Processing...

I started this blog to help document what's doing on with Jesse and to keep friends and family in the loop. I try to not make it too much about me - I sometimes wonder if I should just start an indulgent Bethany Blog. Maybe I will one day.

People express themselves in lots of ways, and it's actually nice to write out your thoughts. It feels like you can confirm them once they've been written out - your thoughts and feelings are validated, or sometime like that. So, this blog is me processing what's going on in my heart and my head. Feel free to quit reading. ;)

We're moving in about two weeks. Two weeks from now, our home will be packed up and empty. We're heading 'home' to Oklahoma. I've missed Oklahoma the nearly 4 years I've lived in the Houston area. I've always referred to Oklahoma as 'home', and Scott would sometimes teasingly question me about that. The truth is, I have a new home. This has become home.

What a mess of emotions it is to move. REALLY, it's more of a mess of hectic craziness. There's so much to do that I haven't felt like I've had a chance to do any emotional processing or letting it sink in that all these changes are coming.

Maybe it's that tonight was our last official Community Group. Maybe it's that 'my school' that I haven't even taught at for the 16 months that Jesse has been out and about is having a going away party for me tomorrow night. Maybe it's that it's 12:20 am, but I started feeling. I started getting sad, and it feels good to actually get to process how I feel. Our time here has been incredibly blessed!!! God had such amazing things in store for us, and I just love it when God has precious plans for us that far exceed any we could have planned on our own.

I taught two years of first grade in OK before moving to TX to teach 2nd grade at Griffin Elementary. That's where I learned that I LOVED teaching 2nd grade. Second grade was my niche. I had taught at three different schools in the first three years I taught, and it was such a joy to get to return to Griffin for a second and third year. The teachers and admin at Griffin supported me through my stupid broken arm... The girls I taught with were the first outside of family that knew I was pregnant. I will never forget feeling so sick one day, then being asked if I was pregnant. I started crying - I was so happy to be pregnant but probably more nervous and afraid. Their support and secret-keeping skills helped me out so much and endeared them to me even more.

The camaraderie that teachers have when they work together is sometime you can only understand if you've taught. You need those teachers to listen to you when you're frustrated or discouraged or bewildered. And they get it. They've been there. I love my Griffin Grizzlies. How amazing is it that any of them even care to help see me off with a going away party? I'm so blessed.

I can not say enough about the community, family, and support we've received from our church home, WordServe. We moved hours from family members, but God decided to go ahead and give us an amazing church family. It was through WordServe and our 'blessings in the disguise of Texas residents' that Scott and I were able to be a part of a church plant. No other church experience will be able to compare to this unique opportunity we've had in helping plant and grow God's church.

It's where we went on our first mission trip together, and what a doozy of a trip it was. It's where we worked hard together as the blind leading probably the 'not-so-blind' in building a children's ministry. It wasn't always pretty, but we had children's ministry every week. And the children of WordServe are learning to love to worship and pray and learn about God. It was our WordServe friends who came to our home at 5 am the Monday morning we were heading to the hospital for our C-section to cover us in prayer. They were among the first to welcome Jesse to the world. They celebrated along with us. My heart overflows with joy, love, and already the saddness in not getting to see them multiple times every week.

I'll miss this home. This is where we brought Jesse home. This is the house I'd navigate at all hours of the night, where's I'd walk, bouncing, bouncing, bouncing my boy to sleep. It's where he first learned to roll his way around then eventually army crawl. It's where my boy and dog loved playing in the backyard together and just wandering around the cul de sac. The park down the street is where Jesse first learned that the loved to swing.

This will always be a precious place to me. I mourn the loss of it but know that God is so GOOD. He has great things in store. I'm happy to get to be closer to family. I'm happy to be near my OK friends. Praise God for His faithfulness in blessing us again and again.

Got What I Need

Jesse came out of our bedroom the other day with the essentials:

This is what Scott takes with him when he leaves the house.

Keys - CHECK!
Wallet - CHECK!
Phone - CHECK!

What a smart boy who pays such great attention. :)

I'm A Wreck, Too

Jesse is 'all boy'. All boys are 'all boy'. But when I say this, I mean that my boy is loud, rowdy, he bangs things, he's demanding, impatient a lot of times...

One of Jesse's new things is that if he wants to do something and can't get it done on his own right away, he screams as if he's in GREAT pain. I've run to his painful screams to find that he can't open a door that he wants to open, or he can't get his shoe off. I've tried to teach him a shortened version of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. I tell Jesse that he should reserve his most intense screams for instances of true danger or harm. He doesn't seem to get it.

Check out this boy:

Wow, Jesse! Good work!

SOOOO dirty.

If Jesse were to have his blog, I imagine it might go a little something like this:

My mom is 'all mom'. When I say that I mean she thinks I'm wild, then she doesn't know what to do with me. She wishes I could talk calmly to her and tell her what I want. Then she goes off to the rodeo with Dad, sees a 4 year old boy, and starts to get teary eyed thinking of me at that age. How embarrassing!!!

Jesse's 'blog' is right. I'm a mess, too. I saw this precious 4 year old boy (maybe he was 5) enjoying the rodeo with his parents. I seriously got choked up thinking that Jesse will grow up to be that old. Someone told me that there may be days that go by slowly (or nights), but the years go quickly. My little boy is growing up! I hope I can handle this.

Construction Zone

My awesome husband is so handy! He can do almost anything to our house. He has done so much painting, fixing, pruning, planting... I just can't tell you all he's done. But he really does a great job on all his projects!

Scott and I are just learning that projects get quite a bit trickier with Jesse here to help.

"Hey, Dad! Ya want me to climp up the ladder to help you prune this tree??"


This is as far as Jesse got.


Look around all you want, kid.
We've got our eyes on you, and you're not gonna sneak anything past us.

"Ooooooh! A shop vac! This will be great for chewing on!"


Oil based paint comes out with paint thinner.
Ask me how excited I was to have to use it on my covered-in-paint kid.
We also have some clothes that will always have this trim color on them.


"If I bend down real low, maybe they won't see me behind these bushes.
Then I'm gonna knock 'em over and pull out as many leaves as I can!"
Isn't this the CUTEST face?!

There are plenty of other photo ops that were missed, because they were too dangerous to capture. I didn't have time to get to the camera and keep my kid safe. :)

Oh, goodness. If we only lived in a padded gymnastics-type house. :)

My Heart Grows

Early Friday morning on February 11th, at 6:37 a.m. my heart grew 8 lbs and 11 oz in the shape of a new sweet niece named Erin Grainne. My big brother Adam and sister-in-law Leigh are new parents, and what a blessing this little girl is to them and everyone who loves them.

I got to visit this weekend and meet my new sweet niece, and she's precious! She loves to snuggle. She loves her Mama and her Daddy. She likes her swing, but she didn't get much of a chance at it with Aunt Bethany around to snatch her up. She has such dainty little hands, the softest skin. She's just perfect! :)

It sure does my heart good to be around my family. I've had two great weekends in a row - getting to spend special time with family members who live away. I'm just so thankful that God blessed me with a family of such love. We just really enjoy being together.

My first live look at Erin! Leigh wins Best Wife and Mother award for taking Erin to support her daddy in his first SMFL (Saturday Morning Football League) game since his daughter's birth.


Jesse was also there to support his daddy. This is Scott reading the quarterback right before his pick-6. Good job Daddy!!! Whoo!!!!!

Adam's friend Grant brought his dogs to the game. Jesse wasn't disappointed. They have a little boy in their house that's 3 days older than Jesse, so they know how little boys love dogs. :)

Back from the game, I finally got my hands on this girl!!! PRECIOUS!

She'll need Ella to help her with that BINK

Uncle Scott's so good with Erin. :)
He knows how to handle babies.

Aunt Joni and Uncle Joshy love this baby.
Aunt Joni baby whispered Erin to sleep.
Adam and Leigh want to her stay a few nights. :)

Here's Erin, Jesse. What do you think?

Jesse thinks she's pretty, but she sure took a lot of my mom's attention.
I love seein these boys with their babies!!!

Gettin' some love from Uncle Joshy - good hands Joshua! :)

Thanks Grandpa Kent! :)

Beautiful Mama with Beautiful Erin!
Notice the A&M shirt Leigh is wearing after they beat OSU the night before in basketball? Hmmm...

I love these two!!

Happy Mamas with Beautiful Babies

Snugglin' with Aunt B. Did anyone else get to hold Erin?

A beautiful day to walk to the lake and feed the ducks and birds.
We were missing Toby, Yvette, and Elyse.


Heading down to the water to feed all the ducks.
I had Barry on his leash, he lunged toward the ducks,

and they all started to leave.
So I brought Barry away from the water.

Barry was just too excited. He worked hard and slipped out of his collar and

HEADED FOR THE DUCKS!

They all quickly scattered, while my dog went swimming out into Whiterock Lake.

A little ways out, there was a pile of muck that Barry got stuck in.
I got nervous and knew that if Barry got stuck, Scott would rescue him.

I was also worried that Scott would be upset that I let Barry get loose.

After freeing himself from the nasty muck, he headed back to us on the shore.

He was very dirty.

He had the time of his life.

Aunt 'Noni' is a bird whiperer...and still has great aim with that All State softball arm.
She'd throw the bread up into the air, and they'd catch it in their mouths! Stud.

Happy One Year Anniversary!
We love this awesome couple and had so much fun playing 'one year ago today...'

Fun With Sheri

Jesse's Aunt Sheri came to visit last weekend, and we LOVED having her here! She watched Jesse so Scott and I could go to dinner and a movie for Valentine's Day (a couple days early). She and Jesse got along great! She found out that he loves grapes. They will satisfy even his saddness at being left by his parents - what an easy bribe. He also really enjoys bathtime, and she was so sweet to let him have a longer bath time. He'll be asking for her now when we try to rush him. We even got to celebrate Sheri's birthday with her. What a treat to get to have the Bday girl here with us!! :)


Thanks for coming Sheri! Feel free to move on down anytime. We'll take ya!

Preparing Sheri's room for her, Jesse found the perfect seat. He's really into sitting on 'chairs' right now. :)


Happy Birthday Chocolate Milk for Sheri!

Happy Birthday Lunch at Lupe's. Anyone shocked that we took a visitor to Lupe's?

A Jesse Sandwich!

Happy Birthday Red Velvet Cake for Sheri. She had to wear the Bday Hat. It's a new tradition in our family.

Watch Jesse! This is how you blow out a candle.


I put these two to work. :)

Backyard Fun

As I've said before, a lot of pictures we get of Jesse right now are action shots. Or we catch him when he happens to be looking our direction. He doesn't pose for us yet or smile on command. He laughs a lot on his own, so he's very happy. He just doesn't smile for the camera yet. :)

Jesse loves playing in the backyard now, and I love that he has a new place to explore and be entertained in. Jesse walks around and will throw Barry's ball for him some. He has a pretty good arm already. :) We're certainly enjoying the nice Houston winters.

On this afternoon, I thought Jesse looked so handsome in his sweater that his Daddy, Uncles, and even a Grandpa have. He's also wearing his cowboy boots from his Grandma and Papa Blakemore. People at church think Jesse has a great cowboy walk in his boots, but his Aunt Sheri pointed out that he walks that way with his tennies on and even barefoot. That's a TRUE cowboy - walkin' a little bow legged all the time. :)

Very intent look - probably at Barry

This is the smile/yell combo Jesse lets out as and after he throws a ball


Get ready Barry, he's gonna throw it!


Playing with his truck. It says 'vroom vroom'.


Such a cute little tongue to stick out

Lookin' a little serious at Mama

Look at that cute outfit! :)

Jesse knows this truck wants to go on the ground