The Williams Family: Labor Day Weekend

We have heard so many sad stories about Hurricane Harvey and the effect it has had on so many families. Lufkin has a lot of their hotels packed full of evacuees. Derek and I have been wanting to help in some way. I called a couple of the hotels to see if we could donate, until Derek received a text from one of his employees saying that there is a need for a family that attends our church. There is a family in our ward that lives in a small house and they have 25 family members that have been evacuated/rescued by boats that are staying with them. I called to ask how we could help and if we could buy food from them. We bought 2 carts full of food. These families have lost everything and they only have the clothes on their backs. One of the families had their 2 story house flood to the roof and lost everything. It is so sad and I'm happy that we could serve as a family in a small way.

Ashlyn did a glow in the dark fun run at school to earn money to get a playground shade. She ran 35 laps! She did so great!

Her class

(Ashlyn typed ) my class is smrt;

Her face gets red when she works hard like her Nana.

Seeing the look on Ashlyn's face as we were cheering her on was priceless.

When she would run a lap, she would pass us and give us high fives!

Ashlyn's biggest fans all decked out with their glow in the dark gear and clappers

I love watching Dad get so involved with these cuties! He sure loves his girls!

It is so great to have him go to school acitivities!

As I was making Ashlyn's lunch and these three wouldn't leave my side. It was a moment where I wanted some space, but then I paused and thought for a moment.... I am going to miss these moments when my girls want to be by me ALL THE TIME! Enjoy the moment!

We love date night Thursday! I got to go on a date with Ashlyn. She chose a chocolate frosty and a long chat in the car. It is the time that I get to hear her stories about school, friends, and life. She is really growing up so fast and she is so mature for her age. I am one proud mama!

This was our first day of Mommy School for these two cuties!

First they went apple picking.

Sorting the apples by color

Build an apple

Eating apples while putting apple sticks on paper to make the letter A

Digging for apple seeds

Brinley absolutely loves preschool! She told me that she wishes that it was everyday. I told her to stop growing up so fast.

Another thing that cracks me up is that I bought her 1 outfit for school and she calls it her preschool outfit. She wants to wear it every preschool day. I hope her teacher know she has more than one outfit...ha ha.

This girl will do anything for chocolate! We set a rule that every page the girls complete they get a sticker to put on their letter. When they fill up the letter, the girls can get a piece of chocolate. This girl completed 17 pages and completed the whole book in one sitting. She was delighted to get a pice of chocolate!

Ashlyn lost her 2nd tooth at school. She got to put her tooth in a cool tooth necklace that was from her teacher. She was so excited because it was like Fancy Nancy in the book that we bought from the airport when she lost her 1st tooth.

Desi wanted to join the picture. Too cute!

Daddy taught these girls how to make their own paper airplanes. They loved to test it out from the stairs.

Tea Party Tuesday!

It has been a stressful week with Hurricane Harvey. We were prepared! Thanks to many who would text and call to see if we were all right. It is nice to know that we are loved and thought of.

Pictures of all the rain and the river that was in our backyard.

Daddy spoiled the girls for FHE!

We love Fridays! Daddy doesn't work on Fridays so we can continue our tradition of running in the morning after we drop off Ashlyn at school.

It is fun to watch these two become the best of friends.

Our Labor Day plans had to be changed because we were going to go to Houston for the weekend. We did lots of swimming, watched the real Beauty and the Beast movie, and made so fun memories.

We also made Nana Cookies! Yum!

I am so proud of this guy! We went to church on Sunday and over the pulpit for the ward announcements they asked for men in the ward to go down to the Houston area to help members in the area clear out their houses from Hurricane Harvey. This isn't the way we planned on spending our Labor Day Weekend, but Derek was happy to help!

While Daddy was gone, I had the girls sleep with me (it has turned into a tradition that the girls love and I don't sleep well when Dad is gone so I don't plan on great sleep anyway). I honestly couldn't stop worrying about Derek. Lufkin has had a few men lose their lives rescuing people in Houston and my mind turns to the worst. I am grateful he was there, but I was a nervous wreck!

To get my mind off the situation, the girls and I spend the afternoon at the splash pad. They had a blast!

Playing tag