The Williams Six

On Sunday, my awesome sister-in-law and brother-in-law took Caleb and Chloe to Sea World (they had the most wonderful time!). My mother-in-law kept Luke for the day. And Brett and I got to go meet up with some of my most favorite people in the world at Islands of Adventure. The back story is that I have known the Lemley family since 2002, when their oldest daughter, Libby, was the cutest, sweetest 8 year old in my soccer clinic at Kanakuk . Carol (her mom) and I connected at parent closings, and we've been close ever since. She and Jeff are incredible parents, and much of my parenting comes from watching their family. As a college student, I used to meet up with Lemley's at Disney each year. I loved spending time with their family....parents and children alike!! Ask anyone around them: they are simply an awesome family. And each minute I spend with them is a tremendous blessing!! Imagine my joy to reconnect with them in Orlando after all these years. Their young childr...

There are so many reasons why I love this man.... ...but the fact that he makes me laugh so hard and often is one of the things I love most about him. I'm so glad he's mine.

The family and I traveled to St. Cloud, FL to spend time with Brett's family during the holidays. We went for about a week and celebrated with his mom and dad's side of the family! I also got to go to Universal Studios with one of my best friends and her family, which I will blog about later! My kids had the best time in St. Cloud, and they were spoiled so much. I love that our families are so generous and kind. We are so blessed and grateful for such fabulous extended families!! Our kids are so fortunate....not just for the gifts they receive, but more importantly, for the love they receive! Our week in photos.... Oh, I should mention Brett got me THE MOST AWESOME camera for Christmas. I am amazed at the photos it takes. A lot of these pictures are from experimenting with my new camera. Chloe is the most cooperative subject, so there are more of her than anyone else. Caleb mostly turns away from the camera, and Luke just wants to eat it. Brett's mom's side ...

I'm celebrating Christmas with Brett's family this week, so no Family First Friday today!! Much love and Merry Christmas!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Along with pretty much everyone else, this is my most favorite holiday. As my children age, it just keeps getting better and better!! Establishing traditions is one of my goals during the holiday season. I am a sentimental person, and I am hopeful my kids will grow up with fond memories of their childhood Christmases. Most, if not all, of my traditions are not original. I glean ideas from others and make it my own. The Happy Home Fairy is a wonderful resource for making your holiday magical. The Williams Family traditions: - We stay home for Christmas. We travel during the holiday break, but for Christmas Eve and Day, we are home. To be honest, this was hard to do because I know family members on both sides want to see our kids, but I wanted to do what was best for our family. We welcome anyone who wants to come visit on Christmas, so we are great to have others in our home. And there are many reasons we choose to stay home. ...

In case you're wondering how to draw a butt, Caleb taught me yesterday: "you just draw a circle, then draw a crack through it." And then proceeded to draw about 10 of those on our driveway with chalk. I've never been prouder. Speaking of proud, I was talking with my neighbor yesterday. This was only our second conversation since we've moved in. While talking, Chloe walked outside, and my neighbor (I am not kidding) said, "Oh, wow, she has clothes on." And then continued, "With the cooler weather, I thought she'd put more clothes on, but no. She always comes outside in just her panties." Chloe likes to wear just panties around the house (even that is sometimes a stretch). I never let her play out front without clothes, but the backyard is fenced (from the front but not from the neighbor) so I am not as concerned. I had no idea the neighbor sits on her porch in the mornings!!! I stand corrected: at that moment, I'd never been pr...

Apparently, I am feeling sentimental this week. Probably because Luke is the same age Caleb was on his first Christmas, and now Caleb is writing "Merry Christmas" and begging to start school. I know he is only four, but wow, four (almost five) years passes quickly. So, anyway, when praying about what to write this week, this video came to mind. I posted on Facebook awhile ago, but I want to share it again. I'd grab the tissues if I were you: