The Williams Six

To be effective in life, to see lasting change, to unconditionally love others, and to raise your kids the way you're called to, you have to know who you are in Christ . God created each of us for a unique and intentional purpose. I tell this to my kids all the time, and the same applies to you: God has given you such a special purpose on the earth that you're the only one who can do what He has called you to do. I would say until I was probably 27, I did not know who I was in Christ. I knew He loved me. I knew He created me. But I did understand fully who I am. Obviously, I have not arrived and still have a lot of growing to do.....but I am confident in who I am. And who I am not. This may sound like bragging. It's not. It is purely 100% the grace of God. But the same wisdom is available to you. In knowing your true identity in Christ, you have freedom to be all that He made you to be. Knowing your identity, means knowing: - You are unconditionally and fully ...

Tomorrow, I am going to a Homeschool Convention. I have mentioned before on this blog that I plan to homeschool, but I can hardly believe that our first day of school is in just a couple of months. I am totally freaked out. I have heard the Convention is overwhelming, but I am truly hoping to gain a lot of wisdom this weekend. Our decision to homeschool our children was actually really easy. Ever since Caleb entered this world, I've felt called to educate him at home. I honestly don't know how long I will homeschool each child (maybe one year; maybe all their school years....only God knows!), but I am confident this is the way we're supposed to start. There are many reasons (besides feeling called) we've decided to homeschool...in no particular order... - I absolutely love being with my kids. I am genetically wired to be a stay at home mom. It's just the way God made me, but I've never viewed it as a sacrifice. I had no plan B. From the time I was a li...

Bedtime tuck-ins are my most favorite time of the day. I absolutely cherish this time. No matter what has happened in the day, the last 30 minutes of my kids' day is precious. Time is passing so quickly, and when my kids are grown and gone, I want to remember these days! (This isn't entertaining, just something I want to remember!) My kids take a bath most every night (anyone who knows me is not shocked by this). Going to bed clean is one of life's greatest joys! All three bathe together. At the present, Luke absolutely hates getting his hair washed (though all of my kids have gone through it at some point). Luke gets out first. The other two kids keep playing while Brett or I (usually me because I love this age!) puts on his pajamas. One of us will snuggle him for a few moments while singing to him, then we'll pray for him. He cries for a few minutes then falls asleep. Caleb and Chloe get out of the bath and get their teeth brushed (Luke gets his brushed too...

Luke is at a hilarious stage. He makes me laugh constantly. He is such a snuggler. He will let me hold him for a very long time. When I hold him, he lays his head on my shoulder, even when he's not tired. It is so adorable!! My dad calls Luke "the screamer". He is starting to outgrow that phase a bit, but he still loves to scream. Which is fine, until I am out in public. Luke is also a climber. Oh my. That boy will climb anything. He can already go up and down the stairs. His favorite thing to climb on is the kitchen table. My older two kids weren't climbers, so this is a whole new experience for me. It is so hilarious but so exhausting. I love watching Luke interact with Caleb and Chloe. He keeps up with them really well, and they always laugh when playing with Luke! Nothing is sweeter than belly laughs from kids!! Watching all three of my kids play together is one of my greatest joys. God is so good. I adore my sweet kids! I cherish them so much...

Photo Booth has to be one of the greatest inventions of all time! It has given me many laughs through the years we've had it! Having fun with my kids..... Caleb happened to be wearing a skeleton shirt, and I thought this looked so fun! Dancing to "Holy Ghost Party" by Cory Asbury (a very fun song!!) In case Jesus returned today as those people said he would (though, of course, we all knew that was totally false!), my kids were dancing for their King!! They love to dance!! Brett thought this one was really funny! Some of the pictures look weird because I have not figured out how to use it that well yet....the background does something weird!

In wanting to write a new Family First Friday post, I am distracted. The biggest distraction is we are in the midst of house hunting. I know God is going to give us an awesome house, but the process has been exhausting. If you think about it, I'd love your prayers for God's perfect house!! My other distraction is I have a hair appointment tomorrow, and I am debating what I want done. I need a change, and since I am growing my hair out, color is the only other option. I think I am going brown...not dark brown but darker than I am now. On that note, I have been thinking how important it is to take time out for yourself. As a new mom, I felt so guilty leaving Caleb. In my mind, he was so important to me that leaving him felt wrong. I also knew a baby is hard work, so I felt bad leaving Brett home with him (which was so dumb; he's such a great dad!!). Though I felt that way, I was TOTALLY wrong in my thinking. Taking breaks from your kids is great for both you and t...

Caleb is an awesome son. I can't even explain the joy he brings to my life. He is an easy kid. On his worst days, he's not that hard. I feel very fortunate to have him as my son. He just completed a 9 week baseball class. I will post pictures soon, but he is so proud of his medal. He hasn't taken it off in two days, except to bathe and sleep. I love his pride in his accomplishment! He is so stinkin' cute! We were too late to sign up for t-ball, so he took this class instead. It was such a great experience. There were only 4 kids in his class, so he was able to learn his skills really well. Yesterday, Caleb did something well. I praised him, and he said, "It's all because of teamwork. Actually, just me work. I did it alone." Teamwork is something I encourage often, so this made me laugh! Caleb is getting to an age where I am starting to see the fruits of our labor. He is becoming such a great little boy. Today, after naps, he asked me to co...

I am a weird eater. I'll eat most anything, but I am still sort of picky. When we go out to eat, Brett orders a meal and makes no changes to it. I take things off, add things, and substitute things. As I was making lunch today, more of my food weirdnesses came to mind. I know everyone has their different tastes, and honestly, that fascinates me! I love God's creativity....that He thinks about every little detail when making people unique. Here are my food quirks: - Ever since I got pregnant with Luke, I cannot stand ketchup. I used to love it, and now it completely grosses me out. - I never liked desserts until I was pregnant with Caleb. Now I eat them far too often. - I love Diet Coke, but when I eat Chinese/Japanese food, I always drink water. - I don't add butter to anything. I can eat it in things but don't prefer it on things. - I can only eat mayo and lunch meat if I don't have to put it on my sandwich (isn't that weird) - I eat just peanut bu...

To be a mother is a woman's greatest vocation in life. She is a partner with God. No being has a position of such power and influence. She holds in her hands the destiny of nations, for to her comes the responsibility and opportunity of molding the nation's citizens. - Spencer W. Kimball For other awesome quotes, check out Pensieve !

Chloe: "Did everybody see me as a baby and say I'm cute? Was I a cutie? Did they play with me?" She dressed herself for the pool:

This year, I had absolutely the best Mother's Day ever!! On Friday night, my BFF (Ty) and I headed to my parents' house in the Keys. Our plan was to stay for the night, but once we got down there, we opted to stay an extra night (our husbands ROCK!). We arrived late Friday night, after a quick stop for treats at McDonald's. We sat in the hot tub for like 2 hours and talked (what Ty and I do best!). Saturday, we barely moved. After a lazy morning, we grabbed Subway for lunch. Then, we literally laid on the basement couch for like 5 hours. It was GLORIOUS!! We watched Twilight....it took us 4 hours to get through it because we'd pause to talk. We've never had the much uninterrupted talking time, and it was so much fun. We've been friends since 2002, yet our friendship still went deeper! That night, we went out to dinner....at 8:00....when I am normally home for the night because my kids go to bed. It was so fun to be out late without a care! Our dinne...

Mothering children is a unique role. You basically spend 18+ years pouring your heart, soul, mind, energy, and time into a child that you cannot truly see the results until you're done. Sure, there are encouraging moments along the way, but, as a mom, you cannot see the total fruit of your work for many years. Today, as I read this and laughed, it got me thinking.... You never know who's living in your house. Your children are the future, and you just never know who they will become.... When little David was chasing girls around the town square (I'm assuming he was a ladies man), do you think his mom knew he would go down in history as a man after God's own heart?? When young Joseph told his mom that he had a dream his older brothers would bow down to him, do you think she envisioned him being Pharoh's right hand man and saving their family from famine?? When Michelangelo was painting on the walls for the 100th time, did his mom see the amazing artist who ...

Recently, I took my kids to a play area, but we couldn't go in because they were having a private party. So I told them that. Caleb said, "So, do they like take off all of their clothes for the party?" Me: "Huh??" Caleb: "It's a private party, so do they like show each other their privates?" Besides being totally hilarious, I find it amusing that he mimics my speech. He uses "like" a lot, as well as the word "super". Super is one of my more favorite words!!

Caleb and Chloe use the word "stupid" way too much. I am trying to teach them not to say it. Always the negotiator, Caleb asked, "Can we call the devil stupid?" Sure, he is stupid. Call him stupid all day long. Chloe said, "Can we call the devil stupid in the bathroom?" The backstory: they also like to talk about poop, pee, and the like (much to my dismay). Instead of telling them they can't say those words, I say, "We can only say "poop" in the bathroom." Logically, Chloe thinks any "bad" words can be said in the bathroom. Later in the same car ride, Caleb said, "Mom, can we call the Gators stupid??" Honesty is important, so I am going to say yes. College rivalries trump godliness. Right?

Chloe has been enamored with tattoos for a long time. When she sees people with them, she stares and sometimes asks to touch them (if she knows the person well). Brett and I jokingly take bets on when she'll get her first tattoo. Yesterday, she grabbed a permanent marker and did this.... (It faded from taking a bath) When I asked her what she was doing, she said, "Giving myself a tattoo on my back." Jesus, take the wheel.

As a parent, I think it is so important to have many tools in our toolboxes, so to speak. There are so many parenting styles and philosophies. While the philosophy I use the most would be Love and Logic, there are so many wonderful ideas to take from each of the different styles. My goal in writing family posts is to inspire you to be the best wife and/or mom you can be! My mantra is marriage should be fun and your children should be a joy...and anything you can do to achieve that is worthwhile! Awhile ago, I met a couple who taught parenting classes. There were a few issues with my kids that I did not have the answer to, and this couple gave Brett and I a great idea! My kids are dawdlers. They do not move fast. Ever. Unless Caleb is running circles in the house. I had no idea what to do about the dawdling because stopping to discipline would only make us later. The idea they gave us: Hassle Time. In short, kids have to make up for the time they cause me hassle. When my (o...

I recently wrote about my dream home.....and guess what...God completely changed my heart and mind about where we will live. I will write about that later (as it unfolds), but it is hilarious how quickly God can transform my dreams! I want to follow God, at all cost, so I am always so thankful when He saves me from a bad decision. Anyway....I have been dreaming of home ownership, and I am praying so hard to find a house in the next few weeks....so as I dream, I have been making mental notes of what I want it my house. I will share them with you! - I want chalkboard paint on some wall. I love the idea of kids expressing themselves on a "forbidden" space. Maybe I have some rebellion issues. Nah, I just want my kids to have fun!! - I want to have a homeschool/playroom. I hope to be able to keep my kids' toys out of their room and out of the main living room. I'm thinking of selling our beautiful dining room set to make room for toys! It obviously depends on the...

Caleb said, "I ate that (Fruity Pebbles) all the time when I was in Mom's tummy, and I don't like it." I ate Fruity Pebbles almost every day of my pregnancy with him, but I don't think I have actually ever told him that! Don't get me wrong; I don't think he remembers the womb experience...just hilarious what kids come up with!!

If I could hire outside help, this is the order in which I would do it*: 1. Chef 2. Housekeeper 3. Hair stylist 4. Make-up artist 5. Clothing stylist 6. Massage therapist * I like to dream.

I absolutely LOVE this: Invisible Mothers It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible - The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more. "Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?" Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that grad...