Wonder Twins

The Williams boys sporting Star Wars shirts and matching haircuts.  I love this dynamic duo.

Goldilocks and the #4 Clippers

The little one's hair has grown and grown and grown out of control.  Although, his lovely gold-colored locks contained much potential for post-bath fun, they never seemed to stay in place.  Daddy declared that a haircut was in order and Christmas Eve was the big day.

In his "barber's chair" pre-haircut

Here come the #4 clippers!

Daddy doing the deed.

Post haircut.  

We saved the cut locks for a Christmas ornament and posterity.  I didn't cry but was sad to see his baby hair go.  It is silly to be sad over hair but now I do understand a little more how there is great joy with a little hurt watching the little ones grow.

Winter Moon

Good grief, I love this little boy.

Merry Christmas!

This is love: Not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 4: 9-11


Merry Christmas! May the wonder of the Almighty God who came to earth to make his enemies His beloved be your joy this Christmas!

Cheerios!

New-found fine motor skills have opened a whole new world a self-feeding to this little boy.  Cheerios are definitely a favorite at this high chair.

Tree Trimming

In the Williams house, at least until Elijah is a little older, we use an artificial tree.  Brooks and I realized several years ago after trying to straighten a crooked natural tree for two days that an artificial tree was better for our marriage.  Last weekend, we hauled our tree from the attic and set it up (so much easier).  We are ready for Christmas!

The Williams boys enjoying a bottle and a football game during the tree trimming.

Elijah exploring our tree and teaching me which ornaments I need to move!

Drummer Boy

'Tis the Season...

...To dress up the dog again!  It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Eight is Great...

... Even a little late.

The monthly growth photo adventure continues.  These were taken two weeks late.  Close enough, I hope.

Take one.

Take two.

Take three.

Take four (getting closer).

A keeper.

Decembeard

Facial hair positive and negative...

Welcome Back

On Thanksgiving Day and the day after, Elijah had a fever of around 102.  This fever transformed my generally smiley little one to a whiney little boy who only wanted to be held.  I am learning that it is hard to see your little one hurting and uncomfortable and his neediness exposes more of my own selfishness.  This mom is learning her need for the Cross in her parenting.  Thankfully, some Tylenol and a nap brought down the fever and brought back some smiles to both of our faces.  Welcome back Smiley Face!

The Real Gift

Brooks turned thirty-six last week and I think the best gift he received were laughs from this silly, little boy.

Window Watching

Now that he is pulling up, one of the kiddo's favorite things to do is look out the window of the storm door.  I like to leave it open on warm days and he will stand at the window and laugh, dance and pat the glass.  

Give Thanks

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
   his love endures forever.
Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior;
   gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
   and glory in your praise.”
Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
   from everlasting to everlasting.

   Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the LORD.”

- 1 Chronicles 16:34-36

Thanksgiving

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”^[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’^[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

 ⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 21:1-5

I have been thinking this week about a "Thanksgiving" verse to share with a group of moms tomorrow morning.  With this on my mind, I have been thinking through the idea of giving thanks in every circumstance.  This train of thought was put into flesh this morning while I sat in the cry room at church listening to the memorial service for a mom of three children who passed away this week from ovarian cancer.  I easily thank God for His goodness when my cup overflows with sweet things like a warm house on a cold day, a sleeping baby or little dog on my lap, or sleeping next to my kind husband.  

I am now very, very grateful to be enjoying a season of answered prayer.

However, a year and a half ago, I was struggling with believing God's goodness, let alone being thankful for the circumstances He in His soverniity allowed to come about in my life.  We had lost a surprise pregnancy and were trying to have another baby.  In the meantime, we (especially Brooks) were overwhelmed with his mother's estate and how to deal with her home and belongings while both working full time.  Needless to say also the grief my husband was dealing with at losing his mother.  

At the time, I was angry about the time and effort I felt the estate took away from our lives and struggled as friend after friend announced they were pregnant.  I felt angry at God for allowing all of this to happen and a great distance to Him as I could not understand how there could be any of the promised goodness in these situations.  I prayed often for eyes to see God's goodness again and for my bitter heart to be softened.

God never ceased to be good in this terribly dark time.  It is a cosmic impossibility for Him to be any less good than when Christ died on the cross to make me His, even in very hard circumstances. 

This week I realized, and this may be a very simple realization, that my feelings about God, at no point changed His goodness.  He did not cease to be my Abba Father despite the way I felt about Him.  It is a comforting thing to know, that it is not my feelings that define the character of the Alpha and Omega, but He Himself and He will not change.  He is the faithful one, not me.

We have His promise that He is making all things new, redeeming the lost, ugly, dark parts of our lives as He has redeemed dark, ugly and lost hearts.  Praise the Lord that I have hope in this world when my eyes are blind or too finite to see the good and, even more, hope in the world to come and an end to the old order of things.    

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Doctor Destructo

The Little One is growing up and now pulling up on everything.  Saturday, he began cruising from one end of the couches to the other.  He is getting into everything, learning to fall down, teaching me to let him get a bump or two, keeping me on my toes, and earning the name Doctor Destructo.

Pulling up on Ziva's cage (much to her distress)

Pulling up on the couches

Pulling up in the Pack-n-Play

and under the dining room table

He is also pulling up on his diaper bag, our pants legs, chairs, tables, the dog (she is also distressed about this), and anything he can grip onto.

Smellin' Good

On a cloudy November afternoon, my house smells really good.  We are having our adopt-a-student over for dinner and I have been cooking.  I am no Betty Crocker or Julia Child but I can make soup and pie.  Both recipes are simple and quick and can be accomplished with a seven month old creating chaos in the kitchen.

Sausage Lintel Soup

1-1 1/2 cups of chopped celery

1-1/2 cups of chopped carrots

1/2 chopped onion

1 link of Hillshire Farm turkey or chicken sausage chopped small (Huneysuckle White also makes a turkey italian sausage in the meat section which is often on sale at Ingles)

1/2- 3/4 bag of lintels

2 cubes of chicken broth (homemade or low-sodium can be used instead)

1 Tablespoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, brown chopped sausage and remove from pot.  Saute onions, celery and carrots until soft.  Cover with water and add broth cubes.  Bring to simmer and put in rinsed lintels.  Add basil, pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer until lintels are softened.  For a smoother soup, blend half  of soup in blender and return to pot.

Whiskey Apple Pie

2-3 large Granny Smith apples chopped

1/3- 1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons of whiskey (any brand will do)

Cinnamon to taste

Nutmeg to taste

1 tablespoon flour

Mix ingredients together in bowl making sure to coat apples.  Place in store-bought (or homemade if you are awesome and do that) pie shell. 

Topping-  1 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup softened butter

Mix together with fingers until crumbly texture and sprinkle over pie

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until pie is golden brown and bubbly.  Serve with vanilla bean ice cream.

Bad Dog

I am a bad, little dog who chews up unpredictable things such as countless paper towels, spools of thread, packs of gum, a bookmark, a flashdrive,  a five dollar bill, a copy of Elijah's birth certificate, a skirt, and tonight an ipod cord. 


I think Krissi and Brooks need to do a better job of keeping stuff out of my reach.  Who would guess I would go for a birth certificate?  


I know that I am a bad, little dog... a very loved, bad, little dog.

A Good Day

How to spend the first day of a new (33rd) year...

With pretty mountain views at Caesar's Head

And good company...

A surprisingly good lunch at Sisters Cafe in Salem 

And end the day with science experiments 

Camera Diem

We have several gifted photographers in our church youth group.  One of these is our very talented friend Sarah Lawrence.  We asked her to take some photos of us for our Christmas card this year and she graciously agreed.  I usually wait to the last minute to take that Christmas photo and wanted to do a better job about it this year.  We had a fun (and cold) morning laughing, taking photos, and having a great time.  Sarah got some great shots that will be a precious treasure to us even years from now.  Great job, Sarah! Thank you!