Summer Fun List 2012

This is our first year making up a Summer Fun List and man are we excited.  Everyone pitched in to create the list...even my mom (*see "wash Gramma Lee's car"*)!

I wanted to do something so that we can be purposeful about our time during the Summer and not look back in September and wonder what we did with all of our Summer free-time.  We picked a lot of things that we normally do, like the spray park and the Summer Reading Program.  We also added a few "new-to-us" items, like the drive-in and making S'mores.  

I posted this list on Facebook and it was sadly reported to me that The Beach Waterpark is now closed...sniff.

We have already checked some items off...some we did before we actually created the list because that's just how we roll.

Play Playstation...one of Caleb's choices.  He loves playing the "older" games with Dad.

Another Caleb item...building a train track in the driveway.

This item we did before the list was made (and already checked it off...as seen in the pic above) when we celebrated National Chocolate Ice Cream Day (thanks Kim)

We will be spending lots of time at the library.  Jamison has already completed her first round of the Summer Reading Program.

One of the things I look forward to the most during the Summer is going to the pool.  Last year was the first year we did not get a pool pass and we ended up visiting a bunch of different pools.  We liked the idea so much that we decided to do it again this year.

Our first stop on our pool hop was one that we had never been to before.  While it was fun to try something new, it wasn't the best pool that we've been to and I'm not sure we'll go back.  

Our next stop was to our closet pool...the one we will probably frequent the most.  Jamison was here for a birthday party and Caleb and I stayed to hang out.  We ended up hanging out with a friend of mine (Jamison is good friends with her daughter) and her family.  Caleb really enjoyed attacking Mr. Dave in the water!

One of the last items we checked off was to fill up our new backyard pool.  Rondell put it on an incline so we ended up having a shallow end and a deep end...LOL.

We can't wait to check more items off of the list!  Did you create a Summer Fun List?

This is THE Day!

10 YEARS!!

Here's to many more decades My Love!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY :)

It's Me Kelli!

It's time to get this blog back in action!

What better way to get things going again than to talk about...well, ME!  I thought I'd share some random facts about me for any newbies or for those who would like a refresher :)

First and foremost and am a child of God, wife to my best friend Rondell, mother to Jamison and Caleb, daughter, sister, friend...  I work in my local municipal court as a secretary and love to make cards in my spare time.  I also love YELLOW, pens, notebooks, and anything to do with organizing (though I'm still very much a work in progress).

I love pizza...like LOVE pizza.  I would eat it everyday if I could...though I will say not all pizza is created equal.

At night I have to sleep with my socks off.  I've tried to sleep with them on and I just can't do it.

I am my mother's only child, but I have a brother and a sister from my dad & Renee (stepmom)...it's like the best of both worlds :)

I constantly leave cabinet doors open and it drives Rondell crazy.  I don't know why I do it.  I have to consciously think about closing them.

I cut off all of my hair after I had Caleb...because really, there's just not enough time in the morning.  I don't regret the decision.

I'm neither an early bird or a night owl...though I will say I do prefer the quiet of the morning.  But I like to sleep in and on more nights than not I am asleep by 10:00...unless I'm sucked into a good Words With Friends match.

I have met some of the coolest people on this blogging journey :)

I will take an ice cold Coca Cola over a glass of wine any day!

I don't like to shop...are you still there?  I like cute things, but when it comes to shopping I lose interesting.  Typically if I find a shirt that I like I buy it in a few colors.

I like to be outside, but I'm not outdoorsy.  Vivienne always makes camping look cook, but I just don't think I could do it.

I have to have a cup of ice water on my nightstand when I go to bed.

And when I go to bed I typically look through the guide on the TV for a show that I'd like to watch, but then 9 times out of 10 don't even end up watching it because I fall asleep.

I get excited when I see pictures of people's Bibles that are written in and loved over.  Gives me chills each and every time.

I also want to be baptized again.

I want to learn to can, and sew, and french braid.

I love being a mom and wish often that I was able to stay home with them.

I once swam with a dolphin during my first visit to my now favorite place...Destin (pictures coming this week from our recent trip!)

I love pizza...did I say that already?

That's me...in a nut shell.  Anything else you wanna know?

Things I'm Lovin' This Thursday!

INSTAGRAM!

You guys I am totally hooked!  These pictures are so much fun to create...just look how green my grass looks in this picture :)  I really enjoy keeping in touch with people through their pictures.  You have to check it out if you have an iPhone.

I am really enjoying this new blog...Beautifully Rooted.  It is filled with Truth and encouragement from various ladies...ladies who are being transparent and sharing their hearts.  You should go and check it out.

Reading this book with Jamison.  Did you read this as a child?  I LOVED this book when I was in elementary school.  It is filled with fun poems and silly stories.

Finally, I'm loving my planner today.  With things coming up here & there and planning a vacation it really comes in handy for me to get things out of my brain and onto a piece of paper.

What are you lovin' today?

My Bible Journey

Hi Friends!

You may or may not know this about me but I have a thing for Bibles.  Yes, I love the Bible because it is the Living Word of God, but I also just love the physical Bible.

I maybe have mentioned on here before about how I love to see Bibles that are loved on, meditated over, written in, & cried over.  Recently on Facebook Kay Arthur posted a picture of her Bible and it was so cool.  For me there's just something encouraging about seeing a good Bible shot.

Apparently I also like to collect Bibles.  Well, not really, but my Bible preference has changed a little over the years and with each stage has come a new Bible.

Here's my pile:

On the bottom is a Bible I received from my pastor when I graduated from High School.  I used this Bible for quite a number of years (though there was that time in college when it didn't get used as much as it should have).  I loved that it was a Study Bible because it helped me to understand Scripture better.  It also had a lot of room for me to take my own notes.

Then, a few years ago I decided that I wanted a cute Bible, but one that had enough room to write in because I like taking notes in my Bible.  I chose the purple Bible pictured above and at first liked that it had sporadic devotionals geared towards women.  This Bible worked for a little while, but I didn't care for some of the devotions that it included and I missed having a Study Bible.

Then about two years ago (or so) our lead pastor started using the ESV Bible for references during his sermons.  I was intrigued by this version and the fact that it is a more literal translation.  The fact that it is more of a challenging version makes me concentrate more on the wording.  I started with a pocket ESV Bible.

Last year I ordered the John MacArthur Study Bible.  I loved all that it had to offer, the study notes, the charts, the maps, etc.  But there was one thing...and this is where I may lose you...it was a hardback.  I can't explain it, but it wasn't the same.

So...recently I got the soft cover version of the John MacArthur Study Bible (actually Rondell bought it for me for Valentine's day).  It is a perfect fit and I can tell we are going to have a long-lasting relationship...the Bible, me and my Sharpie pens :)

Do you have a Bible journey?

Thirsty?

Want some water?

Water.  So simple, yet so beneficial.  When you don't drink enough water you get dehydrated and that leads to less energy (we could all use more energy, right?).  A large part of our bodies are made up of water and because of that we need to replenish.

Here are some other bits of information I have learned about water:

  *  Water is required for digestion & absorption of food

*  Water in the bloodstream carries nutrients and oxygen to cells

*  Water helps to improve exhaustion, headaches, asthma, hypertension...

*  Water flushes toxins out of vital organs

Now I'm a pretty descent water drinker, but I'm also a pretty descent Coca-Cola drinker and one should significantly outweigh the other.

So, I will continue to grab my sunflower cup (isn't she pretty?), fill her up and drink away.

Side Note:  I got 4 our of 5 things done on my Top Five list (this post was the fifth item).

Why Purge?

As my ponder and pray about my 2012 Word I realize that it needs to go beyond just one post...it needs to be totally incorporated into my entire life.  I think before I would pick a word, post about it & then...**crickets**

First, I need to get to the reason for needing to PURGE.  I need to PURGE in order to be closer to HIM..to be able to listen to His guidance without distraction...to discern what He has in store for me, not what I think He has in store for me.

I need to PURGE so that I can absorb His Word (like the verses above)...His character.

 I need to PURGE so that my foundation is in HIM...not in things, or people, or blogs, or food, or what others are doing...it needs to be in HIM.

There are areas that I know right now need to be PURGED and I am sure more will be revealed to me as I continue to pray about it and follow His lead.  My hope is to share my journey here...my journey to strengthen my relationship with Christ, simplify my home, focus more on my husband/children, reduce distractions, serve others...PURGE.

2012 Word

This is my fourth year of participating in picking a word to represent my year...a theme, if you will (click to see year one, two & three).  I will be transparent to say that the past three years have been a flop.  I honestly didn't even remember that last year's word was Embrace.

I realize that I need a fresh start...to start from square one.  So, this is the word that I picked to represent what is needed to be done this year:

PURGE

* To free from impurities; purify
* To remove by or as if by cleansing
* To rid of sin or guilt

Just like this tree...I am going to let go of some things.  I am going to PURGE things in order to allow me to utilize my past words...to MOVE to get things done...to FOCUS on things that need my attention...to EMBRACE all of the blessings that God has given me.

My goal is to PURGE piles...bad habits...so-called friendships...clutter...blogs (I cleaned out some of the blogs I follow...this was hard)...negative thinking...etc.

As I PURGE, my goal is to REFILL with His Word...His Direction...His JOY!

Regrouping

I am daydreaming about this place (as it snows outside my window with temps in the teens!) and about the upcoming year.  I will be back soon to share my word for this year (I have done that here, here & here), some goals and anything else that comes to mind. 

First I must regroup, fill in my planner for 2012, put my tree away, and clear out old toys to make room for new toys (exactly why I said here that I need to do this before Christmas).

See you shortly!

Note to Self...

Each year after Christmas is all over I think to myself all of the things I want to do differently or things I want to add to our festivities.  But that is the problem...I just think to myself and I do not write it down.  What happens then is that I forget these things & end up being frustrated with myself.

But that changes today because I am here to write a note to myself so that these thoughts are documented.

Dear Kelli:

*  Start shopping early...like September early.  The key however, is to make sure you put all of these early gifts in ONE spot so that you don't lose them before Christmas (remember the MP3 player?).  This way you will not be running all over town trying to pick up gifts in the weeks leading up to Christmas...you'll be able to relax a little and enjoy WHY we are celebrating.

*  And while you are out there shopping early, make sure to pick up a few extra gifts for that person you may have forgotten or that neighbor that needs an additional pick me up...like some gift cards, or candles, or books.

*  And while we are on the subject of early...make sure to start your Christmas cards early.  Because you waited until the last minute you were crammed and you had to limited the number that you sent out this year. If you start early you will be able to pace yourself and do small steps at a time...cut the base one day, cut the accents another day, etc.  In the end you will be much happier.

*  Remember to celebrate Him more during this time.  Read Scripture surrounding His conception and birth. Take time to make sure that you still remember the verses from Luke 2.

*  Make cookies with your children.  So what if it makes the kitchen dirty or if they don't turn out perfectly...it will be something that you will always remember...it will be something that THEY will always remember.  Remember how you loved making cookies with your mom when you were younger and how you still enjoy it even now...that's how they will feel too.

*  Go through and donate your kids' old toys before Christmas so that you have room for the new toys...you do not have enough space to double the inventory.

*  Go to the little kiosk in the mall to get the kids an ornament with his/her name on it.

*  If you host Christmas Eve again do not wait until after your family leaves to wrap gifts.  If you do, you will  have cleaning up AND wrapping to do and will be up very, very late.  Remember that Mommy and Rondell did not let you get away with not wrapping this year.

*  Buy more eggs...and paper towels...and spices...because you do not want to have to send Rondell out again on Christmas because you are short on eggs (and out of paper towels).  Luckily Mommy had pepper for your "pepper emergency" this year but you should make sure you are stocked on these things just in case.  In other words...plan your meals down to the last ingredient...even pepper.

*  Take a picture of the tree before the gifts are opened.  You always forget this.  See, if you had wrapped the gifts beforehand then you would have had more opportunities to get this shot...just sayin'.

*  Make more treats like these and these.  It was so much fun to bag up those hug treats and give them to co-workers and neighbors.  The jars were SO easy to make and also a big hit...the only change would be to maybe use smaller cards as tags or print off Mel's instructions to add as labels.

*  Lastly, make a better effort to do some fun activities leading up to Christmas...get hot chocolate, go see the lights at the zoo, make a gingerbread house, etc.  As much as you love tradition remember that you are now developing traditions for your family to cherish.

The Simple Woman's Daybook - Tuesday, December 13, 2011

1.  Outside my window...sunny, blue skies & COLD.  Cold or no cold, I will take the sun any day :)

This is not a picture of this morning, but the sky looked exactly the same...gorgeous.

I am thinking...about my day and the little things that I want to accomplish.

I am thankful...for friends who can relate to me.  Sometimes it's a good feeling to know that I'm not the only one who (fill in the blank).

In the kitchen...Yesterday I was off and made dinner for last night and tonight...taco bake & cabbage/noodles/kielbasa.

I am wearing...earrings.  I don't wear them often enough...I have gotten so many compliments :)

I am creating...my Christmas cards.  I don't think I have ever been this behind...it's going to be a crazy few nights.

I am going...to Jamison's choir performance tomorrow night, where...wait for it...she has a SOLO!!

I am wondering...what to make for our Christmas Eve gathering...appetizers or a full meal?

I am reading...the book of Hebrews.  We recently covered this book in BSF but over the break (BSF takes off for Christmas) I want to read it again...there is so much to ponder within those 13 chapters.

I am hoping...to have my entire house deep cleaned before Christmas (I don't know how realistic this is).

I am looking forward to...Christmas morning.

Around the house...disorder...I don't like disorder.

One of my favorite things...my BSF discussion group.

A few plans for the rest of the week...watch the new NCIS with my mom, attend a cookie party tomorrow (we're making those jars where you add the ingredients of the cookies), make my Christmas cards & catch up on shows that Rondell & I have on our DVR.

If you want to share your day go here.

35 Things :)

Well Friends it is over...my birthday is officially over.  I had a wonderful day & received a ton of love.  I thought I'd list 35 things (since I'm 35 now) that made my birthday great, in no particular order.  And I apologize ahead of time for zero pictures ;)

1.  Coming into work and seeing my desk completely decorated with a banner, streamers and balloons.

2.  The kids singing Happy Birthday to me.

3.  Wearing my favorite color.

4.  Texts that I received wishing me a Happy Birthday...even the one that came in at 5am.

5.  Emails from dear friends.

6.  Birthday voicemails complete with the Happy Birthday song.

7.  My grandfather remembering my birthday and calling me to sing.

8.  Reading a tweet from my brother saying that I am the best :)

9.  Eating pizza twice.

10.  Having my boss sit and eat lunch with us because it was my birthday.

11.  Pizza from my favorite pizza place for dinner (and having leftovers for lunch today!).

12.  The sweet sign that my kids and their friends made for me.

13.  My friend Tasha taking a picture of the kids with the sign and framing it for me (I'll have to share that with you).

14.  Gifts on my desk from co-workers.

15.  Getting to talk to one of my oldest and dearest friends on my way to work.

16.  Getting to talk to a friend who is like a sister to me on my way home from work.

17.  Renee and Toshianna signing to me first thing in the morning.

18.  A sweet e-card from my Daddy.

19.  Exercising my right to vote (and not having to wait in line).

20.  Making videos on my phone of the kids signing to me so that I could play them throughout the day.

21.  All of the sweet Facebook messages.

22.  The sweet and thoughtful card from my mom, complete with a gift card to the Cheesecake Factory.

23.  The yummy cherry crisp pie that my mom brought for dessert...YUM!

24.  The CD by one of my favorite artists that my honey gave to me.

25.  A sweet little note from Jamison's teacher wishing me a Happy Birthday.

26.  All of the Happy Birthdays from co-workers (since my desk was decorated everyone who walked by knew it was my birthday).

27.  All of the hugs I received.

28.  Not having to do any dishes :)

29.  Watching a good episode of NCIS (sometimes I do love a good cliff hanger).

30.  Rondell not having to work at Best Buy.

31.  My friend Lyndsey's gift to me...a hanger for my keys that hooks onto my purse so that I don't lose my keys (I'll have to share that too).

32.  Abbie's world-famous chocolate chip cookies.

33.  The gorgeous weather...it was 70 degrees with beautiful blue skies.

34.  The smile on my face...all.day.long.

35.  God blessing me with another year and allowing me to be surrounded my wonderful people.

Keepin' It Real :)

Yesterday my friend Rachael and I were emailing about all the things that need to be done.  I told her how sometimes I get too wrapped up in other blogs...feeling like everyone has it all together but me.  However, I know deep down that's not true...and it's OK.

So, in case you think I have it all together let me keep it really for just a second...with unedited pictures and I did not even take (thanks Ron for taking these shots for me):

Yeah um, this is my craft area...it's overflowing and no fun work is getting done.

My table that I swear I just cleaned off the other day.  Jamison stepped on Caleb's pumpkin bucket and broke it :(

Fall/Halloween decorations still sitting by the front door that I need to finish putting up.

More Fall stuff...

Now I must go and get some of these things done so I can be pretty for you again :)

Absorbing

Captured from my front porch

I know I have been quiet lately.  Honestly, I am just a little overwhelmed at the moment.  Nothing at all serious...just trying to get into a groove.  See, I am routine oriented...it just is who I am.  I like order, I like to know what is coming next, I thrive on organization.  Well right now my world feels out of order...laundry, school papers, the kids' rooms, the To Do list...  

I am reminded today that God's mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).  With Him I will get out of this funk & we will get a handle on this disorder.

There are a few things in blogland that have helped too with getting my groove back:

This post/series by Tidy Mom:  Countdown to Clean

Jen always has a good organization tip on her blog...IHeart Organizing

Reading this post by my blog friend Amy...another reminder of how we are renewed daily.

So, that is what's up with me...what's up with you?

10 Day You Challenge - Day Ten :)

To see the other days of this challenge go here.

DAY 10 - 1 PICTURE (of ME!)

Here I am in all my glory :)

I hope you have enjoyed reading this challenge as much as I have enjoyed putting it together.  I would like to thank Stephanie again for bringing this fun challenge to my attention.

10 Day You Challenge - Day Nine :)

Day One - 10 Secrets

Day Two- 9 Loves

Day Three - 8 Fears

Day Four - 7 Wants

Day Five - 6 Places

Day Six - 5 Foods

Day Seven - 4 Books

Day Eight - 3 Films

Day Nine - 2 Songs (**Since I was not able to post yesterday you get two days for the price of one!)

**I have to note that this has been the hardest day because while I love music a lot I don't necessarily have songs that truly stand out...well at least not two that I can narrow down.  But I was able to pick two songs that I thought I'd share with you that are special to me.

1.  You, by Monifah...ever heard of it?  It's a song that came out while I was in college.  It makes me think of the time when I first began to think Rondell was something special.  We would sit in his dorm room and listen to the single and now every time I hear it I think back to those days of new love.

2.  How He Loves Us, by David Crowder Band.  When I feel the need to draw close to God (usually because I'm letting life get in the way) I can go to this song and be reminded.  Oh, how He LOVES us.  Brings me to tears each time.  It is a great reminder of who He is and how He love ME.

10 Day You Challenge - Day Eight :)



For Days 1-7 go here :)

Day 8 - Three Films

1.  You've Got Mail.  I adore, ADORE this movie.  There is just something about it that makes me all giddy inside.  I have mentioned before that I saw it twice in the theater (Rondell joined me both times) and I have it on DVD.  It makes me want to grab a Starbucks latte and read a book each and every time I watch.

2.  The Color Purple. Talk about an inspiring movie.  I love the strength and determination of Whoopi's character...Miss Celie.  I love the music in this movie and the bond between the sisters is just priceless.  I can watch it over and over!

3.  Love Jones.  I enjoy this movie for many reasons...it is set in my second favorite city (Chicago), it is romantic, Maxwell's music (one of my favorite singers) is featured in the movie, I have loved Nia Long since she was Cat on Guiding Light, etc.  Each time I watch this movie I root for Nina & Darius to be together.

10 Day You Challenge - Day Seven :)

Day 1 - 10 Secrets

Day 2 - 9 Loves

Day 3 - 8 Fears

Day 4 - 7 Wants

Day 5 - 6 Places

Day 6 - 5 Foods

Day 7 - 4 Books!

1.  The Bible.  It is God-breathed, it is inerrant, it is my life instruction manual.

2.  Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala.  It is truly an eye-opening book about the power of the Holy Spirit.

3.  Where the Sidewalk Ends...classic.  This just takes me back to elementary school and how kids would fight over who would check it out of the library.  This is a book I need to buy for Jamison (and Caleb).

4.  The Help.  This is my current favorite read.  I enjoyed this book immensely, definitely a page turner.  The movie was good as well, but nothing compares to the details of a book and how you can picture the setting for yourself. 

10 Day You Challenge - Day Six :)

Day 1 - 10 Secrets

Day 2 - 9 Loves

Day 3 - 8 Fears

Day 4 - 7 Wants

Day 5 - 6 Places

Day 6 - 5 Foods

1.  Pizza.  This is hands down my favorite food.  My favorites are Tommy's (a local place in Columbus), Giordano's, & Iacono's (another local place).  I do eat franchise pizza, but I prefer the smaller, local spots.  

YUM!

2.  Apple Crisp.  I'm not a big cake person, I prefer pies & crisps...with apple crisp being my favorite.  It is almost that time of year to go and pick apples (we already have a day scheduled in September) and I'm sure there will be lots of apple crisp in our future.  We have found that Jonathan work best for apple crisp.  If you want the recipe I posted it here.

3.  Steak on the grill.  I love firing up the grill and putting a nicely seasoned steak on there to grill...well I love when Rondell does this ;)  A good grilled steak goes so well with a baked potato and salad.  Oh my!

4.  Appetizers.  Often we will have appetizers for dinner or if I am entertaining I like to have appetizers instead of a full meal, like for a football game.  I love buffalo chicken dip, taquitos, chicken club wrap, taco dip, etc.

5.  Mexican...pretty much all Mexican.  Well, maybe what I like is more Tex Mex actually, but I love it.  One of my favorite restaurants is Abuelo's and man do I miss Chi-Chi's Mexican Fried Ice Cream.  I have been on a quest to find a great chicken enchilada recipe, but I haven't found one that tastes as good as the restaurants...one day.

10 Day You Challenge - Day Five :)

Day One - Secrets

Day Two - Loves

Day Three - Fears

Day Four - Wants

Day 5 - 6 Places

1.  DESTIN!!!!!!!

If you have been around here for a while it will come as no surprise that this is on my list.  The picture posted above is from when we went in 2010.  It was the trip that made us truly fall in love with Destin.  

This place is just perfect for our family.  The beaches are absolutely beautiful...the sand is clean, the water is a gorgeous blue and they are not over crowded.  We love the condo where we stay because it is so quiet, the pool area is never crowded, and it's in a convenient location to a lot of the sights that we like to see (and the Outlet Mall!)

Our time in Destin is our time to connect as a family, not have to hit snooze on an alarm because no alarms are set, swim until we are too tired to swim anymore, eat fabulous food, and just relax.

We are kind of sad as it looks like we may not be able to go next year...sniff.  But that just means that we will have to really live it up in 2013!

2.  There's no place like Home :)

While I enjoy getting out to do things, I also love being at home.  It is comfortable for me... familiar.  

3.  Chicago...my kind of town

Chicago is one of my favorite places to visit.  One of my favorite movies, Love Jones, is set in Chicago.  There is so much to do, yummy food, and one of my dearest friends lives there.  I don't get to visit as often as I would like, but I cherish the time that I have been able to visit.  

One of my favorite sights there is Buckingham Fountain...there's just something about it.  I love when it's all lit up at night...beautiful.  And of course when I'm there I must have my favorite pizza...Giordano's.

4.  California

Here's another place that I have visited a few times but have not been in a while.  I enjoyed my time in Los Angeles and the one time I visited San Diego I fell in love (Sea World San Diego is a place I must visit again).

I have family in LA and would really like to get Rondell and the kids out there to see the West Coast.

5.  Arizona, Colorado, & New Mexico

These are three states are are high on my list to visit.  One dream is to rent an RV and travel west for a few weeks.  The other dream is for Rondell and I to take a trip to Arizona for a nice kid-free getaway (I may have to start planning this).

6.  The Pool.

I love to go to the pool whether it is alone or with my kids.  I adore the refreshing feeling of swimming and then sitting in the sun to dry off.  I love sitting by the pool reading a book with my feet dangling in the water.

Now if I just had the funds to put on in my backyard...one day :)

**In addition to linking to Stephanie, I am also linking to my blog buddy Becca's party:

R We There Yet Mom?'s Friday Daydreamin