Sorry That I Suck

It has been months since I have updated this blog.  Sorry.

My kids are beginning to wonder if I love the presidential election more than I love my family.  If you don't know what I am talking about, please click here.

Although I have thoroughly enjoyed finding an outlet for my political passions (and obsessions), my kids are wondering if I love politics more than them.  So I made them a promise that I would be better about updating the details of our crazy life in Colorado.

A lot has been happening in the Williams' household.

A Wedding

Last month, my brother Christian got married to an amazing girl named Sarah and we went home for the wedding.  They are such a perfect match and we are thrilled beyond measure that they found each other.

My kids adore my brother.  

One of the highlights of the wedding festivities was when all of my siblings and parents went to lunch together.  No kids.  No spouses.  Just siblings sitting around, laughing until we cried as we lovingly offered marriage advice to Christian.  We did this when Kara got married and it was a priceless memory for all of us.

It was a perfect afternoon and an amazing reminder of how much I adore these people.

Other big news...THOMAS TURNED 13

I am a mother of a teenager???

Instead of a birthday cake, Thomas opted for caramel apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Yum!

I could write on and on about the countless events of the past few months, but mostly I want to acknowledge that I feel blessed.

Life is good.

And I promise to be better about updating...

A Memorable Trip To DC

A few months ago, Romney and I discussed how great it would be if we could take each of the kids on a trip with just the two of us when they turn 12.  We decided that Washington DC would be the perfect place to celebrate Thomas' 12th birthday.

We woke up at 4:20 AM last Wednesday in order to make our 6:00 AM flight.  It was a little painful, but well worth it.  We stepped off the plane and were blasted by the humidity.  This made me realize three things: 1) Low 70s with humidity feels like 90 degrees 2) I realized I had not packed the right clothes 2) I hate humidity.

AIR & SPACE & OTHER MUSEUMS

We successfully jam packed 4 days in that amazing city with as much as our feet and brains could handle.
We started with a trip to the Air & Space Museum.  We loved seeing the history of aviation captured with the display of actual planes and spacecraft. One of our favorite items on display was the monkey that the US used to test the effects of space travel on the body.  Apparently, this little monkey along with a few other choice animals, were launched into space.  The little monkey's corpse is displayed still in his contraption.  It was creepy and hilarious.

We also really enjoyed seeing a Spitfire plane on display.  Romney's grandpa Dwight was shot down in one of these planes during WWII.  He miraculously survived the attack and despite a severe blast to his head, the plane miraculously landed safely.  It is considered a miracle because he landed safely, but when his plane landed, fellow soldiers found him unconscious in the cockpit. 

MONUMENTS

We toured and walked to every monument we could find including: The Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, WWII, Korea and Vietnam Memorials.

We took a tour of the Capitol, Supreme Court and the spectacular Library of Congress.  It was so inspiring to be in a place where a few select men changed the world.  We saw one of three Gutenberg Bibles in existence and marveled at Thomas Jefferson's personal collection of library books.  It certainly reinforced a deeper respect for learning.

MARRIOTT HOTEL CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS

Those who know Thomas, are aware of of passion for architecture.  He has been drawing intricate designs of hotels and luxury homes since he was 10-years-old.  He named his hotel company "Willgin" and has been designing hotels for major cities throughout the world.  His portfolio is growing and his plans for his future seem to undoubtedly involve architecture.

To flame his passion for architecture, Romney contacted his college friend David Marriott to see if he could give Thomas some kind of VIP tour of the Marriott headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland.  David came through and exceeded our expectations.  He and his brother-in-law Ron, head of Architecture Department for Marriott corporate gave Thomas a once-in-a-lifetime tour of Marriott's Architecture Department.

We were able to tour the basement where we were able to see mock-up rooms of the various hotel brands that belong to the Marriott hotel chain family.  This demonstrated how the room designs are selected and the thought planning behind the layout and design of each room.

Thomas was then taken to the media section where hundreds of cubicles and computer graphic designers create the facade, lobbies and room designs with expensive 3D computer programs.  Thomas was even allowed to play on some of the computers.

(The Marriott flag on the bottom right was retrieved from the roof of the Marriott hotel that was destroyed when the twin towers collapsed on Sept 11th.  The edges are frayed and burned.  Miraculously all guest survived, but two Marriott employees did not make it out alive.  One of them was last seen running through the lobby making sure that everyone else had left safely.) 

It was unreal and we could not believe how inspiring it was.  Ron thoughtfully told Thomas to call him in 12 years. I have no doubt that Thomas will take him up on that offer.

WASHINGTON DC, LDS TEMPLE

Another highlight of the trip was taking Thomas to the Washington DC temple.  My sister Marisa was able to provide several names of deceased family members so that we could do baptisms with Thomas.  It was really great and something I am sure we will never forget.

ARLINGTON CEMETERY

On our last morning, we walked through historic Arlington Cemetery.  That is such a remarkable place that instills such a respect for our soldiers and our country.  We visited the tomb of the unknown soldier and timed it so that we could see the famous changing of the guard ceremony. 

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S HOME AT MT VERNON

We ended our trip with a drive to Mt. Vernon.  It was the perfect way to end our trip.  Romney and I had never seen  it before and we were all in awe of the setting and beauty of the home and surroundings.  The tour was remarkable and most of the furnishings are original including the bed where George Washington died in 1799.  It was so beautiful and was a highlight for all of us.

HOME AT LAST!

Wow, what a trip.  We miraculously made our flight.  They closed the door to the plane 2 minutes after Romney ran on board.  

My legs still ache and I laugh as I think of Romney saying over and over that, "His dogs were barkin."  We laughed and laughed and thoroughly enjoyed our time together.  We made memories that will hopefully last a lifetime...(and also get us through the challenging teenage years ahead of us! Please Thomas remember that we are friends!!)

We feel blessed that we were able to have this experience and also that our kids were in good hands.  It was a great trip, but were reminded once again how great it is to be home! We came home and were welcomed by this happy scene...

A 12th Birthday & The Gift of Motherhood

During our years in Boston, this week in April was always a highlight.  The weather was finally warming and the city came to life on Patriot's Day, the state holiday for Massachusetts, the third Monday in April.  This historical day, April 19th commemorates the start of the US Revolutionary War.  There is a re-enactment of the Paul Revere's ride, Battle at Lexington and Concord and on this day every year, runners from all over the world run the beloved Boston Marathon. Our friends would always gather on heartbreak hill to cheer on the marathon runners and then end the day at a local favorite, Kimball's Farm for delicious slow-churned ice cream.

Twelve years ago today, I ran my own version of the Boston Marathon when I gave birth to Thomas.  He was born on Patriot's Day, April 19th, at 8:45 AM.  The hospital sat just less than one mile from the famous finish line at Kenmore Square in Boston.

It is hard to believe that was 12 years ago today! What a journey it has been.  Thomas has been a determined and strong-willed child from the second he took his first breath.

I'll never forget how scary and vulnerable I felt as Romney and I walked out of that hospital with him in our arms.  I could not believe that the hospital staff was just going to let us walk out of there with a baby.  Didn't they know we had no clue what we were doing? I felt like I was stepping into adulthood as we drove away.  I think I was right.

On this day, Thomas gave me the gift of motherhood.  In a way,  we have been guinea pigs together--a first for both of us.  But, I'll be honest, being Thomas' mom has been a joy beyond measure.   Thomas and I are great friends...we have been from the start.  What an honor that I am the one who gets to watch him blossom into the amazing person he is.

12 is a big one.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for my darling Thomas...the sweet kid who will somehow always be my little guy with huge blue eyes and munchable cheeks.  I'll admit that I get a lump in my throat when I think about how quickly his childhood is flying by.

 Happy Birthday Mr. T!!

End of a Season...

Basketball season is over.  Much to Christian's dismay, the NBA did not show up with a contract, but he was not as disappointed as I thought he would be.  He played most of his games with both arms up waiting for a pass, a pass which rarely came, but...he truly loved the experience.

He still uses every second of free time at home in the basement practicing basketball. I love it.  He has now told us that when he grows up, "I am either going to be in the NBA or win American Idol."

Thomas' season is also over.  It was a great year and this basketball season was by far the most positive experience he has had in sports.  His coaches were great and it was so fun to watch his confidence explode.

Congrats T on a great season!!
 

 

End of a season.  The weather is warming...bring on the flag football!

Growing...no pains yet.

It is interesting to watch as my kids are maturing in different ways.  Thomas is really beginning to change and I know that I have said it before, but he is blossoming and I am loving the changes that I see. He seems to be more aware of the needs of others and he is acting on his impulses to do something good without being prompted or let's be honest, bribed by me.

Yesterday, I went to Costco with Sophie and Christian.  The car was loaded up with the over-sized boxes and food items.  On the way home, we picked up Thomas as he walked home from the bus stop.  As we pulled in the garage and the kids ran in the house, you can imagine how my heart swelled, when Thomas returned after taking his backpack inside and immediately started helping me with the groceries.  He came back twice to easy my burden and then when I got inside, he asked me where things needed to be put in the pantry.  Wow.

And then, to top it off, he has been taking a home economics cooking class at school and he asked if he could make dinner for me.  He made a South American dish called "Picadillo."  He chopped the onions and minced the garlic...himself.  He cooked the meat and then helped me to set the table.  The meal was delicious and we all enjoyed it...especially me.  (Romney is out of town, so you can imagine how nice that was for me.)

I was so touched by his simple acts of kindness.  His attitude about everything lately has been remarkable.  I am so proud of him.  I guess that I am just so grateful that he is maturing and finding his place and I know that he will gradually need to voice his independence and pull away from me (hopefully only slightly), but for now his effort to take a step closer to me is melting my heart.  Thank you T!

Thomas is Blossoming

Our friend Ellen Patton took this of Thomas at 2 yrs.

Since the day Thomas joined our family, he has kept me running.  The way he moved in my stomach was truly a phenomenon... definitely a precursor of what was to come.  When he 11 months old and was learning to walk, he would grab a footstool and push that thing all over our hard-wood floors.  It was hilarious because it did not help Thomas learn to walk, rather it forced him to run...full speed.  He would spend his day running back and forth and only take breaks to watch the "woos" (sirens) outside of our apartment window in Sommerville, Massachusetts.


He has one of the kindest hearts I know.  He loves to be a big brother and his relationship with Christian is so tender.  It melts my heart.  His mind is so creative and his ability to execute that creativity into Lego creations or hotel drawings blows my mind.

Our move to Sugarhouse last year however, was really hard on him.  There were not any kids his age in our ward or immediate neighborhood and his social life at school was stagnant.  No one ever called to hang out with him and worse than that, he knew it.  Sometimes he would say, "Mom and Dad, why doesn't any one ever call me?"  Ouch!  It was hard because there was nothing we could do for him.  And of course it did not help that the lovely principal at Bonneville Elementary tagged him as a trouble maker and he began to believe her.  He was not himself and no matter what we tried, the spark was fading from Thomas.

For this reason, our move to Colorado terrified me.  He was going to be in 6th grade and worse yet, he was going to be in middle school.  I had many sleepless nights imagining how he would react to another major change.  The day I took him to Rocky Top Middle School was harder on me than the day I took him to Kindergarten.  I truly felt like I was dropping him in a pool of sharks and warning him with a smile to, "Swim fast!"  My heart ached.  He did not know a soul and he seemed so small.  I still get tears just thinking about that lump in my throat as I watched him walk away from me.

In so many ways, I wanted to grab him and hide...to keep him safe from all that was coming.  I am learning however, that part of this journey of motherhood is learning to let go.  Learning to trust that the storms of life are necessary for growth.  My job as the mom is just to make sure that home is the safety from those storms.

Romney's cousin Allyson Bos took these photos this past summer.

But, I am proud, shocked and overwhelmed to say, that Thomas is doing incredibly well.  He is truly beginning to blossom.  He has told me on multiple occasions that he loves school.  He gets his homework done on his own and actually enjoys doing it.  He wakes up early with a smile and this past Sunday, when I was just too wiped out to wake up from my rare Sunday nap to help him with a paper, I woke up to find that he had completed it on his own.  This may not seem like a big deal, but this is HUGE.

He has joined a soccer team and he actually gets out of the car to go to practice...something that NEVER happened when he was on a soccer team a few years ago.  He is making good friends and he is even being a great little missionary.  He has invited a non-member friend to church and this past Sunday, Thomas was responsible for the fact that one of his inactive friends came to church with his mom.  When their home teacher asked the mom what motivated her to come back after several years, her reply was that her son Dylan was friends with Thomas.

This is not to say that we won't continue to have ups and downs, but I cannot believe how well Thomas has done.  He has landed on his feet and is beginning to soar.  I feel blessed.