DONE! :)

I am all set up on Wordpress with the "new and improved" family blog!! It didn't take long at all!

The most exciting news is that I was able to import ALL of my old blog posts from my first blog that I started in 2006 and the blogger blog! I still need to fix some links with pictures (you will see a white box there), but everything is all in one place finally!! :)

Anyway...I won't be posting here anymore. Here is the new link -

http://kristinwilliamsphotography.com/familyblog/

Sorry to my in-laws that JUST figured out where the blogger blog was. :)

I am BACK!

One of the many reasons I stopped my 365 day project was to get back to blogging...I loved blogging and the thought of being able to type as much as I want here (instead of Facebook and Twitter restrictions) is super nice. I think I might try to get this blog into WordPress because I love their blogs (aka my photography blog), but until I do that, here I go.

Anyway, catching up at work after being gone 4 days is never fun...I have 6 GB of pictures I am anxiously wanting to sort through and the boys are home this week on "Spring Break". Should be fun.

Anyway, more fun coming later....I am excited to be back!

K :)

365/100 ....the end.

My cousin Traci and I practically grew up together...well, sort of. We met in 1983. I was 9 and Traci was 11. We became cousins when my father married her Aunt Barb, and although we technically are not blood cousins, for Traci and I that didn't matter. We celebrated birthdays together (hers was the day before mine), we cooked (or whatever you want to call it) together, we laughed together, we spent holiday after holiday in each others rooms sharing stories and laughs.

Traci graduated from high school two years before I did. That didn't stop us from keeping in touch. From the letters from her year in Spain, to flowers on special occasions, to holiday visits, we always stayed close. It was almost like we were the sisters that neither of us had and I am SO thankful for it.

As we got older we always remained close...we shared so much, and sometimes we shared even more than we wished we had to...including fertility issues we both shared to different extents. We cried together when things didn't happen as we wanted. We counted the blessings we shared in our boys. We got each other through hard times and laughed at the crazy things we did in good times.

Last year I had the honor of walking in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer together in DC and then strengthened our relationship even more.

Just a couple of months ago, after YEARS of sharing our stories with each other I got the e-mail from Traci that I had been waiting for for forever. Traci FINALLY was getting her little girl....a little girl from China. I read the e-mail and immediately picked up the phone to call her. After all of the years of fertility ups and downs we shared, we never really talked about names...but...if Chris and I were ever blessed with a little girl, her name was ALWAYS going to be Caitlin. The most amazing thing about Traci's e-mail was that this little girl she was getting ready to welcome into her house was also going to be named Caitlin. "Lin" was her last name in China and they thought turning it into Caitlin was just perfect. I agree. I can't think of a better name for her. I cried when I told Traci that story and I told her that if ANYONE was going to be blessed with a Caitlin; I was SO happy it was going to be her.

Well, this weekend, I went down with Traci's brothers and parents to meet Caitlin for the first time....what an amazing weekend. I caught myself just looking at her all weekend with such happiness and with such an overwhelming feeling of what a blessing she is to ALL of us.

All weekend I looked at my cousins and all of their amazing kids. I looked at my kids playing with them...Connor taking care of Caitlin...feeding her, rubbing her head, talking to her in this sweet loving voice. WOW. I am SO FREAKING BLESSED. Really. Words can't express the love I have for Chris, the boys, and all of my family.

So on to the moral of this story....I got SO caught up in the happiness that yesterday I didn't take my 365 picture. As I was driving home, I knew it, but for some reason in my heart it was okay....there was this calm....I just knew it was time to stop. I just spent a weekend with family and these amazing group of kids and it reminded me what life is about. My 365 day project took up a lot of time...time I didn't have and time I KNOW I can't get back. My kids don't need a book of their mother doing silly things when they are 30. Sure it tells my story...sure it will make them laugh just like it has all of you. But, my kids need ME.

I didn't talk with anyone about it at all, not even Chris. And guess what? It feels SO good. So, here it ends. With a picture of me with a little girl that reminded me what life is ALL about. I have been so blessed...with love, with two amazing boys, with an awesome husband, an incredible family and the the most amazing friends I could have ever have asked for.. Thanks for all of the support with this project....I can't believe I actually made it 100 days!! Anyway....Here's to more time with all of you! CHEERS. :)

365/98 - One Shining Moment

I am not going to get in the habit of posting my entire 365 project here...I don't want to bore you with my craziness, but I HAD to post this one because it is special...it includes video! :)

In celebration of UNC winning the National Championship...here is my One Shining Moment.

And the video that goes with it -



I don't know what is funnier about this video...me making a complete fool out of myself or the fact that because I live in a Ryan Home that when I bounce the ball it actually shakes the camera 10 feet away!

CJ Playing Cello

Boys Lacrosse

The boys have been really wanting to try lacrosse so this winter in place of hockey we did these winter lacrosse clinics right here in Victor. What an awesome program and of course the boys LOVED it. Why wouldn't they love putting pads, a helmet and being able to carry a stick in their hands! They even had the opportunity to play in the middle of a Knighthawks game one night and they had a blast! Here are some of the pictures from that night.

Connor -



CJ -



The pack....this is sort of like a swarm. :)



Connor -



CJ -



But not to worry! They are playing baseball too...and still love that as well! :) I am really excited to get some good lacrosse pictures this spring!

365/96 - life in suburbia....Williams style.

I have not been home ALL weekend. Yesterday morning I worked at the run/walk and then went to a bridal shower. We came home for a few hours and then went to dinner with family in from out of town.

This morning I got up at my usual 6 am with intentions of walking 15 miles today since I didn't get a training walk in yesterday at all. As I was walking out the door I said my goodbyes to Connor and got back "You are ALWAYS gone. You are always walking. You are never here. I hate this walk....I can't wait until it is over with."

Wow.

That hit me like a ton of bricks. It is the hardest part about doing a walk like this...the time that it takes away from your family seems endless.

It really breaks my heart though....because...Connor is right. For TWO years I have dedicated my heart and soul to my walk efforts and have not been the best Mom. I haven't. What Connor said this morning is what I didn't want to hear, but needed to hear.

So on mile 11 this morning I broke away from the rest of my team and walked home to spend some time with the boys. I walked all the way home....and....they were not even here. I tried calling Chris and he didn't answer. My heart broke even more...

So I walked back to the school to get my car which I had driven there to start the walk. I drove home and they were still not home. So I waited.

When they got home we went and practiced baseball for a while up at the school...I didn't shower...my legs and feel were killing me..but I didn't care. I needed to spend that time with them.

We came home and sat as a family in the front yard for a while...had a glass of wine...and just enjoyed each other.

In 40 days the walk will be over with. I have NOT been the best Mom because of the walk, but I can tell you one thing....doing the walk has taught me so much life...and although I have not been around as much as I should have been, I am a BETTER Mom because of my experiences over the last 2 years.

I hope that they learn the value of what I have done and the power of volunteering....Mommy will be home more soon!! 40 more days! :)

Victor Stings Concert

I seriously have been thinking about saying "no" to Facebook and just becoming a blogger again. I can't put all that I do into Facebook into a book, and I really want to be able to look back on my blogs in 10 years to see how far I come. I really just don't have time for both, and really...does everyone need to know EVERYTHING I am doing? Anyway...here is to many posts from here on out...

Anyway, this is from CJ's string concert this past week with all of the 297 students (grades 2-12) playing Twinkle Twinkle together. I seriously teared all up watching it and do the same every time I watch it on YouTube. It really was awesome. :)