Search Results for: March bible journaling class

Socks:  So we’re down to one week left in our Socktober fundraiser.  YOU GUYS…we are closing in fast on a massive goal.  You have already made almost 90 pairs of socks for donation happen.  It absolutely blows my mind.  Last day to order cool fun socks is October 31st.  Let’s just think right now about all the people in our lives who need fun socks for birthdays, Christmas, thank you gifts, just for the heck of it gifts, etc.  These socks are not only so fun and good quality, but they reach beyond just being a gift and help us with our adoption expenses and for every pack of socks sold our family gets to donate a pair to a local shelter or school.  Triple win kind of gift.

To get in on the sock action just head over to the We Help Two online sock store and snag your fun socks.  When checking out you’ll be prompted with Name of Organization You Are Helping just type in “The Kelleys“ and our family will receive 60% of your purchase to go towards our adoption expenses.  And feel free to help us spread the word.

(Our socks in the wild ^)

Christmasy Things:  I recently got my Noonday order from our fundraiser and I am head over heels in love with their Christmas ornaments and garland.  Like crazy in love.  The ornaments are made in Vietnam, Guatemala, Afghanistan and India and the garland is from Uganda.  They are so UH-MAZING.  Some crazy kind friends are hosting another big Noonday party for our family in just a few weeks, but the party link is already set up so if you want to snag some ornaments and garland (or any other Noonday goodies) before they are gone head over HERE and place your order. (Abby Borsche will be listed as your hostess.)  Our family will receive 10% of your purchase to go towards our adoption fees.

Tennessee Skies:  I love the sky.  I love clouds.  I love the colors and shapes.  I am always pointing them out to the kids because God is simply the most creative.  I love love love how the skies preach straight to my heart.  He has been showing off crazy hard lately.

Tallahassee:  I spent less than 24 hours in Tallahassee, Florida this weekend for a Bible journaling class.  Tallahassee folks are apparently the nicest!!!  I had the best time and just felt so so loved on.  These ladies really know how to welcome you in and make you feel like we’ve been friends for forever.  Every.Last.One.Of.Them.  I also came home with less stationary!!!!  Raise the roof.

And any lady who thinks I’m capable of helping them choose a paint color for their house is definitely a lady I can hang out with 🙂

 Hudson:  He is truly his very own little person.  Nothing or no one can change who he is.  He just marches to his own beat with the biggest heart and a giant smile.  Chaos can ensue and he’s steady.  I loved looking up and seeing him sitting there in his own little book world amongst a busy, bustling ball field.  Gah, I love him!

Walk To School:  If I haven’t said enough about how much I love our school let me add reason #457 to the list: National Walk To School Day.  I teared up approximately 23 times in the short little walk from our HG Hills store to our school.  Our teachers.  All the kiddos.  All the parents and grandparents and guardians and friends.  I just couldn’t.  We simply have the sweetest school and I can’t believe we could have missed out on all this goodness.

And Prayers:  We are really asking God to do the unbelievable and unthinkable and unimaginable in our newest little guy’s life and heart.  We are praying big and bold.  We are believing in the wondrous and super natural.  Yesterday we went to church with Josh’s parents and it was such a sweet time.  Harper came down the row and showed me a little prayer card she filled out and was turning in.  She asked the church to pray her little brother would come home soon and that God would heal his heart.  I teared up instantly.  I wanted to squeeze her into 1000 pieces.

My friend Di sent me a photo of a prayer card she’d drawn up for our boy.  It was crazy cute and had all the different details, big and small, written around his name.  It made me cry.  Again.

My friend Kimberlee is in Thailand this week.  She sent me this text and I bawled.  I could never ever express what this kind of prayer does for my momma’s heart.  This deep and sincere love and thoughtfulness absolutely floors me.  I want to be more like Harper, Di and Kimberlee.

Here’s to another week!  Just think what all this week will hold.  Let’s hold fast to Him and His promises.  Let’s hold fast to the fact that His ways are absolutely outlandish and we can’t even dream up what He has in store.  He is so flippin’ good.  Happy Monday!

A friend pointed out this is her last year in single digits.  I typically am pretty okay with my kids getting older because big kids are my jam, but this comment took my breath a bit.  Last year in single digits.  Harper made us parents.  She was our first tiny ball of babyness.  She got all of our “what the crap are we doing”ings.  I have a hard time talking about how much I like her and how I am sooooo enjoying the lady she is turning into right before our eyes.  Like she’s a real little human with all these thoughts and emotions and feelings.  She’s going to actually remember some of the stuff going down around our house right now which makes me sweaty because we still get a lot of parenting stuff wrong.  Big time.  Deep breath.  Inhale.  Exhale.  It seems like all I ever admit to our kids is that I am wrong.  Maybe God will use this 🙂

She asked for blue waffles for her birthday breakfast.  She ate 3.  There were 9 colorful candles because rainbow is still her favorite color…with the exception of when I make her pick a color…blue it is.  And she let Amon help blow out her candles because she adores him and he adores her.

Her door was a full on color and star explosion.  It was simple when deciding on what to do for Harper’s door because she’s shiny bright.

She got a journaling Bible, new pens, Hillsong’s new CD, a devotional for “tweens” Ohmygah.  And a small stuffed fox she’s had her eye on at Joanns.  She was delighted.  Amon, our littlest and I joined her for lunch at school.  She asked for Funfetti cupcakes with rainbow chip icing.  Thank you Pillsbury and Betty Crocker.

Littlest screamed and cried almost the whole lunch.  Truthfully, on the inside I was really angry with her because I felt bad for Harper.  On the outside I smiled fake smiles and made conversation with all the surrounding 3rd graders.  Harper just rolled with it because she’s used to it.  I kind of hate that she’s used to it…but maybe it’s more…maybe it’s compassion and empathy…I’m choosing that way of thinking.

Harper requested Josh’s grilled hamburgers for dinner with strawberries and BBQ chips.  She even picked out fancy sesame seed buns 🙂  Girl knows how to do it.  Then of course there were more cupcakes and cups of rainbow sherbet with sprite.  I was quite smitten with all her choices.

There was playing outside because the weather was amazing today.  She got visits from family.  Her best little friend who lives on our street stopped by and gave her a mosaic butterfly box.  Then we ended the night crafting and watching Red Bull Soapbox Races…yes, this is a real thing and it is hilarious.

She’s past my chin now.  I think she’s going to be taller than her shortish mom.  She’s kind, colorful, creative and thoughtful.  She loves reading and running and creating and the outdoors.  I love how fiercely she loves her friends.  I love her easy going personality.

I pray for her self image all the time.  I pray she always marches to the beat of her own drum and loves who she is in Christ.  I pray she sees her worth and beauty in Him and in Him alone.  I pray she loves Jesus with her whole heart and lives a passionate life for Him.  I pray she loves mercy and justice.  I pray she is kind, loving, generous, compassionate and respectful.  I pray she always laughs wildly.

Oh Harper Kelley.  You are a gem.  I have no clue how God thought we were worthy enough to parent your amazing little self, but here we are and we are grateful.  We are so honored and humbled to be your parents.  You make every day awesome and you bring some sanity into our insane little tribe.  Thank you for being you.  Thank you for shining so bright.  We love you!

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.