A visit with Grandma

We had the pleasure of spending some time with my mom this last few weeks. She came up at the end of July, and was able to stay for a little over 2 weeks. Quincy had a great time. He insisted on mostly hanging around the house with Grandma all day, but I think they got in some nice walks as well as a visit to Woodland Park Zoo, and the Children's Museum. Dan and I filled up on as many "date-nights" as we could. I hope my dear mother didn't feel too taken advantage of! :) We loved it! We even went on a double date one night with friends whose daughter was staying with her Grandma too! Yay for Grandma's!! I really, really, really wish I had one around more often. Hmmm... I am sure there are some good speech pathologist jobs here in North Bend. I even briefly thought I could handle another child, then reality hit... I could only do it if I had a live-in Granny!

Sadly, because Quincy and Grandma mostly hung around the house... and Dan and I tried to not hang out around the house, we have limited photographs of this last couple weeks with Grandma. We did go on an adventure one day while she was here however. It started out as a trip to "Northwest Trek" and ended up as a trip to Mount Rainier. I think we were all very happy it ended up that way too. It was a perfect day, and Mount Rainier is just so lovely. We did a little "hiking"... as much as one can do with a 2 year old, and had a really nice lunch at the Inn in Longmire as well. While hiking around we even came across a mother deer with her two young fawns. It was quite a sight.

Seven Year Itch

An Engagement Photo

Isn't that what they say? Well, we hit our 7 years of wedded bliss on August 10th. We celebrated in grand fashion, taking advantage of my mom's extended stay we headed over to Suncadia Lodge for a few days. It was so relaxing. I spent some time at the spa, we took a long bike ride, we enjoyed good food, and caught up on some sleep. It was so nice to get away, and I am so appreciative of my mom for watching Quincy for those few days for us.

I am amazed that 7 years has gone by! Look at how much has changed in those 7 years! But funny enough, it feels like just yesterday! We had such a wonderful wedding, and everyone we love was there to celebrate with us. Since that day, we have had a lot of fun, and been through some tougher times together as well. I am so lucky to have a husband who will stand by my side through it all. We recognize when the other needs some support and time alone, or maybe some time to reconnect with eacy other. We laugh together, especially now that a charming boy has joined our family. I look at Quincy in amazement sometimes, it is our love and commitment to one another that created this beautiful child. Together we are a family, and it all started seven years ago with an "I do".

A visit to Cannon Beach

Much needed "Team Williams" family updates... coming your way!!! Isn't it funny, when we have the most to blog about, is also when I have no time to blog! I will do my best to update everyone on all that we have done over the last month (or more) over the next couple days.


Most recently... a fabulous, albeit too short (3 days), trip to Cannon Beach, OR. It had been a several years since Dan and I went, and it was Quincy's first real visit to the ocean. The last two hours of the long drive there, Quincy whined that he wanted to go back home. The last two hours of the long drive home, he whined that he didn't want to go home and demanded we return to our cottage and the beach. We all wished we could have stayed longer (and I wished the weather had been just a little bit nicer!) Our favorite parts of the trip:

• A visit to the Tillamook Cheese factory! Quincy loved watching all the conveyor belts and cheese moving from one place to another


• Ice Cream! Ice Cream! Ice Cream!




• Playing in the sand, making castles... and then DESTROYING said castles






• Time to relax together as a family
  
  
  
• Lots of walks on the beach
  





• Our little beach cottage, just a block from the beach
  
• Playing in the waves, the cold Oregon waves







• Seeing the starfish in the tide pools of Haystack Rock


• Watching all the colorful kites in the sky

Happy Independence Day!

We had a lovely three day weekend, with sun and warm weather to really make it feel as a Fourth of July weekend should... hot and sticky! We celebrated with friends on Friday evening, and on Saturday Quincy and I went with Darby and Ellette, over to Darby's mom's place for some fun and BBQ. The kids had fun (although Quincy was seriously lacking sleep, which is dangerous) playing together, throwing rocks in the lake, and watching the fireworks go off all around us. We got home and laid out on the lawn watching the neighborhood fireworks light up the sky. Quincy became frightened by the noise, so all the little fireworks I bought went unused and he ended up sleeping in our bed all night.

Today we celebrated the last day of the long weekend, and warm weather with a quick trip to local Ollalie state park. It was pretty, and the river looked tempting on a hot day like today.

10 years ago...

It recently dawned on me that it was 10 years ago this month that I returned from my year abroad. I look back and feel so lucky to have spent that time in Spain. It helped mold me into who I am today, and still today I think of my time there fondly.

10 years ago...

• I had some of the best friends! The "Spain Girls" still keep in touch, and we try to have reunion's as often as we can. 10 years later it is harder and harder to do. We have married, had children, spread out, but these girls are still a huge and important part of me. I laugh often remembering some of the wild shenanigans we got ourselves into!







• I returned a lot thinner! Everyday in Madrid I walked miles... to school, to the grocery store, to the park... wherever...if it was sunny, we walked there. On top of that, I was also running nearly everyday. Nowadays, it is hard for me to find the time (and energy) to do either.


• I was happy to return to good Mexican food again! Many people assumed (for some reason?) that because Mexico and Spain spoke the same language, they ate the same foods. NOT SO! In fact, it was hard to find Mexican food much at all!
  
• I spoke spanish. I dreamed in spanish. I could easily hold a lengthy conversation explaining any thought I had.... and get my point across. Now, I try... but I struggle. It is a dissapointment to see how far I have declined.


• I came home to doing nothing but enjoy the summer. My mom encouraged me to enjoy the summer before getting back to school and starting a new job. I am grateful for her advice still 10 years later. Now I know... it was my last summer to be free and young, without (much) of a care in the world.


• I had a packed passport to be proud of, and a wealth of experiences to last a lifetime. Seeing so much of the world made me more appreciative of history, different cultures and the amazing things God can do.






• Despite counting down the days until I returned, I missed Spain tremendously upon leaving, and was anxious to get back and visit again. Some things never change!
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