Things I Like

In no particular order:

**You guys.  Glad you liked the vlog and my semi terrified looking face at the beginning of it.  It was new to me.  You are such an encouragement and I have no clue why you stop by and read because I know I’m a bit out there, but I’m thankful…so very very thankful for you.

**These guys.

**Our house rule about throwing things:  You only throw balls.  Yes, we are a house where you can throw balls inside.  It’s a rule we made when we had Harper.  Indoor baseball and football happens often.

**Huddy pushing my grocery cart for me.  It’s pretty cute.

**Full Count Ministry.  Sharing their love of baseball and Jesus.  It’s pretty amazing to be apart of this group.

**Dressing up like Darth Vader.  Thank you Kirsten for the costume treat.  I felt very empowered.  What I really really like is that Josh Kelley put the costume on too.  I’ll let your imagination run wild for a bit with that golden slice information.  I want to make it our Christmas card this year.  Hilarious.

**Forward facing Amon in the car.  It only took him 18 months, but he finally hit 20lbs.

**The old lady who purchased my senior picture at our yard sale for a whopping .25 cents.  It’s amazing right?  I’m bringing back the zig-zag part asap.

**Falling asleep in random places Amon.  The saga continues.  Someone on Instagram said I should make a calendar and for each month use his random falling asleep pictures.  I think this is a grand idea…profits to charity.

**Happy mail.  Thank you Ashley and Janet and Erica.  You ladies made my day.

**And Buccaneer supporting kiddos.  We’re kind of smitten with #16.  Our favorite guy named Luke.  Every Friday they rock these out.

You can follow along on Instagram.  I’m pitterpatterart.  It’s pretty fun.

Happy Thursday.

Tuesdaylicious

I’m clearly lacking in the blog title department today.  Bear with me.

Last night…ummmmm, so much fun!  Loved it all.  Loved sweating so very very much and meeting new people and hanging with friends.  Thank you to everyone who came out.  You are so the bomb-to-the-diggity.  Please come again.  Wasn’t Janet the best?  She just is.  And she even did a new routine to none other than Katy Perry’s Roar.  I’ll admit, I did get a little misty eyed, but Jen and Brea both admitted to crying.  What is wrong with them…crying during zumba…sounds just about as lame as crying while running and watching other people zumba…maybe so.  Amon and I may still jam out to it every single day.

And pay no mind to my sweatless boob area.  My sports bra is dry fit..and clearly works very well…kudos to you Nike…and yes, my tee shirt clearly isn’t.  You can just enjoy all that sweaty goodness.  I recommend making it your screen saver.  Oh and why yes, Janet did give me a grape freeze pop after class.  It was delicious.

Amon had therapy yesterday and when Kathleen arrived we were all like, “What up Kathleen.  The ‘more’ sign ain’t got nothing on us.  Boom.  Watch us now.”  And then Amon whipped out his snazzy ‘more’ sign and wowed her.  He threw in some gang signs at the end for dramatics.  We then worked on some other goodness and the sign for ‘eat’.  When Harper got home, she picked out some popcorn for snack and I watched as she got him to do ‘eat’ ‘more’ over and over again for popcorn.  It was the sweetest thing.  She is amazingly good with him.  And he adores her.  She adores him too.  We were just so crazy proud of that little ‘eat’ sign.

Amon has also started making the long e sound whenever myself or Harper bring out our cameras.  So instead of cheeeeese, he just says eeeeeeeeeeeeee, which I think should totally count.  It’s adorable or adorbs as the young people are calling it these days.

And please just take a moment to check out those big, gappy toddler teeth and those sweet in-need-of-chapstick lips and the seriousness in which he is trying to touch the lens of my camera.  He doesn’t play around.

If you aren’t putting your kids to work in your house, you totally should be.  Just go ahead and thank me for the time and energy you are going to save.  Heck, go take a nap or eat some ice cream at 9am while you put those little humans to work.  Lately, I’ve been branching out more in the chore department.  Harper has been vacuuming and cleaning the chalk board was literally a chore they fought over to see who got to do it.  I even had to let each of them have some cleaning time.  I understand as they grow up, this will likely not last.  But for now, well, I’m taking full advantage of their enjoyment to clean.  #childlaborlaws

Sol rocks a mean Kelly Kapowski.  And yes, I had to google “Kelly Kapowski” to make sure I spelled her name correctly.  I would never want to offend such a predominate fictional character from my childhood.  Ever.

And lastly, I snagged this sweet picture at Josh’s ball games Saturday morning.

Oh where was Amon you ask?  Yes, well he wanted nothing to do with this picture, but everything to do with this splintery railroad tie.  And he preferred to maneuver across it on his knees.  I particularly loved when he tried to mess with all the exposed wires in the light pole beside it.  Not a safety hazard at all.  Note his very intense and determined face…actually he was staring at a huge dog behind us.

So that’s all I’ve got.  Big day planned with grocery shopping and finishing up my last few custom orders and hanging with Amon while all the other Kelley kids are off at school and MDO.  I will more than likely feed him the entire day, just so we can continue to work on ‘eat’ ‘more’.  It’s the life…and I do so love it.

Happy Tuesday.

Labor Day Thoughts

-I think September is going to be a really good month.  We’re celebrating Josh and Hudson’s birthdays and the 1-year-anniversary of Amon’s newly repaired heart.  Lots of celebrating in store.

-We’ve officially raised $4,185 towards our $5k goal.  I cannot tell you how much this excites me and how crazy grateful I am to everyone who has donated so far.  Thank you!  There is still plenty of time to donate.  Head over to our fundraising page HERE to make a tax deductible donation.  Also, if you donate $15 or more, don’t forget I’ll mail you a rad key fob.  After you donate send me a message HERE with your shipping address.

-I’m also excited about some changes our family is making.  Just a few, ever so slight changes, but I’m excited to see the ripple affect they will have.  I’m also bound and determined to get more sleep this month.  I feel like I owe it to my body.

-I got to spend some time with my aunts and uncles and cousins this weekend.  They remind me so much of Mom.  I was excited to see everyone, but honestly it was hard too.  Once I got to the reunion, part of me wanted to crawl back in our van and just have a good hard cry.  It all still baffles my head and heart sometimes.  How did we get here?  It still permeates craziness to me.  I was glad to see everyone though.  And of course, Mom was the topic of quite a few conversations.  She was always the life of the party.

-Amon did the ‘more’ sign 3 times all on his own today.  This is amazing.  We all screamed and yelled and acted like yahoos.  We have been trying to get him to use sign language since forever.  His therapist now works on it with him also.  We’re finally seeing some results and it’s fantastic to see.

-Oddly enough, Harper has another day off school tomorrow and the boys go to MDO.  She is crazy excited for a fun day with just me and her and Amon.  We’re going to pick out her first new pair of earrings and we’re eating lunch with Josh and I’m making these breakfast cookies for a special, yet healthy, breakfast.

(picture source)

-Our yard sale and bake sale for the Ngungwane carepoint in Swaziland is coming up in just 2 weeks.  September 13-14th.  7-4pm.  Lots of stuff.  Every penny goes to these sweet kiddos.  Every penny.  If you’re a local and have stuff you would like to donate, I’m your girl.  We’ll come and pick-up too.  Shoot me a message HERE if you have any questions or would like to donate some items.

-And I got my Labor Day on this afternoon and knocked our quite a few canvases.  I’m almost finished with custom orders and am excited to take some time to create some pieces which have been twirling around in my mind.  Looking forward to some Saturday Sales.

So how was your Labor Day?  Hope you enjoyed the long weekend.  Excited to see what the week will hold.

Happy Monday!

Good Things

THANK YOU!!!!  You guys are crazy kind and I just really don’t know what else to say other than thank you, thank you, thank you!  We are already almost half way to our goal of 5K for the Heart Walk.  $2340 to be exact.  This is simply stellar.  I may have been pretty weepy yesterday as my phone would go off to alert me of another donation.  If you didn’t read what we are up to yesterday then you can READ THE POST HERE.

If you still want to donate in honor of Amon to help aid in heart research CLICK HERE to donate towards our family’s fundraising goal.  I am just so excited about this.  And if you make a donation of $15 or more in honor of Amon, as a thank you, I will mail you a pretty little key fob.  I’ve already got my list going and cannot wait to start cutting up fabric and sewing away.  And don’t forget, after you donate just send me a message HERE and let me know your mailing address.

Huge happy Friday thank yous.  My heart is so full.  You’re incredible.

Okay so other good things have been happening around our house.  I have been working like a mad woman getting so many orders done and accomplished and instagramming it up all along the way.  You can find me at pitterpatterart and follow along.

I adore when my kids want to create right along side me.  Sunday morning Harper and I chilled out and got busy creating.  I love when she does this.  I love her heart and I love her creative side.  They’re both really good ones.

Amon Kelley you are ridiculous.  Ridiculous.  We’ve had some pretty easy happy babies, but he easily takes the cake.  Minus the whole communicating thing 🙂  Crazy, happy, wild, into EVERYTHING, fun, loud as all get out, sweet and dramatic.  We’re all wild about Amon.  And we think he’s kind of wild about us.

We got a chance to eat lunch with Josh this week…not once, but twice.  I know three small Kelley boys who were thrilled.  Huddy, Sol and Amon easily think their dad is the best.  And I am coming to terms with the fact that Amon likes Josh better than me.  It’s rude, but I’m dealing.

My sewing machine recently broke and has been at the repair place for 3 weeks.  THREE LONG WEEKS.  So many things I’ve been wanting to sew.  So many trips to my MIL’s house to say, “Can I use your machine for a minute?”  But I finally got her back this week and she is sewing like a dream now.  Be still my heart.

And last, but certainly not least, Amon decided to take his 4th kidness to a whole new level.  I was working and Sol and Huddy were playing play-doh at the table with me.  I realized the house was far too quiet.  I looked over at the boys and said, “Hey, do yall know where Amon is?”  They’re always my eyes and ears.  Huddy without even looking up from his play-doh said, “He’s asleep under the table.”

I peeked under and sure enough.  Dude was out like a light.  I proceeded to document with picture taking and then felt a little bad for him.  I promise he has a schedule and actually sleeps in his on crib, but he’s also this amazing little adaptable 4th kid who will apparently rock a nap out on our hardwood floors under the kitchen table.  I did scoop him up after lots of pictures and put him in bed.  I like him.

That about wraps it up.  Thanks for reading.  Thanks for stopping by.  Thanks for being kind and nice and generous and thoughtful and encouraging.  This week didn’t start out so grand, but my my my, how it’s turned around.  Hope your weekend is super good.

Happy Friday.

Nothing Worth Sharing…

“Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.”

-Avett Brother Murder In The City

Maybe my all time favorite Avett Brothers song.  Makes me tear up every time I hear it.  So many truths in that little sentence…so much to love.  But family can be so much more than a name or blood or same lineage.  Family is formed through relationships…doing life together…walking through the good and the bad and everything in between hand-in-hand.  Encouraging one another.  Loving one another.  Keeping it real with one another.  Loving Jesus together.  Family isn’t easy…at least in my opinion…it takes work and a lot of selflessness and God’s love working through it’s members, but it is so very much worth it.  Just feeling pretty dang grateful for my family today…my little tribe of 6…plus all the other people who care for us even though we don’t carry the same name or blood.

Yesterday was a much better day.  Today is going to be good too…I just know it.  I’m busy working all day and all my wee Kelley boys are busy playing.  Thank you for the kind and encouraging words.  Isn’t it nice to know we are just not alone in this messy, beautiful life.  I love it.  Thank you for stopping by and reading.  Crazy blessed you take time out of your day to read my tiny little piece of the inter webs.  I cannot say enough how much I appreciate you!!!

Happy Wednesday!

Catch-Up & Orders

We’re getting into our routine of school with two days under our belt.  Harper is thoroughly enjoying all the school goodness from learning new rules to their class pet Rainbow the bearded dragon to making new friends to getting back into the reading game and adjusting to having assigned seats at lunch.  Right when she got home yesterday she completed her homework and immediately set up her “classroom” for the boys including giving them some serious tongue lashings when they didn’t follow the rules.  Upon calling her out for her harsh words she teared up and apologized to her pupils.  Brothers can be quite frustrating…I get it.

 

Amon’s heart check yesterday was great.  Excellent report all around.  Many, many virtual high-5s or first bumps.

How about some Amon cuteness?  You know it’s abundant.  No matter how frustrated I get working on communicating with this kid, his mannerism and eyes say so very very much.  And when I’ve exhausted every brain cell I have on guessing what he’s trying to tell me, I will always be so very thankful for his sweat smile and his laid backness.  He’s a really happy kid even when he can’t tell us exactly what he needs.

He also has received two baths recently.  I still may never reveal how not-so-often we bathe our kids in fear of losing readers, but lets just say these two baths were executed in crazy close proximity.  PS: I love his scar.

Even though none of their meat may be “real” I am always up for a trip to the ole’ Micky Ds because A) I love their fake chicken and beef, B) They have a place to eat in the play area, C) They have delicious fountain coke and D) They have free wi-fi.  There, I said it and I feel so much better for having done so.

I’ve been lacking in the creating department, but certainly not in the baking one.

This week I’m doing some serious baking and cookie decorating for Harper’s school.  Teachers and staff everywhere deserve extra love on the first week back to school.  Just sayin’.  I also got a chance to do some work for some classrooms.  Bunting is always a good idea.

Huddy and Sol may only be 4, but when they sit in lawn chairs they immediately morph into 80-year-olds.  Always.

And all my Kelley boys, doing what Kelley boys do best.  Baseball.  Harper got in on the action too and put those boys to shame.  Amon mainly ran around, got in the way and yelled “words” none of us could understand, but made us laugh.

The boys start back to MDO at the end of August, so Monday I will be opening 10 custom order spots.  I’m excited to get back into the swing of things.  If you have any questions you can CLICK HERE and drop me a line or click on the Contact Laura button at the top.  And you can check out PRICING HERE or click on the Pricing & Info button at the top.

Thanks for stopping by today and hope you have a great Wednesday!

What The What!

Yesterday and today are one’s for the Kelley books.  Wild times.  So I just have some completely random things for today as we just got off a major roller coaster and I haven’t quite gotten my bearings back.  God has His ways…and truly they are His.

So on with random…which I’m soooooo good at.

If you haven’t checked out Sevenly yet, then you should.  Yes, the majority of my tees and jeans wardrobe comes from their cool shirts.  Each week they come along side an organization and this week’s is End7.

“END7 is an international advocacy campaign seeking to eliminate seven neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by 2020. These diseases include elephantiasis, river blindness, trachoma, snail fever, hookworm, whipworm and roundworm.”

You should definitely check them out and go ahead and sign up for emails so you can be reminded about each new week’s campaign.  I love it.

Also, Mightee Kids.  Go ahead and do the same with this group.  They are crazy awesome and my kids sport their tees as well.  What I love most, other than the insanely rad shirts, is the colorful, kid friendly informational brochure that’s included with each tee that helps educate a kiddo about friends who are less fortunate and causes around the world.  This month’s cause is Charity:Water.  Clean water is completely stellar.

Date nights are amazing.  We are really trying to do more date nights.  Last weekend we hit up the Imagine Dragons concert at Fontanel.  For you locals, this outdoor venue is a must.  Completely lovely.  And I ran into my cousin Emily and her dude Adam and got a big hug…hugs are my love language…which was a complete bonus.

I didn’t make my goal of 65 miles this month.  Came up short.  But that’s okay.  New goal for this month…65 miles again.  Gotta give it another go.

I’ve decided exhaustion looks like this.  Falling asleep going up the stairs and on top of a yoda slipper.  He is totally the 4th kid.

And in fun Friday news, Amon had his first sucker today.  He’s kind of a total smash hit at Harper’s school and we were up there today doing some paperwork.  One of the teacher’s asked if she could give him a sucker.  I told her he had never had one before and she asked very nicely and convincingly if she could give him his first.  Of course.  It’s fun when people like your kids.

And with a sucker in his mouth, he became even cuter.

Hope you guys have an amazing, restful weekend.

Happy Friday.

Not Pinterest Worthy

Because it doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated or super creative.

Because it doesn’t have to be Pinterest worthy to be beautiful and fun.

Because they do not care one tiny bit.

And every time…every single time…these will be my most favorite cookies.

Happy Wednesday.