Outside the snow is falling

And friends are calling yoo hoo... ♫

Now that we're officially past Thanksgiving, it's time to bring on the Christmas cheer! This past weekend was spent enjoying family, food and of course braving the Black Friday sales. On Saturday my Mother-In-Law and I went searching for new ornaments for our tree, I have decided to do a "Candy Land" theme this year and we got some really great deals on all sorts of gingerbread and candy decorations, check out this nutcracker we found for only $10!

I am loving this wreath:

 "Not the gumdrop buttons"  <- Who said this?

If you answered Gingy from Shrek, 

give yourself a pat on the back!

Along with loads of shopping and yummy turkey, we were treated to a white Thanksgiving! It made for some cute photo opportunities for Christmas cards, here's a sneak peek of a few of them:

Also we're 10 days away from a pretty important date, my BIRTHDAY ;)

 & 2 short days away from 25 Days of Christmas!

<3 The Williams

Giving Thanks this Thanksgiving

As we near the end of twenty-ten, we can look back and see the strain that the dwindling economy has put on many households this year. This is why, this Thanksgiving I would like to take the time to concentrate on the good in our lives. Blessings can be both BIG and small and no matter who you are, you surely have something to be thankful for this year.

Who does not thank for little will not thank for much. - Estonian proverb

On the top of my list, I am thankful for my loving, supportive husband. I am also thankful for; the roof over our heads, our health, our jobs, the food in our bellies and our family and friends. I am also grateful for our troops who sacrifice being with their families to keep us safe, The Red Cross and other volunteers who helped after the earthquake in Haiti and the cap that stopped the oil leak in the Gulf - Hooray!!

On a less serious note, I am also thankful for; chocolate, comfy clothes, warm blankets and music that touches the soul :)

Now it's your turn, what are ya'll thankful for this Thanksgiving?

 

<3 The Williams

Words of Wisdom

Sometimes we can all use some "Words of Wisdom", enjoy!

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

<3 The Williams

Christmas Lovelies

'Tis the season... I am considering doing "25 days of Christmas," 

a post everyday day from December 1st until Christmas Day

of all different kinds of Christmas lovelies, what do ya'll think?

Grandiflora Home & Garden - Lynden, Washington

http://grandiflorahomeandgarden.blogspot.com/

I may also include other things such as;
crafts, recipes, charities and gift ideas!

And for those of you who think I've flipped my lid,
don't worry Thanksgiving posts are on their way :)~

<3 The Williams

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Living in the Northwest we expect low temperatures and high precipitation during the Fall/Winter months, but this year things have started a little earlier than usual! Thanks to the weather patterns of El Nina (El Nino's sister?) :) we received our first snowfall on Friday, November 19th. Within a half hour, the weather went from 30 something degrees with a mix of snow and rain to 5 inches of fresh powder. What a great weekend for Baker to open, don't ya'll think?

It is now Tuesday and we haven't seen much more snow since the weekend, but from what we hear - South of us (Seattle, Tacoma area) was hit pretty hard, I-5 Monday night was a parking lot. We have also received a "Winter Weather Advisory Warning"  for sub-zero temperatures and high winds. Gusts up to 60 MPH, can ya'll believe that? Better hold on to that wheel with both hands drivers and bundle up your kiddos as they make their way to school!  I am thankful for many things this year, one of which is my new 4-Runner. I don't think my little Honda would have taken nicely to these icy roads!

With all this cold weather I am also thankful that we finished up our Christmas shopping a few weeks ago. We had everything wrapped up sitting on our foyer table, so we decided why not bring out the tree early this year! There are no rules for these type of things and although some people may call us crazy, we'll just call you Scrooges :) So here are a few pictures of our Sunday Funday, I cannot put into words how much joy these seasons bring to us. There is nothing more enjoyable then spending time with your loved ones while listening/dancing to Christmas music and drinking hot cocoa (with mini marshmallows of course). Can it be Christmas all year long? I don't think that's too much to ask :)

Lucky trying to figure out where Daddy went...

 Taadaa!!

Also, I plan on doing some serious baking in the next few weeks; I have made a small list, but knowing my sweet-tooth husband there will be many more varieties to come :) I am taking requests too if you're attending the Ugly Sweater party (just let me know!) But really, how can you go wrong with sweets?

 Spritz Cookies

Hershey Blossoms

Gingerbread Men/Women ;)

Snicker Doodles

Sugar Cookies (w/ and w/o frosting)

 and last, but certainly not least...

Candy Cane Cookies (with crushed peppermint on top!!!)

<3 The Williams

Good and Evil

I have decided after much thought to create a blog as a way to share our life story with you, our friends and family.

These past few months have been a roller-coaster of emotions for J. and I. In June, we decided that we were ready to be parents, J. had been looking forward to this day since the day we met he will tell you. But of course being the planner that I am, I was able to convince J. that we should wait a few years before trying so that we could continue to build on our relationship and new marriage (enjoying the alone time now) and also financially prepare for bringing a little one into this world. To be honest, the decision itself is a scary one to make, so many questions swim around in your head when considering to have a child. Are we ready? Can we afford this? What are we going to do about childcare? Naturally I shared these concerns with J. and thankfully to my surprise he was okay with waiting!

So two years came and left, boy how fast time flies by when you're an adult. I remember years feeling like eternity when I was a child, now I am understanding why our parents tried to tell us to enjoy our childhood while it lasted. We are all in such a hurry to grow up, which don't get me wrong has it's blessings but they were so right! Gone are the days of not having to worry about bills to pay and gone are the days of Summer vacation (bummer).

Speaking of Summer, June was a big month for us. We were one month away from our second anniversary and I can't tell you for sure what happened, but it was like someone flipped a switch. I WAS READY!! I felt peace in our decision to stop BC and to start TTC. On June 28th, I started my cycle and by July 26th J's Birthday I was able to surprise him with the news of being a Daddy! J. doesn't like to make a big fuss about his Birthday, but this year was a real treat! When he opened his card and saw the test inside the envelope, he quickly looked up at me with possibly the biggest grin I have ever seen on his face (aside from our wedding of course) and asked if this was real :)

When I got back to work that day, I called BOGA to schedule my first OB appt! By my LMP, they decided to schedule me to come in on September 1st marking my 8th week. I am not sure about other women, but the second I found out we were pregnant I wanted to be seen :) I know that there is nothing to see that early on, but that didn't stop me from thinking about it anyway!

Thankfully, J. and I had planned a vacation to Las Vegas earlier in the year for August so that was a nice distraction leading up to September. We flew out of the Bellingham airport for a four night, five day break from life and to celebrate our new addition taking up room inside my tummy. The second our plane touched down, we could already feel the sun warming up the plane. Jordan was like a child going to Disneyland for the first time, he couldn't wait to get off the plane and go lay out by the pool. I of course was drained and feeling a bit irritable from the obnoxious Bachelorette and Stag groups that shared our plane who decided they would turn the aisle into a dance floor. Thank you Allegiant Flight Attendants for promoting their behavior, don't you know I am pregnant and could snap at any minute?! ;)

The next few days went by way too quickly; but we enjoyed the strip, the sun, the food, the pool and daily naps as much as we could. The last day of our trip, we decided to pack up all of our things and check them with the front desk so we could go enjoy the pool one last time before catching a shuttle to the airport. My goodness is that Nevada sun hot, so hot that I decided to take some home with me (in the form of a sunburn of course)!

The day had finally arrived, September 1st! The word was out to our friends and family and everyone was so excited for our big day. I had invited my Mom to join along, because lets face it I couldn't imagine her not being there with me even though I am an adult! So we waited and waited to be seen, then I was taken back separately for some "counseling" since I was a new patient. Then I met "The Doctor". I will not mention her name here, but if any of you reading this need to go to BOGA I am warning you now steer clear from the new doctor. After the initial paperwork was completed, it was time to see Baby Williams....

The nurse had me undress for an exam and then they brought in J. and my Mom. I don't think anyone would disagree with me here, but that wand is no fun. So as she is getting it situated, I can see the concern in her face. She continues to move it around for what seems like an hour and I can feel my stomach start to churn as when all bad news is immanent. She looks at me and says that the Yolk Sack isn't measuring with my dates and asked if I could be off. Since I knew the exact day of my LMP, I knew that there must be a problem. She then finished with the wand and had me sit up. She explained that she wanted to have my HCG levels tested, but that she wasn't hopeful. She said that the baby wasn't developing like it should be and the outcome would probably result in a miscarriage. "Miscarriage", the worst word in an expectant mothers world! After the appointment, I went over to have my labs drawn and then I was to repeat them two days later to see if the levels were increasing.

I can't even put into words the pain I was feeling at that moment. It was literally like someone stuck a big needle in a hot hair balloon that you were high up in the air in. I wasn't in any condition to go back to work that day, so I went home and cried and cried and cried. Looking back, I feel selfish for letting this day control the rest of my emotions for the next few months to come, but I am also thankful that I have such an amazing man who cheered me on everyday and brought the smile back to my life. I truly couldn't have done that without J. I will be forever in debt for his kindness and compassion that he displayed not only during those difficult times, but that he shows me on a daily basis. I love you J. you make me want to be a better person!

So a few days later, I get a call from "The Doctor" and she nonchalantly tells me that my levels don't look good and that I have two three choices; 1) let my body miscarry on its own 2) take a pill to "expel the contents" < I am not exaggerating, that is what she said or 3) have an operation called a D&C performed which is basically the surgical removal of the pregnancy. I opted for the pill because it seemed the better of the three evils. So that day after work, I picked up the pills and started them that evening. After a bout of cramping and some cycle type symptoms, I was scheduled to see "The Doctor" again for a follow-up. She performed another U/S and to my surprise, the pills hadn't really done their job. She then gave me the option to try another higher dose or to go ahead and schedule a D&C. The thought of "surgery" wasn't desirable, so I decided once again to go with the pills. Again after a few days, nothing was happening and I was then scheduled for surgery.

Surgery went just like planned and I was told by my Surgeon Dr. Mallory that we shouldn't get discouraged. He explained that theoretically 1 in 4 pregnancies result in miscarriage and that there is nothing a woman can do to prevent then from happening. He then recommended that we wait at least one full cycle before TTC again and sent us on our way. October 18th, 6 weeks later to the day I had my first cycle post surgery. Now we put our trust in the Lord that He will once again bless us with a little one. Until that day though, we will continue to pray and love on each other and look forward to once again sharing with ya'll that we're expecting!

<3 The Williams