Progressive Dinner

We haven't seen 1:30 am on purpose in a long time, but last night we did! We along with three other couples got together for a progressive dinner. A progressive dinner is where you eat each course of a meal at a different couples house. We did appetizers at Lee and Emily's, salad at Kraig and Stephanie's, the entree at Brian and Melinda's and dessert and games at our house.

Lee and Emily made seven layer dip and bacon wrapped little smokey's- all of which were delicious! Kraig and Stephanie made a fantastic pomegranate, apple, pear spinach salad with homemade pomegranate vinaigrette.  Brian and Melinda made my favorite: taco's. Alex and I made pineapple upside down cupcakes. They were easy to make and very tasty. We had so much fun playing games, talking and laughing- my cheeks hurt from laughing so hard. We will have to get together to be progressive again soon!

Sold!

We have sold our Focus!! Which means that we will be a one car couple...wish us luck! I think it will take a little time to get used to, but it should be a good change! We've only driven one car this month to see how it will work out. We work together a mile from our house and most of our friends are within walking and/or biking distance, whenever we visit family we go together, so it should be ok.  I'm excited for the opportunities that being debt free (except our mortgage, which is good debt) will bring! We're one step closer to being Amish...

We've Registered!

Alex and I have officially registered for our second half marathon! It is on June 1st in Port Angeles, Washington. We will be heading west with my parents to see my sister Sarah and her family. I'm really excited about this race because it is right on the coast and it should be beautiful! The course is along the Olympic Discovery Trail. We will begin training in March. We will also spend some time in Seattle exploring.  I love to travel and run, so what's better than putting the two together?! 

Wish us luck!

Escape Artist

Tonight Alex and I went to meet friends at Annie's for some frozen custard. Before we left, we put Moose in the second bedroom with the gate securely in the doorway. We had a great time with our friends and enjoyed our concrete.

When we got home we were greeted by a sweet little puppy....

He chewed a hole through the gate (that we are borrowing from my aunt Linda...sorry!). Last week he gnawed on the wood, but this a completely different story. He had little splinters in his teeth that I had to floss and tweeze out, which he did not appreciate. I think we will be searching for a steel gate....Squibb Tank may have a new customer. 

What will we do with this dog?!

Vita-meata-vega-min

This month has been unexpectedly busy- in a good way. The office is up, running and well decorated. We have gotten to spend time with friends and family and we have also been eating a vegetarian diet. Yes, you read that correctly, the couple who thinks that pepperoni is a food group has given up all meat for the month.

We did it for a variety of reasons, mainly health reasons. We ate a lot of processed foods, specifically meat. This diet has challenged us to eat healthier and to be more resourceful with our food choices. We are typical Americans who have a fridge full of food, but continue to eat out and to buy more before we have eaten what we have. We have learned to eat what we have and how to get creative with our food choices (I'm a pretty picky eater when it comes to food combinations, individual foods are ok. But when they touch or are combined, I get a little finicky) so it has pushed me to cook more and think about what we are eating.

We have learned a lot and are looking forward to February's arrival. But, we will add meat back into our diet slowly and in moderation. I like that I feel better, healthier and that we're being more resourceful. I challenge you to give up meat, not necessarily for a month, but for a period of time to see how it affects you.

Now we're off to eat a veggie pizza with some friends!


(For those of you who are unfamiliar with this posts title, you should probably remove your head from the sand and watch an episode of I Love Lucy.)

Uninvited Guests

A few weeks ago we received some mail at the office addressed to a previous tenant or to the "current resident." Of course, I couldn't resist opening it to see what was inside. Low and behold it was an invitation, to a free movie event! I didn't really read the invitation in detail, but got the basic information and called and made our reservation for four.

(Side note- the movie was being played at the Wildey Theater in Edwardsville. It's an old, historic theater that has been wonderfully maintained and frequently hosts events and showings.)

Alex, Kraig, Stephanie and I headed downtown to see The Artist. All I knew about the movie is that it was silent and that it won a lot of awards last year. When we got there we realized that we were slightly younger than the rest of the audience and before the movie started a gentleman welcomed us with a nice speech. His speech was along the lines of, thank you for supporting the Wildey and helping us to maintain the building and continue the preservation of the theater, etc.

Apparently, if I were to have read the rest of the invitation, I would have realized that it was an appreciation showing for the Friends of the Wildey, not for the current residents of a building that some one once rented...oops. But, we were warmly welcomed and the movie was great as well as the company. I think that we will soon become friends of the Wildey, if only for free movie showings!

Words

We all talk a lot, therefore we use a lot of words. We have all heard (and know from experience) that it takes 100 good, positive words to cancel out one negative word. What we say has a lot of meaning and most of the time I just say whatever comes to mind, my filter isn't what it should be. But, it has been on my heart lately that I need to be more intentional about what I say and how it represents what I believe and how it's impacting the recipient.

James 3: 4-5 comes to mind,
4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

We have a great opportunity to build one another up with our words, I hope that I can seize my opportunities and not take my gift of gab for granted.

Thoughts about snow...

As a child there is nothing more exciting than snow. It's fantastic, you get to play outside, throw snowballs, make forts, snowmen and snow angels and after you've been dragged inside, you get hot chocolate! Whenever it was in the forecast, I would wake up and race downstairs to look out the front door, on a lucky day there would be a few inches of pure, white goodness! I love snow, always have, always will!

However, as an adult, I have become a little more practical. For instance, if we get the predicted foot of snow, how will we get to church- we're scheduled to teach Sunday school, how will we get to work, how will Moose go to the bathroom (he's a bit prissy and doesn't like being cold)? I suppose we will just have to find out...but for now, I'm going to be excited to play in the snow! Maybe Moose will learn to love it as much as I do. 

When I look at Facebook, it seems like everyone is racing to the store to buy milk, bread and eggs. I'm not too sure why everyone thinks that milk, bread and eggs will save them, but to each their own. If I were going to the store, I'd be picking up marshmallows and hot chocolate, wouldn't you?! 

Be kind to yourself

Happy New Year! Whether we're ready or not, 2014 is here. With a new year comes new resolutions and goals. We always start out with good intention's to become more organized, lose weight, learn something new, get out of debt, etc.

The goal most people struggle with (and fail) is losing weight or getting into shape. I'm not a nutritionist or fitness guru, but I do know that we can be too hard on ourselves. Yes, eating well is important and yes, exercise is vital for a healthy lifestyle. But, be realistic. You're probably not going to look like Gisele Bundchen or Brad Pitt within 2 weeks or even 2 months. I know that I am my own harshest critic and while I may see only one flaw, some one else will see something totally different. So, this new year be kind to yourself. God has blessed us with bodies that are designed to worship Him, not beat up on ourselves.

I'm sure that you know that Dove has a Real Beauty campaign, this video is very telling of our harsh nature. 

Enjoy and Happy New Year!! 

2013: What a Year!!

This year has brought a lot of excitement and change! I think we have been busier this year than any other year....combined! It has flown by in a whirlwind!

2013 in a Nutshell: 

• AW Insurance became a live operation in January

• We began attending Trailhead Church and have developed several awesome relationships and are now official members. 

• We began training for a half marathon and loved it. We ran the Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon on Alex's birthday in October through St. Louis. 

• We began helping lead Trailhead Students

• We traveled to New York City with my (Abby's) parents and had an awesome time.

• We finished our basement which was quite the process (I promise I'll take pictures soon).

• We spent a week in Northern California exploring wine country and the hills of San Fransisco. 

• We hosted a murder mystery dinner party which was a very fun evening and will become an annual event!

• We welcomed our newest niece, Jansen into the world in October!

• I quit my hygiene job and got licensed to sell insurance to work with Alex!

• AW Insurance has opened a store in downtown Edwardsville! 

I'm sure that there is so much more that I have left off, but it's been a great year and I'm very excited to see what 2014 has in store for us! We are truly blessed with our family and friend's love and support! I am unbelievably grateful for all that God has blessed us with and provided for us and I look forward to continuing serving Him with Alex in the New Year!

Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas Week

Christmas time is synonymous with spending time with friends, family and a whole lot of merriment. I'll recap our Christmas week, because I know you were dying to know what's been happening around here:

 I worked my last day on Monday the 23rd and then we headed east to spend Christmas Eve with Alex's family. I neglected to pack my camera, so there are no pictures, just these words and some great memories. Alex's Mom made a wonderful dinner (taco's- my favorite!) and we played games and of course, exchanged gifts. I spent the better half of the evening doting on my youngest niece and snuggling with her. We had a great evening and I love that I get to be part of such a great family.

On Christmas we woke up and enjoyed a low key morning with my parent's and aunt & uncle. We ate our sticky buns and sausage twirls and enjoyed a quite day. I managed to spend the whole day in my pajamas and loved every second of it! Alex and I got a mini foosball table for Christmas so we played with it and also mapped out our trip to Ikea. The new office will need furniture so, it seemed natural that we would make an Ikea trip. We woke up at 4am on the 26th and drove to Bolingbrook's Ikea. We got some desks, rugs, shelves, etc. etc. etc... We then drove back to Edwardsville, dropped everything off and headed back to my parent's house. Needless to say, it was a loooong day!

Yesterday, my brother and his family, sister and her family, Grandpa and my aunt and uncle and their son (from Virginia) all arrived. There are now 17 people and four dogs under one roof. It's loud, crowded and fun. We love this season and are very blessed. We have one more Christmas celebration- the 4th(?) annual Squibb/Blair/Puricelli rob your neighbor exchange! Wish us luck!

Eat, Drink & be Ugly

On saturday we hosted an Ugly Christmas Sweater party and had a lot of fun. Somehow I managed to only get a picture of Alex, Moose and myself. But we had fun eating and playing games! I walked away from our white elephant with a yummy can of Spam...don't worry I'll share. We are grateful to have a great group of friends and love celebrating this season with them.

Can you believe it's Christmas Eve already?!? 

Tis the Season

The most wonderful time of year is upon us! With the wonderment comes busyness and lots of it! We're twenty three days into December and our callender has been full. We are almost finished with our shopping, our Christmas cards are addressed, stamped and delivered. We have attended and hosted parties and our ornaments are sparkling in our tree. Christmas is quite possilby the best time of year.  I realize that I am a little late in posting any Christmas decoration pictures, but it's better late than never right?! It's hard to give a good glimpse, but here are some snippits!

Enjoy & we wish you a very merry Christmas!

Basement project!

We have a 90% complete basement!! Alex and his Mom, Dad and brother (Greg) have been working on finishing our basement since October and we are almost complete!! We have dry wall, paint, a pocket door, a closet and new floors. I am beyond excited for this project and am very impressed with how great it looks!

Alex spearheaded this project all by himdelf, with my reluctance, and he has done a wonderful job. He painted the ceiling white to brighten the space, he waterproofed every surface in the basement, twice. He hung drywall with his dad, built a closet, finished the drywall, and painted all by himself! The basement has far surpassed my expectations and I could not be more proud of him. I will upload pictures soon, but there is still a bit to be done, so this is just the build up to heighten the anticipation!

Have a happy Wednesday! 

What a whirlwind!

My blogging hiatus has not been for lack of things to write. On the contrary, it has been a very, very busy month in the Williams' household! We've decorated, celebrated, baked, shopped and studied! Yes, I did say write study. 

Effective December 23, I will no longer be an employed Dental Hygienist. I am leaving my current position to jump into the insrance world with Alex at AW Insurance. I have taken the required classroom courses and have taken and passed (wooohooo) the property and casulty insurance licensing exam! We are very excited for this change and also a tad bit nervous (praryers are always welcome).

We are opening our storefront in a historic neighborhood of Edwardsville in January. Alex has painted the office and is tirelessly laying floors (again, more on that later). We will make a mad dash to Ikea to pick up some office furniture and then all the hard work and effort will pay off and we will have an awesome little office! 

At some point this month we will celebrate Christmas with our families and continue to enjoy this season of our lives. God has richly blessed us and we could not be more thankful or gratful.  

a day to be thankful

Alex and I have so much to be thankful for. We have been blessed with wonderful friends and families that love and care for us. We have a beautiful home, crazy puppy dog and we have a thriving business. God has provided so much more for us than we could ever deserve. We are blessed beyond belief and very thankful for all that we have been given.
A special thank you to our service men and women who are unable to celebrate at home, thank you for defending our freedom. (Selfishly, I'm very glad that my brother gets to be home this year! We love you Jim and are especially thankful for your service!)

Happy Thanksgiving, we hope you have a great (and safe) holiday enjoying time with family and friends.

To tree or not to tree, that is the question...

...and the answer is yes! I'm sure that there are no original ideas anymore with the development of Pinterest and the blogosphere but, I try.  I made a trek to Michael's and gathered some supplies.

All you need are some little cardboard cones aka: Christmas trees, felt, a glue stick and scizzors. Begin cutting & glueing and eventually you will have some cute little Christmas trees for your Christmas decor!

Enjoy Crafting!

Eleven Twelve Thirteen

Next year is our last consecutive number year this century! I have no plans to make this one exciting but the news people said a lot of people are getting married and having babies. I will go to the grocery store and to work...that's about as much excitement as I can handle. 

We don't have any notable plans this week, but it's a welcomed relief from our crazy/hectic October. I'm looking forward to our Thanksgiving festivities at the end of the month, but for now I will enjoy our slower pace. Maybe I'll have pictures of our finished basement soon! It's almost complete. By almost I mean that we've almost finished the drywall and we've purchased flooring...slow and steady wins the race. :) 

HappyTuesday! 

Things that make me laugh

It's been awhile since I last shared some of the things that make me laugh. I've searched high and low for some good ones, Enjoy!

Yes, this video is 5 ish minutes, but it's 5 very worthwhile minutes!
I hope you laughed, Happy Friday!

It's beginning to look a lot like....

Christmas! Not really, it's been rainy and mildly cool but not Christmas-y. However, that doesn't stop this girl from getting excited! I've made our Christmas cards and they are somewhere in the interwebs on their way to a printer, soon to be in a mailbox near you. 

Snapfish is fantastic for sending coupons and giving away freebies. Today I had to choose between 40% off and free shipping (FS40CARDS ending on Nov. 13) or 20 free Christmas cards and paying shipping. Don't worry, I used my calculator and determined that the six bucks to ship was a better deal. Good luck getting into the holiday spirit, you'll embrace it soon enough!

Happy Thursday!

(Thanksgiving is only three weeks away!)