In Your Face Truth

Lately it's always something over here inside my head. You need to clean the floors. Have you helped Noah write his short story for homework? Did you return the phone call to the soccer coach, and your boss, and your mom? When will you ever fold those piles of laundry in the living room and, dear God, when was the last time you wiped down the rubber seal on the inside of the washing machine?? How high should Liam's fever be before I call the doctor? Oh, and while you're at it, you need to fit in 5 miles. OK? These are the voices swirling around in my head. It is exhausting, yes? (Please tell me someone else has these voices...)

Anyway, I can almost always tell when I have become deeply immersed in my own head for too long. When I have spent countless hours focused inward, on myself and what I want, and far to few hours focused up on what God wants. When I start feeling this way, I will immediately pull out my trusty devotional and soak up a million gems of truth and feel better. (To be clear, I am aware that I do it backwards. I should read the words of scripture everyday, before I fall into a funk, and be so amazed by God's truth that I am too distracted to stay stuck inside my own thoughts. What can I say? I am a work in progress that's for sure. Maybe by the time I'm an old lady God will have gotten through to me!)

All of that to say, this morning I read my Jesus Calling devotional by Sarah Young, and I just shook my head and laughed.

You see that first paragraph? Yeah, it was like God was smacking me on the head with a two-by-four. "Stop judging and evaluating yourself, for this is not your role." Are you kidding me? Isn't that what I spend half my life doing?! Judging myself for all  my shortcomings. Evaluating what I do wrong. How I am failing as a mom or a wife or a friend. Beating myself up because I can't do it perfectly. And then I open up the word of God (whose opinion is the ultimate authority, yes?) and he is all, Hey Kelly, stop going crazy judging yourself for not being perfect. I don't need you perfect. I sent my son for that. I don't sit in heaven and judge and criticize you, so why are you down there on earth doing it?

Kind of a radical truth, huh? The idea that God does NOT want us spending our lives being judgmental jerks to ourselves. I mean, if I could do that even half the time how much more enjoyable would my life be?! It is a truly freeing thing to know that He would rather we focus on how he loves us perfectly and how his grace has been poured into our lives instead. And - here's a crazy thought - what if I was able to stop judging myself? (And that's a big if) Would it become easier for me to stop judging others? If I could focus on the love and grace that God has given me, wouldn't it be easier for me to see the love and grace that God has given others? How much easier to love others when we can know for a fact that God loves them. I know it sounds kind of cliche and Oprah-esque, but could it be true? Love yourself well, so you can love others well. Or maybe it's like this - more God, less Oprah. Know that God loves you well, so that you can love everyone well.


Like I said, I am a work in progress. Truths are much easier read on paper than implemented in real life. But, that is where faith comes in. You (I) have to trust that God is working it out in your life, and that one day we will get where need to be.

And, until that day, this all I have to say. I reserve the right to still be judgemental when it comes to a select few things. Like watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I mean, how can you sit through an episode of that nonsense completely free of criticism and judgement? Yeah, that's what I thought ;)

PS... It got a little heavy - tomorrow I promise pretty pictures and talk of Friday fun :)

SAD

I live in Charleston. It is supposed to look like this.

But lately it has looked more like this.

I am seriously over it. This rainy and cold weather is making me think I have SAD. No, not that I am sad, but I have SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder.  Every time I look out the window I feel depressed. Just this morning I was so cranky that I had to send Wes an apology text because I was such a jerk to be around. I am thinking that in order to cure myself I need to go here.

                                                                          Or here.

                                                       Or, yes please, can I go here?!

Oh well. A girl can dream. At least I know that it can't last forever. This is Charleston for crying out loud. It's bound to back to beautiful soon! And, in the meantime, Liam is getting tons of use out of his new green umbrella.

"Somebody's Got A Case of the Mondays!"

I have got a serious case of the Mondays.

Office Space. Anyone???

Anyway. It's Monday. The weekend went by way too fast as usual. What did we do? Hmm, let's see...

Friday night play date at my friend Katy's where we celebrated Margarita Day with these.

Noah had his last basketball game on Saturday. He has improved so much since the beginning of the season and we are very proud of him. Soccer will start next month and, while I enjoyed watching all the basketball fun, I am stoked to watch him play soccer again.

Saturday evening we took the boys out to our favorite Mexican place, Senor Tequila. Noah was so tired from his grueling day of playing - and then watching - basketball, that he promptly feel asleep in the booth. Meanwhile, Liam explored different ways of using his forks as weapons.

Sunday was a beautiful day. Sunny and 70 degrees. It was so enjoyable after all the rain we had. We spent Sunday afternoon celebrating our buddy Connor's 2nd birthday.

Please look closely at the birthday boy next to Liam. Every time we yelled "Happy Birthday" or sang to him, he stuck his lip out and turned all pouty on us. Needless to say, his parents concluded that he doesn't care much for being the center of attention! It was hilarious.

And last but not last, Sunday evening we watched the Oscars. Well, kind of. I love the red carpet stuff, and then we tried to make it through some of the show, but it just goes on for too darn long. I am actually glad we ended up going to bed because I didn't have to see adorable Jennifer Lawrence fall on the stairs on the way to accept her award. You see, I have this weird thing where I can't stand to watch other people's awkward moments. For instance, when someone is giving a really bad acceptance speech and you can tell people in the audience are all, Wrap it up please I always mute the TV. I can only imagine how agitated I would have become if I had to watch her fall.

I was however, glad to hear she won. And she looked very pretty.

Also, these are two of my favorite dresses from last night.

Can you tell I like simplicity in my red carpet attire?

And, sorry, but what the heck was going on with Anne Hathaway?! From the neck up she looked very pretty, but from the neck down.... Well, let's just say that Wes' reaction sums it up pretty well. "What's wrong with her boobs??"

A quick perusal of People.com assures me that I am not the only one who felt this way. No worries though, Anne has a pretty new golden statue to make her feel better about her terrible taste in dresses.

And while we're at it, please tell me Kristen Stewart, do you ever brush your hair?

Well, that's all I guess. It's time to stop playing judgemental fashion critic and go back to living the dream folding laundry.

Happy Friday

Holy crap it's Friday. And also, for all you non-alcoholics out there who may not know, it is National Margarita Day!

I am in full support of an official holiday to celebrate this yummy beverage.

Here is what has been going on in our world this week.....

~ On Tuesday Noah announced two things. The first being, "Mama, I have a goal. My goal is to read all the Magic Tree House books on my shelf." (In case you were wondering, my goal for the week was to drink less wine.) The other thing he said was this: "Mama, you know what I want? I really just want peace. Like, I just want there to be peace all the time, with everybody." (FYI, my follow up to the statement, You know what I want? is almost always followed by something quite a bit more shallow than world peace.) Don't you love it when your children make you feel like you need to reexamine yourself as a person???

* In all seriousness, I love him all the more when he says sweet things like that.


~ What else? Oh yeah! I finished an amazing book this week. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.

My Mom happens to be old friends with the author's mother, and so she has been telling me to read it for a long time. For some reason I kept putting it off. Now that I've read it I feel stupid for having waited so long. It tells the story of two teenagers with cancer and how they live and love while dealing with their disease. Make no mistake, this is no sappy weep-fest. It is a very honest, and at times funny, portrayal of how a teenager goes through having cancer. It is one of those books that is so perfectly written that you wish that the characters were actual people that you could stalk on the Internet, find out where they live, track them down and tell them just how cool you think they are. Read it.

~ I somehow managed to not get dressed in actual clothes all week long. Even to go to work I ended up in workout clothes. I am in a serious winter funk I guess. I can't even find the will power to put together a good outfit anymore. I wish I could look like this everyday...

But instead, I look like this. (But less cute)....

~ I ran 5 miles on Wednesday in beautiful weather, 3 miles yesterday in beautiful weather... And it is looking like I will be running 3 miles this morning in disgusting rain and cold. Ugh.

Good thing it is National Margarita Day, huh? Happy Weekend everybody :)

(Long) Weekend Recap

Ahhh, 4-day weekends how I love you.

It was so nice for the boys and I to get a much needed break from school and the daily grind. (Poor Wes only got a regular weekend. Although he had 2 WHOLE days at home without working - which is something, let me tell you - so I guess it was kind of a break for him too.)

We started Friday off with a neighborhood play date that also doubled as a Stella and Dot Trunk Show for the mommies. My friend Brandy had tons of cute jewelry for us to try on and yummy snacks to eat.

I swear, I only bought 2 things. Seriously. Although, when Liam and his buddies starting playing with the jewelry I thought I would have to buy more - especially if Brandy was operating under the "you break it, you bought it" policy.

As usual, it went longer than expected and I went running straight from there, back home to meet Bebe and Grampy Marv at the house. My mom stayed with the boys while Marv and I went for a 5 mile run. It was warm enough for shorts and the sky was full of sunshine. I am very glad that I went when I did, as the weather in Charleston became frigid (by our standards) and for the last few days running outside has seemed very unappealing.

Friday night we took Noah to his Valentine's Day Dance at the elementary school. I loved getting to watch the kids run around and 'dance'. It was a legit dance too - complete with DJ and a dark cafeteria - and I couldn't stop thinking, How is my kid old enough to be here?!

Saturday was a very chill day. We stayed home for the most part. Wes and I did some stuff around the house and then we watched 'Star Wars: Episode 2' with the boys. That night, after taking a meal to some friends, we headed out to The Kickin' Chicken for some yummy fried treats.

In case you are wondering, Liam was pouting and refusing to be photographed so Wes made a pouty face in solidarity. That's not just the face he makes for pictures, promise.)

Sunday was spent cleaning and working out, and then the boys went to stay with Bebe so that Wes and I could have a belated Valentine's outing. We went to see a movie ('Zero Dark Thirty' - which I enjoyed very much) and then out to eat at Taco Boy downtown.

I had Noah snap a picture of me and Wes before we left since we haven't taken one together in forever!

Also, my Mom sent me this picture of Liam while we were out. Yikes. Must have been happy to be at Bebe's house!

It was very nice to have an afternoon/evening just the two of us, to talk and catch up without any distractions.

Monday morning Wes went off to work, and since the boys had spent the night at my Mom's, I slept until 8:30! It was glorious. When I finally decided to wake up I spent the morning doing some productive things and then headed to a friend's house to hang out and be lazy. It was the perfect way to end our little 4 day break.

Afterwards, my Mom brought the boys back and it was time to start getting ready for the week. Grocery shopping, searching book bags for important papers, doing laundry, etc.

I am feeling very grateful for the fun time off of the usual schedule, for having Wes home for an entire weekend, and for having family that was happy to watch the kids while we went out for some much needed alone time. Here's to starting the week with a fresh perspective and a positive attitude!

Friday Facts

1. Liam and I have both had an irritating cold over the past week, but we are both finally in the clear. And just in time for a 4-day weekend! Thanks Presidents Day :)

2. We had a great Valentine's Day. Wes was super sweet and had flowers and a fun gift waiting for me when I  woke up.

The boys each had successful class parties where they excitedly passed out their Valentines. Liam was especially stoked to hand out the Heart Shaped crayons that he and I made for his classmates.

Didn't they turn out cute?! And, to top it off, our Star Wars viewing and breakfast for dinner was a big hit. I don't think I have ever seen Noah more excited than when they opened their present. He started screaming, "It's Episodes 1,2, AND 3!!!" All in all, it was a fun day!

3. In related news, I now know way more about Star Wars than I ever wanted to know. Seriously.

4. I think it is supposed to hit 70 degrees today. The perfect weather for my planned 5 miler. Also, anytime the weather gets warm like that (which is a lot) I get my hopes up that spring is just around the corner.... Annnddd then we have a day that is rainy and 40 degrees and I think, "Hmmm, maybe not." (Did you catch my Pitch Perfect reference? Anyone? If you didn't you must watch that movie immediately if not sooner. Love it!)

5. Liam and I are off to start our 4 day weekend right. We are headed to my friend Brandy's. She is hosting a Stella and Dot Trunk Show/ morning play date. Yay! Wes, I swear I won't buy anything too much ;)

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!!

Happy Hearts Day

Happy Valentine's Day everybody!

We are not celebrating big around here. I feel like once you have kids, Valentines becomes more about taping lollipops to tiny Star Wars cards than about going out to a fancy, romantic dinner. (In case you are wondering, I DID do said taping last night while Noah addressed his cards. Also, Liam and I actually managed to complete a Pinterest Valentine project: Homemade Heart Shaped Crayons for the kids in his class. What, What! That is quite possibly the first time I have ever felt crafty. EVER.)

Anyway, we will be celebrating tonight by giving the boys their gift (a DVD set of Star Wars Episodes 1-3), eating the heart shaped pancakes on our breakfast-for-dinner menu, and then most likely watching the aforementioned movie before bedtime. Nothing says romance like pancakes and lightsabers!

Happy Hearts Day to all the peeps out there that I love!!!

Workout Wednesday

One of my New Years resolutions was to get back into running. While I never stopped considering myself a 'runner', the past 6 months or so have been what some would call a dry spell when it comes to my time spent pounding the pavement. In fact, when I looked back at my calendar (yes, I am that dork who records her miles) I saw that for the month of December I ran a total of...15 miles. For the whole month. Womp, womp, womp. 

Needless to say, when my friend Lisa invited me to join a Facebook running challenge I immediately responded 'yes'. The challenge was to  run 70 miles in the month of January. I was totally psyched until I stopped and thought about how many miles that actually was. I would need to run more than 15 miles a week when I had barely reached that same amount for the whole month before. (Whoops!) Anyway, I thought What the heck? I'll do the best I can and see how close I can get to 70.

Well, I am proud to report that I hit 51 miles for the month.

I am stoked! And not just because I ran more than I thought I would, but because I have found my running mojo - it's back! Not only did my miles add up, but the more I ran, the faster my pace got. I had spent so many months slogging through runs that I forgot that I was capable of really running. The spring before I got pregnant with Liam I ran 25:10 in a local 5K. That may not be speedy to some of you, but to me it is 'fast'. And I had totally forgotten that I could do it!

So. My goals....

I am trying to hit closer to 60 miles this month. I did 13 the first week of February, and 14 this past week. I am also trying to throw in some faster segments, or speed work if we want to get fancy and use runner's jargon, on several weekly runs. (If you want to race faster, you have to train faster, simple as that.) I am also trying to do a longish run on the weekends (between 5-7 miles) to gain better endurance. Oh, and yoga once a week. It keeps the aches and pains at bay! Then, hopefully, I plan to make the iFiveK in April my goal race. I am going to do my best to match (or better) that time of 25:10. In the meantime there are several fun races coming up to keep me on track, including the Catch The Leprechaun 5K next month. I ran last year with my friend Brandy and we dressed up in green and had a really fun time. In fact, just yesterday I was on the website scrolling through the photos and found our official race photo.

I know what you're thinking. Those two incredibly fit and smiling girls look nothing like you Kelly. You're right... Look again. Behind them. Yep, there we are! I remember wondering why the photographer was so focused on the two girls in the black and didn't want to snap one of us. Well, now I know why. It's cause we look like that! (But hey, weren't our socks cool?!)

Anyway, it feels good to remember that I actually really like running. And that if I work at it, I don't totally suck! And, even better, nowadays I have a little buddy who can keep me company on my runs.

Monday (And Why I Am Scared of Blogging)

Good Monday morning everybody. Here goes another week... Our schedule will likely be filled with all the familiar things. Work, school, sports, housework, etc. However, in spite of all of that I am attempting to add 'Blogging' to my list.

I have had this blog for several years now and for the most part is has been so fun. A great way to document my children's lives while they are little, a way to connect with family and friends who live far away, and a creative outlet for me. In fact, I enjoy writing so much that last fall I attempted to start another blog. I wanted something that was more of a 'lifestyle blog', where I could talk about all the things that interest me. Those are the blogs that I enjoy reading the most, and I thought I would give it a go.  I tried it for a bit and it was fun! And yet... It just didn't work out. I have to say, I became a bit intimidated by it all. I know next to nothing about blogging/computers. I have friends that seem to do it so easily, and that is great, but I have decided that I shouldn't try to do the same. I should just do what I know how to do - write. I will tell stories and share the things I love and who cares if my site is not perfectly designed or I fail to update when I am 'supposed' to!

I keep feeling compelled to write here, in this space, rather than my other blog. It feels more real to me. More like my own voice. Maybe it is because I have been writing here for so long, or maybe because it is where the history of my family lives. Who knows?! The point is, I have decided to stay here. I want to keep telling 'The Story Of Us'.

That said, I plan to be a little more intentional with my posts. My plan is to post several times a week. About all things. My kids, working out, things that inspire me, fun outings around our city. Whatever floats my boat on any given day :)

So for now, this is my motto: