The Kelly Journal

10! An entire decade! Double digits! Ten years ago you changed our lives forever. It went by so fast, I imagine I’m going to blink and you’ll be 20. Let’s just take a moment to look at that sweet baby bobo from 10 years ago!

So much has changed but you’re still just as cute. I love listening to your creative ideas and seeing the things you come up with. I love how you don’t follow a pattern or a recipe when you create but you want to come up with your own way of doing things- whether it’s making yourself breakfast or creating a pearler bead creation or doing a Pinterest science project. You are innovative, creative and an out-of-the-box thinker.

your driftwood fort creation

Some of your favorite things right now are listening to audiobooks, playing Minecraft, talking to your friends on messenger, whittling, water fights, and, of course, eating bacon. You love animals, music, acting, campfires, creating, and all things warm and snuggly. You especially love dogs. I love how you will approach anyone with a dog and respectfully ask if you can pet them. Dogs seem to really like you too!

You learn fast, run fast, and love to do everything fast! You love playing team soccer, playing freeze tag or “tickle monster” at the park and love it when dad or I will race you.

I love your confidence. I love your sweet smile. I love the way you still want to snuggle with me and tell me you love me. You may be a big ten year old, but you’re still my baby bobo.

Happy Birthday Joshua! We love you SO much.

Charlie, you’re FOUR! You get more precious and adorable as you grow. You are a sweet soul who loves deeply and snuggles heartily.

You have a deep and undying love of all things Batman. You are enthusiastic about all of the things you love: the color green, the letter “C”, Batman, peanut butter and jelly, and Oreos, to name a few.

You are also super loyal to the people you love. You love both your brothers with your entire being. You get so excited for mom snuggles and daddy bike rides. Anytime we are going to see one of your extended family or one of your favorite friends you are thrilled. You’re a peacemaker and a joy bringer.

You love to play games, go on bike rides, do puzzles, draw and color, go on scavenger hunts, jump on the trampoline and anything your brothers are doing. You play well by yourself and often get lost in a world of pretend all on your own.

You’re getting so big and learning so much. We are so glad you are a part of our family. We love you mucho mucho. Happy Birthday Charlie Barley!

A lot has happened world-wide since our last newsletter. Here’s an update from the Kellys with some reflections on what we believe God is looking for from his people in these times… (click on the image to read full-size)

Sam Sam, you’re six!

your favorite dessert: cinnamon rolls!

It is so fun to watch you get older. You are adorable- although you don’t like to be told that. You are maturing and growing so much! You are also super fun. You love games and can often be found playing monopoly or your current favorite game with dad at 6am! You guys are my early birds.

I think your main love language is giving and receiving gifts. You LOVE to shop, to buy things and to give gifts. This Christmas you asked if you could exchange gifts with your brothers and you took just as much joy out of choosing their gifts as you did receiving yours from them. We love that about you.

You are full of energy and enthusiasm. You love your friends & family with great exuberance. You love basketball passionately. You have an undying love of Power Rangers and Spiderman.

You got an award at school for consistently being helpful, empathetic, respectful and obedient!

You are focused and determined. You give 110% at school and it shows. You are swiftly becoming an excellent reader and a math whiz. You pick things up quickly and treat your teachers with great respect. We are so proud of you.

We love you so much buddy. Happy birthday!!

We hope you find yourselves full of vision and anticipation for this new year! Read about the sense we have for 2020 and about what’s coming up for us this month in our January  newsletter (click on the image below for the full-size file).

Hey y’all! Here’s a fun end of the year top ten highlights video we made as well as our December newsletter (click on the image to read the pdf).

May your spirit’s be jolly and bright as we celebrate the coming of Jesus into our world, an event that has forever changed everything!

Holy cow, you’re halfway to 18! Slow down, kid!

Watching you grow up is so fun. I love watching your brain work. You love interesting facts and hard questions and “what if” scenarios. You are a natural at math and love crazy big numbers (like on this awesome shirt).

This year you suddenly became a voracious reader. Your current favorite activity is listening to audiobooks. The library can barely keep up with your pace! I love listening to books with you at bedtime especially when we get caught up in a series like How to Train Your Dragon, Narnia or Harry Potter.

You are confident, coordinated and so cool. You’re a natural at most sports and love being outside, especially if there’s a campfire. You’re also a homebody. You and I would be happy to spend Saturdays at home all day in our pjs but your brothers get squirrely and we usually end up on some adventure :)

You love your family: watching Star Wars with dad, playing crazy pretend games in forts with your brothers, listening to books with me. You love your weekly night at Grandma & Grandpa’s house and any chance to hang out with your cousins. You light up whenever Auntie Trina comes over and try your hardest to commandeer all of her attention.

You’re ridiculously cute and photogenic but you don’t really like having your picture taken. You humor your mom, though, most of the time. Sometimes when I ask you to smile this is what I get:

We love you so much buddy! I’m going to soak up every moment of this last year of you being in the single digits. As you grow more and more mature and independent I look forward to seeing the young man you become.

Here’s our latest newsletter (click on it to read the pdf). Happy summer!

Charlie, you’re three! And you are a delight. You are such a sweet boy.

You love Paw Patrol, ice cream, cars, going to the playground, oreos, snuggling and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. You would eat pb&j for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if we let you!

You’re a snuggler. You love to grab my face and smoosh your face into it with great affection. You’re innately polite. When I ask you to do something you don’t want to do you say “no thanks.” Haha. And you often say “thank you mommy” for little things like when I bring you a cup of milk.

You’ve become more verbal and rambunctious in the last year. You love to wrestle Sammy (even though it doesn’t usually end happily) and you love to jump and swing and yell and laugh. You’re very good with words and I love to hear you talk. You really want to go to school and often cry when both of your brothers are at school and you don’t get to go. You are so excited to start preschool in the fall.

You’re full of imagination and you often are lost in a world of play and pretend. I love to hear you play or sing to yourself. You are quick to forgive, quick to apologize and full of love. You are willing to share and take turns (most of the time). You take great delight in the world around you and in your relationships. You LOVE LOVE LOVE your brothers. And the rest of your family and friends too.

We all love you SO much! Happy Birthday Charlie Benjamin :)