My Girls

A Glimpse into Our Everyday Talk

2012-01-25T16:16:00.000-05:00

Katie: Mom, when are you going to have another baby in your tummy?

Me: Um . . . I'm not planning on that happening again . . . ever!

Katie: Well, you can't make plans like that, only God can make those kinds of plans!

~~~

Annabelle: Mom, So-and-so likes me!

Me: Great! He's a nice boy and you like him too!

Annabelle: No, Mom, he LIKE likes me!

Me: Well, super, you like him a lot too!

Annabelle: MOM! No! He LOVE likes me!

~~~

Katie: Mom, you know when I get big enough to get married . . .?

Me: Uh-huh.

Katie: Well, how will God tell me which boy is the right boy to marry?

(One friend said my response should have been, "He'll tell me and I'll let you know!" I wasn't as quick on the draw!)

~~~

Love these little girls and the way their little brains work!!

Katie Kwestions #2

2012-01-13T13:20:00.002-05:00

Katie (speaking to Ella Grace): Is God and Jesus the same?

Ella Grace: Uh, mom, I don't know how to answer that; you're gonna have to handle that one!

Katie: So, mom?

~~~~

She also asked me earlier this week why the Lego man she was playing with didn't have ears. Who thinks about such things?

Katie Kwestions

2012-01-11T08:32:00.000-05:00

Katie is coming up with all sorts of Krazy Kwestions lately. This title may repeat itself several times while she's in the stage, because they crack me up! Here are a few of the latest:

"How big are God's hands?"

"What does I love you mean?"

. . . and my personal favorite:

"Mom, you know the Angel Gabriel? Did he have feet?"

Mice On Main

2012-01-06T21:02:00.001-05:00

We spent one day of our Christmas break exploring our downtown in a way we never had before -- searching for the Mice On Main.

For those who aren't local, our downtown is one of the best in the country. Literally, check this out! We spend a lot of time there, but have never seen it in the way we saw it last week.

Background: In 2000, Jim Ryan an imaginative high school student was looking for a special senior project, one that would inspire Greenville residents and visitors alike to feel as if, when they visited downtown Greenville, they had stepped into an extraordinary place with character and individuality. In his senior year, Ryan made his idea a reality and proposed the design and installation of a family of unique mice sculptures for a fanciful downtown scavenger hunt for children and adults. The mouse family came alive through the hands of talented local artist and sculptor, Zan Wells. As a team, Ryan and Wells placed the mice in their permanent places, thus creating Greenville's whimsical downtown scavenger hunt for children of all ages.

As Mouse Hunters, your challenge is to scavenge for these elusive Mice on Main. Follow the clues, read between the lines, and enjoy the sights and sounds of our beautiful city along the way. Good luck in your search Mouse Hunters! (taken from the clue sheet we followed)

Meet Marvin!

Marvin's wife, Maggie

Marvin Jr.

Marvin and Maggie's son, Marcley

Marcley's twin sister, Millie (she's looking down from the bottom corner of the sign)

Little Brother, Mitch

Mitch's twin sister, Melissa

Maggie's sister, Mifflin

Uncle Miles, Mifflin's husband

The girls loved it and I'm pretty sure we'll never visit downtown again without saying hi to at least a few of our new friends!

(side note: these were the 9 pictures left on the memory stick)

A Post with NO Pictures!

2012-01-05T15:36:00.000-05:00

I've had this nagging problem all week.

Blogging.

Such a catch 22 for me -- I love doing it, but, seriously, it's hard with so much going on.

Every December, I determine to be faithful in updating so that I don't get to the end of the month with nothing documented.

Obviously, I failed.

Completely.

So, back to my problem -- catching up!

I'd resolved myself to just slowly catching up, as time allowed, until everything I wanted to document was recorded.

I pulled the memory card out of my camera a few nights ago to load them on the computer (please note, the memory card has been in our camera for the entire month of December).

It was empty (save 9 pictures -- the 9 that I most recently took). EMPTY!

Problem solved.

Devastatingly solved.

Decking the Halls

2011-11-27T19:42:00.000-05:00

The Official Start!

2011-11-26T20:41:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving is over.

My little Pilgrims and Indians are all gone . . .

We can officially begin singing carols.

Decking the halls.

Jingling the bells.

We kicked of the season by going to cut down our Christmas tree!

We headed slightly north this year and after a scenic drive up a dirt road, we found a sweet farm with great trees!

Keeping with tradition, we cut our own!

After s'mores and the drive back down the mountain, we headed to Brevard, NC for lunch, shopping, and dessert!

It was a great start to the holidays!

Tomorrow we'll pull out the ornaments and start decorating!

Artsy-Girls

2011-11-21T14:06:00.000-05:00

For the past five weeks, Ella Grace and Annabelle have been taking an art class from The Greenville County Museum of Art. To end their class, "Animals in Art," their work was showcased in an art show!

They made Eric Carle inspired animals by making collages out of painted paper. Annabelle's is a fish with the sunset overhead. And Ella Grace's is a dog with complete with a food bowl and a rug.

They used canvases to paint (which they both thought was so cool!) an animal of their choice. Annabelle painted a lion and Ella Grace painted a blue dog.

They also made sculptures out of wood scraps glued together.

Also, not pictured, they worked with pastels to learn how to blend colors. They each drew a bird and they are amazing! I love how the class used many different mediums and types of art for each project -- I feel like the girls were exposed to a lot in a short period of time! The teachers were amazing and I think it's pretty incredible that they finished 4 projects in only 5 weeks! The girls are already planning which class they want to take next!

As for me, I'm trying to figure out how to display all of it --

it's so amazing that I hate to hide it all in a box someplace!

Ideas?

Anyone?

Thanks, Dad

2011-11-11T07:12:00.000-05:00

"My grandpa was in the army.

He traveled to Vietnam.

He flew in a helicopter.

He killed a big snake."

by Annabelle

Thanks, Dad, and all the other men and women who have fought and are fighting to keep this country free!

Give Thanks Banner

2011-11-08T15:24:00.001-05:00

I had visions of making our family a banner for Thanksgiving using fabric scraps that I have laying around (Eric would write that sentence: "that she has EVERYWHERE!"), but it's just not going to happen this year. Instead, we spent a family night last week putting this one together!

We used card stock to cut our flags and stenciled the letters on each. I love how it turned out!

Each year we make a "Thankful Tree." I'm not sure exactly why we call it that because it has never actually looked like a tree. We do, however, write something we are thankful for on a leaf, so maybe that's where it gets it's name. This year is the first year that each of the girls understands fully what it means to be thankful for something. If you look closely, you can see our leaves clothes pinned to the twine that we left hanging from the banner:

A few things the girls have been thankful for so far:

that God loves me

my sisters

fall fun

that I can give to others

that i have teachers who love me

that we can go to church

Jenn's Baby Shower

2011-11-07T15:11:00.001-05:00

A friend and I (with help from many others) hosted a baby shower for Jenn -- our friend who was surprised a few months ago to find out she was due with TWIN GIRLS at the end of December! It was a complete surprise to she and her husband -- no drugs, no history of twins -- just a total God's in control surprise! We are all so thrilled for her and can't wait to meet Babies A and B!

(remember i blogged about making this! turned out so cute -- i'm planning one for Christmas!)

(my amazing friend, jess, made these lollipops for favors! don't you think she should open a shop?)

Thanks for giving us a reason (or two!) to celebrate, Jenn!!

Halloween Recap

2011-11-05T15:10:00.000-04:00

Our Annual Pumpkin Party!

Roper Mountain Science Center's "Green Halloween" -- way, way better than Boo in the Zoo!

(they were watching this lady make yarn or thread or something cool)

(in the garden, "Charlotte's Web," perfect for my little bugs!)

(love this!)

And a few Halloween Night Candids:

We will now move on to the next holiday! NO--not Christmas--despite what all the department stores may tell you! Thanksgiving! We are helping our girls to focus this month on ways our family has been blessed, ways we can bless others, and the significance of this holiday in our country's history! Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas as much as the next guy, and, yes, I have started shopping (actually, started months ago), but I hate that Thanksgiving gets lost in the hype of all the Christmas "stuff"! Will try to share a few things our family does during the month of November! To get you started, here are a few ideas!

Fall Crafts

2011-10-27T13:36:00.000-04:00

In case you need some crafty-ness to fill your Halloween weekend:

Wood Block Pumpkins (with nails for stems and scrap fabric for leaves):

Inspired here but definitely a different project!

Felt Beanbags (with ribbon stems and ric-rac leaves):

I'll be using these on Monday for a game with Katie's preschool class!

Tie Dyed Leaves:

Instructions found here!

Happy Halloweening!

Some Links . . .

2011-10-20T13:47:00.001-04:00

. . . for your reading enjoyment:

on parenting:

I Don't Want My Children to be Happy
Summer Reading Idea
Printable Lunchbox Notes

on orphan care:

Am I a Hero?

on women's ministry:

In Which I Write a Letter to Women's Ministry

recipes:

Monte Cristos (haven't tried these yet, but purchased everything; will letcha know . . . )
Bacon Ranch Chicken (have tried this -- it was a hit at our house!)

crafty-craftiness:

Pennant Banner (making a variation of one of these for a baby shower -- can't wait to see the finished product!)

Leave me some comment love with suggestions of other links I should look at!!

My Pun'kins

2011-10-16T20:48:00.000-04:00

Random

2011-10-16T14:28:00.000-04:00

October is halfway over and I haven't even posted once. Is it just us, or is your October super-busy? Going to type whatever comes to mind . . . it's sure to be random!

The girls just had two days off of school. Days like that make me realize how much I miss having them home! Don't get me wrong ~ they love school and I'm adjusting to having some time to myself (if you count myself as me and Peanut)! I have been surprised at how hard it's been for me to adjust having actual time to get something done. It was really like I went from 5 kids to half a kid in just a few weeks and it's been a challenge to figure out how to do life this way. Weird, I know.

Reading some really good and really challenging books right now! My "mom's Bible study group" is going through When God Weeps. Our small group is reading Radical. Scared of that one! And some sweet women in my life are reading What Women Fear with me. All convicting especially coupled with our church's study through 2 Corinthians.

The girls slept in sponge curlers last night. There is one in the toilet upstairs. I imagine one of them went to the bathroom in the middle of the night and it fell in. Gross. Told you, random!

Can I end on that note? More random to come this week, I'm sure!

Celebrating 60

2011-09-25T16:12:00.000-04:00

Warning: This post is packed with photos. Proceed at your own risk.

My parents both turn 60 this year. My mom's birthday was in July and Dad's is this week. Since it's kind of a big deal, my brother, sister and I wanted to do something for them. After much deliberation, we decided to book a weekend away with all 17 of us (that's right, 2 parents/grandparents, 3 "kids" and 3 spouses, and 9 grand kiddos)!

We didn't have to look far for the perfect family get away. My Uncle Steve (my Dad's brother) builds and sells/rents luxury cabins in the mountains of NC. It was a memorable weekend for our kids (and I think Nana & Papa enjoyed it too)!

There was fishing . . . with actual fish caught, although I failed to capture that with a photo!

Uncle Steve, Archie (the dog), Ella Grace & Papa

Annabelle & Daddy

Annabelle & Papa

Katie

We spent time at what our kids call "Uncle Steve's Farm" ~ they think it's magical ~ who wouldn't with things like:

Bowling balls in trees

A 3 story barn housing Steve's "museum"

Full of all sorts of treasures:

Antiques

Indian Arrowheads (many of which he's found during construction)

Crystal Chandeliers in a barn?

Lots and lots of antiques.

If there is an earthquake, he's in big trouble!

There are baby chickens:

Christian, my 6 year old, handsome, nephew

Annabelle

And, of course, momma chickens with eggs to collect:

Ella Grace & Annabelle

Potatoes to dig:

5 year old, Noah

Katie

Sweet Allie, 3

Raspberries to pick:

Christian & Noah

Annabelle

Ella Grace; enjoying eating!

As if all of that isn't magical enough; there are tractors to be driven!

Allie (I love that the expressions on their faces are exactly the same!)

Christian

Katie

Noah

Gabe

Ella Grace

Annabelle

The kids love being together. In the cabin we stayed in, there was a ladder in one of the upstairs closets that led to a loft/attic area. Upon discovery, the kids claimed it as their "cousin club" and no adults were allowed!

These two are only a few months apart and loved being together!

These are our three kindergarten-ers! One day we'll take this picture again with graduation caps on!

One of the highlights was meeting our newest nephew (and cousin), Levi:

So perfectly sweet . . .

Of course, we had birthday cake!

And more silly moments than serious ones!

Mom and Dad, Thanks for giving us a reason to celebrate; and I'm not referring to your birthdays. I mean, thank you for letting us celebrate you and this family that you have loved, nourished and watched grow! Your investment in each of us contributes to making us the men and women that we have grown into. The love you have for our children is like none other ~ they adore you and it is a joy to watch you invest in them.

Happy 60th Birthday!

We love you!

Another First

2011-09-15T21:12:00.000-04:00

Notice anything different from this sweet smile . . .

. . . to this one?

Annabelle lost her first tooth! And I'm left wondering if there is anything I can do to keep this girl from growing up so quickly!?!

Figuring out that all I can do is hold on tightly while it happens!

First Day of Preschool

2011-09-07T19:59:00.000-04:00

Dropped my very excited "baby" off for her first day of preschool today! She loved it!

On the way to school; Katie from the back seat:

Peanut (only she was calling her by the pet name she always calls her), KK has to go to school today. Okay? You'll be okay. I'll be back soon.

After I picked her up:

Katie: Mom, do you know what I dreamed last night?
Me: No.
Katie: I dreamed I was going to school and my tummy was feeling funny about it.
Me: Oh, did your tummy feel funny today?
Katie: No, I told it that it was going to love school!

Later:

Eric: Katie, did you learn anything at school today?
Katie: Yes, I learned, "clean up, clean up this room!" My teacher said that!

Apple Festival 2011

2011-09-04T21:18:00.000-04:00

Baby Love

2011-09-02T20:36:00.000-04:00

Since her sisters have been at school, everywhere we go, Katie asks to bring her babies and a stroller. She saved her money to purchase this shopping cart (which is holding 3 babies!)! I'm not sure if she's compensating for not having the company of her sisters or if she's trying to be like mom. Either way, I've humored her so far and let her bring them along. Frankly, dropping from 5 to 1 and a half in a matter of days, makes it easier to say "yes."

Next week this baby of mine starts preschool.

Treasuring this sweet time with her!

Chocolate Chip Cookies & The 5 Senses Sentences

2011-09-01T19:22:00.000-04:00

I think I may have finally found the perfect recipe for chocolate chip cookies! The girls and I have been wanting to try this recipe because it meets a few criteria essential (in my opinion) to a good chocolate chip cookie: it uses butter (no shortening); it uses milk chocolate chips (yum!); it has a secret ingredient (vanilla pudding mix ~ shhhh!); and they are soft, not crunchy (will let you know if they stay that way)!

Today, we got the chance to try them out. Little did I know that Annabelle had a homework assignment that was a little more time consuming than she's had yet this year. However, it worked out well since she could use our cookie making time as her subject matter.

Her class has been studying the 5 senses this week -- or as she calls them her 5 sentences -- totally love this and haven't corrected her all week (is that horrible? Don't worry, her big sister makes sure she knows)! Today, she had to make a "web" with a subject and then write the way the subject smelled, looked, felt, sounded, and tasted. Wa-lah! Subject = chocolate chip cookies!

After the brainstorming "web" she was supposed to write five sentences about the chosen subject (can I even tell you how much the English teacher in me loves this??):

Because my picture quality is lacking and because some of you may not be used to reading phonetically, allow me:

I made chocolate chip cookies.

The mixr (mixer) made a soud (sound).

That soud (sound) was buzz.

The cookies smelld (smelled) good.

They fellt (felt) hot.

They tastid (tasted) good.

by Annabelle Williams (9-1-11)

Her sentences are packed in her backpack as well as some samples for her teachers!

Look What I Made!

2011-08-30T21:18:00.000-04:00

Visited my happy place today!

It's been a long time.

Too long.

Here's what I whipped up!

Our Peanut was in need of a lovey and since all of my girls have (yes, present tense) a taggie; it seemed logical to go with what I know works.

This one is little different since it has some shape to it . . . love how it turned out . . . and even better, she loves it too!

Playing w/ Photos

2011-08-28T16:24:00.000-04:00

Had a little time this weekend to play around with some free photo editing online. Not that these cutie-pie subjects need any editing!

Disclaimer: any readers who are pros at photo editing; don't laugh at my humble attempt . . .

Isaac~before (note the recent head injury):

Isaac~after (head injury healed):

Isaac and Katie~before (whenever we have these two together, they are mistaken as twins!):

Isaac and Katie~after (retro color)

Finally, unedited, but a few of my favorites:

(love, love, love this girl!)

Katie going in for a kiss; Isaac having none of it:

Ha!

Katie Jammin'

2011-08-27T23:36:00.000-04:00

things i love about this seemingly simple activity:

~she's listening to a cd full of truth that i love & my kids ask to listen to!
~she talks really, REALLY loudly while listening.
~she sings and hums along to the songs she's hearing. off key. our poor children have inherited their parent's lack of any musical ability!
~she wants to wear the armband i wear when i'm running. she can't keep it on her arm without bending at the elbow.
~she thinks this is such a big girl thing to do!

On Opinions

2011-08-18T08:27:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I was fixing Ella Grace's hair:

EG: Don't fix it they way you fixed it yesterday; it looked ridiculous!

ME: (jokingly) I'm so tired of you having an opinion!

EG: I'm so tired of you having a different one!

Day One

2011-08-17T09:26:00.000-04:00

First day of 2nd Grade!

First day of Kindergarten!

They were both so excited this morning and walked confidently into their classrooms! We are excited to be at Mountain View Elementary this year! The girls are both in multi-age classrooms and we're really excited about this unique way to teach and learn!

Mom? Well, I did fine ~ no tears! However, I'm not sure Katie has gotten a word in edgewise in the past three years, so she's trying to catch up today! I also don't know what to do with just one and a half kids. I guess I have no more excuses for a messy house! =)

Dad? Started his first day as the new principal of Riverside Middle School. I'm so proud of all his hard work over the past few weeks (and over the past few years to get to this point!)!

Here's hoping that today is the beginning of a great year!

Annabelle's Turn

2011-08-15T14:11:00.000-04:00

Annabelle & Nana heading to afternoon tea!

Raw

2011-08-12T15:31:00.002-04:00

Besides the fact that I feel an obligation to this post since so many have supported our family on our journey this week, writing helps me process. This is bound to be laced with raw emotion, so read on only if you can handle complete, utter brokenness.

Moments ago I kissed my Sweet Cheek's cheeks for the last time. I can't explain the pain, fear, hurt and loss that we feel. There is no word in the world to describe . . .

It happened with my girls. I remember with each of them looking back at some point during the first year of their lives and not being able to recall what life before them was like. The truth is, that our family doesn't remember life without this child. It will take us a while to remember how to do this without her here.

How are we doing? So many of you have asked. Truth? We are struggling to remember why it is that we do this. Watched this several times this week to remind myself . . .

We've repeated truth to ourselves over. And over. We've leaned on love and support from so many who loved our girl. We've chosen to believe that God is greater.

Our prayer for Sweet Cheeks is the same as our prayer for our girls: That God would pursue their hearts relentlessly until they fall deeply and passionately in love with Him. In our minds, the best place for that prayer to be answered for Sweet Cheeks is here, with us. It doesn't make sense that God would hear our prayer and choose to answer it a different way than we picture. But He does and he has and we choose to believe that this is for her best even when we don't understand, even when we are hurt, even when our greatest fears could become a reality . . .

There is not one moment of one day this week that part of the song The Greatness of Our God hasn't gone through my heart.

". . . Give me grace to see beyond this moment here

To believe that there is nothing left to fear

And that you alone are high above it all

That you, My God, are greater still . . . "

God has shown us this week that He is here in this moment and He's used many of you to show us that. Thank you. Your lives are a testament to our family of who He is. We are blessed beyond blessed to walk with you as we live out our part in His story.

Hold our girl, Sweet Jesus, in the moments of her life that we'll never see. Show her that You, My God, are greater!

Conquering the Diving Board

2011-07-06T16:06:00.000-04:00

Annabelle:

Ella Grace:

4th Fun

2011-07-05T16:19:00.001-04:00

*Sparklers!*

*Our 5 firecrackers!*

We also celebrated Sweet Cheek's first birthday! She dug into her cake like she digs into life ~ with no hesitation and without abandon! (Love that about her!)

We feel incredibly blessed to have spent the past 10 months with her and, since several times during the past 10 months we thought we'd never see her first birthday, yesterday was especially sweet for us!

Love you, sweet girl!

Lake Michigan 2011

2011-07-05T15:59:00.000-04:00

Because he has so many great memories, one of Eric's favorite things to do with the girls while we are in Michigan is take them to Lake Michigan for a beach day! Obviously, they love it too!

Sweet Cheeks was all over the beach, and, in turn, the beach was all over her! She's going to love Hilton Head in a few weeks!

Before I snapped this shot: "Okay, 1-2-3, take my picture!"

The bigger girls enjoyed some pretty good waves ~ they, also, are looking forward to HHI so they can catch some more waves!

Cousin Time

2011-07-05T15:46:00.002-04:00

Bathing Beauties

2011-06-28T14:10:00.000-04:00

Thanks for a super fun day, friends!

The Williams Take Atlanta ~ 2011

2011-06-27T21:15:00.000-04:00

I have no idea how to write this post!

We spent most of last week in Atlanta -- Eric was at a conference, so the girls and I tagged along for a little fun! I took way too many pictures, so I'll present them here in collage form. If you aren't aware, you can click on a picture to make it larger!

Here we go!

We spent the first day at the Georgia Aquarium! It was perfect for our crew! Their favorites were the dolphins, penguins and the albino alligator.

Our hotel was close to Centennial Olympic Park, so we walked there a few times:

And, because there is a reason Atlanta is affectionately referred to as 'Hotlanta,' we spent some time trying to keep cool!

My most favorite picture of the entire trip ~ It deserves to stand alone!

Mostly, we just enjoyed being together! I loved the freedom of being able to enjoy my girls without the pressures of a house to clean, laundry to wash, meals to cook, places to go, etc. It was overdue. I loved that we were all forced to go to bed early since we were all sleeping in the same room (and, since we left Peanut with another foster family, we got to sleep through the night for the first time in a while); I came home rested. I loved unexpected moments of praying with them and witnessing their delight at watching God's rainstorm from the 38th floor window!

They loved: the pool. the MARTA (Atlanta's public transportation system). the times when Daddy joined our adventures. the fountains. being together. sleeping in a hotel. the aquarium. the view from our room. trying to find our room from the street (we never could). watching the window washer wash the windows on our hotel. watching 19 kids & counting (for the first time). the dolphin show. the American Girl store. pizza in the hotel room. counting the floors as we rode the elevator and guessing which of the many elevators would open first so we could get on (the winner got kisses). sweet memories!

They are already planning a trip back!

But, as our summers usually go, we have more travels ahead. We leave this week for a trip to Michigan! Hoping to have time to post daily (here's to hoping -- we are taking all five!!)!

Zoo Day!

2011-06-14T16:27:00.000-04:00

The girls and I took advantage of the slightly cooler temps today and enjoyed the zoo!

Though it took some bravery (as one other zoo visitor put it) and though I "had my hands full" (as multiple others) put it, we had a great time marveling at God's unique creation!

(You can click on the image to make it larger)

#7

2011-06-10T21:54:00.000-04:00

Spent some time this week celebrating another birthday at our house! I know I say it every year on every birthday, but I can't believe I have a 7 year old! How can I be old enough to have a 7 year old =)!???? Seriously, 7 seems so much older than 6. All little girl she is now -- no more baby to hold onto -- none.

Ella Grace, my oldest darling, you are growing into such a sweet young lady. Here are 7 things that I love about you:

7. I love that you love to learn. You love reading and learning new things and there are times your brain seems too big for your head =)!

6. I love that you love your sisters. They are your best friends and you guys say it best -- "Williams' Sisters ROCK!"

5. I love that you love the foster kids that come to stay at our house. I know that sometimes it's hard, but your heart is big enough to understand God's plan for our family and I am amazed at your willingness to embrace that plan!

4. I love that you are a daddy's girl. Your daddy is one of your biggest fans and you adore him! Remember what I always tell you (find a man like him and marry him!!)!

3. I love your creativity! You are becoming quite the artist and creator of beautiful things!

2. I love that you love being with your mommy! I love spending time with you too!

1. I love that your heart is so sensitive to the Lord! I'm praying for the day that He'll win his pursuit of your heart and you'll step into His story!

Happy Birthday, Ella Grace!!! Can't wait to see what year #7 brings for us!

PS~~The amazing birthday shirt was made here!

Another Week Gone By

2011-05-30T22:08:00.002-04:00

For Mother's Day this year, my mom got a gift card for she and Ella Grace to go to afternoon tea at a local bakery. They donned their hats and headed to the thrift store where they got white gloves and costume jewelry to complete the look!

Ella Grace had a ball spending time with her Nana!

Katie spent some time this week reading to our new little peanut. She is gaining weight (up a pound at last weigh in) and getting longer (some of the clothes she came wearing are already too short)!

We celebrated Memorial Day Weekend with our small group buds, as always! The kids had fun on the water slide and s'mores were a big hit!

We also took the girls balloon chasing on Sunday! There is a big hot air balloon festival locally every Memorial Day Weekend, so we watched them launch and then chased them and got to see one up close and then deflate. The girls loved the entire experience! I loved watching them since I remember doing the same thing as a kid with my family!

Bustin' A Move

2011-05-23T15:30:00.003-04:00

Katie & Luke watching The Backyardigans.

Our Week @ a Glance

2011-05-22T21:16:00.004-04:00

So . . . things have been busy around here. I've wanted to sit down and write several times this week, but, honestly, sleep won out!

It's been an exciting week, none-the-less with a few things worth remembering:

Annabelle celebrated her fifth birthday! As with every birthday, I am amazed that time has passed so quickly and that my baby is growing into such a young lady.

Annabelle, your ability to make us smile is one of my favorite things about you! We love you beyond belief!

Soccer season finished up this week. Ella Grace became more and more aggressive as the season went on, but really gained confidence playing goal keeper.

Annabelle scored two goals this season and had a blast playing every week!

Finally, Annabelle's preschool class participated in their Spring Program on Friday night. Annabelle was asked to read a prayer and she did beautifully!! We are so proud of you, our graduate!

Kindergarten, here we come!

C-R-A-Z-Y

2011-05-10T14:35:00.003-04:00

I've been avoiding this post.

I'm scared.

Man-scared.

The Bible calls it fear of man.

We've poured out our hearts here. Often it's just me speaking for the two of us (or the five of us), but Eric and I share the same heartbeat, so I'm speaking for us.

What is my fear?

That you'll label us crazy.

Crazy.

I know my fear is sinful.

Selfish.

Prideful.

So . . . here goes.

I'm putting it out for all to see.

If you label us crazy, so be it.

If you label us crazy, you don't understand our hearts.

We're coming to accept the fact that some may see us crazy and we're trying to be okay with that.

Honestly, it's not like we don't see the crazy in it . . . still it is our new reality ~ crazy or not here we are.

We've taken another baby.

Don't worry! Sweet Cheeks is still around getting nibbled to pieces and we're thrilled to watch her grow and develop on track. She's off to such a good start! (She started the army crawl yesterday; pretty soon, it's gonna be on!)

She's been joined by a sweet 5 week, 5 pound little girl. I'm guessing her blog name will end up something like "Peanut," but I'm not ready to make any commitments just yet. Not until her personality starts to show up . . .

If it's possible to be completely smitten after just a few days, we are.

Completely. Smitten.

Pray for us as we start this new chapter in God's story!

Goin' on Vacation!??

2011-05-09T21:45:00.003-04:00

Signs of the Times

2011-05-04T14:47:00.003-04:00

A few days ago, Annabelle (who will be 5 soon) asked me for some "schoolwork." I handed her a sheet with the following instructions:

"Connect the letters in ABC order to find something that has a name beginning with the T sound."

She looked at it for a second, looked at me perplexed, and said, "Mom, I can't figure out what it is."

"Go connect the dots and maybe that will help."

After a few minutes, she came back, still perplexed. "Mom, I still can't figure out what it is!"

Another Little Fostering Funny

2011-05-03T15:07:00.000-04:00

At Annabelle's soccer game:

Random Little Girl: Is that your baby?

Me: Yes.

Random Little Girl: Why is her skin brown?

Me: Because that's how God made it.

Random Little Girl: Did she grow in your tummy?

Me: No.

Random Little Girl: Well, how did you get her?

Me: God sent her to our house.

Random Little Girl: (yelling) You STOLE her?!?!

Ah-dorable Centerpieces

2011-05-02T15:03:00.000-04:00

Made these three centerpieces for the Teacher Appreciation Week Brunch at Annabelle's preschool. Had to share -- they were really fairly easy, but I will warn you, required a LOT of ribbon!

Easter -- One Week Later

2011-05-01T14:41:00.003-04:00

So--I'm a little behind . . .

Don't forget to read about our annual Easter brunch with our besties here!

He is stronger...

2011-04-29T00:26:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago Mary Beth was asked to speak at the annual Miracle Hill Ministries Fundraising Banquet. She nervously agreed. On one hand, it was a humbling and daunting task, but on the other it was a chance to share our story of sanctification through foster care. Well...tonight was the night. In the car on the way I asked her if she was nervous. She admitted that she was, but indicated that God had comforted her with the following lyrics throughout the day:

You are stronger you are stronger
Sin is broken you have saved me it is written Christ is risen Jesus you are Lord of all

No beginning and no end You're my hope and my defence you came to seek and save the lost you paid it all upon the cross

So let your name be lifted higher
Be lifted higher be lifted higher

As we entered the ball room tonight and absorbed the magnitude of 1400 people, I could tell the nerves had elevated to another level. She ate just a small portion of her salad and dinner, I whispered a short prayer into her ear, and she set out for the podium. The following is the text of her speech:

It’s an honor to stand before you tonight. As many of you, I hold many roles: mother, wife, daughter, but tonight I stand before you primarily in my role as a foster parent. You know, when most people find out that we are a foster family, they begin to tell us how great we are – promote us to the status of sainthood almost – we stand before them and before you tonight, just normal people. People who serve an exceedingly faithful, abundantly graceful, extraordinary God.

Two and a half years ago God called us to fostering. He laid it on both of our hearts separately that our family wasn’t complete with the three daughters He’d already given us. We began to pursue international adoption. We requested information from several different agencies, financial aid organizations, etc. and we waited for our mailbox to overflow. It never did. In fact, we didn’t receive one piece of information, one phone call – nothing – from any of the places we’d requested information from.

We were stunned, but took it as clarity that God was asking us to foster. It seemed crazy on many levels. We had three girls, ages, 4, 2 and 10 months already. As we were praying through what God wanted us to do, one of our pastors spoke on the passage in Mark where Christ healed the man with the withered hand. In his interaction with the man, Jesus asked him to “stretch forth his hand.” This was something the man had never done before. It was impossible for him to do on his own. It was , in fact, crazy, on many levels. But, the man obeyed. And his healing came as he trusted and obeyed.

In April, two years ago, our first placement walked through our front door. A little boy with big brown eyes, a small suitcase . . . and more baggage than a three year old should ever have to carry. In the past two years, we’ve loved on 10 little boys and girls – all with great baggage, but all with great hearts that we pray will be pursued and captured by the love of Christ.

As we face people daily who ask about our family, we get asked the question, “How can you give them back?” It’s a hard question to answer honestly because, in most cases, we are talking to a stranger. But, here are some honest answers for you:
It hurts my feeling when people ask that question. The question itself seems to imply that I have no feelings – that it’s somehow easy for our family to say good-bye. The truth is that it’s equivalent to death when we say good-bye. We cry out, we mourn, we doubt, we are afraid . . .

But we ultimately choose to trust.

Why?

God has shown us lately the verse in 1 Corinthians 13 that reads, “Love is not self-seeking.” As you know, 1 Corinthians 13 was written to show Christians how to live in community with one another in a loving way. God has called each of us to live in this community where no one would deny that there are children who need to be loved. We choose to love them. Often we do it badly. Often we are frustrated and question why God would ask us to do this. But for us not to do this would be us choosing our own self-protection. So we choose to love. We love so much that it hurts deeply when they are taken from us. We’ve often said that when it stops hurting, then we haven’t loved them well. And when we stop loving them well, is when we need to find something else . . .

For now we make the conscious choice to have our hearts broken because we see -- in this place -- is where we are learning to truly trust, where we are learning to unconditionally love, where we are learning that sanctification is not always pleasant – but always worth it.

There were tears and applause, and a few spectators who went somewhat Pentecostal! She absolutely nailed it! It was awesome to witness her step into the Holy Spirit and allow Him to stretch her like never before. I am so proud of you baby and thankful to an amazing God who sustains. Ultimately, He answered just as you asked...You were made stronger and His name was lifted higher!

Spring Break-ing

2011-04-19T21:46:00.005-04:00

Easter Egg Dye-ing

Cookie Decorate-ing

Grandparent Snuggle-ing

Picnic-ing

Bicycle Ride-ing

Family Love-ing

Ella Grace's First Game

2011-04-09T19:48:00.003-04:00

A word from her favorite coach!

Playing keeper.

And, a save at keeper!

Annabelle's First Game

2011-04-08T08:00:00.001-04:00

Fostering Funny #2

2011-04-07T12:48:00.001-04:00

Publix.

Again.

No handsome hubby this time.

Just me and four littles.

Again, a woman stops and talks in a baby-voice to Sweet Cheeks. After she carried on for what seemed like an unusually long time, she glanced around me and asked, as many people ask,

"Are they all yours?"

"Yes."

"Wow! These three look so much like you! But, this one (looking back to the baby) --she just seems different."

Speechless.

No words.

Fostering Funnies

2011-04-06T14:43:00.003-04:00

I could seriously make this a regular feature -- we have so many crazy comments made to us because we are (a) fostering or (b) carrying around a child of a different race.

Most of the funnies happen in Publix because, apparently, if my life were a sitcom, Publix would be the main setting.

Here's a story from a few weeks ago:

All six of us were in Publix. This is worth noting only because it's a rare occurance that Eric is there. He took the three "big" girls to get their free cookie and I took off with our buggy (cart for you Northerners) laden with Sweet Cheeks at a breakneck speed trying to get all of my groceries before the rest could catch up with me.

As I start down the cereal aisle, I am stopped by a woman who is enthralled with Sweet Cheeks. She talks baby talk for a second, then looks at me and asks the situation (I can't remember exactly how she phrased that question). I explained that our family was a foster family. Here's the conversation from there (please note that everything in parenthesis that follows was only said in my brain and did not come out of my mouth):

Her: Oh, you should breastfeed her!

Me: (What did she just say?) Uh, huh.

Her: I do toenails at the Jockey Lot (again, Northerners, that's a Flea Market).

Me: Uh, huh! (GROSS, GROSS, GROSS!! #1: Who get's there toenails done at the Jockey Lot?? #2: The woman who DOES the toenails of people who get their's done at the Jockey Lot just touched my baby!)

Her: I was doing this lady's nails the other day, and she was telling me how she took this pill to start breastfeeding! I really think you should breastfeed her.

Me: Well, she's 8 months old. (No, way! I've seen what she does to a bottle nipple!)

Her: Well, I just think you should consider . . .

Me: (Are we really close enough to have this conversation?) Okay, thanks, bye-bye! (pushing the cart away quickly!)

Her: (Yelling down the cereal aisle) Here's a website: www.havenoideawhatshesaidafterthat.com

Me: Thanks! Bye!

Think I can't top that conversation?

Stop back by tomorrow!!

Promise Kept!

2011-04-05T20:35:00.008-04:00

Well.

Here we are.
Another month has passed.

And I've failed to record it!

Here's some of what we've been up to:

Ella Grace:

~~losing teeth.
~~playing outside.
~~reading.
~~Ancient China (in History) and Ocean Life (in Science). These are her two favorite subjects.
~~swimming lessons & soccer practice.
~~learning to ride with no training wheels!

Annabelle:
~~getting dirty.
~~going to school.
~~reading.
~~playing with friends.
~~swimming lessons & soccer practice.
~~bike riding.
~~digging for worms.

Katie:

~~snuggling.
~~learning to ride her "big girl bike."
~~watching "Olivia" and "Dora."
~~swimming lessons & watching soccer practice (oh, how she wants to play!).
~~making friends.
~~learning her Sunday school verses.

Sweet Cheeks:

~~learning to eat new foods.
~~tummy time.
~~being cute.
~~"da-da-da-da-da" (yes, she knows who she's talking about & adores Eric).
~~hanging in the sun (see above; yes, the thighs are totally edible)!!

A quick update -- she has become our longest placement in the two years since we started fostering. **Rabbit Trail** Can you believe that it will be two years this month since Little Man came to us? His birthday is today; he'll be five. Much love and prayers go out to our kids especially on their birthdays. Missing you today, Little Man! **Rabbit Trail Ending** We don't know any more about how long we'll have her than we did 7 months ago when we picked her up. She's so sweet and has quickly just become 'one of the girls.'

A few more pics of my sweet girls (for you, Grandma & Papa!) and then I'm off to fold their not-so-sweet piles of laundry!

Birthday Gift Idea

2011-02-26T08:17:00.000-05:00

In honor of all the birthday parties we've attended (or will attend) this month, I thought I'd share one of our favorite (read ~ easy, inexpensive, and a big hit) gifts to give.

An apron (Hobby Lobby, $2.99), a cookie cutter (Hobby Lobby, $.99), cookie mix (Target, $1.50, I think), a tub of frosting with sprinkles (Target, dunno the cost). This gift is for a set of twins, so I got two different types of cookie mix: Sugar and Peanut Butter (with Hershey Kisses instead of frosting).

I appliqued initials on these aprons, but I've also used paint markers to write names and draw pictures.

To package, I used a 2/$1 paper bag from Hobby Lobby and paint markers to decorate (eliminating the need for a card):

Link

2011-02-25T13:50:00.000-05:00

Love these thoughts on fostering!

Warmer Temps

2011-02-22T20:19:00.004-05:00

Katie's Third Birthday

2011-02-14T13:58:00.003-05:00

We spent a good part of the weekend celebrating our Katie's third birthday. For so many reasons, it's hard to believe that our youngest has reached this milestone!

Her outfit didn't disappoint! I love how it turned out and it looked great on her! Not to mention, that it was perfect for a McDonald's birthday party! That's right -- I totally let McD's do all the work! I loved it & may never have an elaborate birthday party at home again!

She had a ball also -- her best buds were all there to celebrate with her. She seriously went full speed the entire time we were there!

One birthday tradition at our house is that the birthday girl gets to choose whatever she wants for breakfast! This year was Katie's first time to really understand that she could have whatever she wanted!
She chose waffles (pronounced "wackles" in Katie world) with ice cream and strawberries!

Sweet, Katie!

You amaze us every day with something new! We can't remember life without you and you complete our "circle of five" perfectly!

We love you more than words . . .

Always, Your Momma, Daddy and Sissies!

Express Yourself!

2011-02-08T14:36:00.004-05:00

My girls have been recently expressing themselves in their pajama choices! They've cracked Eric and I up on more than one occasion! Perhaps they're passively rebelling against this? Nah!

While Ella Grace usually matches her pj's (could write an entire essay on birth order here, I think),

. . . Annabelle is usually the most expressive and proud of herself.

What is it about that middle kid anyway?

However, this has to be my all time favorite . . .

. . . complete with hat & rain boots! Our youngest - - keeps us guessing!

Can NOT Wait!!

2011-02-06T22:11:00.002-05:00

To see this:

. . . on my baby girl!!

I've actually entertained the idea of waking her up tonight so she can try it on.

Not gonna!

I Heart Weekends!

2011-02-05T14:10:00.003-05:00

A week from tomorrow we'll be celebrating a birthday. She's requested "a shirt and pants" birthday outfit! Love a girl who knows what she wants! I picked up some fabric in Michigan while there at Christmas with her birthday in mind. Eric took the girls out to breakfast and a little "daddy/daughter time" this morning (thank you, Sweetie, for allowing me time to create! I love you for so many reasons).

With a quiet house, my Singer, my ironing board (which my mother, who taught me to sew, religiously set up every time the sewing machine was out . . . now I do the same!), and a little of this playing in the background, I started the birthday outfit! I'll post the finished product soon!

The truth is that I haven't sewn in a really, really long time. It's one of the sacrifices that have had to be made to have Ella Grace at home this year. I'm okay with that sacrifice, but, truth be told, I have missed my happy place! Felt good to be back!

With last night's date at one of our favorites, a morning of sewing, this in the crock pot for dinner, and a family movie night tonight (watching something Eric and I watched as kids, we're excited!), this is shaping up to be a great weekend!! There's also that little event called The Super Bowl . . . Eric is heading to a party . . . I think I may head back to my happy place!!

Little Miss Impressionist

2011-02-04T14:07:00.005-05:00

Ella Grace has been hard at work studying a famous artist and his paintings!

Here is the original -- Water Lilies -- by none other than Claude Monet.

And the duplicate -- Water Lilies -- by none other than Elizabeth Grace Williams.

The artist herself "ta-da-ing" her work!

I'm thinking he's got nothin' on her!

Here Comes the Toof-fairy

2011-02-03T19:42:00.001-05:00

Ella Grace has a beautiful new smile!!!

Click to Enlarge & Read

2011-02-02T14:32:00.001-05:00

SO???

2011-01-31T08:19:00.002-05:00

What do you think of the new layout?
I think I'm done messing with it for now . . .
ready to write!

Donuts for Dads ~ 2011

2011-01-28T09:15:00.003-05:00

Eric and a very excited Annabelle headed to

Mrs. Hamilton's class this morning for Donuts for Dads!

Bulleted Update

2011-01-27T20:35:00.003-05:00

I've decided the easiest way to get you up to speed is to hit each member of our family:

Eric:

is beginning to write his dissertation!

is working hard at RHS!

is wrapped around 4 little fingers (five if you count mine!) tighter than ever before!

MB:

is busy!

is learning to ask for help!

is loving the ages 6, 4, 2 and 6 months!

Ella Grace:

is reading like a crazy girl. Evidence that she's enjoying American biographies: she came downstairs the other day to tell me that Annabelle had "the scarlet fever."

is still enjoying SCVCS -- her favorite subjects are history (where she is currently studying ancient Greece) and science (in which she is studying plants).

is the best at being a big sis!

Annabelle:

is feeling a bit better (she has struggled with chronic sinus infections and has been through several rounds of testing over the past few months).

has taught herself to read and seems to enjoy it as much as big sister.

continues to amaze us with her sweet heart.

Katie:

is SO excited that she's almost three!

is becoming more and more independent and gaining more and more personality with each day.

keeps us laughing with her unique sense of humor.

Sweet Cheeks:

is sitting up and rolling over; she babbles non-stop!

is eating rice cereal and ready to start veggies!

has quickly become one of the girls and found her way into each of our hearts forever.

Dixie: We said good-bye to Dixie, our 7 year old, beagle last week. It has caught us off guard how hard it was to let her go and how much we miss having her sweet personality around. I've never understood the extent of the process that people go through when losing an animal, but I'll never again doubt the profound sense of loss that one feels.

Obviously, Eric and I were much younger when we got her!
Oh my word!

Signs of Life

2011-01-25T16:38:00.003-05:00

Yes . . . still here.

Discouraged with how far behind I am.

Determined, however, to jump back on board (even if it means leaving out Christmas *gasp*)!

So . . . more to come!

Wait for it, people; wait for it!!

Check & Check

2010-12-06T16:00:00.004-05:00

We knocked two things off our "wanna do this Christmas list" this weekend! The girls and I made Christmas cookies:

Please don't let these pictures fool you into thinking that it was a storybook experience. It wasn't. I need to embrace the mess and let go of the images in my head of baking with my girls! Hopefully I learned a thing or two from this year's experience and next year will go more smoothly!

Secondly, our sweet friends, Mr. Tom & Ms. Ginger, came to help the girls do gingerbread houses:

The girls had a blast with Tom & Ginger and their houses turned out so cute! Best of all -- I didn't have to do a thing! Thanks, guys!

Easy Christmas Craft

2010-12-02T17:14:00.003-05:00

I had to put together a Christmas craft for a play group we had this morning. The unique aspect of this particular group is that the kiddos ranged in age from 6 all the way down to teensy-tiny! I wanted a craft that everyone could participate in and, for the most part, do for themselves. We hit Hobby Lobby up for glass ball ornaments (24 for $5.99; can you beat that?), raided our craft stash, and picked up a few things from the dollar store. Loved the finished products:

Other ideas using these glass balls:

~~drop in a little watered down paint and let your kids shake them.

~~add stickers (letters for initials are super-cute)!

~~for an "adult looking" ornament carefully stuff in an entire sheet of printed tissue paper (think animal print or something else out of the ordinary).

~~paint markers work great on these ornaments, so you can pretty much personalize them however you'd like!

I have about a dozen left, so we'll be crafting a few more this season; would love to hear your suggestions if you have any!!

It's Time!!

2010-12-01T15:05:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving is over.

(Let me insert a little parenthesis here while I jump up on a soapbox: There is a holiday between Halloween and Christmas, people! It's called Thanksgiving -- it celebrates a significant time in the history of our nation -- it gives us a chance to emphasize gratefulness before our kids start asking for every toy in every catalog!)

Thank you. End parenthesis. Stepping down from the soapbox!

We spent the month of November, like we've done in years past, writing down things we are thankful for. On Thanksgiving morning, we spread out our collections from the entire month and read Psalm 100. After reading, we took some time to do what the Psalm told us to do: we prayed together, sang together, and testified to each other about the things we were thankful for. It was a sweet time and one of my favorite memories from our Thanksgiving weekend!

But, as I began: Thanksgiving is over!! Christmas has arrived!

Lest you think I'm some sort of Scrooge, I am ready for Christmas; in fact, we've already started the celebrating!! Every other year my side of the family celebrates Christmas on the day after Thanksgiving. It makes for a crazy busy weekend, but a sweet time for the kids with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. One of the perks is that my Christmas shopping is half done by Thanksgiving!

In addition, we've hunted out, cut down, and decorated our 2010 tree!

We've much more planned: Christmas cookies to bake, cards to mail, gifts to wrap, books to read -- today is December 1, so we'll start our Jesse Tree tonight! We're counting down the days until we leave for snowy Michigan, where we'll celebrate Christmas Day!

Tomorrow . . . a craft idea!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-24T07:33:00.000-05:00

Annabelle's Thanksgiving Feast

2010-11-22T22:41:00.000-05:00

Another Katie Post

2010-11-17T15:34:00.003-05:00

Last night I asked Katie to pick out some pajamas from her drawer. She had just found a mirror in a purse, so she said, "Hang on, Momma, I gotta check out my mirror." (We'll discuss first time obedience strategies another time!)

I waited as she gazed at herself in the mirror.

"Yep, Mom, I'm pretty!" she came back with, then hopped up completely satisfied and picked out some jammies!

Remember This?

2010-11-15T21:18:00.003-05:00

One year ago, I posted this. My most popular post, by far -- I still get comments on it from random people. I can't believe this was a year ago, and that Katie is still growing up so quickly!

She now sleeps in a twin bed!

Speaks with words like "actually" and "probably." Told me yesterday something would be "helpful."

She knows how to spell her name: "K-A-T-I-E" is how she reads every group of letters she sees!

Is completely done with diapers AND pull ups (SO much earlier than her sisters on the pull ups!)!

Adores her "Sissy" and "Bellebelle."

Speaks to Sweet Cheeks mimicking our baby talk -- so cute!

Is learning to recognize her numbers . . . loves "doing school" with the big girls!

She was our first to get stitches, and, I imagine, they weren't her last!

In the mornings and after naps, she's totally a momma's girl!

Almost every other time of the day, she's totally a daddy's girl!

Our baby girl is quickly approaching the 3 year mark and we couldn't be more proud of the sweet girl she's becoming.

Thanks for letting us love you, Katie Bug!

Thanksgiving Poem:

2010-11-09T21:07:00.005-05:00

by: Elizabeth Grace Williams

Thanksgiving day.
Happy holiday.
A nice day to celebrate.
Nana and Papa time.
Kids wrestle with Jon Jon.
So Jon Jon can aggravate Papa.

Ella Grace and her Uncle Jon Jon

Orphan Sunday

2010-11-07T13:44:00.001-05:00

Halloween Festivities

2010-10-31T21:19:00.005-04:00

We started Halloween a few weeks ago at Boo in the Zoo!!

~~~~~

The highlight of our Halloween each year is our annual Pumpkin Party! This year we moved the festivities to a local park ~ this was our 9th Pumpkin Party! We started 9 years ago in a tiny two bedroom apartment. Eric and I didn't have a table big enough to seat our friends and I really wanted us all to sit together: we found 4 cinderblocks, took a door off the hinges and laid it on top of the blocks, threw a tablecloth and some candles on top and sat on the floor to eat chili and carve pumpkins! There was one little guy around then; this year there were 16 little heads bowed as Eric prayed for dinner! Needless to say, we chose the park this year because, although we long ago moved out of that 2 bedroom apartment, we've outgrown our house!

The park was a perfect option! The entertainment was built in and the kids played hard all night:

The dads worked hard on the pumpkins. The kids came and went offering advice or help through the process:

After dark the dads hid all the skeleton bones around the playground while the moms and kids went on a flashlight walk on the trail that surrounds the park. Once they were finished, those sneaky dads hid on the trail and jumped out in the dark to the delight of the kids!

Thanks for a ton of fun, friends! See you next year for #10!
~~~~~

Tonight we took three little cowgirls trick or treating around our neighborhood! They scored way too much candy, but gave most of it to the Jack o Lantern in exchange for a $5 Target gift card and a Hello Kitty coloring book.

It's hard to believe tomorrow is November 1 -- time to shift our focus to Thanksgiving! Love, love this time with our girls!!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-27T09:56:00.001-04:00

An ABC Lesson

2010-10-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

K is for Katie!

A is for Annabelle!

E is for Ella Grace!

Soccer Wrap Up

2010-10-24T11:09:00.002-04:00

Soccer season has come to an end. Although Eric and I will probably (remind me of this next Fall!) never commit to coaching two teams again, it was a great season. Ella Grace and Annabelle both learned so much about soccer and the value of being part of a team!

At the beginning of each game, each player was introduced and ran through "the tunnel":

Ella Grace!

Annabelle!

Cheered on most weeks by their biggest fan, Katie!

Great season, "Soccer Sisters" -- we are so proud of you!!

Show & Tell

2010-10-22T13:45:00.002-04:00

Annabelle chose opposites:

Her baby, Addison and her taggie.

How are those opposites?

Addison is hard!

Taggie is soft!

Duh!

Bulleted Update

2010-10-20T21:05:00.002-04:00

~Soccer is over! (Final pics to come!)

~We're back to 4 kids!

~Grandma and Papa visited from Michigan last week (again, pics soon!).

~Ella Grace is studying weather in Science and loves it!

~Annabelle loves k4 and is constantly trying to fill her social calendar!

~Katie moved out of the room with her sisters into a twin bed with the foster child previously known as "baby sister."

~I've decided that "baby sister's" blog name should be "Sweet Cheeks." If you've met her, you totally understand!

~So, Sweet Cheeks is starting to laugh that delightful baby laugh that comes out as music to whoever can hear!

~Eric is staying busy at work and is in the beginning stages of writing his dissertation!

~I am staying busy (obvious, right?), but finding more and more fulfillment from my role as a mom.

~God continues to lead and bless us in ways that amaze us!

~I promise, more post ahead!

Naptime

2010-09-24T15:00:00.004-04:00

Breathing!

Ah!

Five babies down for a nap on this Friday afternoon! That's right five! We've recently added the big sister (she's 2) of the baby previously mentioned to our mix. That gives us five ages 6, 4, 2, 2 and 11 weeks!

We visited a local park this afternoon, thus the luxury of everyone sleeping at the same time.

Ah!

A few weeks ago, Annabelle informed me she wanted to go live at a foster home. She wasn't being rebellious in any way; she's definitely my adventurous one. It's mostly that she only sees the good in fostering. She sees a Mom and Dad who do the best they can to love the kids that come through our home. As far as she's concerned, they all go "home" at some point. Who wouldn't want to go play with someone else's toys, eat new foods, and get some new clothes?

Eric and I are often concerned or engaged with each other in conversation about how fostering affects our children. Don't get me wrong; they handle it all extremely well. When we introduced the thought of adding "big sister" to our family, they were all for it -- Annabelle prayed, "Lord please be with 'big sister'; take care of her even if she doesn't get to come stay with us." And now she prays, "Thank you, Lord, for the time you've given us with 'big sister.'" I love her heart! Nonetheless, at times, we worry about what this does to them. We're trusting, with all that we are, that fostering is for our good and God's glory -- likewise, we trust that it is for the good of our children and God's glory. I'm overwhelmed at times at the part we get to play in his story.

I'm also overwhelmed that we have five little girls in our home; there is no lack of drama here, trust me! The fact that we've chosen to keep Ella Grace at home this year has added to my responsibility, but it's, oh, so sweet to see her learn! It means some things have to give, though! My hair is sporting the reverse skunk look because I've yet to call and get a hair appointment. Our floors need vacuuming. I cook less than I'd like. I've stopped clipping coupons. I don't get to blog very often.

I did have a special snuggle time with each kiddo yesterday, though! I read books to my two year olds and a chapter to my four and six year old. I gave the baby some tummy time. I spent sweet time with my husband after all were in bed last night. We went to story time at the library today and had a picnic at the park. Later, we're heading to an African-American beauty salon to get "big sister's" hair done. Pretty sure that might be another blog post!

The fact that I chose snuggling over vacuuming doesn't make me a better mom. Some would argue the opposite. It's just that yesterday, God gave us the grace to get through another day -- and it was a really sweet day -- one that made me think, with his help, we can do this!

Today didn't start so smoothly. We hadn't been up 30 minutes and someone had already tumbled down the steps and someone else had already been spanked. Katie had a nosebleed at story time (random, that's never happened to her before!) while I was feeding "baby sister" (OK, so we need some "blog names") a bottle. Someone pooped while we were at the park . . . too much info? My point is, it's not all roses over here all the time.

Crazy happens.

A lot.

But, did you forget? Everyone's down for a nap!

At the same time!

Ah!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-15T21:27:00.002-04:00

Wonderfully Made

2010-09-13T20:13:00.003-04:00

Ella Grace did it.
Today was Annabelle's turn.
She is very proud of her eyelashes and pink teeth!
I'm very proud of this girl!
I love, LOVE this project from Mrs. Hamilton's class!

You are wonderfully made, sweet Annabelle Kay! (Everytime she or someone else reads the bag, she says, "That's a verse.")

Part 3: Triple Falls

2010-09-11T07:33:00.000-04:00

On Monday, we loaded up the gang and headed to Triple Falls. It was a short but steep hike that all littles did splendidly on! The reward was a beatiful set of three waterfalls!

I'm always amazed at how outdoorsy my girls are. I'd like to think of myself as the outdoors type, but in reality, I'd probably pick the Holiday Inn over a tent pretty much anytime. I love that they appreciate the outdoors, though, and encourage them to soak in God's amazing artwork whenever I can -- even if it means tent camping!

Daddy let them get adventurous and walk through the river with their bare feet. They tell me the water was freezing and judging by the two spills Ella Grace took into the water, it was slippery too!

I think this may very well be the only picture in the past 6 years that I've taken with my children where we are all looking at the camera semi-smiling! Yes, that's our new placement riding in our Baby Bjorn. She also seems to be an outdoor girl ~ she did great and I'm pretty sure I got more of a workout than anyone else on the trail that day!

Part 2: The Apple Festival

2010-09-10T14:10:00.005-04:00

In keeping with tradition, we visited the NC Apple Festival once again this year!

These are so messy, but yummy (although, we promised ourselves we'd try something different next year!)!

Cheers!

The girls like to ride this train-like-thingie. It has something to do with flying, but I've never been able to figure it out . . . all I know is it's the only thing that's free!

It was neat to be able to chat for a second with the parents of the little girl seated with Ella Grace. She was adopted from China. They asked what made us decide to foster (yes, we have a new placement . . . a baby girl!) and my response was: "Uhhh, God." I truly couldn't come up with a better response. They were believers and shared that they'd experienced a similar "calling" to adopt their daughter.

I love that each person in God's story has a story that is so unique and beautiful!

Labor Day Weekend: Part 1

2010-09-09T20:25:00.004-04:00

Our Labor Day weekend began with a "kick" (sorry, I know; I couldn't resist!)!

Look at my little chick in there with all those boys!!

Ella Grace playing a little goalie!

More Labor Day festivities to follow . . .

Annabelle's 1st Day

2010-09-08T21:31:00.003-04:00

A very excited Annabelle started K4 today in Mrs. Hamilton's class!

2010-2011 School Year: Week One

2010-08-21T09:55:00.001-04:00

Art: these are bunnies! We were studing texture in art!

Science: she was measuring mass using gram cubes and a balance scale.

And one of our favorite subjects:

Phys. Ed.!

Summer Reading

2010-08-20T15:51:00.006-04:00

Well, we've made it through our first week of the 2010-2011 school year! We survived and even thrived a little. I'll post pictures of the girls working sometime this weekend (between soccer games. Have I mentioned yet that Ella Grace and Annabelle are playing soccer this fall? And that Eric and I got suckered into coaching? Our first game is tomorrow. Should be hilarious! Between my, a-hem, coaching responsibilities, I'll try to snap some pictures!)

Anyway, since our summer has officially ended, so have our summer reading adventures!

I've already mentioned that the girls and I read The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. I can't say enough about how much we loved the story! I'm so sad that we've covered all of E.B. White's novels. Actually, I'm re-reading Stuart Little with Annabelle since she was napping last summer when Ella Grace and I read it.

We also read The Boxcar Children and fell in love with characters! Ella Grace loved it so much that she chose one of the "mysteries" to read on her own at our last trip to the library. Highly recommend it; in fact, the language in this one is simple enough that it even held Katie's attention!

I read Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It changed so much about the way I think about social issues that are alive and well in our society. Issues like racism, poverty, homelessness, even foster care -- issues that so many of us shield ourselves and our children from are looked at with an honest and bold approach in this book. I can't recommend enough that you pick this book up!

While we were at the beach, I read My Sister's Keeper. There is a major motion picture based on this book starring Cameron Diaz. The movie is horrible. The book is great! Compared to the movie, the book deserves an award! Isn't that how it always is; the movie is always a disappointment!

Right now I'm reading The Glass Castle , a memoir by Jeannette Walls. It's interesting. That's all I can say at this point . . . until I've read more . . .

Eric is working through Bringing Up Girls by James Dobson -- It's next on my list!

The girls and I are looking for suggestions on what to read next. We've already done so many great ones that I feel like we're running out of options? Anyone??

More post to come this weekend . . . have a good one!

Evolution

2010-08-19T20:48:00.006-04:00

Updated with a working link . . . sorry!!

---------------------------

Original Post:

Remember this?

It's evolved into this:

Elizabeth Grace Williams, Self-Portrait, Age 6

First Day of First Grade!

2010-08-16T12:38:00.003-04:00

Ella Grace was bright eyed and ready to go on her first day of first grade (can I even believe I have a first grader? NO!)! She picked out her first day outfit all by herself (can you tell?)!

You may remember that this year she is attending the South Carolina Virtual Charter School. That means that she'll be doing most of her work from home while being taught by her teacher, Ms. Rupert, and supervised by her learning coach, Ms. Mom!

It also means she can go to school in bare feet!

Here's to a great first grade year, baby girl! We are beyond proud of you!

My Faves

2010-08-04T14:28:00.004-04:00

My favorite shots from our vacation . . . in no particular order:

Well, I suppose in some sort of order, because this is one of my all time favorites of my girlies!!

The Locals

2010-08-03T13:41:00.006-04:00

While we were in Hilton Head, the girls were enthralled with the local wildlife. Our favorite was the egret (pictured in the upper right hand corner above); Annabelle wanted a picture with one!

Lizards were everywhere, but kept eluding us when we tried to photograph them. This is the best we could do.

A pelican -- again, not the best shot.

A few friendly horses.

A deer -- an aparently hungry one -- she wouldn't raise her head for a picture!

Seagull.

Crab.

Gator.

Blue Heron.

Kermit.

Harbour Town

2010-07-22T21:56:00.002-04:00

The Playground

The Pier

The Lighthouse (and proof that I'm actually on this vacation!)

Fireworks @ Shelter Cove

2010-07-20T22:20:00.006-04:00

our day . . .

2010-07-18T22:23:00.008-04:00

wave riding . . .

sandcastle building . . .

boat gazing . . .

ice cream eatin' . . .

lovin' on each other!

Powell Family Vacation 2010

2010-07-18T22:15:00.003-04:00

Gonna default to my sister on this post! I've been meaning to write it for a week or so, but she said everything beautifully right here!

Katie & Grandma

2010-07-16T07:53:00.001-04:00