bear lake on an iphone

like most of these summer weekends,
we spent our pioneer day in Bear Lake.
somehow i never can find the energy to do much other than sit around and eat
so these are all the more of the festivities documented.
i'm finding my phone camera more and more convenient every day.

Caribbean of the rockies,
raspberry shakes,
evening fire pits,
wave running beach days,
lots and lots of good food.

our 24th wasn't half bad.

if you get on our good side,
we might even invite you to come next time.
just saying...

all of my love

i can't sleep. i've been tossing and turning in bed tonight with a million thoughts racing around. like usual i try find my grounding. i look over to dustin normally and he focuses me. i feel safe and secure, and loved and within moments my racing mind quiets and i drift off to sleep. but tonight he had poppy curled up next to him. and while all my other racing thoughts came still, my heart honestly lept with this over-powering all encompassing love. a love i don't completely understand even myself, but wtiness every day. how am i so lucky to have these individual souls to all love? how did i create two of them ? and how do they all love me so deeply in return? my heart literally is so full of love for every being that is our family.
but how do i show this? how do put into action what i actually feel?

tonight we took the kids to an outdoor mall close-ish to our home. they have a pretty impressive water feature/pop-jet something or other going on. and it felt like a splendid summerish family activity so off we were.
upon arrival to the water both my girls were a little stand-offish and sat with excited eyes on the side lines. both sort of toed the edge, and then would scramble back to me shrieking with both laughter and fear. after a few minutes of this however, my always dare devil poppy, ran straight to the middle of the fountain straddled the largest jet, and let out the most contagious and adorable squeal of delight and fear. i literally laughed out loud, and physically felt so in love with the little-big phenomena she is. she just is so much. and i loooove her so much. she completely has me whooped. it felt so good to see her that happy.
but somehow coexisting with all of this love and pride for poppy is a different love i have for minie. i have an appreciation of her apprehension of the cold water and new sitaution. but also a sadness that she isn't out there giggling and being silly along side her sister. i feel guilty then also that i find so much joy in watching poppy be so happy, that i'd almost forgotten that minie was still standing scared on the sidelines.
so then i leave my happy poppy to hold my minie's unsure hand to tell her she doesn't need to be afraid. i show her she can still have own kind of fun by dodging the exploding water instead of just taking it full on, and now she's finally squealing in delight right along side her sister.

i sat back and felt so much love for my family.i am so blessed. but i also felt guilt. guilt because i know i can't be everything i know they both really need... and need from me.
phew... it's exhausting isn't it?
the whole parenting thing ....how can i show my children just how all encompassing my love for them was, IS, and will always be. they are my hear, and there is no limit that this love of mine can't reach. they are my everything,

to my own mother and father. thank you, thank you, thank you. i have always felt your love and how deep it really ran. and i am sorry for the moments that i forget it. i love you mom. i love you dad. thank you.

this is risky business this parenting thing. i have no idea what is in-store for our future.. but i do know there will always be our love. messed up, confusing, over-whelming amounts of love.
things are going to be okay.
right???

minie and poppy,
please know that i never, ever, EVER will stop loving every crazy, neurotic, silly ounce of you. you are mine and your father's everything. we love you. i LOVE you. with. all. my. heart.

xoxo,
mama


*note to reader
it is 1:20 AM. this is just my muddle brain trying to make sense of my crazy thoughts.
i just want to fall asleep.
if this all sounds like gibberish ... it is :)

goodnight

the jorth of fuly

hardly is there ever a better summer day than the 4th of july. truly.
i love that all us original williams kids congregate back to our parents. i love that we all sleep over and revert back to being the kids ourselves. and that my Mon doesn't even skip a beat treating us as such. i also love how we make our husbands decorate bikes in the middle of the night for the morning parade (and they do it. happily). i love the food, sidewinder falls, and spending all day doing absolutely nothing with family and friends.
our jorth was a pretty dang perfect day.
how about yours?

this year we tried to be extra creative and finally make my dad's dream come true.
he thinks he is hillarious and claims there are far too many of us to remember. therefore, we are all assigned a number. i was the 5th child born into my family so i am number 5. that makes dustin number 50 and our girls 51 and 52. make sense? not really? i know... he's weird.
but that is what this is. the numbered grandchildren.
poppy was supposed to be in this...

but instead was doing this.
she is not much of a morning person.

4th of julyers waiting for breakfast.

poppy girl,you were very loud this morning.
weird.
:)

there's my happy girl!

and robyn had mad skillz.
jump while i have my camera out. i dare you.
i love me some jumping shots.

i didn't take a single picture of a firework or anything terribly festive actually.
almost offensive....
but your feeling the love, right?

hope your summer holidaying about is stupendous.



xo,
brooke

turning 4

about a month ago i decided i wasn't going to do a big hoopla for minie's birthday this year. after all is said done, does she really care? simple answer, NO.
give her friends, give her presents, give her a candle to blow out.
seemed easy.
well, hell. i thought so too.
but
THIS blog was introduced to me and then all my plans of simplicity went flying out the window.
i mean honestly... i may have a problem.
i tried to reel it in, so the following is what was produced.
over all.. it was fantastic.
and surprisingly stress-free.

she is worth making a fuss about. really, she is.

me and my girls. i don't make an appearance much on my own blog. but robyn had my camera this day and she got these.
i love these stinks.

pin the dot on the ladybug

and a very sad attempt at a three-legged race.

minie was hysterical.
sometimes it's just hard being the birthday girl.

but a candle lit mud pie made it all better.

oh la la... and her too.
shhh...
so hot right now.

minie's actual birthday fell on a Sunday so it was pretty low key. balloons and streamers to greet her... and then it was off to church.

she finally got her rapunzie gown, and was 100% thrilled to put it on immediately.
disney runs our life.

nannie's famous neapolitan cake was the perfect cap to the perfect birthday weekend.

minie.. you are the cutest 4 year old around.
we love you

dancette

well one month later and i am finally updating about sister girl's second dance recital.
at least its happening.
however, she is yummy.. isn't she? i hate to toot her horn, but she is pretty dang good at this whole dance business. and that is pretty shocking seeing that i was the world's most uncoordinated child. ever. dustin wasn't so coordo either. it's also shocking, because miss moo was the world's slowest developer. she didn't roll until she was 9 months, crawl until 12 months, and walk until she was nearly 18 months old. there was nothing ever truly wrong with her, her doctor always just told us "she may just not be so coordinated." well, well, well... look at her now.
she was the cutest little lion on the block ( i know.. her costume was not translating lion. but that's what she is supposed to be) and looking at these pictures makes me want to bite her.

poppy's heart was broken she couldn't join her sister in costume, and she let her pain be know.
so out of character for her
:)

minie moo, you do us proud.
xoxo!

swimmers

so it is high time these little ladies learned how to swim. we've been challenging the pool for years and well frankly, we were ALL tired of having someone near drown every day.
so like good little mama's kennan and i signed the kids up for private swim lessons.
we were playing hard ball this year.
swim or die.
for 2 weeks every day we would be found spending our mornings with miss arianne.
she is awesome. anyone who can spend 5+ hours in the pool with the 8 and under crowd deserves my complete respect. she rocked it.
i would love to tell you my kids are pros at this point... but maybe not so much.
however, we are this____ close to getting it. i've signed them up for one more session starting next week. i feel like the second time could be the charm?

regardless,

who can deny seeing this amazing every time?

and quite possibly the best thing to come from it all???

well duh...
this is what her toosh looks like 98% of the lesson.

worth it.

the first of many

are you ready?
hide yo wife, hide yo kids
because thangs are going to be getting crazy round these parts.
update summer 2011 is on it's way, and i'm expecting soo many comments.
paalease. my blog is so hot right now.

so just consider this a little teaser.
festive summer photos for a festive time of year.

:)

and no. you can't have them.
they're mine.
(minus ezzie of course. but i'll take him.)

my girl

this day four years ago i could have never expected you. the amazing, wonderful, silly-crazy you. i sat in labor that hot july day and foolishly thought i knew what this was all about.. what you were all about. i labored for 20 hours, and pushed for over two. i was beyond exhausted and so ready to give up. your heart rate was racing and the doctor told me i had to push harder. i found strength i never knew i had.. and then you were there. you were pink the moment you entered this world. you took a minute to cry, and when you finally did i was undone. my life changed forever in that moment. you gave me meaning, you gave me purpose, and mostly you gave me joy. times aren't always smooth. you also know how to give me grief.. but at the end of every day all i can ever think of is the pink, happy, beautiful you. my minie christine, you are forever and ever my heart. i love you baby girl. happy birthday.

xo
mama