The Williams Six

While I am away on a magical cruise with my amazing husband, I am going to be a high tech blogger and schedule a future post. (I know most of you have been doing this for years, but I just figured out how, ok !) I previously mentioned going on a staycation . This was one of the most memorable experiences for both of us. I thought I'd share with you what we did so you may be inspired to do something similar. The best part about our celebration was that Brett had no idea. I secretly planned the whole thing. He knew we were going to dinner to celebrate our 4 th anniversary, but that was the extent. This anniversary was important to me because it was our first anniversary ever that I was not either nursing a baby or pregnant. Or both. I decided on a staycation for a few reasons: 1. We don't have much of a budget for vacations, so staying home meant we did not have to pay for hotels. 2. I cannot explain how much I do not like hotels. They gross me out. Ones in our budge

Six years later...he's still the one I love and adore!! Engagement pic Wedding!! On our honeymoon Pregnant with Caleb When I found out brown hair is not a good look for me In California for a conference In Whistler....my fave childhood place Last fall at a wedding Thanksgiving At the movies Obviously we have way more pictures, but these are the ones I could find fast on my photobucket!!

Tomorrow, Brett and I will celebrate six years of marriage. I can honestly say it has been the best six years of my life. We were so fortunate to have wonderful mentors that helped us start our marriage off on the right foot. For one, both of our sets of parents are still happily married, which is a huge blessing! And, our Christian mentors have also taught us so much. I am so thankful for the wisdom of others. It has helped make our marriage amazing! A huge part of a thriving marriage is to regularly take time away to be with just your spouse. As you know, I am over the top in my love for my children, yet your marriage must come before them. If you're a single parent, taking time to be alone or with close friends is just as important. I know I have talked about this before , so today, I am giving practical ideas (rather than revisit the reason behind When I think of a date, I mostly default to dinner and a movie. While that can be fun and easy, changing things up adds a new level

Chloe has entered a phase where she is afraid of monsters under her bed. I cannot figure out whether she truly is afraid or if she figured out a way to get her way. A few nights ago, I let Caleb and Chloe go to bed together. When Brett works nights and I am really tired, the bedtime routine is much quicker if they go to bed together. All they do it play, but then when I eventually separate them, they go to bed quickly! Anyway, on this night, I heard, "Mommy, Swiper is under my bed." It was time for them to separate, so I went upstairs. When Caleb went to his room, Chloe screamed, "I'm so scared of Swiper. I'm too scared to sleep in my room or your room*. I need to sleep with Caleb." Because sometimes it is just fun to be indulgent, I let them sleep together in Caleb's room. They didn't wake up Luke, so I am guessing they went to sleep fast. In the morning, they told me they talked and laughed all night....but I didn't hear them, so I

When Caleb wants something that I will not let him have, he often will pray (outloud), "God, will you please make Mommy give me (fill in the blank)?" One of the first times he did this and prayed for dessert for dinner, I decided to give it to him. While I thought it would be a good lesson in how God does answer prayers, it actually turned out that it just made his prayers way more persistent. Hey, even if it is for selfish reasons, you gotta love his faith!

A few days ago, the Riverdance on Ice came on TV. The responses to it completely describe my family, in a nutshell. Brett completely mocked the Riverdance. I was in pain from laughing so hard (laughing is really painful on my incision). His humor is my favorite, and he definitely had some witty things to say. Caleb, whose hero is his daddy, imitated Brett the whole time. Except that he does not understand sarcasm. So, in his effort to be funny, he was actually kinda mean (he is not typically mean, so that does not actually describe him). But because I knew he was imitating Brett, I was very entertained by the peanut gallery. Luke, who loves life, just clapped and laughed the whole time. Chloe...oh my precious, precious Chloe. This girl has the sweetest heart of anyone I've ever met. She loves to dance and marches to the beat of her own drummer, which I absolutely adore. While the boys were mocking it, my sweet girl went upstairs, put on "skates" (socks), and lear

Ok...seriously...how cute are they?? I'm in love.

On February 11, Luke got his first haircut! I cannot believe how old he looks!! First haircuts are so bittersweet. It is so drastic that I feel like I go in with a baby and come out with a boy. You may have noticed I have no tendency to be dramatic . My sweet little boy looks so adorable!! I can't quit looking at him. With his little teeth and short hair, he just looks so different. The lady who cut his hair did a great job, but she took awhile...so he got fussy towards the end! Overall, it was a successful haircut, given that he is a very mobile 1 year old. I always like to take my kids to the kiddie salon for their first haircut. The atmosphere adds to the fun!! Isn't he so precious?? Before: The ole pro giving some advice to his baby brother Call in the reinforcements...lollipops! (Which hair stick to and totally gross me out, but hey, it stops the tears) All done....he looks so old! At the park to celebrate! I think the stylist thought I was crazy that I was just

A few days ago, Chloe was laying with me on the couch. Caleb asked her if she wanted to play, she replied, "I'll play with you once I'm done reading my Bible." Or Baby Einstein. Whatever.

Luke's seizure was a short lived ordeal, but his fever lingered for a few days. During the time, he was so extra cuddly. He would sit on our laps for long periods of time and want to be loved and cuddled. We loved it!! I snapped one picture of him laying on the couch beside me. This boy is so amazing!

As I have mentioned about 100 times by now, the recovery from my surgery was rather difficult. It was way harder than I anticipated. I had to spend the first 2-3 days in bed most of the time. My sweet, Chloe, would lay with me and watch Dora. And my sister, Melissa, who is ever so thoughtful sent me some gifts of things to do while in bed. One was a question game for kids. She knows me well because I love those types of games. I was able to sit and play with them. She also sent Flexeez, which have become an instant hit. Thanks, May!!

I am skipping my Family First Friday post this week. I have tried to write it a few times, but tiredness, mixed with painkillers, means I am unable to collect my thoughts as well as I'd like. Next week is my 6th anniversary, so I plan to do a fun post in honor of that. I am leaving for a cruise on Friday, so it may have to wait until I return....depending on how crazy my life gets leading up to it!

Watching my family operate from the sidelines has been difficult for me, but I am trying to make the most of the time. I have spent considerable time brainstorming changes I want to make in our daily life. My kids have recently started fighting more, and I think most of that is because they get bored. When they are focused on a task/game/activity, they get along really well. Their personalities are so different that they don't usually clash. They just start to fight when they run out of stuff to do. Or Chloe locks Caleb out of her room. I am going to start taking one hour a week to plan our days. We already have a typical routine during the day, but what I am looking to do is fill the "free play" hours. During my planning times, I am going to organize some crafts, games, activities, etc. Caleb wants to start school, so even though it will not be our formal school, I will come up with assignments for him. When my older kids are doing their activities, I can spe

I read blogs through Google Reader, so I actually do not notice when people change their blog design. Since I am in bed, I decided to experiment. I have no clue what I am doing, but I somehow managed to get picture that I love! I am also happy I figured out how to change the font! I like fun fonts! I realized that I am really bad at labeling posts. I'll maybe work on that.

In case anyone is anxiously awaiting an update, I am finally able to type one! Luke is doing great. No issues since Friday night. Yay ! He is extra clingy, but his sickness has passed and now he is just spoiled from being held for like two days straight. I am doing ok . Monday, my surgery went great, but I was so groggy and could barely move the rest of the day. I felt worse than I did after giving birth to my children, but maybe that's because I just forget how painful that is. Or because I get to spend three days in the hospital rather than being sent home an hour after coming out of sedation. On Monday, I was actually regretting having surgery because I was so miserable. My friend, Ty, came over to bring dinner and talked with me for awhile. That was a great highlight! Tuesday, I started to feel a little better, but I still could not really do a whole lot. By the end of the day, I could do things--like sit down or get in bed--without help, which was a huge improvemen

Remote: Tremote Regular: Reguly Macaroni: Packeroni Pepperoni: Packeroni Thirteen: Ferteen (Caleb only. He can't say "th" sound.) McDonald's: Uncle Donald's Potato: Matato

Warning: this is a shameless post about my husband. I am the luckiest woman alive. When God brought me my husband, He definitely gave me one of his finest followers. This will be our 7 th Valentines Day together, and I still wake up and wonder how I landed Brett (God loves me is the answer!). Brett is a true man. He knows who he is. He does not try to be anyone else. He's a man's man, yet he has the most tender soul. He does not have sisters, which is so hard for me to believe because he really understands me. I am complicated, yet he gets me. And loves me, despite my shortcomings. He loves me for me. While he inspires me to be greater, he never pressures me. Brett loves Jesus more than anyone I know. Most people only see his public ministry (which he is very gifted at), yet I get to see who he is when no one is looking....which is the exact same person. He is such a man of integrity. His intimacy with the Lord is amazing. Having met Brett the day he started fo

I am busy getting things ready before my surgery tomorrow. I will be out of commission for a few days, then I have to do minimal activity for two weeks. So I am trying to get my house put together as much as possible, before I can't do much. But I did not want my last blog post for awhile to be about Luke's ordeal. Thank you to all who prayed for him. Besides our parents and a few friends who live close by that helped during the ordeal, we did not really tell anyone....because, honestly, I did not want to relive the experience. But thank you so much for your encouragement and prayers!!! He is doing much better. And so am I. Anyway, I want my most recent post to be more reflective of my every day life...which is awesome and blessed!! So, lately, Caleb and Chloe have taken to fighting a lot more. Their fights are actually quite entertaining. One of their biggest triggers is calling each other zero. One will say to the other, "You're zero," which happens

Yesterday was the worst day of my life. Because it is a day I hope I will never remember, I will spare the details. Luke had a febrile seizure. We had to call 911. It was a short seizure, and he came out of it fairly quickly. These are relatively normal, but it was still the worst day ever. I am still pretty shaken. It all seems so surreal. The ironic part is that, just the week before, I was thinking to myself how amazing it is that we have made it almost five years without a major issue. No broken bones, no 911 calls, no poison issues, no hospitalizations...nothing. While I feel so fortunate that we've eluded these for so long, I hope that this is our one and only scary moment. It was terrible. So, if you could, please just pray this will not happen again for my sweet boy. Also, I am having surgery on Monday to repair a hernia (which I either got from lifting heavy stuff or pregnancy). It is a routine procedure, but I am still nervous. I will be unable to do any he

I have had a busy week celebrating my birthday! I am so thankful for amazing friends and family who indulge my excitement! All of that excitement means I am late with my weekly post. In the spirit of my birthday, today's tips are lighthearted. Not much to think about, but hopefully you'll find some new tips! Throughout my years as a homemaker, I have paid close attention when people share household tips. I thought I would compile a list of household tips for you, my sweet readers! - Hydrogen peroxide gets blood out. Just squirt some on the blood and wash clothing (or whatever it is) as usual. This tip has saved many a catastrophe . And the peroxide does not bleach clothes. - Magic Erasers are God's gift to moms. They remove scuff marks from floors, remove crayon/pen marks from children who like to decorate the walls, clean white sinks/ countertops , and more. When all else fails, try the ole Eraser. It works, well, like magic. - About once a month, I run vinegar

As I mentioned, I love my birthday! For those who are tired of my Facebook posts and Tweets, you can blame my mom. My mom has the inability to leave people out. When she and my dad adopted my little sister, I was actually surprised when she came home from China with only one child (and that's only because China wouldn't let bring home more girls). She has the biggest heart for others. It is probably one of my most favorite qualities about her. So, as a child, when I would have birthday parties, my mom would invite every child in my grade. No, not my class. In my grade . Instead of renting out a little room at the skating rink, she would rent out the whole skating rink. One year, there was a sweet girl in my second grade class named Patty. She was mentally disabled and came from a very poor family. I am willing to bet my party was the only one she was invited to all year. Not only did my mom invite her, she picked her up for the party . Throughout my entire childhoo

Brett is the best gift giver!! He let me open my presents a day early because I cannot stand it! I am worse than a child. I love all of my gifts!! As you can tell from the pictures, he got me... - Godiva chocolates (yum) - Purity cleanser (best face wash ever) - Moraccan Oil (awesome for hair!!) - a super cute photo frame (Brett knows me too well) I am so happy with my gifts!!! I love having an awesome husband who knows how much I love gifts (its my love language)!!!

For awhile, I did these a lot! I have not done one in awhile, but since my birthday is tomorrow (yay!), I thought it a good time to talk about....ME! I stole this from Megan ! I should publicly apologize on my blog for my Facebook friends and Twitter followers. I love my birthday and I totally overdo it. My mom always threw me the best birthdays growing up, so I think that is why I like it so much. I am not one who loves attention, but my birthday is the one exception! Without further ado..... 1. High heels, sneakers or boots? High heels (too hot for boots in FL) 2. What time did you get up this morning? 8:03 (don't hate because my kids sleep late) 3 . What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Dilemma 4. What is your maiden name ? Corbett 5. What is your favorite TV show? How I Met Your Mother 6. What is your favorite breakfast? Sausage and egg breakfast burrito 7. What is your middle name? Elizabeth 8. What is your favorite movie? With Honor

In the car today, Caleb said, "I changed my ninja name to Best Ninja Ever." I was drinking water and literally spit it out...I laughed so hard. Caleb also learned the phrase "You can say that again", and everytime he says it, I die laughing. I know it's not that funny of a phrase, but the joy with which he says it (because he just learned it) is hilarious. As I am writing this, Caleb walked over and asked me my superhero name. (Momtastic, in case you're wondering). He then told me what each person's superhero power is (these are direct quotes): Brett- so strong Me- hammer hands Caleb- stretch man Chloe- flying Luke- He can throw diapers at other babies We are in the process of planning Caleb's birthday party (which will be a small affair this year). He asked me if he could invite Elias (his cousin) and Shukuru (the boy we sponsor through Compassion). I was so touched he would think about sweet Shukuru!

Prayer has been the focus of my walk with Christ for the last 5-6 months. I have always prayed, but in recent months, I have been really focusing on it. While I love to read my Bible, worship through music, and listen to sermons on podcast, I find that, in this season of life with three young children, prayer is the easiest way for me to commune with God. I pray while loading the dishwasher, in the shower, switching the laundry, pushing the stroller, driving in the car. You get the point. You can pray anywhere! As I mentioned, over the last few months, God has really been teaching me about prayer. I am reading/praying through Stormie Ormartian's Power of a Praying Wife and Power of a Praying Parent . (which I highly recommend). I have been working on turning my affections toward the Lord throughout the day. I find myself listening to teachings on prayer. Prayer has been at the forefront of my mind. One thing I have definitely noticed is that.... Prayer changes circumst

As I previously wrote, Brett and I are changing our eating habits. Because this is my birthday week, I am splurging at different times (when I go out with friends or Brett), but for the most part, I am sticking with it. Brett is super disciplined and has only cheated on Sunday, which is our cheat day. We have been exercising a lot, and I am actually enjoying it. *gasp* Anyway, one meal that we are eating quite a lot is so delicious that I wanted to share it. In the morning (I do two days worth every other day), I put chicken breasts in the Crock Pot and pour a bottle of marinade over it. You can make your own marinade, but it is very inexpensive to buy. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Once its done, it is super easy to shred. Then, I make a salad: romaine lettuce spinach black beans the chicken Use salsa as dressing This salad is super healthy and very filling. It is so delicious!! Feel free to share any low fat, delicious meals you make!!

When Brett got home this evening, he turned on ESPN to watch the National Signing Day coverage. Caleb saw the Florida Gator logo. He said (with disgust), "That's a Gator. I am going to stick a spear through it." We may not do everything right, but at least we've got the important things covered.

Each of my kids have had seasons of life where dropping them off for childcare (for my moms' groups or church) is tough. They only go to childcare things 2-3 times a month (and about 5-6 times a month when we lived in KS), so it is not like it is an everyday, or even every week, event. Up until about six months ago, Caleb would constantly cling to me. He hated to be left, but he would adjust quickly once I was gone. Now, he goes into rooms without missing a beat. Chloe always went to her classes easily, until about six months ago. Right as Caleb adjusted well to childcare, Chloe became clingy. The way I have found that makes her transition easier is that she sits in Luke's stroller until she is ready to play. So after I drop Luke off in his class, Chloe hops in. I wheel her to her room, and the teachers say she gets out when she is ready! About six weeks ago, Luke started going through separation anxiety. He cries when I drop him off, but he seems to adjust fine once