Archives for April 2015

April 20, 2015 By 1 Comment

Case Of The Mondays

Some days just find me a bit off.  Especially those days which go nothing like I planned.  With a family of 7 you can imagine how sickness just kind of meanders its way through out us.  It’s redonkulous.  So days are a little slower and have to be re-worked and re-scheduled and re-figured out.  Sigh.  I’d planned on blogging much earlier today, but hey, 10pm will have to do.

Saturday was April’s Bible journaling class.  I really love these classes.  I don’t know if people are really learning anything or not, but people keep showing up and I keep having so much fun and as long as people show up we’re going to keep raising money to do good together.

Because of this month’s class we’re going to be able to put together a lot of welcoming baskets for ladies entering the Magdalene Houses.  So excited.  And the next class will be Saturday, May 16th from 1-4.  I will post more information this week, but if you would like a spot(s) just send me a message and let me know if you’d like to join us.

Josh Kelley and I had a rare big kids only date Sunday morning at Legofest.  You guys!!!!  I thought Hudson was going to die.  They all love Legos, but Hudson, well he’s out master builder.  He needs no plans.  No instruction manual to follow.  Just give him a tub of Legos and let his little mind and hands go to work.  We all had such a good time and everything was made of Legos and it was so fun being with just the big 3.  They are like the vintage Kelley kids.

I’ve been trying to wrap up orders and I’m still pressing on.  I have been taking little breaks here and there to make some new small canvases.  People have been asking about pricing and honestly, I just don’t know yet.  I’ve actually made quite a few, but I keep finding them appropriate homes.  So I have no idea if I will sell some or not.  Right now I’m just enjoying making them.  We shall see.

And earlier today I watched Gary Haugen president of the International Justice Mission give his TED talk and then for the rest of the day my mind just continued to think about it.  I found myself tearing up randomly.  Truth and facts and compassion and violence.  Please watch.  He just nails it.

 Now to pack some lunches and fold some clothes before hitting the hay.

Peace out Monday.

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April 17, 2015 By 1 Comment

And Then We Got Ants

We always get ants.  Always.  You can bet with the very first warm rainy day of spring the ants will come marching into our house.  And I’m always ready with my Terro…all thanks to The Great Ant Bebacle of 2012.  Since then Terro and I have been ant killing BFFs.  So the ants showed up and I happily cut that first Terro packet open…like opening ant season.  What usually follows is a swarm of ants.  You just watch them eat what’s really their yummy death and take it back and pass it around to all their young impressionable friends, but this time only like 3 ants showed up the the Terro party.  Then our current littlest picked up the trap and dumped out every last bit of sticky ant death goodness all over our bathroom floor.  It was everywhere.  Everywhere.  I picked her up, closed the bathroom door and decided to clean it up when I had time.  When I revisited the bathroom a mere 30 minutes later, THEY WERE EVERYWHERE.  Like a swarm.  Of Ants.  Everywhere.  They were gathered around each and every big and small drop of Terro like animals gathered at a watering hole.  This is but a tiny sampling of our ant visitors.  And I just let them all feast…all day long…and by night fall they were all gone and surely dead.  Terro, I puffy heart you.

Then I made cookies to celebrate their tiny ant deaths…or maybe I just made cookies for the sake of making cookies…and because I have some sweet ladies coming to our house tomorrow for Bible journaling class and what kind of decent human being would I be if I didn’t offer them a chocolate chip cookie?!?!?  Hello.  And just make this pie…just do it…don’t argue or ask questions…just make it…and then savor every last little bite.  And maybe just go ahead and make 8 because what on Earth are you really going to do with a quart of buttermilk anyways?!?!?

Our lilac bush is in full on awesomeness state.  Watermelon has been purchased for the second time in 2 weeks.  And we’re eating outside more and more.  This can only mean spring is officially here and summer is on it’s merry way.

Please note Hudson’s rind…he clearly hates watermelon.

This is the photo version of Amon doing his bear roar.  He’s hilarious.  And loves bears.  The end.

This is Amon currently…

Yep.  Down for the count.  Sick as a bear.  Fever and on a regular puking schedule.  Hey there puke bowl…you’ve been good to us all these years.  Thanks for taking the brunt of it all.

And work.  You guys, I am so close to being caught up.  So close.  Baby sets and key fob sets and dish towels and name pillows.  Thank you!!!  Thank you for your orders.  It’s a joy for me to make and create for you!!!  You are awesome!

Hope your weekend is stellar!

Happy Friday.

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April 16, 2015 By 1 Comment

Swirling Heart & Head

I feel like my heart and head are in a perpetual swirling motion.  There’s no stopping Jesus from coming right in and gently reminding me, yet again, He wants it all…not bits and pieces, but all of it…everything.  This keeps me swirling and thinking and hashing out and debriefing and changing all the time.  And each time I land again right where I landed last time and the time before that and the time before that…loving Him and loving others…and how can these concepts absolutely consume and eat my life right up in the best kind of way.  And the swirly heart and mind keep moving.  Sigh.

It’s hard to make sense of a lot these days and people are wreaking havoc on our hearts and problems with our county and state press in hard on my heart and make me wonder if things can really be fixed.  Things like affordable housing which seems to affect just about every one and every thing and people we hold dear.  So many unanswered questions you think will never be solved.  The problems just grow, but I long to be apart of the solution.  I dare to wonder and ask God to use me…use our family.  And when you dare to ask, sometimes He dares to answer.

And so Thursday finds me at a bit of a loss.  It finds me just unsure about most everything.  I’m thankfully nearing the end of Romans.  It has not been my favorite.  I have deemed myself unfit for Romans 🙂  It has been tough to understand for my brain.  I’ve been reading multiple translations to try and grasp exactly what Paul is saying.  The last few days though God has linked His words directly to my heart and made me see I actually might like Romans after all.

From the Message Romans 9:

I‘ll call the nobodies and make them somebodies;

I’ll call the unloved and make them beloved.

In the place where they yelled out, “You’re nobody” they’re calling you “God’s living children.”

And then in Chapter 11:

Be convinced of God’s grace and purpose in choosing you.

Be humbly mindful of the Root that keeps you lithe and green.

I had to look up the word lithe…I’d never heard that word before.

lithe 1: easily bent or flexed  2: characterized by easy flexibility and grace

In the midst of just feeling at a complete loss…like there’s nothing I can really do…like I just don’t know what to do, I want to remember we are all somebodies to Jesus…and not only somebodies, but really special, uniquely created in His image children of God.  We matter and have purpose and grace in Him.  He gives us life.  He gives us worth.  He wants the glory…because no matter how much we think our story is ours…it’s really His.

So I dare to continue to ask Him to use me.  To make me a somebody.  To be convinced of His grace and purpose in choosing me.  And to be humbly mindful that He keeps me alive…He gives me purpose…The Root which keeps me easily bent towards Him and characterized by flexibility and grace.

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April 14, 2015 By Leave a Comment

He Has Overcome

The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy

John 16:16-33

16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”  17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”

31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Here’s to a Tuesday full of His promises.

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April 13, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Baked Beans & Funfetti &…

I could hardly wait for the weekend to come to a close so I could happily report 2 things: 1) People actually ate my baked beans…technically they are my Aunt Tootsie’s since it’s her recipe, but only one spoonful remained and I was pretty happy about that.  Maybe I’ll try my hand at super intimidating kitchen items like baked beans more often. Who knows, maybe this weekend I’ll tackle mac n cheese.  Things might get crazy.  And 2) You guys, I actually made Harper’s class birthday treat this time around.  Like I actually made it.  She went with old school boxed Funfetti cupcakes and canned icing…girl is on it!!!  And now let’s all take a moment of silence to pray I actually remember to deliver them at lunch time tomorrow.  Who wants to call and remind me?!?!?

Sidenote:  Harper got this little pillow craft from a cousin for her birthday and she’s addicted.  She keeps taking all the fabric pieces out and redoing the entire thing.  If you have a crafty kid, I totally recommend Plush Crafts. 

I think I forgot to tell you, but I tried my first macaroon at Hope Spoken.  And then I died.  I might have eaten 211 chocolate macaroons because they are like heaven/brownie/cake/I really can’t decide the texture, but I want to marry it.  Now I need to learn how to make them asap.

The lady in the background is obviously stashing away macaroons for later…or maybe looking for lipgloss…I’d be stashing away macaroons.

Sometimes I set up our kid’s toys in funny positions and wait to see how they react.  Amon busted into loud laughter and lots of “Look momma look”s.  I mean, come on, it’s a bear on a lego car!

When you’ve been saving your money the final decision is hard.  And time consuming.  And patience inducing.  And I like to stand directly by the little self scanner machine and then they all just report back to me with their items they need price checked.  And then the person behind us at check out is always a bit perturbed when they realize we’re doing 4 separate checkouts.  Eeeeeek.

I didn’t know I had calico cat hair, but according to Harper I do.  And she clearly wants me to be more stylish…hello dress and fancy high heels.  My “have hope” dress does however slay me into a 1000 pieces.

   And these little canvases could easily become a consuming pastime.  I’m thinking about making some up to sell.  Just give me all the colors of the world.  Any particular wording you would be interested in seeing?!?!?

Hope your Monday is off to a grand start.  Each day has the potential to be crazy good.  Here’s to a week full of them.

Happy Monday!

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April 10, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Friday You’re Lookin’ Fine

I get so excited for Fridays.  Josh Kelley and the kids do too, so this just adds to my excitement.  Amon, littlest and I have accomplished a lot today…like grocery shopping and having intense conversations about a movie starring Jesus and a bear Amon insists is a real thing.  He’s pretty obsessed with bears.

Also I am beaming with pride because I made my first ever pan of baked beans.  You guys, this is huge for me.  Cooking and myself don’t typically get along too well and I haven’t actually tried the beans yet, so I’ll have to report back, but they are made and I am proud.  Our You & Me Forever book study group take turns preparing food and hosting each week.  It’s our week and Josh and I decided to go with a BBQ nacho bar.  Hello!  Right?!?!?!  I might be crazy excited about this.  I mean, BBQ, tortilla chips, baked beans, queso, jalapeños…right on!

This is where I will admit I took a picture of our kitchen drawer which stores baggies, plastic wrap, tin foil, etc because when you are semi OCD and the stars align just right for all your items to fit in just perfectly you do the quirky things which make you…you…like taking a picture of an organized drawer that made your heart sing.

Today is National Siblings Day!  Ask me how I know this.  Well, about a year ago I mentioned in passing this fun holiday and Hudson Kelley has not let go of the thought yet.  He has asked periodically over the past year when Siblings Day is.  So I looked it up and marked my calendar.  He’s been in full on anticipation and last night he asked if I could make cupcakes with money on top to celebrate the special day.  I told him no, but I would share the sugar cookie bars I made for Bible study group tonight.  We shook on it.

Speaking of sugar cookie bars…two recipes which are complete slam dunks: 1) Sugar Cookie Squares and 2) Sugar Cookie Bars.  Just go ahead and pick one, make it, share it and be happy.

Did I tell you Solomon dominated every Easter egg hunt he participated in?  Dude was on it.  Josh and I got so tickled at him hunting in our yard because once he filled his bucket he just stuffed them in his pockets and pants.  He was intense.

This morning before I even got out of bed I listened to Mumford & Son’s new song.  Gee.  They’re just a long time favorite.  Just listen and swoon away.

You’ve been wandering for days
How you felt me slip your mind
Leave behind your wanting ways
I want to learn to love and kind
Cause you were all I ever longed for

Oh my gaze, love you know I want to let it go
We will stand out at the wonder of it all
And I will hold you in
And I will hold you in

I haven’t worked on a baby set in a while so this was quite fun.  Loved making this up for a customer.

And I still have 4 spots open for my April Bible Journaling Class.  This class is next Saturday, the 18th.  All fees from the class will go towards purchasing items for welcome baskets for the sweet ladies of Thistle Farms at the Magdalene houses.  Shoot me a message if you are interested in joining us.

Hope you have a grand weekend.

Happy Friday!

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April 9, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Things That Might Make You Curse

1. Being in Target close to check out when a small child in your care poops their diaper and it commences to leak out the sides when you have zero…yes zero wipes and diapers in your possession.  What to do?  Buy wipes and diapers?  Do your best to clean the kiddo up with bathroom paper towels only to realize Target has exclusively hand dryers only and then contemplate the amount of take-out napkins you have in the glove box of your van?  Or let it leak away pretending like you had no clue, finish check out and head home?  I’ll let you think it over.

2.  Forgetting it was the day you told your daughter and your daughter’s teacher you would bring birthday cookies to her class at lunch to celebrate her birthday.  And only realizing you never even made the cookies nor remembered this birthday appointment until your daughter jumps in the van with a pretty disappointed look on her face.  Possible solution:  Text her teacher and gush about how bad you feel and how you would love to try again.  Then receive the sweetest reply where her teacher admits to a mom fail of her own.  Mothering is hard stuff…we need each other.

3.  Forgetting it was Spring picture day at school, but then remembering you’ve never bought one school picture of any of the Kelley kid’s in all their years of MDO, preschool and regular school so you save the mumbled curse word for a more appropriate matter and give yourself a little fist bump because you really didn’t screw up…yet again.

4.  When your newly 3-year-old talker looks you right in the face during a fake game of Mancala because he clearly doesn’t really know how to play and says, “Hey Mom!!!!  You cheated.”  Nah, just kidding, no cursing.  I just wanted an excuse to tell you Amon accused me of cheating.  It was the cutest thing ever.

5.  When you have to miss a really special night at Rescue One because your boys have a make-up baseball game and your hubs is a coach and there are three remaining children who need to be looked after.  Then God quickly reminds you He doesn’t need you and flat out, it’s not about you either.  So you suck your lip back in, ditch the pity party and enjoy some good little league baseball with the sweetest kids on the planet.  Sometimes I need to take a back row instead of insisting on being front row center.

And 6. When you book 7…read that 7…international flights with an amazing travel agent only to realize after you booked all the flights you never noticed, not once in all the 5000 reviews of these dang tickets, that you were returning on the wrong date.

This is where I will absolutely plug my new most recommended travel agent Jeff Lemmonds with Adoption Airfare.  Dude was the nicest and the kindest and got all our tickets together and for a cheaper price than I found anywhere else and then after repeatedly asking me to check tickets over and over and over again…I then approved the wrong dates…and then had to tell him I messed up!  Talk about cursing.  Geez.  I felt horrible and it was absolutely all my fault.  Every bit of it.  Even the wrong dates to begin with.

And do you know what Jeff did…well, he made me cry because he was the nicest and the kindest and the most gracious about it all and then fixed all our tickets with zero fees.  You guys, people like Jeff are rare and working with him was a pleasure.  Other than me approving international plane tickets a million times over which were for the wrong dates, it was a fantastic experience.  I clearly am not meant to lead a team to Swaziland and Jeff is a rockstar.  If you need some flights, save yourself a lot of hassle and just call Jeff!

Happy Thursday people!  Tomorrow is Friday and that is a very good thing!

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April 7, 2015 By 1 Comment

Currently…

Listening:  A little old school Of Monsters and Men.  My Head Is An Animal is one of my most favorite albums.

Eating:  Nothing.  Buuuuuuut, Chicken Enchilada Soup is in the crockpot for dinner tonight.  And I’m making Best Ever Buttermilk Pie for a special birthday guy and car rider line workers this week.  Sweets are my love language…forever and ever amen.

Drinking:  Water.  Always.

Wearing:  Oh geez.  Sweat pants and a tee.  Yesterday I might have worn the same tee I wore on Easter all day…and slept in all night…again.  Hey, it’s hard, busy times around these parts.  Changing clothes is a dang luxury.  If you ever see me out show me grace.

Wanting:  Apparently lots of people who are subscribers to my blog via email are not getting their email updates.  I don’t know why.  Honestly I’m just a little lost when it comes to my blog these days and would like a magic blog fairy to wave her magic wand and fix it all.  The fairy might be a dude too…I don’t know.  I can’t keep up.  I’m trying to figure out why it’s not sending the emails to subscribers.  Apologies for the glitchy situation.  In the mean time you can totally re-subscribe by using the “subscribe” button in the right side bar.  Just put in your email address and hit “SUBSCRIBE”.  ———>

Needing:  To do my Bible study.  Romans has been kicking my tale.  The struggle is real people.  I present Exhibit A…a text exchange between a friend and I.  I never saw the ups and downs of Romans coming.  And yes we do love us some good emoji usage.

Thinking:  Last week we finished up Chapter 4 in You and Me Forever and I cannot quit thinking about this entire chapter.  The whole thing, but these excerpts in particular:

Picture a nice house with a white picket fence and your happy family lounging inside.  Now imagine a full-scale war unfolding just a few blocks away.  Your friends and neighbors are fighting for their lives while you are remodeling your kitchen and hanging your new big screen TV.  You have contractors installing better windows so you can tune out all the noise.  It is a pretty pathetic picture, but it’s an appropriate comparison for the lives that so many Christian couples have chosen. They are ignoring Jesus’ mission in hopes of enjoying life.  Don’t fall for it.  Real life is found in the battle. pg96-97

So what’s the command?  Make disciples.  Our lives should revolve around these two words.  Whether as individuals or as couples, our mission is to make as many disciples as we can during our time on earth.  This takes priority over everything else…The command should dictate everything about your life: where you live, where you work, where you spend your money, how you spend your time-everything! pg98

We often hear the phrase “God first, family second” in church circles.  While we say it a lot, I don’t see how this phrase is actually impacting anyone.  Think about it.  What if you were to switch to a “family first” mentality?  What actions would really have to change? pg117

Enjoying:  Honestly, well, Josh Kelley and I introduced a little something called Whammy Eggs to his family egg hunt this year.  Every year each individual Kelley family fills a plastic bag full of eggs and then we let all the kiddos hunt at Josh’s parents house.

Josh Kelley Fun Fact #3:  He’s the youngest of 4…and everyone is married…and has all these kiddos…so his parents currently have 10 grandkids.

Anyways, this year as we were stuffing our eggs at home Josh suggested we put a burnt out candle in one of them.  And then it all went down hill.  Old banana slices leftover from breakfast…sure.  A popped balloon…why not.  Gravel…yep.  Empty candy wrappers…right on.  A hickory nut…ummmm, okay.  A nub of sidewalk chalk…yes.  Things might have gotten a little weird, but we could not stop cracking up.  And now, every time I think about the kids opening them and yelling “Oooooh an old banana.” or “Hey I got a popped balloon.” I just re-crack up all over again.  You have my permission to pin this…I mean…it’s pretty genius…evil genius…muhuhahahahahaha!

Happy Tuesday!

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