New Site

Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Drum Roll Please...

My announcement to the blogosphere promised in my last post is as follows:

This blog was in need of it's first hair-cut for a few reasons, so to see it's new-do please check out -

http://momcom.squarespace.com

Bookmark it,
Share it with your friends, and
Head over there from now on!

Spring Break Visitors

Wednesday, March 18, 2009


This past weekend/week we've had two different rounds of back to back visitors at our house - Kate's had so much fun! The Melnicks came in from Massachusetts for a few nights followed by the Dabberts from Lubbock. Kate's definitely out of her routine, but staying up late or taking a later nap than normal so we can have fun with friends for a couple days is definitely worth it. Our last guests left this afternoon, so we're headed out of town tomorrow for several days, so I'll be taking a tiny blogging break - but I'll be back next week with BIG BLOG NEWS so stay tuned!!

The Girl in the Mirror

Monday, March 16, 2009
The many sides of Kate continue to emerge as we get deeper into her Terrific Threes. She can be so incredibly sweet and loving, funny or sarcastic, happy or sad, creative yet destructive, curious and stubborn, and so many other things these days. Her emotions are intense experiences for her these last couple weeks - both the good and the bad ones - so we're spending a lot of time trying to figure out how to identify how we feel, talk about those feeling, and make good choices despite how we may FEEL like acting. I have a FEELING we'll be going through this cycle very frequently over the course of her childhood :). Every day I learn more about her and find that I have more questions concerning how to parent than I have answers - but this is definitely an incredible journey that I wouldn't trade for anything!

Daddy's Jeans

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Cody doesn't like to go shopping very often, but we convinced him to go to the mall with us this weekend. He got a new pair of jeans a year or two ago - that doesn't sound too bad until you see a picture of Kate from the last time we went jean shopping for him! To commemorate the occasion we took a pic of her this time too. You'll be glad to know Cody found a perfect new pair of jeans in his size - they should last him a while, so who knows what Kate will look like next time around :).

Imaginary Friend Photo Frustration

Friday, March 13, 2009
Kate's imaginary friends seem to be appearing more and more frequently lately. I'm not exactly sure how to respond to these "friends" that join us at random moments, but I usually just play along. I think those are great opportunities to play pretend and help develop her little imagination - so unless these little friends of her start encouraging her to disobey or misbehave, they're welcome in my house.

This morning Kate ate her oatmeal and blueberries at the table next to an imaginary turtle. She insisted on wearing her party hat left over from a birthday party she went to last weekend because she told me that Turtle was wearing its party hat and wanted her to have one too. And then she begged and begged me to take a picture of her eating breakfast with Turtle. So - being that my camera is always handy - I took the desired picture.

None of these activities were that unusual for our mornings around the Bettis house. But then the girl wanted to see the picture on the screen on the back of the digital camera. It was at that point things got tricky for me...

Kate couldn't understand why she couldn't see Turtle in her hat in the picture. She was pretty sure it was my fault - I simply wasn't showing her the right picture. She eventually started crying because she wanted me to show her the one with Turtle in it. She thought I didn't understand her or that I was being mean for some unexplained reason, but I couldn't get her to understand that Turtle can't be in a picture because she's not like Kate or that I did understand what she was asking even though I couldn't make it happen. I was at a complete loss.

What was this momma to say?

Advice from the older, wiser mommas out there is needed :).

Princess Movie Day

Thursday, March 12, 2009


Kate's friend Alden's mom read in the paper last weekend about a special Disney princess movie matinee this week at a theater near us and invited us to go. The girls were all supposed to dress up in their princess dresses, have a special "curtsy school" before the movie, and watch MULAN. Could there be an event better suited to my girl?!?

So Kate chose to wear her Cinderella dress with princess slippers and joined friends Alden and Avery at the theater. For once she wasn't the only one in public wearing dress up clothes! The girls munched popcorn and did really well together during the movie.

The Disney matinees are going on every two weeks with different movies and in all different areas of the country. They will be showing Cars, Tarzan, and a Winnie and the Pooh throughout the next several weeks. If you're interested in going to a matinee, check out this link to get specifics on the movies, dates, times, and locations.

The Gray 30

Wednesday, March 11, 2009
I'm exactly a week away from being the big 3-0.

It's definitely a milestone worth taking note of, but I'm not losing any sleep over getting older.

While we were sitting on the couch this weekend, Cody spotted a gray hair amidst my brown locks - and I'm pretty sure it has at least a few friends up there sprouting out of my head along with it. Let's face it, there's safety in numbers... So chances are great that several gray strands are headed my way.

In an effort to help me, Cody put his hand on my head so he could isolate my evidently misfit hair and pluck it from my tender scalp. But I was APPALLED at his behavior and sharply leaned away from him when I realized what he was doing. He proceeded to tease me about needing to start dying my hair since I'm "going gray". In the most offended tone I could muster, I told him ABSOLUTELY NOT. We laughed, but I was completely serious.

I've lived a lot of life in these short 30 years - and thus I feel like I have EARNED every gray hair that may or may not be growing on my head. Funky, off color hairs represent seasons of countless joys and sorrows - and all the continual struggles/successes of life in between. To cover them up with dye would feel like I was somehow invalidating my journey.

I wholeheartedly support every member of the actively hair dying community that may be reading this humble blog. Everyone should be 100% free to make their own choices in the "To Dye or Not To Dye" decision according to what is best for their individual preferences - but as for me, I feel a certain level of inexplicable pride in the endurance of life demonstrated by my crazy textured gray hairs and have absolutely no desire to hide them.

Stay tuned to see if I'm singing the same tune when the big 4-0 is just around the bend...

Sweet Friends

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Kate has been blessed with several very good friends in her young life - and among her most special friends are Avery and Luke. Yesterday she was lucky enough to have BOTH friends over to play. They played inside and out - picked lots of "flowers" together - and did so many other fun things together. Kate and I are undoubtedly lucky for all the caring, fun friends we have in our lives!

Spring Fun

Monday, March 9, 2009


The weather here has been so nice and warm this last week that we've been able to get back outside and have some fun. Cody bought Kate some fresh sand for her sand and water table and we broke out the chalk from last summer. Since the outside toys have been in retirement these past few months it's like they're new all over again to the girl. And looking at the toys with three year old eyes is definitely exciting because she can do so many different things with them this year than she did last year. She's been having SO MUCH fun outside, but the highs in a couple days are supposed to be about 30 degrees cooler so we're trying our best to enjoy this breath of spring before winter returns!

Kate's Adoptiversary Date

Sunday, March 8, 2009




This weekend Kate and I went on a special date to celebrate her adoptiversary (adoptiversary is the word I created for the anniversary of her being 100% legally ours... it's an important date for us despite the fact she's been with us since she quite literally took her first breath!).

Our first stop was James Avery. I've been thinking for the past couple years about buying Kate a charm bracelet for an adoptiversary keepsake of sorts. My plan is to add a charm of her choice to the bracelet each year on her special day - so with a portion of my lovely recent Google Adsense check I decided to take the plunge. She loved looking at all the charms and getting to choose all by herself which one to take home. Can you guess what she chose? She found a turtle charm - I couldn't believe they even made one - but when I saw what huge smile spread across her face after she saw it, I knew we were going to be leaving with a turtle charm!

After that I took my sweet blue eyed girl to lunch. The lighting in the restaurant made her eyes sparkle so much I had to take a few pictures! Then we did a little window shopping, headed back to pick up her bracelet, and went home to enjoy a great night of grilling in the backyard and playing games with Daddy.

I'm blown away on a daily basis by what an amazing gift God gave us in our sweet Kate, but there's still something that makes me feel uniquely nostalgic whenever her adoptiverary rolls around. Right now she merely looks at the day with delight since she has another special birthday type of day (in fact, she called it her "adoptabirthday" a couple times this weekend!), but as she gets older I hope her adoptiversary will be a time when she can look back with us and see what an incredible testimony of God's faithfulness and His sovereign plan her story truly is.

Though I'm utterly undeserving, I'm so incredibly thankful for all the blessings in my life - especially the blessing of my precious girl!

Free Item at Victoria's Secret

Saturday, March 7, 2009

If you're interested, you can visit Victoria’s Secret PINK Nation and register to be a member. After you do that, it will open a screen to allow you to print a coupon for a free item as well as a coupon for $10 off a $35 purchase. I'd read on the internet that the free item was a choice from four different styles of tote bags - and that was enough to get me to try it, but when I took my coupon in and asked what my choice of a free item was, the sales girl asked her manager and they said it was a free panty of my choice! I was already excited at the possibility of a free tote bag, but the reality of free underwear was even better!! Angie came along and enjoyed some free underwear too - and Kate LOVED looking at all the different designs as we hunted for our pairs. Go forth and enjoy the free-ness!

Google Adsense Pays

Friday, March 6, 2009
Are you a fellow blogger? If so, you should definitely check into Google's Adsense program here. Today I want to testify that Google Adsense definitely pays - this week they sent me a $100 check in the mail!! When I started blogging this past fall we checked the program out and decided to take a chance on it - because what did we have to lose? Cody helped me figure out what needed to be done to add one ad bar on the right side of my blog and we were done. There are lots of other options on how to arrange their advertisements on your site, but we decided to keep it simple.

Google's program does some sort of magic to "read" my blog and try to display relevant ads to what I'm posting about (sometimes this works and sometimes not). When people click on the ads as they read through my blog a few cents goes into my Google Adsense account. And as soon as the account totals $100, they send you a check (your choice of direct deposit or snail mail).

For the last few months I've been eagerly watching and waiting as my account slowly but steadily climbed closer to that $100 mark so we could see what would happen. And I'm THRILLED to report that as promised, Google came through for me by faithfully mailing my check! I understand $100 isn't much considering it's taken a few months to accumulate it, but for my little family $100 is absolutely FANTASTIC!! You know with my bargain shopping and coupon clipping I can make $100 go pretty far...

And here's a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has clicked on those links in the past - we so appreciate you and your time spent clicking... and please keep it up! If you want to know anything else about making the process work for you, I'd be glad to help because my bank account is now living proof that Google Adsense really works!!

Winter or Spring?

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Saturday morning it was in the 20s in Lubbock. Someone across the street from Cody's grandparents' house left a sprinkler going overnight and had some MAJOR icicles hanging in their yard. Kate was SO EXCITED to see all those "popsicles" hanging from the trees. She's really enjoyed watching icicles form this winter (and since we live in DFW ice is just about the fullest extent of the season). And then yesterday - a mere three days later - while we were at the zoo we saw the first signs of spring coming! There were a few trees with blooms and buds starting to emerge. It's hard to believe the difference a few days and a few miles can make...

My Pony Tailed Girl

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

This morning we decided on the fly to go to the zoo. In efforts to get out the door a little more quickly so we could meet our friends on time, I grabbed a hat from my closet to wear. Just as I was finishing up brushing my teeth Kate came running into my bathroom with her beloved Boston hat and announced she wanted to wear it just like I was. How do you argue with that?

Normally when she wears her hat we just brush her hair out and pop on the cap, but today when I tried to do that she started to cry, shriek, and perform various other sad girl activities. When we were finally able to return to some semblance of sanity, I was able to understand that she was upset because she wanted a "pony-tail-hat-like-momma."

A few months ago this would have been an impossible feat, but today my girl had enough hair to sweep back into a single pony tail - thus making her wish come true as well as ushering in one of those new chapters of toddler life I blogged about yesterday. Sitting on her stool in front of the mirror she grinned from ear to ear as her hat went on and her pony tail was pulled through the hole in the back! And such grins definitely necessitate pictures to share :).

Another Toddler Transition

Monday, March 2, 2009

From the time her entire body could fit in the crook of an arm, Kate has enjoyed napping in the peaceful arms of her BeeBee. As her healthy little girl body grows, it looks like the space for that favorite pastime is unfortunately diminishing rather quickly! Last Friday afternoon she was so tired she got to enjoy about an hour nap in BeeBee's arms - and as you can tell from the picture, it was very likely her last...

So many baby type things seem to drawing to a close in Kate's life these last few months. In some ways that fact brings a degree of sadness to my heart, but in so many more ways I'm excited about all the new little girl doors that are springing open as those baby doors shut! Every day I stand amazed at what she is big enough to do - she says and does so many grown up things now. Even though two and three years old isn't usually the stage that most people enjoy being around children, there are so many exciting things happening in those little hearts and minds! No matter what her age may be, I will always be so blessed to have this precious girl in my life!!

Flip Side: Part 2

Sunday, March 1, 2009





To follow suit, here's part 2 of our trip down memory lane. One thing is for sure in Kate's life: if you're naked, you're definitely going to get to do something fun! And unfortunately for Cody, Kate likes to enjoy making messes as much as I do :). And again I stand amazed at how much hair she's grown over the past year. But I imagine this will be the final chapter of Kate's birthday suit pictures... naked babies in diapers are cute, but little girls definitely need their privacy at some point - from now on we're going to have to find ways to have fun with clothes on. All hail the new era of fun IN our clothes (at least for pictures anyway)!!

Flip Side

Friday, February 27, 2009






Since I reminisced earlier this week about some of my favorite outfits Kate has worn, I thought it would only be fair to examine the flip side too... so here are some of my favorite pics of Kate having fun in her birthday suit from the first half of her life :).

Literature Lovers

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Watching this amazing experience unfold before my eyes truly warms my book loving heart!

Not to mention the fact that it's Kate's recently repaired picture Bible (the one I posted about last November)...

Obama vs. Alabama

Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Kate's getting ready for bed routine includes some cuddle on the couch time. So we were laying in our usual spot last night doing our nightly cuddling when the Presidential Address started. After they announced Obama and he started walking down the aisle to the podium, Kate spontaneously transitioned from her calm, relaxed state to a highly excited one and started clapping like crazy.

"Look, Momma! Momma - LOOK!! Here comes Sweet Home Alabama!!" she said over and over.

Cody heard her from the other room and stuck his head in the living room to ask me what she was saying since she'd gotten so unusually animated. When I told him, he just smiled and shook his head... he does that a lot around us :).

I thought we had her straightened out concerning OBAMA and ALABAMA after last month when she started interchanging the names (see that post), but apparently I was wrong. We'll have to get back to work on that. But for now, she's thrilled that her current favorite song was written about the man she saw talking on tv before bed - oh the joys of being three years old!

Favorite Outfits Part 2

Tuesday, February 24, 2009







Here are a few of the outfits from this past year or so that I LOVE - and looking back over this past year really helps me see how much hair Kate really has grown!! Today I even picked out our very first bottle of DETANGLING SPRAY at the store - I didn't think that would be necessary for another six years :).