Confessions

I still eat yogurt with sprinkles. Try as I might, it's not likely to change anytime soon.

Does anyone else remember the yogurt that came with the sprinkles in the lid? That was the best. A psychologist would tell me I'm trying to hold onto my childhood and I wouldn't be able to disagree.

Oh, Happy Day!

Happy Monday all! I hope this post finds you doing well. I, somehow, managed to get a four day weekend this weekend and I will happily take it! This weekend was relaxing, not necessarily lazy, but not busy either. A happy weekend, with no further delay, our weekend in pictures:

The pictures are slightly out of order, but who wants to see a giant storm cloud blown up?! Not this girl...

On Friday, I made cookies  (#3) for our new neighbors. But, they haven't been home, so we had to eat them. Bummer...But, they were really tasty and so easy. You should give them a try. 

Saturday we headed to Forest Park to enjoy the absolutely gorgeous weather. The storms from Friday night (# 5) brought in a cold front, so it was very fall-esque. However, the rest of the city had the same idea. To say the park was crazy busy is an understatement. It seemed like everyone, their kids, cats and grandparents decided to go to the park. No trip to Forest Park is complete with out going through the zoo, but the crowds made it less than relaxing, so we left. The fountain in front of the World's Fair pavilion is a favorite of ours (#1) so we sat, people watched and dipped our toes. 

After leaving the park Alex was a doll and took me to the Galleria, more importantly Nordstrom and Anthropologie my two favorite stores. I was a happy girl AND to tip the scales of happiness even more, I had my  first Pumpkin Spice Latte of fall 2012 (#4)!! We had a great day. Then on Sunday, we headed to church for some great worship and watched the Rams lose.

Moose Update(#2): He is doing great and growing like a little weed, weighing in at 12lbs. Little chunk! He is still teething and chewing like crazy, but he's a sweet little fella. 

How was your weekend? 

Thirty Thursday's {2}

This weeks topic: Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.

Abby: 
1. I am afraid of the dark. I do not know why but, I hate darkness. Maybe it's a deeper, psychological or philosophical reason that I'm not aware of...or I'm just scared of the dark along with all other 10 year old girls....

2. I am afraid of uncontrolled water sources (oceans and rivers). They have the ability to suck you under and you have no control over the situation. What prompted this fear? When my family went to the ocean (or Gulf) when I was little we were boogie boarding and I got pulled under for hours (or 5 seconds) and it frightened me.

3. I am afraid of not getting the approval of those I care about. I guess I'm a people pleaser to a certain extent, mainly with my parents, Becky, Alex and other's that I'm very close to. 


Alex: 
1. I'm afraid of failure, for obvious reasons. Who wants to put effort into something and then fail...it scares me.

2. I'm afraid to lose people that I care about. Also for obvious reasons.

3. I'm sort of afraid of heights, but it's an adrenal rush that I like...I'm weird. 

Wednesday Pinsday {9.5.12}

Happy Wednesday! I hope September is bringing you as much happiness as it is me! It's my birthday month, which means that fall is just around the corner! I L.O.V.E fall! It's my favorite season; crispy leaves, sweaters, pumpkin spice latte's, caramel smells wafting through the house, bonfires, pumpkin spice latte's, boots, carving pumpkins, baking, corn mazes..I could go on forever. Oh boy, I'm excited! So, it's not hard to see why most of my recent pins are fall themed. Without further ado:

{1} Essie Hot Cocoa nail polish
{2} A fall color palate for the home
{3} Pumpkin Spice White Hot Cocoa
{4} Fall color palate for the lady
{5} Cozy layers
{6} Pumpkin Decorating **
{7}S'more Cupcakes
{8} Photo Transfer DIY

**Alex hates loathes/despises glitter, so please, if you are planning on bedazzling your pumpkins, let me come over to help. (Along with fall, I love glitter!)

What are you pinning this week?

What a lovely holiday!

We have had a fantastic holiday weekend and I'm not ready for it to be over. But, all good things must come to an end or so they say...

To celebrate the beginning of the holiday, Alex and I went to a local eatery we really enjoy: Cleveland Heath.  I haven't had the same thing twice and I have not been disappointed. If you're in the area, stop by. It's worth it...yum. 

Later, we headed up to my sisters for a fun filled 36 hours. We got to play with Ethan and Nora and their fantastic parents. The rain put a damper (no pun intended) on our outdoor adventuring ideas. But, we had a good time relaxing inside. We even headed over to Springfield- the Illinois State Capitol & home to good ole honest Abe {Lincoln}. We went to Scheels, which is a sporting goods store with it's very own Ferris wheel! Becky, Ethan and I hopped aboard while Alex, Jared and Nora were our paparazzo.  Then we went to a Collier family fav-Chipotle. It was a nice lunch and a good time (and nap) was had by all. 

Becky and I even made a Pinterest recipe  for some Auntie Ann's pretzels, which I have dubbed Auntie Abby's pretzels. They were very tasty, but I'm glad I didn't try to make them by myself. It was really messy/greasy/sticky, but they turned out well and I would probably make them again...with some assistance. 

What excitement did you have over the holiday?

Picture Details

{1}: Becky, Ethan and Abby on the Ferris Wheel at Sheels! It was a fun ride, probably because there was a three year old sandwiched between us.

{2}: Sheels Token: Good for 1 ride.

{3}: Twisting the pretzels just like the pro's...

{4}: While we're here in the lower 48, my parents are off being Alaskan Adventurer's with my Aunt Linda and Uncle Wayne. I had only one request: find a moose and capture it's picture....this is what I got. They're quite the jokesters. 

{5}: While at Cleveland Heath I enjoyed my adult beverage for the month a Moonshine Blueberry Mojito...yum! 

{6}: Becky and I making, rolling and twisting the pretzels (Becky hates, HATES messy hands, so we did what everyone would do, greased our hands with Pam to avoid the mess and it worked)!

{7}: Ethan and Alex my the giant fish tank at Sheels. Ethan tried to mimic my fish faces and he ended up looking very squishy.

Happy Holiday Weekend!

I don't know about anyone else, but I am very excited to have a nice three day weekend! We're planning on doing a little bit of this and that! We're going to visit my sister and family. And if the rain holds out, we'll  do some exploring around their area (fingers crossed).

 Otherwise, we have little food and mounds of laundry, but that can wait. Who wants to labor on labor day?!   What do you have planned?

Thirty Thursdays {1}

Our first of thirty! For a full description and list of Thirty Thursday's, click on the tab above.
Here we go and the the topic is: List 10 random facts about yourself (listed in no particular order): 

Abby: 
1. I like the color yellow, mainly because it's been my mom's favorite color forever.
2. I like to wear weird glasses that I stole permanently borrowed from a lab in college.
3. My favorite movies are old (circa 1940's-1960's).
4. I love Diet Coke.
5. My favorite subject in school was microbiology.
6. I hate showering (but, I conform to society on an almost daily basis).
7. I love my puppy and I'm becoming one of those people who only talk about their dog. (It's embarrassing)
8. I really, really, really enjoy cupcakes.
9. I have always wanted to become a pilot.
10. When I was little I also wanted to become a veterinarian, but my darling sister told me that I would have to stick my hand where the sun doesn't shine on cows and I immediately changed my mind...thanks Becky.


Alex: 
1. I have always wanted a motorcycle, because I'm cool.
2. I have a love for pepperoni and bacon pizza.
3. My golf game is directly correlated to my stress level.
4. I love the Rams, even though they're terrible.
5. I like taking the first turn when driving on a road trip- while Abby sleeps and isn't singing...
6. I enjoy sitting on our back deck.
7. I think that oatmeal creme pies and starcruch's are breakfast food.
8. There is never a bad time for pizza.
9. I enjoy my alone time.
10. I hate Swedish fish...they're disgusting.  

Sweet Little Moosey (via Instagram)

http://instagr.am/p/OXp1FNA1Dh/

Thirty Thursday's

They, whomever they are, say that you have to keep your spark alive to keep your marriage alive. So, in an attempt to keep our spark sparkling, Alex and I are going to set out for Thirty Thursday's to learn new things about each other. I am putting a twist on what another blogger posted for her hopes and dreams and tweaking some of her ideas. Click on the "Thirty Thursday's" tab above to see a complete list. Please join us with your spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend/mate or just by yourself and let us know what you've learned about yourself. And, by all means, please, please, PLEASE comment! Happy sparkling! 

Wednesday Pinsday!

Happy first Wednesday Pinsday! I'm excited to introduce the new blog layout and ideas, lets just hope they last....E for effort though. Anywho, every Wednesday I will {try} to upload some of what I'm pinning on Pinterest and hopefully it will get some conversation going with you and what you're looking at! Leave some comments and of course links to your pins!

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This week I'm really enjoying collage walls and fun wall decorations. What do you think?

Under Construction

Sorry for the absence...again. But, I think it's time for alexabbywilliams.blogspot.com to take a new direction. Not that there is nothing to Strive for, believe me that's all I feel like I'm ever doing. Striving for this, that or the other; every time I try to write a new post it seems very reminiscent of a previous post. So, with that said, our blog is going under construction and should hopefully be new and improved {very} soon!

Wish us luck! 

~Abby

Busy, busy, busy

It does not seem like only a week ago that Alex and I were white water rafting. Our week has been crazy good, but crazy busy! I will start from the beginning...


I have been out of school for a little over a month and since graduation day I have been sending resumes to every dentist I can find an address for. But, one day one of my classmates who lives across the river in St. Charles was browsing Craigslist for jobs in our area and came across a listing in Godfrey (which is about 30 minutes from our house). So, I emailed my resume to a blind ad and hoped for the best. A few days later I got a phone call and they wanted me to come in to interview! I was ecstatic and then a bit concerned....what was I supposed to wear?!? I went to the interview and learned that he was interviewing 12 more Hygienists, but he'd bring back his favorite four for a second interview. Alex and I headed to Colorado and I momentarily forgot.... 

Insert crazy busy week 

Monday: Alex and I got home from vacation. We were exhausted and I had A LOT of laundry.


Tuesday:Laundry, a phone call for my second interview[!] and a State Farm meeting about a potential, future agency. The meeting outlined for the spouses what is involved in opening an agency as well as how the process works. The process seems long and tedious, but I think it's a path we are slowly going to head down. (Proud wife moment: the first step is a test that is only allowed to be taken once a year and isn't necessarily easy. But, don't worry Alex aced it the first time!!) 


Wednesday: I went up to Mt. Zion to help Becky with Nora and Ethan's photo shoot. :) It was a good day and always fun to hangout and play with them. But, nonetheless a long day. 


Thursday: Interview day!! I was excited to go back in and get to observe the office and get to meet the hygienists, assistants and dentists. It is a fairly big office and they're looking to continue growing and expanding. Coincidentally, my very good friend Alyssa is one of the hygienists there. I left feeling fairly good, but there is always a hint of anxiety. I muddled through the rest of the day and that evening I met my, previously mentioned friend Alyssa, for "Lash Blast." She recently launched her Mary Kay business and invited me to have an evening of taco's (my favorite) and lash learning. We walked out with lovely, long lashes! We had a good time and if anyone is interested in a Mary Kay consultant, she is fantastic! 


Friday: I had nothing planned for Friday, but apparently I had a good day in store... I got a phone call at 8:15am from Dentistry with TLC hiring me as their 4th hygienist!!! I am very excited and ready to start my first big girl job...after we get home from vacation! 


I am so grateful for how much God has blessed and provided for us. We are so blessed, happy and excited for all that is in store!

Denver Adventure

WARNING: Long Post Ahead

I love to travel and I think Alex is beginning to share my obsession feelings. So, last week we took Moose to my parent's house and we headed off on a 12 hour drive. The drive was easy and wasn't as bad as I was anticipating but, Kansas lived up to my expectations...it was very dull.

Our adventure

Day 1:
We left Thursday morning, very early at 3:30am. Alex started off the drive and I did what everyone would do...I slept. So, Gnome kept Alex company.

When we arrived that afternoon we called Cory, Alex's longtime friend who just moved out to the region, and met for dinner. Alex found a Groupon for a burger place so, off we went. After dinner we strolled the 16th Street Mall, people watched and went to Coyote Ugly (it was not like the movie....it was just an empty bar. Slightly disappointing).

Day 2:
We woke up and headed to Colorado Springs to The Garden of the Gods. When we first got there we went into the visitor center to see where to go and get a map. As we were talking with the lovely little old lady, Alex asks, "So, where exactly is this Pike's Peak?" She kindly responds by pointing her finger and saying, "Right there, it's the big one..." I'm pretty sure she made fun of us after we left. But, we had a great time climbing around.

After Garden of the Gods, we decided to chance the weather forecast and drive up Pike's Peak and we are very glad we did. The drive was a lot of fun and very beautiful. As we were driving in the park they had a sign of things you could purchase, like an audio guide, a map and a Junior Ranger packet. Of course, we had to get the Jr. Ranger packet! It came with a coloring book, crayons AND a ranger star. I wore the star all day and was quite proud. We drove all 19 miles to the top and were 14,110ft above sea level! I highly recommend going up if you're in the area....just be careful on your way down (our breaks were hot-500 degrees-Yikes! We adhered to the mandatory break check and stopped for a bit to cool). 

Crystal Lake 

Driving into the clouds

Alex "jumped" off Pike's Peak

Day 3:

We started our day with the most important meal: Breakfast and we are happy we did! We went to LoDo (Lower Downtown) and ate at Snooze. It was FANTASTIC! I love breakfast, many days we have breakfast multiple times a day (as long as we have bacon, Alex doesn't mind). I got pancakes: 1 red velvet, 1 blueberry blossom and 1 pineapple upside down [pan]cake...yum. Alex got breakfast burritos...with extra bacon. :) Then we headed to my pick tour: Hammond's Candy Factory. It was somewhat interesting and worth what we paid...it was free. But, we got free samples, so it worked out. 

Then we picked Cory up and headed to Alex's choice tour...Coor's Brewery Tour. I didn't take any pictures because all I was concerned with was how awful (I thought) it smelled. But the boy's got 3 ten ounce samples, so they were happy. In my opinion, it too was worth what we paid: free. 

Day 4:

Our morning started earlier than we anticipated. Some doofus decided to pull the fire alarm at 5am so we were up and at 'em. But, the annoyance passed and we were on our way to Idaho Springs, CO to go white water rafting! Alex was adamant that we raft and I couldn't think of a reason not to, so we put on our wet suits and life jackets and set sail on the rapids. Since the winter was mild, so were the rapids. But, we had fun and went down the "advanced" rapids in lou of the "intermediate." We went 8 or so miles down Clear Creek. Our guide told us some interesting statistics about the creek, but I don't remember them... 

We're the cool ones in the front

After we rafted we headed into Idaho Springs to see the sights. Idaho Springs was the first sight of the Gold Rush, so it had some neat history. We ate at a Mom & Pop deli, walked up and down the main street and in and out of the cute shops. On our way to the car I had a slight judgmental moment. There were two individuals not of anglo-saxin decent taking pictures in the general direction of the highway. So, being dumb I turned toward Alex to make a wise comment. Before I could say anything, he pointed up and said, "Look! There's a waterfall.!" Oops...I felt bad and learned a lesson. 

Day 5:

We came home. 

We had a wonderful adventure and I'm grateful that Alex and I have the opportunities to go and do. Now I will (eventually) catch up on laundry, going through the mail, paying bills, and going to the grocery store...the real world,

P.S: Thanks Mom and Dad for watching Moose! 

Strive...to know I'm blessed

I have a disease. It's chronic and my mother has known I have had it for a long time. It's not terminal, but I'll probably die with it. It's called, I-want-itis. I WANT EVERYTHING!

 I want ice cream, I want Moose to go potty outside, I want the sun to shine longer, I want world peace, I want my neighbors to water my flowers when I'm out of town, I want to be taller, thinner, smarter, funnier, awesomer... 

I want something all the time. I don't want to get the words "want" and "strive" confused because, I strive to be healthier. I want to be thinner. This is the body God gave me so I should be as healthy as I can be, not disillusioned. I should strive to take advantage of sunny days and not pout when it's cold and rainy. I should strive to train Moose to be a good puppy, not expect him to be perfect (although he's pretty stinkin' close!).

I am so blessed to have everything that I do. I desperately need to stop wanting, whining and complaining for something I don't have and need to be thanking God and praising Him for all that I do. 

Job 22:21- Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.

Hebrews 13:15- Therefore by him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. 

Psalm 145: 3- Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

Summer To Do:

I'm a "To Do" lister, for everything! So, of course Alex and I would have a summer to do list for Summer '12! So far we have accomplished a few tasks/adventures! Without further ado, here is our list:

  Run a 5k
✓Get cupcakes from Jilly's
  Go on a canoe trip
✓Go to Cardinals game(s)
  Go to the Muny
  Play tennis in Forrest Park
✓Learn how to golf (Abby)
✓Do something spontaneous
  Michigan City July 4th week
  Go to the Big Bang
✓Go to Soulard Market
  Do something fun for our anniversary


So far we have gone to Jilly's- they won Cupcake Wars on Food Network. We have gone to two Cardinal games, I have had a few golf lesson's with Alex, Jared and Dustin. Alex even took me to the driving range! Our something spontaneous was getting Moose! And, we went to Soulard last weekend and got a HUGE watermelon and our first peaches of summer.

Reese's EXPLOSION Cupcake from Jilly's...YUM!

Moose and his toys!

Hopefully we can accomplish everything on our list and have a lot of fun stories about Summer 2012!

B I G Weekend

I am graduating! FINALLY! I graduate with honors from the SIU Dental Hygiene program on Saturday. Graduation has never been the most exciting event to me, but I am happy to be done and to be recognized for my hard work. Although cliche, I honestly don't think I could have made it through without Alex and my family. I appreciate everything that you have all done for me and sacrificed for me. I don't think I can truly thank you enough.

On Sunday we are having a get together BBQ at my parents house, so if you're in the neighborhood, stop by! There will be plenty of tasty food and fun!

Next part of the BIG Weekend...

Alex and I are very excited to announce that we are adding 4 more legs to our family! We are adopting a 9 week old pound puppy! He is a beagle poodle mix, a boodle? or a peagle? He shouldn't be too big, 25lbs at the most. His mama was a beagle and his daddy a toy poodle. Anywho, he is the cutest pup on Earth! We get to pick him up from the rescue shelter on Monday.

We are naming him Moose!

Neither of us have raised a puppy. But, we have observed our parents, so hopefully that's enough. It is an exciting, slightly scary time! So far we have a lot of toys for him to play with and a fluffy bed for him to sleep in. We'll pull it together in time for bedtime on Monday...I hope. Although Alex has declared, "The dog doesn't come up the stairs. Ever." I nodded and smiled, but while the cat's away the mice Moose will play! ;)

Since I don't have my license, let alone a job, this is the most opportune time to train him and play with him. We are currently accepting any and all puppy raising advice, so PLEASE leave us some words of wisdom!

Strive...to focus

I cannot do two things at once. Today I was trying to fill my glass with water from our fridge...while reading a yogurt label. Why was I reading this label for the 900th time, I do not know. Needless to say, there was water everywhere! In our bathroom, the cabinet doors under our sink open right at thigh level. I cannot brush my hair/teeth with the cabinet doors open without running into them. My left leg has a perpetual bruise. It's awesome. Alex jokes that it's high enough that people won't get suspicious. Last week I was trying to do homework while watching HGTV...it took four episodes of house hunters to fill out 20 questions. I'm that person who can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

Although, my inability to multitask is comical...to those of you without the black-and-blue thigh...it can also pose a problem. I also try and fail at multitasking in my relationship with God. I try to do what I want and think that God will go along with it. But, ultimately His plans are better. I need to stop trying to do the "Abby" thing and focus on on what God wants. I need to strive to focus.

Isaiah 26: 3
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

I'm back...for real this time

Its been a month, or something crazy like that, since I've written...oops. But, I'm back and ready to attack! I may do a little less strive writing and a little more chattering on here and letting you know what's on my mind. I am all but one final away from being done with my undergrad!!!! I am so excited to see what God has in store for Alex and I. Yesterday I sent out 30 resumes to area dentists, so hopefully one will want/need me. I have learned a lot about trusting God and knowing his timing. Boards were good for me, in that respect. Oh, ps. I passed my clinical portion! Now I'm just waiting for the other two board exam results. Moving on, we have moved and are nicely settled. Someday I'll take pictures and post them. But, Alex is really enjoying his 5 minute commute and I love having so much more to do at our fingertips. That's all for today, maybe I'll be back tomorrow!

...where have I been??

I feel like most of the blogs I've written lately have started with, "we've been crazy busy!" But, it's true.... We have moved and are settling in and it's becoming home! I really like it here and I'm excited to make new friends etc etc. Last night we went to dinner with some of Alex's friends that he went to school with. It was fun and nice to hangout with people our age. Today we're going in search of a new table! Wish us luck and I (hopefully) promise to get back to a regular blogging schedule...ish!

No, you didn't ask, but I'll tell you anyway.

What's going on in our lives, you ask?
Ok, so you didn't but let me tell you anyway!

School and work are pretty much consuming all of our productive hours. This semester is seriously flying by and I am definitely ok with it! I'm currently in the process of studying for my everyday courses, finding patients for clinic (tiny plug: If you smoke and haven't had your teeth cleaned in 5+ years, call the SIU Dental Hygiene Clinic and request Abby!). Oh, and studying for the biggest exam of my professional career. No big deal...   But, really did you know that Dentistry is the only medical profession that requires a written AND clinical board?!?!? I'm going to start questioning my doctors before they cut me open...remember C's get degrees....

Alex has been an insurance machine!! He's just selling, selling, selling! I'm very proud of how hard he works and  how positive he is 99% of the time! He has yet to complain about driving everyday, so I bite my tongue when I want to...

Moving on, I have found...well WIBI found it, but I bought it...a new devotional. It is by Sarah Young and it's called Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence. It is honestly like God has "written a love letter directly to you." It's definitely worth it and I love reading it! I look forward to reading it to Alex every night.

Continuing on... We're Moving!! Yippee! We're headed to Troy at the end of the Month. It's about five minutes from Alex's office. I am so excited, but also very nervous. While Alex's drive has been dramatically shortened, mine has been dramatically lengthened. I will now drive about two hours to Carbondale, three or four days a week. Yikes! BUT, it's only for 9 weeks! And then I will walk across the SIU Arena's Stage (at 1:30 on May 12th) with a diploma and no more commute!

I can't think of much else, but I know there is a lot swirling around in my head. I just want to give a little shout out to my Grandpa- Happy Birthday!! I love you and I can't wait to see you again!!
Also, safe travels to Wayne and Linda. They're abandoning Alex and I for, what would be our 6 year Super Bowl watching anniversary, to go see my cousins Stephen and Beth in Haiti! Enjoy and take pictures!

If I come up with anything else, don't worry...you'll read about it eventually!

Abby