Laine and Bobo

When your plate is too full

2011-06-13T12:43:00.003-05:00

I haven't blogged in a long time and to tell the truth, I thought I was done with blogging for good. My life has consisted of work, starting grad school, doctors appointments, headaches, a husband who has had to increase his travel for work (this is not a husband bash,just a fact), and dealing with life with a chronic condition.

In March my life was transformed, I saw things through a new set of eyes and a new heart. I spent more time alone with God in 5 days than I had in my whole life and it was life changing. I will never be the same. I forgave, I cried, I learned just how much our Father loves ME! I came home and I was knocked on my knees and I have been there ever since.

I came home to a 12 day headache that only subsided after three trips to the doctor and 4 injections, those were some of the worst days I have ever had. My headaches only continued after that, and I was prescribed a medication that helped my headaches but made me feel sluggish and depressed.

I was so tired of fitting the puzzle pieces together, increase this medicine, take this one away, be a single mom, be a student, be a teacher, wife, friend, we are budding leaders at our church. I was overwhelmed and full and empty at the same time. I was a perfect target for Satan to attack me and he did, he attacked my marriage, my self-esteem, my friends. After I was back on my feet and the sad empty feeling was still there, I called my doctor, crying, you get an appointment real quick AND on a Saturday morning if you call and cry about being depressed. Kind of funny, kind of not.

So during that appointment we talked a long time about what was going on in my life and I told her all the things above and she said she was going to tell me something I was going to hate. I had no idea what she was going to say. Every single person I have told this story to has known the ending but me. She told me I needed to quit grad school. Bam. That did sting, confirmation that you really can't do everything. Friends, you can't do it all. I am proof, I fell apart when I tried, now not everyone is dealing with chronic pain but it made me realize how much women try to do and how much we suffer from it, our bodies, our minds, our families. I needed to slow down and it took a Medical professional to make me realize it.

Where is God in all this? Right here beside me. On the days I don't want to get out of bed, He lifts my head. When my prayers are groans, he hears the words in them. He knows what I need. When I need to be me for my kids He gives me the strength to be that all day and then fall into bed and rest. I am not feeling better yet after taking my medication for three weeks. I have faith that I will be me again.

The man I married...

2011-01-17T11:45:00.002-05:00

The man I married got off a bus yesterday and I didn't recognize him. Because God is now the true owner of his heart, he has been redeemed! It is such an intimate thing for our family that I won't talk about it anymore here but I encourage you to seek out Fellowship of the Sword and have your husband, father, brother, father in law go on a Quest. I am going to seek the heart of God on a Heart Quest very soon, sooner than I ever expected after I saw Jonathan last night.

I begin Graduate school today, I am filled with doubt and fear. I have had many headaches. they are getting worse. Please pray for me.

A few of my favorite things!

2011-01-12T18:25:00.000-05:00

First, let me just say as a person gets older priming the skin becomes a necessary step if you don't want your make up to settle in those weird little lines on your face! What are those things anyway? I found a great primer for the face and lips at MAC, the lip primer is great I was sceptical at first but let me tell y'all lipstick does not stay on these lips and now my gloss lasts for LOTS longer!

Here is the necklace Jonathan got me from The Vintage Pearl, love it!

Laine was nominated as Citizen of the six weeks by her teacher! We are SO proud of her, what is learning to read, write and do math if learning to be a good citizen isn't a big part of what you are about! I am glad to work and have my kids go to a school where that is front and center.

Snapware! These things keep your dry goods fresh! Cereal (as modeled by Trix) Goldfish, anything! They are awesome! I got mine at Costco. Greatness forever.

Holly Jolly!

2010-12-31T18:39:00.000-05:00

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...

2010-12-23T16:32:00.002-05:00

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...

2010-11-25T16:18:00.001-05:00

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

2010-11-13T14:35:00.001-05:00

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

2010-11-03T12:13:00.001-05:00

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.

2010-09-27T17:12:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-09-20T17:10:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-09-08T18:33:00.005-05:00

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!

2010-09-07T17:40:00.003-05:00

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!

2010-08-19T21:13:00.003-05:00

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!

2010-08-17T21:36:00.003-05:00

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

2010-07-09T10:58:00.002-05:00

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

2010-06-08T10:12:00.002-05:00

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

2010-03-31T20:37:00.002-05:00

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,

2010-03-24T19:33:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-03-22T16:58:00.002-05:00

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:

2010-03-10T19:00:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-22T21:37:00.003-05:00

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...

2010-01-31T20:21:00.004-05:00

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:

2010-01-25T20:41:00.003-05:00

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...

2010-01-13T21:18:00.003-05:00

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...

Super Speed!

2009-12-13T09:47:00.002-05:00

That's a Bowen term for when you need to move really fast, and that is the way I feel like the last few weeks have gone, super speed! We leave to go skiing in Telluride Colorado on Friday morning so I have to have all Christmas things attended to to by then, I'm pretty close but still so far away! I love this time of year so I'm trying not to make it all about lists and errands.

Right now I'm enjoying a peaceful house because my two lovely little children have not been the best best of friends. I think it's a byproduct of over stimulation of this time of year mixed with not enough sleep and I'm hoping it's going to pass because they are really hard to be around right now with all the bickering and whining. I've even had afternoons when they aren't allowed to play with each other! Aack!

Two stories for you:

One:
I lost my kids in Wal-Mart. Laine wanted to get some fruit snacks and I needed to get some almond bark. These two items are on separate isles about 25 feet away from each other. So I showed Laine where the fruit snacks are and showed her where the almond bark is. Physically took her to both places. Dropped them off at the FS, whet to do my thing. 60-90 seconds later I'm done I go and look for them...no where to be found. Gone. I stroll down the center aisle a few aisles each way, no kids. This is in the town I teach in so I had seen several people I knew so I wasn't too worried I thought someone would probably help me out. Then I heard my name on the intercom "Heather Williams please come to Customer Service your party is waiting" at least it didn't say "We will now hand out the Mother of the Year Award to Heather Williams for losing her kids in Wal Mart, Ms. Williams, please come claim your ham". When I got to CS there my children were not crying but smiling, a mom of a kid I taught at my former school was there with them saying what a great job they did knowing all their information...FYI if you get lost in Wal Mart you get all 3 boxes of fruit snacks you haves in your little hands! AND great big hugs!

Story Two:

words that came out of my mouth in 5th/6th PE the other day when asked a question about a game we were about to play:

No...you may not hold your balls with both hands.

yes I said that...then I stopped and laughed about it and acknowledged it, how can you not with that age group. So we all had a big laugh and then moved on. It is the best thing I've ever said in a PE class.

Feast

2009-11-15T20:22:00.000-05:00

I asked Bowen to feed Pumkin Batman...

what more can I say?

Life at the WIlliams' house

2009-11-10T11:25:00.003-05:00

Has been a whole lot of laying around folks. It's really bad. Medication is to blame. I had to increase my head medicine, which makes me tired, and at the same time my Thyroid was off, which makes me tired. I had to have a frigging fight with the Nurse Practitioner at my Dr. office to get her to increase my medication. Finally my Doctor looked at my labs and increased it, in 5 days I feel 50% better which is saying a lot, just ask Jonathan. Jonathan has also started a medicine that makes him tired, wow, aren't we a whole basket of fun times!!! Hopefully, things will be looking up around here real soon!

Halloween was fun! Mom, Meredith, Ryan, and Blake came to visit and we had a great time. On Friday night we went to see Paranormal Activity, don't worry we didn't take the kids. But there were little kids there, WTH people! That was just about the scariest movie I've seen, I could not wait for it to be over. I wore a scarf to the theatre and spent most of the movie with the scarf over my head with my hands over my face. That bad guys. We managed to eat our way through Babe's and Ol' South with Trick or Treating in between. I felt a need to exercise.

Laine, Bowen, Blake and our friends,Peyton and Logan.

This is a picture of the vampire after she bit the baby's head!

Laine looks scary in ALL of the Halloween pics! Blake is really cute though!

Today I am posting at home because Bowen is sick. I have two stories to share from this illness.

One:

Yesterday on the way home from school (60% home) Bowen coughed so much he barfed. We were on the Interstate, I had nothing to clean him up with. I handed him my sweatshirt to wipe his face, rolled down the windows, and drove like a bat out of hell to the house. What would you have done? Laine was over in her seat with her eyes shut and her ears plugged the entire time, I wish I could have done that.

Two:

Today I warned Bowen on the way to the Doctor that he would probably have to wear a Dr. mask in the waiting room since he had a cough. He cried. I told him no big deal, I'll wear one too. We get to the office, there's the sign that says coughers wear masks so I tell him he has to wear a mask and show it to him and put it on him and ask for one for myself. He freaks out. Heads for the door, yelling that he wants to go back home. So here I am in my mask, he's in his mask now crying, coughing, and gagging. We head to the trash can, he calms down a little but still gags every time I put the mask down. Then the lady at the window tells me forget the mask if its going to make him sick. Every time he coughs the people in the waiting room look at us funny. FYI it wasn't the Swine Flu just a sinus infection.

Sleepiest Vampire in the whole world!

2009-10-27T19:39:00.003-05:00

Last night we braved the yucky weather (only because we love the Reinkes AND we forked out non-refundable dough) and went to BOO at the Zoo. It ended up to being a really great time, I dressed the kids in their thermal underwear under their costumes and away we went! It was great, no lines, no sweat like some years, no worries that we were going to lose the kids among the throngs of people...

we did forget the camera, maybe that was good because of the light mist but just look at this sleeping vampire we took a picture of after we arrived home:

Isn't she cute?

Just for Laughs!

2009-10-19T20:27:00.003-05:00

You might have to squint at the screen to read the descriptions of poop but yes, there was or is a dude named Bristol who decided there are 7 types of poop. There you have it folks, I would think 1 and 7 would be the most unhealthy ones to have. I mean I say a guy named Bristol, that's usually how science works, this guy must have been the top scientist of feces, I bet he was the talk at all the parties. I'm going to Google it right now and find out for sure.

Edited to add: developed at the University of Bristol by a guy named Heaton. Numbers 3 and 4 are the ideal stools to have. Write that down in your big chief notebook

Skin, poop and costumes

2009-10-12T08:32:00.003-05:00

Perhaps not in that order...

Tomorrow Bowen has an appointment with a GI specialist to examine his GI? Really he's been having transient diarrhea the only reason I know to call it that is the Internet. It comes and goes and we don't know why but 4 year olds aren't supposed to have the runs for days in a row. So, they will probably do all sorts of tests that will require prizes, I can't even imagine so I'm just not thinking about it. But what I hope the most is that is doesn't involve him drinking any barium fluid given Bowen's propensity for barfing. So, say a prayer for Bowen tomorrow!

Laine and Bowen received their costumes in the mail the other day and were TOTALLY exited about it! Laine actually wanted to be something scary this year and went for a vampire. Bowen, oh, Bowen. Jonathan and I kiddingly call him gamer, dungeon master etc...but when he requested to be Dan from Bakugan we just laughed and knew our fate was sealed! So here are some pictures of the Vampiress and Dan the Man:

My skin! It looks better! I wanted to show some before and after pictures and tell you guys what I have been using just in case you are interested. Some of it is Wal Mart cheap some of it is a Rx and some you need to get on Ebay so it is not so expensive.

This picture was taken right after I went to the dermatologist:

About 4 weeks after I started using all the stuff they told me to use:

Taken Last week:

Here is what I am using:

A face wash without any oil in it Regular Cetaphil not the one for oily skin, funny enough it has oil in it.

RX- Epiduo it has benzoil perozide and whatever Retin-A is in it. It's awesome!

At night I use a Glycolic acid face wash from Jan Marini. You can get it cheaper on ebay.

At night I also use an antioxidant face cream from Revale. It's expensive, but has won awards and every woman in my dermatologist's office uses it. Again, look on ebay to find it cheaper.

Oh and please excuse my right eye in those pictures, it had decided to go off and party the night before those pictures, and is actually still misbehaving and partying all night long! It looks terrible!

Eagerly awaiting the mail!

2009-10-09T20:52:00.000-05:00

Because I knew that our picture CD from Now and Then Photography would be in my mailbox one day this week! Lisa is awesome as I have said before, here are a few more pictures that I love! I can't wait to put them in frames all over my house. They are beautiful, funny and bring out the best in each one of us! Thanks again Lisa!

Date Night!

2009-10-06T17:08:00.004-05:00

We had a Mom/Bowen, Dad/Laine date night last Saturday! Jonathan had the idea and it was great! He said we needed to spend some alone time with each of the kids once in a while so we are starting a family tradition!

Bowen got to choose what he wanted to do, I know that's a little risky with a 4 year old but I thought he chose well. We went to eat at Chili's and the went bowling. His first choice was Putt-Putt but it was raining so we had to have a plan B. BTW, Bowen beat me.

Laine and Jonathan went with the surprise date. Jonathan took Laine to the Italian Inn and then they ventured over to the Miniature horse show at Will Rogers. Laine loved it and at one point I actually received video of mini horses pulling regular sized people in carts. Wow. They had a blast.

What's up???????

2009-09-30T18:51:00.003-05:00

Friends I am tired. If you don't know my schedule, I get up at 5:00 on MWF to go and workout at the Y, on Thursday I get up at 5:30 and workout at home. Tuesday is my day to sleep in. I teach 44 children constantly from 9:40-3:40 on MWF with only a lunch break and no assistant. Now, if you think that is complaining, it's not! I cannot even begin to explain how much better I like my job this year! I might even love it sometimes (shhh don't tell anybody)! But it makes me tired to the BONE.

Today I received a note from a parent that went something like this:

Mrs Williams:

Please excuse Ann from PE today she is still trying to get over a couch. If you have any questions please call me.

Thanks,

Mrs. Ann

Yes, Mrs. Ann I have a question...is a couch so hard to get over that you kid can't play 4 square? I mean it's just cushions and stuff! HA! That one really cracked me up!

Laine and Bowen had their first soccer game on Saturday! Laine did a great job she even scored a goal! Bowen and his team basically chased the ball kicked a couple of times before it went out of bounds. They will improve but he sure was cute!

Family Pictures!

2009-09-19T14:30:00.002-05:00

Lisa Woods of Now and Then Photography did an awesome photo shoot for us the other day in Fort Worth. We were near the ghetto which totally suits our style, check them out:

You will have to scroll down a bit to see a sneak peek!

http://www.nowandthenphotography.com/blog/

I can't say enough about the greatness of these pictures, Lisa captured the essence of our family!

Laine Emory follow-up

2009-09-11T14:40:00.003-05:00

Let's see, Laine is doing MUCH better! Thank You Lord! The day after I wrote the last Laine post I went to school and cried to the school counselor and told her everything Laine had said. She pulled Laine out of class and visited with her and even got her own daughter out of class so that they could have a little play time together and feed Heather's fish (our girls are in the same class). The following day I talked to Laine's teacher and let her know what Laine was feeling and she said she would keep an eye on her for me. Ever since then Laine has had good days, even some great days. We have had to have some lessons. First is keeping her hands to herself, being her PE teacher I have an eye in the sky and I notice that Laine is always touching and sometimes (most) is it unwanted. She has to learn that is not helping her in the gaining friends area if she in annoying people (I promise that is not how I put it to her :) ). Then we told her she has to work on being tough. This is at home and at school. If Bowen pushes or bites her she cries. We told her to push him back. Don't let him boss you around. Same thing at school, if someone is purposefully being mean don't cry and be pitiful...but what to say back... any suggestions? I don't want to teach her to be mean back but a snappy retort of some type would be perfect. Comments please...

Created in art today...

2009-09-02T20:37:00.002-05:00

Just thought I'd lighten the mood on the blog a little! Bowen should feel awkward if he goes around with his mouth looking like that all the time!

PS:I talked with the school counselor today and have a teacher conference tomorrow. That stuff is weird when you teach AT the school your child attends. AND Laine had a good day today. I'll update after the conference.

Laine Emory

2009-09-01T19:23:00.002-05:00

Oh my heart is breaking tonight friends. I had a gut feeling. It started before today but today sealed the deal. This morning I asked Laine if her friends were excited that she got bunnies. She told me she wasn't sure because when she told everyone they didn't really say anything. Guys, this girl is ecstatic about these bunnies. I would imagine she told the entire class about them. Then I decided to watch her at recess today when I had a little break. She went from group to group never really staying for long. Never really finding a game to play. In fact at one point I watched her walk up to a group of kids and talk to them and they all eventually ran off. That's when I knew things weren't going well for her. SO we talked with her tonight after supper about school and friends. And Laine feels left out. Laine feels like people don't like her. Laine even said she doesn't really like going to school because of the friend thing as she called it.

If you don't know Laine she is quite possibly the happiest child ever. She is never disrespectful, never mean. Rarely in a bad mood. She has a personality of her own and if teachers at her school were to describe her they would say she is "just Laine" because there is no one else like her. I never knew that until she became school age and I became her PE teacher. I don't want this year to break her spirit. I don't want school to become a place she doesn't want to be. Please God, let this be a beginning of school thing and PLEASE let her find some good friends in her class. My heart! It hurts!

Always,Sometimes, Never

2009-08-12T14:14:00.004-05:00

I saw this on Annalee's blog and thought it was a cute idea and it gets me blogging more too! (Oh and if anyone can give a tutorial on how to make someones name a link to their blog I'd be much obliged because I can't figure it out because I guess I'm stupid)

Always
I always wear a watch I mean 24 hours a day I NEVER take it off. That means it's fancy.

I always do and put up all my laundry at once.

I always fix supper during the week.

I always go to the doctor as soon as I feel a little bit sick.

I always cry when I get really mad.

I always smile when my children walk into the room

Sometimes

I sometimes get tickled when Bowen gags and barfs for some strange reason, sometimes I get mad.

Sometimes I wish Bowen was still a mamma's boy.

Sometimes I wish I didn't have to work.

I sometimes think I've turned my kids into me. They automatically want a list of what we are going to do and then what is going to come next! Imagine me, liking that!

Sometimes I still get a large Diet Coke extra ice at Sonic happy hour even though I'm not supposed to.

Sometimes I still look at my kids and get teary eyed at how incredibly beautiful and smart they are.

Never

I am never too patient.

Never will you find me in bed past 9:00

I will never tell your secrets.

I will never go to bed without brushing my teeth or washing my face

I could never drink too much water

I would have never guessed I would be a runner.

I am never not reading a book or listening to a book on my ipod.

I can't even...oh stop looking at me you're making me cry

2009-08-10T10:36:00.002-05:00

Yesterday these guys drove off in three cars and a U-haul to Abilene. Meredith told me not to be sad that she would be back on Tuesday to sign the closing papers but then she cried when she hugged me so that wasn't fair at all. That's really all I can say on the topic at this moment because I'm crying right now and I have an eye appointment in 20 minutes and I don't need any more eye redness than I already have. I miss them madly. More posts on the topic to come.

Fun times at a fun wedding!

2009-08-01T13:02:00.004-05:00

Me and the beautiful bride! I loved being able to be there a couple of days before the wedding and helping out and hanging out with Leslie's friends! We had such a great time.

Speaking of Leslie's friends here are two girls that I would steal I I got the chance! Erica and Kelley are SO much fun and the best is they love books as much as I do and the VERY best part is they are just as big Harry Potter nerds as I am (Leslie too) so it's great to get together with them and talk books and HP! They are awesome!

So, I am a proclaimed blog stalker and I got to meet two people's blog I stalk! Jenni who I check up on periodically was there she and her husband were super nice! And I'd like to give a shout out to Caleb for being the best usher ever!

http://jennibro.blogspot.com/

After the reception we had some major Rock Band fun over at Justin and Leslie's they threw a legit party! Over on the left you will notice one half of the Carlile crew yet another blog I stalk! Trey and Jenn were really a fun couple! Jonathan and I loved Justin and Leslie's friends!

Here is a picture of Bowen that I absolutely love! He got Mimi's camera and started taking pictures, pretty soon we see him taking off toward the front of the church where the amazing photographer was taking pictures. I started making my way up there to break that whole thing up because what professional photographer wants a 4 year old up in her area, well apparently this one! She just let him step right in front of her and snap a pic! Too funny!

Cute family pic!

We cannot ever express how much fun we had with Justin Leslie and and all their friends while we were there in Jasper! It was such a blessing to get to experience that with them!

Cutest girl in the world!

2009-07-18T20:22:00.000-05:00

Before:

After:

Side shots:

A couple of nights ago Laine and I were looking at pictures of updos for the wedding. She saw a little girl with a bob and a cute barrette, she said she wanted that hairdo! So, we looked at some more styles and she saw another little girl with a swing bob and she said that is the style I want for the wedding! So that is what she got! I think it's the cutest thing ever!

That Blake she's at it again!

2009-07-08T17:10:00.004-05:00

Today I watched Blake while Meredith went to get her hair did. The first thing we did after naptime was play Bakugan. She told me it was a lame baby game and that we needed to do some big girl stuff pronto.

A little make-up always helps

Blush, blue eyeshadow and lipstick were her demands for an afternoon of dancing.

There, ready to party down

Now for the party look: high heels and a cool purse are a must for all party girls.

Next thing I know Blake had her some rockin accessories on including earrings! How did that girl get her ears pierced? Her mom is going to kill me!

All that's left now is to party down! I like that Boom Boom Pow!

I've dove lots of things and I haven't blogged about any of them!

2009-06-16T21:39:00.005-05:00

That's because I've hardly been in town long enough to unpack my suitcase and breathe a second much less type a blog! Whew!

Vegas was fabulous! Here are some of my favorite Vegas things:

*The Venetian

* Blue Man Group

* walking the strip everyday (take tennis shoes when you go)

* looking, and looking and looking and always seeing something new

* being there with someone who knows the ropes, thanks Mom!

When I left I decided to take a figurine with me and take pictures of him at different landmarks in Las Vegas so Laine and Bowen would have something fun to see from my trip. I sent them from my phone.

Thank Goodness the kids didn't see us have to get Batman out of this wee spot of trouble :)

Holy crap it's the last week of school!

2009-06-01T20:35:00.002-05:00

Best comment of the weekend: I had just gone to Costco and surprised the kids with a giant blow up swimming pool, we were getting it ready when Laine said "I don't know why but I just can't stop smiling". It was the best $56 dollars I had spent in a really long time.

Weirdest crap that's happened: I was messing around on itunes this morning before school and clicked on a song I wanted to buy. I thought I heard something strange in the background but I couldn't tell what it was...at first. All of a sudden it dawned on me! That noise was not just any old itunes ditty, ahem, it was two people not singing but doing something else if you know what I mean...how in the WORLD did that get on our itunes!!!! I couldn't even tell where it was or why it was playing OVER my other stuff, gross. What a way to start my morning.

Biggest bummer: Start time for my school next year has moved from 7:30-2:30 to 8:40-3:40. Now, those of you without kids or who aren't morning people probably thing I'm crazy for hating on the new start time but I'm totally hating on it! I liked getting done early, I liked having the afternoon to get things done. I'll have a better attitude by the time school starts.

Biggest winner: Las Vegas, here I come!

Signs you've been on a (good) Float Trip:

2009-05-26T20:27:00.003-05:00

You are now the owner of a flotation device for your sunglasses and your beer.

Tan: face, arms, chest, fronts of legs. Pasty white: back, butt.

Part of your party doesn't remember part of your trip.

You have cool new t-shirts

You and your family had more fun than Colt McCoy and his friends did seeing Aaron Watson at Gruene Hall.

And your sister totally knew Aaron Watson, and recognized her and talked to her (she's so cool).

You were more tired when you got back than when you left!

Meredith and Robin had the cameras on the trip so they will have to post the pictures. Maybe that will happen in the next year or or two. We had a fabulous time! Happy Birthday Robin!

Reasons I'm excited this week!

2009-05-18T20:13:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year where I have to come up with reasons to get up in the morning. You know for example, today I'll have a Diet Coke, or today is ice cream day or if it's Tuesday or Thursday no 5th and 6th grade PE. Well, it's actually been like that for me all year this year but that would make for a REALLY long blog post.

This week is exciting for one BIG reason: FLOAT TRIP! We are going with Meredith and Ryan and Robin and Koby to New Braunfels this weekend to Float the river eat, talk, drink, and be merry! The best part is it's not going to be 73* like it's been for the last few weekends in Texas. I'm super excited!

Another reason I'm excited is I should be wrapping up Field Day plans this week, big load off my shoulders when letters go out to parents, schedules are copied, volunteers are called, etc, etc...

Can I be excited that I have a purse coming in the mail, just a little? I'm calling it my I survived this year purse, it wasn't expensive, but I did survive.

Today something happened that made me literally do 4 jumps of JOY! A bully(mean, mean, mean) got in trouble in my class today and imagine my happiness when I saw him leaving school with a school officer...bully no more hopefully.

Last weekend Jonathan, Laine and Bowen were stars in a movie! I will post more information later so I can give proper props. It's called Hello Sunshine! Pretty cool...

Numbers

2009-05-12T19:04:00.004-05:00

1: call from the Tarrant County Health Department

1: Internet search to look up the bacteria, Shigella

2 :cases of it in our house

4 :the number of weeks one can be contagious after contracting above bacteria

127: times I've cleaned my bathrooms, doorknobs, light fixtures, remotes, etc...to try and keep everyone well.

5 million: times I've said Jeez in the last two weeks.

On a happier note I had a good Mother's Day considering we had a sick kid in the house! I went and got a pedicure, bought some flowers for my pots, went to church with Bowen, it was a good day.

An exchange of words

2009-05-06T18:17:00.002-05:00

Dear Eye Drops:

Waaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! Why do you have to in my eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeees? I'm going to throw up.

I hate you,
Bowen

Dear Bowen:

We were sent to Earth from the plant Zorg to eat your eyeballs out with our acid, sorry we have to do our job.

Love,
Pink Eye Medicine

Dear Eye Medicine:

Oh? Daddy is going to put you in my eye? OK!

Bowen

Dear Bowen:

Don't let them trick you, I am BAD. Inside this little white bottle are daggers and poison and scary monsters. Your eyes are going to fall out, I promise, especially if your Mom puts the drops in.

Love,
Meds

Dear Stupid stuff in the bottle:

AGAIN! NOOOOOO! You are going to make my eyes fall out! And that evil woman even promised me a toy if I would sit and let her put that poison in my eyes! She is on YOUR side! Therefore I must scream every time she comes near me with the bottle or even mentions the word "eyedrop" in conversation! AAAACK! I'm going to DIEEEEEEEEE!

You STINK,
Bowen

Dear Bowen and Pink Eye medicine:

You guys are both killing me and we have 7-10 days of this crap.

Love,
Mom

A Birthday to Remember...

2009-05-03T19:51:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday Bowen! Hopefully, the magical 4 button has been pushed and 3, along with it's whining and crying, has been kicked out for good!

Well this weekend has been eventful to say the least, although not in the way you would hope a Birthday weekend would be eventful...

Let's see...Friday afternoon started out with Bowen having the runs, I mean I was pulling into a Wendy's on the way home from school for him to use the bathroom.

Then...he ran a 102 fever and I called the Doctor's office because you can't be too careful right now with everything that's going around (oink) and I didn't want to go around infecting the world if he indeed had something sinister.

More runs, more fever, told by Dr. to wait and see if he developed any other symptoms.

Saturday morning we added blood to his stool and I don't mean his chair. We ended up in the ER that afternoon over that because he was having stomach pain and we just had a really pitiful little boy...

We in the meantime obviously postponed our family party, found out he may have a bacterial infection, or maybe just the ever popular "virus".

Throughout all this he has continued to eat and drink, amazing. Another amazing fact is that we were in and out of Cook's in 2 count them TWO hours on a Saturday afternoon. I was expecting to be there a really long time. Thank the Lord for small blessings!

I knew he was on the mend this morning when he came into our room and exclaimed "I'm feeling better!" When all weekend all he could say is "I feel bad". Poor boy.

But wait! When we got to Mere and Ryan's house for his party we noticed his eye looked kind of red...hmmm. Now he has pink eye! Great! Can you say immuno suppressed?

We had a great party over at Mere and Ryan's! Ryan cooked some awesome burgers, we opened presents and ate cake and Bowen got to play with his presents till his heart's content! Thank goodness we hadn't planned a big party on Saturday that I would have had to cancel because Bowen got sick! Whew! I worked out great and I loved having a family party, it was perfect.

Here are some pictures of our 4 year old boy!

Hard

2009-04-29T17:33:00.002-05:00

Sometimes stuff is just hard...

you know like when your dog can't stop peeing all over your living room hardwood floor and carpet because she is old.

when you're sitting outside and your cat runs across the street to greet you and then the neighboor drives up into his driveway and gets out of his car and your cat then runs back across the street, runs up to your neighboor and then, to the shock of the whole family, goes inside the house with him...at least he got booted out about 30 seconds later, but still. Jeez Pumpkin Batman, cut us to the bone will you?

Learning your child was unkind and had to sit in Lunch Detention.

Punshing your child for being unkind even after she had already been punished at school.

Pearland. Hard on the husband, which in turn, is hard on me.

I promise I really am not having a bad week or really even a bad day. Those things are just weighing heavy on my heart, well, except the cat one he's just a moocher, I hope he doesn't really love the neighbors, OK maybe I am worried about that a little...

This weekend Bowen turns 4, he will officially be a big kid! We are turning to family parties this year. I can't say we will do it every year but I was just dead dog tired of "big" birthday parties! They stressed me out, it got to where I didn't look forward to my own kids birthday's, that's just terrible! Jonathan and I want our kids to feel super special on their birthday without it being a circus.

These are a few of my favorite things...

2009-04-19T17:20:00.000-05:00

I couldn't get Picasa to load all the pictures I wanted so I made a collage to get them all on here at one time! I love seeing everyone Else's favorite things here are a few of mine some are old and some are from yesterday, really!

I'll start in the middle.

Piper Sandals. Tricia and Audrey wear them and I always thought they were so cool and comfy looking. Yesterday we were at the Main Street Arts Festival and they had a booth, I tried on a pair and bought them right away. Not cheap, but totally worth it...can you teach PE in sandals? These sandals are hand made and mold to your foot bed after a couple of weeks. You can get new straps for free and have them resoled for $60. Awesome.

On top.

Stila smudge pots. I have oily eyelids and for forever my eyeliner has wound up in the crease of my eyelid by mid-morning. This is a gel liner that stays put all day, I think it's splendid, especially since it lasts forever.

On the right.

My new hair cut and color! Yeah! My hair was looking scraggly, hooray for new hair.

On the bottom.

Hope in a jar moisturizer. I use this stuff and it keeps my skin just right in terms of moisture. Not greasy, not dry, just right. In the summer I switch over to hope in a bottle since I tend to break out more in the sweaty, sweaty DWF heat.

On the left.

Multigrain Cheerios. I eat these almost every morning without fail with strawberries and blueberries. It is my favorite cereal since I had to give up Fiber One Honey Clusters because it has almonds in it.

And those are a few of my favorite things...

(are you guys singing the song in your head like I am?)

Easter Beast, I mean Best

2009-04-15T18:52:00.000-05:00

I think someone had just said "say wiener" to try and get Bowen to smile and look at the camera. Will he ever take a normal picture again?

Williams Family looking dapper on Easter: (again Bowen with the weird pic)

Paco's centerpiece for Easter lunch:

Cascarones are always fun for Easter:

Drawn at Church this morning...

2009-04-12T20:37:00.002-05:00

Hallelujah Christ is risen!

34, Here I come!

2009-03-30T20:38:00.000-05:00

All the girls after brunch at Blue Mesa on Sunday:

Really good picture of Paco and Bowen:

Today is my Birthday and I was really bummed that I had to go to Open House tonight. Until I went to Laine's class and saw this:

Nice Boobs Laine!

Pictures from Abilene

2009-03-26T18:28:00.002-05:00

Blake ridin' dirty

Two cute moms:

Bowen being mean:

Two cuties on a swing:

I went back to the Headache Clinic today and met with the P.A., I thought she was totally awesome. I love people who shoot straight with me, I don't want any beating around the bush. Here are my three main question and a synopsis of her answers:

1. Why these bad headaches now? Headache or Migraine is a disease just like Type 1 Diabetes or high blood pressure. You have had this disease all along, your body just decided it was time for it to show up big time.

2. Will I take this medicine for the rest of my life? Yes. Most likely, again Migraine is a disease just like you would keep taking blood pressure or insulin you will most likely keep taking meds for your disease indefinitely.

3. Will I ever be able to drink a Diet Coke again? Don't tell Dr. Herzog I told you this but yes, you will once your medicine gets your headaches more controlled. :)

And you know I feel really peaceful about what she had to say. I think it was because I've seen improvement in the last few weeks and with an increase in my medicine it can only get better. As long as I don't have any unrealistic expectations about these headaches just disappearing, that it's really out of my control, it's a disease not something I am or am not doing that is making my head hurt, I feel OK about taking a couple of pills a day to keep from hurting. I still believe God can heal. I'm still on the Headache diet, I'm OK with that too. It's not going to be forever, I can do anything for a little while.

Trip to Abilene

2009-03-25T18:17:00.003-05:00

The kids and I took a Spring Break trip to Abilene last week, Mere, Blake, Robin, Linda and Reegan met us there! We took the kids to the park, went shopping, visited, the kids rode big wheel tricycles. They were completely worn out by the end of the day. Reegan was so cute with her curly hair and wanting to be a big girl like Laine. Bowen was just Bowen, most of his time was spent making sure Blake didn't get his toys (he is such a toot).

Happy, Happy, Happy!!!

2009-03-24T20:20:00.000-05:00

As you can see Laine lost her first tooth over Spring Break! She still looks in the mirror and exclaims how excited she is that she lost her first tooth! I think it made her look even cuter if I do say so myself...

Happy Birthday Baby! Or Jonathan sure is Old now!

2009-03-22T14:07:00.003-05:00

Today marks 36 years for Jonathan Ryan, that means in 8 days I will be 34. We celebrated last night at Central Market with Meredith, Ryan and Blake and our friends the Reinkes. I surprised Jonathan with a totally cool leather ithacus (fish, is that even the right word?) bracelet from James Avery, it's a man's bracelet I promise! Today we had Birthday lunch at Jason's Deli and will end up having cupcakes with our small group tonight at View 242 worship.

To further celebrate my favorite husband here are some things I love about him:

he can always make me laugh

he smells good

he has made some major sacrifices for our family

he is a great player with our kids

his spirituality has grown leaps and bounds and not just up, out of the box too! I love that!

he's not scared of hard work

he thinks I'm hot

we have the same views on the importance of family

As you can see I have a pretty great guy!

I have lots of stuff to post about! We had a great Spring Break!

Just a couple of Random things:

1. Since I've changed my diet I've become more aware of extra "stuff" that is put into our food. Now I'm now going to go all health nutty on you but in addition to my current diet changes I've decided to switch to Organic Milk. I felt God talking to me the other day about what is going into my kids' bodies and one thing I can switch is milk.

2. Today in church we were sitting down singing a song about standing in front of God. I can't remember which one it was now, but my natural inclination is when you sing about standing in Awe or rising up is to actually stand or rise...that's what I did. I didn't even think twice about it. I happen to glance around, I am the only one in the auditorium standing up. Come on people, you are worshiping GOD! The song is saying STAND, finally, on the second round some others joined me. I wasn't embarrassed, just amazed that no one else felt the urge to worship like the song said.

Putting our best foot forward

2009-03-15T21:35:00.006-05:00

Let me start off by saying, this Spring Break is already better than last year by about 1,ooo% since we're not at home with Bowen helping him recover from having his tonsils and adenoids removed. I think poking myself in the eye would be a better Spring Break than that.

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from the district that the Stars were doing a Teacher Appreciation night and we could get tickets half price, awesome, I got my order in for the cheap seats of course. I received conformation from the guy that handles the special events that my tickets would be at Will Call and gave me a reference number in case my tickets weren't there at the window.

Fast Forward to last night. We rode the train over to Dallas got to the AA center extra early and made our way over to Will Call to get our tickets. Of course we went the wrong way and it took us forever to get over there. I walked to the window and gave the lady my ID and my name. She didn't have my tickets. Thankfully, I had my handy dandy reference number. She left with it and was gone for a few minutes. I wasn't worried, I just didn't know what the hold up was. All of a sudden she walks up with my tickets, and we were on our way! I looked at the tickets and this is what I saw:

OK section 220. Right. So we head to section 220, we notice that we're on the floor that has the really nice seats on it, and we show our tickets to a employee who points us off in a general direction. We see we're by the box seats and we conclude we are definitely in the WRONG place. So we take the escalator up a level and walk down a ways and go back down to see if we can get to section 220, the cheap seats because we totally don't belong with the nice seat people. Well we wind up right where we were the first time. That's when I take a closer look at our tickets:

DO you see the price tag on that ticket? Do you ????? That is exactly $100 more than I paid for it. And there were three more of those ! People pay that much for tickets! So we really were in the right place. In situations like that, my motto is just pretend like you know what you're doing. So we marched through the fancy restaurant. We found our black curtain, the nice lady held it open for us. We found our seats, they had programs on them already. We even had our own waitress. It was too much fun!

Sensitive

2009-03-12T16:50:00.002-05:00

Today I had one of those days where I spent most of the day dusting feelings off my shoulder. Normally, I don't have issues with hurting feeling and needing to deflect them. But today was one of those days. A comment about the clothes I wear to school for my job mixed with my jewelry, actually a whole conversation about me and my clothes and my jewelry. My jewelry is cute, my clothes are what I wear for my job, I put them together and make them cute. And it wasn't even a bad or mean spirited comment, it just hit me the wrong way. Then it was feeling weird at a baby shower at a cross town school. Then it was thinking about some changes happening at my school and how it was making some people feel worried. And people who did not ask me about my ENT appointment that I had yesterday even though I had probably talked about it way too much in the days before. All this stuff usually rolls right off my back but today it stuck and hurt my feelings. I don't like having hurt feelings.

Speaking of my ENT appointment, it was not what I was hoping for. I was hoping for a quick fix! I was hoping the Doctor would look at the CT scan and exclaim "jeez, look at that HUGE cyst! We must remove that thing at once and your headaches will be gone for good!" Instead, the cyst was wimpy and as an added bonus I have a deviated septum! Oh JOY! So the dude only added to my list of issues, I don't think that's allowed at this point, subtracting only please.

Besides all that downer stuff, my head has really felt lots better the last few days! That really makes me happy! Getting my hair cut tomorrow makes me happy and my birthday coming up in a couple of weeks also makes me happy! So. I'm done with hurt feeling I just needed to get that out and over with...Oh and Spring Break makes me EXTRA happy.

Weekend in Big J

2009-03-08T20:42:00.003-05:00

We had a great weekend in Jasper, they always go by too quickly though! As usual, Jonathan and Justin stirred up some fun by making a sled out of plywood, an old plastic pool and a rug. A sled not to be used in snow obvoisely but to be pulled behind a 4 wheeler of course!

I had a great time talking to Leslie about wedding stuff, I'm SO happy to have someone to hang out with and talk to when we go down to visit now, it's super great! Leslie told me I I needed to step it up on the blogging (not in those words so much, but you know) so here I am!

I got my MRI results back on Thursday! I know it took for-ever. My biggest fear was that they were going to call after that much time and say, "Ms. Williams, everything on your MRI looks great, no problems, we'll see you at your follow up appoinment". Because that would mean my head would be hurting for some nebulous reason still. That, however, was not the case. It seems I have a Maxillary Retention Cyst. It's a cyst in one of my sinuses that COULD be causing my headaches. I'm going to an ENT on Wednesday to get a CT scan and meet with the Doctor to see if that might be the case. If it is then I might have sinus surgery and my headaches might be cured! I'm feeling really hopeful...

I will leave you with some pictures from the 4 wheeling adventure:

NEVER MIND! STUPID BLOGGER WON'T LET ME UPLOAD PICTURES AAACK

Haircut City!

2009-03-03T19:45:00.003-05:00

BEFORE:

ANOTHER BEFORE: note the dazed and spaced look in Bowen's eyes in all these pictures, he's not even taking any medicine right now.

DURING: Jonathan has been cutting his own hair for about 8 years now. Bowen looked like a ragmuffin and I was tired of paying too much money for a so-so hair cut just so he could watch TV while they were chopping his locks. Voila, home haircut!

AFTER: Now, he's stylin'! Still looking spacy, not on meds.

BTW, if you live near a Papas Burgers, right now Tuesday nights they have the basic Papas burger 1/2 price! Our whole family ate there tonight for less than $15!!!

I think I'm going to get better

2009-02-20T11:59:00.002-05:00

I could write a REALLY long post on what I've learned about migraine headaches in the past two days. But it wouldn't make much sense because it's all still swimming around in my brain and it's not able to come out my mouth or my fingers and sound like I'm smart and I like to sound smart.

So a synopsis is what you're going to get:
I have had migraines all my life and not known it. From headaches around the time of my period in college to headaches from allergies and what I thought were sinus headaches, all were actually migraines. It seems some people have very low tolerance for migraines and also have lots of migraine triggers, that seems to be me. Something, we're not sure what (I have an inkling that it has something to with construction on my gym) triggered a migraine at a time what I had all sorts of other triggers in my system so my headache has not gone away because my body can't handle all that is being thrown it's way right now.

So,
Right now I'm taking a steroid pack to hopefully "reboot my brain" as my doctor told me. He is keeping on my same suppressive medication and I will see him in a month after I have an MRI which he says will show I have a perfectly normal brain. I also have to read a book called "Heal your Headache" because he does not want me to be dependant on medication to be headache free. That makes me happy, I already take enough medicine as it is. It's kind of a diet, but not a diet because you are cutting out foods and additives that are common migraine triggers. Here are a list of things that I eat or drink everyday that I have to stop eating or drinking:

All caffeine
artificial sweeteners
citrus fruits
yogurt
cheese
chocolate
peanut butter and all nuts

So I drink two diet cokes everyday, a grapefruit and and a yogurt and peanut butter toast. So, that right there tells you I am going to have to change some of my menu items, aack. But, if it means no more headaches I can give up every single one of those things. The whole list is lots longer but those are the ones that I had to stop cold turkey because why drag it out? Will I have to give them up forever? No, just until my brain stops freaking the heck out over every little thing, I think the book said 4 months.

There you have it! I hope I'm on my way to recovery, I am determined to get better. I've been a horribly frustrated, grumpy, sad person the last few weeks it's time to see a change!

On a side note I'm home with Bowen today, he caught a bit of a tummy bug he has recovered nicely. Hopefully we will have a super healthy weekend.

The Head of Headaches

2009-02-17T20:38:00.002-05:00

I'm going to see him tomorrow! If you remember I've been having horrible problems with headaches since December, I've been on two suppressive medicines, no relief.

I finally cried about it last night and I hate it when I cry about things when I can DO something about it instead. So, I researched a doctor last night and prayed. I prayed that God would make this easy for me because I didn't think I had the strength, patience, heart, to fight for something that took months. So, I called the clinic this morning fully expecting to get an appointment sometime in April and the receptionist said "the head of out headache clinic has an opening tomorrow at 9:40". It was like the angles were harking and heralding and sun was beaming down on me! I took the appointment and tomorrow I will be talking to someone who knows a lot more about headaches than I do. Ya. Hoo.

Kicking Butt and Taking Names

2009-02-12T21:04:00.002-05:00

If I told you I had begun a new workout program this week you might think this is what I would be saying, but it isn't.

The title of this post is what P90X is doing to me. Let me tell you guys something: it's hard. Really hard. I've caught myself talking to the television several times saying things like "you've got to be kidding me" and "jeez" and my personal favorite "son of a bitch".

This is a 12 disc program that takes 13 weeks to complete. You have to take before pictures and take all these measurements, do the 13 weeks and then do all the tests and measurements again and see how far you've come. I'm totally pumped about it for lots of reasons. First, it tells you exactly which workout to do on what day. I love that because, I don't have to make stuff up myself. I love being able to workout at home and not have to leave the kids to go to the gym. And I LOVE that it's hard as hell! I complain a little but I'm smiling inside because I know I'd never push my own self that hard and I know if it hurts I'm going to have to see some results.
I'll keep everyone updated periodically on how it's going, if my arms aren't too sore to type.

Dude Obviously Doesn't Live In His Car!

2009-02-08T13:59:00.001-05:00

What in the world does that comment have to do with my car passing State inspection? I felt like driving off with a certain finger waving in the air, whatever Nissan dude.

I planned a longer post but Laine barfed 2 minutes before we left for church this morning so my day has not gone as scheduled, she seems not to be too sick, but you never know.

Crap Bandits

2009-01-28T10:28:00.003-05:00

One of the animals in our house has the craps. We've eliminated Pumpkin Batman because when he has the craps he poops on the bath mat and scratches it into a little ball for me to unwrap like a little present. So, it has to be one of the dogs, I suspect Sadie. The other night Jonathan was having some sinus issues and he thought his drainage was getting really bad, so bad in fact that it smelled and tasted bad in his mouth. Then he said he thought one of the dogs threw up. I got up and peered around the corner into the kitchen (because throw up is always less gross when viewed partially or at an angle) and there it was, but there it wasn't. it was poop not throw up. So we became the Crap Bandits in order to clean up the mess without making a bigger one. I was not worried about myself but was extremely worried about Jonathan and the fact that he was using my scarf to shield his face from the stench. So as he was cleaning and gagging I was yelling DON'T YOU DARE THROW UP ON MY SCARF. I should have said don't barf on my scarf! That was a rhyme! Anyway, he did the initial clean up and I did detail duty. I thought we were free and clear this morning until Bowen stepped in poop in Laine's room. Grrrrr...

I have to say this to Jonathan ALL the time!

2009-01-25T17:57:00.001-05:00

You asked for it, you got it!

2009-01-18T09:52:00.002-05:00

I am hosting a guest blogger today, I felt that I wasn't qualified to tell the "Hamster Tragedy" since it wasn't my hamster and I wasn't a part of their demise. So here is "Hamster Tragedy" told by Mike Thomesen:

We never owned a male hamster; that means that Speck came to us already pregnant. Speck lived in one of those Habitrail cages, gold plastic with all sorts of clear plastic tubes to run through. Mom and I were alarmed when Speck appeared to be pregnant. When little hamsters were born, we knew they would need a home so that our house did not become a hamster farm. I asked the sophomores I taught if anyone was interested in taking one of the babies. I had several takers. My instructions were, "Bring a paper sack tomorrow, meet me after last period, and, oh yeah, make sure everything is ok with your parents." Next morning I put the whole Habitrail in my plum colored 1989 VW Jetta. That morning was cold, so I knew it would be safe to leave the hamsters in the car. By 2nd period the sun had come out. The outside temperature never got that high, but inside the car, things heated up. When I went out during sixth period so I could bring in the hamsters, I found that they had overheated and all were dead. Speck had swollen up so much that I could barely get her out of the tube. I put them all in the dumpster and went inside to tell some disappointed 10th graders that there would be no free hamsters. We laughed a lot. It wasn't as funny when I had to tell you and Meredith that Speck would not be coming home.

Christmas Numero Dos!

2009-01-13T21:11:00.003-05:00

No, I have not quit blogging, but I DO have a Facebook account...go check me out!

Our Wal-Mart-awesome band shirts!

Williams Family picture-

We had a great time in Magnolia Springs over New Year's/Christmas! When we got home we could hear some really loud Mariachi music (not uncommon) in our neighborhood. So after a few minutes we decided to go see where the music was coming from. I drove Bowen around with the windows down and Jonathan and Laine rode scooters and bikes to do the searching. We found the source of the music just a block off our street! I pulled over to the side of the road and pretty soon Jonathan was waving me over. One of the hosts of the party had invited us over, got us chairs, offered the kids a Fanta and us a Cerveza! So we sat and listened to Mariachi music and sipped beer for about 45 minutes in someone's yard we had never met before! And they all spoke Spanish! And pointed at us! It was AWESOME!

Christmas Numero Uno

2008-12-30T09:03:00.003-05:00

We had a fabulous Christmas in Abilene, we had lots of time to relax and enjoy each other! I need to change our family picture on my blog to this one we took at the ice skating rink. We went ice skating on Christmas Eve, it was the perfect thing to do to make it feel like Christmas since the weather wasn't cooperating.

Robin ordered all the girls in the family the coolest t-shirts, here we are posing in our new duds. Note that Blake didn't like our idea.

Ryan and Laine in Couples' skating:

The kids in their Christmas Pajamas!

Santa brought Laine and Bowen sleeping bags, an Easy-Bake Oven, and a Batman computer! They were super excited! I loved this Christmas because it was the first one where both kids were excited about the magic of Christmas. It was so much fun to see the wonder and excitement in their eyes when they fed the Reindeer "magic food" and heard sleigh bells in the distance! Surprisingly, we had to wake them up on Christmas Morning to go see what Santa had brought them. I love Christmas! And we're not done! I'm about to turn on Christmas music and wrap presents for Christmas Numero Dos!

Today I'm Celebrating...

2008-12-20T16:46:00.002-05:00

* that I'm almost done with Christmas shopping, my list consists of a few little trinket left to get and conferring with Santa about what the kids are going to get in their stockings.

* no school for 2 whole weeks!

* Myrtle has a Christmas outfit

It's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Myrtle, and I don't care if you think it dorky! It makes me smile every time I see my car!

* that I'm feeling better... on Tuesday I went to the Doctor because I had been having really bad headaches everyday for about 10 days. I was miserable, two times I got nauseous from the pain. Bright lights hurt my eyes and loud noise made everything worse (not good for a PE teacher). Well, you can probably guess I was having a migraine. I was glad to know what was going on but every time I took the migraine medicine, the headache would be back in a few hours. I worried all week that the pain was going to return and every time it did. Finally, I called my Doctor back and she put me on a preventative medicine. It makes me have brain fog and feel really sleepy but at least I'm not lying in bed in pain. I'm praying that after 30 days on this medicine that I can stop and the migraines won't come back.

* that we have been blessed this year!

* the fact that in a few days we'll be headed to Abilene to celebrate Blake's first birthday, Christmas and just having a good time with family.

Christmas Quiz

2008-12-14T16:38:00.001-05:00

I always enjoy hearing the diffrent ways families do Christmas!

1. When does your family open the majority of your presents?

2. Does Santa leave the presents wrapped or unwrapped?

3. Any breakfast traditions?

4. What order do you do things in on Christamas morning?

5. Any Christmas Eve traditions?

6. What is your usual Christmas meal?

My answers:

1. We (Thomesen's) open our presents on Christmas morning. When we were little we got to open one on Christmas Eve.

2. Santa leaves the presents unwrapped.

3. Cinnamon sticky bun stuff in the bundt pan. Bacon.

4. Santa presents, stockings, breakfast, open presents.

5. Again, growing up it was always tamales, beans, etc...

6. My favorite meal of the year! Beef tenderloin and all the yummy stuff that goes with it!

Crazy with a capital C

2008-12-09T20:01:00.002-05:00

What do you think about this:

www.lovingdd.blogspot.com

Jonathan and I are warming up to the idea. Not.

I will have to say that I am currently obsessed with this ca-razy website, it's kind of like when you smell something REALLY gross but you sniff it again anyway. I'm amazed that people live like this.

Cuteness!

2008-11-25T18:09:00.003-05:00

Yes we are now "those People" who buy clothes for thier pets...

Laine's hair before:

Laine after:

Run like Hell Heather!

2008-11-22T17:05:00.005-05:00

Last Sunday Julie and I ran in the Rock and Roll 1/2 marathon in San Antonio. It was an adventure, it was an adventure just to get to the start line. Since there were over 30,000 people running and the start line was down town everyone had to ride a shuttle to get there. We waited almost an hour to get on the shuttle. We were 40 minutes late to the start line and our corral hadn't even left yet. We had time to potty and find our spot in line and then wait another 10 minutes before we began running. I was almost tired when we started running. The course was great, lots of bands lots of people to look at and lots of cheering crowds. Julie and I usually talk the whole time we run but instead we kept commenting that there was way too many exciting things to look at to talk!! We finished in 2:32, that was the official time, my watch time was less because I stopped it at potty breaks. Here are some pictures of the race and one of my new rock star hair!:

In the Hotel:

Waiting for the shuttle:

Running: Although I can't really see us in the picture, I promise we're there!

Post Race Craziness:

Rock Star Hair: I just realized I have it tamed back, but yes, it's really dark. I almost died in the salon but I never like my hair right away so it's growing on me. Also, I got new mascara...Do I have clumpy lashes?

Gloria Day

2008-11-18T18:23:00.004-05:00

When I was growing up Wednesday was known as Gloria Day in our house. You might think it was a day of celebration but to a young person it was a day of torture. You see the night before Gloria Day we had to prepare for Gloria. Who was Gloria you might ask? She was the lady that cleaned our house and the reason I dreaded Tuesday night. We had to clean our rooms and help tidy up around the house all while listening to my parents proclaim that tomorrow was Gloria Day over and over again. I think they said it so many times for two reasons: 1) Meredith and I were probably not doing what we were supposed to and 2) because they were so excited to have a clean house. I understand that now that I have someone come clean my house. Just to think of coming home to a sparkly house makes me look forward to Stephanie Day every other Tuesday. So, I forgive you Mom and Dad for making me clean for the house cleaner, I forgive you for annoying me to no end with your Gloria Day proclamations, because know I do it too!

Gosh I'm boring...

2008-11-12T20:07:00.002-05:00

I am in a complete blog rut. I'm going to blame it on the time change, now that it's dark at 5:30 all I want to do is sit around or get in bed. It's terrible.

I took Bowen to get a haircut this afternoon, the stylist did a pretty good job in the damage control department.

We also went to Hobby Lobby to get some Christmas decorations. I know it's totally not time for that yet but if I didn't do it this week, I'm not sure when I would have gotten around to it.

We had to pay big bucks to get Myrtle (the car) working correctly last weekend. I HATE paying for car repairs, I'd rather not bother and just get a new car. I even checked on that possibility, it wasn't possible.

Blake is having a lower GI test run tomorrow at Cook's (which is the most wonderful place, all our experiences there have been stellar). I know it will be hard on Blake but maybe harder on her parents as she won't remember anything about it. So, while you are praying that Blake will be OK, also pray that Mere and Ryan will be OK too.

Just in case you didn't know

2008-11-08T10:37:00.003-05:00

A closer look at the awesomeness:

Be sure to VOTE!

2008-11-03T18:55:00.003-05:00

Who will come out on top???

We'll find out tomorrow! No matter who wins, I'm taking my bumper sticker off, I think it's nerdy to drive around with an election sticker on your car after the election!

Struggling...

2008-11-02T20:24:00.002-05:00

Here is a list of things I need to blog about. Sometimes the longer the list gets, the less I want to blog:

Justin and Leslie's visit to Fort Worth

Halloween, which is not limited to Trick or Treat on October 31st

Laurie Berkner concert

Election Day

The fact that my race is 2 weeks away

I really tried to start a real live post tonight but I couldn't get my pictures off the camera.

Maybe a short list of Random Thoughts will hold you over:

It's 7:30 and it's pitch black outside, all I want to do is go to bed.

I need a random day off.

My cat kills squirrels, really, we've found 4 in our yard in the past 3 weeks.

I really want Laine to get her hair cut shorter but I won't make her.

Jonathan and I have become addicted to shows like Paranormal State, Ghost Adventures and Scariest Places on Earth. Nerds.

I have a meeting on Tuesday, at 7:30 in the morning, I picked the time, what was I thinking?

High School Musical 3 is the only movie I've seen in quite a while.

Less than stellar

2008-10-22T18:56:00.002-05:00

That has been the kind of week we've had here at the Williams' house. I feel like all I've done all week is run around like a chicken with it's head cut off. Somehow I became in charge of some things in my district (???how did that happen, maybe I volunteered for one of them???), both of them have meant meetings, aaack. One of my friends had a baby, I want to munch his sweet little feet, and of course we had to visit the hospital and take dinner this week because I need newborn sweetness so my fill is met without having one of my own.

Laine, bless her heart, has had the stye from HELL this week. I can't even explain to you how horrible it looked. I should have taken a picture but really, it was so bad I didn't want to. She has been to the pediatrician and the pediatric opthamologist. She is on an antibiotic and a eye ointment. The stye actually burst last night, much to our relief, and so it looks better and Laine feels better. And I mean by looking better that it's smaller, however no less gross looking. I don't even know how she was seeing around that thing! it's almost in the corner of her eye.

Jonathan is feeling lots of stress with his job right now. Please pray for him, he has done a huge thing for our family by moving jobs and I want him to feel Happy he made the switch. AND let me tell all of you how awesome Jonathan is! He was supposed to be home early today and that was going to be great because he could help with taking supper to the Crowell's and then I could go get my haircut at 8 tonight. Well, things went yucky in Georgetown and he couldn't leave until 5:30 and it takes 3 hours to get home. I was really disappointed about cancelling my haircut so he called and found a high schooler to come over while I go get my hair did! What a guy! I love him so much!

Columbus Day Weekend!

2008-10-15T16:56:00.004-05:00

We (the kids and I) made the trip to San Angelo last weekend, we had so much fun. It's great now that the kids are a little older, they entertain each other so that the adults can visit! We spent the weekend eating (Linda, thanks for dinner on Friday night, and lunch and breakfast, OK pretty much all the food all weekend long) making bows, fixing jewelry, and talking. We took a trip to the park on Sunday morning, the kids had a blast!

We headed home on Sunday and then took a trip to the Zoo with Mere, Ryan, and Blake on Monday morning. It was a great day for the zoo, a great day at the zoo for me is a day you don't sweat.

76-100

2008-10-08T18:47:00.002-05:00

76. Jonathan gave me jewelry after the birth or each of our children.

77. I am not good at painting, rooms that is.

78. I am a cat person.

79. The older I get the more expensive my make-up becomes.

80. I don't paint my own toenails anymore, even if I don't get a pedicure I still go and have my toenails painted.

81. I am very fearful of being in a bad car wreck.

82. I love riding my bike.

83. Reading is a huge part of my life.

84. My blood pressure goes up every time I go to the dentist. Yuck.

85. I am impatient.

86. I cry when I get really mad.

87. I am so blessed that I know how much my parents love me because it's how much I love Laine and Bowen.

88. Beer makes my throat itch.

89. My younger sister is taller than me.

90. I had Post Partum Depression after I had Bowen, it was the worst time in my life.

91. I wish I could change my hair color every month.

92. At the age of 33 I finally have some worship music I like (like the kind on the radio).

93. My least favorite way to be sick is the stomach bug. I used to obsess about getting it, it's gotten WAY better now that my kids are older.

94. The summer after Bowen was born I got SEVERAL ringworms from a kitten I adopted. It was horrible.

95. I am not organized. I used to be better, but then my brain fell out after I had kids. I must have pushed too hard in the delivery room.

96. Dude. A word I say alot.

97. My feet feel hot, so, so fiery hot.

98. I have never broken a bone.

99. I would rather work for a man than a woman.

100. My hope for myself is that I continue to learn and grow better with age!

51-75

2008-10-04T16:17:00.002-05:00

51. Pears are my least favorite fruit.

52. When I found out I was pregnant with Bowen I hoped he was a girl! I'm glad he was a boy.

53. If I were to ever have another baby, I would want another boy.

54. My favorite place to shop is Gap and Target and Marshalls.

55. I love candles that smell good.

56. I like to cook but I want the recipes to be simple.

57. I don't force Bowen to eat stuff he doesn't want to, I don't want the dinner table to be a battleground...and I don't want him to barf.

58. I take thyroid medicine everyday to make my body behave.

59. I hate the fact that I have to take medicine to be "normal", if normal is not sleeping all the time and not having snot pouring out of my nose constantly.

60. Camping is not something I enjoy.

61. I pack really early for trips.

62. When we buy another house, I don't want to have to remodel it.

63. I have never had a nickname, just Heather.

64. I love my teeth, I wish they were white though.

65. I wore a retainer until I was 30.

66. Men rarely intimidate me.

67. I wear a t-shirt and tennis shoes to work everyday, it's great.

68. I am very inflexible.

69. My wedding ring is awesome.

70. My husband is awesome.

71. I have no idea if I've repeated something in this list.

72. I am a snacker, I could munch on stuff all day long.

73. I can sing the "Hurrah for the Taylor Trojans"

74. I have an IUD, I swore after I weaned Bowen I would give my body a break from hormones.

75. Chocolate crispy cookies from Central Market are my very favorite cookies.

26-50

2008-10-02T16:44:00.002-05:00

26. I love to run.

27. I have never had long hair.

28. I HAVE had really short hair.

29. I think my family is fun and I like being around them.

30. My kitchen is my favorite room.

31. My favorite time as a student was high school.

32. Speaking of student, I love going to school.

33. I'm really smart and I feel like my brain isn't being used to it's full potential at my current job.

34. That's why I think I'll go back to school.

35. I wonder what social grouping my children will be in in high school.

36. I wear a watch 24-7, I never take it off.

37. I drive over the speed limit most of the time (except in school zones)

38. Spring is my favorite season.

39. I still get sad sometimes when I think about my Grandmother and Great Aunt, maybe not sad, just wistful.

40. I am not a consistently healthy eater.

41. It's embarrassing when I dance.

42. I get up every single night to pee.

43. I wish I could figure out how to do strike through text. Anyone?

44. Diet coke is my very favorite drink.

45. Being late is something I can't stand.

46. Sometimes, I want to have another baby.

47. The older I get the better my life becomes.

48. I can sing the school songs for the following schools: Taylor Elementary, Abilene High, Abilene Christian.

49. I am my mother on the outside and my father on the inside.

50. My face is red even when I don't have a sunburn.

100 things about me.

2008-10-01T20:33:00.002-05:00

I've been meaning to start this for a while, I'll do it 25 at a time.

1. I'm left-handed and I love it!

2. I'm a Christian

3. I'm a Democrat

4. I believe you can be both 2 and 3 at the same time.

5. I am inherently an introvert but I can play an extrovert really well. I just get really worn out after putting on a show.

6. I smile a lot probably because I'm happy a lot.

7. I have scoliosis and I worry about what I'm going to look like when I'm old.

8. I worry that I don't have enough friends.

9. I go back and forth between not caring what people think and caring very much what people think, I don't know what makes me feel one way or the other.

10. I don't ever wear lipstick but I wish I could feel good wearing it.

11. I know I have a cute butt.

12. I think my legs are my best feature.

13. My boobs are my least favorite feature.

14. I love my life.

15. I'm not sure if teaching is what I want to do when I grow up.

16. I struggle with wanting lots of material things.

17. I don't have regrets.

18. I pass lots of gas.

19. Hiring a housekeeper is the best decision I have made in a long time.

20. I am becoming something that I don't appreciate in others, a dingbat.

21. I am a laid back parent.

22. I LOVE a good deal, like a sale on top of a sale.

23. I price match at Wal-Mart.

24. I pay the bills in our family, that was the best decision Jonathan has made in a long time.

25. I spend lots of time following this motto: "Fake it till you make it".

FIll in the blank:

2008-09-25T17:06:00.002-05:00

It is time for __________________.

Summer to be over already!

A Margarita

Me to get my hair colored and cut

my schedule at school to be set in stone

my half-marathon, I have run myself into the ground. My feet don't' want to run anymore and it's not till the middle of NOVEMBER!

Bowen to eat more types of food, I can list what he will eat consistently on two hands.

us to have a new president!

me to stop putting so much food in my pie hole, I'm totally ruining anything that running is doing for me.

6 Random things...

2008-09-17T16:31:00.005-05:00

Wally Hotts tagged me, no, actually threatened me, to post 6 random things about me, Heather Lorien Thomesen Williams. Here's to Randomness:

Before going to bed at night the door to the bedroom and the bathroom have to be completely closed. If they aren't they call to me in my sleep and tell me to wake up. Actually, it scares me to death when my children appear at the side of my bed at night, I swear they float in, I never hear a thing until one of them is either saying my name or poking me so I like the bedroom door closed so I might get a little heads up before they come in. The bathroom door thing, I have no clue, it just has to be closed for me to be able to sleep.

I am obsessed with checking my email, it is especially bad since I got an iphone. Every time I hear it ding for email I have to open my mail to see what it is. I mean, I probably check my email 20 times a day.

I am a Harry Potter nerd and a Twilight nerd. I am constantly listening to one of the HP books on my ipod, I rarely listen to music. I have read each of the books several times. The twilight series is awesome! I now officially wish I could be a vampire!

I do not have a public pooping phobia, I will poop anywhere, anytime. That is very helpful since I have to poop while I'm running sometimes.

If you know Meredith and me you know I am the uptight one, however, when it comes to parenting, we are opposite. I totally let things slide that Meredith worries about, it kind of feels good to be the one who is laid back. Don't mess with my bedtime though, or being late or me packing early for a trip, still type A about that stuff.

Redness is part of who I am and I hate it! I turn red at the silliest things, then I realize I'm turning red, get flustered about turning red and then I get redder! Ahhhhhh! I'm never embarrassed, that's the weird thing. For example this week during lunch I was telling my friends a story about Laine and Bowen and I feel the heat coming on, it's the most helpless feeling that only gets worse the more I think about it. Then I'm completely awkward about it and try to shield my face or turn to the side so it's less obvious when I know I'm only making it more obvious.

Weekend in Abilene!

2008-09-16T21:22:00.003-05:00

We had a great weekend in A town! We went to the Grace Museum, the West Texas Fair and Rodeo, and smooshed our faces against Mimi's car windows! The kids were AWESOME on all the rides, Bowen especially since he usually a little timid trying new things. I even purchased some new bedside table lamps from Pier 1, they are too cute. Thanks Mimi and Paco for a stupendous weekend!

Numbers

2008-09-09T20:13:00.002-05:00

3- The number of people in this house that have MRSA

1-the number of people who don't but found a sore spot on her body today.

1,000-the number of times I wash my hands a day right now

1,001- the number of times a day I want to wash my children down with anti-bacterial gel or a wipe, or just have them steam cleaned.

10- the rating my house got in cleanliness on a scale from 1-10 since my cleaning lady came today!

9- the number of hours of sleep I need tonight in order to be a good mom tomorrow.

3- the number of allergy medicines I take in order to function in life.

12- the number of minutes I have until I want to be in bed for the night, because dang! having germy kids is hard work.

Wishing for Fall

2008-09-05T16:32:00.003-05:00

Candy Corns just say FALL to me! So, I bought some today at Wal-Mart today in hopes of coaxing Fall to come on, already!

Why was I at Wal-Mart?

Oh how nice of you to ask!

I was there to buy all sorts of stuff! Like prescriptions for antibiotics, Children's Motrin, Band-aids of the large type, an XL tube of anti-biotic cream. Add all those things together and what to you think of?

Staph infection? Great guess! We'll find out if you're the winner on Monday!

MRSA? Maybe you'll get bonus points, we'll have the results on Tuesday!

We noticed Bowen had a pretty bad looking bug bite on his leg on Wednesday night. Jonathan, our resident surgeon, popped the head on it and put some antibiotic cream on it. The next day it looked the same but last night I noticed that the red ring surrounding the bite was getting larger. One of our friends who is a CRNA was over so he looked at it and said we needed to take him in to get it checked out. That made me worry because our friend doesn't overreact. I called this morning got an appointment and took him in after school today. Dr. Lewis immediately said it was a skin infection and she would have to lance and culture it. Awesome. I then asked her about Laine having a second stye in two weeks, she said that the bite and the eye were interrelated and Laine would need to be treated to but no lancing for her.

If you remember Bowen's history of barfing in stressful, painful situations you know I was warning the doctor and the nurses about that fact. So, Dr. Lewis and two nurses came in and prepped the table. One nurse held one leg, the other nurse held the other leg. I was in charge of the arms and any resultant barfing. It was terrible, he screamed "LET ME GO" and "OUCH" the whole time and let me tell you the boy is strong. it was a fight to keep his arms held down. I'm a tough cookie when it comes to shots and finger pricks but I almost cried while we were fighting him to get him some relief and getting that all important culture. He sat up after they were done and immediately started the "barf cough". You should have seen everyone back stepping away from the table. But, to his credit, Bowen held his stuff together, he did not barf! I was ecstatic! We made a hasty exit from the office and ran to Wal-Mart to get supplies and prizes for the poor boy.

I need Happy Hour!

First Day of School!

2008-08-27T17:14:00.002-05:00

Bowen in his cool uniform and Power Ranger sunglasses eventhough it was still dark when we left!
I can't even believe she is in first grade, I still look for her when I see her K teacher in the hall!
Me ready to sweat all day in my hot gym.
Jonathan, relieved that it wasn't HIS first day of school!

Dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets...

2008-08-26T21:00:00.002-05:00

absolutely broke my heart today. To tell the truth I can't even think about them without tearing up. Why, you ask, did fused chicken make me weep? Well I'll tell you. When I went to pick up Bowen today his teacher told me he'd been a little upset today when he had eaten his chicken nuggets and no body could give him more, he didn't want his broccoli (duh), he had eaten his peaches but he could only have three (?!) nuggets because that is the rule of portion for his age in the cafeteria. Well. I went down to the directors office, not mad, just wanting to find out why he couldn't have more if he wanted, I mean I pay for his food, give him more! ( A little aside here to explain: I can't bear thinking of people being hungry, kids, poor people, dogs, Jonathan, especially kids, and really especially my kids. I think it stems from Laine as a newborn not getting enough milk at first and having to supplement and pump to get her to gain weight, that girl sucked on her hands and cried and cried and there was nothing I could give her because my boobs were SO full of milk none would come out.) Anyway, I asked what had happened, she said blah blah three nuggets, I said that's not enough for him, and I started crying. She said she was trying to see if things could be changed, I knew I couldn't stop crying, I told her that I was really sad and that I needed to leave and I walked out of the office. Awesomely enough while I was waling to the car, I saw a teacher from my old school and couldn't talk and I saw a student from my new school with her mother and she was asking me questions and all I could say was you've really caught me at a bad time and walk away, tears coming down my face. All I could think of was that my baby was hungry and no one would help him. Is that REALLY what happened, no, those girls love Bowen so much, they gave him everything he wanted except the stupid chicken nuggets. Stupid cafeteria rule. It's so much more that nuggets, it's doubting my working outside the home (I could have given him all the nuggets he wanted if we were at home), it's doubting my decision to buy his lunch instead of making it like 3/4 of the other moms do for their kids in his class. AND, they bring snacks for them too, the learning center provides a snack free of charge, and I'm thinking heck yeah, something I don;t have to pay for! And Bowen is sad because he has to eat apple sauce while the other kids eat their yummy snacks from home, what a beating, at least mentally for me, PEER PRESSURE. I rarely doubt myself, I rarely cry in public, I rarely let myself feel inferior to other moms, but today I did. Today I cried like a baby over three chicken nuggets and I can't seem to shake it.

Later in the afternoon the director called me, I was still crying. She is one of the sweetest people I know. She made me feel better, she told me she was working with Food Services to get things changed. She even cried with me a little while we were taking about how hard it is to worry about your child when they are away from you. I can't decide. Do I start making his lunch? Do I just send some extra food for back-up? Do I just follow up and make sure he's getting enough from the cafeteria?

I'll get some first day of school pictures up soon.

Beach volleyball is the reason I'm blogging

2008-08-18T20:15:00.002-05:00

Because I'm tired of watching it, give me Track and Field, Diving, whatever, just no more volleyball! I love having a reason to sit in front of the TV for long periods of time and something that only happens every 4 years is a pretty big reason.

I didn't have the best week last week with the mammogram (which came out OK, I have some calcification in my right breast that they are going to keep an eye on but nothing serious), the cat incident and starting school back I was worn a little thin by the end of the week. The event that topped it all off happened on Saturday morning. I was getting ready to do my 8 mile run at before the crack of dawn o'clock in the morning when I decided I needed to use the potty before we got started. So I make my way over to the port o potty and suddenly wondered why I could see the sky? and a millisecond later I was flat on the ground. I had no idea I was falling until my body collided with the cement, it was terrific. Two people saw me which was two more than the last time I fell in high school while trying to jump over a foot high chain going to a baseball game. I went to the trainer's room to get cleaned up and lied that I had done it on the tennis court, I don't think they believed me since there was gravel all up in my wound and no gravel tennis courts exist that I know of. Well I picked myself up off the ground made sure everything was still attached and could move, got cleaned up with the Luke's first aid kit and then ran 8 miles. You might think I'm pretty tough but with all the whining and sighing and groaning I did the next day I think I might not be a tough as I thought. I mean did you know your muscles get sore when you fall? That abrasions hurt in the middle of the night? That skin hurts even though there isn't a visible scrape or cut? Me neither! And you know if I had a really good story of bravery or heroism to tell to go along with me injury it would totally be OK, all I've got is a fall on the way to the john!

I'm a little sad tonight about school. I don;t like to write a lot about work on my blog but I really need some therapy. I LOVE my new job, the people I work with are fabulous, my school is nice. I guess I miss familiarity, I miss the faces I've seen in the halls for the past few years, I miss the neat things my AP does for in service, I miss Laura one of my best school friends. I know things are only going to get better the longer I work at the FAA, I'm just a little sad tonight remembering all the good parts of my old school.

You know those moments...

2008-08-12T08:27:00.002-05:00

in a day when everything up to a point has all gone well and then a series of things happen that make the shit hit the fan? Good. You know when it's about thirty minutes before you need to leave for your doctor's appointment and you decide to get supper started and you season some chicken and notice that your cat is up on the counter? Pumpkin Batman never gets on the counter and then he walks over and licks the chicken? And then you shoo him off and he walks further down the counter and knocks over a cereal box and sits on it? And then you look at him because he's sitting kind of weird and you realize that he's PISSING? And then? Then? You look at the cereal box and he's peed blood?
That is when my day went to Fast Forward mode. I knew that our regular vet would never be able to get him in and I wouldn't be able to get to my appointment on time. So I call the vet office that is about 90 seconds from our house, they will see him, scoop up the cat yell at the kids to get shoes on. All the while they are asking to see the evidence that he's peed blood. We race to the car, get buckled in toss the cat in and speed to the vet. I call Jonathan to tell him not to come home but to meet us at the vet, he's confused but agrees. Now it's 15 minutes before I need to leave for the Dr., we get to the office and everything feels better, if PB tries to die at least we're where they can do something about it. Jonathan arrives i give him the story, I leave. I'm still in panic mode as I'm driving to the Doctor. It turns out that PB has cystitis, it is kind of like crystals in the bladder and now he's on antibiotics and special food and he's not going to die as long as I can find him to give him his medicine.

At the doctor's office the nurse asks me if I've ever has trouble with my blood pressure, I tell her the cat story. The doctor comes in and feels me up and pushes on the sore place way too much. She then puts my mind at ease when she tells me that it feels fibro-cystic and that lumps that are cancerous rarely hurt. She still schedules me an appointment at the Boob Clinic, where they will either do a sonogram or a mammogram just to make sure it's nothing bad. My decision is to not worry until there is something to worry about. The doctor made me feel better, I just wish my boob would stop hurting.

So, here's my advice, if you're worried about something tell your cat to pee blood and you won't feel so worried about yourself.

The times they are a changin'!

2008-08-10T16:49:00.002-05:00

It's almost back to school time here at the Williams' house and let me just say, I'm ready. I would have never guessed on June 7th that on August 10th I would be saying those words but there they are. I'm also the type of person that does not languish those last few days of freedom. Once the time gets close at hand, I just want to get it started already. We have Open House on Tuesday night and start in service on Friday. I haven't really been up to school yet because there is furniture and crap in my gym and no one has decided if my office can be set up in the gym yet because of Asbestos, Asbestos Schmasbestos is what I say! Just get me a phone and computer and put it in a room, I need my space, I need to have a home at my school!

The best news I have received all summer long came Friday in the form of an angel! She was heralding and harking and singing that she would come and clean my house for a very reasonable price. I just about did a back flip I was so excited, I'll let you in on a little secret, I HATE cleaning my house, especially once I am in working full time mode. This is one of the best blessings Jonathan's new job has afforded us. She starts August 26th, I'm giddy!

Last but not least, I'm worried about my left boob. It has a sore spot on it that feels "thick", at least that's what Jonathan called it after I made him do a self exam since I couldn't tell with my own self-exam, the funny part was the look on Laine's face when she walked in on the examination, she appropriately called it "Awkward!" Anyway, I don't think it means much from what I've read on some breast cancer websites but I'm going to call the Doctor tomorrow and go in for my peace of mind.

Cage Match 2008

2008-08-05T21:19:00.002-05:00

Head vs. Teeth

Who came out on top? Only you can decide!

Six Years Old

2008-07-31T11:40:00.006-05:00

The last birthday celebration ending last night, Laine can now officially be 6. She is following in the footsteps of her Aunt and drawing out her birthday for as long as possible. We had a grand weekend starting with a birthday lunch at Mellow Mushroom on Friday and Ice Cream at Central Market on Friday night. That was followed by a rockin' party at McDonald's where the kids had Happy Meals, Ice Cream, Cake and plenty of play time. Then, we had Mere, Ryan, and Blake over for dinner and Laine opened her last present and magically turned 6!

Five was a great year for Laine! She learned to read, swim, ride her bike, and has become a great helper to her mom! She has the sweetest spirit and the kindest heart, she really just wants everyone to be happy. I am so proud to be her mom.

I haven't disappeared, I just went on vacation

2008-07-27T21:04:00.002-05:00

WHEW! Today I finally got back home for good and it feels great! 10 days ago I left with the kids and my Mom and went to Ruidoso where Mere, Ryan and Blake met up with us. Then, I came home by myself (9 hour drive, mind you) with the kids so Jonathan and I could go on a couples float trip on the Comal River. Both trips were really fun. I'll focus on Ruidoso in this post. First of all, two very important family members couldn't go and that totally changed the trip, not for the better guys, Dad and Jonathan had to stay put and do adult things, like work. We went to the horse races, I lost money, we went to the Casino, we all lost money, we played in the river and looked for jewels, we shopped, ate, played, laughed, all the things you're supposed to do on a trip. We even went to the Flying J Ranch one evening, that is not something we would normally do as my Dad shys away from anything in Ruidoso that does not include hiking, hiking or hiking and maybe some biking. It was fun, especially for the kids, and the shows before and after dinner were really entertaining. Our friends the Bixby's treated all of us, so thanks a bunch to them for an excellent night!

Horse races, no horse pictures though.

The hike Dad would have hated, don't laugh at my hat, but it was a good one for little legs.The Ware family at the Flying JThis last picture is a snapshot of my sister doing something that made me laugh really hard. She was on a type of bungee apparatus and was attempting to do a flip, she wasn't successful but it wasn't because she didn't try. I'll have to let her give the details from her perspective, I'm sure we'll all be able to laugh right along at her.