appreciation

I started to take a nap because apparently you can’t get rid of exhaustion in just a day or two. Apparently you need more sleep 🙂 Brea and I have a carpool gig going and today is Brea’s day so I sent all the little Kelley boys off for a nap and I laid down on our couch with my Mom’s favorite blanket and I closed my eyes. Pretty confident I slept for 17 minutes and then my phone rang. It wasn’t the call I was hoping to get and I may have cried over the phone to the nurse on the other end. Insurance can be pretty dang sucky sometimes. I’m grateful for it, but they sure do make you work for services. I started to sulk.

My head hurts and I’m tired, but God brought appreciation to my mind. I gotta watch this attitude of mine sometimes…it can be a beast. Thankful for a God who put me in check today.

I’m appreciative for the doctor who called me back because his nurse told him she could tell I was upset. He went to bat for us and didn’t have to, but he still did. Then called to personally talk with me about it and confirm my thoughts on the sucktasticness of insurance sometimes. He made me feel better. He told me he really felt like eventually everything would be just fine and that he was not giving up. What doctor does that? He could have just let his nurse drop the news on us, but when she voiced concern…when she mentioned I seemed really sad about the insurance company’s decision, he called me back personally. I like this guy. And I appreciate him today…for his kindness and thoughtfulness and his empathy.

I’m appreciative of Mr. Ricky at the post office today. I had one million individual key fob packages to ship off to say “thank you” to all those donating in honor of Amon. I was at his counter a looooooong time. The proof is in the length of my receipt. Each package heading out all over the world…Alaska, Canada, Australia, New York, Montana, Georgia and so many many other states. Mr. Ricky just smiled and chatted with me about the kids and family and everything in between. He inquired about why I had so many many packages today and I got to tell him about your kindness and love. I appreciate Mr. Ricky today…for his patience and work ethic and for making me feel like a valued customer. I appreciate you guys…for your generosity and love.

I’m appreciative of Ms. Sharon, Huddy and Sol’s new MDO teacher. I appreciate how she called me at home after meeting the boys because I had stumped everyone there with the fact that there were 2 Kelley brothers…same family…same age…different birthdays 4 months apart. They thought I had put down the wrong birthday for one of them. She said everyone was anxious to meet them. And she called because she did not want to discuss anything in front of Huddy and Sol or any of the other parents that may not be appropriate for them to hear. She was being considerate and I truly appreciated her discretion upon first meeting us. She has an Ethiopian grandson and she said she could see some traits in Sol, but wanted to talk with me first before she said anything. I appreciate Ms. Sharon…her consideration of Solomon and Hudson and our family, her discretion about an unknown situation and for her kind words about my boys.

I’m appreciative of our friends Josh and Melody…the Barnes family. Today is their youngest son Luke’s 18th birthday and Harper insisted we get him a present. My kids adore both of their boys. They are one of the sweetest families we’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. They watch our kids almost every Sunday night so Josh and I can go to our couples Bible study. My mom gave us a date night every week. She was crazy fantastic. It continues to blow my mind how I lost one person, my mom, but it feels like I lost everything. She was just that important to me…to us and our kids. The Barnes family…they ease the pain a bit. They make over our kids like my mom did. Their boys are older, college and high school age, and yet Jarred and Luke play and love on our kids like I have never seen. They all indulge them and humor them and smother them with attention and love. They never act annoyed or put out by them. Melody and Josh are raising two amazing men. I know it’s because they are amazing people themselves. They make us feel like family. I appreciate the entire Barnes family…the way they give of their time and energy and love to all 6 of us. It means the world.

And I’m appreciative of Josh Kelley. He doesn’t get near enough props as he deserves. He’s been working nights this week and he really busts his butt for our family. He’s so smart and hardworking and honest. I love that he values honesty. That being truthful is important to him and his heart. And he rarely complains. He puts up with a lot and he juggles with the best of them. He works hard at his own job and then comes home and works hard around our house and for me and the kids. He fixes lunches and does laundry and dishes and gives baths…when it’s monthly bath time :)…he understands how exhausted I am at the end of the day and we both work hard to share the responsibilities when were home together. I appreciate Josh Kelley…his hard work and the way he loves us big and how he chooses to show us through action and not just words. Incredibly proud to be his wife.

Finding appreciation in the day was just what my heart needed. God brought these moments and these people flooding into my mind. He made me see how much value this day held and it did my attitude good.

And now I’m considering saying to heck with this no sweets things during the week thing. I’m thinking about making Heaven In A CrockPot…right? With that kind of name surely it will be delicious.

(picture source)

Or maybe just some Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies. I’ll let you know if I cave. I can never be fully trusted around sweets when I’m thrown a slight curve ball. Never.