Holly Jolly!

Merry Christmas!


Aren't they all so cute? And happy? And cute? Come on Lawson, it's not that bad, right?!

Finally a picture of my new hairdo! And a picture of my cute husband to go with it.

We had so much fun hanging out with the San Angelo group on Christmas Eve. I even got to make a trip to SA earlier in the week to visit it was great fun! I love having such a wonderful family!

My favorite people on Christmas Day! We had a great time in Abilene, played a fun game, learned that my Dad is a fantastic artist, just ask him, and most of all enjoyed each others company!

Tonight we are having Christmas with the Williams' family, so there are gifts under the tree again and anticipation is in the air and tamales and beans are waiting to be eaten!

It's the most wonderful time of the yeeeear...

1. I cut my hair really, really short. Sorry I don't have a picture right now. At least I am blogging.

2. Right now if you say "hey Bowen" he looks at you and winks. It's super cute!

3. I signed up for my first Master's degree class, that means I really have to go back, no jokes.

4. Love having Christmas in our new house!

5. Jonathan's family is coming to Fort Worth to have Christmas, it's going to be awesome! We are blessed to have such wonderful families that we enjoy spending time with.

6. I have been in San Angelo and I am now in Abilene, it has been the perfect way to get in the Christmas spirit!

7. I am so happy to be giving my gifts in two days! I love giving presents, it's way better that getting!

My New Year's Resolution ( and I rarely make them) is to blog more this year!

My cup runneth over...

I am blessed beyond belief this Thanksgiving,

families that love me

a wonderful husband

great children

a fun job

super friends

and a faithful God

what more could a girl ask for?

Ugh

I am typing this from my bed
I have a girls day today but I feel crappy, I need to get my act together.
Bladder infections suck.


Moving on... I started a runners club at my school. I have 90! children signed up it's great and it's a good thing I have a great friend to help me or it would be crazy town.

I am ready to put up my Christmas Decorations! But I won't.

Laine is out of her boot!! Yipee!!

Last weekend the kids went to Abilene and we went to see three (3) movies! It was heavenly!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 opens this week. That is all I have to say about that you guys know that makes my month.

This app has no spell check that I am aware of soooo...

Random Thoughts

1. Laine's foot has been hurt since the second day of school. It is November, that is a long time.

2. Bowen put his ice pack from his lunch down the front of his pants the other day in the cafeteria. Then, I laughed when I told him not to do that again at school. I rock.

3. I am going back to school to get my Masters Degree, yikes!

4. I am trying an app for blogging on my phone, let's see how it works!

Expectations.

As parents we all have expectation for our children. Big ones (that they will be followers of God), small ones, (that they will eat their green beans), and all the expectations that fall in between. What I have found about expectations and parenting is that they sometimes place limitations OR burdens on my children. For example, when we wanted Bowen to play soccer and although he enjoyed it at the time he wasn't very good and never wanted to play after that one season.

Well, I had expectations about what Kindergarten would be like for Bowen. He would go into class, be great at everything, because guys the boy is seriously SMART and all would be fanflippintastic. Expectations can be a burden. Bowen's K teacher came to me last week and told me she was concerned with the way he gripped his pencil and since the Occupational Therapist was at school she was going to have her pop in and observe him. She did, and later Mrs. OT caught me in the hall and told me Bowen is delayed in his fine and gross motor skills. (did you hear me sigh?) I knew it deep in my heart, I watch him struggle to get both feet off the ground to jump and have a hard time balancing, I've seen him grip and pencil and tried to correct him myself. She wants him to have OT and Physical Therapy. If you're a teacher you know the ropes I am about to have to go over and under and cut though and maybe not even get past to get him therapy in the district. Thank You LORD we have a program at our school that will help him immensely if all else fails. And Thank You LORD the boy is smart and I only have to worry with motor skills. It's changing my expectations of my district, my school, my child, and myself. I've always been my kids' advocate but when you have to step it up a few notches it's like digging your heels in the dirt and getting ready to stand your ground, I just have to find my feet first.

I feel confident he can easily catch up with his peers with the right help, everyone at my school is on Bowen's side, I just have to get the ball rolling. We have a Doctor appointment tomorrow, that is the first step. Laine has her foot check-up tomorrow too, big day for us! Please pray!

Cool new blogs!

If you look to the right you see I have a new button! I found a blog that is written by a 5th grade teacher, one of the things I like best about his blog are his posts called "Moments with Joey" any teacher or adult for that matter will appreciate the humor, sweetness, goofiness that is a pre adolescent male. Please check this blog out! He is a great writer and photographer.





I have also added some new blogs to my blog roll, I can't begin to number the blogs I read but the ones a added I check up on again and again!

Here is what I am SUPER excited about! Some teachers t my school told me about e-mealz, this website plans your menu for you, gives you the recipes, makes your grocery list and even organizes the list for the store you shop in so it goes in order! How great is that!!! It also works the meal plan around the sales in the store for that week, holla! You really need to check it out. I'm starting it next week. I'm going to do the low fat Wal-Mart menu. Yahoo, no more cooking the same stuff over and over or looking on the Internet for new recipes to cook! It's all done for me and on a budget.

A few of my favorite things!

I've been meaning to write this post for a while now! Here are some things I really love right now!

MAC lip gloss! I could buy bunches! I am NOT a lipstick wearer at all so these are a great alternative and fairly inexpensive to boot!

These are the plates I got to coordinate with my new fiestaware, don't you love them?? They fit perfectly with my Mexican inspired home! Dillards makes these especially to go with fiestaware and I think they hit this one out of the park.

Attention everyone with a messy or black hole of a purse! You need a Purse N! It has tons of pockets, zippers, and it expands to meet your organization needs!


Look! A neat purse and all you do it set that in the bottom your favorite purse and go!

This coffee mug keeps my coffee hot all morning long, so when I have to let 42 Kindergartners go potty and get a drink after PE my drink is still hot! Thanks Starbucks!

I got this lunch sack last year at Container Store. It's great because it can hold all sorts of tupperware and zip all around funky shaped stuff. The colors make taking my lunch fun everyday! AND it's washable so if something spills in the bottom, that aaaalways happens to me it just goes in the washer!

The fun never ends!

So we have started school! Kindergarten and Third grade to be exact, everything is going great at school.

We have a cat that can rejoin the family now because he has no front claws with which to destroy my furniture.

We have a Laine that has a chipped bone and a pulled tendon in her foot from playing tag bare foot in the gym after school on the second day of school. it took three sets of x rays and three doctors to figure this out. I'm just happy we got it sorted out!

We are getting the little things done around the house...wait the garage isn't little.

We have had lots of fun visitors! Linda came to help decorate, Mimi and Paco came, Pop and Gran came and Meredith brought Graham and Blake to visit!

We had a surprise sleepover for Laine! Can you tell she loved it?

More Pictures!

The fireplace:

Family wall, I just named it that, I'm not really that creative!

Master Bedroom, I love our room!

My dresser, the tree has all my jewelry hanging on it.
Master Bath.
Kids rooms to come!

I stay somewhere new!

Over the summer we built a house. Notice the lack of an exclamation point at the end of that sentence. Hold on. We moved in and it's awesome!!!! OK, that's better. I won't go into all the details, let's just say at one point when the stain got cleaned off our stain concrete floors, that was a low point.

We closed last Wednesday, I started school, two days later. Gag. My Aunt Linda showed up and saved the day decorating wise and we are good to go except for a few minor things oh andthegaragedon'tlookintheofficeeitherpthhhhbth...

Here are some pictures.. They are taken with my phone because our camera is sick and had to go to the doctor.

This is the entryway looking from the living room.

Above is a close up of one side of the entryway I am particularly proud of that large picture...$20!

Below a view of the living room from the kitchen, we are getting two chairs too. Sorry the pic is so dark.

The two pictures above are of the kitchen. Duh. I love,love, love the shelves! And the huge thing on the wall is a room divider made into a big picture!

More to come!!

Signing in from the OC

We are on our last day here in California, it has not been sunny so we have not been wearing our daisy dukes bikinis on top...not even Jonathan! But we have had a stupendous time! We have spent two days at Disneyland, gone to the beach, visited the San Diego zoo. We have done some serious work Laine and Bowen have been troopers they woke up early stayed up late and were happy 95% of the time. It was great to spend time with Jonathan's' family. We were hosted by his Dad's cousin Cathy (who I just found out reads this blog HI CATHY) she and her husband Don are wonderful gracious hosts! I will be back later with pictures!

House update, it has a frame and a roof and insulation!

Hello Summer

I am typing this at a Mc Donalds in Mansfield for 2 reasons:

1. We live in Mansfield right now
2. We have to no internet connection along with no cable and no home phone

We closed on our house and moved into a rent house given to us at a very good deal by some friends from SCS days. It is in Mansfield, way far awayville if you're used to Fort Worth stomping grounds. Right now I have no oven or garbage disposal because the people are flipping this house and it isn't quite flipped yet. We're making it though!

We have a home that is being built in Benbrook, I am really excited about it, and will be even more so after spending the summer away from Fort worth! We love where we live!

Here is a Bowen story:

He was at my friend Julie's house and a fire truck came blaring down the street and he said "what the hell?" Only Laine heard she chastised him. Then everyone had the goggles at the pool and he couldn't find any "what the hell??" this time the adults heard. Later they told me how impressed they were that he used the phrase in the right context and everything! I had gotten on to him earlier in the week for saying it just mumbling to himself in the car. He tried to cover it up but he said it! My word! It has been used quite a lot in our circle of friends!

We are looking forward to a great summer of swimming, a trip to Cali, a nephew, and a new home!

The big 3-5

I went and got my hair did...
I needed a change! I haven't had my hair this short since Bowen was born, I love it! 35 is great so far I always say my life is getting better the older I get, God has truly blessed me! Halfway to 40 is looking good...

We have a contract,

we have a contract, we have a contract, hey, hey, hey! I'm cautiously excited, we still have the inspection and all the financing to get through but if everything goes well we will close in May! Thank You God! Now the search is on for a great house for us, and it would be awesome if we could do it by April 30th and get to take advantage of the tax credit for home buyers. Keep you posted...

Happy Birthday Jonboy!

Happy,
Scottish,

Creepy,

or with teacher face

I love and hope 37 is a great year for you ( and won't rub it in that it's only 35 for me)!

Facts:

I have not read blogs in about three weeks.

Our house is on the market.

Jonathan and I may die before it is sold. (because one of us might kill the other)

Keeping a house clean everyday is easier than I thought, you just have to pack lots of your shit up in boxes and take it away!

Oh and tell your kids they can't play with toys. Ever again.

I am compiling a list of things I will miss when we move. I am afraid of revealing the list, lest it jinx the selling of the house. Maybe if I just do it a little at a time it will be OK.

Bowen really does not prefer me right now and if I do something he doesn't like he will turn to Jonathan and say "Daddy you make the best chocolate milk"...WTH!

My 35th birthday is coming up. 3. 5.

We are going to see the Black Eyed Peas on the 19th! Fergie Ferg!

So, life is a little stressful at the Williams house, it could be worse. It will get better, as soon as we finish all the things on our house TO DO list. Oh, and sell our house.

300

It's my 300th post but I don't really feel like celebrating tonight.

If you are connected with ACU friends on Facebook or prayer groups in your church you might have been praying for a mom named Jenny. She was so sick. So many people were praying for her and tonight her husband, daughter, mom, dad and sibling are grieving. She died even though we prayed. God will be glorified. He is so much bigger and more amazing than we can imagine. But tonight I think of her daughter, without a mom. Her husband, without a wife. Her parents, without a daughter. That hurts.

I'd like to thank the Academy...

Really, I'd like to thank Leslie for honoring me with the Beautiful Blogger award!

Here are the rules:

Thank the person who nominated you for this award.


Copy the award & place it on your blog.


Link to the person who nominated you for this award.


Tell us 7 interesting things about yourself.


Nominate 7 bloggers


Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.





7 interesting things about myself:



1. I get up at 5:00 three times a week to go workout before school. I never thought I would be able to do it, the weird part is i am considering adding more days because I feel better on the days I get up early.



2. My New Year's Resolution was to eat more vegetables, because I really don't like preparing them. So, now I lots more fresh raw veggies. Yay for me, not so much for my tummy.



3. I used to think praise music was the cheesiest thing I had ever heard in my life (like the kind with instruments). I was just listening to the wrong kind. Praise and worship music has completely changed my relationship with the Lord. Awesome.



4. I am a pretty good cook but ever since I've had to change my diet because of Migraine, I have hit a wall and have not completely recovered. I really get tired of reading ingredient lists so I buy the things that I know for sure work in my diet. If I could I would just shop at Central Market all the time, that would solve everything except my checkbook!



5. Someday I'm going to have Lasik and a boob job I'm not sure what order those will be in.



6. I need alone time to be a good wife and Mom. I have no problem whatsoever telling Jonathan that I need an hour, two hours, an afternoon, to myself to rejuvenate. He does an awesome job giving me that, especially since he is rejuvenated by being around people. It feels selfish sometimes, but when I get snappy and all it takes is 30 minutes of reading in my room to be happy again I realize it's just who I am.



7. I get trip anxiety. I can be going on the most exciting trip ever and I will dread it. Especially if my children are going. And if it involves tickets, and/or major transportation. Is it ridiculous? Hell yes! Does that stop it? No way! It's not that I'm afraid we'll crash or something like that. It's: Do we have everything packed? Do we have tickets, ID, etc...What if the kids don't have fun? What if someone gets sick? I mean seriously it's stupid. But I end up having a blast on every trip. Sure there is always the departure both ways anxiety but besides that, fun times galore!







My nominees:



1.Meredith

2. Robin

3. Kristin

4. Holly

5. Annalee

6. Nie Nie

7. Mighty Girl

The last two bloggers on my list are famous! But, I wanted you to read their blogs for two separate reasons. Nie Nie is a blogger who is a Latter Day Saint. She and her husband were in a fiery plane crash and were lucky to make it out alive. Hers is a beautiful blog of hope, pain, belief, and lots of cute stuff. I love it, I love her honesty. Mighty Girl, Maggie Mason I would like you to check out because of her life list. She has made a list of things she wants to accomplish (do) during her life, some of them simple, some fascinating, some would not be on my list. It has challenged me to make a life list and I would like to challenge you to make a life list. I'm going to start working on mine.

Whew!

Random Thoughts:

Laine lost her second front tooth today, that means she will be obtaining the chiclet-sized adult front teeth soon. This is why we got family pictures taken a few months ago. Wow. She does look super cute with her two front teeth missing!

I have been wearing my glasses way to much lately, not by choice. I always feel like I'm headed for bed when I have my glasses on, worthless.

We ordered Bowen a big boy seat this weekend. That means nothing. He still can't buckle himself in, I will still have a job. At least he will be able to undo it and climb out of his seat in less than 5 minutes.

Wow! I sound really sarcastic in all those thoughts above! Sorry.

Laine has started piano lessons, she loves it!

Bowen is creepy smart, the other night he spelled is name backwards. I called my mom to tell her and I spelled his name backwards wrong...

We are getting our house ready to put on the market. It is scary. I hate painting.

I have searched all over the whole house for one of Laine's DS games. I gave up. While ago I walked into Bowen's room and it was on the floor almost in the middle of the room. No one had been in there playing. Weirdo.

Tomorrow is Stephanie Day, I'm doing a dance because I'll come home and my house will be clean.

And most importantly Leslie awarded me with the Beautiful Blogger award! Thanks Leslie! I'll get to that tomorrow. Right now I need to finish cleaning up so that Stephanie can really clean!

Alert! I'm actually doing something cool...

I am going to be a part of another blog...I know, I know you guys (or guy, maybe only one person still reads this thing) are thinking that I can't even keep up with one blog, how am I going to keep up with two? Well, hopefully I am going to get jump started on both because of:

Recipes Between Friends

It's exactly what it says it is! Leslie is heading it up, she's so cool and a few of us girls are going to be posting recipes that are quick, easy and yummy for your family to enjoy. I'm really excited about this because I've been in a kitchen rut. Boring. I'm ready to try someone elses food for a change!

So, head on over to the new blog and check it out, I've already posted a recipe!


PS:
I really need a blog makeover. And I'm not smart enough to figure out those free websites, or something. Anyone who wants to practice their skillz or wants to advertise on my blog ...HOLLA...I'm in a blog rut too and I can't pay big bucks for a design.

PPS:
Someday I'll give you some pictures of what we did over Christmas, but I'll tell you right now:

went skiing
opened presents
had a flat tire
went to see Sherlock Holmes
opened presents
opened presents
ate food
ate food
made room for new toys

You know the usual stuff...