Just Like That

She asked if she could wear something cute this morning.  I said of course she could.  She ended up picking out her gray arrow tee and hot pink shorts.  I like her.  She told me all about how she’s excited and sad at the same time.

Last night she drew her ‘last day of first grade’ board.  She didn’t need any help.  She wanted to do it all on her own.  No spelling help required.  She has learned so much this year.  She has grown and been stretched in amazing ways.  She is this incredible little lady and it’s an honor to watch God work on her…to watch as He molds her and changes her.  I hope she feels Him…hears Him…sees Him…in and around everything.  I hope when He calls her, she comes running.

I walked her into school to deliver Ms. Flowers’ class gift.  Hello happy wreath with gift cards.  How many different ways can you present a teacher in one year with gift cards and/or money…lots!

I didn’t think I would be very emotional because I know this is what happens.  Time and growing and changing are nothing new…no big shockers, but when I was walking out of Susan’s room I started to get a wee bit teary.  Moist eyes.  Harper has had such a great year and Susan is such a wonderful teacher.  They really love each other.  And change is on the horizon for our family.  God is teaching us and growing us and changing us and although I know that’s what families do…this shouldn’t be a shocker…and yet it is…I feel it in my heart and head.  It’s exciting and nerve wracking and heart swelling and emotion brewing.  It’s strange how one day you are in hot pursuit of one thing…a dream…a goal…a want…a longing…and then Just.Like.That…God changes your heart.  Flips a switch.  Pulls you in.  Opens your eyes.  Says, “Look now.  See what I am really doing.”  Oh God, You are so good.

It’s hard to change…even though we always know it’s coming.  It’s so easy to tell God we love Him and trust Him and that we are His..that our children are His, but it’s a whole new story when we have to really act those words out.  When we look towards Him, open that tight controlling grip we have on our life and say, “Here God.  Here it all is.  It’s really yours.  Not my will, but Yours.”

“I don’t think the way you think.  The way you work isn’t the way I work.”  God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.  Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed.  They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.  “So you’ll go out in joy, you’ll be led into a whole and complete life.  The mountains and hills will lead the parade, bursting with song.  All the trees of the forest will join the procession, exuberant with applause.  No more thistles, but giant sequoias, no more thornbushes, but stately pines— Monuments to me, to God, living and lasting evidence of God.”  Isaiah 55:8-13 The Message

Happy Wednesday.

Goals

Harper is at school, Huddy and Sol are both at MDO and Amon is taking a nap.  I’m sitting on our couch and the only sound I hear is a combination called dishwasher, washing machine and dryer…all going at once.  Today my 2013 goals are heavy on my mind.  I’m rocking some of them and others I’m a bit behind in and others I haven’t even began yet.  So is life.  I could use your advice on a few of my goals.  Take a look.

*Monthly running goals.  I like to run, but wasn’t interested in doing a big race this year, so I decided I would set monthly running goals for each month.  This month I’m suppose to log 55 miles.  Josh laughed when he asked how I came up with that number…my response…”I just picked it.”  Next month I’ll probably use a little more logic.  I’m a wee bit behind because of bronchitis the first week of January and major rain the last several days.  I need to catch up.

*Move.  We love our house.  It is the most perfect house in the whole wide world, but only because it’s ours.  It’s right around 1300 sq. feet…Harper has her own room and the boys all share a room.  My boys will always share a room.  Even if we lived in a mansion with 10 gazillion bedrooms, my boys would still share a room.  I just like it that way.  We’re looking for a house or land zoned for Harper’s school because we love her school.  It’s hard because we don’t want a giant house and I don’t know if builders out there would even build a small house, but we have some plans brewing in our hearts and we need just an extra bedroom…and a garage would be awesome.  So far we haven’t found anything on Realtracs, so do any of you locals know of some houses or land for sale by owner?  I would so appreciate any info you had…it would be amazingly helpful.

*Anniversary trip.  Josh and I have our 10 year anniversary this summer.  We decided to take a much needed “just us” trip.  This is a fun goal.  Any suggestions on a good vacay spot for 2?

*Intentional blessings.  I really want to bless others when I feel God prompting my heart.  It’s not always easy to move stuff aside or drop what you’re doing when God asks you to.  But this year, I really want to see the needs in others lives and listen when God says “Do!”  I want Him to stretch our family for the encouragement of others.

*Heart Walk.  Nashville has a big heart walk in October and last year we were in the hospital the day of the walk.  This year I want our family to represent.  I want to be apart of helping raise money for heart research and to parade Mr. Amon around for all to see what an amazing little heart he has.  He is totally our ace of hearts.

*Verse memorization.  I really want to do this and yet this is one of my goals I’ve yet to begin on.  I always notice how I have song lyrics engraved in my brain and then how craptastic my scripture memorization is.  It’s terrible.  You guys have any good advice here?  Bring it on.

*New tattoo.  Yes…I am the person that puts “getting a new tattoo” on their goal list.  I already know what I want…this goal is more about just making time for myself.  I have a gift card…yes, they make gift cards for tattoo parlors…and need to visit my dude James.  Ha.  I’m a such a dork.

*Meet new friends.  Are we in high school or middle school or college orientation?  Nope…just Laura’s 2013 goal list.  I have wonderful friends, but I would like to meet more friends…and some couple friends would be even more amazing.  Anyone want to go on a really awkward “friend” lunch with me?

*More professional photos.  Awwwwe, yeah.  I can say I have rocked this one so far and have several photo sessions already scheduled for our little Kelley family for 2013.  I want to have our family captured in this special way and not just once a year, but several times a year.  If you are looking for a photographer, let me go ahead and give my big, ginormous shout out to Cheyenne Ward of Shots by Cheyenne and Laci Wilson of Barefeet Photography.  Amazing ladies and amazing talent.

Those are just a few of my goals for this year.  I would love any advice you may have.  I’m pretty good about taking advice.  How are your goals going?  And did you enjoy all the random Amon pictures I posted through out?  He’s too dang cute not to share and makes for some good photo blog post filler 🙂

Happy Tuesday!