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January Looked Like This

January looked like evening walks and pretty light and pausing occasionally to take a photo.

January also looked like my amaryllis blooming. I ordered two varieties of amaryllis bulbs from @edenbrothers right after Thanksgiving. The first one to bloom was called ‘Sweet Nymph’ which had the most delightful pink color and ruffles petals. The first stem bloomed right before Christmas with another set of blooms right after.

This gorgeous amaryllis is called ‘Royal Velvet’ and it finally bloomed around the middle of the month. I was obsessed with her divine garnet color and I love that she produced four stems with four flowers each. It was a gift to have these amazing flowers on my kitchen during a month where nothing is blooming outside. 

And it had me asking the question, “Why do I let December have all the fun? Why shouldn’t I wait to grow amaryllis bulbs in January when there isn’t anything else growing?” It’s definitely food for thought for next year.

Also, it was the first year I ordered amaryllis bulbs instead of just picking up one of the kits at the big box home improvement store. Even though they were a little more expensive, the quality is FAR better with at least three stems of flowers that last for weeks.

This month we also enjoyed a little bit of winter weather.

It started snowing on a Thursday afternoon and in the morning we woke up to a winter wonderland. By the time it stopped, we ended up with about five inches of snow.

For the most part, winter in NE Oklahoma is dry and bare and colorless. So anytime it snows, it feels a little magical. (Spoken as someone who works indoors with a space heater at her desk most days).

January also looked like finished up projects and cleaning out closets. It was such a good feeling to wrap up last year to make space for new things for this year.

This month we enjoyed getting to see our grandson and it was also really special to be there when my parents met baby Harris for the first time.

He’ll be three months old next week and it is a joy to see him growing and thriving. It’s also really fun to see his features developing and the ways he looks like his parents. Naturally I couldn’t help getting out Kelsey baby book to have a look at her at this age.

It gave me all the warm fuzzies to go back and relive these memories of being a new mom with my own baby. I have so many thoughts about this, but for now it’s just so special.

For all the highlights of this month, January was mostly full of ordinary days at home doing ordinary things.

Taking time pause and breathe and notice my surroundings fills me with a sense of peace when the rest of the world feels anything but peaceful.

If you’re on social media at all you might have seen funny memes about how January feels like a long month.

Screenshot

I always chuckle when I see them because it’s true. January does seem to linger on. But after the past several months seemed to fly by (at least in my life), I haven’t minded it as much this year.

As always, thank you for allowing me to share my life and my photos with you.

Love, Kelly

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Comments

  1. Hannah Arango says

    January 31, 2025 at 1:07 pm

    I’m so glad you’re back to posting!!! There’s something so magical and peaceful about your blogs! It’s such a breath of fresh air.

    Reply
    • kelly ishmael says

      January 31, 2025 at 2:21 pm

      thank you so much for the kind words! it makes my heart happy to know how much you enjoy it!

      Reply

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Hi There! I’m Kelly. I am a wife, mom, light seeker, homemaker, and storyteller. From an empty nest to an abundant life, all it took was a little time, a lot of faith, and the courage to see my life differently.

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