Thanksgiving Goals

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone.  We had a full house and now it is quiet.  Our annual Kelley Family ThanksChristmasGiving was held at our house again. We look forward to seeing each other every year and it's always time full of cherished moments.  We had lots of food, presents, laughter, and more food. 

Missing a few family members, but this is most of them!

Desserts were on another counter.  So. Much. Food!

Everyone gives extremely thoughtful gifts.



But the best moments are those candid shots of the family just sitting around and enjoying each other's company.  This is a family that truly loves each other.

Elliot and Kris

Rice Krispy Turkey Legs

Best bros for life!

Seems like an interesting conversation. :)

Cindy and her not-so-baby boy

Sleeping baby (our great nephew Murdock!)

Awake baby!

Elliot is helping Uncle David

They worked together to take down Craig

They clearly loved this gift from Kelsey and were fighting back tears.

 

Not going to lie, it was tough to pull everything together with our hectic schedules.  However, we did it and loved all these moments.  As I reflect on all I am thankful for, the list is extremely long.  But most of all, I am thankful for family. 

 

The Suburban Kelley's 2016



End of Season Goals

Sadly, our baseball season has come to an end.  It's always a bittersweet time as we wait for the start of the new season.  We are the type of family that loves our time on the field.  So, as we reflect on this fall season, we certainly realized some important things.

As the mom of a seasoned player that is always in the stands watching the game, I want to make sure the only things that come out of my mouth are words of encouragement.  I want to see my son lifted up and know that I am proud of him no matter what happens, good or bad.  I am happy just seeing him try and doing what he loves.  The same goes for his dad, who has a different view being one of the assistant coaches.  Encouraging words nourishes the soul.

We want to make sure our son is constantly growing and learning from this game.  We want him to learn values that can be applied on and off the field.  After every game, we ask him what he did right and what he can do better.  Every player will make mistakes, even the pros.  All you can do is brush it off, know what to do for next time, and move on.

We also want to make sure our son remembers he is part of a team.  They win together, they lose together.  There is never one player that is at fault for losing a game or even winning a game.  And when a teammate is feeling down or frustrated, we want our son to give them a positive word or high five. 

Being part of baseball for a very long time has allowed us to witness many things on the fields and in the stands.  Unfortunately, it is not always good things that we see and we can see the demeanor of a player change by just one word of discouragement.  We simply choose to not participate in the negativity.  Honestly, it is hard at times, especially when it comes to bad calls.  But how is that being a good witness to others?  How is that setting an example that we can rise up above the adversity?

As we go forward into many more baseball seasons, we will remember all that we have learned.  We will embrace the memories, encourage the passion, and build up the player.  But most of all, we will remember to simply have fun!