Dessert, Divers, & Mountains...Oh My!

About a week and a half ago I got to have dessert with my Aunt Kathy! She's not my real aunt, but she might as well be. She's been a part of our family for longer than I can remember. And I LOVE getting to spend time with her! This is the Gargantuan dessert that we shared.

 Me & My Aunt Kathy

The next day I went to Memphis for the very first time to visit my dear friends, Lindsy & RJ.  We went to the pool, had dinner at Rendevous, then hung out at Beale St. Dinner was delicious! The ribs were super tasty and Beale Street was crazy! We had so much fun!

Lindsy & I at Silky O'Sullivan's

Oh RJ

Yum!

This is the "Diver"...it's pretty big.

Beale Street

This place is like Big Chill in Chattanooga...with more flavors. Frozen drinks galore.

On Monday I got to hang out with Heather & her boyfriend at Ugly Mugs coffee in East Nasty, then had some yummy jambalaya in Franklin with Kara! 
 

Then Tuesday I jumped on a plane to Colorado Springs. When I got to the rental car counter they told me that they unfortunately didn't have any compact cars like I reserved, they only had SUVs. So I drove around this HUGE Chevy Traverse while I was there. I seriously had to jump to get into it! 


I spent 3 days looking for an apartment. I picked one yesterday! I'll be living really close to Fort Carson and the MOUNTAINS!!!! I also got to meet my coworkers and they were all really nice and seemed to really love working there! I cannot wait to start my new life there! I stayed with Lindsey & Ryan and their dog, Zeus, and had a great time! Thanks for letting me stay with you and showing me around Downtown!


Sorry no pictures if the Springs, I figured I would have tons soon! 


I got back Saturday afternoon and got to spend some time with the whole family! We saw the new and final Harry Potter movie!!! So surprised and excited! Sunday we waved to Becca & Mom on their way to camp. Yesterday I took care of apartment stuff & bothered Dad at work. Today I got to see Heather again when I went to her parents to pick up all my books from Boards studying! Then I had dinner with Mrs. Terrie at Applebees, she's my favorite Sunday School teacher ever and a very close family friend! The spinach-artichoke dip was phenomenal!


Tomorrow I head to Chattanooga for around 24 hours, but I'll be able to see lots of people I hope! After that I'll be packing up all my stuff to send to Colorado Springs!

Also, I'm moving on July 30th, not the 23rd like I originally thought!

New Adventures

I'm Moving!

As some of you already know, I have accepted a position as a physical therapist in an inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Colorado Springs, CO!

Photo found via: Bing Search

Next week I am flying out there to find a place to live and visit the clinic. Then I'll be moving probably on the 23 of this month. Between now and then I am packing and trying to see absolutely everyone who I care about before I leave. I am unbelievably overwhelmed at the moment.

I can't believe this is all happening so quickly. At the beginning of the summer, I was hoping to have a job and move at the end of July, but, until last week, it didn't look like that would actually be happening. Now I have to pack 24 years of my life, say goodbye to friends and family, and travel 1,100 miles to start my new job.

I asked Tucker (my cat) how he felt about the whole thing...he didn't respond.

Reading over this it sounds like I'm not excited about all this. But I am. I cannot wait to live in such a beautiful place and start treating patients again! It's just that I am going to miss everyone so much and I am not looking forward to moving my stuff yet again...but maybe this time I won't move again for a while, who knows!

Independence Day

 I love the 4th of July! 

To me, it's all about family time, grilling out, and fireworks.

 The whole family, aunts, uncles, cousins, used to go to Gramma & Grandpa's in Berea, KY every 4th of July. We would spend all weekend swimming, playing in the creek, and hanging out. We would head over to the Reilly's house for sparkler relay races with Dan & Liz and to throw those popper things at each other. For the fireworks, we all went to the elementary school where they shoot off fireworks and make exaggerated "ooohs" and "aaahhhs". It wasn't as big as the fireworks displays here, maybe, but it was still tons of fun. Then we would all head home for ice cream and a nighttime swim. I miss those days.

This year, it was just Mom & Dad & me for the 4th. Jacob was working, Jonathan was with his fiance, and Becca's in Europe. But we still made the most of it! Dad grilled burgers and corn on the cob...yummy! We went to Crockett Park for the fireworks and got there just in time. The fireworks show was good...there were some pretty cool fireworks that they didn't have last year!

The flash was really bright on the camera, so excuse Dad's surprised face.

After the fireworks, we walked the mile back to our car with the handy headlamps I brought. At home, we ate the best dessert EVER! Dad, with a little help from me, made a red white and blue trifle. It is sooooo tasty! You use angel food cake, cool whip, strawberries, & blueberries layered on each other and chill it, then you enjoy! 

 

I hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day!

Sunshine & Summertime

To start my summer off right, the morning after I got back from Europe I headed to the beach for Katie's Bachelorette weekend! 

 All the girls at the shocean!

 Thanks for the super-cute wine glasses, Katie!

 The bride-to-be and me

Funny faces

I had to leave early for my sister's graduation, but I had fun there, too!

Me Jacob, Jonathan, and Allie (Jonathan's Fiance). This was NOT at graduation...all the older kids went out in Nashville to celebrate Jacob's 21st birthday the night before Becca's Graduation. I can't believe my baby brother is growing up.

All 4 of the Williams kids: Me, Jonathan, Becca, & Jacob. We're all living at home together for the first time in 6 years. It's been an interesting experience, to say the least.

I guess nothing interesting happened after my sister's graduation...until my wonderful friend Katie's wedding!

 Rikki & Me getting ready

 Bridesmaids

The Maid of Honor, Lindsy

The Bride, trying to keep cool

 Congratulations Katie & Boomer!

For Father's Day we got my Dad some flowers for his garden...then we had to plant them before the storms came through a few days later. So of course we waited until it was dark to get started. This is how we improvised:

 Really bright light with a REALLY long extension cord attached.

This is how we spaced the plants...with the 1 million trowels that we found in the garage.

Then I helped with vacation bible school at church and got put in charge of the 4 & 5 year olds. One night we had 24 of them. Unbelievable. What was really unbelievable was how well behaved they were most of the time! 

Here are my girls being mermaids...they are too cute!

We went to Becca's choir concert before she left for Europe. She sang beautifully! Then Jonathan, Dad, Mom, & I got up early to take her to the airport.

Me & Becca

 Ready to go!


Soon after dropping Becca off, I headed to Chattanooga to celebrate Carlyn getting married!

 The lovely Bride-to-Be!

 The Bachelorette Party...what a good looking group of girls!

The centerpiece at the best table...ours!

Her bouquet was made entirely of brooches...it was beautiful!

 

 Mr. & Mrs. Sampson Jackson dancing their first dance

While I was in Chattanooga I got to see Rikki & Austin! I ate some of their wedding cake, had a tasty dinner (after the waitress brought the right meal out), ate some mediocre cheesecake...but it was fo free so i won't complain, and helped Rikki convince Austin that they needed a chair from the side of the road. 

I also saw both the Rishi's, my wifey Ali and her man, Jenny, Scott Stuart, Jessica Moerman, and lots of other people I hadn't seen in a long time, including all my favorite UHON staff! Special thanks to Liz and Jeremy for letting me stay with them!

 Congratulations to all the newlyweds!

England

I arrived in London around 7:30 in the morning after an overnight bus ride...not the best sleep I've ever had, but not the worst, either. I met Sarah at our hotel/hostel (after grabbing myself a much needed cappuccino) and we decided to explore. We went to Nero's for coffee close to Paddington Station then walked through Hyde Park for the rest of the afternoon.

 

We put our feet in the water at Princess Diana's Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park 

The squirrels at Hyde Park walk right up to you and beg for food...they aren't as fat as Washington, DC squirrels, but they are definitely more bold

 Me & the Peter Pan statue in Hyde Park. We saw Kensington Palace, too, but it wasn't much to look at :( 

That night we went to a couchsurfing event at a pub in London and met some pretty cool people...we even made plans for the next evening!

The next day we decided to do the bus tour around the city (see above). You can hop-on & off wherever you want for 24 hours and you get a Thames river cruise included! Our first hop-off was Baker Street, to see Sherlock Holmes...D.U.H.

 Not only did we find Sherlock Holmes, but we also found the London Beatles Store! I loved it!

We hopped back on the bus, hopped off for some shopping, then stayed on until we got to the Tower of London.

 The Tower Bridge

 

Big Ben & Parliament from the Thames River. We got a free river cruise with our bus tour!  

The next day Sarah & I took a tour of Salisbury, Stonehenge & Bath. It was incredible! Salisbury is a super cute little town. Stonehenge is literally right next to the highway...you would expect it to be in the middle of nowhere, but you seriously have to walk underneath the road through a tunnel to get to it. Bath was amazing! And apparently Johnny Depp & Nicholas Cage live there...JEALOUS! My camera ran out of batteries there, though, so 

 Super cool fountain at Salisbury Cathedral.

 Fish & Chips at lunch in Salisbury

Stonehenge! 

In Bath we threw coins into the cool baths with our new friends we met on our tour! We found some kids on a school tour to be our photographers. (Special thanks to Sarah Harding for the picture!)

The next few days we spent taking in as much of London as possible.

 Sarah & I and the group of crazy Welsh guys we met at dinner one night. They all liked country music, so we had a little sing along, ending the evening with American Pie. Every year they come to London to celebrate their best friend's memory...very sweet.

 St. Paul's Cathedral at night from the Millennium Bridge.

 Sarah & I at Westminster Cathedral after the church service we went to. We sat right next to the all male choir and it was such an incredible experience!

 I found a Chihuly in London!

This was at the tower of London...these guns shoot Swarovski Crystals! The crown jewels were beautiful, but you aren't allowed to take pictures of them.

  We spent a day in Oxford. It was fantastic!

This is where Harry Potter eats dinner.

 Stained glass window at Christ Church in Oxford. We happened to be there when a choir from Texas A&M had a performance...I actually knew some of the songs!

 Sarah & I at the Eagle and Child Pub in the Rabbit Room where JRR Tolkien & CS Lewis used to hang out!

 

 This is where CS Lewis went to school. I wish I went to school in Oxford.

More of CS Lewis's alma mater. So Pretty!

When we got back to London, Sarah & I headed to the Globe Theatre to see one of "The Bard's" plays. In case you are not a major dork, The Bard is William Shakespeare. We didn't realize it until after, but the dad in the play was played by Geoffrey the butler from Fresh Prince of Bel Air! 

 Our last morning, Sarah & I went our separate ways, she wanted to relax in the park & I wanted to go to Abbey Rd. I realize that you are supposed to be ON the crosswalk when you take the picture...but that's what you get when you get a random bystander to take your picture and there are about a thousand other people trying to get their pictures, too.

 When we met up we went to St. Paul's and climbed a million stairs to get to the top, but boy was it worth it!

 

Us at the top.

After St. Paul's, Sarah & I crossed the courtyard for tea at our favorite little tea shop.

That evening we split up again to see shows on West End. We couldn't find one that we both hadn't seen, so we just went to different ones. I saw Wicked, which was amazing, and Sarah saw Les Miserables, which she said was incredible!

 

The next morning it was goodbye Europe, hello cicadas, heat, and humidity!