Thursday, February 28, 2013

Thirty Thursday's {26}

Describe your other half in three words...go!

Abby says:
Alex is...Witty. Determined. Compassionate.

Alex says:
Abby is... Beautiful. Smart. Playful.



Friday, February 22, 2013

Let me be transparent for a minute...

"God will provide." This is my mantra and how I get through a lot of my days.  I guess I will start at the beginning...or just November and catch you up in case you're not familiar with this chapter of our story.

November 30- We became home owners!! It was (and is) very exciting. We went from being forever renters, to thinking that maybe we should save to buy a house someday, to looking, to signing the papers to become first time home buyers within about three weeks.

December 5- We began renovating our new house! So far we have removed a wall, changed bathroom vanities, painted, layed new flooring, decorated, changed light fixtures, etc. It's a work in progress and I'm learning that it will never be done.

December 15- Alex said his good bye's at State Farm in order to start his own independant insurance agency, AW Insurance.

December 16- Alex signed a lease for an office space and began the grueling process of becoming a small business owner.

February 5- Alex's contracts all became effective so he could really begin selling insurance!!


Somewhere in there was Christmas... I believe on the 25th of December. Oh, and we went to Ikea and  I became the sole provider for our family of 2 + Moose.  Scary.

I know that we are living with plenty and that we are beyond blessed. We are more than making ends meet and as I write this my problems seem insignificant compared to the people in this world who live on less than $2 per day.

I'm a journaler and as I read through what I've written in the past, most of the content is about what's causing me to stress: the wedding, school, boards, finding a job, buying a house and now it's about growing up. But, one thing that remains constant throughout my journal entries is somewhere among the complaints/concerns/stresses/praises I've written  "God will provide" which He has, abundantly.


Thursday, February 21, 2013

Thirty Thursday's {25}

If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be with?

Abby:
I would have dinner with Noah- of Noah and the Ark. Why? Because, he's Noah and he found favor with God and wasn't flooded like everyone else on Earth! And he built a ginormous boat for all of the animals that we see and know of today! I'd ask him a lot of questions, like: What did all of his peers say about him? What did the ark smell like? Were the lions nice? How long did it take to get back to "normal"? What about the dinosaurs? What did his wife think about everything and did she understand what he was doing? I'd ask him a lot of other things too...but, I'm not sure what right now, since I've got a little time until I get to meet him.


Alex:
I would have dinner with George Lucas.  I am a geek at heart and love Star Wars and Indiana Jones. I choose Lucas because he has extraordinary vision in both film and business. He is experienced in Hollywood and could impart some knowledge regarding many things: movies, stories, graphics, business, fame and much more.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Riggs goes to the dentist...

I'm famous!! I'm kidding, I'm really not. But, I was on the local St. Louis morning show, "Great Day St. Louis."  One of the anchor's brought her son into the office where I work to do an interactive interview for a child's first dental visit and what you need to know as a parent. It went well and the little boy, Riggs, did great. I'll add a few of my own tips, because I work with a lot of kids for their first visit and do most of the leg work.

1. Use good associative words when discussing the dentist. Even if you're reassuring them that it "won't hurt," the word "hurt" is in their mind and they then think that there is a possibility that it could hurt.

2. Bring your child with you to one of your routine dental visits. Even if they don't have an appointment, it's important that they see the dental office and can go into the room with you to see what the hygienist and dentist do. It will give them a better understanding for when it's their turn to get their teeth cleaned. (Please ask the dental office if this is ok before doing so, some offices have strict rules)

3. Let your child brush their own teeth. Tell them how good they've done and then follow behind them to make sure the plaque is all brushed away.

4. Prevention, Prevention, Prevention! Every parent wants what is best for their child so, if you can prevent a child from having a cavity with fluoride or sealants, do it. It's in the child's best interest!

5. Be nice to your hygienist and be on time to your appointments...we're type A and OCD :)


Friday, February 15, 2013

Socializing with Social Media

Social media has become one of the ultimate means for communication and to keep up with news and happenings around the world. We find information at the click of a button or swipe of a finger.

Although our happenings are not necessarily news worthy I thought it was time to add a button for you to see what is happening in our lives via Instagram. Click the button to the right (with the little camera) and you can see our (usually steady) stream of pictures. I also added a Pinterest button so you can see what I'm pinning! Happy socializing.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Thirty Thursday's {24}

We took an unplanned week off last week, but we're back on track with week #24!

What was your favorite hiding place as a kid?

Abby:
I love to hide and "scare" people! I still hide every chance I get to give Alex a little (non fatal) heart attack. I was really good at walking quietly and sneaking up on him...but our house is a little creaky so it's getting tricky and Moose wants to join in on the scaring fun. But, as a child I would hide behind a half wall in our mudroom when I would hear the garage door open or when I knew some one was coming over, just so I could pop up and yell "Boo!" Somehow my mom figured out my "secret" spot and wasn't scared by me very often...it could have been the three sibling before me that hid there too. Also, in my parents house is a wall that separates the kitchen and the sun room and it serves as a good spot to pop out from to give a scare.

Alex:

My favorite place to hide as a kid was: In my grandma Mary's basement, more specifically in the tall window/nook that could only be reached by jumping on the bed.  Anytime we had Williams family gatherings the kids would be sent to the basement to play. The game of choice at grandma's house was hide and go seek. After we got older, we would play Nintendo or play on grandpa's workout equipment (I'm sure he loved that). I don't remember much about the games, just that we always had fun and always left the basement looking like a disaster (this tradition still goes on today).  

Love is in the air

Happy Valentine's Day! Today is one of my favorite holiday's, yet the least celebrated in the Williams' household. Love is the topic of so many songs, movies and books- it's like it's a big deal or something. But, I  do enjoy all the pink, hearts, handmade goodies and confessing of love that goes with this day. It's fun to see people getting flowers at work and opening sweet cards. I think it's the joy that's felt when we get to feel extra special.

Alex and I don't go all out splurging on flowers or fancy schmancy dinners, just pizza and candy. But, it's a day that we can reflect on our relationship and be grateful that we've found our match so young. As far as celebrating, maybe next year I'll deck the house with all sorts of lovey-dovey decor and we'll eat something that doesn't have pepperoni's on it...either way, Happy Valentine's Day and I hope you enjoy this love filled day.

p.s. Please don't forget that you're loved by One who's love for you is greater than you will ever fathom and to Him everyday is Valentine's Day.

p.s.s.- check out my Instagram to see the awesome goodies I got for Alex :)


Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Our (past few) week(s)...in pictures!

Lately I've been indulging in some yummy chai that can only be imported from Becky's grocery store-it's the only place I can find it. And my parents got us a milk frother for Christmas, it makes my latte a "latte better!"

A few weekends ago Jared, Becky, Alex and I went up to Bolingbrook to Ikea and we had a lot of fun. We got a lot of what we "needed" and I will post more on our purchases soon, with a full update of the new house's progress.

Today we got to babysit Haley and Katie and had a lot of fun. Luckily I was off work to save the day for their sick babysitter and Alex couldn't stay working while I was playing, so he tagged along.

I'm sure there are other "stories" about the pictures, but we'll let them speak for themselves:)

Ps I got new glasses. That's what that pic is all about and Ethan drew us a cute card...ok no more explanations...


















Happy Wednesday

I really like Wednesdays. Why you ask? For the same reason I like Tuesdays- the previous weekend is too far gone to pine over and the coming weekend isn't quite close enough to be exited about. I also like this Wednesday in particular because I'm laying in bed posting this. It's my day off and I have very few plans for this day off.

The to do list goes something like this:
-get a 40 watt light bulb
-run
-babysit Haley and Katie!
- small group this evening

I hope I can manage to accomplish my list... What's on your Wednesday To Do list?
Happy Wednesday!!