The Kelly Family

Easter 2011

2011-05-02T22:19:00.001-05:00

I love Easter! Really, it is one of my favorite holidays. I always look forward to going to my twin sister, Gina's house, for her church's annual Easter egg hunt. It's one of our traditions in which we as sisters are able to get together and celebrate with our children. This year, however, I was dreading celebrating Easter. When I tell you why, you are gonna see the very selfish and worldly part of me.

It's April, which means that our federal and state taxes are due for the previous year as well as our current quarterly federal and state taxes. Yeah, it's also time to pay for both car tags and our property taxes. Praise the Lord that we had enough money to pay for everything that was due without using credit. We didn't, however, have ANY extra spending money. No extra cash to celebrate our 17th anniversary or to buy Easter clothes. Did you hear me??? I couldn't buy Easter clothes for me or the kids! I know you are probably thinking "so what?" This is the first year since I have had children that I did not purchase me or the kids brand new "church clothes" to wear on Easter Sunday. Not only new clothes, but clothes in which we all matched or coordinated! I kept telling myself that we were being good stewards of our money by not going into debt and by teaching our children that sometimes we have to make sacrifices. I completely believed that with all my heart. But my head, now that's another story! On Saturday before Easter, I was driving the four hours back from my twin sisters house and had a lot of time in the car to think. As I was talking to the Lord, I was having a huge pity party. For the first time in 14 years, my family would not be wearing new clothes to church on Easter Sunday. What would people think? They've already seen all the clothes we would be wearing to church that day. I am, after all, a Minister's wife! Me of all people should have a brand new dress to wear on Easter Sunday! When I got home, I drudgingly laid out mine and the kids clothes and continued on with my pity party. Even as I reminded myself that all of our bills were paid and we were being obedient to the Lord by not putting our family in debt for new clothes. I also reminded myself that it's just a couple of weeks until Jason would get paid again. A short time for sacrifice, right? But Easter would be over in two weeks and then what good would the new clothes do me? I was bummed and depressed. I climbed into bed and started reading a book when I got a text from my husband's Associate Student Pastor that they were at the hospital and his wife was in labor with their first baby. I hurriedly got dressed, made some calls, picked up a couple of friends and headed to the hospital in a torrential downpour of rain. My friends and I spent the night at the hospital waiting for that sweet baby to be born. Well, by 10:10 the next morning, she was not here yet and her mom was dilated to a 9. Oh no, the baby could come at any minute. I REALLY wanted to be there to celebrate with my friends, but my own baby girl was going to be baptized at our church by my husband in less than an hour on Easter Sunday! I hopped in the car and rushed to the church. I ran into the church just in time to see my husband and my daughter Jensen, walking into the water. I was there to witness such a sweet sight in which my daughter was baptized by her daddy.

Well, even after staying at the hospital all night, my friend's baby was born just 20 minutes after I left. Did I mention that when I left the hospital that I didn't have any time to go home and change or clean up? That's right...the Youth Pastors wife walked into church on Easter Sunday morning in clothes that she slept in: jeans, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes. I also did not have on any make-up and my hair was in a pony-tail. I hadn't even brushed my teeth! But, I did get to experience one of the most wonderful things that a parent can: my child's baptism. The symbolic act of showing that her salvation is an outward sign of her inward change. As we left the church and headed home, I felt great conviction. I had spent so much time worrying about such meaningless things. I worried about not being able to purchase clothes that the Lord knew I wouldn't get to wear anyway.

This turned out to be one of the most beautiful and meaningful Easters for me. I know it will be one of my favorites and definitely one of the most memorable. Because on Easter Sunday 2011, I was able to celebrate the resurrected life of Christ, new life in Christ as symbolized through baptism, and the beauty of a brand new human life. After all, it didn't matter what I was wearing. Later that day as I spent time with the Lord, I asked for forgiveness for my selfishness and my shallowness and I praised Him and thanked Him for blessing me more than I could have imagined that day.

By the way, after Easter dinner with my in-laws (who drove all the way to see Jensen's baptism), we headed straight to the hospital to see my friend's brand new sweet baby girl! Yes, this will be an Easter I never forget. And next year, I may buy some new Easter clothes, but I won't be more consumed with what I am wearing more than who I am worshipping.

I'm Back!

2011-05-02T21:16:00.000-05:00

Wow! Time gets away so fast. I can't believe it's been 2 1/2 years since I've updated our blog! Our kids look so little in our family picture. :-( I will need to get that changed soon! The Lord has laid so much on my heart lately and I am looking forward to sharing my heart with you. I may also share some stuff about my family just for fun! See you soon!

The Christmas Train

2008-12-11T21:30:00.000-06:00

Our family had the opportunity to go to Dry Gulch USA in Pryor, Oklahoma and ride The Christmas Train. I had no idea what to expect, except that the train ride had to do with Christmas. I thought we might hear about baby Jesus and probably see Santa Clause. I was pleasantly surprised as the train started out and we began to hear the Christmas story over the speakers. It wasn't just the Christmas story starting from Jesus' birth, but it started in Genesis and throughout the ride we rode past lighted scenes that depicted Jesus birth, life, death on the cross, and scenes from Revelation that depict eternal life. Some of the scenes were lighted art and some of the scenes were live actors. I was overcome with emotion as I watched my children looking out the window when I heard them say "Look Mommy! Baby Jesus!" and then even more tearful as we rode past the scene of Jesus being crucified on the cross as Judd asked "Mommy, why are they doing that?" I heard Jackson try to explain to Judd that Jesus was taking on our sin on the cross. Judd asked more questions on the way home. I am excited to know that the Holy Spirit is already beginning to speak to his young heart. Tonight as we rode home together after the train ride, I thanked God for our real reason for celebrating Christmas. I pray that when my children think of Christmas, the scenes that they saw tonight come to the forefront of their minds instead of Santa and presents. I can't wait to ride the train again next year!!

Jackson, Judson, and Mommy waiting in line to ride The Christmas Train.

Jensen and Daddy waiting in line to ride the Christmas Train.

Dry Gulch USA is absolutely breathtaking at night!

The kids had a great time!

Womack Family Christmas

2008-12-06T21:12:00.000-06:00

I was so excited to have my (Julie) sisters and parents come to Siloam Springs to celebrate Christmas. We had a wonderful time together. Below are pics of each of our families.

The Kelly Family

Jason, Julie, Jackson, Judson, and Jensen

The Porter Family

Derek, Gina, and Macy

The Goldston Family

Joe, Christie, Parker, and Carter

My Parents
Jerry and Ginger Womack

Me with my twin sister, Gina

Christmas Parade

2008-12-06T21:06:00.000-06:00

A quick family pic before the Parade started.

My son Jackson (on the right) was excited to get to carry the parade banner to start the parade.

Breakfast with Santa

2008-12-06T20:47:00.000-06:00

The Siloam Springs Heritage League organizes Breakfast with Santa every year. I asked my (Julie) family if we could celebrate Christmas this weekend so my family could experience the wonderful community in which we live. One of the highlights of the weekend was taking my kids along with their cousins to see Santa Clause. Here they are below with Santa:

Jensen, Parker, Macy, Parker, Judson, and Jackson

Judson and Jensen tell Santa what they want for Christmas.

My twin sister, Gina with her husband Derek and their daughter Macy.

My sister Christie's boy's, Carter and Parker.

The Siloam Springs Heritage League

Preparing for Christmas

2008-12-01T20:33:00.000-06:00

Judson and Jensen couldn't wait to put our outside decorations in the yard!

The kids LOVE going through our ornaments! Here is Judd helping me choose which ornaments will go on the tree first.

Our finished Christmas Tree!!

Jason does his part by putting the lights up on the house. :-)

Moore Family Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T20:06:00.000-06:00

Every Thanksgiving, we go to Purcell, Oklahoma and spend time with Jason's family. When I first married into this family, we had Thanksgiving at Jason's Aunt Nelda's house. Most of Jason's cousins were young and unmarried so we could all fit into Nelda's house. As years have passed, most of the cousins have married and now have children of their own. Our extended family has grown so much that we have not all been able to fit in Nelda's house the past few years. So, we all meet at Jason's Mom and Dad's barn. It may sound silly, but it is very relaxed and we can all fit together and no parent worries about their children tracking dirt in or breaking someone's valuables. My children always look so forward to Thanksgiving because they get to spend time with their second cousins, most of whom they only see once a year.

The Moore Sisters

Charlotte Weaver, Kaye Kelly (Jason's Mom), Nelda Moore, Linda Vaughn, and Brenda Lee

Two 6 foot tables support our Thanksgiving Feast!!!

Our family gathered together...

Some of the cousins...

Second Cousins

We really miss them!

Revolution Youth Staff Retreat

2008-11-17T19:33:00.000-06:00

Every year, Jason organizes a retreat for our volunteer Youth Staff to reward them for all of their hard work and investment into Revolution's Student Ministry. This year we rented an 8 bedroom log house in Branson called The Rusty Moose Lodge. It was absolutely beautiful! We had such a great time hanging out together and enjoying each other.

Our lodge overlooked Table Rock Lake. It was breathtaking!

Our amazing group of Youth Staff: Gina Bomstad, Tim Rucker, Meagan Rucker, CoCo Miller, Jason Kelly, Julie Kelly, Sarah Evans, Jim Evans, Diane Buck, Leighton Buck, Dennis kindy, Shellie Kindy, Betsy Raiford, Bill raifors, Jenna Hall, Marena Harmon, Dude Harmon, Debbie Shoemaker, Brian Shoemaker, Tony Molina, Jane Molina, Andrew Bradford, and Hannah Wanzer.

Heritage League Candy Sacking

2008-11-11T00:52:00.000-06:00

I love being in Heritage League. It has given me great opportunity to get to know some amazing women that I might not had ever met. It is also extremely fulfilling in being a part of a group of women who love this community as much as I do and want to give back to it. Recently, we gathered to sack candy for the annual Christmas Parade that we organize annually. Pictured above are the amazing group of Ladies that I get to serve with.

Me and my dear friend, Sarah. We Co-chaired the Christmas Parade committee this year.

Heritage League Christmas Parade Committee
Amy Maxwell, Sarah Evans, Julie Kelly, Mindy Hunt, Beth Graves, and Angie Price

Sacking over 4,500 bags of candy for the parade!!!! :-)

2008 Presidential Election

2008-11-04T02:28:00.000-06:00

Our children have became so interested in the Presidential race and election. Almost daily for the last month, they have iniatiated conversation with us asking who we will vote for and why. They have paid close attention in the mornings anytime the names "John McCain" or "Barack Obama" have been said on the Today Show. Jackson has spent a lot of time in Social Studies at school learning about our goverment and our electoral process. Judd and Jensen have tried to understand as much as a 4 and 6 year old can understand. Last night we sat as a family and watched as our country determined who would be our next President. Jackson's homework assignment was to color in a map of the United States as each state was declared a Democratic or Republican state. Judd and Jensen also watched intently and would cheer each time our candidate was listed as the winner in that specific state. We also spent a lot of time on the internet watching to see if other networks had declared a winner before the network we were watching did. It was exciting to both Jason and I that our children showed such an amazing interest in this election. Because this election does seem monumental in our nation's history, I wanted to capture the memory and excitement of watching our children tonight. :)

Jackson showing off the electoral map of wins by each state.

Jensen watching the news...

Searching for info on the internet.

The internet is very slow tonight!

80's Halloween Costume Party

2008-11-01T02:00:00.000-05:00

One of the highlights of our month was attending an 80's costume party that was hosted by our friends, Jim and Sarah Evans. I had forgotten how much time (and hairspray!) it takes to get big hair! :)

My sweet friends

Cassie, Sarah, Leslie, Jane, and me

The Guys

Mark, Chris, Bob, Jim, Tony, Jason, and Roger

Jason and his friend Tony came dressed as Crockett and Tubb's from the 80's TV show, Miami Vice. I happen to think my husband is way cuter than Don Johnson! :)

This is possibly what my friend Sarah and I would have looked like together if we had known each other in Junior High!

Halloween

2008-11-01T01:43:00.000-05:00

Judson dressed up as a mean Darth Vader and Jensen dressed up as a beautiful Sleeping Beauty. Jackson chose to not dress up in costume this year.

Jason and I love to take our children trick-or-treating in downtown.

Jensen and Judson were excited to see their friends Marlow Evans, Mia Hevener, and Jackson Fine.

Jackson poses with his brother and sister before heading off to a "big kid" Halloween Party.

Jason snapped this pic of me and Jensen as we were handing candy out to trick-or-treaters. Jason had taken Judd trick-or-treating around our neighborhood.

Judson's Fall Party and Birthday Dinner

2008-10-31T01:25:00.000-05:00

Jason was able to be at Judson's Fall party in his Kindergarten class.

Judson is enjoying eating his snacks.

Later that evening, our family celebrated Judson's 6th birthday with him. We had already had his birthday party with friends earlier in the month, but tonight we celebrated his life as a family. He chose to eat his birthday dinner at a local hamburger restaurant called Barnett's. After a heavy dinner of burgers and fries, we shared Judd's chocolate cake.

Mommy and the birthday boy.

Daddy and the birthday boy.

Field Trips ...

2008-10-31T00:34:00.000-05:00

I was able to go with Judson on his first Kindergarten field trip. His class visited a pumpkin patch in Pea Ridge.

Here is the pumpkin Judson picked out...

Judson and his friends loved jumping off this hay stack.

Judson sat by his sweet friend, Kyra as they rode home from the field trip on the bus. Judd thinks the best part of a field trip is the bus ride! :)

I was also able to go with Jensen on her field trip to the Tulsa Zoo.

Here we are riding the train around the zoo. What a fun day!!! :)

Disciple Now 2008

2008-10-27T01:05:00.000-05:00

Being in full time ministry is one of the biggest blessings in our lives. We are so thankful for the opportunity that God has given us to minister to students and their families. This past weekend we held our first Disciple Now since being in Siloam Springs. The theme for the weekend was "Give Me Your Eyes." The students broke off into age and gender specific groups and stayed in homes hosted by families in our church. Each group had a youth leader that led them through deeper discipleship that focused on seeing people the way God see them. The band, Altered, from Memphis, Tennessee led us in a wonderful time of worship. Our speaker, Louis Brenton, led us during large group time. We had a great weekend and God was glorified in the lives of our students!!

Jason and I with the guys from Altered.

Jason and I with our sweet friends, Louis and Monica Brenton.

We were so blessed to have our friends and former students, Steve Hall and Kristin Hamilton join us for this amazing weekend. Steve led a 6th grade boys small group and Kristin spent the weekend with me as we visited each host home.

One of the highlights of the weekend was getting to spend some sweet time with my friends, Whitney McConathy and Kristin Hamilton. :)

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Every year, we take the kids on our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch. This year we went to Right Choices Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch in Southwest City, Missouri. We spent the whole day and had a wonderful time together.

Macy, Judson, Jensen, Parker, and Carter

The kids wait in line to slide down the slide on the wood mat.

Choo Choo... Riding the Cow Train

Hay Ride

Picking out pumpkins...

Judson's 6th Birthday Party

2008-10-15T23:43:00.000-05:00

Yes, Judson will turn six years old at the end of this month. Because October's calendar is quickly filling up, we decided to have Judd's party a little early. The party was held at our local park. The trees were beautiful and the weather was perfect. We celebrated with a fall party and many of Judd's friend's came to celebrate with him.

Jason helps serve pizza and juice at the party.

Judd poses with his cousins and closest friends!

Family, Fall, and Fun !!

2008-10-14T23:13:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love Fall! It is my favorite time of year. I love it even more when I get to enjoy it with my family. :) My sisters and their children cam to visit us and we had such a wonderful time. Because our children are growing so fast, we decided to have their photo made together. Gina snapped this pic of the little ones while we were waiting for the photographer.

Such sweet cousins!!

Carter-3, Parker-4, Macy-5, Jensen-4, and Judson-5

Jackson-12 was not in the pic. :(

Everytime we are together, we try to do a fun activity together. Here we are painting pumpkins. I think the kids ended up with more paint on them than they did on their pumpkins! :)

We also visited a local pumpkin patch. Here are kids before spending the day at the pumpkin patch.

Jackson finally agreed to be in a picture for me! Here are the kids with their painted pumpkins, after their baths! :)

September Was a Busy Month!!!

2008-09-30T22:33:00.000-05:00

September was a busy month! We had so much going on this month. The kids are back into the routine of a school schedule and our Student Ministry is back in full swing. At the end of the month, we went to Jason's parents home for the weekend. The kids had a great time at the pig farm seeing all the new baby pigs that had been born since we were last there.

This is a great picture of the kids by the pond at PaPa JW and Grandma Kaye's.

While we were in Oklahoma this weekend, we celebrated Jason's Aunt Ruth's 80th birthday. It was good to see some of Jason's extended family members on his Dad's side of the family. Many we had not seen in several years. I helped serve punch at the party. Jensen was so excited and she wanted to help serve punch too! I marveled at the fact that day that even at her young age of 4 years old, God had given her a desire to serve. By watching her that day, I will not be surprised at all if one of her spiritual gifts is hospitality. I snapped this picture of her as she was serving. Isn't she adorable????

We spent every weekend at the Football field as Jackson is playing football this year. He is doing a great job. He did suffer a mild concussion during one of his practices and had to sit out a couple of weeks. Jackson loves playing and we have greatly enjoyed watching our son play a sport that he excels at.

We also enjoyed watching our High School team this fall. Our children love Future Panther Night because they get to wear Panther T-shirts and be on the field when the football teams runs out before the game. God has blessed us with such sweet friends. This is a picture of Judson and Jensen with their precious friends, Marlow and Christopher at a recent game.

Okay, this night really was a LOT of fun! Every year, we have an annual REDNECK NIGHT to welcome our new 6th graders to revolution Student Ministry. We play incredibly silly games like toilet bowl races and tractor tire relays as well as everyone dressing up in their best Redneck costume. This is Jason and I in our best Redneck attire! :)

Friday Fun

2008-09-27T00:16:00.000-05:00

Today was such a fun day. Judson and I started the day with "Muffins for Moms" at his school. We enjoyed having breakfast together. It was a special time for me to be able to spend that alone time with Judd. :)
Today was also Homecoming. Jackson gears up for a day full of fun!

Jensen and her friend Rachel getting ready to cheer for the Panthers...

Go Panthers!!! We love Friday Nights in Siloam Springs!!

Grandparent's Day

2008-09-11T02:21:00.001-05:00

Jackson, Judson, and Jensen enjoyed spending time with Jason's parents on Grandparent's Day.

JW and Kaye (Jason's Parents) have lunch with Judson at school for Grandparent's Day.

Jason and I also got to have lunch with Judd. Isn't he a cutie????

Judson is in Kindergarten this year and one of the best things about Kindergarten is Grandparents Day. Everyone's grandparent's get to come have lunch with them in the school cafeteria. Judd was so excited. PaPa Jerry and Grandma Ginger were unable to come, but PaPa JW and Grandma Kaye came on Sunday and spent the night with us and had lunch with Judd on Monday. It was a lot of fun to see so many grandparents show up to sit at those little tables with their grandchildren.

Our children are so blessed to have grandparents that are so involved in their lives!! :-)

Jason's 37th Birthday Celebration

2008-09-06T15:35:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Jason's 37th birthday with our friends, Bob & Cassie Perryman, Tony & Jane Molina, Tim & Meagan Rucker, Sarah Evans, and Mark Thomas at The Cheesecake Factory in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We had a great time with our sweet friends!

The girls: Meagan, Jane, me, Sarah, and Cassie

The guys: Bob, Tim, Jason, Tony, and Mark

Me and the birthday boy!!

Happy Birthday Jason!!

Labor Day Fun

2008-09-02T00:23:00.001-05:00

I love Labor Day weekend! It was so nice to have an extended weekend to be together as a family.

Jason had decided last Thursday night to paint our kitchen cabinets for me. I have commented the last three years that I would like them painted. Since he knew he would have all day on Friday, Saturday, and Monday, he decided to tackle this project. My job was to help keep the kids out of the kitchen and out of the backyard where the painting was taking place. I decided that on Labor Day I would take the kids to Naturals Falls State Park just over the state line in Oklahoma. I packed a picnic lunch and we headed out the door just before noon. We had a wonderful time. We sat on a blanket and enjoyed our picnic lunch. The kids then played on the playground for awhile. We did some hiking around Natural Falls. We felt very adventureous as our family is not a real outdoorsy (is that a word?) kind of family. The kids loved the falls!

Here we are, all hot and sweaty after hiking down to see the falls.

The kids are so great about posing for pictures for me!

We headed back home and decided that since today was the last day that the Family Aquatic Center in our town was open, that we should go to the pool. The kids had a fabulous time, especially because another family in our church, The Norberg's, were also at the pool. Jensen played with Emma, Judson played with Jackson Mark, and Jackson played with Jordan and several other friends. My kids are close in age to the Norberg kids and always have so much fun with them.

Sweet Brothers and Sisters!

Jensen, Emma, Jackson Mark, and Judson

Jackson hanging out with Kyle Comiskey

After a fun afternoon at the pool, we said goodbye to Summer as the Family Aquatic Center closed it's doors until next May. We went home and Jackson grilled hot dogs for the family. We sat outside and ate and enjoyed the perfect end to a perfect day!

Enjoying time together as a family!!

My Apron Strings are Getting Shorter!!

2008-08-30T23:37:00.000-05:00

Okay, I knew Jackson being in Middle School would be a whole new ball game, but I had no idea that he would start to want so much more independence in just the first two weeks of school! Last Friday was his first school dance! Did you hear me? I said D-A-N-C-E!! My baby is old enough to go into a dark gym with loud music and girls???? Well, it wasn't so bad as I had volunteered with PTO to work the dance. At least I could keep an eye on him, or so I thought. After taking care of my PTO responsibilities, I walked around and took some pictures. It seems like I saw every kid in the middle school except for Jackson. I don't think he was avoiding me, I think he was wrapped up in running around in the middle school drama where you are trying to figure out who likes who and then run and gossip about who is dancing with who. I'm really not as worried about Jackson as I am the girls that seemed to be chasing after him. Are they forgetting they are in 6th grade? They are still supposed to be shy and stuck in a corner! But then again, my son is not shy. At one point during the dance, I noticed all the kids were in a circle watching three boys dance. I was trying to find Jackson and realized he was one of the boys in the circle! Apparently, Jackson is very proud of himself that he can do the "worm."

Jackson at his first Middle School Dance

Well, we made it through the dance. I didn't have much time to take in all this independence my son is so desperately wanting. The next day, he met a group of 50 other students from the Middle School to go with FCA to a U of A Razorback football game in Fayetteville. They left the school at 1:30pm and wouldn't be returning until after 11:00pm. As I got to thinking about it, I realized that this is probably the first big thing that Jackson has done without me and his dad that was not church related. I also realized that he would be with 20,000-30,000 people at a football game where he could be infleuenced by people who may not be Christians. What if I wanted to get in touch with him? His dad and I had decided that he is still too young to have the responsibility of his own cell phone. Should I send my phone with him? I quickly decided against that as my phone has an active internet connection. I decided it was better to send him without a phone instead of with a phone that I could not monitor his internet use. I asked him to borrow a teacher or friends phone to call me and check in with me. He did as I asked. I couldn't believe he was being responsible enough to remember to call his mom! I prayed for him all night, that God would protect his mind and his ears. I also prayed that he would have a great time and that God would use him as a positive infleuence on others.

This is a picture of Jackson's 30,000 closest friends! :)

Jackson (far left) hanging out with some friends watching the game

Eating at Braum's after the game...

Jackson did have a blast at the game and I know that he was well taken care of by the leaders that took the students. I was able to enjoy my evening without focusing on what Jackson was doing or who he was with the whole time. Jackson is a great kid and has a wonderful discerning spirit. I continue to pray that he allows the Lord to lead him. I also know that this next year will be full of "firsts" for both of us. I am excited about seeing my son grow and gain more independence and yet I am sad at the same time. It feels like I am losing a little bit of my little boy every day. Yes, it definitely feels like my apron strings are getting shorter every day!

First Day of School

2008-08-18T22:41:00.000-05:00

Judson is 5 years old and is starting Kindergarten

Jackson is 12 years old and is starting 6th grade

Jensen is 4 years old and is starting Pre-K

Today was such a great day! Our family rose early and started preparing for the new school year. The kids got up quickly as they were excited about their first day of school. They put on their new clothes and shoes and agreed to our annual routine of first day of school pics! Julie took Jackson to school first. He was so excited about being in the Middle School. He has a great teacher and is enjoying more of the freedom that comes with being a middle schooler! We took Judson and Jensen to school next. Judd was a little anxious and not sure what to expect. I could tell he was a little apprehensive as Jason and I left him with his wonderful teacher, Mrs. Kindy and a roomful of students that he didn't know yet. Jensen on the other hand, ran into her room as if she owned it. She was excited to be in a new classroom with a new teacher.

The second and third days of school were hard for Judd. He cried both days when he left for school and then again when his dad dropped him off. Before he left for school, he gave me a huge hug and looked at me with big crocodile tears pouring down his sweet face and said "Mommy, I love you and I just want to stay with you forever. School is so long! Please let me stay home with you!" I consoled Judd and told him that it would only be a few hours before he would see me again. I then hugged and kissed him before his dad took him to the car. My heart sank as he went out the door. I know this is a part of his growing up. I also know that there will come a day when he will not want to hang out with his mom all day. Judd did better by the end of the third day and was starting to get used to the routine. We also realized that if we packed Judd a lunch with particular items that he really likes to eat, he would be more focused on getting to eat lunch, that he wouldn't miss me so terribly. Yes, already I have been replaced in his thoughts by a PB&J sandwich and a juice box!!

As a mom, I love the consistency that the new school year brings. I love knowing what our schedule will be for the day. However, there is a part of me that grieves the loss of summer. I miss the days of sleeping until 10am, being with the kids all day, and having the freedom to do whatever we want to do on that day. I truly am loving this stage of mine and Jason's life. It is such a joy to see our kids at this age! I am looking forward to seeing how God will grow our children this year, not only physically, but spiritually. :)

Bearing Fruit

2008-08-12T23:57:00.000-05:00

Jensen and Mommy picking Blackberries

Jason picking Blackberries

Beautiful Fruit!

These are the Blackberries that we picked!

The weather today was absolutely gorgeous! I decided that it was the perfect day to visit Taylor's Orchard to pick Blackberries. It has been years since I picked Blackberries and the last time I picked them, I got scratched by huge thorns and had to wade through crowded thickets to even get a handful of fruit. Not only that, but the weeds were so thick, I was always afraid of a snake slithering around my feet. :) Needless to say, in the past it has not always been a positive experience, but my love for Blackberries always pushed me to venture into the weeds and thorns for that bittersweet taste of summer! I loved the vines at Taylor's Orchard because they are thornless and it is well mowed. I did not worry about snakes today!

When we arrived at the orchard, we were greeted by Mr. Virgil, an elderly man who looked to be in his late 70s or early 80s. He had such a sweet, gentle spirit and was very taken with Jensen. Somewhere during our conversation, Jensen had told Mr. Virgil that she loved Jesus. He immediately told Jensen that he loved Jesus too. He proceeded to tell us of his love for his church and how he loves to serve in the Children's ministry and occasionaly serve in the youth ministry. We visited for a little longer and the decided we better get to the vines before we ran out of time.

Jensen and I started picking Blackberries. She loved it for awhile, but didn't like that some of the berries excreted juice when she picked them. She and I both ended up with very purple fingers! Jason joined us a little later and Jensen loved showing her Dad how to pick the right way!

While picking the berries, I saw bright red berries that were hard and not yet ripe. I saw perfect, plump berries that were dark in color and very juicy. I saw berries that were juicy yet over-ripe and rotting on the vine. I also saw berries that were shriveled and dried up. Of course, I looked for the perfect, plump, dark berries that were just right! As I was picking through the vines for the perfect berries, I got to thinking about what God's Word says about fruit. I was reminded of Matthew 3:10 that says "Even the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire." Also, Matthew 7:16-20 that says "You can identify them by their fruit, that is by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions." After reading these verses in my Bible, I looked at what my commentary had to say about this subject. The commentary was extremely bold and I thought I would share with you what it had to say: Just as a fruit tree is expected to bear fruit, God's people should produce a crop of good deeds. God has no use for people who call themselves Christians but who live otherwise. Like many people in John's day who were God's people in name only, we are of no value if we are Christians in name only. If others can't see our faith in the way we treat them, we may not be God's people at all. God's message hasn't changed since the Old Testament: People will be judged for their unproductive lives. God call us to be active in our obedience. John compared people who claim they believe God but don't live for God to unproductive trees that will be cut down. To be productive for God, we must obey his teachings, resist temptation, actively serve and help others, and share our faith. How productive are you for God?

I really want to have the kind of fruit in my life that looks like the plump, juicy, dark blackberries. You know how they get juice all over you if you squeeze them too hard? I want to be so full of the spirit that it overflows out of me! I pray that my life is like those tall, beautiful vines that are filled with so many berries that you know you are looking at a Blackberry vine. There is no way you mistake it for an orange tree or a strawberry patch. I don't want my life to be like those berries that are rotting on the vine or even like the ones that are shriveled and dried up. I want the fruit of my life to be so evident that it is not mistaken for anything other than the love of God! After visiting with Mr. Virgil today, I could see that he is bearing much fruit. It was extremely evident in his life that he has a personal relationship with Jesus and that he loves being able to help little children grow closer to Jesus. His fruit is evident! I pray that your life is also bearing much fruit and that it is evident to those around you!

The Blessing of New Friends

2008-08-12T23:15:00.000-05:00

Last Friday evening, Jason and I drove to Branson with CoCo Miller, Marena Harmon and Mark Dewbre to interview a young man who had applied for the Associate Pastor to Students position at our church. Tony and Jane Molina were also on our search committee, but they were on vacation.

We arrived in Branson around 8:15pm and met Tim and Meagan Rucker. Tim is from Florida and Meagan is from Kentucky. They were married a week ago and were honeymooning in Branson. They were gracious enough to allow us to drive to Branson to interview them on their last day of their honeymoon. Our visit with them was wonderful. On the way home, we all talked and decided that we were all feeling like Tim and Meagan could possibly be the one's that God was leading to our church.

Jason called Tim and Meagan early on Saturday morning to see if they would be interested in coming on over to Siloam Springs to look around our community and our church. They agreed and we showed them around the church and talked about our ministry at Revolution and we showed them our beautiful town.

Sunday morning, Tim did an incredible job teaching to our students in Bible Study. After lunch, they had lunch with the staff. Later that afternoon, they met with all of our Youth Workers and then met with the Personnel Committee.

After much prayer and confirmation from the Lord, Jason extended a call to Tim to come as our Associate Pastor to Students. He accepted. :)

Tim and Meagan found a house that they will be moving in to next week. They will be here for our first Wednesday night of the Fall to meet our Middle Schoolers. Their first Sunday will be August 24th. We are incredibly excited to get to know them better and to be apart of each others lives. We are looking forward to serving with them in Ministry. God is so faithful! I am so thankful to Him for bringing this Godly couple into our lives!

Protecting my Cubs

2008-08-08T01:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I took Jackson and Judson to their doctor appointments in Fayetteville. Jackson was getting his wrist x-rayed to make sure the fracture in his wrist was healed and Judson was going for his two week check-up after having his tonsils and adneoids removed. Jensen spent the day playing at her friend Sydney's house.

I had decided that since there was a gap of about 4 hours between appointments, that we would have Lunch at the mall and finish up some school shopping. You know, when you eat at the Mall, everyone always wants food from a different restaurant because you can do that in the food court! So, I gave Jackson money for Subway and then went to Taco Bell to get my food. Judd wanted pizza from Sbarro, so we got in line for pizza. While standing in line, a large man standing in front of us turned around and started talking to us. He was nice, but I could tell from his speech that he probably had some learning disabilities. The first thing he said was "looks like your little boy just got a haircut. Is he getting ready for school?" I replied that he was. He then asked Judd what grade he would be in and Judd told him he would be going to Kindergarten. Immediately after that, he asked me "what school?" I have never got the feeling in my stomach that I did when the man asked that question. All of a sudden the converstaion seemed weird. I just told him it was a school here in Northwest Arkansas and abruptly ended the conversation. Something in my spirit didn't feel right. I felt like a mother bear protecting my cub. I held Judd's hand until we were seated and ready to eat. I was then alarmed when out of the WHOLE FOOD COURT, then man decided to sit two tables away from us. I took that opportunity to talk to the boys about safety and then I threatened Judd within an inch of his life if he tried to stray away from me today. I am usually not overly protective, but I felt a huge need to be that way today. I know that by nature, coversation come easy for me, even with strangers. But I realized today how important it is to not give out too much information to people that I don't know, even if they are being friendly.

Later that day in the mall, I realized that Jackson was asserting his 12 year old independence by just going into stores without telling me and I would have to stop and wait for him to catch up to me and Judd. He knew that we were on a schedule and my mission was not to window shop, but to find school clothes. I noticed that Jackson walked into a shoe store that was a couple of stores away from JcPenney . He knew I was on a mission to get to JcPenney's, so I was frustrated that he was once again making us wait on him. I thought that I would teach him a lesson and make him come look for me to show him the importance of him needing to stay with me unless he asks me if he can shop around a few stores. I thought once he realized he didn't tell me where he was going, he would immediately know to look for me in the children's section at JcPenney's. Well, I quickly purchased what I needed and went back to where we separated knowing he would be waiting there for me and he would be very sorry for not communicating with me properly. He wasn't where I thought he would be. So, I sat down and watched for Jackson while watching Judd play in the children's play area. I just knew he would walk up any minute and be relieved to see me. I waited and watched for 20 minutes and still no Jackson. As I sat there, I began to get extremely anxious as more time passed. Finally, I started praying and decided to venture into JcPenney's to look for Jackson. I was worried that he would show up where I was waiting and I would not be there if he came there to look for me. I would be in a large department store and it would be hard for him to find me, OR what if something actually did happen to him???? Okay, now I was a nervous wreck! I grabbed Judd's hand and briskly walked into JcPenney's. Judd pulled his hand away from mine and I told him to hold my hand while we looked for Jackson. He ran to the escalator and said "I want to ride the escalator!" I then heard "Judd?" Jackson had heard Judd's voice but couldn't see him. Judd then said "Mommy, Mommy, I heard Jackson!" About that time, Jackson came around the corner. He had been sitting on a bench by the escalator watching and waiting for me. Part of me was so mad that we had separated and frutrated that I had gotten so worried about him. The other part of me was so thankful that he was safe. We went straight to the car. I talked to Jackson about what our plan would be if we got separated again in the future and I also talked to him about the importance of asking/telling me where he is going so I will always know where he is at and that he will know where I will be located. Wow, I really have felt like a mother bear protecting my cubs! I am thankful to the Lord that He loves them so much more than I do and that I can trust my precious children into His protection!

River Country Fun

2008-08-08T00:48:00.000-05:00

Jackson, Jackson's friend Alex, Judson, Macy, Jensen, Carter, Parker, and Aunt Christie

Getting ready to have some big fun!

Macy and Jensen call themselves the "Sister Cousins"

Hanging out with my twin sister, Gina while watching the kids play

After a full day in the sun, the kids are hot, wet, tired, and hungry!

Julie and the kids got up early Wednesday morning and drove an hour and 15 minutes to Muskogee, Oklahoma to meet Julie's sisters and their children. Jackson's friend, Alex Kennedy, also came with us. He is such a sweet boy!

We met everyone at McDonald's for some lunch. We also brought a gift and mini-cupcakes to celebrate my sister Christie's 31st birthday. We didn't celebrate for long as the kids were ready to go play in the water!

We took the kids to River Country. It is Muskogee's Family Aquatic Center that is owned by the city, but is more like a small water park. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for children. Very inexpensive for a full day of fun!

The kids loved their splash pad area that had slides, waterfalls, and "soft" toys in the water. We spent most of our day here.

We also loved the Lazy River. Judson thought it was called the crazy river because you floated down it fast in a tube! :)

The best part of our day was me getting to hang out with my sisters and for my kids to get to play with their cousins. Because we live several hours apart, playing together doesn't happen often!

Thank you Christie for bringing Carter and Parker! Thank you Gina for bringing Macy! We had a blast!!

Kids will be kids!!

2008-08-05T10:57:00.000-05:00

Re-enacting the hair cuts they gave each other!
Judd gave Jensen the "shag". Those layers weren't there before!
Cute and Sassy! Her hair cut now matches her attitude!
At least Jensen only took a few chops on Judd's hair.
New cut...Almost shaved! :)

Last Monday the kids were laying around on the couch until I told them it was time to get ready for the day. I called Jensen into my bathroom so I could fix her hair. The first comb through her hair I noticed some layers. As I got to looking more closely, I realized it was a really bad hair cut! I asked her who cut her hair and she replied "nobody." I asked her again and as she saw me tearing up, she said "Judd did it." I called for Judson to also come in my bathroom. As soon as he walked in, I realized that he too had a bad haircut! I asked him who cut his hair and he replied "Jensen." I asked them why they cut their hair and Jensen said "Mommy, we wanted to surprise you!" Well, they were right. I was definitely surprised! :) I asked them when they cut it assuming it had been sometime that morning, but they said they had done it the night before while I was at the church with Jackson. I was relieved that they didn't do that while under my care, but then couldn't wait to ask Jason why he didn't tell me. I called Jason at work and told him the story. He said they couldn't have done it because he even put both of them in the bath AND washed their hair! After talking to the kids more, I found out that they snuck into the house and grabbed the scissors and took them out to the treehouse in the back yard where their creativity began. Their daddy must have been extremely tired that night not to notice even while washing their hair! Judd is a boy and his hair will grow back fast. Jensen's hair on the other hand grows very slowly. I love her hair long, but she is undeniably cute with her new hair style. I have talked to my kids several times about not cutting theirs or anyone else's hair. But now I know that no matter how much you lecture your children, Kids will be Kids!!! :)

Judson's Surgery

2008-07-23T19:11:00.000-05:00

Well, today was Judd's surgery. We had to be at the hospital at 7:00am. Judd was a little anxious once we arrived at the Surgery Center. He kept saying he just wanted to go back home. After the nurses put a hospital bracelet and cap on Judd's stuffed elephant, Fluffy, he seemed a little more relaxed. He was even more relaxed once they gave him some medicine to calm him down a little.

Judd came through the surgery wonderfully! He woke up and was still asking to go home. Judd's friend Mia and her mom came to visit Judd and bring him balloons. He was so excited to see Mia! After three hours, a cherry slush, and an orange popsicle, we were able to take Judd home.

He has been doing great! He has loved being able to pick out yogurt, ice cream, popsicles, and watermelon out to eat.

Thank you my friends for praying for my son! I know that he is doing extremely well because God is faithful in answering your prayers!

Almost Normal ...

2008-07-22T20:53:00.000-05:00

Today has been a great day. It almost seems like our family is back to normal. Well, kinda normal!

Jason returned home from Africa on Sunday night after spending the last two weeks there on a mission trip. He didn't get to sleep until 2am on Monday morning and he has been extremely jet-lagged both yesterday and today. He has taken several mini naps trying to get caught back up on his sleep. I know it may be several days before he is back to "normal."

Jackson left for church camp at Centri-kid yesterday in Bolivar, Missouri. He will be gone until Friday evening. I am praying God continues a great work in his sweet heart and that he thoroughly enjoys himself this week. I am also praying that he will truly bond with some of the boys there that are his age.

Today we met Jason's mom in Tulsa for lunch and she took Jensen back home with her. Jensen was so excited. She was already planning trips to the nail salon, to Dollar Tree, and to her cousin Haley's house. She will be there for a few days as Judd recuperates from his surgery.

Yes, Judson is home alone with his Mommy and Daddy. He too, is excited because that doesn't happen very often. :) Judson will have surgery tomorrow to have his tonsils and adenoids removed. He will also have tubes put in his ears. I am a little anxious about this as Judd is my first child to have surgery. Jackson did have tubes put in his ears when he was little, but it wasn't as big of a deal as having tonsils and adenoids removed. Judson and I enjoyed a trip to Wal-Mart this evening to pick out ice cream, pudding, jello, and yogurt. Knowing his throat will be extremely sore, we decided to let him pick out the snacks that will make his throat feel better when he comes home. I also let him pick out new pajamas to wear to the hospital and he picked out the perfect pair of SpongeBob pajamas.

Judson has been saving money that his Grandma has given him and so we also looked at bicycles and decided to purchase a new bike tonight. We bought an 18 inch bike. It is the perfect upgrade from his 16 inch bike. Judd was excited to get his bike home and ride it.

I am thankful that God has blessed me and my family with another beautiful day!

I finally did it!!

2008-07-21T19:54:00.000-05:00

Yes, I finally did it! I succumbed to being a blogger!! :) I'm not sure if I am doing this because everyone else I know now has a blog or because I know I am much more likely to document my children's lives through the computer, or both! Anyway...expect to learn more about The Kelly Family through this site.