Saturday, December 21, 2019

2019 IN REVIEW





Greetings from the Williams






Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 
to all our friends and family

We hope it's been a great year for you!!

Here's a look at what we've been up to this year........


In January we celebrated Avery's 18th birthday
She graduated this year and is now taking college courses and working at Cannon Elementary (Jenn's school) in the after school program.  She loves working with the kids.
Love these two beauties - (Daughter Jennifer, Granddaughter  Avery & Grandpuppy, Mary)


We also enjoyed a few visits from our favorite solider!!  Trace is doing well in the Army.  He has reached the rank of Specialist and is working on becoming Sargent Pettit in 2020!  He is currently deployed in South Korea.  He recently signed up for five more years in the Army.  He will return back to Ft. Hood (Texas) in March.  We are all excited to have him back home for a while before in leaves in August for his next post - GERMANY!! 
Specialist Trace Pettit and his proud PaPa
Papa, Nana, and Trace hanging out at our favorite watering hole 



And of course we made time for some fun family get together's at Justin's country place - 
Shady Pines (in East Texas)

Jennifer, Justin and Derrick ready for a ride around Shady Pines

We have enjoyed many family gatherings at Shady Pines.  A few of our favorite memories are cooking together, playing games, and sitting by the outside fire at the Main house, and lots of cozy times at the cottage.  The middle of this year the decision was made to sell the property at Shady Pines.  We continue to enjoy family time at Justin's new house in Dallas.  It's not so much the place, but it's more about spending time as a family. We will continue to do that and make new memories!!
(but we will always treasure our time at Shady Pines with Pork Chop the pig and collecting fresh eggs for breakfast from the chickens)  



Another favorite place for us is the beach!

We were blessed to spend time this summer with my sister and her family in Rockport
Rockport Beach





My sister, Tricia with Katy and Leila B
Me, my niece, Katy and her daughter Leila B




In September the kids threw Dan a fabulous
70th Birthday Party




Me & my "Old Man" at the birthday party
Jennifer, Mamma Marsha & Justin at party


This fall Dan and I took separate vacations
(for the first time in our lives)

I checked one off my bucket list and took a "girls" trip to Italy!!

Six girls from Texas in Italy

(thanks to Janie Sartain for this amazing trip)





We had a fabulous time exploring Rome, Tuscany, Florence,
and the Amalfi Coast - Sorrento, Positano, and Capri


Dan and his brother Keith took a trip to Louisiana
First stop - New Orleans!!
Then on to the Salt Grass Fishing Lodge in the Mississippi Delta area of Louisiana.   
They had a ball!
Keith & Dan
Catch of the day


Dan with a big red fish!!
In October we won best costume at a 
Neighborhood Halloween party

(First time Dan has ever dressed up
for Halloween!!)

Willie and his Witch


2019 has been a fun year!

We will wrap up this year spending Christmas
and New Year's with family and friends in the Dallas area.

We thank God for all the many blessings
He has sent our way this year.

Hope you and your family have a 
Very Merry Christmas
and may God bless you
in the New Year!!

Every Little Birdie says
O Holy Night, the stars are
brightly shining,
it is the night of our dear
Saviour's birth

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Sandy toes




As we crossed the bridge over the bay,
 the first thing that caught my eye was a sign 
 
ROCKPORT STRONG!
 
It was our first trip back to 
this friendly little tropical town 
since Hurricane Harvey came to visit in 2017
 
The fury of Harvey left a path of 
destruction far and wide along the Texas coast 
 
But it certainly didn't destroy the spirit 
of these coastal towns 
and they are coming back 
STRONG!!    
 
 The downtown area of Rockport
has been rebuilt and is as charming as ever

and the beach is still an amazing place to have fun
 
and the perfect beach for
my GRAND niece 
to experience sand between her toes!! 

 




 
GAM (aka-Great Aunt Marsha) & Lelia B  


 

Katy (aka Mommy) & Lelia B

  

Nana (aka-my sister) & Leila B

The Rockport beach has always been 
our family's happy place!! 
 
 and now it's Lelia B's happy place too!!


WE
 
ROCKPORT BEACH


and what's a trip to Rockport without 
a little side trip over to another 
amazing little beach town

PORT ARANSAS




Crossing over on the ferry 
is an experience in itself



and much to our surprise, most of the 
delightfully tacky souvenir shops
are back in business 

We stopped for dinner at the 
 
 
A popular place on the Island
and one of the first restaurants to 
re-open after the hurricane

After a delicious Italian meal
we headed for the beach!



 Surf was up and it was a great 
evening for a little beach cruisin'



 

The Texas Coast has made 
an incredible comeback

Every Little Birdie says
 that makes me as happy
as sand between my toes

 

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Hello Summer!

We've entered the month of June
over here at Every Little Birdies

Let the TEXAS summer begin!!

Time to enjoy a little gardening
I love my Red Geraniums

 The pungent smell of these flowers
take me back to my Nana's small
garden in England


 and my ferns are in remembrance
of my Dad. He had such a green thumb
and loved his many pots of ferns

a large galvanized tub filled
with asparagus fern
greets folks at our back door

 The succulents are loving the warm weather


However, sharing my flowerbeds
with these "nibblers" can be
a little challenging

I recently planted some
Lamb's Ear in my front flower beds
and they have stood the test
of a deer resistant plant 








Another plant not on the deer's menu
LANTANA
I love it, Texas hardy and beautiful too!



 These tubs are in a bed by the
outside patio


My secret to keeping the deer away 
from this area......

I plant different herbs in with my other plants
They hate the strong smells of herbs!!

One can get a little "dewy" 
gardening in the Texas heat
 
My favorite solution.......





Retreat to the screened summer porch
 

 Grab a big glass of iced tea,
kick back and enjoy the summer breeze
(even if it's from a ceiling fan)




 
Birdie says
It's just a 

Y'ALL