A Week Review in Pictures

Last week I forgot to do a week review in pictures so this one has a few pictures from last week.  Warning: You are about to see  A LOT of pictures. :)

Deci and her outfits:

On Saturday Q and I went out for Valentine's Day.  We went to get super at a Thia place in Eugene then we headed on over to the Roller Derby Tournament.  It was soooo much fun to watch.  The middle picture is from our neighbors 2nd birthday party.  And the picture on the right was our celebration after getting our taxes done.  We didn't owe anything back! Whoohoo!!!  Deci requested that we sing her happy birthday, so we did.  Why not? :)

Monday night bible study.  Marks on the wall from a 1-year-old.  Yay for Magic erasers! That stinker little 1-year-old learning to wear a bow.  Sisters. :)

Q (Click HERE to see his blog) took Deci on a Daddy/Daughter date last night.  On Valentine's Day he came home with flowers and Chocolates!!  Then we ordered my favorite: Stuffed Crusted Supreme Pizza from Pizza Hut! We ended the night watching Lost after the girls went to bed! It was a perfect day.

Journey wearing Deci's backpack and rain boots. My Valentine Deci made me at school.  The Valentine's Deci sent to family. Deci and Raegan. The McKinney family came down to Eugene on Valentine's day to take Knox to a clinic.  Breanna watched Charger and Raegan.  Raegan went with me to pick up Deci from school.  :)

So, I dyed/colored my hair twice in one day.  The picture (above) on the left is after the first color.  My new friend, Katie colored my hair the first time.  She is amazing and gave me an AMAZING deal for her to color my hair professionally.  The problem is that she has never touched my hair before and I colored my hair this dark brown/black color a few months ago.  So, it's so not her fault that my hair didn't change much.  By the way she said she would fix it for me but for us to not be rushed she would have to wait until Tuesday. Busy, busy girl who is spending the weekend in Portland with family.  If you know me, you know I don't have patience and when I decide to do something I want to do it NOW. :) SO, I went out and bought hair color myself (pictured above Middle).  Yes, I wanted my hair that red/orange color.  Breanna (Her blog) put the color on for me and we left it on for 45 minutes AND she put the color on my ends first.  Here's what my hair looks like now:

:)  I'm thinking the problem is that dark brown/black color that I put on months ago will not absorb a lighter color.  I've colored my hair a lighter red color before and it took but it was probably because my hair didn't have color in it.  So...this is what my hair will look like if you see me in the next month or so...I'm not touching my hair again for a little while. :)  I'm not sure this is the "different" I was going for but it sure is different.

*Speaking of Breanna (mentioned above) Please go read this post HERE about her and her upcoming trip to India and find out how you can support her by giving financially and praying for her! :) Thanks!

A Day in the LIfe of a Stay-at-Home Mom.

Have you ever wondered what a stay-at-home mom does all day? Well, I decided to journal on Friday, Feb 10, 2012 about all that went on in the Williams house that day.  This day was pretty typical but do know that all stay-at-home moms are not the same.  Also If I would have done this, lets say, a year ago it would have been completely different.  My girls are at the age now where I actually can get things done around the house.  :)

7:30 Journey wakes up, therefor I wake up. :) (Wake up time varies in this house.  sometimes as early at 6) I go to computer initially to check time, since my phone is in a bag of rice at the moment.  I dropped it in the toilet a few days ago.  I hold Journey and check my blog, Facebook and email.  Journey gets her books and reads.  I write out my "to-do" list which has 12 things I need to do.

8:15:  I fix Breakfast for Journey and myself.

8:30: Deci wakes up so I fix her breakfast.  When I ask her if she wants milk or water she says Milk.  When I hand her the cup of milk she says, "I didn't know what I was saying, I want water."

9:00: Put girls in the bath while I clean the bathroom.  Then I put the first load of clothes in the washing machine.  START COFFEE! Put dishes away that were drying on the counter top.

9:30: girls out of bath. Deci ask to wear a dress because she has to go to a party... there is no party, the girl just likes to wear dresses.  I wash dishes until the hot water runs out.  The girls play by themselves.

10:00 I sit down to drink my coffee and Deci starts her talent show that she does every single day.  Today she starts out as "shoe girl".  I fold towels while watching because I need to multitask to get everything done.  I try to have a conversation with Breanna but Deci tells me that I can't take my eyes off of her when she is performing and I must talk in a whisper.  :)
I play memory with Deci while trying to keep Journey away.

10:30: We are still playing memory but I take a break to put the 2nd load of clothes in the washing machine.  I find Journey playing in the trash.  Decided it was time to take trash out all the while Deci is still trying to play memory screaming "Your turn mom!" over and over until I finally make it back.

11:00:  I sit down to do my Bible study.  Its sad to say but this doesn't happen every day.  The day before I actually sat down with the bible beside me while Journey was sleeping and she woke up before I even got the bible open.  While I'm doing my bible study Deci is playing the keyboard and Journey the guitar...right beside me.  Journey then starts bringing me books and Deci is asking me which is my favorite animal.  I really should just get up early to do my bible study because it's almost impossible while the girls are awake.

11:15: I get lunch ready.  Left overs from yesterday.  I cooked 2 meals yesterday! Go Me! But today I won't cook anything.  I've only crossed 2 things off my "to do" list.

11:30: Both girls are finished eating and I haven't even sat down to eat mine yet.  I realize I haven't had any water all day.  Journey is now covered from head to toe in pizza sauce.  Outfit #1 comes off.  When you become a mom, you learn to eat fast.

11:50: Get online to check Facebook and Twitter.  I feel a little disconnected from the world outside without my phone... even though it's not a smart phone...

12:00 After flying thru FB, Twitter and reading a few blogs, I make myself get off @12.  Start cleaning up toys in the den and getting Journey ready for nap.

12:30: Journeys nap time! Praise God! I work on a Valentines craft with Deci for the grandparents.

1:15: Wash 3rd load of clothes then finally get a shower.  Then get the Valentines ready to go to the mail.

2:00: A battle within...whether to blow dry my hair or blog.  I know I only have about 30 more minutes before Journey wakes up.  Decided to blow dry hair.

2:30 Sit down to blog.

2:50 Wake Journey up.  We usually don't let her sleep over 2 hours because she doesn't sleep well at night if she gets too much sleep during the day. I realize we are out of toilet paper.  whoops!

3:15: I'm somehow accomplished writing a blog post.  6 out of 12 things are crossed off my "to do" list.
I give the girls a snack and I attempt to wash the rest of the dishes.

3:45: Finish washing most of the dishes.  Put 4th load of clothes in the wash.
Q got home early! YAY! This doesn't happen a lot.  We talk blog talk.  Played with the girls and read them books.

4:30: Fold clothes.  Deci goes to the potty and falls in because Q left the seat up. Q leaves to get us food. :)

5:00: I straighten my hair because I'm going out with Breanna and two new friends to watch The Vow.  I drink my 2nd cup of coffee for the day.  Who knew I would be the girl that needed more than one cup of coffee in one day?

5:20: Q's back with food.  We eat.  Then watch TV and play with the girls.

6:30 Journey's new trick: Taking her clothes off.  She pees in the floor.  I put Journey's PJ's on and start getting ready for a night out with some ladies!  I think just knowing I was getting out later in the day made the day go by so much smoother. 

7:20:  Breanna and I leave the house.  This part is totally not normal.  I usually am home to help put the girls in bed but since our friends asked us to go out Q said he would watch the girls. :) Plus, we have plans to go out for Valentine's day the very next day.

At the end of the day I've checked off 8 things off my "to do" list.  Not bad, not bad.  It was a very good day in the Williams house.   Some days are crazier than this.  Some days I don't clean ANYTHING.  Some days I sit and watch Biggest Loser while the kids play.  Some days we do leave the house....not very often but it does happen.  I hope you've enjoyed reading about a day in the life of this stay-at-home mom. :)

Just Q and A: Our love story in Pictures

I wanted to attempt to post our Love story today...about how we met and the years in between then and now...BUT it seemed VERY overwhelming to me to try and get that done today.  This March we've been together 14 years.  We dated 7 years and in May we will have been married 7.  I'm so blessed to have this man in my life. 

Me 15, Q 17 :) Q's Senior Prom

Our Wedding May 28, 2005

This picture is for Deci.  She asked me the other day if we ever kiss. ha! :)

Our Honeymoon.  A Cruise to the Bahama's

Our first (I believe) Vacation after being married.  You don't see them here but we took this road trip with 3 single people...I'm not sure what we were thinking.  But it sure was a fun trip.  We went to Washington D.C. by the way. 

 

 This post was by far my favorite post I've done in a while.  I Loved getting a chance to look back at old pictures of me and Q.  I just wish I had more of our pictures before we got married online.  I'll try and take a picture of a few of the one's we have...because I don't have a scanner.

Thanks Q for all the wonderful memories!  I'm a better person because of you.   I love you more and more everyday!  I honestly couldn't imagine this life without you.

Guest Post: My missionary friend Breanna

Meet Breanna

If you don't know already, Breanna is from Alabama and moved out to Oregon 6 months ago to help with the Crash team.  She actually lives with us and helps keeps me sane by watching the girls so that Q and I can go out of dates! :)  She is a missionary.  She has been to Mexico 6...or so times.  You can read more about that on her blog. I'm excited about being able to help Breanna out by sharing her story below about her upcoming mission trip.

Hi friends of Q&A! Thank you, Audrey for letting me guest blog today! I'm just gonna cut to the chase. Did you know that only about 2.3% of the Indian population claim to be Christian? Out of an estimated population of 1,189,172,906 only 2.3% claim to be Christians. That equals about 27,350,977 people. If you subtract that amount from the population you get 1,161,821,929 people that will die and spend an eternity in hell without ever trusting in Jesus as their Savior. When you live in an area where 2.4 million people are living with HIV/AIDS finding hope in the Lord is something that can carry them throughout all of the hardships of living life with the fatal disease.

I will be traveling with TREC, International in January 2013 to India. During our trip, we will be hiking A LOT, stopping at orphanages to work with the orphans, painting/decorating classrooms, training teachers and sharing the Gospel with a community of people desperate for hope. This will be my first ever (of many to come) over seas mission trip.

Now comes the awkward part. I always hate asking for money... from anyone, even my own mother. Let's just face it, though. Can one teenage girl with no income living away from home possibly pay out of pocket for a mission trip to the other side of the world? No. That's where you come in! The cost estimation for my trip is $3000 with the first $500 due on March 6. Yes, a little less than a month! Not to mention the other supplies I will have to buy such as hiking equipment and Visas! I totally believe that a donation can be a blessing from many different angles. Angle #1) You get to have the benefit of seeing life change in a foreign country that otherwise might not happen, and all because you gave up one cup of coffee at Starbucks(or JaMoka's!) and donated to help a missionary. Angle #2) I get to go to India in January and have you forever to thank for the opportunity! Angle #3) Our team could plant seeds or change lives in India. Seeds planted that will be fertilized by the Lord and later He will use those people to make an impact on their own community.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE:

-Write a check payable to TREC, International (send a note with the check saying that it's designated to Breanna Rains) mailed to TREC, International P.O. Box 242205 Montgomery, AL 36124 (tax deductible)

-Write a check to me and mail it(email me for the address) to me.

-Write a check/give cash to my mom at Lifepoint Church(if you know her.)

-Look for my mom at Lifepoint who will be selling knit hats/crocheted dishcloths to help me raise support.

-Check out my facebook page where I also am selling the hats! 

-Pray. Pray. Pray!

-Donate online here.

So, all ways you look at it, there are so many ways you can be a blessing to me and to the people of India. I also want to add that this trip will not have an impact at all unless there is prayer... lots and LOTS of prayer! When you think you have prayed enough, pray some more! Thank you so much for being a blessing to me and to the Indian people whether it be prayerfully or financially. I know that the Lord is paving my way to India as I type this, and He will provide! If you have any questions, or want to contact me for any reason email me at breannarains@gmail.com :) Thanks so much!

Here area a few examples of the hats she is making to sell. 

Here are some of the crochet wash cloths that my mom is making for Breanna to sell.

Marriage Letters: Patience

Join me and Q, along with Amber@The Run A Muck as we write our Marriage Letters every Monday.  

Q,
      How do I write a "love" letter to you about patience after a day of fighting.  Our relationship takes a lot of patience.  I don't even know what to say.  It's Sunday so technically I can wait to write this tomorrow when maybe I'm in a better mood...when maybe you don't get on my nerves so much.  I just said to you that if I can't say anything nice I probably shouldn't say anything at all.  I guess this can be my transparency post for the week.

I have to have a lot of patience with you.  You have to have a lot of patience with me.  I'm not sure you understand the demands of a stay-at-home mom and I sure don't understand the demands of a being the chaplain of the Eugene Mission.  We often plead our case to one another hoping one day the other will agree on who has the more demanding "job".

At the moment, it's your work weekend which means you are at work at 6 at night on a Sunday.  You didn't get a weekend.  I know, It stinks for me too.  At the moment, I'm listening to music while Journey plays on the table...and when I say play I mean that she is digging in my bowl of random junk trying to find things that will fit in her mouth.  I've already had to clean a whole bag of potato chips off the carpet in the den.  I'm not exaggerating when I say whole, it was the WHOLE ENTIRE BAG OF CHIPS!  You had to preach this morning.  I had to get two girls ready for church without you...which I HATE.  I'm not sure how single mom's make it.  I couldn't imagine life without you.  We don't have horrible lives.  We are actually blessed.  Sometimes I just let the little things get to me.


I'm not sure how much this was about patience.... My emotions are on my sleeve and running wild tonight.  Days like today I need you to have patience with me.  I need you to listen to me rant and rave about silly things that you can't fix.  I need to be able to let out some of this frustration with you so that I don't hold it in and take it out on the kids when it's not their fault.  If I can't be honest with you, who can I be honest with?  These days I feel like I share everything.  My kids, my home, my husband, my life...I feel like the boundary lines are so thin I can't see them anymore.  You say we are living more like Jesus now than ever.  I just want to be able to curl up beside you, and only you.  I want to be able to tell you my secrets, only you.  I want to lay in bed and giggle as we talk about the day after the kids are asleep.  I don't want to lose all this as we search to find out what it means to be Jesus to this community.   I need you.
                   -A

Nick Nick and Aunt B's last day in Oregon

 We took Nick and Brandi to the top of Skinner's Butte to see the view.  They were so lucky to have such beautiful weather while they were here.

Q, Alec, Luis, Nick

Zach Gideon

We went to Sweet Life, a local bakery, to get dessert and coffee.  I'm pretty sure this is where we met up for the day after Journey woke up from her nap...I'm just too lazy to move the pictures around so they will actually be in order.   :)

Jeff, Journey, and Derrick

We walked past Alec's work and waved at him and Mike. 

Then we went back to the base of Spencer's Butte so Brandi could take a few pictures since she left her camera at our house the first time we went.

 

 If you wonder why Brandi isn't in a lot of these pictures it's because I'm pretty sure she would kill me if I put a lot of pictures of her on my blog. ha! :) But these next 3 pictures Brandi took with her awesome camera and I love them.

Side note:  One night we got to go to Albany to hang out with the McKinney family.  The husbands were supportive enough to tell us ladies to leave all the kids (all 5 kids!) with them to go get dessert at a local shop some of their friends own.  It was such a fun night.  For some reason I get away to Albany and have so much fun with April talking and catching up that I NEVER seem to remember to get a picture of us all.  April is my friend here from Alabama that moved here to help with a Church plant. It feels like home when I get together with her.  We can relate in so many ways. She gets me. She also has the son who has a heart that needs surgery that I asked for you guys to pray for a few weeks back. Keep praying.  They have some hard decisions ahead to make. 

Last blog post about Nick Nick and Aunt B for a while.  I guess it's about time I get caught up in real life.  They've been gone since Tuesday.  Nothing much has happened since they left.  I think we were so busy while they were here that we crashed after they left.  Maybe they got an extra day off of work to recover. :)

Check back in tomorrow for Marriage Letters Monday, Tuesday I'm going to TRY really hard to do a post on how I met Q and our story...no promises...How do you write a post on 7(ish) years of dating?? Wednesday I have a post ready on "A day in the life of a stay-at-home mom." :)

Holleigh's Birthday!

This day didn't start off so well...I still haven't decided if I want to share about what happened.  Q says in all of my transparency I should...but the part of me that worries what others think doesn't want it to be so public.  Okay, so I know you are all wondering now.  Let's just say that Q had to leave for Church early and in the frustration of trying to get the girls ready I had a come apart.  We didn't make it to church but it ended up being just what I needed.  2 hours of doing nothing but playing with my 2 favorite girls.  Just me and them.  ANYWAYS, that's how I started Holleigh's birthday.  But don't worry, my day got better when Nick, Brandi, and Breanna came home with my favorite coffee drink!!  Yeah, because the day IS all about ME, right! Who's birthday was it?? oh yeah, Holleigh's.  So we loaded up and met Holleigh and Alec, along with a ton of other people, at a local Winery, Sweet Cheeks. (By the way I left my camera at home.  I could have kicked myself.  So all the pictures below are taken with my cell phone.  But Brandi took some really GREAT pictures that I'm going to try and post tomorrow.)

This is how Holleigh put's her birthday candles out.

Always Dancing!

 After Sweet Cheeks we drove about 10 miles to King Estates Winery.

 This place is like a castle.

 

We went with a guy that knew someone there so we got the VIP treatment and they drove us to the top of this hill where you can see (kind of) King Estates in the background.  It was beautiful.

 I'm pretty sure Holleigh had a great Birthday.  I know that it was such a fun day for me.  After all this we had everyone over at the house to play board games.  So much fun! :)

Aunt B, Deci and Holleigh