Our May Flowers

Here is our May.  Most spent visiting with family since Josh was gone most of the month to Asia.  He had an amazing trip and I plan to share later.  We spent a little less than a week in Gainesville after Josh left.  We finished up our last MOPS meeting of the year. I worked at Corks.  Then we headed to stay with family.  We stayed for a little over a 1.5 weeks in the panhandle splitting our time between the Gorman's and Williams' house.  

CORKS and art project fun

Fun party I taught

Twilight 

Moon, Sun and Stars

My own art project- chore magnets for the kids

Love these two!

Arabella dancing and singing to her Daddy's jams

This is how little boys entertain themselves in the car: Landon and his silly faces

Noah's Pirate Party

Landon's homemade card for Noah

MOPS Splash Day

Mommy and Her Little Loves

Box fun

Once we got to the panhandle it was a little easier for all of us dealing with Josh being gone.  Lots of fun, laughter and smiles being surrounded by friends and family.   We were home to celebrate Jamiie Jo's birthday.  Grandpa and Grandma Williams watched the kids one night so I could go out with Jamiie and celebrate.  We had fun!  I ordered Jamiie and myself special drinks so we would have a souvenir cup to remember the occasion.  :)

And if you are wondering if that is Carter with a pirate eye patch on, the anwser is yes.  I was going with all the young ones, since I was almost 10 years older than most of our birthday celebrating crew, that when you get to be old and a mom you have a bit of everything in your bag.  Well I had a pirate eye patch among other things.  ;)

Happy Birthday Jamiie!

Grandpa and Grandma Williams, the kiddos and I surprised Jamiie at work :)





 I was able to spend Mother's Day with both my mothers and the two reasons why I am a mom.  It was a lovely day!  I did miss Josh a lot this day.  It helped when I received a surprise delivery though.  A beautiful bouquet of flowers.  Even being on the other side of the world 12 hours ahead, he managed to make my day.  

Happy Mother's Day

Beautiful bouquet from Josh

We got a chance to meet up with Jermiah and Sally, who were in town for the day, Mom W. and Jamiie at the beach.  We also ended up by seeing Carter and Kaili there.  We had lots of fun!

Beach Day

Lots and lots of pool time at Grandpa and Grandma's Gormans plus smiles, laughs, story time, and silly antics.  

Grandpa and Grandma Gorman's House

Jamiie took Landon, Arabella and I out on her kayak.  We just went for about an hour because it was the kids first time out and we were sure how they would do.  I think Landon would have been happy out there all day.  Bella enjoyed it but was very ready when we were headed back.  They both did great.  No flipped boats!  We stopped on a little beach cove to eat a snack and check out some gulf animal life.  

Kayaking with Aunt Jamiie

Aunt Jamiie came back to Gainesville after our visit to the panhandle.  She stayed for a day or two less than a week.  It was so nice to have her around to help out and play with the kids.  The first day she was here I drove Sally and Jeremiah to the Orlando airport for their flight to Greece.  They finally got to go on their honeymoon! Jamiie, the little ones and I played outside a lot.  We were all pretty sad when she left.  Landon asked me to take the toys and books that him and Aunt Jamiie played with away because every time he saw them he said it made him too sad.  It was so sweet and so sad.

Morningside Nature Center

Fun with Bendaroos- Gary from Sponge Bob

Arabella creation- I think it was some animal  

Colorful mini pot pies

We did a Corks pottery morning while Jamiie visited.  Landon painted a crab, Jamiie painted measuring spoons and Bella and I did a purple duck(I guess I forgot to take a picture of her duck, but you can check it out in our bathroom any time ;)

Landon's crab- 100% by himself

Jamiie's measuring spoons

Love this picture of my little loves- watching the clouds

Fun outside Corks


Fun with the sprinkler

American Flag by the Williams children

Memorial Day- we missed Daddy a lot this day

We had a week and half after Jamiie left before Josh came home.  It was a big rough but well worth all the amazing things that happened in Asia.  The last day or two of May Josh was home and was mostly spent keeping the kids quiet so Josh could sleep  before needed to go back to work.  The day Josh did go back to work, he took a lunch break and came with us to the dentist.  It was little ones first time and they were champions!!

Memorial Day Weekend

We didn't have a long weekend with Josh, he had to work on Monday painting the new UF campus House.  We still had a good Memorial Day weekend.
 I babysat Saturday morning for a friend of ours (I use to babysit her daughter when I was in college).  Arabella came with me. We had a fun girl morning!
 Around lunch time, Josh and Landon picked us up.  We had lunch in the car on our way to High Springs. We were invited by our friend, Chris (Josh met at Harvest a couple of years ago and has keep in touch) and his family to the Springs and dinner.  We all had fun in the water, even though it was a little cold especially for Arabella(that 72 degree water feels good but when it isn't blazing hot out it feels a little chilly).  After some fun in the water we went out to dinner.  It was yummy food and good to catch up with Chris and his family.

We spent Sunday just hanging around the house, enjoying each other, relaxing, and enjoying each other.  We also went to the pool for a pool side dinner.  One of our favorite summer things to do.  

Thank you to all the men and women and their families who protect and sacrifice for our freedom and liberties.  Without you, we wouldn't have been able to enjoy our weekend. 

May Flowers

We had a lot of fun in May.  Aunt Jamiie came to visit, we went to the splash park, we played, we were silly, we visited with our friend Ashlee, enjoyed our library, and enjoyed our last MOPS meeting.  Plus lots more!

We picked up Jamiie and brought her back to Gainesville to spend the week with us between here Spring and Summer semesters of college.  Owen and Merry came over to visit while we were at the Williams. 

Landon loves babies, especially his cousin. The boys spent probably 10 minutes giving each other hugs and kisses.  Both of them loved all the love ;)

Aunt Jamiie, Vernine, Kayla, and Zach joined us at our farewell MOPS playdate at the splash park. I think everyone had lots of fun in the sun and water!

Dress up, reading books, and silly play time is always more fun when your Aunt is visiting! P.S. isn't Bella's "smile" too funny?!

We have the best dogs. Bourbon-cuddly and watchful. Callie-playful and energetic.

A great year with a small group of wonderful ladies!  I enjoyed getting to spend time with each of you!

Bug day at the Library was LOTS of fun!

This little lady bug of ours LOVES her nails painted.  She even gets out the polish and asks for them to be painted. I have to say these are the prettiest little toes I have seen.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to me, my mom, and all the mothers out there!

So blessed to be the mother to such wonderful children.

Pool side mother's day dinner was the perfect way to end the day!

My Silly Monkeys

Chang Chiang and his silly self

Our good friend from back home and college, Ashlee stopped by to visit.  We all went out for ice cream, target adventure, and a walk.  Thanks Ashlee for stopping by to visit!

We love our Ashlee

 It isn't very fun to have to replace appliances.  It means one probably broke and now you have to to through the cost and hassle of getting a new one.  Sometimes you get to upgrade but either way it is time and money spent when more important things like playing could be done.  Well when our range broke we didn't have the time to fix it right away, maybe not even the knowledge, and we didn't have the money to go get a new one.  So we made do with what we had.  A little portable single burner and a crock pot for a month.  We when we had great friends who have be showing us with their love and support how much they love us and we appreciate it so much.  But they went an extra step and put their time and money into replacing our range.  They surprised us at our small group meeting.  Now I am not one easily surprised.  Only a VERY small handful (if it is even worth calling it that) have been successful at it.  Boy did they surprise me.  Now getting a new range is super! but knowing that our friends thought of us, pooled their hard earned money, and spent the time getting the range means a lot more to us than that range.  Words can not express how much all of these wonderful people mean to us.  Just know, wonderful friends of ours, that you are in our prayers and hold a special place in our hearts!  Thanks for making us feel so loved!!  Oh, and if you can't tell from the picture below, our kids love the "range" too.  Well the cardboard that came with it :)

HUGE box, cardboard racing ramps, hours of fun, a BRAND NEW range courtesy of several very special people in our lives!

Some good ol' fun, Yelling as loud as possible while eating lunch.  Goofy Kids!

Dear Friends, please read

This month we, especially me, have really been amazed by some of our friends.  I have always had friends, even great friends.  I feel like as you get older friends, or how you have friends, changes.  You get a job, get married and have children. Some people don't depend on their friends as much.  I don't know if that is me, but friends aren't always who I go to first.  I have an amazing man who I call my best friend and who is also my husband.  We tell each other everything... I really mean everything.  We share everything from our deepest secrets to our most meaningless event of the day, sometimes that means we stay up until 2am talking.  I also have 2 little loves that take most of my time, energy and thoughts. 
I  have generally never been one to ask for help or seek out a friend when I am in need.  But you know what makes a great friend..? the ones who are there for you even when you don't ask and maybe don't even know you need them.  Isn't that what truly makes a real "friend" anyway?

  I have that.

Not just one, but several.

I think they know who they are- I hope so.  I hope they know by how I can actually ask them for help (which is something I almost never do- I don't like it. It is a pride thing and I am trying to get over it, but it is hard).  I hope they know because they have encouraged us.  I hope they know because they have seen tears of sadness, pain, and gratefulness.  I hope they know because of smiles they have seen in times when smiles wouldn't have been possible without them.  I hope they know even though we might not talk every day, week, or month we can still get together and it be as if not much times has past since we saw them.  Maybe everyone has GREAT friends, even lots of great friends- but I think that's probably not true.  I think people have friends, who they get along with, and do fun things with.  Maybe they have great friends and don't even know it because their friends never were given an opportunity to shine.
My friends who have been there for me, us, this month, past months, and I am sure in the future- please know you are treasured in my heart.  You have made a difference in my life, and my family's life. I know I could never repay you or express what it means to me.  So thank you for being there and making a huge difference. 


And thank you, my Heavenly Father, for times that may be difficult because through them I would never know how blessed I truly am.