my growing boy

My precious little boy turned 4 months yesterday.

I say this every month, but it is always true. I can't believe how quickly he is growing and changing and becoming his own little person. He screams and wails and laughs and babbles to me, his toys, his daddy, anyone and anything that will listen to him. He has an obsession with ceiling fans and light fixtures. He is constantly distracted by them when I am trying to feed him. He sometimes drives me crazy when he cries for no real reason at all except that he wants my undivided attention, usually when I am trying to do housework. But when I stop what I am doing pull him into my arms, he rewards me with one of his radiant joyful smiles, one hand in his mouth and the other clutching tightly to my shirt or arm or hair. Oliver helps me remember that joy can be found in little things: rocking a sleeping baby in my arms; singing and dancing around the kitchen looking completely foolish just to hear Oliver's laughter; watching Oliver play with his cousins on the floor at Grammy's house. 

My heart swells with gratitude for this precious little boy I have been blessed with.

welcome home, brother

This past week, my brother arrived safely home alive and well from South Korea. 

He had been stationed there for over a year and missed so many things while he was away. Holidays, birthdays, Oliver's birth...we felt a lonesome place in our hearts for each milestone that Bobby was unable to share with us.

 Tuesday we finally got our brother back from his soldier duties.

Nick captured a few photos of our joy...

So he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
Luke 15:20 ESV

a little l-o-v-e.

I saw a super cute penant on a blog the other day and I tried to create my own version of it today with some burlap, ribbon, buttons, paint and stencils I made from a paper bag.

It's not perfect but I love how it turned out...

“Let the beauty we love be what we do.” ~Rumi

yard sale treasures

I love yard sales. I love a good bargain. I love my friends.

I love a good bargain from a good friend's yard sale the best. 

Our dear friend Shara is moving and had a moving sale this weekend. We found some awesome stuff for Oliver including this super adorable hat that he already loves. 

Now when I see Oliver wearing this hat, I will remember Shara and her precious family and make sure to say a prayer for them.

speaking of birthdays..

When I was a child, I used to start a birthday countdown weeks in advance. I could hardly wait for the time to pass until my birthday, anticipating my party with friends, games, tons of food, candy from the piñata, and birthday gifts. Back then time seemed to pass by at the pace of a really old turtle: 

v   e   r   y      s   l   o   w   l   y   . 

I remember that my brother Reuben would actually begin crossing off days on our wall calendar several months before his birthday. We would ask, "How many days are left, Reuben?" And he would rattle off something like, "Only fifty seven more days!" And our calendar would look absolutely hideous for those months, each square crossed off with a wobbly X. 

This year I felt like I had a lot less time to sit around daydreaming about birthday plans. I started working again this month so the time outside of work is spent with my husband and son, trying to get our home packed for our upcoming move, doing laundry, trying to keep Oliver entertained, teaching a kid's connection class on Sundays.... Twenty four hours often feels like only a matter of minutes. 

My birthday snuck up on me. 

But I decided I would spend it with the people I love... 

I celebrated my twenty fourth year this past weekend with a handful of close friends over Saturday evening dinner, and then with my family for lunch on Sunday with some yummy Mexican food at Sal's. Even though there was no piñata or huge party, it was the best birthday yet.

And twenty-four is starting out pretty great.

Enjoying my birthday smoothie and the "Happy Happy Birthday" song

Bottle Green linen TOMS from my husband. I am in love ♥

Love,

Bethany

3

Dear Oliver Aiden,

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

I love watching my little boy grow. He has a bottomless appetite, and a laugh that melts my heart. He screamed a lot tonight so I wrapped him in a blanket and laid him on the couch with his pacifier. He is calmly watching me now, his bright blue eyes peaking out from beneath thick dark lashes. I can hardly believe that he is three months old today. 

~Bethany

Adventures at the zoo.

Oliver & I explored the Fresno Chaffee Zoo on Wednesday with Oliver's Grammy, Aunt and cousins. We saw elephants and giraffes, warthogs and flamingos and kangaroos and snakes and lizards... So many various animals call the zoo their home. Oliver smiled and laughed and looked at everything. He enjoyed watching the leaves  in the trees that grew over our head. A gentle breeze whispered a lullaby through the branches as Oliver nodded off to sleep beneath their shade. Watching the animals reminded me of a poem that Bobby, my brother, learned years ago in elementary school. I often repeat it for Oliver...

The elephant walks 

like this 

and like that.

He is very tall

and he is very fat.

He has no finger

but he does have toes

and, goodness gracious,

What a nose!

Love,

Bethany

You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them and the host of heaven worships you. 

Nehemiah 9:6