by Kelli Donley | Feb 6, 2018 | handmade
My cousin died unexpectedly two years ago. He was just shy of his 37th birthday. He’d lived a hard, brief life, and most of us still struggle to say his name today with crying. One of his great joys were his children. He had two young daughters with a beautiful...
by Kelli Donley | Feb 5, 2018 | Arizona, Domestic Art, Flora and Fauna
We are enjoying this beautiful, temperate spring weather. Everything is blooming and happy. Even the avocado tree is sprouting new leaves and growing. The acacia trees, with their yellow pom poms of pollen are making the entire neighborhood smell heavenly. Our raised...
by Kelli Donley | Jan 22, 2018 | 2018
A former coworker, who upon meeting for the first time, asked both my age and if I had children. I was 35, and no, “not yet.” She then pressed her hand into mine, looked me square in the eye, and said, “Well, don’t you worry. Older women have babies all the time.” It...
by Kelli Donley | Dec 29, 2017 | 2018
I’ve fallen into some habits that I’m not fond of. Namely, I spend far too much time on my computer/phone these days, resulting in less time reading actual books and having face-to-face conversations. When exactly did I become that person who looks...
by Kelli Donley | Dec 22, 2017 | Blessings, Celebrate!, Family
This time of year, I like to look back and think about all of the wonderful days that we celebrated in some way. There was the trip to Mexico City, which remains one of my favorites of all time. Jason and I loved the culture, walking the city, the food, and definitely...
by Kelli Donley | Dec 5, 2017 | Celebrate!
There is knitting… And canning… And decorating happening at our house. And of course it wouldn’t be Christmas without a dash of Africa. Love this nativity from Mozambique. What I’m not showing you is the sad state of our stockings. Each year we...
by Kelli Donley | Dec 4, 2017 | Faith
A coworker gave me this weekly planner last month. In turn, I’ve been trying to establish a daily Bible scripture study and writing out the verse each morning. I’m starting my day with this, and a good cup of coffee. If I write out the verse, I think about...
by Kelli Donley | Nov 20, 2017 | Celebrate!
Not only is my family set to arrive within 48 hours, but several of my closest friends are here for the week to be with their families. Everywhere I look, there is a warm meal, a glass of wine, and laughter filling the air! {Reality: I’m in my second week of a...
by Kelli Donley | Nov 15, 2017 | Celebrate!, Family, Hostess
Thanksgiving prep is underway at our house. The tables soon will be full with family, extended family, and neighbors. For the first time, I’m cooking the bird. I’m a wee bit anxious. (Okay, it is 5 am and I’m blogging after spending an hour reading...
by Kelli Donley | Nov 2, 2017 | Uncategorized
On this trip into the Grand Canyon, we took the South Kaibab trail from the South Rim. It is the shorter route to Phantom Ranch at 7.4 miles, but it is considerably steeper. We hadn’t ever taken this path before, and it happened to be an extraordinarily windy...
