The Williams Gang

Busy Days!!

2009-08-13T18:26:00.002-07:00

A little bird warned me that if I didn't update my blog soon I might loose my life behind a shed?!?! So I thought I better hop to it!! I could have written a million things over the summer about the fun things we did, but I suppose I was spending more time enjoying my kids than updating the blog. I'll give a brief summary...as soon as school let out the boys and I headed to Pigeon Forge with Gigi for our annual summer kick-off getaway. Thanks to her we were able to spend a few nights at the Wilderness of the Smokies hotel/water park. It was so much fun!! We highly recommend visiting there. Although it was exhausting for me because I had to keep climbing those stairs to ride the water slides with each of the boys since daddy wasn't there! After that Mason and Nathan stayed with Gigi and Pop for a week while I went home to do Summer Quest and then I returned to Knoxville for another week to enjoy Concord Quest and celebrate mine and Stan's birthdays. On our birthday weekend Nanny, Buddy, Beth, Brandon, and Paula all came in both for the celebrations and to visit with Brock (and everyone else)!! The rest of June was pretty quiet (I think)!! In July we spent a week at the beach with David's family. We had a great time, but it was nice to get back to a more quiet routine. To finish off the summer we took a trip to Atlanta with Mom, Dad, Nanny, and Buddy. We went to a Braves game and Six Flags while we were there. The game was great...six flags, not so much!!! The kids are too young for that heat and long lines. We'll try again someday! The boys went back to Knoxville with Gigi and Pop for one last hoorah and I joined them on Wednesday. We enjoyed spending lots of time with Brock, Uncle Stan, and Aunt Darby too. David had been in Chicago for the week so he flew into Knoxville on Saturday and we went to Ye Ole Steakhouse for dinner because in all these years David had never been there!! It was delicious as always. So this week it's been back to routine. The boys started 1st grade and are enjoying it so far. It's been a struggle to get them used to stopping playing long enough to do their nightly reading and get in bed at a good time. Mason usually has lots to share about his day. Nathan...its like pulling teeth. That comes as no surprise to most of you I know!! Well, I tried to make it brief, but didn't want to leave anything out. Hopefully I didn't. I'm only including pictures from the last adventure. Thought I'd only post a couple, but that was impossible so I made a slideshow. Sorry!!

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Elijah "Brock" Allen

2009-04-24T09:19:00.004-07:00

I am excited to announce the birth of my first nephew, Elijah "Brock" Allen!! He was born on Wednesday, April 22 (his mommy and daddy's anniversary). I wasn't able to get off work to be there for his birth so Mason, Nathan and I made the trip Thursday afternoon. I was so excited to meet him. He is absolutely precious. Weighing in at 9 lbs 11 oz, he is just perfect. For today I am only posting one picture because I don't want to steal the thunder of his grand introduction from Stan and Darby. I will definately post again after spending this fabulous weekend with Brock and his family.

Nathan and Mason turn 6!!

2009-04-10T17:17:00.002-07:00

Just as it has been every other year, I cannot believe the boys are yet another year older!! They are becoming more and more independent every day and for the most part really enjoy each others company. Once again our wonderful family made the journey to celebrate with us. We missed those who couldn't be here this year!! Aunt Penny surprised everyone and brought with her Jason's fiance, Lisa, her little girl, Cami, and their 6 week old, Brennon. It was lots of fun getting to know them!

It was a very long day for Mason. He woke up at 7:30 ready to celebrate. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible because most of the house was still sleeping. The party wasn't until 6:00pm so although he received presents throughout the day it was still a lot of waiting. Which resulted in a lot of whining!! And that just didn't end well for him!!

The party was a blast! It was the most relaxing of all of them for me and the kids had so much fun. I wouldn't mind doing that one again next year. And we all know how quickly next year will arrive.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Spring Break

2009-04-10T16:06:00.002-07:00

A little birdie told me I needed to update my blog!! So here it is. I'm separating the posts into spring break and the boys birthday. I have so many pictures I want to share!! This spring break I was scheduled to fly down to Vero Beach, FL to visit my dear friend Ainsley, her husband and my God Daughter (Kelsie). Just me and the boys. Seemed harmless enough to me!! Mom thought it would be a great idea to fly down with us and get a room on the beach both to enjoy the visit and help me out. What a great idea it really was. The day we were flying out from Birmingham our flight was delayed 2 hours making us miss our connection flight in Jacksonville! I said right away I was indeed thankful she was with us and I didn't need a constant reminder of that from the Lord!! We did have a great time. The weather wasn't quite as perfect as I would have liked, but it was still nice. Enjoy some of our pictures from the trip!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Football Fun!!

2009-02-16T12:35:00.003-07:00

I had to post some pictures from some backyard football fun. Yesterday we were at David's Grandfather's house along with his Dad, Uncle, and brother. It was a beautiful day so after lunch "big daddy" took all the kids out to throw the football around. Well, it ended up to be a game of TACKLE football. David's brother, Jeff, joined in to help out. At one point it was Jeff, Mason, and Bella against Big Daddy and Nathan. Nathan said, "all I know is, it's 2 against 3". Any of you who know Nathan, knows what a big deal it was that he was even playing football. They had a great time. Mason learned you have to tackle around the waist not the neck. Nathan kicked, threw, and caught the ball...gaining a lot of self-confidence. Big Daddy was worn out. I thought the pictures turned out so cute and showed so much intensity that I just had to share. Note to self: pack a change of clothes next time!!!

It's About Time!!

2009-02-03T16:10:00.004-07:00

Number one, it's time for a blog update...I know!!! Number two, it was time for my boys to experience the circus. So last week the circus came to town and we finally took them. Mason had gotten an entire playmobile circus set for Christmas, and I thought how much more fun he could have with it if he understood what goes on. The night started out a bit chaotic because David had a short term work crisis. But after we got started it was great. I thought it started at 7pm so we got there at 6:30, but really it started at 7:30. So we got a bite to eat and then Mason and I went down to walk around where they were giving demonstrations. He even tried on a costume! They were totally amazed by all the acts. I think the dogs and elephants were their favorites. Really, Mason's favorite was watching an elephant pee and poop!!! Ah, what a boy!! In the picture where Nathan is laying down he's not really sleeping, but getting very tired. It was a Thursday night and they had been up since 6am and we didn't get home until around 10:30pm. It was worth the late night to enjoy this experience with them at such a perfect age.

Tagged by Darby

2008-12-04T15:46:00.003-07:00

Ok, so my sister-in-law tagged me on her blog to play this game quite some time ago and I'm finally doing it!! The way to play is go to your fourth picture folder, post the fourth picture, and tell four things about the picture. Then tag four blogger friends to play along!
What a random picture!! It was taken last year during Nursery Rhyme Week at school. My class made bumblebee costumes to wear and learned a new Nursery Rhyme about a swarm of bees. The little girl in the picture's name is Madison. I teach with her mom now and she told me that Madison prays for me every night still. I think that is so sweet!

Tag...you're it!! Jodi Juneac, Laurie Jernigan, Summer O'Neal, and Danielle Smith

I'm Back!!

2008-11-10T18:14:00.002-07:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

So, here's the deal...I can't get my pictures to download on my laptop (which is what I use all the time) and apparently it takes me FOREVER to go downstairs to use the other computer. My deepest appologies to those of you who have been awaiting an update on "the gang". I decided to go ahead and do a slide show for this one since I will be doing one entry to sum up our October happenings.

The month started off with my annual family girls trip to Gatlinburg. It was a wonderful weekend of catching up, eating, and shopping. Sometime early in the month we took the boys to a carnival at David's younger siblings' school. They enjoyed playing games, eating snow cones, and getting blue hair while we were there. David and I have enjoyed a wonderful season of Alabama football games. As always, we are so greatful to my mom for coming to spend time with the boys so we can enjoy that time. One of the weekends that Gigi was in we visited the pumpkin patch. That is always a family favorite!! Last year the boys picked very small pumpkins and I didn't get one in order to help carry them so this year I opted to get my own thinking surely they could carry the ones they picked. Not quite. Mom got the boys some corn while David and I carried FIVE nice sized pumpkins to the car. Needless to say, David ended up carrying 4 out of 5 because I'm a bit of a wimp!!! We also took a family trip to Gatlinburg with David's family. It was a short, but fun weekend. The boys really enjoyed the picnic at the Chimneys where they climbed on the rocks by the river. I was so lucky they didn't get wet because I had packed very poorly and had NO extra clothes. Sometimes I'm not very good at planning for what all a boy can get into. But they did good and stayed dry!! Lastly, we celebrated Halloween. The boys didn't hang very long during trick-or-treating. Fine by me!! They were so cute the next morning "making trades" with their loot!

That about does it for October at a glance. I promise I'll try to do better during the coming months. However, I am having orthoscopic jaw surgery next week and I'm not sure how that will affect me. Keep my appetite and energy level in your prayers. I won't be able to chew for six weeks. That takes me through the holidays up to New Years Day. Thanks in advance for those prayers. I'll keep you posted on my recovery. Love to you all!!

Baptism

2008-09-25T14:42:00.002-07:00

This past weekend David's younger brother and two sisters were baptized and we were able to take the boys to the celebration. About a week before I gave the boys a heads up because we were going to have to leave a birthday party early to go and I wanted them to be prepared. Of course at that time I had to explain what a baptism was. After hearing that the preacher dunks the person under water, Mason responded with "Well, I'm never doing that!" I told him I hoped someday Jesus would change his mind. So during the baptism celebration there were 30ish people getting baptized and the boys did great. They sat on our laps and really took everything in. At our church the water is on ground level and all family and friends are invited to stand around it during their loved ones baptism. So the boys also got an up close and personal look at three children "going under". Towards the end of the service I whispered to Mason that when Jesus does change his heart and it is his time to be baptized then Uncle Stan could come do it. His response... "Can I wear my goggles?" Guess that's what seems important when you're five!

A moment at the beach

2008-09-14T08:29:00.006-07:00

Last weekend we took a very short, highly anticipated trip to the beach. Two nights is NOT enough time for the beach (David would probably disagree because he fried in the one day in the sun), but better than nothing! This is such a wonderful time for the beach because the weather is perfect and the crowd is low. We spent the day Saturday enjoying playing mostly on the beach. Daddy and the boys found a "gully" full of crabs so they caught them and put them back in the ocean. Such fun for five year old boys!! Mason's highlight was making a football field in the sand and playing ball day and night. Nathan's activity of choice was badmitton. I had taken a bag full of games that could be entertainment and he was digging thru looking for the perfect one, picked one up and said, "no I need something a little more challenging"!! Cracked me up!! So badmitton it was. Maybe tennis will be his sport (it sure isn't anything else). We enjoyed our visit with Nanny and Buddy and a brief time with Gigi and Pop. Gigi and Pop were able to spend this weekend at our house on their way back to Knoxville. They stayed with the boys while David and I went to the Bama game. The boys always enjoy their time with them.

Bring on Football Season!

2008-08-28T17:29:00.004-07:00

Let me say that Mason just cracks me up!! He gets all nutty about the sport of the season. For the past several months it has been baseball. He is quite the collector. He felt the need to own about 20 bats, many balls, glove, batting glove, bases, batters helmet, and catchers helmet all for play. So here we are on night one of football season and all the stuff comes creeping out of the wood work. The picture of Mason in the football helmet is when he came upstairs after retreiving the items he needed to watch the game. The one in front of the couch is when he had all the teams layed out picking who was going to play. And the other one is him "taking a knee" in the middle of his "field" (notice the teams on each end). I just had to share the humor of my evening.

My Favorite Time Of Day

2008-08-11T14:12:00.006-07:00

Now don't get me wrong, I am enjoying a little "freetime" these days, but I look forward to the arrival of the bus at 3:15 like no other!! At about 3pm I start watching the clock so I'm not late for my appointment. I go to the porch at 3:10 because I wouldn't want to not be there should the bus be on the fast track or something. I promised the boys I'd always be there waiting for my "big hug" and that is just what I plan to do! I just had to share a video of my little sweeties getting of that BIG yellow bus and running all the way home. My, oh my, they are so big!! Yet, so little!! I love getting them in and talking all about the exciting things they did at school, getting snacks, and lots and lots of love!! For those of you who know me well will enjoy knowing that I no longer feel it neccesary to go to bed the minute the boys do, because I'm not as worn out at the end of the day as I have been for the past five years. Time does change. And it has brought me to another special time in life. And in all the things I am accomplishing now the bus's arrival is BY FAR my most precious time of day!!

Kindergarten Here We Come!!

2008-08-07T17:08:00.004-07:00

What a big day in the Williams' home. Nathan and Mason started school today. I just had to show some of the pictures from the photo shoot this morning. They had a great day. They are in separate classes and it didn't seem to phase them. They said they saw each other a few times, but didn't talk to each other!! But each of them had many things to talk to me about when they got home. I was going to get a picture as they got off the bus, but they were running so fast for my long awaited "big hug" that I couldn't get the camera to focus. I am sure I will have many more posts soon about this exciting time in our lives.

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Our pretend beach day

2008-07-08T19:42:00.007-07:00

Our outing of the day today was a visit to Oak Mountain State Park's "beach". It may not be the real thing, but we had a great time. I just wanted to share a few of the pictures of our fun. The picture of Nathan being covered in sand is the perfect example of his personality. Completely laid back, and go with the flow (usually). Mason fell asleep on the way home and after THREE hours we finally got him awake. I think he was catching up on sleep from the weekend.

Tomorrow will be another fun day for the boys. David and his grandparents are taking the boys to Tuscaloosa. They are going to the Bryant museum (to see trophies), visit the athletic facilities, maybe the baseball field, and eat at Dreamland. I really didn't think Nathan would want to go, but he does so hopefully he will have fun. Mason will love every minute (maybe not the driving minutes)! Hopefully they will get some good pictures that I can share.

Quick Funny

2008-07-07T19:25:00.003-07:00

I just wanted to share a quick story from tonight. The boys and I were at a friend's house and we were talking about how Nathan had a chest xray yeasterday. My friend asked Nathan if the doctor saw his heart, lungs, and ribs. His response was..."No, I don't eat ribs". She and I were rolling and he just continued what he was doing. Kids just crack me up being so matter of fact!!

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What in the world?!?!

2008-06-30T14:28:00.004-07:00

That is exactly what we were saying on Saturday night when both of our boys were getting in the tub and this is what greeted us!! This "rash" was all over the boys upper legs and bottom area. I immediately called my dad, the nurse, to get medical advice. He said to apply hydrocortizone cream and give them benadryl. By that night, Mason seemed to be responding to the medicine and improving a bit. Nathan, however, was covered!! I called after hours just to make sure I shouldn't take action. The nurse said it was probably just an allergic reaction to something, but I couldn't think of anything "new" that would have caused this. Well, the boys have had a cough that I thought was allergies for a couple of weeks and I wanted to take them in for that anyway and now this so we made an appointment for Sunday morning. David took them because I needed to go to church, and come to find out they both had walking pneumonia!! I had no idea. Speaking of having no idea...Mason also had a double ear infection!!! They are responding great to the antibiotic!!

Funny story - today we were in the car (I had to go turn in a utility bill to the school to prove we still live in this house) and I mentioned that a friend of mine was taking her little girl to the doctor. The boys had to know why of course and I tried to give them the easy answer by saying she has a big cough like you and her mommy wants the doctor to check her. Mason said, "you mean she has walking pneumonia?" Too big for his britches I tell you!!

The Foam Zone

2008-06-19T13:13:00.004-07:00

The weather here yesterday was beautiful and I decided we'd head to the zoo. We are used to visiting the Knoxville Zoo, which we love, and I had been procrastinating taking the boys to our zoo because let's just say it is lacking. But the boys have been asking and when the weatherman said we were looking at 80 and low humidity, I figured it's now or not!! They did have a new area called the "foam zone" which the boys LOVED!! Unfortunately, it was priced separately from the zoo and they could only play for a few minutes per token. It made fun pictures though!!

Chattanooga Choo-Choo

2008-05-31T13:39:00.005-07:00

Last year when we got out of school mom and I took the boys for a weekend in Pigeon Forge, but this year I just couldn't work that in. So instead we took them to the Chattanooga Choo-Choo. Thanks to Gigi we were able to stay in a train car for two nights. The boys just love staying in hotels!! We got there around bedtime on Friday night and then slept in on Saturday morning. We rode the "charlie" around the complex (you would call it a trolley) and then took a bus down to the waterfront. The boys spent most of their time playing in the water in front of the aquarium. Luckily they can't read so they had no clue that was an aquarium or they would have wanted to go, but I was trying to save some $$ and do less expensive things on this trip since we had just done Disney!! We walked across the river on a pedestrian bridge, but didn't want to walk back so we took a water taxi. That was fun because the driver let the boys drive. When we got off there was a great playground and of course they loved that. When we rode the bus back to the hotel I told mom to get off at warehouse row to shop and I'd take the boys back. Well, she wishes she hadn't. First of all, there was NOTHING there and second of all, she got locked in a store!!! Yep, locked in. The lady left for a break and locked up!!! She was able to finally get someones attention who knew the lady and knew where she'd gone. And would you believe when she came back she just rang up mom's purchase like it was normal!! Fun times. It was a great beginning to summer!!

Graduation

2008-05-31T13:34:00.003-07:00

It is hard to believe that the boys are old enough to go to Kindergarten, but here we are. They had their official graduation from preschool, and are just waiting for August. Gigi was able to make it for Graduation. She has been here for all their big events at school and we couldn't imagine this day without her!! After their ceremony we were going to take them to lunch so I suggested O'Charlies. They usually like it there and at least it was a decent meal for the grown-ups. We'll that was a Big No in their book and since the lunch was supposed to be about them we went where they wanted...Burger King!! Go figure.

The big trophy!!

2008-05-31T13:19:00.002-07:00

All I can say for this season of t-ball is...we made it. There were definately times when I thought at least one child wouldn't make it to the end. But they played with their eyes on the trophy. They were so excited. At this moment they are both saying they're never playing any sport again. We'll see what they say come fall!! As for now, I'm enjoying not having to spend all my extra time at the ball field!!

Disney!!

2008-05-31T13:04:00.003-07:00

We had a wonderful time on our Disney Vacation. We kept it a secret from the boys until the morning we left which was so much fun!! We woke them up at 4:30am and shared the news. They were excited, but confused. Mason said, "But it is the middle of the night". I said no, really it is four o'clock in the morning, but our plane is leaving soon. I should add that this was also their first flight. They did great on the plane and loved it!! The second part of the suprise was that my mom and dad were going with us. They flew to Orlando out of Knoxville and we met at the airport. It worked out that their flight was just 15 minutes earlier than ours so they waited at the gate for us. Nathan spotted them immediately, but his response was hilarious. He didn't act suprised or confused or anything, he just started talking to them like they were supposed to be there!! Mason on the other hand was speachless. The rest of the trip was great. Nathan was quite the ride boy. He loved them. Mason liked them, but could do without the lines. They really enjoyed playing in all the play areas. I could go on and on with details, but I have a lot of catching up to do.

I'm Back!!!

2008-05-31T12:59:00.002-07:00

Wow!! I can't believe I haven't posted on my blog since the end of March. It isn't for the lack of things to share. During the time I've been "away" the boys celebrated their 5th birthday, we visited Disney World, finished t-ball (yippee), the boys graduated from pre-school, and we visited the Chattanooga Choo-choo. I am quite certain that their have been other events as well, but these were the highlights. I will post a small amount about these events to catch everyone up, and then hopefully I will be better about blogging this summer!!

The fun has begun!!!

2008-03-26T13:18:00.004-07:00

Well, Monday night was the Muckdogs t-ball opening game and boy was it fun (or funny I should say!!) and COLD. I wasn't sure Mason was going to make it to play in a game because practices were a bit rough, but he did and I'm glad. He really loves sports!! Nathan likes t-ball and is very compliant (as with anything), but I wouldn't say he loves or even likes sports!!! They both hit the ball good and thought they hit home runs because they were the last two batters so they were able to run the bases!! The funniest story of the night was when Mason was put at the catcher position. He got down on his knees and I could hear him saying "Strike One"... He thought he was the umpire!! I was laughing so hard. I am very excited that the weekend of the boys birthday my family will all be here for the big 5 YEAR celebration and get to see the boys play a game. Always a new adventure!!

Best Party Ever

2008-02-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

"That was the best party ever" was all my boys could say after going to a friends party last weekend. It was a Bama football party. The parents painted a field in the backyard and built a goalpost. Big Al even came!! It really was a great party. Now the boys are full speed ahead planning their 6th birthday. The 5th is already planned!! They want one JUST LIKE JAY'S. We'll see what the next year holds!!

Nursery Rhyme Day

2008-02-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

Last week at school we had Nursery Rhyme Day at school. Mason went dressed as the spider from Little Miss Muffet, Nathan was Baa, Baa Black Sheep, and I was a bee!!! A bee, you ask??? Rather than asking my parents to come up with a costume for their child I decided to use it as a teaching opportunity. Thru the course of the week my students learned a new nursery rhyme about a swarm of bees and yes, we were the swarm!! They enjoyed making their costumes and reciting their rhyme for the younger children. It was a fun day!!

Snow Day!!

2008-01-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

Well, it FINALLY snowed here in Alabama!! It has been years since we have seen any of the white stuff. Now here me, we didn't get much, but it was enough to play in and sled a little. It was funny because as the kids went down the hills the snow would disappear so they had to keep moving spots and yards. The whole street was out!! It was a lot of fun, and it has been a fun, lazy afternoon as well. I just sent David to the store to get the stuff to make chili tonight. What a great day to just stay at home!!!

You Just Never Know!!

2008-01-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

The other day when I went to get the boys up for school this is how I found them. Nathan had fallen asleep before Mason (as usual) and Mason decided to sleep with Nathan. He just crawled right in and that is where he stayed all night!! I thought it was so cute I just had to grab my camera before waking them up!!

A New Adventure

2008-01-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the month I signed on to be a product demonstrator for a company called Uppercase Living, and I am SO EXCITED!!! The company sells decorative expressions for your home. The pictures I've posted are from my house. The "W" was a Christmas gift from Stan and Darby and the other two I purchased for myself. For such a small cost your rooms look like they have details that look like they have been handpainted (which would cost a lot!!). I have never had the desire to sell anything, but I am in love with this stuff and I hope many of you will fall in love too. If you are interested in seeing a catalog just let me know!!

More Pictures

2008-01-10T19:01:00.000-07:00

Christmas 2007

2008-01-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

Well, It's been a while!!! Sorry for the long delay between posts. We spent a majority of our Christmas break from school in Tennessee. As for why I'm just now posting on January 10th...no excuse!!! Anyway, we spent Christmas Eve at the hospital visiting with David's family. A sweet friend brought a christmas meal to the hospital for us to enjoy. After Santa visited with us there, David, the boys and I hit the road for Nashville. We normally travel EARLY Christmas morning, but since our Christmas Eve with David's family wasn't normal we decided that we'd go on. But I didn't tell my mom and dad about our plans!! We arrived at my Nanny and Buddy's house around 11pm and when we walked through the door my mom's face was priceless. You could tell she thought she was dreaming. The boys enjoyed waking up to Santa having visited in Nashville. We enjoyed a few days in Nashville and then headed to Knoxville for the remainder of the week. We enjoyed every minute we had with everyone.

Side note: I am not liking my layout right now!!! It is only letting me post 3 pictures at a time. I will post a few more of my favorites from chirstmas separately!!

Update on Rocktop

2007-12-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

Well, Rocktop was sent home from the hospital AGAIN today. Still without confirmation of anything. After another MRI, the neurologist doesn't believe it is the mad cow thing. They are once again leaning toward some type of auto immune deficiency. They are going to begin treating him with steroids (sometime) to see if it helps. It can't hurt to try. I just wanted to update you all. Thank you for all your love and prayers.

Christmas Caroling

2007-12-09T18:28:00.001-07:00

Today we took the boys Christmas Caroling at a nursing home with a group of our friends' children. What a teachable moment!! It is so wonderful for them to be able to experience the giving of Christmas. They sang about four songs and behaved like such gentlemen. I was a bit nervous before we went in because Mason didn't have the happiest of hearts. But when the music came on he was ready. Afterward I asked the boys if they wanted to go wish the people a Merry Christmas and Nathan was in. He shook everyone's hand and said Merry Christmas. The first lady couldn't hear him so I said, "say it so she can hear". So he proceeded to yell "MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!" Oops. I was so proud!! We get so caught up in the busy-ness of the holidays and I have enjoyed taking the time to slow down and teach my kids about the real reasons for celebrating.

On another note...we have a special prayer request to ask of you. I mentioned David's Grandfather (Rocktop) recently about how he was sick and they couldn't figure out what was wrong. Well last week they released him from UAB without finding out an illness. At that time they tested him for "mad cow" disease which was to take a week to get the results back and they would not continue testing or treatment until those results were in. We all felt like that was the biggest waste of time. There have only been like 5 reported cases in the US. The test came back today and they are positive. The test has an 80% accuracy level and a brain biopsy will be done to confirm. They admitted him back to UAB tonight to get that done. We are praying for that 20% chance that it isn't mad cow because that is fatal. From what we have read the time between onset of symptoms until death can range from a few weeks to a couple of years, but the median is 4 months. We have already been dealing with it for a month. We have been praying for the doctors to figure out what was wrong so they could begin treatment, and would never have thought it was this. The picture I've posted is of Rocktop and Mama Gina after one of the Bama games this year. David have enjoyed going to the ballgames with them for about 12 years now. It is so hard to watch a man who was completely fine 2 months ago become a different man. He was at our house yesterday and I asked if they got their Christmas tree up yet and his response was "hmm, I don't know ask Regina". Please keep him and the family in your prayers during this time. And I'll continue to post on his condition.

December 1st -- and we're off!!

2007-12-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

We officially kicked off the Christmas season by attending our annual local Christmas parade. David's Grandfather is in the hospital so our numbers were down this year. His Uncle Bobby and I took five of the kids by ourselves. Luckily, the kids are getting old enough to know not to run in front of the vehicles to get candy. As always we had a great time. The weather couldn't be more perfect.

Please keep "Rocktop" David's grandfather in your prayers he as been in the hospital for over a week. Something is affecting his brain functioning and the Doctors can't figure out what it is. The unknown is wearing on everyone, especially Mama Gina. Thanks for your prayers!!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2007-12-01T14:46:00.001-07:00

This was our year to spend Thanksgiving in Tennessee. David refers to it as the year we wear our away jerseys. We had a wonderful visit with my family. My mom recently had a major surgery to remove part of her colon so we all tried to step in and help in the kitchen. David teased that the green beans would be his job, but he didn't even do that. He did, however, carve the turkeys and chicken. As always we had way too much food, but enjoyed the time together.

A highlight of the weekend was playing wii. If you haven't played before, it's great!!! The youngest to the oldest members of the family all play and have a blast.

Friday morning was shopping day. Darby, Penny, and I headed out at 5am and since the others were meeting us later we decided to stop at some stores outside the mall first. After six stores without any entries we headed to the mall (we knew it was open). It was worth getting up early for me. I purchases several "door busters". No big screen TVs or anything, but things I needed none-the-less.

One of my mom's Aunts died before Thanksgiving so most of the family left Friday night to go to the funeral on Saturday. It was good that there were early departures, because out of 12 adults, 8 ended up with a stomach bug by Monday. It was a great weekend with a not so great finale!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2007-11-19T16:52:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday was the boys Thanksgiving Feast at school. The fours invite their parents to lunch and sing a couple of songs. As you can see the boys were pilgrims. Mason was much more into eating than taking pictures. They are having such a wonderful year at school. Their teacher is wonderful. They have learned so much and are excited about going everyday. Now they are looking forward to the real Thanksgiving feast. Nathan's requirement is mashed potatoes and Mason's is pumpkin pie!! I hope each of you have a wonderful and safe holiday!!

Nemo on Ice

2007-11-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Nathan and Mason got to experience their first Disney on Ice yesterday when we took them to Finding Nemo. I didn't tell them about it until yesterday morning and when I did, thinking it was a great surprise, Mason's response was, "That's going to be boring. All we get to do is sit in seats and watch!!!" Not exactly what I was expecting. I told him he wasn't allowed to say that until after it was over. At that point he could either say, "Thanks that was great" or "That was boring". Of course they loved it. Boy do they milk you when you go to those things. It was $10 for a snow cone which included a souvenir cup and $10 for cotton candy which included a nemo hat!! I took our own lights so I wouldn't have to pay $20 a piece for those. Especially since we already have some! It was worth it, everyone had a good time. They are wanting to go to the circus now. Guess that will be our first adventure in 2008.

Ah, the things kids say!!!

2007-11-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

I had to share a funny story. The other night the boys and I were riding in the car and the boys were in the back playing the "raise your hand if...game". You know the one, "raise your hand if your shirt is red", "raise your hand if your eyes are blue", and so on. After playing for quite some time, Nathan says, "raise your hand if you are big and fat". Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nathan then says, "hey mom, that's you!!!" Mason laughed like that was the funniest thing he had ever heard. I on the other hand didn't find it that amusing. I felt like I was in the car with a group of preteens, not four year olds. My, oh my, what my future holds!!!

Trick-or-Treat time

2007-11-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

We had the most fun trick-or-treating last night with the boys. This was the first year that we haven't had to push around a stroller and deal with whiny, tired kids! They loved it. They knew just what to do. They even went to the scarier houses...anything for more candy!! Nathan started out the night in the costume you see, a sheep that Gigi and Nanny made for him. But it was too hot so he changed into a blue power ranger. Mason stuck with the spider all night. David said one day Mason was going to hate him for letting me put that hat on him!!! Nathan took a tumble at one point in the night. He got pretty scraped up, but Mason got his candy for him at that house and it was back to work. Nathan also got choosy by the end of the night. If the people weren't giving something he liked he just said no thank you and turned away!! I thought that was hilarious!! As soon as the night was over they started talking about Thanksgiving dinner. No rest for the weary.

A pumpkin patch tradition

2007-10-25T16:28:00.001-07:00

This weekend we took the boys for our annual trip to the pumpkin patch, and this time Gigi was able to join us. It is always an eventful day, but this year the boys were the ones pointing the way to the activities in the order they wanted. After enjoying some lunch it was full speed ahead for the hayride to the pumpkin patch. It never fails that Nathan picks the first available pumpkin and Mason is quite choosy. Unfortunately, for Nathan, we realized his pumpkin had a large crack in the bottom. Thank goodness we were still in the patch. He quickly found another "perfect" pumpkin. The rest of the day was spent riding the tractor train, playing on inflatables, and EATING, EATING, EATING!!! We had a great time and look forward to going again next year. The boys asked Gigi if she would come again next year and she said she'd have to wait and see. It may have been too much fun for one day for Gigi!!!

More weekend pictures

2007-10-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention that we saw Santa. The boys told him the rough draft of their Christmas wish list. He also came to the hotel on Saturday night to sing. That was great!! The hotel has a clock that rings every hour that is amazing!! That is what is going on in the picture of the boys laying on the ground. I know it is only October, but it is never too early for the Christmas spirit!!!

What a weekend!?!?

2007-10-15T13:09:00.001-07:00

This weekend we traveled to Pigeon Forge with David's family (with a quick stop and Gigi and Pop's house). We stayed at the new Christmas Place Inn (which was fabulous). The boys LOVE staying at a hotel...expecially the continental breakfast!! Saturday morning David and the boys visited a helicopter museum and then we took them to the Nascar place where they could ride rides. Our next stop was a picnic at The Chimney's. However, Mason got sick on the way. David took the two of us back to the hotel and he and Nathan went on to meet the family. Mason and I spent most of the day resting and watching football. Luckily we could walk to a couple places because we were without a car. He wanted to get out so we went to get some soup for lunch and get a small treat for his missing the picnic. He ended up napping which is highly unusual. David came back for us to go to dinner...we left...had forgotten the cell...turned around...boys decided they didn't want to go...David went on...he came back because traffic was aweful. It was crazy!!! I can't say that we really spent much time with the family. Enjoy the pictures!!!

funny story

2007-10-01T18:07:00.000-07:00

Just a quick story from the weekend...On Saturday we were headed home to watch the Bama game and the boys were asking who we were playing. I said Florida State and they asked if that was the gators. I said no, the seminoles. Not two minutes later Nathan said, "Did you say the Cinnamon rolls?" We thought it was hilarious and referred to them as the Cinnamon Rolls all weekend. Too bad we lost to a bunch of Cinnamon Rolls!!!

celebrity look-a-likes

2007-09-26T13:57:00.001-07:00

Nathan's look-a-like meter

2007-09-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

look-a-like meter

2007-09-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

The Big Game!!

2007-09-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, soccer season began this morning at 8am!! A bit early for my gang. The boys were very excited and ready to play, on team Chaos. They did a great job listening to their coaches and doing what they were told. There was no whining and when they fell down they just got back up and kept on going!! I was so proud. Those had been my concerns!! They are playing on the church upward league which is great for this age. Everyone gets equal playing time and everyone wins!! Luckily the boys don't have a clue that the other team took them to the cleaners today!! There were several times when Nathan just stood and looked at the ball -- but he wasn't alone. Mason made a good stop one time, but quickly lost control to the other team. Oh well...they looked great to me!!
I had to include in this blog a picture of my sweet boys the day I brought them home from the hospital. Time has flown by. I have made it my goal to saver each and every moment of their lives because it passes all too quickly. When I found out I was having two boys people often said, "You'll be a great soccer mom". Well here we are at 4 1/2 and I'm giving it my best shot. I have loved motherhood and I can't wait to see what the next 4 1/2 years has to offer!!

Starting School Tomorrow!!

2007-09-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

I guess you never outgrow that anticipation of the "first day" of school. Tomorrow is my first day as a Kindergarten teacher, and I am a bit nervous. I have 16 students in my class (11 are boys!!). I have everything planned and ready to go, now I just pray that it runs the way I have it worked out in my head!! I'll post soon with an update on how it is going!!

As for the boys, they are so excited about school starting. They tell everyone, "You know...I'm in 4 year old kindergarten now." Very proud. I think they have "grown up" a good bit over the summer and I think they will do well. Their teacher is new to the 4's and is showing a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm as well. I think she is going to be good for them. I'll let you know how it goes!!

Bama Game

2007-09-02T15:00:00.001-07:00

Yeasterday was the first Bama home game of the season and David and I were excited to be there since we sold our tickets last year to help justify our trip to NYC!! We had a great time. The weather couldn't have been better for a first game. And the score was acceptable too. We hope the rest of the season is this great. Gigi (and Pop sometimes) usually come down to keep the boys on game weekends, but this was their 35th wedding anniversary so they decided not to plan on this one. So my friend Allison (aka Alli to the boys) and her "friend" Gavin spent the day with them. They had a great time baking cookies, going to Chick fil a and wearing the grown-ups out!! Needless to say, I didn't mention to them where we were going. That wouldn't have gone over well. Maybe we'll brave taking them to one game this year?!?!

Roll Tide!!

2007-08-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

This picture was just too funny not to share. We have HUGE elephant ears growing in our backyard and David cut some so the boys could "be elephants". As we in the William's House are preparing for football season we talk alot about elephants!!! Roll Tide everyone!!

Gigi's Visit

2007-08-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

Mom will probably kill me when she finds out that I put this picture on here, but I thought it was too cute, and too perfect as a photo description of her visit with us. She came in last Sunday afternoon to spend the week helping me out because I had two work meetings and needed to work in my classroom some, and also Mason had a proceedure done on his pee-pee. So it was Gigi to the rescue. Well, while she is here she barely has a moment to potty without the boys. Nathan slept with her every night and Mason was in there too all but three nights I think. And mind you, it is a full size bed!!! Well, as the week progressed Mason told different people he was going home with Gigi and we didn't pay him much attention. On Saturday morning he was talking to Pop and said, "Gigi is staying one more night and then I'm coming home wtih her." Needless to say bright and early this morning the bags were packed and the kids were in the car (long before it was time). They have gone to visit with Gigi and Pop (and hopefully Uncle Stan and Aunt Darby) until Thursday!!!

Batter Up!!

2007-08-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

After our weekend in Georgia we headed straight to Nashville to spend a few days with Nanny and Buddy. While we were there we were able to go to Buddy's baseball tournament. Although it was 100 degrees, everyone had a great time. The boys caught a few plays in between much playing of their own. There was an empty field that they played their own games on. We were there for three hours because Buddy's team won twice. The boys were filthy by the end. Thank goodness they stayed awake long enough for a quick bath.

Another thing we enjoyed while in Nashville was going to the YMCA to swim everyday (for three hours)!! The boys love it there. The water slants down like the beach so they can swim around without their floaties on. It was great!! We enjoyed our time with Nanny and Buddy(and Paula and Jim too).

Girls (and Kids) Weekend

2007-08-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful weekend it was at R-Ranch outside Dalonaga, Georgia when I met up with my College friends Cindy and Katie and our 6 kids!! We stayed in a cabin (with no TV) for two nights. Two of the boys were 2 1/2 and my boys are 4 so there was a lot of excitement and tatteling!!! We went swimming, played putt-putt (I use that term lightly), and just hung out!! On Saturday night Katie's parents were sweet enought to watch all the children so the girls could go to dinner...ALONE!! It was just like old times, you'd never know we hadn't seen each other in years. We can't wait until we can get together again. Next time we will leave the kids at home!!!

A Week At Camp

2007-07-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to spend last week as a family group leader at middle school youth camp. My brother is a middle school youth pastor in Knoxville and for the second year I went along to camp. It was so wonderful to watch a group of 220 middle schoolers worship the Lord. Sure they enjoyed all the recreation that camp has to offer, but it was the times of worship that they couldn't get enough of. What a blessing to be a part of such a wonderful event!!

The pictures need a bit of explanation...the first one is me in the the mud portion of the Adventure Race (which my team finished LAST!!!). I am wearing the mask because last year the smell made me gag. I thought the mask would help, but I ended up getting sick anyway!! The second picture is my group of girls after the race. And the third picture is Stan and I right before we did the zip line. This is definitely the most adventurous week of my year!!

Beach Boys!!

2007-07-17T16:06:00.000-07:00

We took a quick trip to the beach over July 4th week. We were only there a couple of days, but enjoyed the time we had. The boys had not been to the beach since they were two so it was fun for them to be reintroduced. We went with David's mom and stepdad who have three young children of their own. David's brother and his daughter were also there, so there was no lack of entertainment for the boys. Neither of the boys just loved the ocean. They both got in for a very short time and tolerated jumping waves for a while. We spent most of the time at the pool, but it is always nice to have the option. I can't wait to go again!!

We LOVE ice cream!!!

2007-07-02T13:30:00.001-07:00

One of our favorite things to do on hot Alabama summer days is get ice cream. Saturday after dinner we ended up at Ben and Jerry's and it was YUM!!! As you can see the boys enjoyed themselves. They may have made a mess, but they really did eat a majority of their cones!!

Swim Lessons

2007-06-22T13:57:00.001-07:00

While we were in Tennessee last week for bible school, the boys took swim lessons with Mrs. Mildred. They went into it unwilling to go under and by day four they were jumping off the diving board and swimming to the side!! It was amazing. Since being home we have gone swimming 3 times and Mason is doing great at going under (he doesn't want to swim, but he willingly goes under). Nathan doesn't even want to go under. I feel peer pressure will get him eventually. I don't want to push. At least I have the pictures to prove it happened!!

Scary Moment!!!

2007-06-22T13:51:00.001-07:00

These pictures were taken this morning after Mason fell off the top bunk onto his HEAD!!! I have always heard that if they don't get a goose egg, but it dents in, that's bad. And that is what happened. I called the doctor and he was more upset about the possibility of going to the doctor than anything. After answering all their questions they just said to keep an eye on him. He has been fine, thank the Lord!!! In the pictures you can see all the kids trying to console him, and the other one he was using the hat to hold on ice!!! All in a day with boys...I guess!!!

Playdates

2007-06-06T09:47:00.001-07:00

Every Monday throughout the summer my friends from church get together with children in tow to just play and fellowship (and eat of course). This past Monday we were at Amy's house where the kids played in the pool and on the play equipment outside. I thought this was a great picture of the mass of children eating pizza on Amy's patio. We look forward to visiting with friends each week at a new location for a little something different to entertain us!!!

Claire and McKenzie

2007-06-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

During the summer months (for the past several years) I keep Claire (11) and McKenzie (6) while their parents are at work. The boys absolutely love them. Mason and McKenzie mesh perfectly and Nathan and Claire are inseparable. It works out great as entertainment for my children and gives the girls entertainment as well. This week we went swimming a couple of times, to lunch, the park, and Krispi Kream. It was lots of fun!!

Hard at Work

2007-05-29T15:15:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day weekend Nanny and Buddy came to visit and boy did we stay busy!! We have been working to clear off some wooded area in our yard and they came to help. Well, Nanny and David are highly allergic to poison ivy so Buddy and I worked alot on the yard. David did help a lot on Saturday, and is paying for it with another round of poison ivy. Nanny worked Friday on clearing out some landscaping and Saturday she detailed the inside of my car. And those who know me well know that is a JOB!!! We enjoyed our time with them and are now enjoying the completion of the big project. Now I just get to plant flowers and such!!!

Summer Travels

2007-05-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

Summer is just getting started and already we have been staying busy. After school ended, I joined the boys in Knoxville for a visit just short of a week. While we were there Mom and I took the boys to Pigeon Forge for a couple of days. They had been begging to go to a hotel and they LOVED it!!! It was a great time to go...no crowds. We had to pool and lazy river to ourselves the second day. While we were there we went to see the Black Bear Jamboree. That was lots of fun. We enjoyed our visit with everyone and look forward to going back in June!!

Summer Kickoff

2007-05-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day Weekend the boys and I kicked off summer with a trip to Nashville. It was a great weekend spent with family. On Saturday night 14 members of our gang enjoyed dinner out at a steak restaurant on the lake and then we all headed out on Paula and Jim's boat. The boys loved it, so did I as a matter of fact!! Jim even let the boys navigate a bit!! Next time I want to go out in the day and get some sun!!!

Stacey goes virtual!?!?

2007-05-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

Wow!! Darby has been blogging for a few months and now I've been pulled in too. I have no clue what I am doing, but now that summer is here it can be my new project. I always have pictures of Nathan and Mason to share, so I am sure I'll rarely be at a loss for posts!! Here we go...