Girls Just Wanna Have FUN!

Sing it like your Cindy Lauper loud and clear... "Girls just wanna have Fa-un"

And that's exactly what we did. Ten girlfriends from church, all of us with young children, decided it was time for a girls weekend- no kids, no babies, no husbands. We headed to the beach for a two day, one night relax fest. That's right, no stopping to change diapers, head up to the hotel for naptime, or leave the beach when your three-year old screams all of the sudden, "Mommy, I have to go potty."

I literally think I sat on the beach more in the two days we were there verses the entire week we were in South Carolina. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed our family trip, but this was fun in a different way, and yes, dare I say, a more relaxing way!

We giggled, laughed, and got the scoop on all of our husband's funny quirks (some more than we wanted to know).

We enjoyed the ocean, only to come back and share twizzlers, m&m's and other goodies.

We headed out for Mexican our first night and followed it up with a dance party in our hotel room (or lack there of). Thirty-something mothers are all talk. Most of us were too tired to actually dance but we laughed and talked some more.

Yes, it was girl bonding the way girl bonding should be done. I felt like I was single again and it was a beautiful moment. But a moment was all I needed. I was ready to come home and kiss my babies good night Saturday.

I was glad to have some time with some wonderful women and the beauty of those kind of weekends is that they make you appreciate your family, and they make you appreciate friendship, especially the friendship between women!

Thanks ladies for a lovely time! I'm already looking forward to the ladies beach trip 2012!

Balance

They say at the end of the summer most people feel they're best. We naturally eat more fresh foods because they're more readily available, we get more sun, we get more exercise. I have to admit feeling this most every year around this time. My skin isn't as pasty white as it gets in the winter, even my feet feel a little better, and I have gotten more rest. But I think for me it's not only the gifts of mother nature during this time of year, it's the fact that most often I have most of July off. This summer I only worked two days in July, making this my most stress free summer to date. I feel... balanced. I've been able to spend time with my girls, spend time taking care of myself, spend time working on my calling at church, I've gotten more rest, and I've been able to take care of my home. I have been more than content and haven't had one moment of boredom. I've barely even thought of work outside the home. I've stayed plenty busy right here, and it's given me a lot of fulfillment to take my girls places, to make healthy meals for my family, to take care of my body better. I don't feel run down, and I know I owe that in part to just getting outside more, but I think owe it just as much to getting to be at home.

So where am I going with this? I feel very strongly that before we have our next baby we need to prepare ourselves financially and otherwise for me to be able to stay at home. Up until now I've been our primary bread winner and carried the benefits but I pray and hope that within the next few months, Shaun's oh so important job we've been waiting to come through will do just that... it will come through. With that there will be distinct opportunities for him to move up and within a few years I think it's entirely possible for me to be able to stay home. I've prayed about this and feel it is the right thing. Of course I've learned every timeline I give to the Lord has ended up just being a little laugh for him. I know it's hard to put timelines on your life, and you'd think by now I'd have learned to stop doing it. But this is a righteous desire, and I sincerely hope and pray we can be ready to make that sacrifice within a few years time. I really enjoy my family and even though my job has been very good to us, I know my heart isn't in it as much as it used to be prior to kids. I still am very consciences but I just know ... I just know where I'd rather be. In three years I will be done repaying my student loans so to me, that's a very good sign I've put my master's to work (literally), and I made a good investment in my education. So I know time will tell. Obviously I wont do anything reckless like quitting without my family having the support they need, but as we look towards buying a home within the next year or so, and as we make financial decisions, I want this to be the number one priority! So there you have it. Maybe some of you moms can weigh in on the subject, both those of you that work and stay home. I know many moms in the church talk about the sacrifice of staying home with their children, but for me, the ultimate sacrifice has been NOT staying home even though I have so badly wanted to. I just hope it's something that can change in a few years. I pray for that. I pray for the strength to make choices to support that (it's awfully hard not to on-line shop or want the best home or new car, but I think it will be worth it). So tell me what you think. And keep us in your prayers!

All in all I'm very content right now. I'm slightly sad as I know I will be working full time in just one short week. I love the people I work with and I love that I get to work with children but the children I want to work with most are right here in my own home. So anyway, this is where I'm at. I feel content. I feel balanced. I feel certain that as soon as I go back to work it will all come back... the feeling pulled and tired and like I can never keep up. But for now I will revel in the beauties of summer!!

Peek a Who?

Little Amelia is coming into her own these days. She is very interested in what everyone else is doing and does not like being left behind, alone, left out. We will put her in her crib for bed time but she's keenly interested in peeking out from between the bars. Ella enjoys joining her sometimes.

These two girls of mine... they are the light of my life, and the reason why I am exhausted every day by 2pm, and if I get energy back, I'm exhausted again by 9pm. Today I don't think I got that energy back. Too much bending over to pick food up off the floor. Does that count as doing my situps?

Amelia is babbling constantly and often says "mama" "dada" and "baba". She has become more determined when she wants something. She's quite the tenacious little bug. She crawls like a catepillar sticking her butt up in the air, and most recently she bruised my ankle in her cruiser- OUCH! You've got to watch out for her in that thing. She's determined.

Ella is hilarious. I told her brushing her doll's hair was a "pain in the butt" and she then pulled out her barbie and told me it was okay, she had "paint on her butt" too. Ella changes outfits about twenty times a day and refuses to wear shorts. When I put shorts on her once for the sitter, Miss Jen told me she took them off after an hour and said, "I not wear these. They are yucky!" So my diva prefers dresses, skirts, and all things fruify, especially if they are purple or have Ariel on them.

You say Goodbye, I say Hello

Thank you Beatles for inspiring me with this post!

July has also been a month of saying goodbye to some friends and welcoming others back. Shaun and I are sad to see two families we are very close to moving west. The Fords just adopted not one, but TWO baby boys within the last few months, and they are now starting a new job and new life in Utah. Our friends, The Wests, have moved away to begin law school in Arizona. We will miss both of these families and look forward to reunions in the future, hopefully not the too distant future.

Ella and Ellie have been good buddies ever since they spent their first Thanksgiving together. They've spent many a holiday together since.

See, here they are saying, "Don't ever let go." Okay, just kidding. They didn't go all Titanic on us. That would be weird.

I'm excited that other friends have moved back closer. My childhood best friend, Grace, has just come back "home" so to speak. We lived together in L.A. after graduating from college, and while I only stayed one short year and then returned home to VA to pursue my master's, Grace stayed on and lived the L.A. life. I visited her once and she would come back east to see family, but we were really only able to see each other once every couple of years. Now I'm thrilled she and her husband have decided to move here for work.

Another dear dear friend and her family just moved back from Jersey. I am so glad that they are close enough for us to meet in Charlottesville and do dinner, or like we did for the fourth, meet up and go to events together. Below is a picture of Ella and her son, Peter, at a cute little "living museum" outside of Staunton, VA. It was set up to resemble early America, a very fun and patriotic way to spend the fourth, especially with good company.

Still yet, I have another best friend whose husband is graduating from law school and they are relocating to Vegas. It's funny how life is sometimes. I feel like I have all of these friends coming and going, but they are moving forward one way or the other. I feel like our life is on pause. I know that's horrible. We should be living each day to its fullest regardless of our circumstances, but truly and honestly until Shaun's job comes through we are in a holding pattern. We can't really even think about moving, we can't make any plans. Some days I want to throw reason to the wind, quit my job, pack up the family, and move to Santa Fe, or anywhere for that matter. I want to be adventurous! I want to go somewhere I've never been. I've lived in this little town a long time, and while it's quaint, charming, and I love it (not to mention we have family, friends, a job, connections, etc.), sometimes I just want to know what life would be like for us if we picked up and moved to a place where we knew no one. Part of me feels like I'm missing out on something. Is that crazy?

So part of me is sad saying goodbye to so many friends, another part of me is joyous at the return of others, but all of me wants so badly for it to be OUR turn to move. I mean this both literally and figuratively I suppose. I want adventure in the great wide somewhere. I know, there I go quoting Disney movies. I definitely need to get out more. But it's true. Whether that adventure is moving and getting into our own house, going on a cruise, or packing up and going to Santa Fe, I feel it in my bones! I guess wherever the road takes us I know I should follow the old cliche and bloom where I'm planted, enjoy the journey, yada, yada. But I'd be lying if I said I just don't want to have my own goodbyes and hellos to say.

Life's a beach!

Some of these were just too cute to be missed in a collage. They needed their own personal highlight. So here they are, my top favorite pics from the beach.

First, the casual shots:

1. Ella finds her stride walking along the shore, sporting fashionable sunglasses and Ariel swimwear

2. Amelia looking a bit like Sir Elton John

3. I already told you this photo of Shaun captures why I married the guy. One word- ADORABLE

4. Have to have one of Nana with her grand baby. And Amelia's squinchy face as we like to say.

5. Gotta have one of Papa too

6. Jackie was a great sport all week

And now for the "I'm trying to pretend I'm a photographer" photos. What else do you do when your kids wake up at 7am and no one else wakes up until 9:30? You take them to the beach for photo shoots of course.

I don't think I'll ever actually get a shot of Ella looking at the camera, but regardless some of these look nice and contemplative, even if they are in actuality her avoiding looking at the camera at all costs... STINKER!

See what I mean, call it contemplative? Call it ignoring me? Whatever you do, call it beautiful!

And one morning I really did TRY to take photos with Shaun's help. I think we got a few nice ones.

So there you have it, my beautiful family!

Myrtle Beach 2011

Myrtle Beach 2011

July has been a wonderful and busy month, filled with all the things one thinks of when they think of summer... trips to the pool, beach trips, celebrations with friends on the 4th of July! Our most recent adventure took us to South Carolina, a Williams family beach tradition since before my coming to grace the family back in the early 70's. This year we went with Nana and Papa and cousin Jackie to North Myrtle Beach. The only downside was missing all of our other family who couldn't be with us. But it was Ella and Lil' A's first official beach trip, and they had a great time. I think they also ended up being everyone's entertainment!

I made photo collages simply because I had so many photos I wanted to post. We stayed in a beach front condo with a pool. Our beach neighbors enjoyed creating a new sand sculpture every day. They ranged from sunglasses to turtles to flip flops. Ella enjoyed watching the family build their creations, and the girls enjoyed the pool, the ocean, and sometimes the sand.

Early morning photos of my girls in white.

Below, Ella and Papa have a "moment" out by the water after dinner.

We went out to dinner, took Jackie to see the last Harry Potter (they had to fill me in on the way to the theatre since I hadn't seen the last four movies). We took Jackie parasailing and out for mini golf, but mostly we just enjoyed the beach.

Below, check out the stud of a husband of mine looking so cute in his sunglasses.

Ella in the evening enjoying the waves and sand.

I hope the beach is a tradition my own little family can continue, though I wouldn't mind going to a less well known beach, a little more secluded. But I'm grateful for family traditions, and spending time with the people that mean the most to me! Myrtle Beach 2011 will always hold special memories.

What happens in Texas...

Whether you'd like to call it brave or brainless, I decided to book a trip to Texas (pronounced Tay-has) to see my sister and her family... just me and my girls. Pictured right, Ella was excited to catch the plain at Reagan and eagerly carried her Dora backpack off to security. Luckily my dad was able to get a special pass and stay with us until we boarded. The plain ride was as expected, very difficult. What I didn't expect was to get air sick on top of dealing with my less than angelic little ones. The poor flight attendants looked a little nervous when they saw me as white as a ghost with two children. They kept handing me barf bags. But after a less than fun three hours we arrived in Dallas!

I was excited to see Michelle and the rest of the Miller clan. They usually come to see us every summer in Virginia but last year they put a pool in their backyard so we decided to come see them. I now appreciate a little more all the many summers of effort they've put in bringing their five kids across most of the country.

It was a simple visit which is what I was hoping for. We sat by the pool, let Ella play with her cousins. Our last night there we ate at Cristina's, a yummy mexican treat that even Harrison Ford has eaten at.

The kids LOVED Ella and Amelia. I will say Amelia was not a fan of Texas. She was a bit of a fuss pants, but Ella had a great time. Now that we're home Amelia is pleased as punch and Ella is the difficult one. I just need lots of big kids to keep her entertained.

By our last night there Amelia would let some of her cousins hold her, as long as I was close by. Here she is with Nathan and Katie and she's not even crying.

Ella told me her favorite was Lacy, because she was little like her. Lacy is six. She loved Amelia but Ella loved her. Oh bittersweet love triangles.

One night they took me to their cute little town's live music. A Beatles impressionist band played and we enjoyed it despite the temperature being over 100 degrees even at 7pm.

We also visited Sarah while she worked at the community pool. Jackie and Amelia enjoyed the shade before jumping in.

And then we enjoyed the backyard pool. Other than taking the kids to swim team, going on walks, and looking at model homes, we spent most of our time right by that pool... just what we were hoping for!

Ella became a big fan of going under the water. She learned to hold her breath and now we just have to teach her to move forward so she doesn't sink like lead.

Ella and her cousin, Sarah.

So what happens in Texas, well I guess it doesn't have to stay there. We'd love to have brought all those Miller Texans home with us... maybe next time!

Gracias Millers por un gran tiempo in Tay-has:) Don't ask why talking about Texas (pronounced Tay-has) makes me want to break out into my Spanglish but it does.