October 26, 2012 By 6 Comments

Some Firsts

Harper had her very first kindergarten field trip today.  It was super cold and then it rained, but the rain held off just long enough for us to have a bit of fun.  It was super nice being with just Harper and her little classmates are all dolls.  The kindergarten teacher in me did start to come out during lunch when it was a bit chaotic, but her classmates were all cool as cucumbers.  Super sweet kiddos.

We accidentally grew our first pumpkin plant.  Apparently you can completely not take care of a pumpkin plant and it will power on through to become a pumpkin…despite your unknowing and lack of effort.  Hardy little guy.

I ordered our first ever coloring thank you cards and I could not be more excited about my kids writing their thank you notes now.  My dear sweet Dana at Lifelines Design designed these 5×7 cards just for the wee Kelleys.  They’re pretty awesome.  {You rock Dana.}  I think she should totally add them to her store.  What about you?

And next week will be my first ever Random Acts of Kindness birthday week.  I’m turning the big 3-0 and originally wanted to do 30 acts of kindness on my birthday day, but then I had to get real with myself since I have one small wee Kelley who is quarantined from the outside world and all its germs.  So I decided to make it a birthday week full of kindness and divide my 30 kind deeds up between the week…6 kind deeds every day…Monday-Friday…6×5=30.  It took some strategic thinking, but I think I have it all worked out perfectly.  Including a giveaway for you guys too.

Next week is going to be a grand week.  Enjoy your weekend.

Happy Friday!

Filed Under: family, giveaway Tagged With: , , 6 Comments
August 31, 2012 By 32 Comments

Congestion, Meds & Crafts {Advice}

So this is our go-to plan for getting rid of Amon’s congestion.  I’m like a decongestion nazi around here…honestly, I’m a bit on the crazy side trying to get rid of it.  If you have any recommendations I would love to hear them.  And keep in mind Amon is just 5-months-old.

And I so wish I could sleep like this.  Just out.  Out like a light.  A heavy, deep sleep.

Boys drinking from tea cups are so cute.  They seem like little men hanging at the Cracker Barrel together for an early bird’s breakfast.  I love them!

Amon has been having major fun in his jumpin’ johnny thing.  What is not fun is giving him his meds.  He HATES them.  I always had luck with the other 3 wee Kelleys when they were little by just blowing in their face when I gave them medicine.  They always swallowed it right down with one little blow.  But Amon…well, Amon is a different story.  Any one out there have any tricks for getting babies to take medicine?  I would so appreciate them.

I have been thinking about ways to pass the time in the hospital.  Do you have any recommendations for some good crafts?  I’m debating on seriously taking my canvases and all my supplies and just setting up shop in Amon’s hospital room because I’m totally not leaving 🙂  But if that doesn’t pan out…seems like a lot to tote to a hospital…I’m looking for smaller crafts that require less materials.  So I would love some recommendations if you have any.  I’ll have lots of time on my hands.

So any advice on how to get rid of baby congestion, how to get babies to take their medicine or recommendations on crafts I can do at the hospital would be awesomely appreciated.  Leave a comment or shoot me a message…I would be so grateful.

Oh and our Hopeful Heart Giveaway ends tonight at midnight and I will post the winner tomorrow.  Up for grabs is this 11×14 Hold Onto Hope canvas and a stellar tee.  CLICK HERE to enter.

Hope you have a great weekend & happy Friday!

Filed Under: craft, family, giveaway Tagged With: , , 32 Comments
August 30, 2012 By 9 Comments

Sweet Heart

Thank you so so much for all the sweet comments and emails and FB messages you sent on behalf of Amon.  I cannot express how much your prayers and thoughts for him mean to our family.  Please know that when I type “Thank you” I really and truly mean it.  And thank you for sharing Amon’s story…the more praying, the better.

And you can still enter to win the 11×14 Hold Onto Hope canvas…either scroll to the post below or CLICK HERE to enter.  Giveaway ends Friday and I will post the winner Saturday.

I wish everyone could meet Amon in person…and I had more questions yesterday on how to pronounce his name than anything…funny huh?  You say it Long A-mun.  Amon.  Anyways…he is seriously the sweetest little thing and happy as all get out.  My sweet heart…for sure.  We have just fallen so hard for him.

Lots of you also wanted to know how he was doing.  Well we have had quite a few doctors appointments since arriving home and had another one today.  Amon is a bit sick…ear infection & fever and is an anesthesia risk with the congestion he has at this point.  What that means is if they were to do surgery today, they wouldn’t do it due to how congested he is.  So we are now home bound with no visitors…trying to get him better asap in preparation for surgery and trying to limit the amount of germs he is exposed to.  Other than that he is awesome.  He’s eating and sleeping and pooping and peeing…just your everyday baby, but with a special little heart.

So thank you for praying for him and if you don’t mind, please continue to do so.  I feel like we’re in the semi home stretch…less than 2 weeks away from surgery and even though I’m a bit on the terrified side, I also realize he needs this surgery and therefore I’m ready for it to be done and over with.  Just having to let God have this one…big time…and pray that congestion away 🙂

In other random Kelley news…I wanted to prove to you that we Kelleys do not live on sweets alone.  Here is some proof.

And to completely negate those fruits & veggies, I wanted to share this truly incredible Thin Mint Brownie recipe.  I do not like texting language, but OMG!  This is crazy good.  You must make this…today.  And I doubled the recipe because I bought a 9×13 brownie mix…it doubles fantasticly.

I also realized I had never shared maybe one of my most favorite recipes EVER from our family Hall Cookbook.  Ham & Cheese Poppyseed Sandwiches by my Aunt Tootsie.

I make these all the time coupled with some pasta salad, raw veggies and fruit.  I like to use the whole wheat kaiser rolls or my favorite…ciabatta bread…it is the best.  And we switch it up with turkey or ham or we’ve even been known to get a little crazy and use a little of both.  Make these for dinner tonight and thank my Aunt Tootsie afterwards.

I have been enjoying my days when it’s just the boys at home.  They are so crazy and fun and unpredictable and yet, so predictable sometimes.

Huddy has been a drawing and cutting fool lately.  He is really getting the hang of drawing actual things…like this tiger.

Cutting paper may be his next favorite thing to super heros.  I’m trying to teach him to use the whole sheet of paper because right now, at the end of the day our bathroom trash can looks like this.  EVERYDAY.

And yesterday Sol fell asleep on the steps…and this was after nap.

Huddy made Amon a hat this week too.  I take it off of Amon periodically and it never fails…a few minutes later he is amazingly wearing his “hat” again thanks to a sweet big brother.  Amon was crying one day and Huddy said, “I think he just wants his hat.”  Yes Huddy, that’s it.  Amon just wants his hat 🙂

I’ve been missing Harper during the day, but she has been having the best time at school.  And we LOVE her teacher.  She is incredibly wonderful.  And the other day Harper got a Role Model award and seriously, you would have thought she won the lottery.  She hopped right in the van and it was the first thing out of her mouth.  She was so proud…and I was too.

Since we are home bound now, I have been running all my errands at night.  Last night while out I discovered that Hobby Lobby is in full on Christmas mode already.  Seriously?!?  We’re talking aisles and aisles and aisles of Christmas stuff is already out and ready to go home with you…in August.  I think it happens earlier and earlier every year.

Well there you have it.  A random Kelley family post including some Amon heart info, wee Kelley shenanigans, new recipes and even an update on Hobby Lobbys Christmas paraphernalia.  Hope you enjoyed!

Happy Thursday!

Filed Under: art, family, giveaway, heart, recipes Tagged With: , , , , 9 Comments
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