Our May Visitors

Yep, you read that right, our MAY visitors.  I know, I know...It's June 19th.  BUT If you don't know, I'm pregnant (in other words, I'm tired, sick, and exhausted.), plus my insane choice of editing (picnik) no longer exist forcing me to find another photo editing program.  If you know me you know I love change but not when it comes to technical stuff. (as if I haven't complained enough about that lately.)  ANYWAYS,  I'm 13...or is it 14...(I've lost count) weeks pregnant and feeling sooo much better! Thank you LORD! So, I'm going to try and play catch-up and do a few catch-up post about the month of May and June.  I know, I know, I really probably should just skip it all together but for my sake (and isn't this why I really blog anyways?? ha!) I'm going to bore some of you to death.  Hang in there with me. :)

Enough rambling...time for some PICTURES!  My Dad, his wife Debbie, and my brother came to visit the week before my birthday!

We decided to hike Spencer's Butte

 We also went to the Coast and they road the Dune Buggies!

My Dad also helped us plant our garden while he was here.  Everything's doing great so far except for the okra which I think is more of a southern vegetable....maybe it doesn't get warm enough here..or something...  Our 86 year old widow neighbor asked us what okra was the other day.  She had no clue.  I hope ours comes in so I we can cook her some fried okra! :)

We took them to 2 of our favorite Winery's.

We also got to spend the evening in Portland for my birthday before they left.  They took me to eat and we got to meet up with my dad's cousin that lives in Vancouver, Washington.  So nice to meet family that lives close by.

Such a fun week!  We really missed these guys after they left!  Come back soon, please!!!

(Are my visitor pictures starting to get repetitive?? haha!  I guess I should start finding new places to take visitors!)

One Last thing:  Today over at The Williams' Post, my most amazing sister-in-law is having a giveaway So go check it out!  I am in love with the new wallets she made.  That's right, she made all of them herself and if you buy one, 100% of the money goes to help her and her husband go on a Mission trip to India!  Go check in out! :)

Cork Stamps

I've recently found a new blog that I'm following (Blessed to be a Blessing) and I found this really cute idea on her blog (from her post Simple, Sweet Cards)...she found it on Pinterest (Source)! I LOVE Pinterest!  If only I had more time to spend on there.

CORK STAMPS!! :)  Now, why didn't I think of that?

So, while my two crafty friends (Britni and Holleigh) sewed themselves a dress...(seriously, sewed a dress in 2 hours and I'm jealous and will be begging them soon to walk me step-by-step through making myself one!) I needed the girl time so I sat mesmerized watching them and making these FUN and EASY cork stamps!

forgive my lack of editing with this pic from my phone...I'm having editing issues STILL.

All you have to do is get some corks, sharpie, and box cutter/knife and get to work.  :)  So much FUN!

7. An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess

I just started reading this book called 7 An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess. By Jen Hatmaker.

I'm only on page 29 but I love it.

Watch this video below and it will tell you more about the book.

Wednesday's List: Bucket List

It's Wednesday!  That means it's time for Wednesday's List. Join me and write a post in list form, (doesn't have to be bucket list) then leave a comment and let me know you are joining me so I (along with others) can check your list out! I LOVE LIST!

Can I just tell you that I've been wanting to share with you my bucket list for a while,

BUT at the same time I feel that my bucket list isn't yet complete...

I started a bucket list several years ago in a Journal and that Journal is currently boxed up. So I'm going to try and remember as well as I can what was on that original list.  Plus I've added some and taken some off.

My Bucket List:

 (in no particular order)

1. Visit all 50 States in the USA

2. Ride in a Hot Air Balloon

3.  Take my daughters on a foreign mission trip

4. Visit New York City

5. Go on a road trip across the USA

6. Go skiing in "real" snow.  I've only skied down a hill when I was 10 on fake/man-made snow.

7. Run a 10k...or a 1/2 marathon...

8. Adopt a child...or two

9. Go see the Grand Canyon

10. Get a Tattoo

11. Learn to Knit something that's not square or rectangle (not a headband/scarf/ear warmers)

12. Go on an overnight hiking trip

13. Scuba dive with my Dad and Brother somewhere besides my dads pool

14. Volunteer somewhere at least once a year, every year

15. Visit the 7 wonders of the world

16. See my girls give their lives to follow Jesus...to make their life about Him.

17. At some point, live in a State that is closer to family

18. Ride on a Train

19. To be dept free. We only have my student loan left to pay off!

20. Buy and sewing machine and learn to use it.

21. Get another passport (mine expired in 2009)

22. Take Journey to Mexico (Deci went when she was 13 moths old)

23. Have a street party for our neighbors.

24. Memorize a HUGE chunk of Scripture

25. Personally feed a homeless person...not as in spoon feed them but buy them food and hand it to them.

I would like to add that sometimes I feel like we make bucket list and they are very selfish and worldly.  Mine is no different.  When I think of a bucket list I think of things to actually do to cross off...it's hard to cross off "be less selfish" or "learn more about the bible"  or "Be a better Mom." etc... but there are several things that I would like to change about myself before I "kick the bucket"...I'm just not sure that I'll actually be able to do these things and cross them off a list...they are ongoing.  Maybe that's another list post...

Bucket list items that I took off my list:

-bungee jumping
-sky diving
Like I ever really had enough courage to do either of these and now I have 2 kids that would have a hard time living without me if something went terribly wrong...but maybe one day when they are older I can add these back on my list...maybe. ;)

Have you posted a List lately? I would love to read it!
Happy Listing!

Wednesday's List: Funny Stuff about Me

So, I went to Barnes and Noble over the weekend and got this new Journal:

If you know me, you know I LOVE journals and I LOVE list, so this journal is perfect.  

The inside has questions like this:

I decided that I would incorporate this onto my blog with Wednesday's List!  On Wednesdays I'll try and post a list post.  Some may be random, some serious, but always in list form.  I would love for any of you to drop in at any time and join me then leave a comment and let me know you did so I can check out your list.  

Today's list: Funny (Random) Stuff About Me:

-I've watched every season of The Biggest Loser and a few months ago I started all over again with Season 1.  I'm currently on season 7.  Who does that?? Who watches reality T.V. shows over and over again? ME! I'm a reality T.V. Junky!

-I DESPISE the rain and I live in Oregon.

-I could possibly have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder... Or maybe I'm just a germaphobe...  I've never been diagnosed but I'm sure my husband would say that I'm OCD about washing dishes and how food gets cooked.

-If there is a box of Little Debbie's or Ice Cream in our house it WILL be gone in 24 hours.  I have no self control when it comes to either of these things.

-I'm not even 30 (but will be in May! eeek!) and I knit and love puzzles. 

-I LOVE change...like in the fact that I love when the seasons change.  I love moving. I love rearranging the furniture.  I can hit the scan button on the car radio and be just fine with the change of songs without ever picking one to listen to fully.  

-We eat pizza almost once a week.  It reminds me of my childhood.

-I can be over sensitive and I can over analyze...

-I love LIST! List of "to do" for the day, Things to do in Oregon in 2012, Crossing number 8 off my list, These are a few of my favorite things 2011, In everything give thanks, Bucket list...

If you join me let me know! Lists coming soon:

-Bucket List

-Differences between Alabama and Oregon

 Happy Listing!

What should have been on my list: Spencer's Butte

I made a list on a post a few months back of places that I wanted to visit in Oregon in 2012.  You can see the list HERE.  I should have added Spencer's Butte to that list.  While our friends Nick and Brandi (A.K.A. Nick Nick and Aunt B) were here from Alabama, we decided to explore something new in Oregon. None of us had ever been here before and I can not wait to go back.  We started off with a nice stroll through the woods.

Holleigh and Alec

Our family. Notice we are using the carrier for Journey.  Best Thrift Store investment yet! $14.99!

 It actually turned out to be a pretty good hike.  We took the easy hike since we had the kids but it still was quite a hike.  It was only a little over a mile but it got pretty steep towards the end. (The other path was 1/2 a mile but straight up.)

 Q and Deci, mainly Deci, decided to take the road less traveled and this is where I called for Alec to take Journey off my back.   When I got up and saw this view I got a little dizzy...plus my legs were like jello at this point from carrying the 25(ish) pounds on my back.

Holleigh

Deci, Q and Luis

 

 We made it to the top and this was our view!

3 Sisters

 Journey was exhausted.

Alec carried Journey back down.  He said at one point her head hit his head. He didn't know what was going on until Brandi told him that Journey had fallen asleep. So funny.  With her Raisin's in her hand. :)

I can not wait to post about the rest of the week with Nick Nick and Aunt B.  (So check back in tomorrow! :)  They are already back in Alabama now and WE MISS THEM SO MUCH!! I can't wait until they come visit again.  I hope you enjoyed pictures of Spencer's Butte and if you ever come visit this will probably be a place we take you.  I completely agree with Q, "One of the 10 top views I've seen in my life!" BEAUTIFUL!

Why I blog.

      This is my life on paper. 23 Journals here and I'm missing one.  I know this because it's my very first one. It's got to be around here somewhere.  It's small so it's likely that it didn't make it on the bookshelf but maybe in a drawer or box somewhere.  I started my first Journal in 1993 if I remember correctly.  I was 11 years old.   Some of these Journals are just horrible poetry. Some are mission trip journals. Two of them are more like scrapbooks with mostly writing but with pictures. I also have a pregnancy Journal and  2 "Mama" Journals answering questions about each of my girls and my life growing up. I love looking back on life. So, if you haven't guessed yet, (1) I blog because I want to be able to look back on life. It's my new Journal...in a weird public kind of way.  Also I'm living 2,000+ miles away from almost everyone I grew up with.  (2) Blogging is a cool way to let friends and family back in Alabama know whats going on here in Oregon with the Williams family. (3) It's my new "hobby".  What else do you do when you move from a place where you knew a million people (not literally) to a place where you only know 10 people? Ha! Get out there and meet people, right? Yeah... well, also I'm enjoying my girls being at an age where I can blog.  I remember having a 3-year-old and a newborn and wondering how in the world anyone with kids EVER blogs! Things are calming down now and I LIKE it, a lot! :) 
       So, been wonderin' why I've been posting on my blog almost every single day lately? Well, there ya go! Recording life online for ME and YOU! (and the fact that my mom's been here helping with the girls so I have extra help... and my little secret: I'm writing this post on Thursday night while the kids are in bed...but you won't see it until Saturday. But if you see things slow down it may be because mom is leaving in the morning (Friday)...which was yesterday...If that makes since...) Whew, ok so that last part was confusing. I think I need sleep! Thanks for reading my blog! Friends, family, strangers...  I hope you enjoy!

Pigtails

I LOVE Pigtails on little girls! And I love that I randomly have pictures of both of my girls when they wore pigtails for the first time. Below is Breanna and Deci. Yes, that blond hair teenager fixing Deci's hair is the same dark hair Breanna that lives with us. :) We spent the afternoon with some friends at Cherokee Rock Village and Breanna wanted to fix Deci's hair. I'm not sure why I had never thought to put Deci's hair up in pigtails before but this started a trend. I still love Deci's hair in pigtails but she rarely lets me put her hair up these days.

 Yesterday I was holding Journey and playing with her afro hair and realized it could go up in pigtails!! It took me and my mom to accomplish getting her hair up and entertaining her with my phone to actually get these pictures.  Her hair was up no more than 2 minutes before she figured out she could pull them out and I doubt she will let me put them in again but look how cute!

Notice it took both of these girls playing with cell phones, which I rarely let them play with, to hold their attention long enough to get their hair up!

Recent thrift store finds.

Minnetonka Moccasins for Deci. The price tag says 3.99 but they were 1/2 off so I got them for $2!!! :)

This is random but I wanted to share because I'm addicted a little bit to thrift store shopping. I once counted around 12 thrift stores about 10 miles (or less) from our house. Since we've been in Eugene I've only bought myself one shirt (that I can remember) from a chain type store.  Not bragging on myself here but bragging on Oregon for having the coolest thrift stores around. I do most of our families clothes shopping at second hand stores.  I found this purse below for $12.99 and it was 25% off!

liz&co.

For some reason in this picture it looks more yellow than gold...it's more of a mustard yellow/Gold color.  Also I got this coat at a thrift store a few months back.   To find out more about this picture, check out my friend Breanna's blog.

Oregon: These are a few of my favorite things, 2011.

I've been dreaming up this post for quite some time now and I thought New Years Eve would be the perfect time to write about my favorite things about Oregon. So.... Here goes.

Top 10 Favorite Things:

1. The Oregon Coast! This by far is my most favorite thing about Oregon. 

We've lived here for a year and I think we've been to the coast 6...or 7 times... hey, it's just an hour away so why not! 

2. The Sand Dunes in Florence, Or.  This is practically the coast also but it deserves it's own number because it's by far the most entertaining thing I've done this year. 

This picture doesn't even do the dunes justice by the way.  They were huge and our driver was CRAZY! I thought we were going to flip several times but he assured us that he has never flipped one.

3. Camping! We took the girls camping for the first time and they loved it.  We went to Cottage Grove. Baker Bay... but Camping anywhere is FUN!

4.  Learning to Knit.  Ok, so I know this isn't a place but it's definitely something that I am SO thankful that I was taught how to do.

 

5.  Multnomah Falls. Just because it's BEAUTIFUL (and I love waterfalls!). 

6.  Lowell, Or.  This was our first hometown when we moved to Oregon.  I still take people here when they come to visit. Lowell is on Dexter Lake and has a cover bridge. It's a small town of 1,000. You can drive up to the dam (a mile from our house at the time) and on a clear day see Diamond Peak.

7.  Sweet Cheeks Winery. For mine and Q's anniversary we went here for wine tasting.

There are 2 or 3 other vineyards close to this one that I want to check out in 2012.

8.  Saturday Market, Eugene, Or.  This is only in the Summer and it's downtown Eugene. It's a place where locals can sell things that they make or grow. 

9.  PARKS! Lots and Lots of parks in Oregon. I've never in my life seen so many parks and so many playgrounds! 

10. Oregon Country Fair. This was quite an experience. We were warned not to take the kids...and if we had to take the kids we should go as early as possible on Sunday. Luckily our friends Richie and Sharee got Q tickets for his birthday so we could go in early. We did see a few nudest but the girls didn't seem to notice.

Deci dancing with the Hippies! She fits in so well. :)

10 +...ok so one more.. Thrift Stores!!! I counted today and I could think of 12 thrift stores within 10ish miles from my house. Here is a picture of one of my favorites:

In the summer the huge blue garage door is open. This is the store where we got our Couch. Our house is full of thrift store things and I LOVE IT! 

(By the way, if my husband had a say he would have added Sisters, Oregon)

Check back in tomorrow where I'll add a list of places we hope to visit 2012!

Living a GREAT life...

"Every life is a story. Whether it is a story worth telling and talking about, though, is up to you. People set out with grand dreams of changing the world, falling in love, doing something amazing. But the drift toward the merely acceptable happens almost without notice. That does not have to be our story." -Donald Miller A Million Miles in a Thousand Years


I am at the end of reading this book, A Million Miles In a Thousand Years By: Donald Miller. I love it. It has reminded me of so much of my life and the times in my life where I think, "This is the best day of my life." Do you ever do that? Do you ever have one of those days you don't ever want to forget. One of those days that you are doing the exact thing that you want to do. Most of mine happen outside. I think I'm a little weird about this. I try to explain it to people some times but I'm not sure they quite get what I'm saying but I live for these moments of thinking "this is the best day". I will tell you a few....



One of my younger ones was when my parents dug a pond in our back yard. I remember me, my mom, dad, and both brothers were outside and our parents let us wade out deep in knee high mud. I remember a year or so later going swimming in that pond. I would jump in and the catfish would nibble at my toes. I remember pretending the creek that ran into the pond was a slip-in-slide and sliding in the mud. We found a crawlfish that day...


I remember the first time I slept outside in our fort me and my brothers made. My older brother and cousin slept in their fort and I slept in a tent with my cats. I caught my hair on fire that night...



I remember being on a house boat with friends jumping off the top and being pulled on an inner-tube with all 5 (or 6) of us girls on that intertube at the same time....I remember thinking that was a good day....



I remember spending the day in Mentone with Q before we were dating thinking that I didn't want the day to end. I remember we found a Frisbee on top of a shed and Q held me up to get it. I remember taking a hike though the woods and laying beside Q leaning against a rock talking about life....



I remember playing ball in the streets of Ireland. I remember standing up in front of hundreds in Africa telling people about the time I asked Jesus into my heart. I could go on and on of memories that are the "this is the best day" but the sad thing is the older I get the less I have these days. I need to change that.


In Donald Millers book he talks about people who have made their stories great because they do great things. Their life is not their own. They live for their creator who makes their story what it is if they listen and obey. These people in the book do great things that impact other people. I want to impact other people, positively in a huge way. I borrowed this book but I wish it was mine to highlight parts and underline. I feel like I'm rambling and not making a lot of since. I wish I could share with you every story in the book. I wish I could share with you how he writes and makes me want to have an adventure everyday. I just think that life is worth living... We should have something to live for. I do. Go read the book! A Million Miles in a Thousand Years By: Donald Miller

"I like those scenes in the Bible where God stops people and asks them to build an altar. You'd think He was making them do that for Himself, but I don't think God really gets much from looking at a pile of rocks. Instead, I think God wanted his people to build altars for their sake, something that would help them remember, something they could look back on and remember the time when they were rescued, or they were given grace." -Donald Miller

"We have to get up off the couch and turn the television off, we have to bow up the inner-tubes and head to the river. We have to write the poem and deliver it in person. We have to pull the car off the road and hike to the top of the hill. We have to put on our suits, we have to dance at weddings. We have to make altars." -Donald Miller

Favorite age...

Yesterday I got in a conversation with one of my friends about our kids and our favorite age that they have gone through. I think about this a lot for some reason...maybe because I hated the new born stage and we are thinking about starting that all over again. When Deci was a baby she was colicky and had acid reflux. She cried ALL The time for the first 3 months. At 3 months she started sleeping through the night...I started to enjoy her a little. At 6 months she started sitting up on her own, smiling and laughing so I think this is when I fell in Love with my child. Every month I would say, "This is my favorite month." Every month got better and better.

My pastor, and friend, Matt told me that his favorite age was one and older. Sure enough when Deci turned one she was soooo much fun. She was walking and saying some words. This was by far my favorite age. From one until 18months. She didn't talk back, she was learning to say more words, she wanted to really play with toys, and she was interactive! It was great. 18 months and after was still fun. I always wondered how long I would say, "This is my favorite month." I wondered when I wanted to go back to "when she was younger". I wondered if she would be 6 and talking back...or if it would be middle school when she thought her mom was "too cool" to be seen in public with...or if it would be those dreadful teenage years when she didn't want to have anything to do with me. Nope, I think it's starting already... Deci has started hitting, screaming, running away from me in public, throwing her body on the floor to throw a fit, and telling me "No!" She turns 2 next month so I'm just guessing this is the "terrible two's!" Don't get me wrong, I love Deci! She is so much fun and is very independent, which I love. She laughs all the time and LOVES to sing and Dance and it's too funny! I just think she is at the age that I dreaded...the age where I tell her "no" a million times a day and spank her and IT DOESN'T work!

I guess I'm saying all this to say that from birth to 2 years old, (yes, I know it's only 2 years), my favorite age is 12months to 18months. I can't wait to have more though. I really look forward to having more and going on trips, mission trips especially. I look forward to playing board games and going camping. I know they say to enjoy these younger years because they go by so fast and that you will miss them one day but let me just tell you I doubt I will ever miss the new born age. I can't wait to have more kids but I really dread those early days...please tell me maybe my next one will be one of the "good ones" that sleeps all the time! :)

So, what about you?? What is your favorite age your child has gone through?

In Need of an Adventure!

So my husband came up with this great idea to have a whole Sunday with no kid. He made plans to go eat in Huntsville with a few people for Allison's birthday. My mom was more than willing to keep Deci so we dropped her off after early service. Come to find out we couldn't go to Huntsville so after lunch Q wanted to go home and take a nap! Yes, a nap! That's his favorite thing to do. I, on the other hand, am thinking...No child equals do something that you can't do with a child. So we came up with this idea of going to Bucks Pocket to swim in the river. I had to pull Q kicking and Screaming. He really wanted his nap!

This first picture is the road we drove on to find the river. It was VERY bumpy.

Me and Q

Kerrie, Me, Holleigh, and Allison

The River Bed. There was not a drop of water in the River. It was beautiful! I made Q pull over so we could play.

Holleigh in Deep thought.

Check out the "Jump Here" sign!

Q and A

Q ended up loving the trip and being really glad he got to go. The only thing we didn't get to stay very long because he had to get back for a meeting. I was in much need of an adventure and I accomplished that Sunday. Thanks for going along with me guys!