Archives for February 2016

February 11, 2016 By 2 Comments

Alas!

We’re on snow day #4 of the week and we have zero snow.  Tennessee can get a little harry and confusing in the winter time.  Valentines are all ready for tomorrow because we are oh so hopeful and I have 3 semi big kids who are crazy excited about Valentines activities with their classmates.

Our printer was a game changer in the valentine box decorating/creating this year.  Hudson and Solomon just picked random Star Wars and Lego images, we printed them and then they cut and taped.  They also hot glued actual lego pieces to their boxes.  This was Hudson’s idea which he and Solomon both thought was pure genius.  I obliged.  Another game changer this year…Harper.  She was on her A-Big Sister game with the helping of distribution and she also filled out all of Amon’s and our littlest’ valentines for their classmates.  We would have all surely perished over this long snow week without Harper.

I love to dote on our teachers for all occasions and even no occasion at all.  They’re really in the thick of it this year with testing and all those precious little humans who can and are on so many varying levels.  They love them well and I like to try and love our teachers well.  Target + Chocolate = Love…am I right?!?!?

Last night I spent about 2 hours fixing our littlest’s hair.  I was trying a new do which was completely new to me.  I’m use to short boy hair or hair that is similar to my own.  For Solomon’s hair we usually hit it with some coconut oil and he’s out the door.  Amon’s and Harper’s doesn’t need a thing.  Hudson’s need a good combing because he seriously has like a quadruple crown plus a double cowlick…hahahaha.  I’m learning more and more about our littlest’s hair.  I want to make her mama proud and care for it how it needs to be cared for.  As I walked her out to the car this morning for her visitation I was nervous…I’m still learning you know?!?!?!  My day was absolutely made when I received an unprompted text from her mom with heart eye emojis about her hair.  Seriously you guys!!!  I could have cried.  I now have approximately 3 hair dos for her in my belt…2 of which are puffs and just natural with a bow…so make that actually 1.  If anyone has a good one for me to try send it my way.

February’s Bible journaling class still has 3 spots available.  Class is Saturday, February 27th at 1pm.  You can read all about the class HERE.  Let me know if you want to grab a spot or 2…or 8 🙂

I’ve been asking God for some very specific things this year.  One of which is change.  Change in my heart.  Change about the sins I see in myself.  Change for the sins I don’t recognize in myself yet, but that I know are there and I want to see.  It’s scary for me to pray for change, but I know it’s much needed.  I’m in 1 John right now and man is the message loud and clear.  Sometimes these messages aren’t much “fun”.  No one likes seeing the yuck in themselves, but it’s just totally necessary.  I’m picking up what you’re laying down John.

I’m making THESE at some point today.  I just can’t quit them and I’m going to give heart shapes and a crazy amount of sprinkles a shot…the red, pink and white variety.

It feels like I’ve accomplished approximately 2 things this week 🙂  I’m still working on orders.  Trying to wrap them up quickly and not keep people waiting too long.  If you’d like to place an order just message me HERE.

And if you we’re on the fence about our Swaziland trip the time is officially now.  Let me know asap if you are wanting to join our team…this week is it!  I am super excited with the team we’ve got going, but would totally love to have you join us.  You can read about our past trips HERE.

Littles are stirring and cookies are in our near future.  I’m off.

Happy Thursday!

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February 9, 2016 By 3 Comments

C4C {Weekend Re-Cap)

This past weekend I attended Created For Care as one of the break out sessions.  I taught some of my Bible journaling class.  It feels like I’ve taught this class a million times at this point and yet, I still get all sweaty and nervous.  The weekend proved the same.  I went solo not knowing anyone except low and behold one of my cousins was there.  That was crazy nice to see a familiar face.  I took away several things:

A) Created For Care is a class act.  I had never heard of it until this year so I had no clue what to expect and I couldn’t have been more pleased.  The ladies who run this…WHO ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS…are kind and thoughtful and caring and oh my goodness do they put a crap ton of work into this event and it shows.  It was seriously just lovely.

B)  People are kind.  99.9% of feedback I heard from ladies over the weekend could not have been any kinder and encouraging.  Kind people are kind of the BEST!  You crazy ladies who read this insanely random blog written my an even more insane person couldn’t have been nicer.  Hearing from you made my heart freakin’ soar.  I love putting faces to names and handles in this age of the internet.  Thank you for grabbing me and saying hello.  You made my weekend.  I’m dead serious!

C)  Parenting is hard and guess what…everyone else thinks the same too.  Add adoption and foster care and waiting and loss and grief and special needs and kiddos who come from hard places and all the other big emotions which take up space in this realm and man oh man, isn’t it nice to know we are not in this gig alone.  I love hearing from other moms that I’m not the only momma out there struggling, I’m not the only momma out there making grand mistakes and I’m not the only momma just trying to stay afloat most days.

D)  All weekend this verse kept running through my brain from 2 Peter 1

19 We couldn’t be more sure of what we saw and heard—God’s glory, God’s voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You’ll do well to keep focusing on it. It’s the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. 

There are families out there on really hard and difficult journeys.  May God be our light in the darkness as we wait for daybreak.

And E)  I love ladies who are taking what they know…what they’ve learned from their journey and all their rights and wrongs…and who then pour into the ladies around them.  I love this community where comparison is shifted to the side and camaraderie takes front and center.  Ladies who just want to love on each other, listen and lift each other up.  It’s pretty damn good.

I am totally looking forward to March.  And the venders were awesome.  I’m going to touch on them another day when I can really share the details, but you all know I love a good purchase with purpose and I met some amazing women doing amazing things.

I arrived home Sunday afternoon, dropped off my bags and we all loaded up in the car to head to one of Josh Kelley’s brother’s house for a Super Bowl/birthday/Chinese New Year party.  My sister-in-law Becky is Chinese and throws a mean Chinese New Year party.  Things might have gotten a tad out of hand 🙂  We had quite a blast, the food was ridiculously good and she even taught us how to make pot stickers.  Whoa.

Yesterday rolled around quite early and there before us were two sick Kelley kids.  These are never good signs.

 Today was a snow day.  We kicked off a full on movie marathon promptly at 9am sharp.  Everyone picked their favorites.  We’ve snacked and lego-ed and played games and snacked and fought and laughed and snuggled.  Feels like we’re in recovery mode and deemed this day “lazy”.

And I am officially done with 2 Peter.  Every time I finish another book in the Bible I feel as if I should throw a party.  Me…a non Bible reader…pretty much a non reader of all books…reading another book of the Bible…it’s a miracle.  Seriously nothing short of Jesus.  2 Peter was fabulous.  I really liked it.  A lot of  goodness.

Happy Tuesday party people.  Hope your week is off to an awesome start.

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February 4, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Three Strands

I am always on the lookout for new ministries to partner with.  The world is so wide and big to just partner with one or two groups.  I don’t want to miss all the amazingness out there.  My eyes are peeled for passionate people letting God use their stories and their hands to bring Him glory.  Makes me all kinds of teary eyed.

I recently was introduced to a ministry called Three Strands.  As I read about this ministry I big giant lady baby cried.  Completely sobbing.  As an adoptive Mom I know the immeasurable value of birth mommas…they chose life for their children.  They made hard decisions no one ever wants to make and they chose life when they could have chosen another route.

As an adoptive family we hear a lot of words which are intended to be nice and kind and encouraging, but often make us feel uncomfortable.  A lot of times we are praised for our choice to adopt, when really, those amazing and incredible birth moms are the deserving ones for those words.  Without them our family would be missing two incredibly precious boys whom our family needed.  Most the time birth moms & birth dads walk away forgotten, left behind and lacking a support system to help them move forward and process what just happened in their lives.

Three Strands is moving to change this.  Their vision:

No BirthMom leaves the hospital without a community of support that will honor her choice, help her heal and equip her with resources that will launch her forward with great promise for the future.

A BirthMom is a brave, unsung hero who has made the courageous, selfless choice of choosing life for her child and making an adoption plan to give that child the best possible life at that point on her journey.  Three Strands is making a difference by focusing solely on serving BirthMoms in the critical post-placement state.

They also meet and deliver bags to these precious mommas while they are in the hospital.  They fill a large Land’s End tote with things like a Ralph Lauren sweatshirt, frame with footprint paper, disposable camera & gift card for developing, an “I am beautiful” necklace, Vera Bradley toiletries bag, Mary Kay shower kit, fuzzy socks, Bath & Body works 3 wick candle and a John Maxwell book “The Choice Is Yours.”  All of these items we’re chosen by other birth moms.  What an uniquely curated gift for a birth mom on such a hard day.

I was given a list of the things they needed right now…cameras, gift cards, fuzzy socks and candles.  And thanks to all the January Bible journaling classes we set to work.  I love telling our kids about these kinds of ministries and why they exist.  I love fielding their questions and seeing their minds turn and process.  I always want to encourage them to think from a different perspective than their own.  Harper was, as always, more into picking items than the boys.  She hand picked every single candle and smelled every single one as well…if they didn’t pass her smell approval they did not make it to the counter 🙂

I am crazy excited to meet their director this weekend.  I may have already sent her a gushing email proclaiming A) my craziness and B) my love for this ministry already.  I made it very clear I am indeed completely crazy, but that we wanted to help.

You can find Three Strands on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.  Please check them out, like their pages, tell your friends and join in on this amazing movement of supporting a brave community of birth moms who are so often forgotten.

Happy Thursday.

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February 3, 2016 By 2 Comments

Random Wednesday

On running:  I have been a runner for years.  I always say it’s like free therapy.  I mean, if I could A) afford and B) find the time to do therapy every week I totally would.  The therapy I do have under my belt was crazy good and helpful, but alas…monies & time.  So there’s running.  I love the physical and mental push, but sometimes I hate myself and this was one of those time.  THIS HIIT workout is insane and you will be dripping buckets of sweat.  Buckets.  Bump the 5.0 speed to 6.5 each time and you’ll cover well over 5.5 miles in your 45 minutes.

On Memphis:  Last Friday I headed to Memphis with a car load of Timbali and a cherry limeade in hand to teach a Bible journaling class.  It’s been a while since I’ve been alone in a car for that long.  I did things like think 🙂 and jam to music.  Josh Kelley’s truck console is pretty much a music time warp…Everclear, old school Kings of Leon, The Darkness and so many more.

Sidenote:  Well first I clearly have two different sized eyes.  Hahahahahaha.  And second, I ended up in stand still traffic for forever and that’s when I discovered they had given me a diet cherry limeade VS a regular cherry limeade.  Oh the humanity!!!!!!!!!!!  Diet drinks are not my friends.  Ever!  End side note.

It was such a great night.  My cousin Rebecca hosted and my other cousin Amy came too.  I met the sweetest kindest ladies in all the land.  Everyone was just so nice.  They ate snacks and bought up Timbali and asked Bible journaling questions.  I can’t say enough how much I love talking about this subject so I love hearing what other people are thinking as well.

Top 2 favorite moments:

1)  Saturday morning I woke up early and walked into the kitchen.  Brian (Bec’s husband) was up.  He said Rebecca was still asleep.  I made a bee line for their bedroom and crawled right up in bed with her and then we just chatted.  This reminded me of my mom.  Anyway time talks were going on in her home we were either all snuggled up in her bed or sitting around her table.

2)  My Aunt Janie lives next door to Rebecca and we went over in the morning for breakfast.  Again, Mom flooded my heart and mind.  Aunt Janie fixed breakfast and we all gathered around her little table chatting and eating away.  I stayed a little longer than everyone else talking with Aunt Janie.  I even helped myself to her pantry for a bowl of cereal…or two 🙂  Aunts are like that.  You don’t even have to ask.  When I hugged her goodbye I creepily smelled her neck because she even smelled like mom.  Turns out she wears the same perfume.  We laughed.

And sadly I walked away with NOT ONE flippin’ picture.  Geez.

On brownies:  THIS is my go-to brownie recipe.  Solomon has an intense love affair with brownies and is always requesting brownies, but with added things…like chocolate chips, m&ms, chocolate sauce, ice cream, etc.  This year he went total homemade brownie ice-cream sandwich.  A true boy after my own heart.

On ice-cream sundae bags:  I love my Aunt Tootsie’s homemade chocolate sauce recipe.  Make it and then seriously eat it by the spoonfuls.

When you make it just get ready because there will be so much of it.  What I always do is divide it out into jars and then gift people with an ice-cream sundae bag.  You guys, this is so easy and so fun.  I love to share this sauce, but honestly, it’s just mean to give them a jar of chocolate sauce all by itself.  I’m not a monster.  Clearly this chocolate sauce needs friends.

 On Waiting Wednesday:  God’s word says His plan for us is perfect.  Praying over that perfect plan for this crazy sweet boy’s life today.  **Meet Shakur. Shakur is about 11 years old and is HIV positive. He lives in a rural orphanage in Uganda and does not currently have access to the medical care he needs to thrive. Despite a lowered immune system and bouts with pneumonia his spirit remains strong. He is an amazing and gentle boy who would be a blessing to any family. email erica.mho@gmail.com for more information.**

On Sins:  Sometimes I get incredibly jealous of people around me.  I envy the flexibility in their lives and the help they receive…how they are able to go and do all they go and do.  I play the comparison game big time which absolutely wipes out my joy.  Both of these unpleasant feelings stem from sin in my own life.  This year I have been praying very very fervently that God would use me as He sees fit…not how I see fit or what I deem important or valuable…but just as I am…5 kids, making ends meet, all that our life entails right now, in the madness & chaos, even despite myself…just as I am.  I want what He desires for me, not what He desires for someone else.  I want my everyday ins and outs, the monotonous, regular tasks at hand to bring Him glory.  I want my ordinary to still be extraordinary.  I’ve also been asking Him to change me.  I want to see and recognize and then combat all the ugliness in my heart.  I want to say my sins’ names out loud so I can recognize them for who they are.  I don’t want them to take root knowing good and well some of them already have.  I want God to do a major overhaul in and on my heart.  I want the junk, like pride and envy, to be ripped out…root and all.

Yesterday I finished up 1 Peter and 5:5 struck a deep chord.

ESV “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

the Message “God has had it with the proud, but takes great delight in just plain people.”

I want to be just my plain self before Jesus.  I want to clothe myself with humility.  I want to offer myself up just as I am and see the value and worth His plans for my life really have…even when they don’t resemble what I had in mind.  I want to know His plans for me are absolutely enough and how being humble can bring about great change in my heart.

On snacks:  I adore crunchy things.  Like pretty much obsessed.  These chips from Kroger are ridiculously good.  I don’t even like sweet potatoes and I could easily eat this entire bag.  The whole thing.  I have no shame party people, no shame.  Crunchy sweet potato chips for life.

Happy Wednesday.

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February 2, 2016 By 2 Comments

February Bible Journaling Class

February is here and we’ve got this month’s Bible journaling class in our home on the books.  I have been absolutely amazed at how God is just adding more and more classes to the calendar.  It’s an honor. I simply love this class because I love reading the Bible now…which was not always the case up until about 18 months ago.  I love sharing about this crazy good game changer.

So here are the details:

When:  Saturday February 27th

Time: 1pm-4pm

Where:  Our house…near Nashville, TN

Cost: $50

As with every class, we keep none of the money and it all gets given away to do some kind of good in the world.  For January we bought tons of supplies for Three Strands.  If you have not heard of them check them out now.  I will share more soon.

This class will be 3 hours in length and we will talk about the process of Bible journaling and I will share how I go about this each day.  We will also talk about supplies and tips, tricks and techniques I use.  There will be time for questions throughout the class as well as time for you to do some of your own Bible journaling and practicing.

Each person will bring their own supplies.  You can read about the supplies I use on THIS POST, but please feel free to bring the items which work for you.  YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PURCHASE THE ITEMS I USE.

There are 8 spots still available for this class.  If you would like a spot email me at pitterpatterart at gmail dot com or Message Me Here.  You can reserve more than one spot, so chat with your family and friends and make it girl’s day.  This will also be a kid free time…sorry, no kiddos.

I am so excited to share we are super close to having the class available online.  I have a ridiculously talented friend working on it and she’s crazy kind and good.  Kind people are the best kind of people.  I am also teaching this class to larger groups, women’s events, conferences and private parties/small groups, etc now.  It totally delights my heart to bring the class to you.  You can message me HERE if this is something you are interested in.  Every penny from these events also is given away and goes towards doing some kind of good in the world.  A purchase with great purpose.

Happy Tuesday!

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February 1, 2016 By 4 Comments

Solomon {Seven}

I have been incredibly weepy about Solomon’s birthday this year.  First, I’m kind of an emotional train wreck lately.  When I saw Josh Kelley was drawing BB8 for his birthday door…I cried.  When our sweet photographer Cheyenne sent me a little preview of the pictures she took yesterday…I cried.  When we watched Kung Foo Panda 3 yesterday…I cried.  As I was making two pans of brownies for the birthday boy late last night…I cried.  Seriously, I’m a total lost cause.  Second, he’s freakin seven.  What on earth??!?!?!?

(photos by : Shots by Cheyenne)

He makes me weepy because I feel so dang lucky to be his momma.  I tell him all the time, I’m the luckiest momma on the planet and I stand by that 🙂  I also grieve for the missing parts.  I grieve for his loss and I thank God for his birthparents who chose life for him, but it’s all a mix of big emotions.  I’m simultaneously insanely thankful and honored to be his momma and also really sad on his behalf for the loss which has occurred in his life.  Adoption is beautiful, but also hard.  Celebrating our kids birthdays is so special and important to us, but for Sol it seems even more.  We don’t need big parties or elaborate set ups and decorations…just giving him the reigns to plan his special day and saying 1000 times over “We’re the lucky ones to have you.” seems to do the trick.

Solomon has always been a planner.  He thinks about all the details and mulls them over before committing.  He also is crazy into dessert choices.  Every celebration he comes up with a new concoction.  This year we celebrated early on Sunday since he has school today.  He nailed down all the details:

Sunday:  Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch.  Kung Foo Panda 3 right afterwards.  Skittles.

Monday:  Fun cereal for breakfast.  Lunch with mom at school.  Homemade brownies with mini M&Ms to share with his classmates.  Star Wars Rebels after school.  Pizza for dinner.  Brownie and mint chocolate chip icecream sandwiches with homemade chocolate sauce and whip cream.  Do you think we’re food people??!?!?!

This morning he was all smiles.  It’s his day.  Pretty sure he’s relishing in all the love and extra attention.  I mean, we even got to eat on the stage in the cafeteria at the big table with the fancy plastic table cloth.  Hudson and two friends of Sol’s choice joined us.  It was the sweetest.  All his friends gushed over his M&M brownie choice and one little girl said, “Is Solomon really nine today?”  He’s a tricky one too 🙂

Solomon Kelley you are a gift.  Being your mom is a highlight in my life.  I pray prayer after prayer over your heart and the life you will choose to lead.  I beg God to be everything you need…to be the answer to all of your questions.  I hope you truly know how big and deep and wide His love is for you and that His plan for you is perfect.  Dad and I are crazy about you.  You are fun and kind and hardworking and quick witted and smart as a whip and always ready to help and strong willed and determined.  We think you’re pretty grand.  We look forward to seeing how God uses you to change this world.  We love you more than brownies & ice-cream!!!!

Happy 7th birthday Solomon!

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