The Graduate

*Oh hello there gigantic belly

After years of late nights, financial sacrifices, writing papers, group projects, studying for exams, long hours, and countless other sacrifices, my sweet husband became the first member of his family (including his siblings, parents and grandparents) to graduate college. AND graduated with HONORS, no less. I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of this man and all he's done to achieve this amazing accomplishment. I get choked up at the sacrifices he's made to better himself and provide a better future for our little/growing family. It was a very special (and uncomfortably pregnant) day.

*there he is!

We are crazy and brought the kids to his graduation. Although we know graduations are long and boring, and our kids are basically toddlers who don't sit still or have very long attention spans, we felt it was important to see their daddy get his diploma. He was doing it for them, after all. There was a woman in the crowd of graduates who had taped the words "For my boys" on the back of her graduation cap. I don't think "For my wife, and son, and daughter and baby on the way, and possible future babies" would have fit on his cap, but it hit me when I saw her reason for going back to school and brought a lump to my throat because I knew Ryan's reason was the same.

*luckily the people sitting in front of us left early. i REALLY needed to put my feet up. i don't think I've ever been more uncomfortable in my life

*I'm SO proud of this man!

Introducing Ozlo Hop-hop Williams

Meet the newest member of our family: our bunny, Ozlo. It was a surprise birthday gift for my pet loving husband. 

Around Easter time, Ryan decided he's over his 4 year obsession with birds and he started talking about wanting a different animal. A dwarf bunny to be exact. He went around trying to talk other people into talking me into it. But my best friends down the street growing up had a pet bunny, Popcorn. It was big, had the most disgusting/stale smelling urine, and sharp claws that would scratch the crap out of you as it tried frantically to hop out of your arms if you tried to pick it up. I was flat out against it.

But as the 18th of April got closer and closer, I couldn't find anything else to get Ryan. To make matters worse, he always get the BEST gifts. Then I started thinking, bunnies are a lot quieter than birds. Their nails can be kept short. They don't have to be walked like a dog. They can't fly around your face and peck your eyes out. PLUS, my kids would love it. (I kinda love it too).

THEN, two days before his birthday, he decides he's over bunnies and really wants a pet chameleon. "It will be so much easier than a bunny! They don't shed! You don't have to clean it's poop! All you need is a 4 foot by 6 foot enclosure with the right plants and a heat lamp on 24/7." (Oh, is that all?) Then he proceeds to ask my princess-loving daughter, who's favorite princess is Rapunzel, "Do you want to get the SAME pet as Rapunzel?! We could even name it 'Pascal' just like the movie!!" He proceeds to go to the home of our friends who breed chameleons, and post a picture of himself wearing the biggest grin and a chameleon on his shoulder on instagram.

After basically telling him my big surprise, getting depressed because I can never make his birthday as special as he does for me (because HE always buys himself whatever he wants, even if it's 2 days before his birthday/christmas) I decided to keep it. We love it. Plus, it's cuter than a lizard.

Ryan is 32!

Happy Birthday to the love of my life! 32 is going to be a good year for you, full of milestones. A new baby. A college degree. A decade of marriage. I can't wait to experience it all with you. 
I love you.

Happy thirty-oneth birthday Ryan!

HAPPY 31st BIRTHDAY RYAN!!!

31 things I love about this man:

1. He's a hard worker (currently working 2 jobs, in school and STILL manages to make time for me and for his kids)
2. He makes me laugh every day
3. He gets the kids off to their grandparents house on Mondays & Wednesday when I work - SUCH a big help
4. He never makes (lets) me drive when we go places together
5.  He does ALL the yard work; I've still never mowed a single lawn in my life
6. He tells me when I look good
7. He holds my hand all the time
8. He's the first to help out a friend
9. HE WENT BACK TO SCHOOL, which is a huge sacrifice that will reap eternal benefits for our little family. He's actually just about getting straight A's & enjoying being a student!! (can you tell I really love this one?)
10. He's an amazing dad 
11. He takes the kids on late afternoon walks so I can get dinner ready in peace
12. He's a super talented drummer
13. He's also a super talented singer
14. Actually, he's just super talented musically all around - he can pick up any instrument and play it
15. He doesn't really care for sports unless we're live at a game (SO nice that we agree on this)
16. He's really close with this family
17. He never forgets a name
18. He's so dependable
19. He puts Wendy to bed almost every night
20. He reads the kids bedtime stories & does all the voices (it's such a cute thing to listen to him doing the voices and hear Wendy laughing with delight) 
21. He takes me to them movies all the time, even though he doesn't really care for the movies and I love them
22. He loves to dance & he's good at it
23. He always takes out the trash
24. He always kisses me when he leaves or comes home
25. He is a superstar at Niel Diamond kareoke
26. He's a great public speaker (as long as he remembers who is audience is and refrains from being inappropriate)
27. Despite being inappropriate all the time, he loves the Lord
28. He always listens to me when I've had a bad day
29. He's the life of the party
30. He puts others first
31. He's my best friend

8 years of true love

*on the balcony of our room at The Ambrose Hotel 

On March 19th 2012 Ryan and I celebrated 8 years of marriage. We dropped off our lovely, demanding children with their grandparents and headed out to Santa Monica. After checking in at The Ambrose Hotel (super cute and super hidden) we strolled around downtown Santa Monica and the 3rd Street Promenade. I don't know if Ryan was being honest or not but he said he had as much fun as I did browsing the shops. Browsing was ESPECIALLY fun because of the kitchen remodel we're in the middle of -  it was actually more than just browsing :). During our "browsing," we searched for (and found) a good Thai restaurant near the beach before heading off to the movies. On our way to the movies we actually drove right by the Los Angeles temple where we were married. We haven't been there in years so it was a nice little romantic coincidence.

*Thai Dishes Restaurant for dinner, so yummy!

*on our balcony again

After getting the best night's sleep in over a year (not exaggerating), we went to a nice breakfast then spent the day on the beach and the pier. We took photobooth photos, rode the ferris wheel over looking the ocean, appreciated some crazies, and had fun just taking our time. It was the perfect day. I didn't want it to end. I think next year we will take two days for just the two of us. After all this time, I have so much fun with this wonderful man, my best friend, who keeps me happy, laughing, and taken care of.

*on the pier

*on the ferris wheel

* in love on the ferris wheel

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Usually, for Valentine's Day, Ryan and I keep it low key with a nice homemade card (thats the best kind), a nice dinner, and he usually brings me some flowers or treats of some kind. This year, for my homemade card I took it to the next level. I made him FIFTY-TWO homemade cards. I had seen this cute idea online and on my friend Jenn's blog. It really wasn't that hard, just time consuming. It was a little sentimental too because my man LOVES cards/card games. It's kind of an inside joke that he loves a fresh deck so much that my mom got him a big box of them from Costco for Christmas. Now, whenever we play cards with friends he gets to break open a fresh deck. He gets a little bummed if people bend them (I'm a total bender). It was a lot of fun and made me realize how many little things I love about him. I made a list of 73 things in like ten minutes and narrowed it down to the reasons that I could find pictures for. I highly recommend making a list of reasons you love someone in your life. It's so much fun to re-read them together.

Happy Father's Day

Wendy, who still sleeps in a crib and has NO desire to move on to her "princess big girl bed" calls to us every morning to get her out. Last week when I went to get her out of bed one morning, this was our exact conversation:

Wendy: Oh no, not you. (said with a smile on her face, she knows she's teasing me).Where's daddy?

Me: He's in the shower. Don't you want to play with me?

Wendy: Okay, sure.... Let's pretend you're daddy.

That about sums it up. Ryan is an amazing dad and our kids know it. I fall more in love with him as I watch him take care of, play with and love our kids. Nothing melts my heart more than the mornings he quietly gets up with Wendy so I can sleep and I wake up to the sound of them playing princess barbie dolls in the living room & find them BOTH fully decked out in costumes (instead of just sticking her in front of a movie and falling back asleep on the couch - which would be way easier). He is the most fun, loving, silly and hard working guy I know and we are all so lucky to have him in our lives.
p.s. Wendy has been referring to Ryan as "Father" all day. "Where's my father?" "Father, I'm thirsty." "I have to potty Father." It's pretty cute. It's been making Ryan and I giggle all day.

The Not So Quiet Life of MRS. Whispers

Being considered "well endowed" on a normal day, my belly is not the only thing that becomes obnoxiously large while pregnant (or after when the milk comes in).

"I'm sorry, is this a bra? Or a helmet for twins?"

-Ryan

SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday, my husband turned THIRTY! Wow. I have officially known him for more than half his life. In my attempt to be a good wife and let him know how loved he is, I decided to throw him a surprise party. Eight months pregnant. It was a major success, but WHAT was I thinking?

I know what I was thinking. In Ryan's perfect world he would have a surprise party for every one of his birthdays. When we were first married, he kept throwing me parties for my birthdays & I kept planning awesome, just us dates for his. We soon realized that we were giving each other what we really wanted for ourselves. (One of the many perks of being married to someone long enough is that eventually you learn how to make the other person happy on their terms).

*he was actually surprised. I couldn't believe it.

I tried to throw Ryan a surprise party once before, but it was a failure. He wasn't surprised and the party wasn't that cool. But this year he turned thirty. And that's supposed to be a big deal. I know his feelings & priorities are already being put on the back burning because I'm pregnant, so I really wanted him to know he's still loved.

*this idea copied from Martha Stewart was a big hit

I was SO happy with the turn out of people who came to show their love! Some of Ryan's best friends were even there from out of state. I had catered mexican food (his favorite) and a DJ so we could turn it into a dance party (also his favorite). I kept joking that I was basically throwing Ryan a wedding reception for his birthday. The man loves a good dance party. He also loved that he got to pick all the music. He prefers top 40 and early 90's hip hop. He HATES it when a DJ throws on something other than hip hop. During the party he whispered in my ear "Do you know what the best part about this being MY party is? No 'My Sherona,' no 'I Love Rock N Roll,' no 'Love Shack,' no 'Play That Funky Music White Boy'!"

The best gift anyone could have given Ryan was to get their booty out on the dance floor. And his friends did not disappoint. Here you can see them playing the game where everyone has to copy the dance moves of the person in front. It looks SO funny! Like a choreographed dance. I wish I would have videotaped it.

I love you Ryan. Happy Birthday.

Lucky Number 7

Today I have been married to my best friend for SEVEN years! That sounds like a long time. Well on our way to a decade. I don't think I've ever stuck with anything for that long. Except for maybe piano lessons. People talk about the "seven year itch," but besides rarely seeing each other (Ryan's nights are filled with either school, work, church, or a'capella practices) I still consider him my best friend and boy friend.

During these last 7 years we've...

• learned how to read each others mood and know what to do to cheer each other up
• lived in 2 creepy apartments and one amazing rental home (and I have a feeling we might be here for a long time)
• been through 3 pregnancies and blessed with 1 and 9/10ths children
• traveled to Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Hawaii, Mexico, France, Belgium, & Taiwan (next stop? I'm thinking Italy.)
• blown through 3 dogs, a tortoise, lots of fish, and 18 birds
• worked through some random jobs to support each other
• attended a combined total of 4 years of schooling... only about 3 more to go!
• figured out how to cook some decent meals and manage a checkbook without overdrawing
• grown closer as best friends and developed a deeper love and appreciation for each other

abcd

*some of our favorite spots at the Ghetti Center

Every year, for our anniversary, we explore a different city. We stay in a nice hotel, go out for dinner and go a little crazy (like order an appetizer AND fancy non-alcoholic drinks instead of water and trying to stick to the cheapest things on the menu - like I said, at least one of us has been a student for a while).

Last year... we did Paris. This year we went ALL the way to Los Angeles. We tried to do LA on anniversary #4, but ended up with the flu and spent the night taking turns hovering the toilet of the rad hotel room we stayed in. So this year, we lived it up. We stayed in a different rad hotel, The Luxe. It's hidden on acres of lush, green LA jungle and used to be an apartment building in the 20's. We went out for a night on the town in Westlake Village, ate dinner at Jerry's famous deli, got a kick out of our wacky lip injected waitress, window shopped hand-in-hand, waited in line at Diddy Riese for the best ice cream sandwich you'll ever get for $1.50, snuck our desserts into the old fashioned movie theatre and saw "Limitless," closed the black out curtains and got to sleep in til 11AM!, had an overpriced breakfast at our hotel at lunch time (banana blueberry pancakes mmmm), then spent the day exploring the Ghetti Center, were both relieved to admit that we were ready to go and hour earlier than planned (he was freezing and I am uncomfortably large) and spent the last hour of our LA anniversary driving around the mansions in the hills of Bel Air, picking out our dream home. It was a much needed get away. I almost forgot how much I love being alone with Ryan.

*balcony of our hotel room

Happy anniversary babe!

Here's to another 7 and hopefully another 2 kids & another college degree by then :)

Ryan decided to go back to school. Today was his first day. I'm so proud of him because I know he's making a sacrifice to provide a better future for our family. I'm so excited. I'm nervous too. We will have to make some changes, some sacrifices, but it will be worth it. Is it weird that the thought of him going to school makes me even more attracted to him? Because it does.

*photo by Jenn King

*My book for all the flights, to and from Paris, was "City of Bones" - easy, fast, entertaining read. Thanks Ruth.

After six months- skipping on Christmas presents, birthday presents, and an anniversary weekend, having garage sales and taking bits out of every paycheck- saving started to become routine and I began to forget what I was doing it for. Arriving at the airport, I started to get really excited. That's when it hit me that we were ACTUALLY going to Paris! I was even looking forward to 12 hours (sans 2 year old) on a plane! It might sound crazy, or lazy, but I have a bladder of steel and LOVE to read, so being forced to sit next to a window with a great view and a good book is a real treat for me. There's absolutely no guilt that I'm not doing anything productive, because I can't. I'm stuck in this seat without any interruptions. I love it. (As long as there are no children with me.)My A.D.D. husband with the world's smallest bladder, on the other hand, doesn't so much share this love I have for flying.

q.w

When we landed in Paris, my aunt Heather's husband, Pierre (how appropriate) picked us up from the airport and drove us back to their gorgeous apartment, 5 floors up in a beautiful 1800's Parisian building, in the heart of Paris. I was in love with this place! I remember thinking "Paris is exactly everything you imagine it would be!" From the balcony, I could look down on people dining outside a cafe, see cats scaling the roof tops of the buildings across the street, smell fresh bread cooking in the bakery on the bottom floor. There were even guys on the side walks playing accordions and artists outside with their canvases up on easel's, painting in the little neighborhood streets.

*from the Louvre... through the Tuilerie Gardens... to the Arc du Triomphe.

We didn't waste one minute of our vacation time. The first thing we did, after dropping off our luggage, was walk from the Louvre to the Arc du Triomphe down the famous avenue called Champ Elysees. The Louvre was gorgeous (it used the be the Palace before being turned into a museum) but my favorite part of this walk was definitely the Tuileries Gardens! It reminded me of Central Park in New York, but waaay better. There were fountains, life sized marble statues, children on pony rides, a man who rented out toy sail boats for the kids to play with around the fountain, outdoor cafe's, a carousel, crepe stands, and tons of beautiful places to just sit and relax under the trees. The beautifully manicured lawns, with rows of identical trees and perfectly shaped bushes felt like something out of a Tim Burton fairy tale. I think it was my favorite place in all of Paris.

After walking down the Champs Elysees, we came to the Arc du Triomphe. We climbed a spiral stair case to the top. The view was amazing. My aunt said the view from the Arc du Triomphe is the best view in Paris. Even better than the view from the Eiffel Tower, because from the top of the Eiffel Tower you're looking down on the city of Paris, but it just looks like any other city because what you're really looking for is... the Eiffel Tower (which you can't see because you're on top of it). Plus it's a lot more crowded. But from the top of the Arc du Triomphe, you can see everything, including the Eiffel Tower (as seen in the far left photo above).

At the end of the day, I was TIRED. For dinner, we ate at a wonderful little cafe, "Alexanders" (it's my aunts favorite, and she would know the best places to go, she lives there). We happily plopped into bed as soon as the sun went down, at 10:30pm, and slept like babies. Or better yet, like parents without babies.

Twenty-Nine

*happy, angry, in love, silly

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband!

Next year I will officially be married to an old guy.

Oh NO he DIDN'T!

Guess who came home with a new bird?

And I actually really liked the last one. His name was "Kevin," by the way, and he was the prettiest bird we've had and probably will ever have. I loved his blue color with orange eyeliner and blue eyes. Not that I ever went so far as to hold or feed him or anything. He was just really pretty and Wendy & I used to talk to him when we were bored.

Kevin bit Ryan and just like that, Ryan was over him. Remember how Ryan got this bird as a baby and had to feed him formula through a syringe every 4 hours? You'd think he would have formed SOME kind of bond with it, acting as it's surrogate mother and all. Although I'm bummed, I figured the bird (whichever bird that may be) is Ryan's thing. So who am I to make him keep a mean bird just because I think it's prettier than all the rest? Right?

Meet Anthony. "Tony" for short. "Home wrecker" for long.

We're Going to PARIS!

So, usually for our anniversary, Ryan and I have a tradition of doing a weekend getaway to a new city that we've never really been to before and exploring all the fun it has to offer (last year we went to Claremont Village, CA). But this year for our anniversary, we will be exploring the new-to-us city of PARIS, France!!! Can you tell I'm a little excited? We've been talking about going for a while and saving a little money in a "Paris Fund," but I wasn't sure if it was actually going to happen. But Ryan bought the plane tickets- so now it's official! It's perfect timing: I have an aunt ("Tata") who lives there who can hook us up with a place to stay and will have fun showing us around and Wendy's old enough to be okay with her grandparents for a couple days.

We will be there a week, and I really want to do all the touristy stuff AND the leisurely stuff to just soak up the city and take it all in. I've even been trying to catch up on my French (I took three years of French in high school- hopefully it's like riding a bike, but I doubt it). If any of you out there have been to Paris and have a favorite spot, let me know. I want to do it all!

*photo from google images

Six Years Together

TODAY Ryan & I have been married for SIX years! Every year, a little more, I realize just how perfect we are for each other. I'm so thankful for all that he is and all that he does for me (and Wendy). Happy Anniversary Babe!! I love you.

*photos by Amelia Lyon & Beth Lamb :)