Another Week...

Hi everyone! I guess I'm becoming a weekly blogger... Nothing wrong with that, I suppose, just an observation.

A lot has happened since I last checked in...

Bryan and I went this past Thursday to Austin for the night. The main reason for going to Austin is that they have a Melting Pot restaurant. This is one of our favorite places to eat. We first went to the one in Nashville for prom my sophomore year, his junior year. The one in Nashville is VERY fancy, and you would never see anyone in shorts or sandals. We went to one in San Antonio once and now the one in Austin. Neither of these were NEARLY as fancy, but the fondue was still AWESOME!!! Here's a picture of the restaurant:


We caught a ride TO The Melting Pot in the hotel shuttle. We decided, before we left the hotel, that we were going to walk back after dinner as it was only a couple of blocks. That was decided to be our "nightly walk". What a GREAT decision that was!! On our way back, we noticed quite a congregation forming on the Congress Street bridge. Somehow Bryan knew that it was almost time for the bats to come out. Apparently, there are millions of bats that reside under the bridge. Sure enough, after about 15 minutes or so of waiting, we saw MILLIONS of bats come out... It was CRAZY!!! We took a couple of pictures, but the bats are very difficult to decipher, so I won't bother posting one...

Once back at the hotel, we just relaxed a little. It was nice to do that. We watched a little TV, then it was time for bed.

In the morning, we got up, went downstairs for breakfast (we stayed at the Embassy Suites, remember their HUGE breakfasts from the wedding??), then returned to the room to get ready for the day. Upon check out, we stopped in the gift shop and, before we knew it, we had purchased a T-shirt for Maddy. It's ADORABLE. It's pink and says " Texas Princess".

Once we left the hotel, we noticed that the capital building was just down the street. Bryan wanted to stop and take a few pictures, so we did. Once we were there, taking pictures, we decided to go in. We wandered through for a little while and took some pictures...




We also saw the cathedral, so we walked to it to take a couple of pictures:



After leaving the cathedral, our trusty new GPS took us to Babies 'r' Us, where we just perused since we don't have one of them. Once we were finished with that, and had a little lunch, we started the drive home.

Once home, we met up with Mike & Breezy, our friends that live a couple of streets over (the couple who I house sat for while they were both deployed). Mike's truck is on it's last leg, so he wanted to go look for a new one. That worked out nicely because we wanted to take our new car seat to the Toyota dealership to check out how much space there will be in the 4Runner once it's installed in the backseat. After visiting a few dealerships, we went to dinner at Logan's, which concluded our night.

Yesterday, we got up and did a few chores around the house, then headed out to our buddy Landon's third birthday party. Actually, we're friends with his parents, but we were invited, so we went. It was a nice time, but it was HOT!!

After leaving the party, we went to the GMC dealership. By this time, we had made our decision. We have chosen to purchase a GMC Acadia. We found our friend Willie at the dealership and gave him our print-out of what EXACTLY we are looking for. Shortly after we got there, our friends Kristen and Bobby (who also live two streets over) showed up. They, too, are looking for a new vehicle. Shortly after they left, our friends Ryan and Diana showed up to pick up their brand new Acadia they purchased last week. Seems like EVERYONE is looking for a new car right now... Willie tried talking us into one of the Acadias that he had on the lot since it had all the features we were looking for. Unfortunately, it's WHITE. We had given Willie a list of colors we liked, and white was not one of them, so we thanked him for the offer of "a helluva deal", and asked him to please check around to see what others around the area have to offer us. He agreed and promised a phone call tomorrow with his findings. Sounds like we could be the owners of a brand new Acadia before the end of the week!!! AAAHHHHH!!! Scary, huh?!?! I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and post them once we have ours.

We came home after the dealership to have some dinner. After dinner, we went BACK out (we forgot that we were planning to stop at Target while we were out) and purchased some curtains for our living room:



What do you think?? I hope you like it. I know that I do. I think that Bryan is still adjusting.

Today, we cleaned out Maddy's room a little more. Once Bryan has Mike come over to help him schlep some things up to the attic, we'll have a better idea as to where we stand. We fully expect to have that room completely cleaned out this week... and hopefully painted.

We DID pick out some paint samples for her room. We are looking at pale pink and chocolate brown. Any suggestions there?? As to how to paint the room to incorporate both colors??

One last thing we did tonight was look into getting a 4D Ultrasound done. We got a postcard in the mail yesterday for Stork Vision. That's a place here that does 4D Ultrasounds. Since Bryan has missed both of the other ones, we thought that would be a pretty neat thing to do together. We are required to get permission from the doctor, so I plan to call tomorrow and see what she says.

Ok, well, I'm pretty sure that I've talked your eyes off by this point, so I think I'll end this. Maybe I should try to blog more frequently as to not bore you so much next time!!

Love you guys!!!

Just Checking In...

Hi everyone! The main reason for today's blog is pictures... With that being said, here we go:
This is a picture of the 777 that Bryan was on to come home from the desert. They did a "fly by" when they got back to the base before they landed...



Then, they landed...



Nash and I decided to relax a little while Bryan was unpacking his things from the deployment...

Then, Nash decided to try on Bryan's hat... Actually, we tormented him by putting it on him. Doesn't he look amused?!?!?! It's a good thing he's so patient with us!!

Those are pretty much all the deployment pictures that I have...

We also finally got our pictures from Nashville printed, framed and on the wall. We are THRILLED to finally have this done! It only took us a year!! HaHaHa...

Here are this week's pregnancy pictures... Maddy seems to be growing quite a bit. Last night Bryan was actually able to feel her move!!! It was a pretty awesome moment for us!! We have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday morning. Let's all pray for continued good news!!!


Hope everyone has a wonderful week!!! I am going back to work tomorrow... but, am taking Thursday and Friday off for us to go to Austin for an overnight trip... Which should be nice!

Talk to everyone later!

Love you guys!

Marital Compromises

Good morning all! Bryan and I went car shopping yesterday. We've got some good news and some bad news... The good news is that we've narrowed it down to 2 vehicles. The bad news is that Bryan feels very passionately about one of the vehicles, and I, about the other. At this exact moment, we are at a stand-still, and still own and drive the Grand AM. We still have some time, but we do not want to wait until the very last second to make this purchase. That's unnecessary stress!! Truly the decision comes down to how much of a vehicle do we need? The 4Runner seats 5 people, while the Acadia seats 7 or 8 (depending on the seat configuration you choose).

Our next step will be to take the travel system (car seat and stroller) with us to see how they fit in each of the vehicles. When we make that trip, I believe our friends Mike & Breezy will go with us to see how THEY fit in each of the vehicles. Mike is well over 6 feet tall, so I feel as though his opinion on comfort is VERY valuable!!

Gas mileage is not an issue with either of these vehicles. The average in the city is the same for each vehicle, and the average on the highway is 3 mpg more on the Acadia, but we don't consider that a HUGE difference.

There is a price difference between the two, but they are not exactly comparable vehicles. The Acadia costs a little more, but it is a larger vehicle (longer by 10 inches).

I drove both of them, and they both ride very smoothly. Neither felt any bigger than the other when driving it.

The only decisions that we DID make are that we do NOT want a sunroof if we get the Acadia (the only shade for the glass does not completely block out the sun) and we are pretty certain that we're going to get the DVD player in the vehicle. While we do not really need that now, we think that in the not so distant future, it will make road trips much more comfortable for EVERYONE! That is not a 100% decision (like the Acadia's sunroof), but it's something we're actually considering.

Ok. I think I've whined enough for one day. Any thoughts? Insights? Suggestions? Ways to make the decision easier? We're all ears!! We'll listen to (maybe not heed, but listen to) any and all advice you may have for us. We know that you guys are more experienced in this department! Thanks in advance!

Love you guys!

Just so you know what they look like... Here are a couple of photos...

First is the 4Runner...

Next is the Acadia...

HE'S HOME!!!!!!

Well, everyone, yesterday around 3:15 PM Bryan's plane touched down at Dyess. I promised him I wasn't going to cry. I lied. HeHeHe. He was okay with it, though. There was an article in our local newspaper today. You may have received it already via e-mail, but if you haven't seen it, here it is:

300 airmen from the 317th Airlift Group return to Dyess AFB

By Charles G. Anderson Sr.
Special to the Reporter-News
Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The 300 airmen of the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess Air Force Base may have been tired from their flights home Wednesday from as far away as Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa, but it didn't show.

There were cheers, signs, hugs, kisses, candy and flowers for them as they made their way to the crowd estimated at well over 200. The West Texas sun bore down on the flight line at the base, making it more than 100 degrees -- much like the heat they had left in Southwest Asia 48 hours earlier.

The men and women had been deployed for four months in support of the war on terror.

During their deployment, some members of the 317th were chosen to fly the plane that shuttled Sen. John McCain around as he visited the area earlier in the year.

Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Andrew McIntyre, a C-130 pilot, said the returning airmen had all left home together. The C-130 crews and support staff were stationed throughout the war zone to ferry supplies and troops where needed.

"We flew over 4,000 sorties," he said.

McIntyre said the temperature was over 100 degrees in the region when they left.

Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Fernandez, medical staff, had his wife, Maria, and sons Daniel, 9, and Ariel, 7, waiting for him. Daniel wants his daddy to play video games with him now that he's home.

One couple, Capts. Michael and Breezy Heddinger, did not have to wait for a greeting. They came home together. Michael Heddinger is a C-130 pilot who flew several missions.

There were many accomplishments made by the men and women during their deployment, according to a news release, including a trophy won by a 317th Airlift Group squadron. The 39th Airlift Squadron won the Lt. Gen. Joseph Smith trophy

Reporter-News photo by

Thank you for all the prayers and well wishes while he was gone. If you're still looking for someone to pray for and wish well, little Maddy seems to be doing well, but I'm sure that none would hurt!!!

Weekly Update...

Hi everyone! It's time again for my weekly update... I realize that I used to be a daily updater, but those were the days that I had more energy, and, seemingly, more time on my hands. For now, a weekly update is all I have to share.

I'd like to start with a great, big HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the dads out there! I called mine, did you call yours? I also got to talk to Bryan on the Internet today, so he was wished well, too...

Other than that, I've been cleaning like a crazy woman. While my house wasn't "dirty" per say, but it could use a little sprucing up. After all, Bryan hasn't seen the place in MONTHS, so I wanted to be sure it looks GREAT when he gets home!!

Last night I started a scrapbook for Maddy. I got all the weekly pregnancy pictures printed and started a scrapbook that I can share with her one day showing all the stages of the pregnancy. I'm caught up on it, so in a couple of weeks, I'll have more pictures printed and do a couple more pages...

Speaking of pictures, here are this week's pictures:






















As you can see, we're still growing everyday!!! I think I actually felt Maddy kick from the outside the other day. I'm excited about that. I'm ready for Bryan to be home so that he can experience this stuff with me!!













Speaking of Bryan, we are still looking at his arrival being the day before Uncle Mike's birthday. He should be home before lunch on that day. I can not wait!!! Sleeping has become somewhat of a foreign concept these last few days. I'm sure that after he's home, I'll be able to sleep a little better again!

Oh well... I best get back to my "sprucing"... I'll talk to everyone later. I hope to post a quick blog once he's home so everyone knows he's safe and sound!

Love you guys!

I LOVE YOU, BRYAN!!! SEE YOU SOON!!

*~*NEWS*~*

I have all kinds of exciting news to share tonight!!!

FIRST, after much debate, Baby Girl Williams officially has a name now... Are you ready for this one?? Her name will be Madelyn Grace Williams... probably called Maddy!! Just thought you might like to know... you know, in case you were preparing monogrammed gifts or anything already. HaHaHa. J/K! Seriously, though, I think we're settled on Madelyn Grace!!

SECOND, Bryan is currently scheduled to arrive home the day before Uncle Mike's birthday. How stinkin' exciting is that?!?! It's almost here!! He just told me a few minutes ago, so that information is hot off the press...

Now that I think about it, with my mom being in Atlanta, there's a good chance that many of you already knew about Madelyn Grace, but this covers all my bases. If you didn't know, then you REALLY should have visited with her today!!

Ok, well, Maddy is kicking... I think she's hungry... or is it that I'm hungry?? I dunno... I think I'll go eat anyway!!

Love you guys!! I hope to post pictures when Bryan gets home of us!!

Talk to you later!

I LOVE YOU, BRYAN!!!

One More Week Down...

It's been a whole week since the last time I blogged, and guess what?!?! Not a whole lot has changed!! Bryan told me that his homecoming could be as early as two days before Uncle Mike's birthday... I am not holding my breath for that one, but the chance is always there!!!

Here's a run-down of what's been going on here:

Nash has truly begun calming down. He is currently laying on the floor in front of the couch. He even let me talk to my mom on the phone for a little while!!! WOO-HOO!!

Friday was a rather eventful day... I went to lunch with a coworker, and on the way back to the office, I had the window cracked to let the hot air out. When it went to put the window back up, I heard a POP noise, then the window disappeared down into the door. I could not get the motor to pull the window back up, so after dropping Pam off at work, I brought my car home. I drove Bryan's car back to work. I called the dealership to ask about getting it fixed. They told me that they do not work on Saturdays, but if I got it in there immediately, they would try to get it fixed that afternoon. My friend Jessica came to the rescue and followed me over there. We dropped the car off just before 5 PM and it was fixed and ready to go just before 6 PM. I was THRILLED!! Not so thrilled with the bill, but so thankful that I have 2 operational windows once again!!

After picking the car up, Jess and I went shopping. We weren't looking for anything in particular... just keeping busy on a Friday night.

Yesterday, I got the lawn mowed and did some inside chores. After the chores were done, Jess and I went back out to shop some more... Again, not for anything in particular, but just to get out of the house for a little while.

Today, I got up and did a few things around the house, then I borrowed Jessica's electric hedge trimmer. I think this is an investment we'll be making in the near future!! We have some loppers that created nearly a half a day's worth of work... The electric ones were about a 20 minute job!!! Bryan wanted to get some electric ones for me last summer, but since I had never trimmed the hedges before, I opted for the manual kind. I think I have enough practice now that the electric ones will be money well spent!! :)

Now, on to the fun part of the weekend... Here are this week's pictures of me and baby Williams:





















I hope that everyone has a GREAT week!! I am just going to keep counting down... I'll do my best to keep you posted, but don't expect another post until next weekend. I'll see what I can do, though!

Love you guys!

I LOVE YOU, BRYAN!!

Welcome June!!

Yes, everyone, today is officially the first day of the Homecoming Month!!! Who is excited?!?! Everyone in our house is excited!!! Although I don't think that Nash knows what's going on, he knows that all sorts of things are going on in our house. He keeps wandering into the baby's room and looking around, sniffing. The room is no where near ready for her arrival, but it DEFINITELY looks different than it used to!!

I, for one, am on the verge of turning inside out... We are definitely at less than one month from the big day!! Bryan and I are guessing on the return date. Since we have to talk in code, I can tell you that we're assuming his return will happen the day after Uncle Mike's birthday!! That's just our guess, and it's inside the "7-day window" we have been given... As it gets closer, I'll certainly let everyone know what we're thinking... based on days plus or minus Uncle Mike's birthday. If you don't know when his birthday is, then shame on you, and ask him!! :)

Here are the pictures I took today of "us"...

Here's one from the front (please note Nash's tail... he was trying to sneak in):





















And one from the side:




















Other than that, not too much else is going on. I went to breakfast this morning with a couple of wives from the squadron. The rest of the day has been spent piddling around the house... doing little chores here and there...

I hope that everyone has a GREAT week!!

Love you guys!!


I LOVE YOU, BRYAN!! :)