Archives for May 2015

May 19, 2015 By 1 Comment

9 Things

1.  Tuesday is looking up people.  Our foster daughter’s case worker surprised Josh Kelley before 7am…again…but 1/2 of us were still asleep…all the ladies of the house…and I’m happy to report the ones who were awake were all wearing pants.  This is progress compared to LAST TIME.  I will gladly take progress 🙂

2.  In other fun Tuesday news, Josh and I have our first date night since the 1st of January tonight.  At the top of our “what to do for date night options” is drive thru Taco Bell and nap in the car.  If you see us parked in a parking lot, it’s likely we are not making out, but snoozing…let us be!

3.  Kelley kids have been on a bit of a downslide with the end of year chaos going full steam ahead.  No one wins the best sibling award lately.  They can fight hard that is for sure.  And then I find them congregated doing their thing again and I’m reminded they actually do really love each other.

4.  This picture can only mean one thing, and one thing only…Bunny’s Cake is in the house.  And there was lots of it.  Baked goods can change the world and eating a cold piece straight from the refrigerator can make your faith stronger in Jesus. #truestory

5.  I am super excited about a new project I’m going to be giving a whirl starting soon.  Josh Kelley and I are talking through details…it might be just a summer gig or it might  just stay forever.  Who knows!!!  All the details coming soon.

Spoiler Alert: It involves you & free art 🙂

6.  Harper reads to us every night before bed.  And it makes my heart want to burst and my eyes to leak a watery substance.  I’m a total hot mess lately.

7.  Harper and Amon got their summer cuts.  Harper just up and decided she wanted to cut all her hair off and, well, it’s her hair, so we let her do it.  This is the shortest Amon’s hair has ever been and immediately he grew and because extra spunky.  Hudson and Solomon are next on the list.  Summer means tons of sun and swimming and even less bathing than normal…and you all know what that means…so off with the hairs!!

8.  All the details for June’s Bible journaling class are coming tomorrow.  So excited for this class and cannot wait to see what God has in store!

9.  And if you are looking for a killer treadmill run this one is great.  I have a whole board of HIIT treadmill runs on Pinterest so I can change my runs up constantly…keeps things fun.  I did this one yesterday and was drenched and then continued to sweat even after my shower.  I hate/love when this happens.  Anyways, I wanted to pass it on.  So good.

See you tomorrow.

Happy Tuesday!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 1 Comment
May 18, 2015 By 3 Comments

Weekend Hightlight

Saturday was May’s Bible journaling class and it was so so much fun.  Super great group of ladies,  great conversation, honesty and laughter.  I loved it all.  I wanted to squeeze each one of them.  I miscounted our final total and we actually raised right at $600 dollars to bless an office of 60 state social workers here in Tennessee.  I am crazy excited about this.  We’re looking into prices for catering and gift cards and blue ink pens.  If you would like to donate blue ink pens, I would gladly accept.  I would not turn you down 🙂  I would love to give them all the blue ink pens of the world…such a simple request.  Can’t wait to see where we land in all our thoughts on how to make this amazing group of people feel special.

I became all re-smitten with THESE cookies as I got everything ready Saturday.  Then I had a little photo shoot with the plate of cookies because I couldn’t stop looking at them.  I told myself I wouldn’t eat any more cookies until after the class…and then I ate cookies anyways.  Sigh.  I’m kind of a lost cause people.

Two of the sweet ladies who came brought kettlecorn popcorn and macaroons.  I almost died.  Thank you so much Heather and Jenny!!  I will honestly tell you there were only 2 macaroons left by Sunday morning, but I did share…a little bit.

The next Bible journaling class will be Saturday June 6 from 1-4.  I will post all the details on Wednesday!

 

So excited to see what we do with next month’s money and what group of ladies will come together for the afternoon.

Happy Monday!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 3 Comments
May 15, 2015 By 15 Comments

Serious Cookie Business

Today I have a bunch of prep for tomorrow’s class and the first thing on my list was a little sweet treat.  Then after making the treat, I ate 7, text a friend and said she had to come get some cookies because they were THAT good, she came over, confirmed my tasty suspicion and then I knew I must report to you guys asap so you can make these as well and eat 7 too.  I can’t be alone in this people.

So here’s the cookie low down.  I found this sugar cookie recipe on Pinterest, but instead of flattening the cookies like the recipe suggest, I just cookie scooped them out and moved on.  I baked them for 10 minutes on parchment paper.  I’m kind of an all the time parchment paper user for my cookies, so there’s that.  I used the icing recipe she suggests in her comments.  Whenever I find a recipe on the internet I always, always read the comments…they typically provide helpful information.  So that’s where I found the icing recipe.  I actually doubled the dough recipe, but did not double the icing recipe.  Once I made the icing I put it in a microwave safe bowl and heated it up for 30 seconds.  I gave it a quick stir and started dipping the tops of all the cookies…every 3 cookies I stopped and sprinkled, then continued on.  Reheat the icing as necessary.

You must, I mean like you really must, make these right now and share because cookies make people smile.  I laughed so hard last night over dessert with a grieving friend about how we wanted a shirt that read “Sugar Heals”.  Ahhhhhh.  These are the healing kind of cookies.

Recap:

This cookie recipe.  Don’t flatten.  Use the icing recipe in the comments section (the vanilla frosting one).  Melt icing for 30 seconds.  Dip to tops of the cookies.  Every 3 cookies sprinkle or not, but you “or not” people are crazy.  Eat 7.  And share.

Happy Friday!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 15 Comments
May 13, 2015 By Leave a Comment

New Day…

Thank you for being so kind.  You just never know how you will be received or viewed or judged when you throw your willy nilly honest to goodness junk out there into the interwebs for anyone to read and yesterday I simply felt not alone.  Being kind is a choice…Thank you!

In other news, I’d like to report I purchased Hudson and Solomon new shoes.  This was a big deal because it was not easy getting a certain toddler boy out of the house…he’s just still feeling like poop, but the shoe saga had gotten worse…multiple holes were discovered in the bottom of said too, too small shoes and I just thought “Today is the day” like some grand explorer about to set sail for new land, but a mom shoe shopping.  I did make it quick and almost painless.  Now let’s all take a moment and say a deep, meaningful and chocked full of faith prayer the shoes will fit their new owners.

In even bigger news the most fun package in all the land showed up at our house Monday afternoon.  I check our mail before heading to the car rider line each afternoon and you should have seen me ripping this package open with my teeth and then crying from the kindest note too.  I was a goner.  And yes, that is an entire container of Toffix candy.  My friend Ashley found them…they are from Turkey!!!!  Whaaaattttt!!!!  And then we all talked and talked about how kind Ms. Ashley was as we ate taffy after taffy after taffy.  She’s grand.

I heard rave reviews about THIS cookie recipe and now I’ve just got to try it out.  I think the ladies at Saturday’s Bible journaling class might be the perfect guinea pigs.

I started a new project yesterday and I am pretty dang excited to see the end result.  I’ll report back.

 This has been my pretty consistent lunch except when Kroger ran out of broccoli salad and I thought I would surely die.  Today I added eggs and salsa with the mustard.  I know, I know…what on Earth?!?!?  Weird is good people.

Anyone else have their summer countdown going on???  We are all in.  The wee Kelleys, which are not so wee anymore, are in their final days.  Every morning another day gets marked off and the wave pool opens in T-minus 12 days.  Summer is upon us.

Sidenote:  That’s Princess Leia.

He’s watched 431 movies since last Thursday.  Making a toddler “take it easy” is not for the faint of heart.  Geez.

And this is on repeat in my brain and my heart.  I’m an out loud prayer and reader and now Amon just says, “You talkin’ to Jesus??”  Yes, yes buddy.

New days are good.  Happy Wednesday!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Leave a Comment
May 12, 2015 By 5 Comments

…with love in a spirit of gentleness

I just couldn’t get myself here yesterday due to the craziness of life and the overwhelmingness of just wanting to report on how dysfunctional I can be.  It’s so true.  Lately tensions are high around here, tempers are hot and fuses are way way too short.  It seems like were all ticked off at the world and each other and none of us are doing much right.  Since Amon’s surgery last Thursday he has slept terrible and I’m running on a good 4-5 hours of sleep each night and last night was the night of all nights…up every hour.  This morning I wasn’t sure if anyone slept at all.  The boy is just not recovering as well and as quickly as we had thought and dude is straight up out of pain meds…the good kind too…the kind they have to scan your driver’s license for.

Sporting events at close timeframes and a momma who did not have one of them on her calendar and realized approximately 1 hour before game time made for a wild afternoon and added to our not-so-great-night as well.  We ate dinner at the concession stands and today I ate popcorn for lunch.  And not just any popcorn, but what was suppose to be a little special something for a friend.  I am the gift eater.  I stared at a block of cheese, a carton of blueberries and some turkey slices for far too long today thinking “Can it really be time for them to eat again???”  This is us right now.  We’re a hot mess.  We’re all over the place.  We are not loving well and I am the ring leader of it all.

Last night after arriving home from the ballpark, way past everyone’s bedtimes, Hudson crawled into my lap all teary eyed and said, “This just hasn’t been our best day.”  And I agreed.  It had not.  It had not been our best past week and a half…a mixture of high highs and low lows.  I told him I was thankful morning was coming and we got another chance…His mercies are new every morning.  God’s grace doesn’t run out.  And even though our night was hellish in the sleep department and I said curse words in the dark the morning came.  I was immediately pissed and angry, but I saw mercy in Josh Kelley.  He held his temper with tired eyes, fixed breakfasts, changed a diaper, helped Amon potty, got kids rolling with their day, helped find school clothes, created opportunities for praise and encouraged kiddos who already needed pick me ups.  And I watched.  And God used him to diminish my selfish anger.

I’m still tired.  I’m still working on my short fuse.  And I did still eat someone else’s popcorn for lunch, but we’re getting there.  I took extra time reading my Bible today because I needed it.  I read extra and then reread a few past chapters.  I’m so glad I did.

“Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?”

I have been anything but loving lately and my spirit has been the opposite of gentle…mean, harsh, unapproachable, selfish, angry.  I needed to be reminded of the state of my spirit…I needed a reminder of how I need to be an imitator of Christ…His love and grace and mercy and gentleness.  Crazy thankful His grace truly does not run out.

Here’s to a better day tomorrow.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , 5 Comments
May 8, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Friday, Lets Make Out

No matter what kind of week we’ve had around here it seems like Friday always brings a bit of redemption.  Sigh.  It’s been a week of crazy highs and crazy lows around the Kelley house.  And I humbly type out a whole slew of random items yet again.  I need to ask my friends if I am indeed this random in person as well.

Next Saturday is the May Bible Journaling class.  I am crazy excited.  This month’s fees will be headed to bless an office of 60 social workers.  Social workers are over worked and often not thanked near enough.  We’re going to take the class funds and bless them a little bit.  I hear they always need blue ink pens…which kind of cracked me up.  I cannot wait to see how much we raise and how it will be put to use to encourage and spur on some hard working people!!!  If you want to join the class I still have spots available so shoot me a message HERE.

This week was Teacher Appreciation Week.  I love this week.  I was once a teacher and although it’s been a while since I had my own classroom full of littles I remember how hard I worked and how much love I poured into my classroom and students.  I also remember how it was all too often a job which did not receive near the appreciation it so deserved and I also remember the parents who did shower me with love and I want to be one of those!!!  We hit the teacher jackpot this year, so it’s such an honor and privilege to love on our teachers a little extra on weeks like this and creativity and color are two of love languages…I decided to pass it along.  We love our teachers!!

At a meeting for our foster daughter this week one of the ladies who was there kept giving me these soft chewy candies for her.  After sharing one with her I then started pocketing these sweet savory treats and hoping this lady would never leave our meeting.  They are so good.  And I have no idea what they are or where you get them, but I kept some of the wrappers to hunt them down.  If you buy some just hide them away and eat them alone in your closet.  It’s okay.  I give you permission.

**UPDATE ON TOFFIX** I just found this because I can’t quit thinking about them.  And I watched it 10 times…and it solved everything 🙂

Speaking of our current littlest…she insisted on sitting in this tiny box top and while I was snapping pictures for her momma she toppled.  Every time I look at it I crack up all over again.

And speaking of our current littlest’s momma…Mother’s Day is Sunday and every year this day changes and twists and morphs into something completely different than the last.  So many ladies to honor and remember and celebrate and encourage…our foster daughter’s mom is at the top of this list.  We think it’s important for her to know she is celebrated even though it looks differently than last year.  We think it’s important she knows we love and recognize her for all she is and is going to be.  We think it’s important for her to know we’re here, we support her and we love her whole family.  Every year this day just knocks my socks off…every year God asks for it to be a little something more…a little something different…and I truly love that.

(I had to blur out her name)

I had the privilege of doing several Mother’s Day orders.  I’m kind of a big gushy fool over husbands who contact me to surprise their wives.  This 12×12 was one of my favorites.  Maybe because they are our friends or maybe because, just give me all the colors of the world.  I’m not ruining any surprises either…this gift has already been given.  I’ll keep the other’s under wraps.

Amon had a very minor outpatient surgery this week.  He’s resting and recovering pretty decently for a wildly active 3-year-old.  I wasn’t much worried except for anesthesia stuff because he’s got a pesky leaky valve which can cause anesthesia problems.  Everything went fine, but I was quite taken back with all the kind and thorough doctors and nurses who checked and rechecked and checked again that sweet little heart of his.  Made me a bit teary.

And lastly, last night we got to celebrate this girl!  You guys, God knew I needed her in my life.  He just knew it.  Again with the teacher love, but I adore Harper’s art teacher (she’s Hudson & Solomon’s too).  They do the most awesome art projects varying in a million different mediums.  Our school is just awesome!!!  Anyways, one of her art pieces was chosen for the Mayor’s Art show at the Frist Musuem and I probably cried 5000 times while walking through the museum last night.  They had a whole gallery area of all the kids artwork and then a little reception with cookies and lemonade and our mayor.  I loved watching all those kiddos and their loved ones looking and talking and being all proud and supportive of each other.  Then they made me really cry when they called each art teacher up on stage.  Then they really really made me cry when they called all the kids up.  Art and kids and amazing public schools doing all the good, hard work…caring and creating and pouring into kiddos…no one could save me…I was a goner.  These are my people and I could barely muster out words without being a big cry baby.  It was grand.

I’m all teary from just typing that last part.  I need help!  Send cookies.

Happy Friday!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Leave a Comment
May 6, 2015 By 2 Comments

Really Really Important Things

Well the most important of the important things to start us off…you guys, I ate a multi vitamin yesterday.  It was a woman’s gummy…and I gagged.  My cousin Rebecca loves them and says I’ll learn to love them too, but it made me gag…multiple times as I chewed it.  A gummy vitamin!!!!  Today I am going to just swallow it whole.  Gagging averted.

I know May the 4th was Star Wars Day, but maybe more importantly than it being Star Wars Day it was also Mumford & Sons release day for Wilder Mind.  Oh man, oh man.  It’s good.  Real good.  I ran my heart out yesterday morning to their sweet new sound accompanying me the whole time.  It was magical.

Also, yesterday was National Cookie Dough Day.  Nah.  But it should have been because I was a cookie making machine for teacher appreciation and self appreciation.  I ate spoonful after spoonful while patting myself on the back.  Good times.

We had chili yesterday for dinner and it’s in the 70s around these parts.  Send help.  #stuckinadinnerrut

Amon said he needed to potty.  Then proceeded with “I do it myself.  You stay!” Raising his hand like a crossing guard to halt me from leaving the table.  He also told me after school, “Look at my picture.  It’s cool.”  Whaaaattt?!?!?!  He can’t tell me things are cool…he doesn’t even know what cool is.  And he’s getting a haircut Friday.  He has the finest hair in all the land and needs regular visits to get it cut because it grows fast and wild and large.

Do any of you mother’s out there never realize your kids have out grown their shoes because they put their own shoes on and then one day realize they have waaaaaayyyy out grown their shoes, but are still cramming their feet in said shoes?!?!?!  Yeah, me neither.  But if this ever did happen and I found these shoes at Target and actually remembered what size shoes the boys wore I would totally buy them and end this shoe saga.  Shoe saga continues…

I love how Pinterest recommends pins for you now.  They usually pretty much nail what I’m looking for…desserts or HIIT treadmill runs…kind of an oxymoron…but the other day they recommended a “Gentle 1st Postpartum Workout”…I even wrote it down for accuracy and then I laughed.

I have officially unofficially purchased 83 bags of this stuff.  If you know me at all I will eventually gift you with this.  I want to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Clearly I have nothing whatsoever resembling a popcorn problem.

And I’ll leave you with this…Josh Kelley trying to figure out how to knit…to show Harper…because I couldn’t get past step one…and now we’re sending her off to her grandmother’s house because Nene actually knows how to knit and we might have wanted to punch the knitting kit in the face. #thankscourtney

Happy Wednesday!

Filed Under: Uncategorized 2 Comments
May 5, 2015 By 8 Comments

Welcome Baskets

Each month I host a Bible journaling class in our home.  Each lady pays a $50 fee and I teach a 3 hour class on how I Bible journal along with all my tips and techniques.  It’s easily one of the top highlights of each month for me.  I cannot even begin to explain how much I enjoy teaching the class and meeting all the ladies.  It’s a joy.

The money collected from the class goes towards doing some kind of good.  The money collected for April’s class went towards purchasing all the items needed to create welcome baskets for new ladies entering the Magdalene homes.  “Magdalene is a residential program for women who have survived lives of prostitution, trafficking, addiction and life on the streets.”  When I asked about a need at Thistle Farms they said they always need welcome baskets for ladies entering the program.  I did some emailing and got an amazing list and we added a few things here and there.

We did all our shopping this past weekend.  It was really important to us that our kiddos go with us. All 5!  We talked previously about this opportunity, but before going in to shop we talked again about what we were doing and why.  We want them to understand love and kindness and generosity and totally believe one of the greatest ways for them to know these things is to actually do them.

Whenever we purchase items to give away we make sure they are items we would want to receive or use ourselves.  Same goes for even our used donated items, if they are already trashed we don’t donate them, we throw them away.  We want to give items with care and love…we want to give our best.

Before we went on our big shopping trip all together, I did the prep work.  I wrote out our list and then priced each item in the store.  Josh Kelley and I talked about the number of baskets we wanted to do with the $700 collected and ended up settling on 7 baskets fully stocked with good, quality items averaging around $100 per basket.  Trust me, I like a good deal and am not a big spender and I did my foot work, but I also wanted these baskets to feel special and created with love and great care.  I imagined actually giving them to the ladies ourselves and how I would want them to feel upon receiving them.

Then we shopped.  Everyone loved helping.  Each kiddo did their part and Amon used Target’s bathroom approximately 4 times 🙂  Harper had the most fun because she’s just her and older and visual…her favorite part was picking out the towels and washcloths.  I wanted to just squeeze her as she picked towels and then matched them up with color coordinating wash cloths.  Be still my OCD, color loving heart.

When we got home all the boys headed outside to play baseball, but Harper could not wait to assemble the baskets.  She laid them all out in a row and assembly began.

One by one, she and I added each item and when we finished we were bummed it was over.

Here was our final list: sturdy laundry basket, new pillow, chocolate bar (duh!), healthy snack, bath towel, wash cloth, stationary, stamps, toothbrush, $20 Target gift card, soap, pack of razors, deodorant, shave gel, toothpaste, bath sponge, face wipes, lotion, shampoo and conditioner.

This was fun!  This was easy!  This is something we can do with family and friends to make a difference in our community and in the lives of those around us.

I wanted to thank all the ladies who came to April’s class and gave their money to help make these awesome baskets happen.  You amaze me!  Thank you for being willing to give and for giving generously.  I cannot wait to see what God has in store for May’s class.

Happy Tuesday!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 8 Comments
« Previous Page
Next Page »