Coffee with Kel

Building relationships, encouraging hope

Family

2017 Aspirations

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I decided that this year I don’t want to make resolutions. Not that I’ve made traditional resolutions in a long time, but doing that just didn’t hit my radar. Instead, I decided that, in addition to the things I posted in the cute meme yesterday (which rocks!), I wanted to come up with a list of attainable aspirations for this new year.

  • 20 dates with Mickey in 2017. Admittedly, we fall into the routine of life and don’t always carve out time for dates. Since dates are so important, not to mention fun, I’m aspiring to 20 dates this year. They can be dinner dates, lunch dates, weekend get away dates — anything goes.
  • Log 50 hiking miles in 2017. I almost challenged myself to 100 hiking miles, but I decided I best be more realistic. With the girls’ soccer and dance occupying many weekends, that doesn’t leave all that many for hiking. But, we enjoy doing this as a family and we should take some opportunities to explore new (to us) trails this year.
  • Take a class/learn something new in 2017. Odds are, I’ll finally get around to using the Harley Davidson Riders’ Safety course certificate I got from a gracious rider last summer, so that may very well be my learning experience. And, that would be super amazing, honestly. Just so long as I learn something new and take a chance on something outside my usual realm, this one will be check off the list.
  • Incorporate new meals/recipes in 2017: Y’all, this one needs some serious attention. I get in such a rut and I am the world’s worst about menu planning. So, I wander about the grocery store grabbing this and that, then get home with a ton of food and yet no inspiration to cook. And, I enjoy cooking, that’s just the thing. Perhaps this goal should be better menu planning and aspiration, huh? I’ll work on that. And, one day soon I’ll be posting a recipe swap thread that I hope you’ll post in too. In the meantime, I’ll be scouring cookbooks, cooking blogs and Pinterest AND making good grocery lists. This is so doable and would really be a great thing for me to do.
  • Be more diligent about knocking out house projects in 2017. This one also needs attention. There are so many projects around home that I can and should be doing this year. I need to be incorporating organizational ideas, our basement floor needs to be stained, I have a table that needs to be painted, the guest room needs an overhaul, etc. In short, I have plenty I need to do.  So, I need to get down to not only wanting it, but being inspired enough to DO IT.
  • Take and complete a Bible study course in 2017. For various reasons, mostly scheduling, I haven’t been in a Bible study in awhile and I miss it. So, I would like to find a good study to take this year. I always find that spending more time in The Word helps keep me more centered. So, this needs to happen. No question.
  • Send more letters/cards in 2017. I love getting mail. I think that’s why I still subscribe to magazines, frankly, because getting stuff in the mail is such a joy to me. One small, but very real, reason I love Christmas season so much is because we get cards in the mail almost daily. Mail is my jam, y’all. It may well be my third love language. Since I enjoy it so much, I want to be more intentional about actually sending it too.
  • Have an individual Mama/Daughter experience with each of my girls in 2017. I want to plan something fun and focused on each girl individually. Of course, I want us to have family fun, but I think it would be so amazing to just do togetherness things with them one-on-one, as well.

That’s my list for now and I think it’s solid. Certainly, I have additional hopes for this year too including volunteering, family trips, getting more use out of my camera, and more. For the purpose of this list, however, I wanted to challenge myself a little more and come up with some aspirations that are worthy of achieving in this new year.

I’m curious, what are YOUR aspirations for this year?

Happy January 2nd, y’all! I hope this year AND this week are off to a bright and happy start.

My best,
Kel

 

Great goals for 2017…

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A friend shared this in a meme on FB and I just loved it! So, I recreated it to share  here on the blog. I think these are great goals for this New Year!

 

Happy New Year, y’all! May it bring blessings, goodness and happiness to us all!

With high hopes,
Kel

Recapping 2016

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It’s a little surreal to me that we are in the final hours of 2016. I always heard that the years get faster as we get older and I am starting to realize just how true that is.

I decided to take a look back in photos from my FB and/or IG to reflect on 2016. I can’t come close to recapping a whole year here, of course, but this is a nice look back at 2016.

January: Macey made honor roll for seventh grade and Mariana got runner up for her Honoring Our Heroes Essay Contest entry written about our friend Anna:

February : Mickey turned the big FOUR-OH. And this isn’t the best pic, but it’s one from his actual birthday. The rest of the day I posted tribute pics for him.

March: Macey went on a youth retreat with our church student group, Mariana and I got to see our sweet Anna dance, I met Chewbacca up close and personal, and we celebrated our risen Lord and Savior at Easter.

April: Mariana sang The National Anthem at an Atlanta Braves game with her school chorus, we enjoyed a girls’ mountain weekend getaway, and I experienced one of the highest thrills of the year with my very first skydive!

May: was a bittersweet month. Our friend and former neighbor, Peter, passed away young and very unexpectedly. (The photo shown is Peter and his wife Wendie when they visited our house for a party several years ago.) Needless to say, that was shocking, tragic, and very sad. May also had bright moments such as Mariana turning 10 and having a ballerina birthday party, Mariana performing in her spring recital, and our family having our annual beach trip blast with our great friends, the Davis family.

June: Summer kicked off with a lot of FUN! Joyce, Dena and I went to The Grove’s Summer Party where we got rained on, but had so much fun, Macey went to camp (aka – her happy place), and Mariana went to her first week of dance camp.

July: Macey turned 13! A teenager in the house! We celebrated with a backyard birthday party complete with Moe’s catering and an inflatable water slide! She also had to have surgery to place three pins in her pinky finger which sustained a break playing four square at camp – of all random things. (And, no, this didn’t diminish her camp love – not one bit!). And, both girls got to spend time “down south” with Nana and Gran-Gran.

August: back to school time for both girls. Macey got her pins out the first week of school. And, Mariana officially started company dance.

September: Labor Day weekend we attended “guest camp” at Macey’s beloved camp and had a wonderful time! Macey and Mickey’s winning autumn soccer season officially began, Mariana walked in a local parade with school chorus and we spent an awesome week at the beach with Nana and Gran-Gran!

October: Mickey and Mariana attended their last elementary school Doughnuts with Dad together (sniff), we went on our annual trip to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch, and Mickey and I celebrated 15 years of marriage. And, of course, there was Halloween!

November: Macey’s team (coached by Mickey) won first place at the McDonald’s Cup Tournament, Mickey and I attended Mariana’s last elementary Thanksgiving luncheon, and we celebrated Thanksgiving with family down south.

December: one crazy busy, but totally wonderful month! I went to a Christmas tea with Joyce at her church, our sweet friend Dena got baptized,  Mariana danced as a snowflake and an elf in “The Polar Express”, we took the girls ice skating, Macey had her winter orchestra concert, we got a new kitten, and we had a truly AMAZING Christmas celebrating Jesus’ birth!

 

 

These are not nearly ALL the moments, but some glimpses into 2016 for our family. There were times of sadness, to be sure, but there were many good times too. Looking back on this year helped me to be reflective of the blessings 2016 held for us. It wasn’t always sunshine and roses, but God is good through it all.

Here’s to 2017, y’all. May God guide and keep us all through this new year and always.

Looking forward with expectation and hope,

Kel

The Haps…

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Okay…dumb blog title, but I’m cutting myself some slack because I couldn’t think of anything more creative at the time I sat down to finally update.

So, some good things are happening around here lately…

  • Mickey and I rocked out and completed our first Whole 30! We haven’t gone off the wagon yet, either. He’s had a little piece of candy Macey saved for him, but only ONE, and we have both tried a little reintro of cheese, but we are mostly sticking to plan. Last Tuesday (February 2nd) was Day 30 and I’m so proud of us for making it all the way and beyond! I cannot say enough about how beneficial this has been for both of us. W30 isn’t supposed to be about weight loss, but I’ll say that’s a nice little perk. Besides that, we’ve both had an upswing in overall energy, clearer skin, far less snoring (not me!), no headaches in weeks, and MORE. Also, a big shout out to Mickey because he not only did all of this, but he went so far as to cut his caffeine habit completely which, frankly, is a serious accomplishment. I’ll be perfectly honest and say that it’s not the easiest thing to start, but once you’re rolling it gets easier. The keys, I really believe, are to be over prepared with your food and recipes and to have good support.
  • One of my 2016 goals was to experience some firsts this year and I’ve done some of that already. In January, I attended my first volunteer leadership conference with my job. Sure, it was work, but it was AMAZING and was a first for me! Just last week I had another first in that I treated myself to a salon hair cut and color and went with some purple highlights. LOVE it and so glad I took a chance on that first. Firsts can be totally fun. I’m digging this firsts thing.
  • I’m also working on my goal of being more intentional this year. I’m not just saying “Hey, let’s get together sometime”, but I’m saying “Hey, let’s have brunch. How’s Thursday?” It doesn’t always work out, but putting the intentions into action have been good and have given me some good family and friend time already this year, with more in the works.
  • I recently read Nobody’s Cuter Than You: A Memoir About the Beauty of Friendship by Melanie Shankle and looooooved it. It was just what I needed to read and I highly recommend it for friends. Seriously, get yourself a copy of this book today if you haven’t ready it already — it is just THAT good. I have honestly never read Melanie’s blog* but I probably should since I enjoyed her book so much. And I’ll pick up others of her’s too!  (*Sorry, Melanie, if you ever randomly stumble upon this blog…which won’t happen, but…just in case. Gotta have my manners in place.)
  • We recently had a little family retreat to a cabin in the mountains in North Georgia. It was a sweet little cabin, just perfect for us, and secluded. Ahhh!! We had plans to maybe hike or make a bonfire or all sorts of things, but the main thing we did was have some R&R which, honestly, was just right. We also went to see the band I am They in concert which was great!! If you haven’t given them a listen yet, let me recommend them too.

So, that’s the basics of what’s going on around here lately. Plus, I mean, work and school, trying to keep up with laundry and housekeeping (and failing like crazy), while maintaining what little shred of normalcy we can muster. In other words…life is good.

Best,
Kelly

Just a few pics this time.

A side view of my new ‘do. Can you see the purple?
purple

The view from the front door of the cabin:

cabin_view

 

Mickey and me before the I am They concert:
honey

Our girls before the concert:
girlies

The blessing of a day…

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One year ago today, I spent what was to be my Granddaddy’s last day on this earth with him in a hospital room in Southwest Georgia. None of us had any inkling that day would be his last, but I can see the blessing in the not knowing.

On the Sunday prior to that Wednesday, Pop (as Macey named him when she came along) sustained a broken hip which caused him to fall. Mickey and I were having coffee at church when I got the text from my mom that she and Gran were at the ER with Pop and she let me know what happened. My heart was immediately in my throat and I knew I needed to get there. Mickey was very supportive of this and we put a plan into place for him to run me home to pack and get on the road, then he would return to church and get the girls. Thankfully, our church staff is amazing and incredibly supportive and when we told our children’s director, Dolores, what was going on, she sent me on my way, assured me all was fine and they would call Mickey if need be. We rushed me home, I threw all kinds of things into a suitcase and I was on the road. I called some friends who were also very encouraging and supportive and offered to take up any slack they could for me in my absence. (Thank God for friends you can call to stand in the gap. Amen?) When I arrived at the ER, close to three hours later,  he was still there – waiting to be moved to a room. He was uncomfortable, but the pain was being managed. As always, he was a trooper. I told him he sure did go to great lengths to get me to come see him – we always had an element of fun to our relationship and this was no exception.

Pop was taken for surgery to repair the hip the next day. We knew it was risky going in, but Gran felt, and we all agreed, including Pop, that it was only right to give him a shot at coming back and being mobile. We were with him before surgery and he was ready to go – just like always, being brave and facing what life had for him with faith. He came through the surgery just fine. His BP took its time coming back up, so he spent time in PACU, but he stabilized and woke up that evening. True to Pop form, he said he believed the worst was behind him and he would start getting better. That’s just how he was. He wasn’t a man to complain and he wasn’t a man to stay down either. There was work to be done and he was set to go about it to get better.

I was with him that Wednesday, two days after surgery. It was my day to stay at the hospital all day so Gran and Mama could rest and Gran would take the night shift. As I said at the beginning of this post, I truly TRULY see the blessing in not knowing it was my sweet Granddaddy’s last day with us. I feel that I would have tried too hard or made too much of it or messed it all up if I had known. As it was, we had a good day — just the two of us. He loved watching his western channel at home, so I got out my iPad and cued up “Hondo” (gotta love John Wayne) on Netflix.  He didn’t get far into that before PT came and moved him for the first time. We worked together and he got to the chair where he rested for a good while. Lunch came and he picked at it — mostly only eating his ice cream which was his favorite! He had settled in for a nap and I was HUNGRY, so I tried to quietly open a package of M&Ms so I wouldn’t wake him up. Well, he was like a kid when it came to candy and he, sure as day, heard that candy wrapper. “Whatcha eatin’, Boo?” I told him and I asked if he wanted some and the answer, of course was…”Yea.” So, we shared those M&Ms. Like we have shared many a treat before in our times together. My dear friend Sammi brought me Chick-Fil-A later for lunch, but he didn’t want that — I guess because it wasn’t ice cream or chocolate. 😉 We had to get him back to the bed, which was hard on him, but he did it. We had to do bed and gown changes which, again, was HARD and painful, but he did it. We worked together and I saw hit grit and determination shine through. We also had some quiet times and just some time to be together. He told me so many times that day how much he appreciated me being there and I told him it was where I wanted to be and that I love him. Later in the afternoon, I got a special shower cap from the hospital that is warmed in the microwave and put on the head to wash the hair. Oh, he loved that! I told him I was getting him all fixed up for his woman to come see him later. When Gran arrived, I stayed awhile — not wanting to leave, for some reason. I finally left and went to meet my mom for dinner. When I was not far into their county, I saw a shooting star. I haven’t seen one in ages and I let it remind me to say a prayer right then and there.

Not long after midnight, I got the call from Gran — go get my mom and come to the hospital, Pop wasn’t breathing. I don’t remember much about getting dressed, but I got to my mom’s and woke her up and we got to the hospital as quickly as we could. He was already gone. He went peacefully. And, that, also, in its own way, is a blessing. He didn’t struggle, he didn’t suffer and he didn’t linger on in pain — he had a peaceful passing from here into eternity in heaven. Our hearts were and ARE broken, but we have peace knowing Pop was a faithful man and knowing that, as Scripture say, we grieve with hope.

One year ago today, I spent that last day with one of the great loves of my life. The man who took me deer hunting with him knowing he wasn’t going to get a shot when I had snacks in the deer stand with us. The man who taught me to swim underwater in his pond and let my brother and me try to sink an aluminum boat in that same pond. The man who helped me learn to drive. The man who always and forever called me “Boo” or “Kel” and who I can’t really recall calling me “Kelly” — ever. The man who loved hearing stories about our girls and delighted in their antics. The man I grew up calling Granddaddy…then Jack…then Pop. I will always treasure that day. And I am thankful that it wasn’t more or less than it was, it was just right.

Tomorrow will be a year since we lost him and I miss him every day more than words can express. I’m so thankful that God chose me to be Jack Parks’ granddaughter. I’m so blessed and I look forward to that heavenly reunion one day.

pop

I love you always, JJ…
Boo