Such Great Messages

These video’s are so inspired.

This one was just what I needed today.

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some works in progress

Wow, its been a while.

I’ve sat down several times to do a little update but I had 2 problems.

1.  No pictures, my camera isn’t working and you can’t have a post without a picture. Well unless is really interesting or funny and I got nothin in those 2 categories.

2. I am Mrs. Negativity the last month or so. Really, I’m a blast to be around. Whine, complain, poor me, blah, blah, blah.

I had my little breakdown a few days ago and I’m feeling a little better.  I’m going to be positive. I’m going to look at all my blessings and be grateful.  My little pity party wasn’t helping anything so what’s the point anyway? Right? I’m a work in progress and now I’ve decided to actually progress.

Ok, moving on then…

I needed something to distract myself from myself so I started a little quilt/table topper/I don’t really know what it’s going to be yet.

Please excuse the  iPhone, as it is the only camera I have at the moment.

It sort of ended up being a little patriotic with the Reds, Blues and Tans/Whites. It’s funny how quilts come together, when all of the blocks were separate I wasn’t really loving it, but now that I have them together I think I like it.

I still have a lot of borders to add which should make it much cuter since I’m using this blue polka dot.  I love me some polka dots! Seriously, they are just one of those silly things that make me really happy.

Speaking of works in progress. My Mama is going to be so proud when she see’s this!  (She won’t see it for like 2 months cause that’s how often she reads blogs and she won’t comment cause that would be too hard to figure out. :) Love you Mom!)  Now take a look at this…

Can you believe it? I USED THE IRON!  My seems are all pressed and actually sew in the right direction!  See I told you I was a work in progress and something you taught me finally sunk in! Woo Hoo!  And can I just say that it is soo much easier to put a quilt top together when you iron it. Holy Crap, you have no idea.

When I made Jena’s Quilt about 2 years ago she would stand in her sewing room with me and iron all of my blocks.  It made her completely crazy that I wouldn’t iron them.  I owe that quilt looking so good to her. I can’t imagine what it would have looked like had she not ironed for me.

Now Mom, you can’t say that didn’t bring a little tear to your eye.  And guess what I’ve even been ironing Ry’s Church shirts too!  Wow, I’m really making more progress than I realized. 9 years of marriage and I am finally ironing my kids clothes.  Barry’s clothes, ehh, not so much. He can do it himself.

Ok, one more picture before I go because it totally cracks me up.

Check out Sara’s Gut!  That thing looks like it’s about to burst!  Which is funny because she is my skinniest baby and her belly never looks like this.  She must have just eaten or something.

She has become my little stripper this summer. She thinks she needs to take her clothes off and run through the hose all day long.  Yeah, we are totally white trash like that.  In the front yard too.  Somebodies gotta bring a little Ghetto to the neighborhood and wouldn’t you rather look at that cute butt than the 14 year olds boxer shorts?

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

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Sisterly Love

Some of you have obviously noticed the…exchanges…that go on between my sister and I.  Most of you know we are kidding and we just have that sarcastic type of relationship but just in case you didn’t know I thought I’d let you know.

I love her more than my luggage!

There, now it’s clear.

Now look what she brought me home from her cruise to Mexico.

A Cute chips and salsa bowl!

I love it!

Thanks, Teri!

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Manic Monday

you gotta admit everyone wants to  use that title. am i right?

 

ok, so today was not one of my best days.  i could get into it but really, i’ll spare you the details.  instead i thought i’d share a few things that made me feel so much better.  and as i sit here thinking of these things that made me feel better, i’m realizing they are not your typical feel good kind of moments. really they are more fuel your fire kind of things and i suppose said to someone else they could make you cry even harder.  but that’s not really the point….

 

i woke up today in a far from fabulous mood, in fact i went to bed the night before that way.  i was determined to either do nothing but milk my sorrows all day long or to get out and act like they didn’t exist. two rather healthy options if i do say so myself.  like most mornings, i dialed my sister-in-laws number. maybe she would bail me out by taking my kids or feed me chocolate while letting me bitch vent.  so when i asked the question ‘whatcha doin ?’ i wasn’t really expecting the answer or rather tirade that i received.  

prepare yourself for a big run on sentence, it went a little something like this-

well first i got up earlier than i wanted to, to get my ungrateful kids off to school who were less than happy to get out of bed themselves. Now i have a big huge list of things i need to get done at home that will probably not get done because i have to go to this stupid visiting teaching luncheon that i’m not ready for and then i have a bunch of errands to run that i don’t have money for that will use up the gas i don’t have in my car.   (insert big breath here)  then i was thinking i would come home to my kids who will not listen to anything i say and cook dinner f

or my husband who will be less than appreciative and then i’ll do the dishes while they all watch tv and don’t notice that i could use some help or maybe a thank you!…….(i’m sure there are things i’ve left out.)  What you doin?

 

I COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF!  Seriously, there are some days that i could just kiss that girl.

this is when i said something like, ‘sooo, you don’t want to take my ungrateful kids?’  i’ll leave her response to your imagination. :)

so i went with option B, only with the kids and we drove and hour to my sister’s house.  she just moved and she was having my Mom and Aunt Barb over to help her decorate. great diversion.

while sitting on her couch being no help what so ever, i picked up my trusty iphone which is always great for mind numbing and time wasting games and internet searching and facebook…voyeurism or whatever it is you do on facebook and  i updated my facebook status to read ‘Kelli is down right pissy.’

aren’t i just a bundle of sunshine? i know, if your don’t really know me your totally rethinking wanting to. but really i’m not usually this, well, pissy.  but then again, maybe i am, because what do you know the next thing i see is a response from my friend Scott (who i haven’t seen since high school) who writes ‘Some things never change :)’

and i’ll tell you what, i laughed and laughed and laughed.  that and the fact that one of my closest friends, Melissa, has written ‘note to self, do not call Kelli today.’

i think what makes me so happy at the end of this fabulous day of mine is that i have friends who understand me.  they know that i’m not the kind of girl that would really appreciate a mushy pep talk.(most of the time)  they know how to make me laugh, they listen to me vent, and sometimes when i need it they tell me to quit being such a whiner and get over myself.  these are the people i want in my life. people that make me smile. people that love me and understand me even when i’m less than lovable.  people that are real.

note to self: get over it! :)

hope y’all have a great tuesday!

and by the way, Mom, Teri, Barb and Nat thanks for putting up with me today!

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Jonas-a beautiful boy

as thanksgiving passes and we move onto christmas i can’t help but think of how truly blessed i am.  all around me i am reminded that there are others with more hardship and bigger trials than my own.  the thing that always amazes me is that those same people quite often have such great perspective and outlook in regards to their troubles.  they help to remind me what i all too often forgot, that by putting our faith in the lord our strength and understanding is multiplied and we are blessed by our trials.

being the mother of young children i naturally worry about every tiny thing that could happen to them. i also realize how blessed we have been to have such healthy, strong, smart and happy kids.  in the last year or so i have followed 2 particular blogs about 2 little boys who have faced huge health challenges.  Charlie Cooper contracted meningitis and his story and parents have taught me countless life lessons.

the little boy i want you all to know about today is named Jonas.  Jonas has the most beautiful eyes i have ever seen and the most infectious smile!  at six weeks old Jonas was diagnosed with a genetic disorder called SMA (spinal muscular atrophy). SMA type I is a terminal genetic disease that results in loss of nerves in the spinal cord and weakness of the muscles connected with those nerves.  Jonas is not able to sit, stand or even hold his head up. everyday that they have Jonas with them is a blessing.

Whit works with my sister at Primary Children’s Medical Center in SLC. Whit also just started the nursing program at the University of Utah, also with my sister.  if you don’t know anyone who has gone to nursing school it is very demanding and they recommend that you do not work.  Whit however does not have that choice, he works full time in a job that does not pay well (monitarily that is) and goes to school full time.

Lindsey taught elementary school and now is Jonas full time mama.  we all know this paragraph should be a page long considering what mothers do.  for Lindsey it should be 5 pages long because of her dedication to your sons special needs.

while i don’t personally know The Coleman Family, i do know their story has really touched me. i also know that Jonas’ care and quality of life has always been their top priority.  recently they ordered a special wheelchair for Jonas that allows him to be in a sitting/standing position and i’m sure many other things. can you imagine your 1 year old laying flat all day long?  these special kinds of chairs don’t cost a few hundred dollars either, more like a few thousand!  the financial stresses that their family is facing i can not imagine.

so being that today is Jonas first birthday i thought there is no more appropriate time to donate to their family.  so head on over to their blog and read todays post, letters from Whit and Lindsey to Jonas on his birthday.  i’m sure you’ll be in tears as was i, so then enjoy the pictures of adorable Jonas and his killer eyes and that will make you smile!  when your through soaking up his cuteness,  click on the ‘Make a Donation’ box on the top right side and give what you can.

by blessing the lives of others we ourselves are blessed.

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one day at a time

i’m having motivational issues. it probably has a little bit to do with the fact that little sister has had a fever for 2 days and i have hardly put her down long enough to use the bathroom. (then i go and slam her fingers in the car door!!!! mother of the year right there!) or the fact that the kids are out of school and all i want to do is run and hide! (it’s true. i told you, mother of the year!) or that i took a day off yesterday and went shopping and saw Twilight with Nat and i’d rather do that again.  who knows!

what i really want to do is climb into bed with my husband who is fast asleep right now (he works nights) cuddle up and sleep myself.  or maybe if i could locate all my sewing supplies i would love to finish a few quilts i had ready to go before we moved.  that’s a little depressing to think about though because i lost that box in the move. it had all my sewing supply’s in it, minus my machine, including my grandmas scissors that meant a lot to me.  i can’t seem to get myself to go spent a couple hundred bucks and replace it all. can you blame me?

you want to hear what i think it is though? something really unexpected happened a few weeks back. it’s had me in a haze of sorts. it was all i could think about. it caused many uncharacteristic tears. it cause guilt, lots and lots of guilt. it caused the mister to question my mental stability. really.  it also made me realize how blessed i am. it made my heart ache for other people’s struggles. it shed new light on my selfishness. it answered a question i’ve been wondering for a while now. it reminded me that the lord is there for us and he knows are struggles.  the chance that i might be pregnant through me for a huge loop.  a positive test sent me into tears for days, a reaction i would never had guessed for myself. i clearly was not expecting or ready for another baby. and there in lied the question, how does one know for sure?

well, i’m not pregnant and it does come as a huge relief. so do i know we are done? no, i don’t know. but what i do know is that the lord knows me, he loves me and he will guide us to when and if and i will be ok.  isn’t it strange how the answer to a prayer can be ‘just wait, you aren’t ready to know the answer yet.’  this is my answer and it has brought me the peace i was looking for. one day at a time, that’s what i’m doing now, just enjoying one day at a time.

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Grateful

my sister came across the Paul Cardall’s Blog today.  for those of you who do not know him, he is a fabulous pianist/composer.  i have enjoyed his music for years.  i love the peace that his music brings.  i also enjoy the way he rearranges classic hymns so that you feel like you are hearing them again for the first time.  he has a new cd out titled ‘Living For Eden’ and it is so great!  one of the singles is titled ‘Grateful’ and it was just so fitting for how i am feeling today.  as tired and onery and stressed and busy as i’ve been the last few weeks i’ve found myself feeling overwhelmingly grateful for all that the Lord has blessed me with in my life. i attended my niece, Katie’s, baby blessing today and as i sat in the chapel trying to keep Sara quiet i was amazed at how i was overcome with gratitude for my family, immediate and extended.  both Barry and i have such amazing and wonderful families, we are truely blessed.

today also happens to be Barry and I’s 8 year anniversary. happy anniversary to me! :) i think you can guess we don’t have big celebratory plans with all that is going on at the moment but it is also my 30th birthday on thursday and i plan to make a night of it next weekend.  i know we will be going to Ruth’s Chris for dinner but we haven’t decided what else to do yet.  any great suggestions? we tend to be a little bit boring, which we are totally ok with but every once in a while you gotta let your hair down. right?

here is the video to ‘Grateful’ by Paul Cardall.  this is actually him and his daughter, who happens to be named Eden.

on a side note-Paul happens to be on a waiting list for a heart transplant which you can read more about on his site.  it is very humbling to find that those people whom we may assume ‘have it all’ actually have everyday, human struggles just like us.

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in honor of

we gather today in honor of…

allison

i could go on and on about how highly i think of her, she is simply awesome!

and

natalie

because she just gets me and still likes me!

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a man i’m very thankful for

grandpa really is just one of the kids

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feelin’ the love

WoW!  i’m totally feeling the love today.  Darcie over at suchthespot put me on her blogs she’s loving list.  now go over and check out Darcie, she is one smart and witty women with mad t-shirt making skills and a slight disney obsession.

thanks for the love!

now that she made my day, i suppose i should rip myself away from my mac and go get out of my pj’s, being that all of the following must be completed before the day is through.

1. making tons of salsa with Nat.

2. making raspberry jam with my mama.

3. working on the latest quilt.

4. changing all the bed sheets.

5. finding a new sleeping bag for big brother. (this story i will have to relay soon because it makes my blood boil just a little bit.)

6. attending the mister’s 2 softball games tonight. and there is nothing better than being all wrapped up in a blanket, breathing the crisp cool air of fall and watching your hot hubby play ball with some wicked skills.

***

i almost forgot, but i have to share this.  it is super cute, totally useful and cracks me up all at the same time.

it’s a tampon wallet by Abby Chase Designs.

what women does not need this?

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