casa de Kelly

"Casa de Kelly" now open for business. However, it is a very quaint place, seating only one table each evening.
Yesterday I had the urge to take Timm out for dinner or drinks or dessert or something. I was just wanting to do something to make him feel special and I was craving a date night myself. But, the reality of getting a sitter on a school night didn't seem to be the best idea.
So, I made reservations at "casa de Kelly".
The girls and I made up a menu and transformed our apartment into a cozy little place to dine. We enjoyed candlelight, music, a menu with several selections from the bar, appetizers, a main course, and dessert. The service was great! The girls waited on us. They gave us privacy to visit, and we had a buzzer (from the taboo game) to call a server when we needed something.
We all had fun and decided we should definitely do that more often!

What's happening?

Sometimes I neglect to update what is happening around here.
First of all, Alli. Much prayer about which middle schools to consider, apply for, etc. We turned in an application in December with our top 3 choices for schools within our district. Should be hearing from them soon to set up a date for Alli to come in and interview/audition with them. With the loving guidance of Daddy, Alli did apply for a scholarship to one private school in Manhattan. She spent time completing a test, going there for an interview and additional testing. We found out this week that she was not selected for the scholarship. We're fine with that. It was a great experience for her to give it a try. Now, we continue to pray that God would just lead her to the right school!
Second, me. I am definitely NOT going to be taking that full time job opportunity. Although I have made this decision, it really wasn't even left for me to make. The principal never contacted me. So, that door is closed, and I have a renewed appreciation for the AWESOME life I have! Not NEEDING to work is an amazing blessing that I never take for granted. But, I appreciate it more than ever. I'm energized to pour myself into loving God and loving others! Pouring into my family and church and community.
Third, Timm. He is being patient. This is one particular area where God has stretched us beyond our limits! And, here we are again. Being sharpened in the area of.....waiting....being patient.... never losing faith. Timm has worked very hard to assist in the opening of a new charter school in East New York. He is not the principal of the school, he is the "principal in residence". The intention is for him to be fully equipped to open HIS school this fall. Well, the company that runs the charter schools and employs Timm is 100% ready to name him as principal of this new school. All they need is the thumbs up from the school board. So, Timm interviewed with them. Twice. He was informed that they would make a decision by Jan 1. It's now Jan 28. He had a great second interview Wed night. He was told they would make their decision that night. They did not. So, we wait. Everything of THIS WORLD would pull us to be anxious about this. But, I am not. God is in control of every aspect of our lives. He has led us in each step of our journey to move to NY. So much had to happen, and He orchestrated it all exactly the way He wanted. And, in His perfect timing. So, we wait. And, we do it with joyful hearts, praising God for His unending faithfulness. I'm not saying it doesn't stretch us! We do live in this world! We are not immune to anxiety creeping in, impatience nagging at us, doubt tapping on the shoulder. But, true surrender is knowing that Jesus is enough. No matter what. And, God will take care of us. We can rest in that.
So, that just leaves Olivia without an update? She's great as usual. Our resident comedian. Full of life, love, laughter. Writing books, songs, and journal entries that warm our hearts. Telling riddles and brain teasers and stumping us all. And of course, chubby cheeks still in tact for pinching!!!!

International Dessert Day

Yesterday the girl's school hosted "International Dessert Day". Each student was asked to bring in a traditional dessert from the country they are from. I've mentioned before the diversity in this school. It is so AWESOME. And, this was a great way to honor and celebrate some of that diversity.

Well, since my kids are pretty much representative of the melting pot of America, we chose to look online and try to find something either Irish or Swedish, as we identify most with those ancestors. We noticed that one traditional Irish dessert was caramel cake. We knew Grandma Kelly had a family recipe for that. So, we decided to go for that!

As I imagined, and as Grandma indicated, it was a pain the butt to make :) Caramelizing sugar, trying to stir it up into liquid without it crystallizing, etc.

But, can I just say how much FUN it was to make with Alli???!! She had so much fun, and she really felt special making something from scratch, from a recipe from Grandma. How did it taste? It appeared to be a little bit dry, and the icing looked kinda weird. Well, lets just say the girls in this family are not big fans of the cake, but Daddy is. I didn't' taste it, but Alli saved one little piece for Daddy and he said it turned out great!

I'll be honest, I had a back up plan. We made the cake into two small pans so that each girl could take one. And, just in case it was a total wreck, we made two small loaves of banana bread too! When the girls asked if banana bread was Irish too, I just said that they could inform their classmates that in Ireland, they drink a lot of tea, and they often serve sweet breads and cakes with their tea :)

Shout out to my man

I must give a shout out to my man.
Thank you for ALWAYS supporting me!
Today you brought up a subject that no one else can really bring up with me, because it has to do with our finances. Thank you for being willing to call me on things in my life that could be strongholds! Thank you for doing in it love. And, thank you for always appreciating me, encouraging me and loving me.
Lastly, thank you for working hard and for being so ambitious and for providing for us.
For those reading this, do you have someone in your life who KNOWS what you struggle with and will call you out in a loving way to challenge you? If not, I encourage you to seek that out. It's SO important.

so, maybe not

OK, so I'm thinking maybe not on that job.
I know, could I vacillate any more with that decision?
Still not 100% sure, but I prayed very specifically last week for God to PLEASE steer me away from this job if it wasn't a REALLY good choice for our family and my role as his servant for the kingdom.
So, when I went to meet the principal, she never came and I was there for 2 hours. Apparently she had something come up. OK, but, she has never called me back since then.
I won't go into a bunch of detail, but I really am feeling this week that I don't want to give up my role as full time mom, volunteer, wife, neighbor, and available servant of Jesus.
Granted, if she never calls back, it isn't even a decision I need to make, right? :)
I am feeling great! I am so blessed!!!!

How much is enough?

Why am I always burdened with measuring my value by how much I accomplish? How much is enough? How much do I have to accomplish before I am satisfied that I have value?
Is everyone like this?
I feel like God has been trying to teach me to stop doing this. To stop measuring all together. And, especially to stop measuring based on works. His love for me is immeasurable! And, my goal should be to rest in that love and security and to be led by him in all that I do, say and even think!
I know that. And, it is a fairly simple concept. Just not an easy one.
So, I continue to feel good about myself when I have had a day filled with the completion of tangible tasks. The more things that were scratched off my to-do list, the better I feel.
God wants me to get rid of that mindset. I know he does. And he is stretching me in order to teach me to do it.
If I'm honest, it has been a pruning process he started in me about 13 years ago! It has been a long, slow road to where I am now. Many of the things that I have always depended on the fill me up and make me feel whole and valuable, he has led me to let go off. He wants me to get that from HIM.
And, if I really think I can measure my value based on how much I do, or how good I am, then how much is enough? It would never be enough! I will never DO enough to impress God with my works. And I will never be GOOD enough to impress him either. He loves me unconditionally. He wants my surrender, not just my effort.
So, how much is enough?
Complete and total surrender of my self.

job?

Still not entirely sure about the job possibility. Meeting with some folks this week, will let you know what comes of it......

Bye friends

Today I will be saying goodbye to some friends.
I have all of the pictures and cards we received this holiday season plastered all over our door. I always love pictures. And, I particularly enjoy the pics that come in the mail at Christmas time.
But, this year, each picture held extra special meaning! At first, I thought we weren't going to get very many. I was bummed. I felt like we had been forgotten now that we moved out of state. Then, they started rolling in! All of our beautiful family and friends! And, I felt like each one of them popped in for a visit!
But, I can't leave them up forever. SO, today I'll say goodbye.
THanks so much to each of you who sent a card, and especially a picture! I have enjoyed looking at them every day. It has brought me lots of joy.

17 years

Surprise.
When I woke up this morning (after going to bed before Timm got home, and waking up after he left for work-what a slug) there was a card on the table for me.
It was a super schmoopy card from the love of my life, my husband. Wishing me a happy 17 year anniversary of our first date!!!
Whenever people would ask about how Timm and I met, or how we started dating, I would be unable to nail down exactly what happened because our relationship evolved from friendship to dating. But, Timm would always stop me and give a clear account of the exact DATE that our relationship turned a corner.
January 3, 1993.
And then he always proceeds to tell how we went out and I made the first move by placing my hand on his leg while we were sitting together and how I left it there as we were talking and how that changed everything!
Well, I guess I'll concede. I made the first move, and it did change everything!
I just THANK GOD that He brought us together. We are both absolutely positive that God brought us together and has led us down a path growing closer to Him and each other all the while.
Even though we didn't know Jesus personally at the time, or even think He was involved, I know for sure that he was sitting there at "Four Greenfields" pub on January 3, 1993 orchestrating the events that would bring Timm and I into a life of true peace and joy that can only come from Him.
Thanks God.
Hope you bless us with lots more anniversaries to celebrate!

Wonder what I'd have thought?

So, I'm reading the gospel of John, and today I just stopped and thought "seriously, what would my reaction have been to Jesus if I was a Jewish person back then?" It's so easy to look at those pious, religious people and see right through their hypocrisy, right? They were so busy being "religious" and following all the laws, that they couldn't even recognize GOD in their presence. They had religion, but didn't know God.
But, if I'm honest, Jesus would have been very difficult to believe! Today, as I was reading John 6, and Jesus keeps referring to himself as the bread, so the Jews say "what?" And Jesus says "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.....my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink, whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him."
Now, I get what he is saying, but, can you imagine? I'd be sitting there thinking, this guy is strange! He is talking about me eating his flesh and drinking his blood? I don't think so!
I could just see me squinting my eyes, looking at Jesus, then looking at others and saying "wha? That is just gross."
So, when I find it so easy to pass judgement on the pharisees and the "religious" people who didn't understand Jesus, I should get the plank out my eye first before pointing out the speck in theirs.
I believe the gospels are true, and I believe Jesus is the Son of God, and therefore I believe the truth that JEsus proclaimed. But, I have the whole story. The birth, the life, the death, the resurrection, the stories, and the holy spirit who was sent to be a helper for me to understand.
So, yes, some religious people of JEsus' day were too wrapped up in their religious practices to even realize that they had lost their relationship with God and didn't recognize him when they met him. BUT, if I sit here and think I am better than them, or that I would have reacted any differently, then I don't think I'd recognize Jesus either. I think to recognize and know Jesus, you need to have a humble heart. I can't be humble, and then sit and pass judgment on others. Doesn't work.
So, I wonder....what would I have thought?

A few Christmas pics

Christmas eve at Aunt Liz and Uncle Tom's

CHristmas eve, just before bedtime at Grandma and Grandpa's. THe girls are exctied about santa coming!

Christmas morning, reading the story of our savior's birth.

Santa came!

And, off to Grandma and Grandpa Carlson's we go

The girls tried some skiing with Kami and Landri Berman at Pine Knob

Happy New Year

First of all, if my typing is strange, some of my computer keys are dying...so...bear with me. I know my computer's life is limited. I have the same exact computer as my friend (we bought them used from her company) and hers just died. I would guess that mine is quite ill, and at the end stages.

Anyways, I have lots of pictures I wanna share :)

First, New Year's eve.

Olivia single handedly polished off more than half of the mild salsa! YUM

Fun with guitar hero.

Self portrait of "the girls"

Alli and Brandon (our neighbor) watching "New Year's Rockin Eve on TV"

Our neighbors are much too cute in their lit up 2010 glasses, come on!

Happy New Year. I will do a different post with some pics from Christmas in MI.