden Christmas ornaments and then return them to their sponsor church back in Tennessee, well that just wasn’t happening after we watched them pour into these ornaments.  Most of them were extremely precise with their coloring and after watching them, well, we just couldn’t take them away.  They were theirs.

We were able to do another home visit with one of the grandmothers, or go-gos, who cooks at the care point each day for the kids.  Her homestead was beautiful.  It was meticulous and she took great pride in it…as she absolutely should.  Gathered around her were all her grandchildren.  All I could think as I watched her engage with them and listened to part of her story was, “Her children arise and call her blessed.”  It was an honor to be able to visit with her at her home.  An honor.

And for the majority of the day we fitted and sized and gave away around 150 pairs of new shoes.  I wanted to cry and sob.  I wanted to wash every foot I held in my hands today.  I found myself thinking so hard about where all these feet had been…the miles they had traveled…the wear they had endured…the lives they’ve lived thus far.  How far beyond their years they should really be.  God sat there reminding me of how precious and amazing and special and uniquely designed and created each one of these children are.  How blessed and honored I was to be holding their feet in my hands.  How humbled I should be to even remotely be apart of giving them a new pair of shoes.  It was a moment I will never forget.  Engraved deep in my heart are these children’s feet.

An overwhelming day and my heart my explode.  Feeling just so crazy blessed to be here…to meet these children and people…the spend time with them…and begin the anticipation for what all God has in store.  It’s sure to be grand and I cannot wait…absolutely cannot wait to see what He’s going to do.

Happy Tuesday!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , 3 Comments
« Previous Page
Next Page »