One Husband's Journey: Part 3

Craig.

His name is sufficient enough to form a sentence...at least for me.

I can go on and on about how much I love him and all the good things about him.  You will not hear me talking bad about him or sharing his flaws.  But rather, I simply sing his praises because to me and two kids, he is our world.

To say Craig does a lot for our family is a huge understatement.  The list of things he does is endless from helping with cooking to chores to simply being a great example and provider.

This time last year, Craig took a step down in his job.  It was not a decision that came easily.  It was hard and painful.  But to see the love of your life walk around with a broken spirit, with his head no longer held high, and with the look of hurt constantly in his eyes was one of the hardest things I have ever had to go through.  And there was nothing I could do to help him.

But pray.

There were no words of encouragement that I could give him.  There were not enough hugs that would comfort him.  I had to hand Craig and all his pain over to God and simply pray that answers would come and the hurt would go away.

And I let God take over.  He gave Craig a very clear answer and we knew we had to let the healing process begin.  As prideful as Craig is in his job and work ethic, he is even more prideful in his family.  No matter the cost, Craig has always been willing to put his family first.

So, with a great step of faith, Craig did what needed to be done.  He knew it would take a lot of trust by letting God take complete control, but God never failed us in this journey.

One year ago today, Craig made a huge sacrifice and chose his family over his career.

Family Pictures 2014

This year we decided to take family pictures in the fall instead of the spring.  Texas weather is so unpredictable in the fall and we were afraid it was going to be a really warm day.  Thankfully, a cold front had come in the night before our shoot.  So, the morning of our pictures was cool, cloudy and finally felt like fall.  Cortney at Memories Imagined Photography did another terrific job, as always.  We met at a little log cabin at a local park.  Here are some of our favorite pics.

The Suburban Kelley's

The Kids-when did they get so big?

The Obligatory 'Kissing' Pose-we have done this every time we take pictures.  And the kids pretty much do that every time we kiss.

Our photographer said we still look like newlyweds with the way we act and look at each other.  We will be going on 15 years of marriage in 2 months, so I will definitely take that compliment!!!  I hope that 'look' never goes away.

The Catalog Pose-this had us laughing so much.  Cortney is so great about letting us pose how we want and use our own ideas and props.  The one with the most ideas is usually Craig.  He wanted to bring some mugs and blankets and have us pose like this.  It was hilarious to do, but turned out so great!  On a side note, Craig was a catalog model when he was a kid.  :)

Thank you again, Cortney, for some fabulous memories!

Enough

Insecurity.  Lack of confidence.  To feel self-doubt.  It's one thing that people have in common, especially women.

It's not something that just happens to teenage girls going through puberty.  Adults feel it too.  It's so easy for us to feel insecure with our looks, bodies, what we wear, how we do things, whether or not we are a good mom.  When we compare ourselves to other women that seem like they have it altogether, more than likely, they are feeling insecure about something in their lives as well.  It's simply the enemy trying to steal our joy, trying to steal our peace.

Too many times, we let the enemy win.

Insecurity plagues me a lot.  Depending on the day, depends on what insecurity I have.  It's hard to feel like I don't fit in.  It's hard to feel like I'm not pretty enough or thin enough.  It's hard to not feel like I'm good enough.

But I am enough.  You are enough.  We all have been fearfully and wonderfully made by God and we are His beautiful creations.  Why does my faith lack so often that it's hard for me to remember this?

We are given the choice of free will.  We can believe the lies of the enemy and constantly go through each day like we are not good enough.  We're not good moms, we're not a good friend, or we're not a good wife.

Or we can believe God's Word and experience joy and peace that only He can give.  Don't let the enemy win anymore.

And believe, in everything we do and feel, that we are enough.

Lesson Learned #5

I feel like a year has passed in just a few weeks!  It's been crazy and hectic and chaotic (they all mean the same thing, right?) and I have to make sure to catch my breath every now and then.

I've learned organization is wonderful!  I am definitely not a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of person.  I want things planned out.  I want to know my schedule ahead of time.  I don't want any surprises or unexpected distractions.  But during all the scheduling with everyone's activities, I make sure there is time for myself as well.

I've learned communication is key in EVERYTHING!!!  I can't stand it when people ask me about something I'm supposed to know, but in fact, don't have a clue what they are talking about.  That is so frustrating!!!  One reason my marriage has been so great is that we've always communicated with each other...the good, the bad, and the ugly.  We don't make any decisions without talking about it first.  That needs to be the same way in every relationship. Talk to people and don't leave them in the dark. If someone should know something that is factual or involves them, tell them.

I've learned nobody really wants to hear your opinions.  As much as it's important to communicate, your opinion is not always one of them, unless you're asked.  Too often has an opinion been stated to only cause anger in others.  So, I'm learning to just not give my opinion.  Better to keep it to myself than cause hurt feelings.

I've learned being a person of your word holds so much value.  It's not fair to those around you if you tell them one thing but then never stick to your word.  Making excuses all the time will lower people's trust in you.  They will no longer rely on you or even believe what you say.  Let your yes be yes and your no be no.

I've learned being unique is the greatest characteristic one can have.  I tell my kids all the time to be their own person, have their own thoughts, and don't always follow the crowd.  I don't ever want them to do things simply because other people are doing them.  I want them to do things because that is something they want to do.  The way they dress, act, things they listen to or watch (age appropriate)...I want them to make their own choices about these things.  And as much as I tell them these things, I need to apply it to myself as well.

My Music Classroom

My classroom got a makeover! I always have the hardest time decorating because of so many cute options. After scouring Pinterest and several sites for ideas, borrowing them, and using some of my own, I finally figured out what I wanted to do.

This is my monthly theme board. I will change it again next month. The sheep and cow are my hand puppets.

Musical notations and a custom made crayon wreath from a former student.

My giant dry erase board with monthly concepts. Can you tell yellow is our first color? The rolling cart is full of instruments and visuals that I take to all of the younger classes.

This is my monthly concept board for the Kindergarten class. Each month they learn about 2 different composers, 2 dynamic words, a character trait, and cultures from different parts of the world. The fun part for me is finding music to go along with all these concepts. The kids love it. Who knew they would enjoy Offenbach so much?

I have always loved using Zoo Pal plates as fun decor.  This year, the Kindergartners will get to use the crate seats that Craig made for me. It's hard to see in the pic but the fabric is covered in music notes.  Plus, the crates can be used to store the dry erase boards the students will use for their compositions.

My favorite part of the room is Imagination Station. This is where students can be creative through dramatic play. They can use different instruments, puppets, felt stories, large magnetic pieces, and lots of props. I am always on the lookout for different ideas to help fuel a child's creativity. 

I am so eager for the new school year to start. I cannot wait to see some old friends and make some new ones.

First Week of School 2014-We Survived!!!

We knew this school year would be different for us.  Preston is starting 3rd grade, Kaitlyn is starting 5th grade at an intermediate school, and I am heading back to college after a 14 yr hiatus.  However, we didn't anticipate how crazy and hectic this first week would be!!!

New backpacks, lunchboxes, and agendas for everyone.

Kaitlyn and Preston's new gear

I got different colored pens for my different classes.  It's easier to stay organized that way. :)

I got up early and made chocolate chip muffies for everyone.

Traditional first day pics.

It was different dropping them off this year.  They seem so much older and couldn't wait for us to leave.  :(

Afterwards, I grabbed some coffee and headed to my first day of class.

Actually, I'm taking 3 classes online through Texas Woman's University.  My degree will be in Music Therapy.  However, I'm not in a hurry to finish.  I have a lot of classes to take but still have to consider my other responsibilities.  I have a great job teaching music to kiddos that I'm just not ready to give up.  Plus, I have my family and always put them first.  I am the Room Mom for Preston's class again and I want to make sure I'm available for Kaitlyn with all of the transitions she will be experiencing this year.

So, while I spent the day trying to navigate my way through my online classes (English II, History, and Government), Craig took the day off to take over my usual first day of school duties.  He made a special after school treat for all of us and bought us each a little gift.  I LOVE him!!!

Juggling pick up procedures at both schools (with new policies that don't seem to be working out well), we were all drained by the time our school day was over.  However, we had a great dinner of grilled steaks and ribs.

And the craziness continued the rest of the week.  We had a lot on our schedule for this back to school week and we had to work hard to get organized.  We were all so glad for Friday to come and were exhausted.  Our bedtimes came earlier as morning did too.  But, I think we're finally get used to our new schedules and this new season in our lives.  Just praying it gets easier the rest of the year.

Fit and Fab: My first 5K

Well, I completed my first 5K race.  Craig asked if it was easier than I thought it would be.  My answer?  NO!!!  It was just like running any other time, except with a bunch of people.  I definitely wasn't running to try get in 1st place, but I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.

For my 30th bday, I had an awesome 80's party.  For my 32nd bday, I got my first tattoo.  So for my 34th bday, that is coming up, I wanted to do something memorable as well.  When I saw the Hot Hatch Chile Run was not far from my house, I wanted to do it.  And also they served a breakfast loaded with green chiles afterwards.  :)

Before the race, in front of the Hatch Chile Fest sign. 

Craig and the kids were waiting at the Finish Line and took this pic.

 Finished!!!  I didn't even notice they had made signs and were holding them up for me.  So thoughtful!!!

I came in 14th place out of 35 for my age group.  I had a personal record (PR) of 34:43.  It was hot, the hills were tough, and I had to force myself to finish.  I did have to walk a few times, but I didn't care.  I needed to catch my breath! Ha!!!

I only told a few friends and family about this and know they were cheering me on and praying I would get through this.  My awesome trainer and friend ran with me and was so encouraging the whole way.  I really appreciated it!!!

A 5K is now checked off my bucket list.  Next up:  Couch Potato to 10K