Galena

This past weekend we had the joy of going on a weekend trip with Jeff's family! The trip was planned to celebrate his parent's anniversary! Since I had to work on Friday we didn't head out until Friday after school. We arrived in Dubuque at 8 for dinner with the family at this cute restaurant Crust. It was delicious!! 

We stayed at a cute hotel in Galena with a water slide! We had a blast swimming with the family! You can see Jeff coming down the slide here trying to make a BIG splash!

On Saturday we hit Galena with the family! First we toured Ulyssus S. Grant's home.  I loved the dining room! Everything was so beautiful!!

Then we headed downtown Galena to shop! Our big purchases of the day included my new hat, root beer, a MOPAR t-shirt for Jeff, and our favorite "Leroy the donkey"!!!

 

It was a wonderful trip with his family! I am so thankful for each of them!! 

On Easter I was thrilled to have my parents come to Madrid to go to church with us! After church we walked out the High Trestle Bridge and then went out for ice cream. We are so blessed to have parents who love us and love to be with us!

Living Room Dreams

Since I moved into our house in Madrid I have been dreaming about how to decorate our living room. Here are my top ideas right now:

1. Navy Blue accent wall with white and yellow accents. I like this color scheme because I have oak trim and I think it would work well with it. What makes me nervous is painting a wall this dark of a color.

2. Taupe Accent Wall - I really love this taupe color with the oak floors. My worry with this is that it could be a little boring.  I also have a hard time seeing what it would look like without the white trim. 

3. Yellow accent wall - I love this color because it is very happy! Our kitchen has some yellow accents in it so I think it would be a nice transition. I also think this could look nice with the oak trim.

4. Stone Accent Wall - Rather than going with a wall color I kind of like the idea of adding a new texture to my accent wall. I think this would be much more expensive than paint so we probably won't go with this one.

5. Curtains - I had registered for these curtains for our bedroom. After laying them out next to my bedspread they didn't really match. BUT I LOVE THEM!! So I think I can use them in the living room. I love that they are feminine but not over the top (I hope).

Here are my options: 

1.  Ivory walls with an accent wall of gray. 

2. Ivory walls with an accent wall of turquoise. 

3. Gray walls with an accent wall of turquoise

I am thinking I can combine the yellow that I love with the turquoise color scheme too!! Here are the curtains in a different color but with a blue accent. Very beautiful!! I hoping the turquoise would be more bold than this light blue. I can't wait to start the transformation!!

40 years!!

March was a busy month for the Williams family (wow..that has nice ring to it)!! We started the month out by celebrating Jeff's birthday. Mid-March brought my parent's 40th wedding anniversary!! They requested "The Latin King" for dinner and it was wonderful!! I am so thankful for the role model my parent's have been for me over the last 31 years!

Here are the things I think my parents do really well in marriage:

1. Spend time together - whether it is working cattle, driving to see the kids, or having lunch...they always do it together. When Dad needs help outside, Mom steps in. When Mom needs help getting ready for a big family gathering, Dad helps out.  Most evenings they spend time watching TV together and sharing dinner.

2. Their priorities are in order - Mom and Dad always go to church together on Sunday. It was never a question if one of them wouldn't attend. This created a firm foundation for us as kids. We also knew that we were first in their lives. If we had an event at school...they were there. If we were hurting...they would listen. If we were excited about a new adventure in our lives...they learned about it.

Mom's Strengths - I don't remember a day that went by that Mom didn't tell Dad what he could have for lunch or dinner if she was going to be gone. I remember thinking as a kid, "why can't Dad just make his own lunch".  It wasn't until I started dating Jeff that I realized that Mom wasn't doubting Dad's ability to make his own lunch or Dad's unwillingness to cook...she just liked taking care of him. Mom has always thought about what she can do to make Dad happy. This is a trait that a lot of wives today could work on. Mom is always thinking about the little things that might make things go better for Dad. Wow!! That is beautiful!! I am trying to emulate this in my marriage because it really does make a difference!!

Dad's Strengths - My dad is such a hard worker. I don't remember a day when he didn't get up before the sun to start chores. He would (and still does) feed his cattle for hours at a time. Whenever we had a family event during "chore" time he would get up early to get things done ahead of time so he could come. He put his schedule and needs aside for what Mom wanted and what was good for the family. He is Mom's biggest fan....encouraging her when she tries something new and standing up for her when something has been said or done against her. Dad's hard work ethic is something I saw in Jeff early on that I knew I loved!!

Happy 40th Anniversary Mom and Dad!! We love you!!!