tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35451523349790220182024-03-20T00:24:27.079-07:00the williams familyWilliams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.comBlogger277125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-84126827029856381972015-11-01T18:36:00.001-08:002015-11-01T18:36:14.465-08:00"Play to me, son! Play to me!"Name that movie?<br />
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Band is in full swing for Lucas these days. Parades, football games, pumpkin regattas. You name it, they can play at it. He is in two bands this year so every other day he plays for at least 3 hours just in classes. I decided to record some of his practice.<br />
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They played at our community pumpkin carnival where people hollow out gigantic pumpkins and race them, in costume, around the Tualatin lake. Hilarious. They had a ton of games, pumpkin decorating, food carts, vendors, crafts, etc. Jonah was in heaven!<br />
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The video isn't very good. I'm kneeling on the ground with a dancing Jonah constantly bumping up against me. <br />
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Footballs are over but basketball season will be here plus the musical. Between his euphonium and the drums, he's playing all the time. Love it.Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-15029211426834457752015-10-04T20:13:00.001-07:002015-10-04T20:13:28.028-07:00I am aghast.<br />We had the elders over for dinner for the first
time since they've been moved into our ward and we got to talking about
their families. Somehow it was mentioned both their mothers had just
turned 40, like a month or two ago. That means I COULD BE THEIR
MOTHER!! That means I am OLDER THAN THE ELDER'S MOTHERS!! <br /><br />Granted,
both of them are the oldest child and one literally just graduated from
high school in June but oh. my. goodness. I mean of course the math
works but with the facts laid out before me, I was floored. It was a
first for me but obviously not the last. <br /><br />Anyway, I just felt the need to tell you all how much this little, old lady loves you all! <br /><br />Before I'm dead.<br /><br />natiWilliams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-52279285490144050112015-10-04T19:32:00.000-07:002015-10-04T19:32:19.324-07:00Summer CondensedIt's October. It's getting colder but we've been blessed with a very sunny and dry fall. I personally love it when Mother Nature hears my plea to not turn on the faucet yet.<br />
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This turned into quite the epistle. But I'm summing up three months so even though it's a long post, I know I skimming over all our activities. <br />
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This was the first year we participated in our neighborhood's 4th of July Parade. There was actually about 300 people who participated! Who knew?! We've spent every year with Genet's family since we've moved up to the NW plus it's her birthday. But they ditched us this year :) so we had to go. It was stifling hot but Jonah had a blast! Aaron actually put the GoPro on his head and it's hilarious! It's like being inside this kid's head. He hummed to himself the entire time, giving every moment it's own theme music. You hear him talking to strangers, complimenting them on their costumes, threatening curses upon the families of our friends who shot silly string at him. Hilarious!<br />
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Lucas got his learner's permit! Big deal over here. Luckily he's a great driver and we've haven't had any dents. So far.<br />
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We had many trips out to the coast this summer. Our favorite was during our Williams Family Reunion. The TX Williams plus Mom & Dad came out for a week and we got to play!<br />
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We love cousins! <br />
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My boys. <br />
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The day was windy but beautiful and topped off with a yummy dinner together at Mo's. (I know Aaron took a lot more pictures but this is all I have on my computer and I knew if I didn't just put up the few I had, I would never post waiting to collect better pictures.) We had such a wonderful time together. <br />
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Lucas and Aaron went on high adventure together this year, hiking about 40 miles in Eastern Oregon mountains. It was probably one of the hardest things Lucas has ever done but ended up being a good experience and I'm so happy Aaron could go for the first few days. He left at 5:45am on Wednesday morning, hiked 2.5 hours, had a flat tire on the van and drove all day to try and make it for Ethan's baptism that night and missed it by an hour. He was so disappointed to miss his big day!<br />
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Mid August I took the boys down to AZ to visit our newest niece, Daphne. Amanda and Geoff now have 4 girls and life is all pink princesses and girl drama. I love it! They are the sweetest family and I loved playing with the girlies and getting my baby fix in. Lucas was a natural.<br />
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Katherine, the oldest, with creativity oozing from every pore drew portraits of each of as a welcome. All Jonah could say was, "Those are the creepiest things I have ever seen!" We're working on tact with that one.<br />
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We drew pictures, played princesses, went swimming, spent the night up in Prescott, ate a lot of yummy take out and ran errands. Jonah and Katherine, both alphas, played so well together in the beginning while it tended to deteriorate a little as the week went on. But they found common ground in their make-believe worlds and it was hilarious to hear of all the adventures they went on together.<br />
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We drove out to Grasshopper Point one day to escape the heat. The non-existent rocky trail made it very difficult to get all the kiddos plus gear out to the water but once we were settled, it was perfect. Shallow water for the little ones plus rock and crevices to explore while we watched the cliff jumpers on the other side.<br />
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Nana and Papa met us out there to romp around. There are awesome and really get in there playing with all the grand kids. My mom especially loves the water! That's the Arizona kid in her.<br />
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Jonah has no fear and always goes full steam ahead no matter the situation. We had to rein him in as he tried to cross the river himself. He loves to explore and Papa took him on an adventure, stalking through the trees and bringing back cold drinks for us all from the car. They were our heroes! <br />
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Lucas got some great reading time in the perfect place. </div>
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He also was the sweetest cousin, playing with the girls and looking after them. Genevieve became his little sidekick and sure loved him! <br />
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We of course made the obligatory trip to In 'n Out. Aaron was jealous.<br />
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We had planned to drive out the Redwoods at the end of August but plans changed due to a new facebook project for Aaron at work and training for my new job. So we decided to just go out to Florence, Oregon on the coast and the sand dunes we didn't even know existed. It was awesome!<br />
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We stopped by the Oregon State Fair on $.25 day and had a blast checking out all the 4H animals, riding rides and eating elephant ears.<br />
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Discussing the universe. <br />
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We then drove out to the coast where Aaron hand fed a very bold seagull. <br />
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We stopped at Thor's Well, one thing on our Oregon bucket list. <br />
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We decided to go the Seal Cave which is actually quite an amazing place if only there were seals. Apparently we went off season, but we have vouchers to come back in January to come when 100's of seals are there to breed. The pictures of the seals were amazing though. :) <br />
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Oregon really is gorgeous. And the weather couldn't have been more perfect. <br />
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We went miniature golfing, go carting, bumper boats, and the highlight dune buggies! Aaron brought his GoPro so he has all the pictures and video. I'll have to get them to post. It was a blast! Jonah was is the front seat whooping and hollering the whole time while a father in back of us started puking from the motion and was sicker than a dog for second half of the ride. Poor guy! But we will definitely do it again!<br />
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Something about this pose Jonah loves... <br />
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Aaron planned a weekend getaway at a bed and breakfast in Newport for my birthday last May and we finally took went in August. We had smores on the beach, late movies, hikes up to the lighthouse, afternoons reading in front of our beautiful view and the local quilt show. <br />
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This was our view from the bed and our afternoons reading. The Friesses watched our boys and we love cousin sleep overs! Jonah and I only threw up once from a little stomach bug passed through the Williams reunion. But no biggie. <br />
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September brought school much to the chagrin of the boys. Lucas started 10th grade and is playing in all sorts of bands this year. Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, marching band, pep band and will try out for the pit in the winter musical. He also has been rocking out on the drum kit and convinced us to take lessons. We have a local teacher just one neighborhood over so that might start soon.<br />
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He's taking a lot of advanced classes and loves US History and seminary the best. He's thinking about becoming a psychologist when he gets older. Hmm, I wonder where he gets that?! (My mother and my two sisters all got their masters in counseling, social work and guidance counseling while I got my BS in psychology.)<br />
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My favorite.<br />
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Jonah started 1st grade with a brand new teacher to the school, Senora O'Connor. He's has a rough beginning getting in trouble for hitting and messing around to the utmost frustration to his parents. But after our 2nd conference with the teacher she said she noticed a pattern of things only happening in the afternoons. We talked about his eating habits and that maybe low blood sugar could play a part in his behavior. He's always gone crazier instead of lethargic when his blood sugar gets low. She now will set a aside a time for him to sit in the hall for him to have an afternoon snack. I truly think this will make a huge difference. I hope. Other than some behavior incidences, he does great with the Spanish and loves math.<br />
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Jonah is also playing on his first soccer team this year and it's been a real learning experience. I've seen a lot of improvements in his ball handling and getting himself into the fray to kick the ball. I have to smile as he's the only one I've ever known to sing "Go, go Power Rangers!" as he runs down the field! <br />
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In bigger news, my parents have received their mission call to Central America Mission Area. My dad will be the area auditor and my mom was called the be the mental health advocate, basically a counselor to missionaries. They leave on Jan 18 and then will live near church's Central America headquarters in Guatemala City but will be traveling all over like <span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">to El Salvador, Costa Rica, Belize, etc</span></span>. They've been dedicating every minute practicing Spanish and Aaron has been giving them weekly lessons. It's unusual for both missionaries to have a specific calling but if anyone could handle it, it's them! I'm so sad they are leaving but happy about their dedicated service.<br />
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Overall
we are happy and busier than ever. I started a new job at the
elementary school as a Title 1 teacher, teaching basic reading skills to
K-2nd graders. I do a few groups in English but a few in Spanish as
well. I love being at the school and I work with a fabulous group of
women. I'm only there for 3.75 hours a day and am done by 12pm. I've
found I manage my time so much better when I'm busy and I find I'm much more productive the rest of my day. I've made a new habit of getting up before the boys to study my scriptures and that has made all the difference.<br />
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Aaron has been traveling more for work lately and will be gone all this next week, being in 4 cities in 4 days. He works so hard, both at his job and for us. Love that man. We just celebrated our 17th anniversary of our first date. Cannot believe it.<br />
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I am once again setting the goal of posting our family history at least once a month. We'll see how it goes. Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-20427301171447987422015-07-11T22:12:00.000-07:002015-07-11T22:12:11.465-07:00The dark future of my grandkids<div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">Last Sunday while Aaron and Lucas were collecting fast offerings, Jonah got bored with me and started bugging me about not being able to watch TV. I was checking my robin emails and decided to type out his rant in real time. Here’s literally how it went….</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">“How can you kill my dream?! If you don’t let me follow my dream, I will just do the same thing with my kids and they will be miserable too. Do you hear me? Do not let my dream die! You have no other choice. You have to do this for my kids. You made this rule and you are the only one that can change it. If you don’t, you won’t have any other chance to save my children. I am not lying about this, I’m not even joking... Stop laughing! It’s not funny. My kids will never be allowed to watch TV and it will be your fault. Come on, Mom, or my kids future will never, ever, ever, ever, ever exist. I want their future to be light, not dark. I told you, no laughing!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">(He left for a moment but came back downstairs full steam to teach me the difference between light and dark with an object lesson using two balloons he got from the 4th of July parade. If he puts with dark balloon into his bucket, his kids future will be dark. It will be my fault. His kids will not be allowed to watch TV on Sunday just like him.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"> “I’m putting the dark balloon in the bucket, Mom. Only you can stop it. It’s dark Mom, you made it dark! I wanedt them to be happy….(he decided to take a new approach)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">EVERYONE’s future is living in this balloon. Do you want everyone’s future to be dark and miserable? You want everyone to be light right?…. Dark!?! Mom! That’s not what I had planned. My kid’s future will stay dark forever! What have you done, Mom?! What have you done?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">Aaron and Lucas came home at this point and relieved me of his rant. I guess I have doomed my grandkids to a dark and miserable future of no TV watching on Sunday. I pray someday they might find it in their hearts to forgive me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">Second story, JB and I went to Costco today and he asked to walk by the cakes. We started singing “Happy Birthday” and he kept changing it around for his own version. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">“This is how I will always sing Happy Birthday. Even when I have my kids I will sing it this way. Like, I will sing my kid’s name. Let’s call her Laura.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">So he sings his version of Happy Birthday using Laura as the name. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">“We will HAVE to sing it that way forever.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">I ask just to see what he’d say, "What if your wife doesn’t want to sing it that way? What if she wants to sing it differently?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">He thinks for a minute, “Well…I guess I’m just gonna have to be flexible.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">WHOA! Jonah, flexible?! Aah, he’s growing up right before my eyes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"><br />And he’s sure fixated on his own kids lately! What’s up with that?</span></div>
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Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-527482012540694162015-06-25T07:58:00.002-07:002015-06-25T07:58:41.067-07:00Cotton, The Fertility Dog<br />
We had been threatening it for months. Cotton had become a grumpy, incontinent old man who wore diapers and nipped at little kids. We had gone to the vet to see what could be done and they couldn't find anything really wrong with him. He still loved walks, treats, snuggling and barking at anything that moved in front of our house. But last Thursday he hurt something (we still don't know what) while the boys walked him and it just got worse as the day went on. By that evening, he couldn't hardly move and yelped when we tried to move him. It was so hard to see him in so much pain. Aaron and I looked at each other and knew it was time. We talked to Lucas and JB, prayed as a family and made a vet appointment for the next morning. Again, we'd talked about it, joked about it, threatened it for months, but when it came right down to it, losing Cotton was absolutely heartbreaking. <br />
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I felt like this was a "daddy job" and Aaron thought this was a "mommy job" and neither of us wanted the job, so we went together. And it was heartbreaking. Neither of us had ever done anything like that before and it was awful but peaceful. <br />
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My sister and her family adopted Cotton as a puppy for their 5 year old since they hadn't been able to have more kids. Right after they got him, she got pregnant with their 2nd son. When they had their 3rd, she was ready for a break and I wanted a dog for Lucas. 3 months after we got Cotton, I got pregnant with Jonah after 8 years of trying. Thus the name, Cotton The Fertility Dog, stuck and he's been part of the family for almost 12 years. <br />
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We'll take his ashes to be buried at his most favorite place on the earth, the Gunson (Mark's family) property up at Camp Sherman near Sisters, where he has gone camping for Mark's family reunion every year. And we'll have a sweet, little memorial for our sweet little puppy. May he rest in peace.<br />
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<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("data:image/png; border: medium none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 538px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-20267515954154353472015-06-14T15:38:00.001-07:002015-06-14T15:38:35.004-07:00Family Update May 2015This last month has been busy and wonderful. Lots of endings but great beginnings.<br />
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Jonah is officially a first grader and was truly sad kindergarten was ending. He had a great year, a great teacher and especially a great teacher's assistant! He finished his first year in a dual language program and it has been the perfect fit for him. He has an ear for languages just like his dad and got the highest score in his class on his verbal assessment. It's fun to see him succeed and love to hear him speak Spanish. His math and reading have taken off as well. Aaron teases him that he is NOT allowed to read because he is NOT old enough. So every time Jonah reads a street sign, book, some word somewhere Aaron gives him a hard time, spurning Jonah on to read more and more. It's been a fun game for him. He loves to prove us wrong. He has a summer filled with sport camps, learning to ride his two wheeler, lots of cousins and swimming at the pool. Should be fabulous!<br />
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Here's little of the kid's groove during his Kindergarten Olympics. <br />
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Lucas finished his freshman year in high school, folks. Yep, he is old. His last few weeks were filled with finals, presentations, band concerts and playing in a parade. (Thank you Mark for sleeping on the parade route so we would have such perfect seats! You get MVP of the whole parade. I know it meant a lot to Lucas that you guys were there!) It's so fun to see him love something and be a part of such a great activity. He'll be playing to two bands next year, plus pep band and marching band. He's so excited! He'll be getting his drivers permit (hopefully) this week, so traffic beware. He has a long way to go before I'll let him on busier roads than our neighborhood, but he'll be a good driver in the end. He is cautious and smart. He has a packed summer filled with EFY in Tacoma with his cousin and best friend, Trek, 50 miler for scouts, plus hopefully working on his eagle project. Add family visits, a trip to the coast, a week in Arizona and a road trip to the Redwoods, and summer will fly by for him!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncle Mark holding JB up to see Lucas' band coming. I only have videos after that and the blog isn't letting me upload them </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our sign for Lucas on the parade route that there was no way he could see because he was marching in the middle of the band. But here's proof!</td></tr>
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I turned 40 this last month and it's been fabulous! For whatever reason, 35 was harder for me. Like I was a true adult by 35 and I didn't feel ready? I don't know. Anyway, Aaron planned a wonderful day. My parents came into town to help celebrate so the girls went and got their nails done then out to lunch. That night Aaron threw a perfect party. It was catered by our favorite Indian restaurant and my cousins, my aunt and uncle and friends plus of course my parents plus Genet and Mark and family came to celebrate with pakoras and chicken mahkani. We ended the night with chocolate cake and a slide show my sister put together. I couldn't have asked for a better night! Thank you everyone!<br />
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My job in Jonah's class is officially over and that makes me sad. It's been a true blessing in my life and something I didn't even know I needed. I decided I really need to up my Spanish game so I'm setting a goal to study this summer. Not sure what that's going to look like yet, but it's in the works. I'm going to reapply for something in the fall, as a teacher's assistant again or maybe as a Title 1 teacher. I want to keep it part time so we'll see if I can find a good fit. There's a lot I can do at the school as I figure out if I want to go back to school to get a masters. I'm still not sure. It feels so daunting to me!<br />
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Aaron is awesome as always. He's been traveling a bit to New York City, San Francisco and of course Seattle but work is going well. Aaron landed the company a few projects with Facebook and their company is growing every month. He's going the first part of the High adventure 50 miler and he's more than ready. He runs regularly and is in good shape (though he doesn't think so). He's been gathering emergency preparedness supplies these few months and I'm sure we're ready for the zombie apocalypse. He enjoys reading, by himself and to the boys, and loved having a few minutes to nap and read out at the property this weekend.<br />
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Summer activities are well underway. We just got back from camping at my brother-in-law's family property near Sisters. We celebrated Aaron's birthday and enjoyed a few gorgeous days. (Thank you Friesses! We sure love you guys!) We have a Williams family reunion tentatively planned in July and then I'm taking the boys to AZ in August to help out and see our newest niece who is making an appearance in a few weeks. I told them they gotta stop having their babies in July! And they agreed. 4 girls is enough. :) We're also taking the boys to see the Redwoods in northern California to be able to check that off my bucket list.<br />
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We sure love our family and appreciate the sharing of "facts" no matter how difficult. We can only then know how to help and pray for each other. And we do sure pray! There is power in faithful prayer, letting the Lord know the desires of our hearts. And may you each feel His love and strength as you go through these trials of mortality. Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-22987541104461665872015-05-05T21:26:00.000-07:002015-05-05T21:51:43.974-07:00Freaking out a bit.<div style="text-align: center;">
I always said when Jonah wanted to cut his hair short I'd let him. </div>
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Well, he asked tonight. </div>
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He really wanted to it. </div>
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And I was in a mood and actually agreed. </div>
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I now have very mixed feelings and there's not a thing I can do about it.</div>
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His cheeks grew 3 sizes!</div>
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He LOVES it and that's all that really matters. </div>
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In retrospect, I really should have gone to a professional for this monumental hair cut and maybe I'd like it better. Or maybe it would throw me either way. </div>
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His signature shaggy hair is gone and it most likely never be the same again. Sigh.</div>
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I'm not sure if I like this growing up stuff.</div>
Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-59636898349928354232014-08-12T11:29:00.001-07:002014-08-12T11:29:25.177-07:00Bound for BerthoudBetween family reunions and EFY down in Utah, we decided to take a little jaunt east-erly.<br />
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(A friend suggested posting a few pictures so anyone who wanted to can see the pictures of the Adams new stomping ground! I know they have lots of Portland friends.)<br />
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Jody and I met when we were called to work in Cub Scouts together 3 years ago. <br />
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Aah, the sweet memories.<br />
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We became fast friends, both being new to the area, and our friendship was sealed when we found our HUSBANDS finishing each others sentences. Eerie, really.<br />
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They sadly moved away this spring to new job, new schools, new house and new life. :(<br />
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We decided since we were "so close" in Utah we might as well take a few days to go for a visit.<br />
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We had a very troubled start with our car's air conditioning conking out a few days earlier. With no one being able to fix it in time, we decided to rent a car, making the space a little cramped for Lucas, Jonah and our nephew Jackson.<br />
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Also, Jonah tends to get a little car sick any time we travel over two hours. Have I mentioned that? Or if we are driving Provo Canyon with all the twists and curves. (One early morning driving from Heber to Provo to see the hot balloon take offs, Jonah leaned over and puked all over his cousin Bennett. Missed himself entirely but dunked his oh-so-patient cousin.)<br />
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So this morning we were trying to get Jonah to take his Dramamine as we drove out
of town. Didn't go so well. He gagged on the medicine and threw up.
That just seemed to prime the pump. By the time we made it to Heber
(normally 20 minutes through the canyon), it had taken us an hour and
the poor kid had thrown up 4 times. We almost gave up and just went
back home.<br />
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But a stroll around Walmart and a dose of Dramamine later, he was good to go.<br />
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The lovely images of side-of-the-road upchucking.<br />
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So, a few hours behind schedule and one speeding ticket later (not mine :), we finally pulled into Berthoud, Colorado and the corn fields where our friends had moved. It lays north of Denver, south of Loveland.<br />
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Below is a picture of the road toward their neighborhood. You can see a small collection of houses wa-ay off in the distance, directly in the center of the picture. That is the Adam's new subdivision!<br />
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I didn't get any pictures of their home, but it is a beautiful brand new place that fits their family comfortably. <br />
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But I did get the view from their back deck.<br />
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I couldn't get over how peaceful it felt and how beautiful it was. This is definitely big sky country!<br />
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Did I mention they get around 300 days of sun each year?? (I just don't know if I'll ever become a real Northwest girl and love our 300 days of grey rain.)<br />
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They go out the back, hunting gophers and snakes with their air rifle enjoying the space and room to roam. Jody said the only drawback is that they are 10 minutes from anything: church, stores, schools, anything. But I thought it would be well worth the drive to enjoy that view.<br />
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Our first day we took all the kids to the lake. It was perfect weather and the kids had a blast.<br />
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The kids took turns burying each other.<br /><br />
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Jonah thought it was the best thing ever!<br />
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Racing out to the buoys.<br />
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Saturday we went downtown to the Denver Aquarium where the sharks and mermaids were plentiful. Plus one random tiger. <br />
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We miss these cute girls! They showed me their box of sticker earrings and we wore our "Girl Club" earrings all weekend, we read books and they showed me where they put everything in their new room.<br />
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Here's my one picture of the boys, and not even all the boys! I did a very poor job documenting our trip. I know Jody took more pictures but I didn't get very many.</div>
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We got to go to their new ward and everyone was so friendly. It's small and I'm sure appreciate such a large, wonderful family!<br />
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We left in time to get Lucas and his cousin Jack to EFY in Provo. <br />
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Driving north out of town.<br />
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Good friends and a great visit. They are missed! But I guess it's nice to know they love their new stomping grounds. I guess.<br />
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We got Dramamine into JB before the drive this time and it kicked it pretty fast.<br />
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Luckily not one upchuck all the back to Utah.<br />
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<br />Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-61016761227580729822014-07-30T11:57:00.002-07:002014-07-30T11:57:40.133-07:00Life & Times #8We just got back from a month long visit to Utah. I'll post about family reunions, EFY, and a quick jaunt down to Colorado later. But we had a few car sickness adventures that reminded me one particular incident I will never forget...<br />
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Almost every summer growing up we would drive from Chicago to Utah to visit my grandparents. I have the best memories of picking raspberries in their backyard for morning cereal, Grandpa J making fresh squeezed orange juice, walking around BYU campus, Grandma Jackson reading us "Keeko," the matching animal towels and wash cloths, dancing to the Peter Pan and Bambi soundtrack on their record player. I could go on and on. They were wonderful trips!<br />
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We drove these trips. All 24 hours of it. And my mom was the master car trip planner. She always had fun snacks we
didn't have at other times, small surprises like Mad Libs or Pez when
we hit the half way mark and her famous Herman the Worm stories. This
worm always tagged along on our summer trips and had adventure after
adventure with the Jackson clan. Ask her next time you see her to do
her Herman voice. You'll love it!!<br />
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We had a station wagon for the first years and my mom made foam pads so one adult could fully lay out and sleep while the other drove until they switched. They liked to drive all night but I got car sick every single year when I woke up in the morning. The worst.<br />
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This trip I was 15 or 16 and we had moved on to a mini van. We were in the middle of Nowhere, USA. Plains of Nebraska or corn fields of Iowa. Can't remember.<br />
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We had gotten back in the car after lunch with my sister Genet and I in the back seat of the mini van. We had gone maybe 20 minutes and we got to laughing about something. I have no idea what it was about but we got the giggles and couldn't stop. One of those times that just got funnier the more you laughed.<br />
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In the midst of laughing I slipped forward on the car seat and fell down in the small space between the back of the front bench and seat of the back bench. But my knees got pushed up to my chest, so I got stuck folded in half between the two seats with mt knees at my chin.. Really stuck. And we just laughed harder and harder because I couldn't get out. We thought it was hilarious and couldn't stop laughing.<br />
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Well, remember we had just stopped for lunch about 20 minutes earlier. I had a full stomach. And apparently laughing so hard you could pee your pants and getting stuck in such a squished position does not lend itself well to holding down said lunch. And so amid the laughter I started to throw up. All. over. myself. And yet still I could not stop laughing. Genet was laughing so hard she could hardly get the words out, "She's throwing up! She's throwing up!"<br />
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My dad pulled to the side of the highway and Genet had to grab some part of me not covered in vomit so she could pull help un-stick me. It was beyond disgusting yet we still couldn't stop laughing. I finally made it out of the van and on to the side of the highway, covered in my lunch.<br />
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Now these were the olden days where we kept all our luggage in a hard plastic car top that wasn't too easy to get in an out of. There were locks and matching up slots and steel poles. Not an easy feat on a normal day let alone on the side of the highway. Plus we were in the middle of nowhere and having just stopped for lunch no one wanted to stop again. So that meant I had no clean clothes to put on.<br />
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On the side of the highway,Genet held up a blanket while my sweet mother helped me removed the awful clothes and I got to travel the rest of the afternoon wrapped in a blanket. Not my proudest moment. But now I got a pretty great laugh from my boys as I told of the time I puked all over myself. And in the long run, that's what really matters. Others getting a kick out of your humiliation. :)<br />
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Speaking of humiliation, I'll leave you with just one of the pictures we have of Jonah ready to lose his own lunch on the side of the highway. Poor kid.<br />
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<br />Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-74483624712091165632014-07-26T13:09:00.000-07:002014-07-26T21:11:47.761-07:00Chip off the ol' Block<div style="text-align: center;">
Jonah had a GREAT time at the Emergency Fair last night.</div>
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Yep. He full-on lays one on her at the end. :)</div>
Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-27892099278067344932014-06-30T10:39:00.000-07:002014-06-30T10:39:24.266-07:00Life & Times #7Summers between semesters of college, my sisters and I would come home from BYU to work. We were blessed with a dad who worked at Motorola and who could help us get jobs with the summer intern program. I got to work as an admin in International Human Resources for three summers. It was a small group of 4 women and then me doing whatever copying, filing, typing proposals, etc they needed. It was actually interesting to see how the company planned and compensated those employees they sent to work out of the country or who they invited to come to the States. I couldn't have asked for a better summer job.<br />
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(Sitting here typing, I remember when my sister and I went to get our mandatory drug testing before that first summer. Easy, right? Just pee in a cup. Well, I get pee-fright (it's real thing) and could not for the life of me produce anything. The lady was NOT patient with me and just said to keep drinking water and to try again. After an hour or so, the nice lady knew I was hiding something but said I would just have to come in a different time. Resigned to having to go through this stupid ordeal again, we left. Only we got about 5 minutes from the building before I had to relieve myself of the gallon of water I had just drunk. I was in so much pain, we had to stop at a gas station during the 10 minute drive home.)<br />
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Anyway, one summer day I decided to run home for lunch and grab something to eat. Our house was only 10 minutes away but this time I was running a little late, so I ran inside, ate something quickly with my mom and ran out to get back.<br />
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Only...my car wasn't in the driveway where I left it. What?? I was sure I had parked right next to the walkway but there was now NO CAR. I checked the garage just in case I had somehow parked there without remembering it? No luck. It hit me, "Someone stole my car!"<br />
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I began to walk around in a daze wondering who in the world would steal my car when I noticed two tire tracks at the end of the driveway. Two tire tracks that led into the grass and down the lawn. Two tire tracks that led through the backyard and right out into the pond that lay 50 yards beyond!<br />
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Apparently in my haste, I had forgotten to pull the emergency brake and apparently there was JUST BARELY enough of an incline to the driveway that the car rolled by itself to edge of the grass where it picked up momentum and launched itself down the hill and into, yep, the pond.<br />
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This is where I found it.<br />
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My mom and I called my dad who came home from work and called a tow truck. My parents handled it all very calmly and didn't make me feel too stupid. :)<br />
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I had to get back to work so I didn't see the rescue but my parents told me when the tow truck driver pulled up, he said this wasn't the first time he pulled a car out of this pond! We found out later that earlier that year he had towed out our stake president's car! His family lived down the road from us and kept a canoe under our deck to use on the water. We were out of town but he had come over to check on the canoe and parked right at the top of our driveway, and before he knew what was happening, his car was coasting down toward the water. Our neighbor saw it happening and called out to his wife, but she didn't believe him because he was hung over from the night before. :)<br />
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Anyway when it was all said and done, I was beyond lucky! The damage could have been much worse. When the car rolled it actually swerved to miss the gazebo and swerved AGAIN to miss the dock at the edge of the pond! Plus it hadn't rained in a few weeks so the water was super low. The car ran into 10 inches of mud instead of the 3-4 feet of water that is usually there. Our stake president had major water damage and a foot of water/mud to clean out of the inside. This time the tow truck pulled it out of the pond, hosed it off and drove it back up to the driveway. There was no damage at all! Like I said, I was beyond lucky!<br />
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My not-to-scale, very rudimentary, very awful depiction of the events.<br />
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My dad had sent the Pond Picture to me last year saying it was one of his favorite stories. I'm so glad. It could have been a very expensive event for me! Luckily, luck was on my side.Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-72200886103684094842014-06-25T10:42:00.003-07:002014-06-25T10:47:36.081-07:00My sweetie turned 40!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialMxdnmkOlCsg3ppgwtt14f4IDf5FJKcB5tzaJLiomPMW3aFLhgSGCek5L8SCrBXecaevU0lZPC0zdDqxhEkuv8iGmvjAHaOnTZwWNOXMBI82gotupAMkq6m8WjSf6-c0_Rk5r0zW7qI/s1600/DSC_1509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialMxdnmkOlCsg3ppgwtt14f4IDf5FJKcB5tzaJLiomPMW3aFLhgSGCek5L8SCrBXecaevU0lZPC0zdDqxhEkuv8iGmvjAHaOnTZwWNOXMBI82gotupAMkq6m8WjSf6-c0_Rk5r0zW7qI/s1600/DSC_1509.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a><br />
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1. He's the perfect guy to have at parties.<br />
2. He is super frugal when it comes to himself.<br />
3. But also is the most generous person I know when it comes to other people.<br />
4. His crazy perfectly compliments my crazy so he knows how to support and encourage me.<br />
5. He has big hands that make mine disappear when he holds them.<br />
6. He is usually the first one to apologize after an argument, no matter who's fault is is.<br />
7. He's patient & supportive with all my crazy projects even when he doesn't see the vision.<br />
8. He is righteous man who follows Christ and serves diligently in every calling he has ever had.<br />
9. He is a gifted teacher and knows how to draw out a good discussion.<br />
10. He can talk in almost every accent from around the world.<br />
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11. He is not one who waits for an invitation to serve. He sees a need & gets to work.<br />
12. He can do "Magic String" with his face.<br />
13. He served a righteous mission in Buenos Aires. <br />
14. He takes the boys swimming every week even when I just sit on the sidelines. (Cold water phobia. It's a real thing.)<br />
15. He has read to Lucas every night since he was a baby. Still does.<br />
16. He took over putting Jonah to bed so they could start reading together every night.<br />
17. He has a cute crooked smile.<br />
18. He came from a wonderful family who I love dearly.<br />
19. He rocks at Trivial Pursuit and is a Scrabble king.<br />
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20. He is one fabulous kisser.<br />
21. He is always telling me I'm gorgeous and makes me feel beautiful, no matter what condition I'm in.<br />
22. He plays board games with our family even though he doesn't like them all that much.<br />
23. He has some pretty awesome dance moves.<br />
24. He irons.<br />
25. He has a mind for movie quotes and he's passed on that talent to both our two boys.<br />
26. He picked my mother up and twirled her over his shoulder the first weekend he met her, thus adding a whole new dynamic to our family.<br />
27. He was my rock throughout all our years of infertility treatments.<br />
28. He likes to flirt with older ladies.<br />
29. He's a mama's boy and still calls to talk to her regularly.<br />
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30. He works tirelessly to support our family, even at times when he has hated his job.<br />
31. He's a talker of feelings and all things relationship.<br />
32. He's always there to do the heavy lifting in my home projects.<br />
33. He is the mighty wrestler of our boys.<br />
34. He leads our family in scripture study, FHE, prayers & service.<br />
35. He takes me to the temple on our dates and works hard to live his covenants<br />
36. He is aware of his weaknesses and faults and makes goals to help overcome them.<br />
37. He makes some mean scrambled eggs.<br />
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38. He is my greatest supporter and cheerleader, always encouraging me. My best friend.<br />
39. He has unwavering testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, His gospel and His church.<br />
40. He is wonderful father who is teaching our boys how to work hard, to serve the Lord and how to be men.<br />
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Love this old man of mine.Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-88093628930637559152014-06-21T15:22:00.000-07:002014-06-21T15:22:09.308-07:00My husband is a saintI've wanted to make over the dining room for awhile. And I wanted to start with a new table. We've loved the one we have. Just an IKEA wood table we bought 7-8 years ago. It's held up very well but I just wanted a change. I searched around for a new table and every one I wanted was WAY more than I wanted to pay for it.<br />
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So, I decided I was going to make one. (Of course you did. As my sister would say :) I found instructions for a sturdy farm house table, started pricing wood, etc. And then I thought I really just wanted to do a different table top.<br />
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Anyway, to make a long story short, after talking to Aaron about it, we decided to use the table we had and just add a new table top. So much easier!!<br />
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We were going to make one that lifted off the existing table but then that got to be too much and too heavy, so the new top went straight onto the old one.<br />
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I already knew what I wanted to do. A herringbone design. So off to Home Depot I went to get wood, glue, sandpaper, etc.<br />
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I measured out the table and wood as best I could (me and my math skills) and then just went for it. Aaron helped cut the wood since the table saw makes me nervous. I hate it when the wood kicks back and flies of the table if you're not doing it just right.<br />
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Then came the fun part.<br />
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I got out my handy nail gun I got for Christmas the year before. Yippee!<br />
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And I basically just keep nailing until I covered the entire table. Some angles got the teeniest bit off, so I had to fill the cracks in with slivers of wood and putty. <br />
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Then came the messy part. Sanding. This table is big and heavy so we just kept it in the dining room while I worked on it. So now I hung sheets over the doorways hoping to keep some of the sawdust out of the rest of the house.<br />
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I sanded and sanded. And then Aaron cut off the edges of the nailed pieces of wood to line up with the edges of the real table. I tried but I couldn't keep my lines straight! I added strips of 2 x 1/4 in to the sides to cover up the line between the two tops.<br />
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Now came the scary part. I chose poplar because of price and variation of the wood but it is notoriously hard to stain just right. I thought I could handle it but now that the time came I knew I was just going to mes it up.<br />
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This is where my husband's patience comes in. I started this table in....yikes. I just looked up when I took that first picture and it was Jan 17th, folks. That's how long our dining room has been out of commission! Ok, I've been done a few weeks now but still! My sweetie is a saint and was just supportive as I figured out what I was going to do.<br />
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And I warn everyone that was where my own, personal Crazy started peeking. <br />
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1. Tried "Driftwood" stain to bleach it out and add grey. The look I was going for.<br />
2. One coat, waited two days, second coat. And don't like it. Just looks dirty, mottled, messy.<br />
3. Sand everything down. And set it aside for a week to come up with Plan B. (Yes, I did test it in a smaller piece of wood.)<br />
4. Decided to change look completely and go for a dark brown finish.<br />
5. Stain looked great! But you totally lost the pattern I had worked so hard to make. Waited a few days, still didn't like it. Didn't take a picture.<br />
8. Sanded it all down.<br />
9. With the two different stains and sandings, the top actually looked like I wanted it! Happy mistakes!<br />
10. Polyurethaned it to finish, seal and protect.<br />
11. Poly completely drew out all the yellow. So nothing looked grey or bleached out anymore, just yellow.<br />
12. Found out most poly's did that.<br />
13. Found a "non-yellowing" poly finish.<br />
14. Sanded everything down again.<br />
15. Used the non-yellowing finish on the table. All the yellow was again showing up on the wood!<br />
16. Decided "I hate this table." And just left it<br />
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Aaron loved it. Or atleast said he did because was as done with this table as I was. I painted the legs a dark grey because that's what I had in the garage and then I decided I didn't care anymore and left it. <br />
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For about a month....but in the back of my head, I just didn't like it. It's not what I had in my head and after mulling it over for a few weeks, I decided I didn't want
to leave it when it wasn't what I wanted. <br />
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I know. It's my Crazy. <br />
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I knew enough to wait until Aaron went out of town for two days so he didn't have to see this crazy. And yes, I sanded it all down a.g.a.i.n. No judging. I am aware.<br />
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I decided to color my own wax from a stain I had and just used wax. And I now love it! No, the wax isn't as durable as polyurethane, but I'm not caring at this point.<br />
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Aaron handled it perfectly and just smiled when he got home and said he loved it too. <br />
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I know it's not everyone's taste but I love it and when I get the whole dining room together, I'm thinking it'll all look great.<br />
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I have these whites Eames-knock off chairs I want to put in here with upholstered end chairs.<br />
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I also painted the room again. From a beigey-green to white. Changed out the chandelier (which is a whole other story) and added curtains so far. (I still need to hem them.) I want to do a paneled wall and add art work but that comes in stages. I've moved on right now. We painted and decorated on of the guest bedrooms and I painted the playroom, which had paint test patches on it for two years.<br />
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Anyway, back to the table. I like that it's a bit rustic, nail holes, imperfect wood, etc. </div>
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I took a long time. Longer than I ever thought. But I'm pleased and I am so grateful for my dear husband who was patient and supportive the whole time, even though we had enough sawdust in the house you'd think we rebuilt the entire dining room. <br />
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<br />
I haven't told him yet but I've a hankering for more nail gun
projects. I have a few that have been rolling around in my head for a
while.<br />
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But don't worry honey, these ones will take shorter than 4 months, I promise.Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-58207047356251525202014-06-16T11:50:00.004-07:002014-06-16T11:50:56.970-07:00I'm a fakeI kill plants. Every time. I don't know what it is. I always give them too much water. Not enough water. Too much or not enough of something. Every time.<br />
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But I keep trying anyway. This time I knew I had a lot stacked against me but I wanted pots out by the front door. Pots that would get very little direct sunlight. Like hardly any. I searched for shade plants as best I could, planted them, gave them a good watering and crossed my fingers.<br />
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<br />
I watered them every other day really well but of course it wasn't right. Everything died on me, like always. So I had a decision. <br />
<br />
- Buy more plants and keep trying to not kill them.<br />
- Don't have pots out at all.<br />
- Go fake. <br />
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I know some people are vehemently against fake plants but that is all I have in my house. I love greenery but my thumb is just not green. Not even a hint. And I'd never ventured the fake stuff out side.<br />
<br />
Then IKEA and Michael's had some cute, semi-realistic looking greenery and I said to heck with it, Fake it is.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Everything looks a little askew in this picture. I've fixed the leaves but too frustrated with my computer to upload a new picture. And before we put up our little sign, we had solicitors stopping by to chat ALL THE TIME. I had to put a stop to it. Some still stop by even with a sign.)</td></tr>
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<br />
I like it. It fits my "Set it & Forget it" mentality of plants and nothing has to come to my house to die. I consider it a win-win.<br />
<br />
I also bought a new rug and saturated it with water-proofing stuff to help keep the stains and junk down. <br />
<br />
Yep, all about low maintenance around here.Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-61200081051563095062014-06-15T10:30:00.001-07:002014-06-15T10:30:27.024-07:00Life & Times #6This story actually focuses on our little sister Amanda. She kindly gave me permission to write this one out. I would not want this story lost to our progeny. For years she couldn't talk about this incident even though we all thought it was hilarious. I guess you just don't understand unless you were the one left naked in the middle of the lake.<br />
<br />
It was a holiday of some sort and we had gone to swim in a nearby lake with close family friends. I can't remember all the details but Dads and older sibling were not there. I do remember it was cloudy and not too hot so we had Fox Lake basically to ourselves. I was 13, our friend Heather was 13 as well and Amanda was 11. We swam out a ways and played in the water. There was nobody else around and things got boring real fast, so we came up with a most fabulous idea.<br />
<br />
What if we all changed bathing suits in the dark water of the lake and then went into lunch and see who notices?! We thought we were just hi-larious. So that's what we did. We quickly did the ol' switcheroo and swam back to the shore.<br />
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Of course our mothers noticed right away and were for some reason not as amused as we were. 3 preteen daughters changing suits out in the open water? Not funny.<br />
<br />
But we were so amused with ourselves. After lunch we swam back out in the water to change back into our original suits. Both Heather and I made our hand offs without any incident but something happened with Amanda, and just like our mothers forewarned, she missed the toss and in a split second her suit was swept into the dark depths of Lake Fox. Gone.<br />
<br />
We searched and searched but that suit was no where. Being the wonderful and supportive friend and sister, Heather and I busted up laughing from shock and the hilarity of it all. But poor Amanda, the one left with nothing to put on, soon f.r.e.a.k.e.d.out. She starting hyperventilating thinking she was going to be stuck out in the lake until the cover of night and then Mom was going to kill her. We tried to comfort her and calm her down all the while trying to stop laughing ourselves. For some reason she did not see the tremendous humor we saw in our situation.<br />
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A man about 30 yards from us (one of about 5 other people at the lake) noticed how upset she was and asked if everything was ok and started to wade closer to us. Amanda yelped and dove under the water while we assured him all was well.<br />
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Amanda was NOT okay at this point and was sobbing while Heather and I debated who got to go ashore and explain to The Moms what happened. We had to decide who could keep the straightest face and look the most remorseful when we broke the news. <br />
<br />
Somehow I got picked to go in while Heather stayed to try and soothe my sister. The moms reacted about how any mom would react and were somewhere stuck between anger, righteous "I told you so" and compassion for the daughter left stranded. We had to figure out the best way to get Amanda to shore. Luckily Heather's mom had brought her suit and handed it over so I could swim it out to her.<br />
<br />
Amanda was so grateful and was finally calming down until she actually had to get out of the water realizing just how badly this woman's suit did not fit a 11 year old's body. The long straps hung past her armpits and the crotch swung down at her knees. We met her as far out as we could without soaking the towel but the sight of her having to wear this large bathing suit sent Heather and I back into fits of laughter. Amanda was just ticked at this point, traumatized and angry. She wanted nothing to do with us the rest of the day and just would not see the humor we saw in the whole event.<br />
<br />
I remember we all went to a movie that night with Heather and I relating the incident to all the other family members and my sister getting all upset again. In fact she would not talk about it for years.<br />
<br />
I'm re-reading this and realizing how mean I was! It was just so funny to me that I ignored how traumatized my sister was. I want to take this opportunity to publicly apologize to my sweet little sister. If we had to do it all over again...sorry, I probably would still laugh but not quite so raucously. <br />
<br />
I love you Amanda! You're a good sport!Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-92100599720585739112014-06-03T08:12:00.000-07:002014-06-03T08:12:06.920-07:00Life & Times #5This happened when I was a teacher at the MTC. I cannot remember which district it was or how long I was teaching, but this little snafu occurred during a vocabulary lesson.<br />
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The way vocab was taught when I was there oh-so-many years ago was that we wrote the Spanish words on the board, then while the missionaries stood, the teacher yelled each word in English or Spanish and the missionaries always repeated the word in Spanish. We yelled I guess because it kept them focused and attentive??<br />
<br />
For example: the word in this little scenario was "descanzo."<br />
<br />
I yelled out "Desanzo!"<br />
<br />
Missionaries: "Descanzo!"<br />
<br />
I would yell it in English: "To take a break or a rest!"<br />
<br />
Missionaries: "Descanzo!"<br />
<br />
Me: "Rest!"<br />
<br />
Missionaries: "Descanzo!" <br />
<br />
Me: "Break!"<br />
<br />
Missionaries: "Descanzo!"<br />
<br />
Me: "Rest!"<br />
<br />
Missionaries: "Descanzo!"<br />
<br />
Me: "BREAST!"<br />
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Missionaries: .......*crickets chirping*<br />
<br />
Not knowing how to react, I just silently turned myself to face the black board. <br />
<br />
Then there was a stifled laugh. And everyone busted up. <br />
<br />
I had yelled "BREAST!" to a group of little missionaries and no one just went with it. They had to call me out with their complete silence. I don't know who's face was more red, mine or theirs.<br />
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One good thing: I doubt they ever forgot what "descanzo" meant.<br />
<br />Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-69073755818201076732014-05-30T10:45:00.002-07:002014-05-30T10:45:25.173-07:00Flying Fail. FHE Win.Last week I finally gave in to Jonah who has been asking for a kite every time we go to Costco. <br />
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"Mom, I have always wanted a kite my whole entire life!"<br />
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"It would be such a fun activity to do as a family activity!"<br />
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"I'll pay for part of the kite with the money in my piggy bank!" <br />
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Yes, I gave in. I have great memories of kite flying when I was little. We'd go to a park by our house right behind Dominic's and it being the Windy City, I don't remember ever having real problems.<br />
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Well, that night in Tualatin was not a Windy City night. There was absolutely no wind.<br />
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Aaron made a good attempt. <br />
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He's good daddy.<br />
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Can you hear the puberty in Lucas' voice??<br />
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Jonah was SURE he could get the kite flying.<br />
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It was such a nice night out, none of us really minded the kite not flying. We decided we need to take the T-Rex kite to the coast in order to find our wind. <br />
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We tried to top off our fun evening with frozen yogurt but then Jonah threw a maniacal tantrum because we weren't going to cross the park to play in the playground. Oh well. You just have to treasure the pleasant moments when you can.Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-65998138297081671882014-05-22T13:16:00.000-07:002014-05-22T13:16:16.341-07:00My Life & Times #4: How I Became a Bird in Sacrament Meeting<br />
It was my sophomore year at BYU. My friends and I had moved out Helaman Halls and into Condo Row just off campus. It was a great apartment with a pretty good ward. We decided that to get know people better we needed to be involved, so 3 of us joined the choir. It was a good sized choir of about 40 people and it was fun to sing together.<br />
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A few months in, our choir director introduced a new song to perform. She started out by telling us a little bit about her family. She and her brother were American Indians adopted by a white family. And they were a large musical family. They even traveled places to put on shows, singing and playing their instruments. She goes on to say her family was very respectful of her and her brother's heritage and would perform a few numbers representing the American Indian culture. Her brother had passed away when he was teenager and she wanted to do a tribute to his memory. He apparently always sang "The Lord's Prayer" while the family did sign language in the background. But this wasn't American sign language. This was American Indian sign language that included wide swinging arms, poking beaks, swirling bodies and extra large gestures.<br />
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Now this was pre-mission and I was easily embarrassed and easily made uncomfortable. Apparently I wasn't the only one. Every week our choir group dwindled by a few more members and a few more members.<br />
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My friends and I sat down to have a frank talk. Now we did not want to be disrespectful or rude to her brother's memory or culture and we wanted to support our director, but not one of us felt comfortable doing this in sacrament meeting and in front of our young single adult ward. Not one of us wanted to do it AT ALL. But we felt bad because people were dropping like flies and pretty soon she wouldn't have a choir any more and nobody to support this special tribute.<br />
<br />
So we came up with a plan. We'd quietly talk to the bishopric and tell them we didn't feel this number was appropriate for sacrament meeting. The 2nd counselor listened to us and said he would check it out. At our next practice he sat in the front row and we knew he would think this was not quite right for church. Much to our chagrin, he came up to us afterward praising the number! Saying it was beautiful and just right for church.<br />
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Dang it. The performance date was approaching and one roommate and I had missed some practices due to school so didn't know it very well, adding to our desire to run away like the rest of the cowardly choir. Again we sat down and talked. And we decided to do the right thing and just go for it. Who cares really!? This meant so much to our choir director and she had no one left. We would do the right thing.<br />
<br />
So that Sunday, out of 40 or more people in our thriving choir, only the 4 of us showed up to perform. Me, my two roommates and the director climbed on stage (because we had church in the Varsity Movie Theater in the Wilk). We made our one roommate stand in front because she knew it the best. "Dubber," our good friend, sang beautifully while we danced/signed/pretended to have beaks and made eye contact with no one.<br />
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I know. You had to have seen it in order get the full picture and to truly appreciate this story, but let me tell you, it was glorious! And I'm sure no one has given it two thoughts since that day, but it was years before my face stopped blushing while retelling that story.Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-17532542513424198552014-05-15T09:30:00.000-07:002014-05-16T07:12:35.166-07:00My Life & Times #3<em>A few weeks ago I was talking with a good friend about most embarrassing moments and I realized that I have just a few quality experiences in my life. It got me thinking. A lot of my experiences are most likely preserved in a journal somewhere, I'm sure. But others I'm not so sure. So I decided to record them for all to enjoy. </em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>So, enjoy!</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>They will be written in no particular order or schedule. :)</em><br />
<br />
The year was 1996. I was at college. And on a date. The boy and I had known each other for 4-5 months but only recently started to go on actual dates. <br />
<br />
We had gone to a play in Salt Lake and were now back at my apartment. It had been a great evening, good conversation and a fun time. It was curfew and time for the Boy to go home. I walked him to the door and he goes in for the very first good night kiss. All of a sudden I start to feel nauseous and light headed...and I faint. Yes, folks. I fainted during our first kiss.<br />
<br />
And it wasn't a graceful "movie" fall to my side with the back of my hand on my forehead. It was a slumping to the floor, falling back, head hitting the wall, knees flying open along with my skirt kind of faint. Not graceful nor cute. It took me a minute to figure out what had happened and then I was too shocked to even react.<br />
<br />
The Boy helped me to couch as surprised as I was. He got me some juice and we sat there just awkward. And then we just busted up laughing. I realized that with class, homework, the gym, and getting ready, I hadn't eaten since 3:00pm. And it was midnight.<br />
<br />
I looked at the Boy and said, "You must feel very swanky, as Grandpa J would say. Feel pretty good, Mr. Suave?"<br />
<br />
He tried to be serious and say he was just worried about me, but he couldn't resist smiling and we laughed again. And he said he wouldn't tell anyone but then we decided we had to share with roommates. I was completely embarrassed but it <em>was</em> a classic story. It was too good not to share.<br />
<br />
For the next few weeks, I had to live through a few knowing smiles from the Boy's roommates while he suffered through "way-to-go!" nudges. Poor guy.<br />
<br />
At least he'll have a good story to tell when his own son starts dating.<br />
<br />Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-80052209975244979502014-05-11T22:47:00.000-07:002014-05-12T08:04:27.616-07:00Random Jonah QuotesAaron and Jonah had gone swimming as usual. Which is funny because Jonah can't swim. Aaron throws him and he can paddle enough to get his tiny face above water until Aaron rescues him. Aaron was getting ready to toss him and he yells, <strong>"Physics don't fail me now!"</strong><br />
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Sitting in church I hear Jonah excitedly whisper, <strong>"Yes! I WON! I am SO awesome!"</strong> I look over and he's fist-pumping with joy. I look down and he's playing Tic Tac Toe...with himself.<br />
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Playing on my phone with a new "pottery game" he turns to me so serious, so determined, </div>
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"I need to create something rather dashing!"</div>
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Aaron carries a screaming Jonah into the house after he accidentally gets hit in the head with a metal pole as the boys were putting up the trampoline. When this kid gets hurt he doesn't want anyone to look at him or his wound until he's ready. So he runs upstairs and slams his door. I give him a few minutes to calm down and then go in.<br />
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In the most pathetic, sad wail you have ever heard, <strong>"They were right!! I was wro-ong!! I'm just a little boy! I'm NO-OBODY!"</strong><br />
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I just lay down next to him to cuddle on his bed. He is so sad and so devastated. Whaa? Nobody?? I couldn't track where his thoughts had gone and why they had landed here.<br />
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<strong>"I'm nobody! I should just go to another family!"</strong><br />
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What is going through his brain and how in the world can this boy think he is nobody? We talk a few minutes about how he's my favorite 5 year old in the universe, how there wouldn't be a Team Williams without him, etc. Not quite sure what is needed.<br />
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And then it was like something in his brain switched on and his countenance completely changed. He smiles and jumps up.<br />
<strong>"I'm not down! I'm ready to take them on! (</strong>Fist-pumping)<strong> Jonah is back in the game, baby!"</strong> <br />
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Off he runs back outside ready to take on the world just like his old, confident self.<br />
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We have a strange kid. <br />
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Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-34609161957988706492014-05-09T10:06:00.000-07:002014-05-09T10:06:13.626-07:00Mini MakeoverLast summer I decided to take on the downstairs bathroom. I wasn't up for anything major, basically just paint. I found a light blue paint I loved and went from there.<br />
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So the before...<br />
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I painted the walls and the cabinets, hung a few pictures, added a rug, painted the light fixture dark grey and....that's about it.<br />
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The lighting is bad because there is very little natural light. Sorry, but that just makes for bad pictures.</div>
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I made this printable/quote/thing on Picmonkey all by myself and then printed it at Costco. </div>
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Never done that before.</div>
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Your view sitting on the john. Thanks Julia!!<br />
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Again, not a very big makeover, but made a big difference to me!!</div>
Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-86462482103347069452014-05-06T08:23:00.002-07:002014-05-06T08:23:51.650-07:00Lukey UpdateLucas. Where do I start with Lucas? Well probably one of the most important items to him is that he is now officially taller than me, by about 3 inches. He's actually right between his nana and his Aunt Genet, according to our door frame chart. "Short One" has become my new nickname by this kid who isn't bothered by the fact <em>most</em> 14 year olds are taller than me. He's shaving regularly and has feet are just about bigger than Aaron's. It's fun to see him grow and change but I love that he still likes to cuddle and hug. Sweet boy.<br />
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I had to sneak up and take this picture of him because usually this is what I get...<br />
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He's trying out track this year. Much to the delight of his father. He's doing the long jump and the high only right now and seems to me like he has good form and does well. That's just a mom's opinion. We wanted him to get a feel of it before high school and hopefully he'll go out for that team. He's built like his daddy so track is a good fit for him. Too bad tennis is the same season because he really has to pick one or the other.<br />
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He's still playing in the bands at school and will continue into high school. They just started a marching band so he's excited to be a part of that. He'll get a little practice this spring when the junior high will play and march in the Junior Rose Bowl Parade. He plays the trombone and the baritone but I still wanted him to take lessons to actually learn theory and all that stuff. So he's now taking piano again. He actually practices without me bugging him all the time and is learning some fun songs.<br />
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Lucas is off to church dances and loves having friends over. I am so grateful for the wonderful group of kids he has for friends. Both members and non-members, boys and girls and they are good kids, polite, respectful and fun. I enjoy having them over and feeding them. :) They'll all go to high school together next year. This place has released time seminary which bugs Aaron because he wants his kids to sacrifice as much as he did starting seminary at 5:45am. I can't really complain because the first two years were in my basement. :)<br />
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I am so grateful for this child. He has his struggles and weaknesses but what makes all the difference is he is a good talker. He will talk to us about his problems and issues, his day, his friends, his crushes (he's has crushes on girls since he was 2 1/2), what is exciting to him, etc. We are very blessed in that way! He's my buddy.<br />
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Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-10215481977661903832014-05-05T18:15:00.001-07:002014-05-05T18:15:17.558-07:00Jonah UpdateI'm back. I decided I wanted to start blogging again for family history value. I want to record Life for the kiddos but it's always hard to start back up when you've taken a such a long blog vacation. Be kind as I try to strengthen up my writing muscles again. So I'll restart as I usually restart...<br />
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With an update on the boys. I mean, they are the reason I keep this history.<br />
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Let's start with JB. <br />
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This crazy kid turned 5 at the end of last year and though hasn't grown much physically, he has grown a ton emotionally. He's always been very competitive, stubborn, quite self righteous and hasn't gotten along well with many kids. But lately "sharing is caring" has been his mantra and play dates go so much better. It's like night and day. Go figure. I love it!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His "zombie face"</td></tr>
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He's Williams man. He's a quoter of everything movies or TV. He does accents as well! Some of the stuff that comes out of this kid's mouth is baffling. <br />
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For example...<br />
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Last week Jonah and I were in the playroom with a random collection of action figures, going on quests from the Batcave. I dropped one of our recruits and I got quite the reprimand.<br />
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He looks at me calmly, "Mom, if you break my toys, you will force me to shut you out of the family dynamic."<br />
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Whaa???<br />
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Lucas had to clue me in that it's from Phineas and Ferb.<br />
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Today the cousins were over and we were all picking up readying to go home. I grabbed a plastic Power Rangers mask off the table and to my surprise out popped my head-sized, white ceramic apple do-da thing that I keep on our coffee table. It splattered all over the kitchen floor. After of moment of surprise, Jonah burst into sobs. "It was SO beautiful and it's my fault it's broken!!"<br />
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He runs upstairs and slams his bedroom door. After I clean up, I go to comfort my weeping boy. We lie on the bed together and looks in my eyes and just sobs, "I broke our only lovely thing! Now we have no more things that our lovely in our home!!"<br />
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He pauses and smiles. "No, we still do! We still have you!" <br />
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We were in sacrament meeting one Sunday and Jonah started making loud zerbert noises on my arm. I of course quieted him and tried to talk to him about reverence, that people were praying, thinking about Jesus and asking forgiveness for their sins.<br />
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He casually looks around and states, "Yeah. I'm not gonna do that."<br />
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Jonah earned $.75 for picking up all my wood scraps from the dining table I was making. A
penny for every piece. :) He then decided he wanted to buy something at the
"Home Store" and bought 9 Hershey kisses from me. 3 per quarter.<br />
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He went to tell his dad and I noticed he was walking funny. So I asked him of
he was poopy. He looked me in the eye and said, "No."<br />
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"So I can look right now and your underpants will be clean?"<br />
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"Um...."<br />
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"Are you poopy!?"<br />
<br />
"No."<br />
<br />
"Then let me look."<br />
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"Um, ok. I am poopy. Please don't tell Daddy." (He knew Daddy would be very disappointed.)<br />
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He went to time out for lying to me. I sat in front of him and talked about
lying. That it drives away the Spirit, makes me sad and Daddy sad and it makes
him (JB) sad.<br />
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As a matter of fact as it gets, he looks me in the eye and states, "No it doesn't. Look, I'm not sad." <br />
<br />
This
kid!<br />
<br />
He goes on, "What would make me sad is if you died and I couldn't cuddle with
you any more!" Pulls out the poppy-dog eyes. " Would you be sad if I died?... But
you don't have to worry because my spirit would stay by you and protect you
forever." <br />
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And the thing is, he's sincere. He actually has a huge heart when he wants to. He loves to cuddle and kiss and he's quite the momma's boy. He loves to wrestle with his dad and go swimming with him as much as possible. He bugs Lucas as much as he can and Lucas bugs right back. It usually ends up with both of them on the floor wrestling good naturedly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halloween 2013</td></tr>
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Jonah loves people! He is not afraid of anyone and talks incessantly to whomever will listen. It's so funny to me how many people come up to me at church saying Jonah is their special buddy. He just loves people. I sometimes have to take him to YW activities with me when Aaron is out of town and that kid is in heaven! He is the biggest flirt. He'll snuggle right up to any of them, give them hugs out of the blue or snatch their phones running away with glee.<br />
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I couldn't find a more fitting video of how Jonah attacks life....<br />
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<br />Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-3805913447419748322013-10-14T11:47:00.002-07:002013-10-14T11:47:45.503-07:00Introducing...Rachel. Our newest niece. She was born at the end of July and this is a picture of her at 2 weeks old when Jonah and I flew out to help and be with this cute family.<br />
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(This whole post is with cell phone pictures. Sorry.)<br />
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She is such a tiny little thing born only 5lbs 6oz. And she was late! My sister had quite the birthing experience but everything turned out just fine. She was overdue and just like G, she was scheduled to get induced that day and then went into labor on her own. When her contractions got extra yucky, she got an epidural but it didn't work. While they were trying to figure that out, Rachel wasn't descending the way she should. She seemed stuck and with each contraction, they could tell she was in distress. Dr. decided an emergency C-section would be best. Within just a few minutes, they had her out and it was an inspired decision because the cord was wrapped around her neck and had 2 knots. She had expelled muconium (politest way to put it) but luckily had not aspirated any of it yet. So with this complicated start, Rachel came into this world healthy and strong. Truly a blessing.<br />
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Her nickname became Spidermonkey due to her...well, look at her. :)<br />
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There is something about holding a newborn, or a sleeping baby, that I love. It calms me and I was in need of a baby fix, so this week was great.</div>
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This is Genevieve, only 20 months older than her baby sister. Geoff, the father, has a theory that this cutest-chunk-of-a-girl-ever, depleted the uterus of all it's nutrients, leaving nothing for her sister letting Rachel come is at a tiny 5lbs. </div>
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It took me a few days but I actually won Genevieve over! This was the girl last Thanksgiving that literally did not leave her mother's hip and cried whenever someone looked at her. Literally. But by the end of this week, she was dancing with me, kissing me, letting me get her down from her highchair and getting her up from her naps. Miracles! I was so sad to leave because I knew she would not remember me when I see her next time at Christmas. I figured I am going to have to "50 First Dates" her and make her fall in love with me all over again every time we see each other! It's worth it!<br />
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Katherine and Jonah are about 1 1/2 years apart. Both have what I call very alpha personalities and I was worried we would spend the week breaking up fights for power.<br />
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But they played phenomenally all week! They are both into imagination/dress up games and it was hilarious to see them try to combine their two versions of play. The vocabulary of each was completely different. They would go off fighting in battle and while Katherine would be the Princess Fairy riding off to find her Prince Charming, Jonah would be the Robot Commander slaying the evil minions to find his crystal fractals.<br />
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But they adjusted to each other and had a great time.<br />
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Which was awesome for Amanda and I. While I cuddled with the baby, Amanda could slowly get back on her feet. It was perfect. :) <br />
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I also discovered that Jonah is a true northwest boy and had a breakdown every time we went outside. He could not handle the heat and had a tantrum until the car's air conditioning was on full blast. I have to admit Phoenix in August is not my idea of perfect weather, but I loved the sun and cherished every moment. <br />
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I am so glad we could go out there while Aaron and Lucas held down the fort. It was a wonderful week with my dear sister and brother and their adorable girls. Cannot wait to see how they have all grown come December!<br />
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Peace. I'm out.<br />
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<br />Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3545152334979022018.post-80560289279410047232013-10-07T21:57:00.001-07:002013-10-07T21:57:49.560-07:00Should I be worried?Jonah and I put up Halloween decorations and decided to make ghosts to add to our door.<br />
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Jonah was adamant, "Each ghost is spewing burning acid from their mouths to melt the rats and their homes to doom."<br />
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Uhhh.....Williams Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461189704223199438noreply@blogger.com3