A Lot of L-O-V-E love

I love LOVE L-O-V-E Valentine's Day.

I try to dress in as much red as possible. 

This box arrived on my doorstep on Valentine's Day, a gift from my darling husband. 

It was filled with these...

look familiar? they are from Georgetown Cupcakes, aka the cupcake shop on tlc's DC Cupcakes. And they were amazing!

I decided to make my own decorations this year. That involved sewing lots of felt hearts and hanging them around our home with bits of rustic twine.

I also took some photos of Oliver and made Valentine's Day photo-cards for our family. 

Oliver liked to shake the hearts and throw them on the ground so it took a few tries before I captured the perfect v-day snapshots.

For Oliver's first Valentine's day, Nicholas & I bought him a special edition of Mr. Potato Head. He is called "sweetheart spud".  Oliver spotted it while we were grocery shopping and loved it. I wrapped it up and let him open it on Tuesday before Nick & I left for a romantic date at Romano's Macaroni Grill, my favorite restaurant. I think he enjoyed the gift wrapping paper more than the toy, though. 

Notice the gift bow Oliver is wearing like a hat? 

How did you spend your Valentine's Day this year?

Piglet: "How do you spell 'love'?

Pooh: "You don't spell it, you feel it."

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

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

Being myself, with a baby.

This is me reminding me that I can still do all the things I love. 

I just have a little person to do them with now. 

& that makes life even better.

~B

one year (and a few weeks) ago...

On March 27, Nicholas & I celebrated our first wedding anniversary. (I know this is a bit overdue but better late than never, right?) It was a beautiful spring afternoon in downtown Fresno, the day we said our vows. Surrounded by a few of our closest family and friends, we pledged the rest of our lives to each other; our hands clasped tightly together taking in the solemnity of our actions. Our joy overflowed that day and I will never forget it.

A year later, we spent our anniversary weekend reminiscing over our first year together as husband & wife. A year may not seem very long; a mere three hundred and sixty five days. Yet, I feel like we've grown so much this first year, both emotionally and spiritually. We've learned much about each other, yet I know we still have so much more to learn. We look forward to all that God has in store for us in the next days and months and years of our lives. 

One year ago, I married my best friend....

And now, I can't imagine life without him. 

"Grow old with me,

the best is yet to be."

-Robert Browning

lazy saturday.

Hello October (: 

So far, I am not loving the weather you've opened with but crossing my fingers for better days. It has been so humid and hot lately despite the fact that it is now officially autumn. Hmm. 

Well, Nick purchased my "Christmas Gift" today and I can already say with confidence that I will not be waiting until Christmas to open and utilize the gift. It is a pair of chocolate brown suede boots that I have been wanting for several winters to replace the really worn out pair that I already owned. Yay! I can't wait for cooler fall weather so I can show off my fabulous new foot wear. 

Today was mostly a lazy day. It seems like every weekend there is some baby shower or wedding or party or family function that we must attend. To be honest, it adds up to exhaustion. Not that I don't enjoy spending time with friends and family, because I do. But every now and then, we need a lazy day to wake up late and watch saturday morning cartoons while eating cereal. Which is exactly what Nicholas and I did this morning (: It was blissfully fulfilling.

We should be resting up because at this time next week, we will be in San Antonio, Tex. with the rest of my siblings and parents for my nephew Cruz's 2nd birthday party. I am looking forward to the mini vacation. The weather over there promises to be in the 80s so I am stoked. Also, since I haven't seen either of my two older sisters since my wedding six months ago, it will be nice to catch up with them in person. Phone calls just aren't the same as face to face conversations. 

Anyway, Nicholas just scored a touchdown on his NCAA 2010 game so I am going to stop typing and cheer for him. Nothing too enlightening this week but thanks for reading anyway (: Happy October!

~Bethany.