These Mommy Days…

I haven’t blogged in a while…

Lately Oliver & I have spent a lot more time playing, and less time being productive. So far, neither of us mind a bit that we get very little done on the days we spend together. I am preserving memories of him, these days.

Oliver is now eight months old, but I think he believes that he is much older. I am terrified that any day he will let go of the couch and walk without holding on to anything. Sometimes our house gets very quiet and when I find Oliver, he is standing on tip-toe against the television stand or the fireplace or the couch reaching for something dangerous or off-limits to him. When I say to him, “Oliver, what do you think you are doing??” He shoots me a silly grin, displaying his two teeth or waves at me.

Hand-waving is a recent discovery. Oliver recently learned how to wave and now he waves constantly: when he is happy, when he is trying to get my attention, when he is looking at his own reflection, when he is trying to get daddy’s attention, but of course not when he ask him to wave. When he does wave, though, it is heart-melting.

Oliver reminds me of my own carefree childhood. We play together and I sing songs to him, and sometimes we dance. And Oliver laughs.

These days, a two-and-a-half-foot little boy with chestnut curls and blue-green eyes fills our world with life and so much love.

~Beth

Sidewalk Stories

Sometimes the simplest things make the best memories. 

Sidewalk chalk & a little imagination turned an empty driveway into a playground. My five-year-old niece gets bored easily, but I managed to capture her attention with our colorful simple artwork as we enjoyed what may be one of the last warm weekends this year.

A house is just a house unless you know it's story...

"Our House" 

(told by Hailey & embellished a little by me)

This is our home. I am the mom and Nicholas is the dad. Hailey is the big sister & Oliver is our baby. Kelli (Hailey's year-old sister) is the bigger baby and grandpa is big brother. Grammie is our housekeeper. Our home has pink roof shingles because the girls got to choose and we love pink. Big brother (grandpa) lives in the attic bedroom. He sneaks out sometimes, which explains the really tall pink ladder. Oliver lives in the room with the crooked orange window and the flower box. The room with the french doors has a balcony (you might not have noticed). This is the mom & dad's room. Hailey and Kelli live downstairs. We have a tree with a tire swing that is also pink, and an enormous flower growing in our yard (that we drew first before we decided to draw a house). And we are one big happy chalk house family :)

This is how we spent our Saturday afternoon:

In the sunshine enjoying each other's company. 

And Oliver joined us outside for a bit, too.

Grammie-Day

Last year on Nicholas's mother's birthday, we surprised her with the exciting news that we were expecting a little one. One year later, Oliver celebrated with his Grammie on her birthday.

We shared dinner, conversation & laughter, a game of marbles, and yummy cake.

Happy Birthday Grammie-MOM-Diana Sellai :)

& in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. 

-Abraham Lincoln

another chapter..

When I was 4 years old, my family moved to the Central San Joaquin Valley from Gilroy, California. 

It was a big move. We had no family or friends here. 

But we began attending a little church shortly after our move and Toya & I immediately became friends with a crazy little girl named Larissa. She was fun and silly and she loved to play dress up just like my sisters & me. 

We quickly became best friends.

Our moms homeschooled us together, Larissa's mom taught us to sew, we had thousands of play dates, swim parties, even a super secret club. shhhhh :)

We experienced life together. 

Over the past 20 years, we've changed and grown and developed different interests, but we've managed to stay good friends.

& today, I will watch my dear friend marry her soulmate. 

Congratulations, Larissa.

May your life with Brandon be filled with joy, laughter & bliss...

and may the next years of our friendship be even better than the first 20. 

~Bethany

Gone Country

Oh my goodness, I can't believe the Keith Urban concert is tonight!

My husband gave me tickets as a gift for our first wedding anniversary on March 27. So I've been waiting a while for this. I expect nothing less than amazing from my all time favorite singer. Now if I could only find something to wear...

~Bethany

another year.

Happy Birthday Little Brother...

Seventeen years ago today, my "baby" brother was born. I remember that he somewhat resembled a frog, with his long body and legs and his dry skin. He was two weeks overdue and weighed ten pounds at birth. I tried to explain to Oliver that his Uncle Reuben was born seventeen years ago and that's quite a long time considering Oliver was born just six and a half weeks ago. I'm not sure if he fully grasped the concept. He just smiled and made faces at me. I, however, am fully aware of the time that has flown by. When I look at the little brother who has finally grown taller than me, I remember that long froggy baby that I was sometimes allowed to carry. Despite how heavy he felt in my arms, I pretended it didn't bother me so that my mom would let me hold him longer. Well I certainly can't carry him anymore but I will hug him tightly when I see him tonight for his birthday dinner. And, I will wish him a very happy birthday and a wonderful year as he enjoys the gift of life that God has blessed him with. We love you not-so-little brother...

May this year bring you new experiences, joy, laughter and peace.

~ B.

roadtrip recap.

Last week Nicholas & I, along with Mom, Dad, Toya & Reuben, visited our family in Texas and Oklahoma. We got to hang out with my sisters and their families. From my nephew Cruz's 2nd birthday party, to The Alamo, to shopping at the fabulous La Cantera, to Dad getting crazy betting on some horse races, we had a blast. I thought I'd illustrate our joyous visit with a few snapshots. Enjoy!

~Bethany.

Our beautiful family. (minus one)

Cruz loved the racehorses (:

We told him not to let go but apparently the electric shock was too much for him to handle. 

Lunch at SaltGrass Steakhouse. yummm.

Lucas & Nessa.

The colors of the Riverwalk.

Ness & Toya.

Nick found a Buffalo in Oklahoma.