A Time For Every Season....

Christmas 2013                 Blessings from the Williams! 2013 for our family was consistent – not many changes to our immediate family, but Missy did experience the passing of both grandparents this year. The consistency of 2013 was a nice reprieve in anticipation of our country move this coming February. We have been working with a builder since May to build us a country home in Rhome Texas on 1.5 acres. We are excited to experience country life and all that comes with it – like gardens and chickens and hopefully a workshop in the next few years. I (John) am in my fifth year of working for Fort Worth ISD as 6-8 grade special education teacher. I come home tired, but I also have an immense feeling of significance and accomplishment at the end of each day.   In-between working with Jr. High students and wrangling three littles at home; I am still able to spend some time in the garage m...

Happy 6th Birthday Gabe! How can you be 6 already? Your growing up so quickly and turning into such a fine young boy. This past year you have developed so much, you started Jiujitsu and have developed the drive to never give up - I love your attitude! Just last week you completed the 3rd Explode the Code phonics book and moved on to the 4th book. You were so proud and we were proud of all your hard work. Gabe I love to see you smile and delight in watching your energy. You love serving others and are a blessing to everyone you meet. Your reading has blossomed this year, you love Dick and Jane books and are starting to tackle Henry and Mudge. You are able to focus and get most of your work done quickly. Purity: I pray for purity you Gabe, that you would guard your eyes and mind and for your future spouse. I pray your future wife is a godly model of Christ and is being raised to love and revere the Lord. Relationships: I pray Gabe would  develop strong relationships...

According to this article, its important for children to have special needs friends. I totally agree! But those special needs children grow up into special needs adults. Then what happens?  I was reading this article and though that is it a blessing and benefit for my kids to have friends that require more from them, but I also realized how much of a blessing it is to be married to a husband with Cerebral Palsy. Many people may think this is crazy, but its so true, my husband is an amazing man.He appreciates life more than anyone I know. He has passions and has complex dreams and he isn't afraid to sacrifice to accomplish them. John spent a lot of time contemplating life while sitting in hospital rooms or watching other kids do what he could not; he is a deep thinker and so smart because of all the thinking and dreaming! I am a blessed woman to be married to a special needs husband - though for 99.9% of my married life I've never thought of him in that way. John is more comp...

The month of October represents birthdays! We have a lot of family birthdays so it was so fun to head to OKC and celebrate another year of family with a lot of fun. My sister picked up some kites and we look the kids to the lake; they were in heaven! Kids and Kites make a great adventure! Cousin Jonah enjoyed the kites too!

We made the leap into puppyhood - today we purchased a 5 month old Belgian Malinois. We named her Belle. Can you tell by the pictures that she has a lot of energy? Believe it or not for a Mal she is calm - which is why the gentleman was selling her. She loves laps and routines and is potty training well. She sleeps with the boys in Gabe's bed and crews on their toys at night. She hates to be left alone and also hates (destroyed) crates. Belle makes me really appreciate how easy Kitty is, she came trained and after a year had no real issues. Here is hoping Belle's puppyhood is short and she adjusts soon so we can leave her home alone!

We're finishing up our first 9 weeks! The kids and I are excited for a nice break from school. Here is a summary of what we worked on this quarter: Bible - The Big Dig We're working our way through the book of Luke. The boys have learned about the theme of Luke, that is it written to the Gentiles and is written in chronological order. We have made it to chapter 8, covering the chapter about the tree that bears good fruit and the man who build his house on the rock because he read and obeyed the Word of God. There were many other great lesson, but these were the ones the boys resonated with. Reading and Phonics - Explode the Code 3,7 Gabe worked on blending initial sounds on book 3, he has progressed to blending sounds both in the first and ending positions. He added 25 more lessons in Teach your Child to Read and is now up to lesson 65! He is gaining confidence in his reading and really would like for me to start him in a spelling program - crazy boy! Drew finishe...

I woke this mornings to the sounds of drills and then it was silent. I was half groggy but managed to go downstairs and get my coffee, as I was pouring the creamer I realized, "It is silent in my house." I know the kids were up because I heard them? I looked all over and finally found them on the garage floor, making wooden bird houses. Our back yard is now covered in homemade birdhouses, I just love their creativity and that my boys can use a drill!

It struck me, I walked hand in hand up the library steps, her American flag shirt proudly displayed with her pink little shorts. Her little lisp apparent to all but her mommy smiled and said "Wook at the fwag mommy!" It hit me, on September 11, 2001 I wondered - what will my life looks like in 5-10-15 years? I just couldn't picture it and now I know. Twelve years ago today I was not thinking about  children or a mortgage or taking my kids to the library. I was single and living on my own for the first time. I had a great job and money and friends and a boyfriend and I was in college. I never imagined what September 11, 2001 would mean to me and yet here I am - trying to define it so I can share this with my kids. How do you tell your children about evil or terror or planes going into buildings? At that moment, the one at the library with my sweet little girls hands cupped over mine, it all seemed to come together. I lived through that day in order to share about it ...

"The word of God is our blue print, but its not blue." Luke wrote to the "Generiles" In a conversation about creation declaring the glory of God, Drew said that the trees are practicing "freeze tag" right now. Mom those beans your soaking smell like dog poop!

 Drew, I am so proud of you! You are in second grade and I'm in shock, how can you be so old and mature! These last few week you started reading. I never thought I would write those words. My boy, you march to the beat of your own drum. You are highly intelligent and easily distracted.  I'm fairly sure you get the "easily distracted" part from me! You have so much swimming around in your head that it is hard for me to keep up with you. The term "Absent minded professor" comes to my mind. I love it that traditional school is not your thing. I have learned more about life from you than any other person. Drew, you keep me on my toes, always inventing and creating and designing models. Just today you made a Lego diorama of a wolf head. You have an impeccable memory. Last week you memorized the classification of animals chart and today I asked you to recite it and you did! I was impressed. I'm so blessed to be your mom. You started Jui Jitsu last mon...