So long and farewell (for now)

Kelly: After much discussion and deliberation, Holly and I have decided to indefinitely take a hiatus from The H and K Chronicles. 

Since I've begun my endeavors in travel nursing, it has become increasingly difficult for the two of us to reach out on a time that works out for the both of us to continue to contribute to this blog. To be honest, it's something we've talked about for a while now but we haven't really been sure how to approach it. Yes, it is difficult and this was a difficult decision for us. However, we have really enjoyed figuring out who we are as individuals and watching how God has worked in our lives as His children. We are also each regularly contributing to our own separate blogs. I am further pursuing my career while Holly is further pursuing her own paths, including her relationship over the last 10 months (and some change). 

So fear not, we are still around on Facebook and Twitter and if you have our numbers, feel free to reach out to us in that way! To close, I want to say thank you all for reading, following, commenting and going through life with us on this avenue for the last 5 years. It has been a pleasure and a joy expressing ourselves in this way, but as they say, all good things must come to an end! Keep the faith, and remember Jesus loves you, and so do we. 

Things we learned in May!

Keep up with the routine stuff! Upon a seemingly routine eye exam for Kelly, she was shocked to discover that her vision had changed quite a bit in the last two years. While we're now seeing the world through fresher eyes (Holly's new vision insurance should be coming in soon), it reminded us to continue advocating for our health and taking care of ourselves.

Broken AC is no fun. Last week, our AC decided to stop working (And then it was 85+ the next day as a high). Even though we grew up without AC, it's amazing how different 86 inside feels in an open, hardwood floored house versus a less-than-1000-square-foot mostly carpeted apartment.

The pollen this year is NOT messing around. We've both come down with cold-like symptoms this year. I think I'm (Holly) still blowing my nose after 3 weeks...

Having the opportunity to meet family is a privilege. We had the opportunity to meet Justin's older brother and sister-in-law as they visited from Australia! We spent a few days with them in various settings, but it was an absolutely lovely time with lovelier people. For me (Holly) it was especially a privilege, getting to know the family of someone I've grown to care about very much.

Life is short. Very short. A friend to many from our church passed away after an awful motorcycle accident. The fact that he even survived after the accident itself is a miracle. But as friends of ours gathered together to grieve this loss, it reminded us how short life is. It's only but a vapor, a brief moment in time. Make the most of it. Don't dwell on the negative. Tell those you love that you love them and tell them often. Be thankful for what you have.

Sister time is STILL important! We had a sister date that involved iced coffee and pedicures. And we had an absolute blast! 

Friends are still friends, no matter the distance. We got to pick up our friend Matthew from the airport as he arrived back from the land down under! True friends are never separated by distance. We're very thankful for ours :)

What did you learn last month? What are you learning now?

Normally we don't let our kitties on tables...but the AC was out here, and it was close to the fan...

Things we learned in March

Holly and Kelly: March was a busy and somewhat slow month for us. Here's what we learned.

Sometimes, you have to say no: even if it's to an old friend who wants to re open the lines of communication. We had to say no; it wasn't even an option. It wasn't worth the risk of possibly things being ok for a while, then back to the same old stuff. You get to a point in your life where you are free to make those decisions, and we lived with the consequences of said choice for too long. We are both at points in our lives where we made peace with the situation and have moved on. Neither of us have heard from this friend since, which says to us our point exactly.

Priorities change: We've put our relationship with each other on the back burners, and are now going to be taking the time to spend time with each other in prayer and devotionals. Over the last few weeks we have done this, it has been astounding to hear about what God is doing in each of our lives. It's been extremely beneficial to the both of us!

Time away is essential: Even if it's just for a few days. The time we were able to spend in Florida was....amazing. Seeing the sunrise on the beach...it was just one of those moments that make you realize how much of a masterpiece artist God is. Neither one of us thought about obligations we had at home, whether at work, things to do in the house, whatever. Take some time to just get out of work for a while; you will be amazed at how much better you feel. 

 God is working: In Kentucky, people! Over the past few months, but more regularly this month, we've been visiting another church with Holly's bf and some friends of ours. We're NOT leaving our current church anytime soon, but it's been super amazing to see the body of Christ working elsewhere in Madison county. He's doing some great things in His body, people, and it has been a privilege to see that work come to life. Also, we had the opportunity to sing with a church from London in a combined service for Easter. It was a long day, but full of blessings to celebrate our risen Lord. (There's a link at the bottom of the page for your viewing pleasure. Buckle up though...it's an hour and ten minutes long...)

Basketball....nah: We suck at basketball. Really, REALLY, suck. There's a reason God called us to work at Grow Appalachia and to be a nurse and to NOT be professional basketball players. Thank God! 


Easter program
Basketball part 1
Basketball part 2 (Kelly's shame)

Things change/remembering Brian

Kelly: The ever so cliche saying of God making good out of something bad really is true. We were 15 when Brian passed away; still young and clueless. Heck, I'm still young and clueless, but that's beside the point. But after the funeral, I remember feeling a sense of closure, but that sense of closure soon turning into anger. I was angry at God; angry and wondering how He could take someone I had barely known away from me. From the rest of his friends. From his family. It didn't seem fair. A few weeks prior to his death, he went to some camp....sadly I can't remember which one, and he accepted Christ. Again, I don't remember where I heard that from. He was about to start his senior year of high school and was supposed to graduate with our brother.

Then coming to college and things changed. I thought about Brian a lot. But that night I accepted Christ into my life (again) I realized and was comforted at the fact that he was in Heaven with Jesus, and it felt...right. And now, fast forward to 9 years later. I'm working where I love and loving what I do. So often I get patients who are depressed and want to end their own lives, usually because of a loss in their lives. Lost their jobs, going through a divorce/separation, and most often loss of a loved one. I always try to tell them that times are hard, but somehow we find the strength to make it through. My strength came from (and still does) come from God, but way back then I didn't realize that. Or if I did, I was just too busy being pissed off. And now, our lives are going on, and the world is still spinning. I still do think of Brian, but not as often as I used to. But when I do think of him, I think of my other friends, who for whatever reason or rhyme are still in my life but live far away. I don't know when I'll ever see them again, but I pray for their happiness and safety often. I am at peace, because I know Brian is in a better place, and I do hope one day when my time comes I will see him again.

Holly: It's amazing, and a bit staggering, to be honest, at how sometimes things can change so quickly.  Like this week, for example.  Monday, I woke up to another normal work day; Tuesday, I had my Grow Appalachia interview; Wednesday, another work day; Thursday, I received the offer; and yesterday, I submitted my resignation to my supervisor.  That's that.  It's done, just like that.  On paper, my last day at UK is August 15th, just shy of three weeks from now.  My days at UK are numbered, I have some time in between, and then on August 25th I hop on a plane to either Philadelphia, DC, Columbus, or Atlanta, and start a new chapter in my life.  Things change.

And then, yesterday, I thought a lot of Brian.  I still remember that day very fondly; just another day of marching band practice.  We were all in the auditorium and then my friend was running to Kelly and I saying "it's Brian, he's gone."  Things change.

Yesterday, July 25th, was 9 years since we lost our friend Brian, killed in a car accident.  Brian was a friend whom we had just barely gotten to know, and yet...I don't know if I can speak for everyone, but I felt as if I'd known him my whole life.  He could make anybody laugh.  When we all parted ways for the summer I almost couldn't wait for the new school year to start, just to see what sort of shenanigans our group could get into.  Our group all saw each other again that summer, but it was at his funeral.  Not long after that, school started again.  That was 9 years ago.  I was 15 years old, still a kid, still had so much of high school left, hadn't even heard of Berea College, thought that friendships lasted forever, thought band was my world, and you know...the list goes on.  I've done a lot of growing up since then, but I still think of Brian often.  Things change, yes they do.  But never forget where you were and what has happened.

We all change, when you think about it.  We are all different people, all through our lives, and that's ok! That's good!  You've got to keep moving, so long as you remember all the people you used to be.

30 Days of Doctor Who: Saddest Episode

Kelly: The End of Time. The first time I sat through it, I along with Holly, cried through the majority of the second half and periodically throughout the first half. It's a beautiful and very sad story of 10's departure. But the second time around, the end didn't make me cry at all. It was when he realized that Wilfred was trapped and he would have to let him out, thus sacrificing himself. SPOILERS.

One thing I love about David Tennant is that he is good at saying so much without saying a single word. It's at this moment where he knows what is about to happen, and there's nothing else to be done. But me? I could do so much more! So much more! But this is what I get. My reward. And it's not fair. Oh. I've lived too long. In the previous special, The Waters of Mars, we see The Doctor trying to be a God; trying to save those that were not intended to be saved. But when's about to...well...you know, he goes back to those he met along his life; those he saved without them really knowing it, but for them, it was ok. Mickey and Martha, Donna, Sarah Jane and Luke, and of course Rose. Rose was the first and last set of eyes the 10th Doctor saw. Seeing him leave, and say goodbye, was like losing a friend. This was the Doctor I fell in love with. In the end, he just lets go; lets go of the fact that he has lived for a very long time. But his words, his expressions, all of it, were real and genuine, because he, along with most of Who viewers, have lost someone. We know what that's like, what it feels like, and to see that realness on the big screen just stuck with me. Stuck with the both of us so much that we waited almost a month in between from the End of Time finished until we started Season 5. Yeah. For real.

Holly: So I was going to also pick "The End of Time"...which, let me just say this, made ME cry, and I don't cry at anything.  Ask anybody.  And Kelly so beautifully described it above that I don't think I could add any more to it, even if I tried.  Having said ALL that, a sad episode for me was season 6's "A Good Man Goes To War".

This episode has a lot of stuff happen in just under an hour: The Doctor and Rory find Amy and newborn Melody, with a very, very touching scene between the four of them about halfway through the episode.  The Battle of Demon's Run is on the verge of breaking out, but the Doctor manages to peacefully stop all fighting; even Madame Vastra is pleased, calling it his highest hour.  And then almost instantly, fighting starts and lives are lost.  Little Melody, it turns out, is a Flesh Avatar, and she disintegrates in Amy's arms.  The Doctor tries to console her but she backs away from him.  One of the Doctor's unknown admirers, Lorna, dies as well, reminiscing about her childhood encounter with him in the Gamma Forest.  And River.  River confronts the Doctor, almost blaming him; it's at this point that even the Doctor realizes just how powerful he really is.  Turns out the enemies are afraid of our favorite Tardis-traveling Time Lord.  I won't even mention the River storyline...we find out who she really is.  SPOILERS.

There's a lot more to it than this.  Truth be told, it's been a while since I've seen this episode, but it's powerful good stuff.  I liked Matt Smith at this point, but from here on out he just gets better.  (And I'm only saying this because we watched "The Rings of Akhaten" last night and oh my word.  Just oh my word).

On being 24

Holly: 23 was a rough year for us.  I found myself, at 23, in various up and down stages of my life: I watched my sister graduate from Berea, all the while celebrating my first (whole) year of being a Berea alum and not a college student.  We moved again, and don't see ourselves moving for a long time.  I started my first full-time job.  We allowed an alien time traveler from Gallifrey to enter our lives and take us to places we'd never imagine.  And then there were the downs: a friendship coming to an end, some difficult family circumstances that I'd rather not mention (God knows and things are great now, but will never be the same), working multiple jobs and struggling very much so financially, to the point of almost moving back home, and losing Grandpa.

I woke up at my usual time this morning, but with a bit more pep in my step, so to speak, as I am always grateful for my birthday.  It's suffice to say that birthdays are usually a lot less exciting when you still have to go to work, but I digress.  This year, I'm 24.  24 is my favorite number.  And while I'm another year older and I celebrate that and thank God for that, the day didn't go without its share of sadness.  Today also marks the one year anniversary of Grandpa passing away.  One of the things that inspired me the most about my grandpa was his faith; Jesus was at the center of his life and he lived, breathed, spoke that reality every day of his life, right until the end.  I was driving on the interstate, praying and thanking God for my grandpa, listening to K-LOVE and an acoustic version of "I Can Only Imagine" came on.  Knowing that my grandpa was with Jesus and his family, living out what I can only dream of (being with Jesus eternally), I started crying and wasn't sure I would stop.  It was a mixed moment: I miss my grandpa more than words can express, but I rejoice that he is with the One whom he loved more than anything.

24.  Another year older, and the first year without my grandpa.  I'm looking forward to being 24, and I'm open to new possibilities and opportunities.  I'm praying for clarity; God has a plan, and He knows my heart and my desires.  I'm not where I want to be, but I'm not where I used to be; God has brought me through so much and I find myself craving more time spent with Him.  I pray that God will open doors and strengthen my faith as I start my 24th year.  I truly believe the best is yet to come.

Kelly: I don't look it, but some days I do feel myself getting older. Woke up this morning with a few aches, but I woke up. God has been very good to me. This past year of being 23 years old was without a doubt one of the hardest years of my life. Some very good things happened though; I finished nursing school, graduated, moved again, took/passed the boards, got hooked on Doctor Who and started my job that I am currently holding. However, I also endured my fair share of hard times; losing my Grandpa (on this day of all days), said goodbye to an almost 10-year friendship, saw my family be (almost) ripped apart, struggled with a lot of anger and frustration and at one point or another thought about throwing my potential career away. 23 was a very difficult time, but out of those difficulties God really taught me a lot about not only His grace but showed me how much through Him I could handle. And let me tell you, I can handle a lot now. He made me a stronger, better and happier person because I got to a point where I let things fall into His time. If it wasn't for His time I'd still be holding onto a toxic friendship and a lot of other things. I'd be miserable. But today, as I sit here and write this, I am far from it.

I'm not sure what being 24 will hold, but I know God has a plan and that it will be good. And the year 2014 in of itself is already promising to be a good and interesting year. I've found myself starting to think about things I normally didn't have the time to think about while I was in school. I know it's a rubbish excuse, but being out of school really does free up so much of your time. You think about things you don't normally, you do things you used to do but couldn't (I've been READING so much more!) and you get to see and enjoy yourself more. Seriously. But one thing I've been finding myself thinking about is the idea of relationships. I'm at that point I believe in my life that God is planting a seed that could potentially blossom into either a really great friendship or something much more beautiful than that. Either way, I'm very happy. And this person knows that I'm happy he's in my life....and no I don't feel the need to constantly broadcast it all over every social media site every single day. But our relationship...is a very unique one. God is up to something, but I'm just not sure what it is yet. Anywho....yeah. A year sure goes by fast. I'm not the same person I was, thanks be to Him. I am so blessed and pleased with where I am right now. I'm thankful that this past year has taught me to grow despite of my struggles. I'm also thankful for new places, faces and experiences. 24 will be better than 23, I am determined to make it so.

30 Days of Sherlock: Favorite Sherlock actor

Note: Today, we would like to dedicate this post to our dear friend Brian.  Eight years ago today he was killed in a car accident.  He was supposed to graduate high school with our brother.  He was a truly remarkable and wonderful friend who gave the best hugs and knew how to make anyone laugh.  We miss you, Brian.

Kelly: All I can say is thank God that I am not the same person that I was when I was that unsure, angry and upset 15 year old. Anyway, thanks to the website Sherlockstuff, I've been able to track my favorite Sherlock actor (and one of my favorite favorite actors anyway) and see some of his other work. He's been involved in a variety of other roles, in rom coms, historical flicks and of course, Bilbo Baggins in the upcoming Hobbit film trilogy.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am tipping my hat off this morning to Martin Freeman. I've only known the name for about a year, but did recognize him in Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz and Love Actually before I knew who he was. It was right around this time last year that we got into Sherlock as well; if I'm not mistaken we viewed Reichenbach on this day last year. When I saw Martin's performance in that episode, and seeing the real hurt and numbness that comes upon finding out your worst fear, that's when I fell in love with him not only as an actor but as John Watson. If you have never experienced loss before, you don't know what that feels like. I don't know if Martin has, but I have. And I remember watching the episode and thinking "that is EXACTLY how I felt when I heard about Brian." And just like that, I was 15 years old again.

So if you haven't seen some of Martin's other work, I would highly recommend it. I would recommend The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy, The Good Night, and Nativity! (those are my favorites that he's in). 

Holly: I too also love Martin Freeman.  And not just because he's John Watson (Seriously, you crazy Sherlock fans.....seriously.  Watch his other stuff.  He's so much more than that.  I seriously doubt he went through the training and schooling he did just to be known by "Jawn"...he's Martin Freeman! Ok, ending rant now).  I love him for his versatility.  I've seen the majority of his work, and every performance of his is completely seamless.  I especially love him in Nativity; he portrays the crochety Scroogy primary school teacher so well.  He's so believable! Like Kelly, I also recommend her recommendations, but I also recommend a comedy show called Bruiser.  He's quite funny!

Another good scene of his is from "Swinging with the Finkels."  Unfortunately, I gave the movie a half hour before I quit watching it, so I skipped to the end and ohhhhh....it's so sweet.  That last scene!!!! I'm not even going to post it here; you can find it on YouTube.

My recommendation for any actor you really like: watch their other works.  Branch out of your box a little.  I guarantee that your respect for him/her will increase exponentially.  And then you can daydream about meeting them and having an intellectual conversation with them, instead of something like "OHMYGLOB I'M YOUR BIGGEST FAN AND I LOVE SHERLOCK AND YOU'RE SO GOOD AS DR WATSON AND akljdgflkajdsgbkand.bkn.adjf...gkajewoituaoweut."  Catch my drift?

Bruiser: Touchy

Bruiser: Overanalyzing  (do apologize, there is a bit of language)

30 Days of Sherlock: A picture that makes you :(

Holly: A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words.  For me, there's literally a 10-second scene in Reichenbach that just kills me; it's John sitting alone in the flat after Sherlock's "death".  In this picture you can't tell, but in the scene he isn't wearing any shoes.  He isn't going anywhere, because there's nowhere to go.  It's ironic, actually...the series starts with him alone in his flat, and it sort of ends with him alone in the flat.

Kelly: I think someone painted this, photoshopped it or whatever, but it conveys a sad yet very powerful message. When Sherlock is about to plunge to his "death," he holds his hand out to John, who is standing on the street.
"Keep your eyes fixed on me."
John returns the hand extension, not knowing that his best friend is about to jump from the rooftop, until Sherlock says "this is my note. It's what people do, right?" Their conversation ends abruptly and Sherlock falls from the roof.
"Goodbye, John."

Love in spite of loss

Holly and Kelly: Our hearts are heavy once again today.  We have just learned of the death of a Berea College student, a sophomore.  The details are not known but suicide is suspected.  We did not personally know this student, but, seeing as Berea is a small community, we are certain that there are those we do know that are feeling the ache and pain of losing a fellow student and friend.

This is why we emphasize on speaking words of love over hate.  Everyone is almost always fighting some sort of internalized battle.  We never know what one another is going through.  We ought to be reaching out to one another, smiling and laughing with those we are close to, and bridging the societal and economic gaps that threaten to tear us apart.  Kelly and I are doing our best to do just that.

We are praying for our beloved Berea College community today and ask that you would do the same.

Sherlock and 7 years later: A memoir and thoughts contributing to a dear friend.

Kelly: I was fifteen years old, just coming home from another night of band practice when I got the news. My best friend's mom actually told us. She said there was an accident that involved two people, one of them being my friend Brian. She then said it was speculated and there was nothing released yet. I got home and my dad called the police to see if there were any reports. Nothing. I went to bed that night and prayed that the rumors were not true. Woke up the next morning to find out that they were indeed true. Brian was gone.

I remember for a while just being numb and in shock. How could something like this have happened? I didn't even cry until the funeral, which was two days later. It was on Friday, July 27. This year the 27th is on a Friday. Ironic. Maybe not. After the funeral I remember being angry for a while. It shook my faith in Christ a lot, and for a while I was angry at God. For taking away a friend of mine that I only knew for a short amount of time. 7 years have since passed. I've grown up a lot and I realize now that God was there the entire time, but I was too angry and I continued to push Him away. Ok, that's not the point.

Last night, Holly and I watched the series 2 finale of Sherlock. Just became addicts this weekend and now we have to wait possibly at least a year to figure out what happens next. If you've not seen this show, DO IT. It is fantastic! Anyway, I will try not to give too much away, but the end of the episode had reached a very climatic end. It was sad, beautiful and just....riveting. I held my breath the whole time. Anyway, at the end, Dr. Watson in a soliloquy, is speaking to a late Sherlock Holmes. He says these words:

"But please, there's just this one more thing. One more thing, one more miracle for me, Sherlock. Don't...be dead. Would you do that for me? Just stop this. Stop this."

I just froze after I heard this. I remember thinking the same things 7 years ago when I first heard the news. Maybe if I woke up the next morning it wouldn't be true. And like me, Dr. Watson was in shock after the horrific death of Sherlock. Just...numb. No tears shed, but just frozen. Like I was. Didn't cry till a few days later. That's when it hit us that Sherlock wasn't coming back. Brian wasn't coming back.  Today, I know Brian is in a better place. And that's not just Christian talk; it's faith. It doesn't have to make sense, but it just is. I long for the day when I will see him again. His life has made me on many occasions examine my own life. What I miss the most about him was his hugs. When I was in school I looked forward to a Brian hug. He was just such a sweet guy with a big heart. It's not goodbye for me, but a see you soon in the future.

Holly: This morning as I was driving to work I was saying that it felt unreal to me that 7 years had already passed, because I still remember EXACTLY what went on that day.  It was just another day of marching band practice.  And then it wasn't...

I was also recounting that the beautifully executed line in Sherlock really struck me because, like Kelly, it was exactly what was going through my mind when the car accident was first just a speculation.  Please, don't let Brian be dead.  Just stop all of this crazy talk.  But, as you've probably figured out, it wasn't just a rumor. 

I posted on my Facebook this morning that Brian was one of those people who made your life better just because he was in it.  I only knew him for a short time, but he definitely up my life in that period.  He made me laugh. All the time.  I only hope that I can live my life like Brian did...much like Dr. Watson did...being a friend.