Happy Halloween from the Williams Family!
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| Two Puss in Boots, One Kitty Softpaws and one Musketeer |
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| Theo crossing his eyes |
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| Beautiful Musketeer |
Oct 29, 2012
Halloween
Happy Halloween from the Williams Family!
Aug 5, 2012
You are enough
We’ve all heard the lines from Shakespeare’s “Othello” that warn of the green-eyed monster of jealousy. Equally dangerous and incredibly destructive, a more subtle form of jealousy that is easier to miss is comparing oneself to someone else. This can occur in two forms. Comparing your strengths to someone else’s weaknesses resulting in pride, or vice versa, and the one I want to address, comparing your weaknesses to someone else's strengths.
We see blogs from our friends, strangers, people who write blogs for a living, random blogs we find through pinterest etc. It’s all incredibly “inspiring,” right(?!), full of good ideas and fun things you can do with your kids. ~100 activities to do with your toddler in your spare time that stimulate all the senses and promote social and emotional development. ~Homemade fruit snacks for your pre-schoolers that only have three ingredients and are oh so easy (!?), lunches and after-school snacks shaped into animals or smiley faces or thematically centered around the book your child is reading at a 5th grade level even though she is only in 3rd grade. ~Homemade sprinkles for the 'made from scratch' cake pops for teacher appreciation week, back-to-school presents with cute, free “printables,” 101 ways to show your husband you love him, and on and on and on.
I kid you not. This kind of stuff is all over the web.
Oh, and then you also read about the moms who have their kids in sports, music, dance, community service and so on, all before they even get to junior high. If they can’t do something by the time they’re twelve it’s too late, right?
All it takes is a nursing mom, who has one free hand, and is tired and maybe a little bored, to sit down at the computer with her baby and start surfing. And instead of riding the waves of inspiration she drowns under one big wave of guilt. Despite all the wonderful stuff out there-and I’m not trying to say I haven’t been inspired by some of it and even used some of it, it’s one huge place for potential GUILT.
As my mom pointed out this week, blogs still only show what people want to show. Even if they seem to be writing the ups and downs of their lives, we’re still only seeing a fraction of the whole picture. You still don’t know everything that is going on and how that person is accomplishing everything they are posting about. You don’t know their health, their strength, the family support they might be receiving etc. But we compare our own lives, our own weaknesses, our own limitations with the big world wide web of seemingly perfect, or at least incredibly amazing people.
As President Uchtdorf put it in two recent talks: STOP IT! and Slow down.
Your child’s teacher will survive without the homemade sprinkles. Hey, they will even survive without a present at all. (I know because one year I just couldn’t manage to pull it together and I had nothing to give Rebecca’s dear sweet teacher on the last day of school. And guess what, she still talks to us two years later!)
Your child will survive without you trying every developmentally helpful activity available to momkind. Your child will even thrive and be smart and capable without every cognitive stimulating toy or museum or experience. It’s okay to give your child some time to be “bored” and see what their minds come up with on their own. We don’t need to be our child’s constant educator and entertainer. Yes, we are responsible to teach and raise our child, but it’s okay to let them have some down time and let them dream and think on their own.
‘Cause guess what, some of the brightest minds in history were raised without all the things we’re being told we need. No children’s program at museums, no homemade sensory quiet books, no jello with ice cubes to practice drawing their letters. And yet these minds wrote Othello, painted the Mona Lisa and sculpted the Pietà . And some of these minds worked on farms or pulled handcarts across the plains or founded new cities. And some of these minds didn’t write, paint or sculpt or invent anything, but simply became wonderful human beings, who contributed to society in their own little way, grew up and had their own little families-taught them about God and love and being a good person.
There are seasons to life. And yes, there are some seasons when we can provide our child with an interesting museum experience, or a fun activity, or an educational trip.
But there are times when you can’t provide these things. Any of them. Period. It may be due to the stresses of a pregnancy, a new baby, a health issue, special needs in your extended family, a particular child who needs most of your attention for a time, a difficult situation in your marriage, a demanding job, you or your spouse going back to school or whatever it may be.
Let go of the guilt. STOP IT. Stop comparing. Slow down and remember the very basics and what is truly important. Love your child. Love your child. Give them a hug and a kiss. And then just love them some more. And love yourself, too. You are worth being loved.
Let go of every craft or recipe found on pinterest. Let go of every re-decorating or organization project off the internet and of everything that is inducing guilt in any shape or form. Disconnect from facebook for awhile if you need to. Hey, let go of the fact that you read this post and thought, “she was able to write a blog post and I can’t even do that right now.” Don’t worry about it. I needed to do this for my soul. You’re doing something else that I’m not. Let it go.
And then when you get out of this stressful season of life and you still find that you can’t do everything everyone else is doing, realize: it’s still okay. We’re all different. We have different abilities, emotionally and physically. If you love your children, and give them a home where they are safe and secure and loved, you teach them about God and loving and serving others and help them discover their talents as time and energy permits-they are going to be just fine. You’re YOU. And God sent these children to you because you needed them and they needed YOU.
And what YOU have to give is enough.
We see blogs from our friends, strangers, people who write blogs for a living, random blogs we find through pinterest etc. It’s all incredibly “inspiring,” right(?!), full of good ideas and fun things you can do with your kids. ~100 activities to do with your toddler in your spare time that stimulate all the senses and promote social and emotional development. ~Homemade fruit snacks for your pre-schoolers that only have three ingredients and are oh so easy (!?), lunches and after-school snacks shaped into animals or smiley faces or thematically centered around the book your child is reading at a 5th grade level even though she is only in 3rd grade. ~Homemade sprinkles for the 'made from scratch' cake pops for teacher appreciation week, back-to-school presents with cute, free “printables,” 101 ways to show your husband you love him, and on and on and on.
I kid you not. This kind of stuff is all over the web.
Oh, and then you also read about the moms who have their kids in sports, music, dance, community service and so on, all before they even get to junior high. If they can’t do something by the time they’re twelve it’s too late, right?
All it takes is a nursing mom, who has one free hand, and is tired and maybe a little bored, to sit down at the computer with her baby and start surfing. And instead of riding the waves of inspiration she drowns under one big wave of guilt. Despite all the wonderful stuff out there-and I’m not trying to say I haven’t been inspired by some of it and even used some of it, it’s one huge place for potential GUILT.
As my mom pointed out this week, blogs still only show what people want to show. Even if they seem to be writing the ups and downs of their lives, we’re still only seeing a fraction of the whole picture. You still don’t know everything that is going on and how that person is accomplishing everything they are posting about. You don’t know their health, their strength, the family support they might be receiving etc. But we compare our own lives, our own weaknesses, our own limitations with the big world wide web of seemingly perfect, or at least incredibly amazing people.
As President Uchtdorf put it in two recent talks: STOP IT! and Slow down.
Your child’s teacher will survive without the homemade sprinkles. Hey, they will even survive without a present at all. (I know because one year I just couldn’t manage to pull it together and I had nothing to give Rebecca’s dear sweet teacher on the last day of school. And guess what, she still talks to us two years later!)
Your child will survive without you trying every developmentally helpful activity available to momkind. Your child will even thrive and be smart and capable without every cognitive stimulating toy or museum or experience. It’s okay to give your child some time to be “bored” and see what their minds come up with on their own. We don’t need to be our child’s constant educator and entertainer. Yes, we are responsible to teach and raise our child, but it’s okay to let them have some down time and let them dream and think on their own.
‘Cause guess what, some of the brightest minds in history were raised without all the things we’re being told we need. No children’s program at museums, no homemade sensory quiet books, no jello with ice cubes to practice drawing their letters. And yet these minds wrote Othello, painted the Mona Lisa and sculpted the Pietà . And some of these minds worked on farms or pulled handcarts across the plains or founded new cities. And some of these minds didn’t write, paint or sculpt or invent anything, but simply became wonderful human beings, who contributed to society in their own little way, grew up and had their own little families-taught them about God and love and being a good person.
There are seasons to life. And yes, there are some seasons when we can provide our child with an interesting museum experience, or a fun activity, or an educational trip.
But there are times when you can’t provide these things. Any of them. Period. It may be due to the stresses of a pregnancy, a new baby, a health issue, special needs in your extended family, a particular child who needs most of your attention for a time, a difficult situation in your marriage, a demanding job, you or your spouse going back to school or whatever it may be.
Let go of the guilt. STOP IT. Stop comparing. Slow down and remember the very basics and what is truly important. Love your child. Love your child. Give them a hug and a kiss. And then just love them some more. And love yourself, too. You are worth being loved.
Let go of every craft or recipe found on pinterest. Let go of every re-decorating or organization project off the internet and of everything that is inducing guilt in any shape or form. Disconnect from facebook for awhile if you need to. Hey, let go of the fact that you read this post and thought, “she was able to write a blog post and I can’t even do that right now.” Don’t worry about it. I needed to do this for my soul. You’re doing something else that I’m not. Let it go.
And then when you get out of this stressful season of life and you still find that you can’t do everything everyone else is doing, realize: it’s still okay. We’re all different. We have different abilities, emotionally and physically. If you love your children, and give them a home where they are safe and secure and loved, you teach them about God and loving and serving others and help them discover their talents as time and energy permits-they are going to be just fine. You’re YOU. And God sent these children to you because you needed them and they needed YOU.
And what YOU have to give is enough.
Jun 28, 2012
NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!
I've been waiting to write this post for a LONG time. Two and a half years to be exact, and more intently the last 6 months. Two and a half years ago Warren's firm lost business and he lost his job. New management tried to get some of that business back and rehired him after three months of unemployment on a monthly type contract basis. We hoped it might become permanent again or that we would find a different job, but neither scenario worked out. Business never picked up and after a year and a half of contract work, his contract was not renewed. This was a tough time for our family. Both bouts of unemployment happened while I was pregnant with our third and fourth children, respectively. The economy has been down and lawyers have been hard hit this time around, so although we knew we were not alone, it didn't change the fact that it was hard.
Elder Holland spoke to our Stake recently and said, when things get tough, don't get out of the boat. During our struggles, we stayed in the boat. As a family we prayed together, had faith, and worked hard to always be kind to each other and not lose hope. And so in some ways, instead of just being a difficult time, it was also a sweet time that we will be able to look back on and see how much closer we grew as a couple and a family.
And now, after 6 months of intense searching (plus the two years) we are happy to announce:
WARREN HAS A NEW JOB!!! :) Location wise it is near where he used to work, so we will be able to stay right where we are.
It makes me emotional to think of the support we have had from so many of you during this time. You will never know how much your prayers, well wishes and kind words meant to us. So often when we felt like nothing was happening, somebody would ask if they could pass on Warren's resume to someone they knew. Even though that's not how we got the job in the end, it was those kinds of things that kept us going when it seemed like there was no light at the end of the tunnel.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all of you who have been there for us emotionally and also with kind deeds, including food, clothing and other needs openly or anonymously. Every single act of kindness meant so much to us. Every single prayer kept us going and has been answered. It always gave me strength when someone would come up to me and say: "We are praying for you."
I just hope that I will be that person for someone who is going through a struggle like you were for me. I hope I can take what I have learned and pass it on. I want to give as I have been so generously blessed by so many of you during this time. Once again, thank you for loving our family. We will never forget you, whether we know your name or not. You are in our hearts forever.
Two weeks before Warren got the job offer, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came to our Stake for Stake Conference with Elder W. Mark Bassett of the Seventy, to reorganize our Stake Presidency. Warren has served as Bishop of our ward for the last three years, a calling that normally lasts around 5 years. However, Warren was asked if he would now serve as 2nd Counselor in the new Whittier Stake Presidency. Once again, thank you for the prayers offered on behalf of Warren and our family as he has served as Bishop during two rounds of unemployment and two difficult pregnancies for me. So many served our family during these years. A bishop cannot do his job without the support of the ward members and we felt your love and support. Warren has loved serving as Bishop. We will cherish this time in our life thanks to the love we felt from you!
Meeting Elder Holland and learning at his feet all weekend long was an incredibly special and spiritual weekend for us as a family and as a Stake. Everyone continues to talk about how blessed we were as a Stake to be able to listen to and learn from an Apostle. It was a wonderful weekend. We also enjoyed getting to know and learn from Elder Bassett, who was also a marvelous gospel teacher.
Trials will always be a part of life, but we are grateful to be able to share this good news with those we love and have a rest from this particular trial at this time!
Once again, thank you for your love and support,
Dorothea and Warren
Elder Holland spoke to our Stake recently and said, when things get tough, don't get out of the boat. During our struggles, we stayed in the boat. As a family we prayed together, had faith, and worked hard to always be kind to each other and not lose hope. And so in some ways, instead of just being a difficult time, it was also a sweet time that we will be able to look back on and see how much closer we grew as a couple and a family.
And now, after 6 months of intense searching (plus the two years) we are happy to announce:
WARREN HAS A NEW JOB!!! :) Location wise it is near where he used to work, so we will be able to stay right where we are.
It makes me emotional to think of the support we have had from so many of you during this time. You will never know how much your prayers, well wishes and kind words meant to us. So often when we felt like nothing was happening, somebody would ask if they could pass on Warren's resume to someone they knew. Even though that's not how we got the job in the end, it was those kinds of things that kept us going when it seemed like there was no light at the end of the tunnel.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all of you who have been there for us emotionally and also with kind deeds, including food, clothing and other needs openly or anonymously. Every single act of kindness meant so much to us. Every single prayer kept us going and has been answered. It always gave me strength when someone would come up to me and say: "We are praying for you."
I just hope that I will be that person for someone who is going through a struggle like you were for me. I hope I can take what I have learned and pass it on. I want to give as I have been so generously blessed by so many of you during this time. Once again, thank you for loving our family. We will never forget you, whether we know your name or not. You are in our hearts forever.
Two weeks before Warren got the job offer, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came to our Stake for Stake Conference with Elder W. Mark Bassett of the Seventy, to reorganize our Stake Presidency. Warren has served as Bishop of our ward for the last three years, a calling that normally lasts around 5 years. However, Warren was asked if he would now serve as 2nd Counselor in the new Whittier Stake Presidency. Once again, thank you for the prayers offered on behalf of Warren and our family as he has served as Bishop during two rounds of unemployment and two difficult pregnancies for me. So many served our family during these years. A bishop cannot do his job without the support of the ward members and we felt your love and support. Warren has loved serving as Bishop. We will cherish this time in our life thanks to the love we felt from you!
Meeting Elder Holland and learning at his feet all weekend long was an incredibly special and spiritual weekend for us as a family and as a Stake. Everyone continues to talk about how blessed we were as a Stake to be able to listen to and learn from an Apostle. It was a wonderful weekend. We also enjoyed getting to know and learn from Elder Bassett, who was also a marvelous gospel teacher.
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| President Waite (1st Counselor), President Powell (Whittier Stake President), Elder Holland (Quorum of the Twelve Apostles), Elder Bassett (Area Authority Seventy), President Williams (2nd Counselor) |
Once again, thank you for your love and support,
Dorothea and Warren
May 29, 2012
Open House at School
Celeste's Baby Blessing
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| The Williams and the Luschins |
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| The men who participated in the baby blessing. |
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| The Princess |
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| The booties made by Grandma Carol |
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| Mother and Daughter |
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| Four Generations of wonderful women! |
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| Lots of family came to celebrate. |
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| Great-Grandma Darlene with Great-grandchild number 18! |
May 8, 2012
Happiness is...a new baby
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| "Baby 'Lest is 'leeping!" (says Theo in a loud voice!) |
Apr 28, 2012
Celeste Elisabeth Williams, April 26th, 2012
On April 26th, 2012, at 3:30 pm, we welcomed with love, Celeste Elisabeth Williams.
Her name means 'from heaven' or 'heavenly' and we truly feel heaven blessed to have this sweet little girl join our family.
Rebecca, Joseph and Theo could hardly wait to meet their little sister.
They were proudly wearing their "I'm a big brother/sister t-shirts."
As soon as Theo walked into the room he took possession of the baby and said: Gimme baby. He held her, kissed her, shushed her, pointed out her ears and head and nose and was so excited he could hardly stand it. Rebecca and Joseph, too, savored their first moments with Celeste. Joseph loved her hands and toes, just like he did when Theo was born. When Rebecca, Joseph and Theo walked into the room Celeste opened her eyes (it was my first time seeing her eyes opened) and looked straight in their direction. I felt like she knew exactly who was entering. It was an emotional moment for me, having my whole family together for the first time. 
Celeste is adjusting well to the love of her brothers and sister. We're happy to have Grandma Julie here helping us. The birth went well. Not quite as shocking as Joseph's 911 fire department delivery, and not quite as fast as Theo's 1 1/2 hours of labor. I did labor at home as much as possible (starting about 6 in the morning), praying that I would know the right moment to go to the hospital. That moment eventually came, and we arrived at the hospital just in time. Celeste was born 45 minutes later.
It is such a blessing to be able to participate in bringing life into this world. We're grateful for everyone who assisted in making Celeste's birth a wonderful experience, including friends (who helped out with the other children at home), family and the doctor and nurses.
Happy Birthday, Celeste! We're so glad you've joined our family.
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About Me
- Greek Goddess
- I'm a woman who is trying to do her best each day of her life. I laugh, cry, make mistakes, create, make messes and clean. I love life and learning and staying in touch with family and friends. Every year I get to know myself better and how best to use my own strengths and weaknesses to navigate my path.