2016: The Recap

Guys. 2016 was a game changer. A total and utter game changer. 2015 was full of world travel, educational advancement and baby prep, but in 2016 it actually happened. We had a baby.

A cute baby.

A very cute baby.

And now our life revolves around her awesomeness.

The photos below were posted to Instagram in 2016. They are the most liked of all the images posted and in an effort to have some kind of family record (because 2011 through now is a tumbleweed blowing across your computer screen) let's recap the year:

1. After 42-hours of raw, medication free labor, our Remy girl came into the world. My birth story deserves its own post (fingers crossed I'll follow-through) but it was dramatic, traumatic, and Paul and I agreed we wouldn't talk about future kids or future labors for quite some time. The short story is my body didn't absorb the epidural narcotics, a piece of the cervix was blocking the birth canal so I was dilated to an 8 for 7+ hours (middle of the night), hyperventilated every contraction, pushed for 3 hours, had a baby who wasn't breathing and it was just real dramatic like. The photo above was several hours after birth when we were reunited. So much hair on that little head!
2. For Halloween I wanted to do a costume fairly low-key that had high impact but didn't require us to invest a fortune (because babies are fickle and only want to wear a costume for minutes at a time). Hot glue gun cotton balls to a beanie and add a dollar store pair of reading glasses (lenses removed) to a sweater, brooch, and dress combo and wah-la! We sure love our little old lady.
3. I decided it was cheaper (and more fun!) to fly Alaina out to shoot our family photos than to pay someone in town, so for two short days in November she came for a visit. We spent one afternoon taking family photos in front of the Portland skyline and at Cathedral Park by the St. John's bridge. I'll absolutely always treasure this photo of me and Remy -- it's about the only one where I have nice hair! 
4. This photo is the very first full-face photo of Remy we posted to social media. In it we also announced her full name, weight (8 lbs 8 ounces), height (20.75 in), and a good look at that very full, very dark head of hair. 
5. After visiting Santa at the mall (wherein we paid an obscene amount of money for a reservation so we didn't have to wait in line) I saw this festive setup in Pottery Barn. We quickly set Remy on the couch and snapped this gorgeous keeper of a photo. I'm still waiting for Pottery Barn to return my phone call about including this image in next year's catalog. 
6. This family-of-three shot is one of my ultimate favorites from Alaina's shoot--it made it onto the backside of our 2016 Christmas card as well. I posted it on a Friday wherein I got some really bad news at work that rocked me back a step (nothing super personal, account and client news) but I posted this photo with a caption of how excited I was to go home and spend time with these best friends of mine. Being a full-time working mom also deserves its own post I think. (Add it to the list.)
7. A baby in a pumpkin! I mean come. on. I fully anticipated Remy would cry when we put her into a cold, wet pumpkin wearing only a diaper. She didn't, because our baby is the most even-keeled happy baby there ever was. (Oh, we also put a dish towel in there.) We put a few decorations up on our porch once Sunday after church and snapped this picture. There are about a dozen in the set and they're all ridiculously cute. 
8. Remy loooooooooooooves the bath. Like holy smokes that girl would be happy to bathe every night. Somewhere mid-Fall we started putting her in the bathtub with one of us and she's never happier than when she's splashing in the tub. This photo was the second night she got to bathe in our main bathroom--the first night she learned that splashing has cause and effect.
9. Christmas Eve we took a redye flight to Bermuda. I wanted to vacation somewhere warm for the holiday but options were limited as true Caribbean/Mexican destinations were off-limits due to the Zika Virus (I'd like Remy to have a sibling with a normal-shaped head you see.). My parents joined us (they committed less than 90 minutes after asking!) and we had a ball hanging out at a posh resort, riding mopeds, and relaxing together. This photo is at the resort's private beach on the day after Christmas (late enough to have slept in after Remy couldn't figure out what time it was in her crib in the hotel room closet). 

2016 is a year many called a dumpster fire, rife with political and social drama. My year, however--our year, was fantastic. Adding Remy to our family has added depth and meaning to an otherwise full and satisfying life. Paul and I have, much to our surprise, naturally snapped into parenting this sweet girl entrusted to us. What a year.

2015: The Recap (as voted on by the public)

Life continues to move, the days feeling long but the weeks speeding by. 2015 was a roller coaster of a year for me and Paul; there were many days in the first part of the year that required a near-daily reminder that we could do hard things and tomorrow was a new day. The specifics of 2015 are included in the yearly write-up he and I put together (offline for all the good, juicy, private stuff) but the passing of the year bears some sort of acknowledgement and recap.

The picture below is a collage of my nine most 'liked' photos on Instagram. They share themes which doesn't explain the variety of excitement and turmoil achieved in 2015, but it's a start.

From top left to right, down a row, from left to right: rinse and repeat:

1. We're expecting a baby! A few fun facts: I really felt like I was pregnant and took a test one hour before leaving for Hood to Coast. Of course it came back positive and Paul and I had about 45 minutes to celebrate together before I was off for two days in a 200-mile nonstop running relay where I couldn't tell anyone; especially my two sisters who were in my van. Paul and I kept texting each other, marveling in excitement, and the thought of the upcoming baby gave my brain something to work through on my few runs. We waited until 16 weeks to tell the general public, and as I'm still hardly showing at six months it could have been kept even bigger of a secret! Also, probably TMI but no one reads blogs anymore, so here goes! Baby Judd was conceived on the first cycle of trying, in Switzerland of all places. (Not a bad start to life.)
2. Paul passed the Federal Patent Bar test. Ohhhhhhhhhhh was this a big one. He didn't pass on his first go-round, so the pressure was on, and with a 46% pass rate, the test is no walk in the park. In addition to studying for the test he was also finishing law school and being our home operations manager. We both cried when he passed; sadly, I was stuck at work (on a Friday night) until 8pm working on agency rebrand stuff (see difficult turmoil description above) but I can't describe the relief we both felt his passing. Nearly a year later his test score is still taped to the cabinet in our kitchen.
3. This photo of my four nephews was our public announcement that we're having a GIRL baby. After a four-boy streak in the Wms sisters (Alaina and Kendall's little guys) we're shocking the world by introducing a baby girl into it. Our ward (which we've grown exceptionally close to this year as well) hasn't had a girl in nearly 2+ years as well, so needless to say everyone is very excited. Also, I can't stop buying clothes.
4. Paul graduated from Law School! Both our sets of parents came into town on Memorial Day Weekend for the Saturday celebration. We hosted a BBQ at our home with friends and family and took visiting parental sets to hike Wachlela Falls. Neither of Paul's parents are college graduates and he's the first of his siblings to get a graduate degree, so basically he's an all-star. (And now all of the Wms daughters are married to men with graduate degrees. Crazy.)
5. WE WENT TO NEW YORK CITY AT CHRISTMASTIME, it was divine, and I was pregnant. I needed to travel to Boston for some emergency work meetings and it seemed like a good time to take Paul with me and for us to do a quick weekend in NYC (my favorite city on earth). While there we walked 15 and 9 miles each day and the maternity pants I was wearing were saggy enough that they required me to pull them up basically always. Frustrating, but everything else was DIVINE. One of my long-term bucket list items is to be in the City at Christmastime in love, and boy oh boy this trip satisfied that requirement. Maybe this trip will get a post of its own (unlikely but hope springs eternal!) but it was glorious and one of my favorite things Paul and I have done together.  (Also, Paul beat ridiculous odds to win lottery tickets to see Hamilton, one of the main reasons for the trip, and my every wish came true, we sat dead center front row, and I basically died.
6. Athens in front of the Parthenon, in 105+ degree heat. To celebrate our survival of the first half of the year (my work, the Patent Bar, Paul taking the Oregon State Bar), we went on a European Extravaganza Adventure. The first week was an Eastern Mediterranean cruise (Venice, Split and Dubrovnik Croatia, Athens, Ephesus Turkey) with my parents and the second week was Paul and I driving through Bavaria--Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland. The fact that more of our incredible trip isn't represented on this grid shows you the kind of BIG news we had this year, huh? 
7. In November we celebrated two years of marriage. I love this side by side photo of Paul and I. We were happy then, but we're even happier now! 2015 was also the year I finally got my wedding book printed, so that's clearly an accomplishment of its own.
8. I continue to decorate our house like a crazy person for Christmas. I love it so much and I'm grateful Paul will help me put it up AND take it down. This year some visiting children counted 18 baby Jesus(es?) so my nativity game continues to be strong. We bought new ones in Germany and Austria this year.
9. Venice! The first stop on our Euro Adventure (from where our cruise ship embarked) and we hadn't really told that many people we were traveling so I think it was a surprise to most. I've been to several Italian cities, but Venice has been my favorite. We rented an AirBnb apartment 100 feet off the Grand Canal and spoke Spanish with our Cuban renter (in Italy of all places). The world is a funny place.

So there you go! The high points of 2015! So much more bears documentation and we've made a concerted effort to write some of it down. In case you're interested in doing it yourself (which I strongly recommend!), here's the format we complete at the end of each year:

• 10 Highlights
• 5 Disappointments
• Game Changers
• Things You Focused On
• Places You Visited

As blogs are going the way of the wind, writing something down, even as simple as the above (which usually ends up being about two type-written pages) is helping us document our life together. It's not a shabby one!

Phew! Did you make it through our year? We did. (Just barely.)

Christmas in July!

As far as decorating goes, the Wms. women don't know how to hold back. Visit any of our homes or attend any of our parties for a not-so-subtle reminder. Christmas ornaments are no exception.

I think it was my great-grandma Zella (my mom's dad's mom) who started the tradition of hand beading and sequining ornaments--and it's become quite a passion for our family. I grew up thinking everyone's tree ornaments must be as beautiful as ours. The ornaments typically have a theme and are placed near each other on the tree--The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Lion), Cinderella (Prince, Fairy Godmother, Pumpkin,), Raggedy Ann and Andy, Twas the Night Before Christmas, etc...

In the last few years, as my sisters and I have gotten older, my mom's been in an ornament frenzy! And that zest has passed to each of us. I've learned to bead and sequin, and our Christmas gifts to each other in the last few years have been peppered with ornaments created by hand. Let me tell you, those gifts are my favorite--because they're long lasting and I know how much painstaking detail and time went into each one.

Last Christmas, I sorted the ornaments in my cedar chest (Christmas '07. Gosh it's great being from a family of girls) and I'm amassing quite the collection!

I've hesitated in bringing them East because I typically spend half of December in Portland, but maybe this is the year to bring them out to Boston!

Ho HO HO - Who wouldn't go?

Alooooooha from the great state of Oregon dear readers. I'll be out and about tomorrow (Monday) with my dear Marmie and sister and won't be able to give you the quick weekend update. I red-eye back into Boston early Tuesday AM and will be catching up at work and desperately trying to stay awake; so it may be Wednesday before you get a blog of substance. Poor, poor reader.

I'm in a festive mood. A festive holiday mood In September you ask? Why yes, I reply. Last year, I had all my Christmas gifts purchased, wrapped, and on their merry way by Thanksgiving. It's time to get started!

Don't you worry. We weren't playing Christmas music, or gathered around the piano singing songs of yuletide glee, but rather discussing the coming holiday season and the potential gifts we may be giving. I'm approving of some of the gifts purchased for my sisters, and plotting what I in turn will give out. This year, I'm in a position to give gifts of monetary substance, but I've decided instead to give gifts based on a labor of love. That LOL kicked off this weekend. No more details can be given to protect the receivers, but I can guarantee it's better than the tin of popcorn or fruitcake you probably would have received in its place.

While we're on the subject of Christmas, I guess it's time for me to blog about the last time I was in Portland--Christmas 2006. I'm not sure why I didn't recap the festivities, other than a shout out to the good working conditions or the $100 Million Christmas Bet. I'm also feeling a little guilty about my last Flashback Friday post. So, to honor the most wonderful time of the year, I present Christmas 2006. When hair was a little longer, a little blonder, and my sojurn into Boston was only a coming attraction.

Christmas Eve was on a Sunday, so as custom on Sundays (not just at Christmastime), we went to church. Please take special note. All four women in this picture are wearing Christmas tree pins. This is a tradition of the women in my immediate and quasi-extended family (my mom's side). I can feel myself aging and growing more sentimental; I have asked for a Christmas tree pin for my birthday (in early Dec.) to wear for the upcoming Christmas season.

That night, we drove and saw some Christmas lights. The rain was coming down rather hard, so we stayed in our car. Don't we look motivated?

Here, Mal and I are wondering what Santa will bring us. ------>

Why look! Santa dropped off his annual pre-Christmas day pajamas! Santa knows I really love New York.

Us girls, par for the course. ---------------------->

Santa also brought me this wicked sweet cedar chest. It's a most gorgeous piece; I wish I could have it in Boston; but alas, it sits in my parents' dining room just looking pretty.

After the festival of giving was completed, we sat for our most traditional holiday breakfast. "Honeymoon Breakfast" as it's named is an egg, bread, sausage, cheese, combination breakfast casserole that tastes better than it sounds. I've had twenty-four years to acquire a taste for it; good thing, since we eat it at Thanksgiving, Easter, Flag Day, Boxing Day... okay, not really the latter two, but it is a delectable holiday breakfast. Also notice the Wood/Williams traditional family breakfast beverage. Forgive me friends, I was on a Diet Pepsi kick at the time. Also, that is not orange juice in the pitcher, it's a traditional Almond Punch. We're all about the traditions at Christmas.

So there it is. Christmas 2006. In September of 2007. Coming soon... Easter 1994. ALright kids, back to loving labor. Enjoy your respective Mondays.