Relocating to www.hannahsredshoes.com

As I mentioned in a previous post, my husband as built me another website where I can blog and post my little pleasures to sell. It is now finished. So this is the last post on this blog. To continue following my and my family and our stories, please visit hannahsredshoes.com  I hope to see you there!

New Year Goals

I don't like the word resolution because it sounds like something that I won't do. But if it is a goal, then that sounds more positive! So my goals for this year are:
 1. Finish the many books that I have started. Which are North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, To Kill a Mockingbird, Mission of Motherhood, to name a few. I have a habat of starting a book with the intention of finishing it, but since I am such a slow reader, I don't finish in in a timely fashion, and then another book comes along. I have been reading North and South since before I was pregnant! I remember trying to make headway in it in the spring of 2009 before Israel was born! I MUST finish it this year.

2. I would like to play the piano more. I teach piano, but don't play much myself. I would like Israel to grow up seeing the piano played and not just used as decoration most of the time.

3. Finish my piano certification. I have to have everything turned in By May 2nd. So this in not an option. But it is still something that I have dragged on for the past 5 going on 6 years, that I just need to get done. Then I will have the burden lifted.

4. I would like to go to Boston in the Fall. I have a friend that just moved up there, but she is only there for a year. So if we are going to go to Boston and have a place to stay, this would be the time to do it. So hopefully that will work out.

Those are all the ones I can think of right now. What are your goals this year???

Magic Mommy Kisses

I absolutely love it when Izzy comes up to me with an "ouchy" and wants me to kiss it. After I do it is all-of-a-sudden all better! Magic!!! Once mommy and daddy kiss it, it no longer calls for any attention. It makes me feel like a super hero, and I am so glad that one little act can put his little mind at ease. Izzy, I will kiss your little "ouchies" as long as you want me to. Hope that you will always come to me when you are hurting, even when it turns from physical pain, to spiritual and emotional. I love you!

Growing up

Yesterday afternoon we took away Paci. The thought has been in my head for awhile now, but wasn't sure when to do it. Izzy loves his paci and it broke my heart to think of taking it away, but it was also wearing me out hearing him whine for it all the time. We have tried really hard from the very beginning to not let him have it unless it was absolutely necessary, or it was bed time. Then he got older and got sick, and then he started asking for it. Not that gave in all the time, but sometimes (I will confess) I got so tired of hearing him whine, that I gave it to him for a few min. Yesterday I let him have it for nap time, but after he got up, I told him it was time to put paci nigh-night, which he did with a very good attitude. He was great all afternoon and only asked for it a couple times. I had talked to my mom about it, and of course Joel, so all afternoon I was praying that the Lord would give me wisdom to know how and when to do this. Yes I pray about how to take pacies away! We played, ate dinner, got ready for bed...all without paci. I read to him, and then decided to see what would happen if I didn't give it to him to sleep. He of course asked for it, and started looking for it in bed. When we couldn't find it, I told him to lay down with diti, and he did. He fussed for a little bit and then was mad when I told him that they were all gone, but calmed down realy quickly and went to sleep. Today he has been so good, and excepting that they are all gone, but nap time was a little rough...for me. I hate hearing him cry. But it wasn't even five minutes and he was out. Hopefully this goes well, and we can be rid of these wonderful but addicting things.

Hide Heart

I know that I have mentioned the Hide'm In Your Heart DVDs and how wonderful they are. My son, 1 1/2, LOVES them! And when I say Loves them, that is probably an understatement. This past week he has figured out how to say it. It surprised me when I heard him ask for Hide Heart. The only thing that keeps me from letting him watch it all day everyday, is because well, he needs to do something other than sit in front of the tv with his diti and paci (diti being his blanket). But other than that, I am THRILLED that he loves these because it is just scripture put to song. I he quotes the scripture and the reference before each song. Joel and I have the songs memorized and the order in which they come. But my prayer is that as he gets older, these songs will penetrate his heart. The scriptures says that God's word will NOT return void. These are great songs/verses and I am so grateful that he is going to have these hidden in his heart. Friday afternoon I realized that he had a low temperature, and Saturday in climbed to 103 degrees. We lost track of how many times he watched Hide Heart Saturday and today. It is the only movie he asks for. We have definitely gotten our moneys worth. Now...if we can just figure out how to get them on our iphones!

Winter, doggie hats, and lots of errands!

It is cold out there! And...my little Izzy has lost his hat. It was a little doggie one that he looked absolutely adorable in, as you can imagine. Today I decided that I needed to just get out and start looking for another one. I thought that I would for sure find one at Target, so that is the first place I went....nothing. Then I went to Old Navy...nothing, only girl ones, and a few boy ones, but the selection was scarce and some were on sale...in January. By the end of today I had been to 4 stores with a toddler! He was so good though. He would follow me around and play right near me (which usually doesn't happen). The last store I finally found one, but had to pay an arm and a leg for it. My last resort is Gap...tomorrow, and we will see if they deliver. I thought about getting a cute one from someone on Etsy, but I don't want to spend that much. I am pretty shocked that stores are already replacing their winter garb for spring and summer. It is JANUARY PEOPLE!!!!! If you know of any good places that might still have their winter merchandise...especially hats, let me know.

Reconnecting

My husband set me up to recieve stats on my blog every week, so that I can see how many times people upload my page and read about my little life. So for the past few weeks I have been pretty amazed at how many people have gotten on considering that I haven't written anything for awhile! So here I am, reconnecting.

December was a whirl wind, but a very fun one! This year, Izzy and I had company starting early in December and thouroughly enjoyed the visit from Hannah and Ava. Izzy was a little scared off by Ava's abundance of huggs and kisses, but by the end of the three days, he left her give him one. They were so cute! Ava snacks a lot much to Izzy's delight...so we had lots of new foods like dried fruit and veggies! Christmas this year was devided over two days, instead of rushing and getting it all in in one day. We LOVED it that way. We were able to spend a whole day with each side of the family, so we hope that this happens next year too.

Joel had several days off before Christmas and after Christmas so it helped soften the blow of everything being over all at once. I HATE that! I hate it that we have a whole month of preparing and parties and social stuff, and then Christmas day comes and goes and then it is all over! My family likes to get together a lot over that next week before school starts, so that always helps too, but then cold, blue January comes along and nothing exciting is going on and it is just cold!

I have decided that I really just don't like cold weather. I love what it brings....Pumkins, Thanksgiving, Christmas, blankets, fires (even though we don't have a fire place) but I really don't like being cold, and having to bundle up. But I guess I wouldn't appreciate the warmer weather as much if I didn't experience the cold.

I have been doing a lot of crafting lately and am having so much fun. I will have to upload some pics of those things later.

I have realized that I am just not good at meal planning. My creativity just shuts down and I can't think. So, I have decided to work around this weakness and try out an online meal planning service. This is the first week, and so far it hasn't lowered the stress level, considering that I had to go to 4 grocery stores to try and get what I needed at the best price. I may have to resort to the same exact thing every week...but how boring is that?

My little Izzy is growing up so fast. I can hardly keep up with him. He is not a little baby anymore. He is my buddy. We laugh, and play and run errands together and read books and take naps. He still doesn't eat very well, unless it is sweet things, so we are still battling that. He has gotten several cold this winter (just like last winter) so I really don't like that, and am not sure what to do about it.  I love watching him do new things daily. It amazes me how much he picks up just watching and listening to us, and it makes me want to strive to be a better example in every way. We love having a little boy.

Joel got a raise this year and we are excited to hopefully pay off all our credit card debt by the end of the summer. Yes, we have credit card debt, and we are NOT proud of it. After that we are planning on getting me a new car!!!! I super pumped about that and am already keeping my eyes out for ones that I like. The list is LONG!!!!

Everyday I am trying to be a better wife and mom, and child of God. Right now the Lord is taking me through a testing period, where I think He just wants to be sit at his feet and learn of Him, and be content with my life as it is, no matter what is changing around me. It is REALLY hard! When everyone is getting new things, moving to new cities, starting round 2 of babies, I have to be in a constant state of resiting promises to myself that God is good, and everything he does is good, and for MY good. I am thankful though that I can have a good cry now and then, and still be trusting. I think we all need a good cry.

Anyway, that is what has been going on lately in the Kelley family. Looking forward to a full and exciting year!