Archives for 2011

Pumpin’ a dry well

February 22, 2011 by Kelli

It’s 11:11.

Quick – make a wish!

What did you wish for? Don’t worry about it not coming true. This is the internet, where dreams come true in droves, right? I wished for abundant energy. And a clone. And the skin of my youth. And a steak (I get hungry after 10:00). And for the clock to tick a little slower so I could have a bit more time to make more wishes.

Lee is out of town this week. I think I mentioned that already. So far the kids and I have survived three days. Just five to go. It’s not bad, really. When I know Lee is going to be gone, it’s not much to dig my heels in and take the bull by the horn. I switch into survival mode. It’s all about going from one minute to the next. Breakfast? Done. Teeth brushed? Done (most days). House picked up. Meh. Homework? Check! Baths? Got it! Bedtime? Hallelujah!

This week is a bit different, though. Painters are here doing that which I can’t…painting. The house is being beautified and I must say it is looking spectacular. Could I have done the painting myself? Probably. But not likely. I hate painting. It falls in line between walking on glass, rolling in fire and visiting the lady doctor. Let’s put it this way…I’d rather do laundry and mop simultaneously than paint a wall.

So painters are here, which means the kiddos and I have to be out every morning and we stay out until the evening. That’s a lot of time away from home. And we’re all camping out in my room because the rest of the house smells like paint. We’re all a little tired.

I’ve also had more than one person give me more than enough to think about as far as how I manage my time and what I do in my spare time. It’s been great food for thought and has had me mulling over a few things lately.

So tonight I will sleep for a short while. And tomorrow out we’ll go, wasting time, living life, surviving until daddy gets home.

Speaking of daddy, I didn’t even get to talk with him today. *sad face*

It’s 11:22 and I still don’t have a clone, the clock is still ticking, no one has brought me a juicy steak and I can feel wrinkles developing. I guess I shouldn’t have told you my wishes after all, eh?

Does anyone have good news to share with me today? I could use a little cheering up to get me through the halfway point…

Filed Under: Random Tagged With: painting, ramblings, Random

Cherish the moment, they say…

February 21, 2011 by Kelli

I’m currently about 60 pages from completing Mary Beth Chapman’s book, Choosing to SEE. Have you read it? You really should. But I will give you a few warnings up front.

Have Kleenex at the ready because when she gets to the experience of losing her daughter Maria, unless you are a robot, you will likely cry and cry hard. I’m not sure I have ever sobbed quite so hard while reading a book before. Except maybe Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper, which I read late at night while pregnant thereby setting myself up for disaster. Which leads me to my next point…
Do not, under any circumstances, read this book after 10:00 when you’re already tired and perhaps a bit emotional.

Consider yourselves warned.

Lee is currently out of town and I don’t know about you all, but when daddy is away in our home, the mice think they can play. That’s a metaphor, of course, the mice being our kids. Not real mice. If real mice were coming out to play, the kids and I would be at a hotel.

It’s tough when Lee’s not around. The kids need him. I need him. Every process becomes that much more difficult and without daddy’s firm voice, sometimes certain little ones forget how to behave. Particularly at bedtime.

I’ve heard so often that bedtime is a sweet time to enjoy your kids. “Lay down and talk with them,” the proverbial “they” say. “Enjoy those snuggle moments at bedtime while they’re young because when they’re grown those moments are gone.” Every time I hear that advice, I want someone to tell me how to enjoy bedtime and yet still get them to go to bed!

I’ll admit it. Bedtime is not my favorite time of the day. It’s hectic and stressful. The kids get wild and rambunctious. If I lay down and talk with one, all three have to pile in with us because “IT’S NOT FAIR” otherwise. I don’t get to lay and snuggle with just one.

On top of that, the older two share a room and to be quite honest, all I want is for them to go to sleep. If they had it their way, they’d have a wild party every night for a couple of hours before slipping into slumber. Which leaves me feeling like the Wicked Witch of the West in order to get them to be quiet and go to bed.

Last night was no exception. It had been the longest of long days and everyone was wiped. I knew they just needed to sleep and yet, once again, as soon as they got into their room the antics began. And I had to put a stop to it.

Then I read this from Mary Beth’s book

“How would I have lived differently if I knew that my time with Maria was going to be this short? Regretfully I would have lived much differently. I would have purposely hugged and kissed more. I would have tried to memorize and lock away in my heart certain smells and smiles. I would have colored more and worked less. I would have laughed more and fussed less.

Bedtime wouldn’t have become a chore to check off the list of things to get done. Instead it would have been more of an opportunity to listen about the day and offer whatever words were needed. The swimming pool wouldn’t have been too cold to swim in. The flowers in the garden would have all been pick, and definately more ice cream would have been consumed.” Mary Beth Chapman, Choosing to SEE.

I read this and I nod. This falls into line with the thought that we should live each day as if it’s going to be our last. And yet…

I can’t really live today like it’s going to be my last. If I knew for sure today would be my last day, I wouldn’t worry about mopping the floor or answering emails. (Okay, I actually just laughed out loud because I’m not worried in the slightest about mopping the floor. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I did that.) I wouldn’t be concerned with brushing the kid’s hair or what kind of food they ate. But the fact is, I have to cherish today as if it’s my last while still living like it’s not.

How do you cherish each fleeting moment with your kids knowing that you still have to keep routine? I want my kids to have fun with me and I want life to be full of laughter.

I also want to sleep.

I think it’s a balance. After being the heavy last night and then reading Mary Beth’s words, I felt a weight that I couldn’t shake. And so I went back to their room. They were finally calm and were close to slumber. I slipped my arms around each of them and squeezed tight reminding them that they were loved and cherished by me. With one last kiss, they both slipped into dreamland with the knowledge that their mom, even when she’s exhausted, loves them fiercely.

That’s the best we can do, right? “Cherish the moment,” they say. Well, sometimes the moment is tough to cherish, but the kids? It’s them that I cherish.

Filed Under: Family, Kids do the darndest things, Life, Motherhood Tagged With: cherishing our kids, Choosing to SEE, faith, live today as if it's your last, Mary Beth Chapman, Motherhood

Send Emilda to The Special Olympics

February 18, 2011 by Kelli

Social media has made the world smaller. It has connected us to one another in ways that were not possible even ten years ago. Through social media, we now have the power to hear and see the plight of those on the other side of the world.

And we can act.

It’s not a matter of if we should. We just should. Let’s think big. Not only for the good of others, but for the blessings that come upon us as well. The knowledge that we took part in something bigger than us.

Emilda is an 18 year-old Compassion International sponsored child with the mental capacity of a three year-old. She lives in a squatter community in the Philippines. And she’s fast!

In 2009 Emilda competed in the Philippine Special Olympics and she performed well enough to qualify for the World Special Olympics in Athens, Greece this Summer. But she needs your help to get there.

Emilda’s parents are unable to pay her way to Greece and neither is the Philippine government. Her need is $19,857.

This is more than just helping a little girl run a race. This is showing a little girl that her talents and gifts are worth celebrating. This is helping a little girl see a dream come true. This is showing a little girl’s parents that the world knows…and we care.

Would you like to help send Emilda to the Olympics? You can do so quickly and easily by clicking right here. If you’d like to read more about Emilda and her amazing talent that has provided her this opportunity, head over here. Grab a box of kleenex first, though.

We have the power to work together for the good of this sweet and beautiful little girl. I don’t know about you, but that makes me smile. If you would like to share this amazing opportunity with others, use the information below:

Donations can be made at:
http://donate.compassion.com/special-olympics-athens/?referer=96738

Pictures and more information about Emilda are available at:
http://blog.compassion.com/the-making-of-a-special-olympics-champion/

When asking others to give please use the following link:
http://donate.compassion.com/special-olympics-athens/?referer=96738

Or this shorter link:
http://bit.ly/Emilda

Let’s do this together and cheer Emilda on to the finish line! Thanks everyone.

Filed Under: Blogging, Compassion International, Ministry Tagged With: children, compassion international, Send Emilda to the Special Olympics

Remember When

February 16, 2011 by Kelli

Remember when you were a kid and the world was a playground worth exploring at every turn. That was awesome.

Remember when you got off the school bus and mom had a plate of hot chocolate chip cookies waiting for your consumption – or, if you were my brother, she had a plate of bologna cut in triangles and a slice of buttered bread? That was special.

Remember when there was no such thing as the internet or cell phones and people actually spoke in person and developed real relationships? It’s sad that I can actually answer yes to this question.

Remember when you could play in the snow for hours on end and actually come in sweating because you were just. having. so. much. fun? That is totally bizarre and foreign to me now.

Remember when you had an imaginary friend who seemed so real that you had play dates at night after you drifted off to sleep? And you woke up in the morning thinking about the fun you had. Um…yeah, me neither.

Remember when you sat in your mom’s lap and cried so hard you could hardly breathe and she just held you because there was nothing else she could do? That stays with you.

Remember when you met your true love for the first time and you “just knew?” I am one of those people this happened to and yes, I believe in love at first sight in the sense that you can feel an instant connection and supernatural awareness that this is The One.

Remember when you had your first kiss and you felt like you were twirling on clouds? Oh how I love the innocence and sweetness of that memory.

Remember the first time you experienced heartache so deep you had to remind yourself to take another breath? That memory never leaves.

Remember when you held your first child and somehow you felt as if you’d known him/her all your life? Makes me want another baby. Lee keep breathing, babe. I’m just dreaming for a minute.

Remember when you got married and you couldn’t imagine life being any sweeter? I do.

*groan*

Remember when you were a kid and you ran so fast that your legs couldn’t keep up and you tumbled down in a fit of laughter? I would love to feel that again.

Remember when life was easy and uncomplicated? Yes. For me it was called college.

Remember when you thought that easy and uncomplicated period of life was sooo hard and soooo complicated? Still college.

Remember when we tried to be understanding of one another’s faults and short comings and we weren’t quick to judge and maim someone who made a choice different from our own? Wait – has that ever happened in society?

Remember standing by a lake skipping rocks over the water with your dad and feeling safe? I love these memories.

Remember when your night began at 9:30 and you still had the power to function the next day? That ended when I had my third child.

Remember when you watched a movie that so deeply impacted you that you had to remind yourself it wasn’t real? This generally happens when they are either realistically frightening (which I can’t watch) or painfully sad (also tough for me to watch).

Remember when you watched a movie that made you laugh out loud without reservation? These are the best kind.

Remember when you could read a blog post and someone didn’t ask you a frillion random questions over and over?

I’ll stop now.

What are some of your favorite memories?

Filed Under: Random Tagged With: memory lane, random post

Bieber Fever – Post Update

February 16, 2011 by Kelli

Justin Bieber’s got nothin’ on this kid.

I’m thinking it’s time for a trim. Not a cut, mind you, because I love his shaggy little locks. But his haircut is quickly morphing into a mullet and we can’t have that, now can we?

I’m trying to figure out how I can get someone to give him a real Bieber haircut while still maintaining my (and his) dignity in the process.

Suggestions, anyone?

We had it cut today and, with a bit of shame, I asked for a Justin Bieber haircut. It looks cute. It’s really difficult for something to not look cute on this child…

Filed Under: Kids, Landon Tagged With: Bieber fever, Bieber haircut, His mom's crazy, Justin Bieber

The gene that skipped me

February 15, 2011 by Kelli

I am good at many things. I know this and I embrace it. Sometimes I doubt it, but deep down, I know the things in which I excell and I chase after them, sometimes with great glee. Sometimes with trepidation.

I also know, however, of a great many things that I do not do well. Like sewing – can’t do it. I can’t even sew a button on a shirt without it falling back off within a few days.

I made an Octopus pillow in 7th grade. I sewed it to my jeans…twice. Ultimately it turned out pretty darn cute, what with its crooked eyes and all. I haven’t sewn a single thing since then.

Ironing. This is another skill that somehow passed on by me. I can do it, of course. It’s not rocket science, ironing a shirt. But I’m not great at it. I never know how to lay the shirts right on the table and I end up making more creases that need to be sprayed and ironed out and…

I felt a bit of shame over this one when we first got married. I felt that ironing my husband’s shirts was a wifely duty that I needed to conquer in order to honor him. I was certain that my initiatiation into Wifedom would not be solidified until I hung his shirts and pants, starched and pressed, in his closet.

I surrendered all of those feelings of failure a long time ago and, thankfully, I have a husband that doesn’t mind ironing his own clothes. If he’s in a pinch and needs something – I am his gal! But mostly, I don’t iron. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I ironed.

And I don’t feel bad about that.

Decorating. Ah, decorating.

I stink at it.

I don’t know if this pillow should go there or if that picture should hang here. I don’t know how to arrange a book case to make it look cute and not cluttered. I don’t know how to hang knick knacks on the wall in a way that is cute and doesn’t make my house looks like it’s inhabited by an eccentric old woman with 99 cats.

I don’t like to watch HGTV, because it makes me feel inadequate – and it bores me a little. I actually just heard some of you gasp in horror.

Picking out paint colors sends me nearly into shock and the decision to move our TV over the fireplace almost gave me a heart attack. My husband has been wanting to do that for eight years. I have resisted because I just couldn’t see it.

Then my neighbor came over. My neighbor who had a table that she thought would look better as a bench so she sawed the legs off and painted it white and low and behold, she had herself a bench that looks like it walked out of Pottery Barn. I would never have thought of something like that. Ever. If I didn’t know what to do with a table, I would get rid of it. Or better yet, just sit and look at it for a decade and mutter repeatedly, “I hate that stupid table.”

Carol walked into our house on Sunday and in two hours the entire house was transformed. Trans-flippin-formed! Our front room, which has always been a bit of an eyesore has now morphed into a warm, cozy music room. For eight years we’ve wondered what to do with that room and in one hour Carol fixed it. We sold a desk, moved furniture and lamps around and voila’! Transformation.

Then she tackled the rest of the house. Like the foyer, which has felt like a cave for the past two years. See the beautiful hutch in the above picture. That bad boy was in our foyer. And yes, for two years we have tripped over it, muttering under our breath and we were prepared to get rid of it. Until…

And yes, she moved our TV over the fireplace, turned all the furniture toward it and by God if it doesn’t look like the room is twice as big.

Lee has been smugly strutting around the house all week. Yes, dear. You were right. The TV looks great over the fireplace. *eyeroll*

So now you know. The decorating, designing, making cute from drab gene passed right on by me. And it laughed as it raced by yelling “See ya, sucka!” And I’m left with nothing to do but put this picture here and that painting there and then sit and wait for someone to come along and do it right.

I’ll try not to wait eight years this time.

Filed Under: Lee, Marriage, Random Tagged With: decorating, DIY, staging a house

Final

February 14, 2011 by Kelli

We had our final harrah in the snow this weekend. Or what we hope I pray was our final harrah, anyway. We donned our hats and our gloves, our snow pants and snow boots and spent one more afternoon playing in the white fluff that’s graced our yard for much of this winter.

We took one last run down the mole hill we call a front yard.

We ate snow one last time.

Then we licked it off our chins.

We made silly faces for the camera.

Some of us were just cute for the camera.

And, of course, we made our final snow angel. We hope. Seriously…no more snow, ‘kay?

Yes, on Friday we enjoyed one last romp in the snow. By Sunday it was 60 degrees and the piles of white fluff were transformed into black slush. And we were outside riding our bikes in shorts.

And by We, I mean They. I was just the chick behind the camera, taking it all in.

Come on Spring! We can’t wait for you to get here!

Filed Under: Family, Kids, Random Tagged With: Kids sledding, Photography, pictures, spring is coming, winter

The Waves

February 11, 2011 by Kelli

Have you ever watched the waves rolls in to shore and been mesmerized by the rhythmic swell and crash? Have you seen the way they slowly pull back from the shore, gathering in a mass, then tumbled in frothy praise to the sand?

I love that.

I love the sound of the water as it tumbles and rolls. It’s praise. And I feel like many times, my praises echo those of the sea. There is a welling up of my soul and it gathers with momentum, then peaks and crashes forward, spilling praise at the feet of the throne.

Sometimes the wave of praise is large – a culmination of fear, heartache, struggle or simply gratitude. It’s a tidal wave of praise that builds up slowly and spills over with force.

Sometimes the waves of praise are smaller, but they are consistent. An ever present gathering and rolling of white tipped praise that cannot be quelched or contained.

Sometimes, though, there is no praise. I am still. Like the ocean on a clear, calm morning, I sit stagnant. At times this stillness is a good thing. I am listening. I’m waiting for the whispers. And if I listen for long enough, I usually end up bursting forth with that tidal wave of praise again.

But, unfortunately, many times the stillness is a result of not listening. It’s a result of stepping away, checking out or simply being lazy. I might send forth a ripple here and there, but the waves of praise stall. This is how the ocean begins to dry up.

I don’t like this place.

Several years ago, as I was in a place of frustration, I penned a short phrase that has stayed with me since.

Used have brilliant words to sing

Now I drift like the wave

I crash to the shore

Then I quickly pull away

I miss sitting at Your Feet

Listening to your tender words so sweet

How I long to surrender

To Thee, Precious Lord

I long for Your presence in me.

I wrote those words in a journal late one night, while the rest of the world slept and my mind churned like the unsettled ocean. It was a time when I felt distant from the Lord. A time when I felt like the stagnant sea. In a burst of emotion I would offer up my praise, then, as quickly as the wave began, it pulled away and the ocean of my soul grew stagnant again.

Lately, these words have been spinning in me again – but in the right way this time. It’s a good place to be. I kind of like this contemplative state of mind. It helps me sit still and wait and, ultimately, the waves of praise will bubble forth yet again.

We’re in a blessed place as a family. But…Sometimes a good place gives way to complacency. I’m fighting it. Really, really fighting it. Because now I have the opportunity to spill forth with grateful praise. I don’t want to miss that opportunity! I don’t want to be content stagnant. And so I stop, and I think.

Shaun Groves wrote about this yesterday. It spoke right to my heart, confirming the emotions already stirring. I love the written word – especially when paired with a beautiful melody.

These are the things on my heart today.

And, obviously, I’ve got the beach on the brain…

Filed Under: faith Tagged With: faith, God, Praise

The one where we plan a trip

February 10, 2011 by Kelli

I wanted to go visit my parents in London, but logistically it just wasn’t coming together. So when mom emailed me yesterday and said she was coming back in to the States in March during the kids Spring Break and asked if we’d like to join her in Florida at their condo I don’t even think a second passed before I said Yes!

After calling Lee to confirm that worked with him, we booked our tickets and BAM! We’re getting out of here in 6 weeks. This is just the pick me up I needed to get through this final push of winter. We moved to St. Louis when I was 12. We moved from Wisconsin, so I do know that winter can be worse other places.

But hands down, this has been the worst winter I have ever experienced here in St. Louis. It’s just been nuts and I think everyone is feeling the effects. The winter blues have settled in big time. But alas, we now have something to look forward to. Sunshine. The beach. Hours playing at the park. Sunsets at the Sand Pearl.

In six weeks we will be doing this:

And this…

And we’ll probably watch a few of these…

There may not be a cure for the Summertime Blues, but this is definately my cure for the wintertime blues!

Filed Under: Family, Kids, Life, Motherhood, Travel Tagged With: Clearwater Beach, Getting away from winter, Spring Break, Winter blues

Wednesday Whatnots

February 9, 2011 by Kelli

What Not’s? What Nots.

Grammer makes me crazy…

So today is a hodge podge of random tidbits for your reading enjoyment. Or for my writing enjoyment. Someone will enjoy themselves today!

Speaking of writing enjoyment. Remember the novel I told you about? The one I started, then stopped, then started, then stopped, then started again? I wrote a little more last night!

So at this pace, I should finish the book by the year 2024. I am on a roll, folks!

Seriously, though. It’s really difficult to find time to write. I don’t know how people do it. Yesterday I got up at 5:30 with the sole intent of working only on my novel. By 5:40 I felt awake enough to open up the file and at 5:45 Landon stumbled into my room and the morning was shot. I left my house at 8:00 and only came home for two seperate one hour bursts before 10:30pm.

Then I had to work on the things I’m actually getting paid for. So, I’m still planning on finishing that book, but I haven’t yet figured out how.

This is where I flawlessly merge from one topic to another.

I officially signed up for a marathon relay yesterday. Me and three others will split up a marathon. I ran this race four years ago. One week after finishing the race (and not dying) I found out I was pregnant (surprise!) with Landon. Here’s to hoping we don’t have a repeat of that this year, right?

Oh…and here’s to hoping I don’t die. Considering I can only run 2 miles right now (3 miles on a really good day…which has only happened twice) and I need to be able to run 6.5 in two months, that’s a legitimate prayer worth lifting up.

And again, we transition.

I think you should all go back to last week’s post titled I laughed until I cried and read E. Lehman’s comment. I laughed out loud, pretty hard, when I saw it. Then I pumped my fist in the air and yelled, “I rock,” as the dog looked on in bewilderment.

Speaking of the dog (transition), she’s making me crazy. I’m pretty sure she’s clinically depressed and I’m wondering if I should get her on Prozac. She mopes around the house, wimpering, and she stands right underneath my feet every second of every day. Every second I’m home that is. Mostly she’s cooped up all day and she’s bored and I feel terrible for her.

Not bad enough to walk her, of course, because it’s only 10 degrees outside.

She’s not a dog who enjoys laying around the house. She’s active and she is bored and I feel bad but I don’t know what to do about it so I keep giving her food, which means now I have a depressed dog who’s getting chubby.

I’m running out of pithy transitions so I’m just going to insert a line from here on out to signify a topic change.

I have a PT appointment today for my shoulder where I may or may not have a torn rotator cuff. I’m supposed to go see a Sports Medicine guy about it, but I haven’t yet for two reasons:

– I’ve really been quite busy and haven’t found the time to schedule the appointment.

– I’m a scardey cat and I don’t really want to know if it’s torn because then I’ll have to actually do something about it.

So for now I’m sticking with my PT because I like him a lot and I’m hoping I can nurse it back to health ala natural.

___________________________________________________________________

My mom and dad are in England having a grand old time and I’m glad for them, but…

I miss my parents. I want to go see them but, you know, logistics. So I just try to live vicariously through my mom’s Facebook pictures and talk to her every few days instead. I thought about taking the kids with me to see them, but then added up the costs and remembered that I would be trapped in a small space with them for an entire day with the eyes of strangers watching and decided Skype was a lovely invention worth making use of.

___________________________________________________________________________

I sang at an event at our church a couple of weeks ago where I got to cover several great old standards. I had way more fun than I even dreamed I would and out of the deal have made contacts with a few people here in town that do these sorts of gigs both professionally and as amateurs. There’s a good chance I’ll get to do a bit more singing around town and I couldn’t be more excited.

Or nervous…

Final transition into the closing paragraph.

I’ve got another video idea rolling through my head and just need to find the time to put it together. In my mind it’s brilliant, but it’s probably really lame in real life. Either way, I’m hoping to include more video posts in the near future because I’m ready to spice things up a bit on the old bloggy blog.

And with that, I shall officially conclude this blog entry.

The End.