Sad and Happy Times

These last six months have been filled with pure joy from Bethany. They have also been filled with lots of goodbyes.

It has been a difficult 6 months for us when we think about losing family. We were so blessed to gain a family member on September 10th and then so sad to lose one the very next day. My Papa passed almost at the same time my baby was taking her first breath. What a bittersweet moment. Then on Thanksgiving day, a time usually spent laughing and eating with family, we where shocked to find out that Brad's Maw Maw Moore had suddenly died. We said goodbye but were in no way ready to. Finally, we took another trip to Abilene this last week to be with family as we laid Brad's Grandma Hall to rest. Needless to say we have been saying more goodbyes than hellos. The part that I have found to be the most difficult is realizing that 3 of Bethany's great grandparents were not able to meet her. They new about her but did not get the chance to hold her. I wish so badly that they could have enjoyed her smiles the way I do. I plan on telling her all about them when she gets old enough. I want her to know that her great grandparents played a big part in molding her Mom and Dad and gave them great examples of how to treat others and follow Jesus. I want to leave you with a few pictures. They are of family and I think summarize what these last few month have been like.

Newborn Bethany. Sept. 10th,2010.

MeMa and Papa Embry

MawMaw and PaPaw Moore

Grandma Hall

Bethany at 5 months

Here is Brad. We were hanging out in Bethany's room. He bought me a new camera so I was figuring out how to use it and got a good one of him.

Bethany and Granna. She is playing with the barn yard toys we had when we were kids.

Bethany loves her Uncle Caleb. I think he has the same feelings towards her. They had a lot of fun together.

This is the Hall family. Unfortunately we were at Grandma Hall's funeral. Why is it that everyone wants pictures at funerals? I guess it's one of the few times when everyone is together so people feel like they have to take advantage of it. I did get to meet family that I only knew from face book.

On our way home we stopped to spend the night at Mema and Papa's. It was weird not seeing Papa in his chair when I came through the door. Mema and Bethany sure did enjoy each other.

We will miss our grandparents. We will love every moment with the ones we still have and we will treasure those moments when our baby girl gets to be with them and enjoy their love.

So I can remember

This post is more for me than you but feel free to read it anyway. I want to remember some of the things Bethany is doing at six months so here is my list.
Bethany loves to snuggle. She hides her head in my shoulder and then pops up to smile at me.
She is rolling from her tummy to her back.
My little girl loves to stand. She is happiest when I hold her hands and she stands like a big girl.
Bethany has just started to barely giggle. We can get one tiny giggle when she's in the right mood.
She has started to jabber. I can hear her sound out dadadadada, yayayaya, and many other sounds while she entertains herself. She can be very loud sometimes.
Our baby has decided that she loves animals. She loves to pet the kitty and doggy any time she gets the chance.

Lastly, my little girl has found her feet and knows what to do with her tiny hands. She can pick up her own spoon and feed herself. I have a feeling she will want to do everything on her own.

First Day Back To Work

Well, my first day as a sub went off without a hitch. I thought i was going to be subbing for a highschool but when I arrived they showed me to a 2-3 year old daycare room. I almost panicked until they told me I would be helping another woman who worked there. I was pretty relieved that I wasn't on my own. I got an hour for lunch and then sat and read for an hour after that while the kids took naps. None of the kids where horrible. They followed directions as well as a 2-3 yr old can. I can say that by working there It has confirmed how very glad I am that we don't have to put Bethany in day care. All the kids were sick in some way. Some of them stayed longer than I did and kept asking when their parent was coming. If all goes as planned I will be subbing once a week. Hopefully my next experience will be a good one as well.

New Year, New You, Not Happening

You know how everyone sets out to change themselves at the beginning of every year? Well, I've decided that is not what I will be doing this year. Why is it that we can't be satisfied with who we are? Why do we feel pressured to change things we were born with like our body, or personality type? I've decided to be happy with who I am this year. I don't need to try and be someone different. What I need to do is embrace who I am and enjoy being me. I will not be forced into a mold that our society has decided is the "ideal" person. Another thing I won't do is try to change others. I will enjoy individuals for who they really are and encourage them to expose their true selves and not be ashamed about it. This year I will be the real me and the world will just have to deal with it!

Master Holly

Since I'm dedicating blogs; today's goes to my great sister Holly. She received her MA today! This is an amazing accomplishment concidering all of the other things she did while completing it. I wish I could be there to give her a big hug when she walks off that stage. I can't wait to congratulate her in person! So here's to you Holly; I am so proud of you sister! Your amazing determination to go for your goal and work till you get it done is something I greatly admire about you. I can't wait to see what you do next!

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad

December 14th my Mom & Dad got married. They have been together for 32 years. So to congratulate them on their commitment to each other I want to dedicate today's blog to them. I want to thank you both for being excellent examples of how to make a marriage work. Thank you for showing us how to work through difficult situations and how to enjoy the good times. Thank you for commiting to raising us kids together and giving us a stable home to grow up in. I know this took lots of sacrifices. Thank you for showing me how to be a good person and stand up for my faith. Thank you for supporting me and always encouraging me to be the best person I can be. You are an awesome couple and I love you both!

Well, people it's time for another entry. I always feel like I should only write when I have something extremely important to say. But if I only went by that rule I would never write. I guess I'll talk about this weekend. Mom & Dad came up and babysat while brad and I went to a Dave Mathews and Tim Reynolds concert. Very good! I always have a ton of fun when we go see Dave. Mom and Dad stayed for the weekend. We had fun hanging out, eating, and just enjoying each others company. All this fun has made me even more excited for our Christmas celebrations!