Disney Fanatic Club

Will someone please tell me how many times you have to go to Disney World to be a FANATIC?  If you would have told me in college that I would be hanging out with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy almost every other weekend, I would have said, you're crazy.  But, here I am. Loving it every time I go. Every time we go, we get a little better on finding shortcuts and Disney "secrets." Did you know that you can take a boat from the Disney Boardwalk directly to a private entrance into Epcot? This boat takes you right to the middle of the world showcase.  We went to Disney this time to celebrate Dad's birthday. We had a lot of "firsts" this time around.  George went on Space Mountain for the 1st time. After it was all over he said, "Dad that was sooo AWESOME."

George, Ethan, and I rode the Astro Orbiter for the first time....I know...you are wondering what the Astro Orbiter is...ask George...he knows all the rides due to the twenty times he has watched the Disney World documentary on Netflix.  Apparently this ride has been at Disney World since it opened in 1971 and I had never been on it. When you walk into Tomorrowland look up at the rocket ships that spin around and around...that is the Astro Orbiter.

George and I went on Mission Space for the first time. WARNING: Don't go on this ride if you get dizzy easily. I could feel my cheeks get sucked back behind my neck as we shot out to space.

We met Duffy the Bear. This is not a common Disney character. George knows who this bear is because when he was younger, we bought him a book about Mickey going to the Magic Kingdom with his little stuffed bear, Duffy. In the book, Duffy comes alive and the two of them go on all the fun rides through out the park. Side Note: (Not sure if Ethan is smiling because of Duffy or the fact that he has a very large poopy diaper.) 

This was the first time I saw Mickey & Minnie in their new location in the building off of Main Street USA. They were moved to this location while Fantasyland is under construction. 

FUN TIMES, FUN TIMES! Remember, if you need any Disney info, call us first.  & Tim

Stop "but" - ing in

Have you ever noticed how God's timing and our timing are never the same? Maybe that's not the case, but it certainly feels like that throughout our lives. 

I find God saying to me, "Tim, be patient. My timing is not yours, and by the way, don't you trust me by now?"

My response, "Lord, of course I trust you, but..."

Why do I do that? I know God is going to take care of me, yet I still try to rationalize with God how my way is better than His. 

I know I'm not the only one out there who does this...you know...try to "but - in" to God's plan with your own way of doing things. 

Why do we say, "Yes God, but...?" If we truly trust God's timing in our lives, we need to take the "but" out of these sentences.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, 

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

Well, that pretty much sums it up for me. I need to stop, and just rest in the knowledge that even though I think God needs to speed it up a little and do things my way, that my timing would be disastrous, while God's timing is PERFECT!. 

"Lord, I rest in you today. Knowing that I will not always understand what you are doing or why you have chosen to do it this way, but I know you will make my life beautiful in YOUR time."

& Tim

19 weeks

Here is the ol' belly at 19 weeks and 4 days. 

 (I know you love the toilet in the picture). It looks way bigger in person (my belly, not the toilet). I will be 20 weeks on Thursday, so basically halfway there. This pregnancy has been pretty similar to my first two. I feel pretty sick for the first trimester, and then it slowly fades until week 19 or 20. I am not one of those women who wake up on week 14 and feel like a new person. No such luck here. But I am also not one of those poor women who throw up constantly and have to go on medicine to keep food down. I count my blessings in that regard, completely. Otherwise, I feel pretty standard pregnant. I am tired (still taking naps almost daily when my kids lay down), feet have started to swell a little bit when I am on them for long periods of time, gaining typical amounts of weight, and eating a ton at every meal. We found out about a week ago that we are having a girl, which seems so much wilder after two boys. I know there is a 50/50 chance each time, but it just wasn't in my range of thinking at this point. We are very excited, and I am loving looking on the girls' side of clothing stores:) I also love the thought of this girl with two amazing older brothers to watch over her and protect her. George already talks to her and says good morning to her everyday. It is so sweet to watch a relationship grow even before she is born. I do have to have a second ultrasound in two weeks because our baby girl has her cord wrapped around her neck. I guess they want to keep an eye on it, although my doctor doesn't seem too worried. Both my boys had their cord wrapped when they were delivered, but it posed no problems whatsoever. That is pretty much the update. I want to have a little bit of a record on here of this pregnancy. I always think I will remember things, but somehow that never works the way I intended. And I know I would have loved to read what my mom was thinking and feeling while she was pregnant with me. I hope Lexi girl feels the same way. 

Boys Night!

On Wednesday night, I decided to take a turn from the usual and take George out with his Papou and Uncle. 
All four of us went down to Bright House Field to watch one of the Big East Baseball Championship games. 
Those of you who read our post know how much I love going to a college baseball game. George loves it too. 
He loves to ask questions about what's going on. He asks me about the score board and what the numbers mean.
He asks me about the bases and what the runner is doing when he steals a base. 
He asks how many foul balls a batter can have before they are out. 
I love these times I get to spend with my son because they remind me of all the fond memories I had with my dad growing up on the baseball diamond.
More than baseball, these events are times that I hope establishes memories with my son that last a life time. 
I want my children to love their family and cherish their family. I want them to know that his entire family loves him, not just his parents. 
I want my children to know that spending time with them is important to me. 

After the game, the four of us went to Yogurt Mountain for a snack. It was a fun night out with the boys.
& Tim

Personal Assistant



Sometimes I really envy my kids. We drove home from Fort Lauderdale on Monday, and here is how Ethan spent most of the trip. 

 Just as relaxed as could be. Leg spread across his seat. Sleepy look on his face. He had his own personal assistant (me) for the 6 hour trip (that should have only taken 4 hours). He whined for food, and it was delivered immediately. He asked for his "baba" to drink, and within seconds it was in his hands. He got tired, so his assistant put his car seat in the recline position for a nap. He just used his diaper whenever the need arose, knowing eventually his assistant would change it out for a new, clean, dry one. He watched movies on his own personal DVD player. He removed his shoes on countless occasions, only to say "shoes" a million times until his assistant put them back on. He dumped an entire drink on his lap because he knew his assistant would clean it up. This is the life. Too bad he doesn't even realize how good he has it. I will make sure to tell him to read this post on many occasions. I want him to know that his "personal assistant" will be quitting in a few short years, and he needs to hire someone new or learn how to get by on his own. I mean, seriously, I deserve a raise:) 

When Things Don't Go The Way You Would Like...

This is from a devotion book my wife reads to me at night. It was the devotion from Monday, when I learned that God wanted me to be patient and just wait on Him in some things I was going through in my personal life. I hope it encourages you today as well.  "When things don't go as you would like, accept the situation immediately.  If you indulge in feelings of regret, they can easily spill over the line into resentment.  Remember that I am sovereign over your circumstances, and humble yourself under my mighty hand.  Rejoice in what I am doing in your life, even though it is beyond your understanding.   I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.  In me you have everything you need, both for this life and for the life yet to come.  Don't let the impact of the world shatter your thinking or draw you away from focusing on Me.  The ultimate challenge is to keep fixing your eyes on Me, no matter what is going on around you.  When I am central in your thinking, you are able to view circumstances from my perspective."   I Peter 5:6 & John 14:6

& Tim

What's In A Name?

Have you ever given much thought to your name? Why did my parents give me that name? What were they thinking?  Personally, I feel that names are extremely important. My parents named me after two men in the Bible. Timothy means, "honoring God" while Paul means "humble." I hope that I can be a reflection of my  name, however my wife might argue that I need to work on being humble.  My wife's name is Louise Athina which means "wise warrior"...hmm, how fitting?  We named our first son George Matthew which means "hard working gift of God."  Our second son is Ethan Timothy which means, "honoring God with strength."  If you have spent any time with our boys, you will know that their personalities (to a certain extent) are a reflection of their names. I'm not sure if there is any scientific or psychological evidence of any of this, but I think it's interesting.  My wife explains it this way, "Every time I look at Ethan, he is so 'Ethan', and the same goes for George, he is so 'George'.

"The Bible says in Psalm 139:15 that we are all "intricately woven." I love that word, "intricately." It means we have interrelated parts. . I love knowing that God designed all of me to be "interrelated." All of me fits ONLY me! I have to believe that our names were part of God's great design. They seem to match who we are, or what we strive to become.  Yesterday we found out we are having a girl. Her name is Alexandra Katherine Bettelli.She will go by "Lexi." Her name means "defender of purity."  

I can't wait to see what  "Lexi" looks like, feels like, and acts like.  

"Hi Dad"... (she waved at me for the first time) I can't wait to see how God intricately designed my little girl. & Tim

Buds

Getting to know boys has been so fun for me.

As I have stated before I only have one brother and one boy cousin, so I never experienced "brothers" growing up.

When I found out we were having a second boy I didn't know what to think.

I know sisters share clothes, play dress-up together, put on plays for their parents and so on, but I had no idea what brothers did together.

I honestly didn't even know if they would spend much time together at all.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

They love each other so much, and it is so cute to watch them interact.

Basically, George is Ethan's idol, and he wants to do anything and everything his brother does.

I am so glad God blessed us with such a compliant first child because I don't worry about Ethan imitating George.

If it were the other way around we might have a few more issues . . . ahem.

I don't know if it is these crazy pregnancy hormones or what, but the other night I just couldn't get over their bond.

Ethan was sitting on my lap drinking his milk before bed and all of a sudden he just left my lap and sat right on George's.

He wanted his brother's cuddles before he went to sleep.

Is that sweet or what?

George was so kind too.

He just told Ethan he could put his head on his shoulder and relax while they watched tv together.

It was such a special moment, and I am so glad we got it on camera.

These boys have taught me so many things.

I could never express my gratitude for the gift of them.



 

Sacrifice

My in-laws were in town last weekend for Mother's Day. (We had a wonderful day, btw.) At one point during the weekend we got into a short discussion about how parenting is pretty much defined by sacrifice. It wasn't a very in-depth convo, but I have been revisiting it on multiple occasions the last few days. Parenting is truly all about sacrifice. 

  We sacrifice our time, our money, our sanity, our career, our body, our everything. A day doesn't go by where I am not thinking of ways to give my children more. I want them to know that their mama would absolutely give her life without second thought for them. They are that loved. They are that cherished. 

  And maybe that is why I have felt closer to Jesus since becoming a parent. He made the ultimate sacrifice for me. Before I was a mom that seemed unimaginable on every level. My selfish self couldn't imagine why anyone would give up anything that monumental for anyone else. Now I get it. I am still totally undeserving, but so are my kids. They are cute and sweet (most of the time), but they are still undeserving of all my sacrifice. I do it because I love them.  Period. I love them more than anything, and it is truly a joy to sacrifice my desires for theirs. 

What a comforting thought to know that Jesus feels about me the way I feel about my kids. He loves me.  Period. I don't have to earn it or keep it . . . I just get it because I am his kid. I am His. I love that concept, and I am so thankful that He allows me this picture on a daily basis with my own family. How beautiful?  

Fashion Show?

 
Every year at George's preschool they put on a fashion show for their Mother's Day program.  Normally I wouldn't let my son participate in something like this, but it really isn't a fashion show.  Each student comes out on stage wearing their parents clothes. Then the moderator begins to read an  interview that she did earlier in the week with the student. In the interview, George explains "his  perspective" of daddy's job. Now, I thought this was a Mother's Day event. Well, it is, but all the  boys dress up like their dads and all the girls dress up like their moms.  

   After the "fashion show," the students all sang Mother's Day songs.  

 However, I'm not sure what "Down By the Bay" has to do with Mother's Day.  "Have you ever seen a fly, wearing a tie, down by the bay." 

 Nouna, Meema, and Mommy all loved George's program. Great Job George! 

 Even Ethan was enjoying the program while eating some white cheddar popcorn. 

After the program, we all went back to the fellowship hall for some food. George gave  Mommy some very special Mother's Day artwork he did in class.
"George, you did an excellent job in your program. Keep up the good work son. I love you."  & Tim

Nudist

Well, I think we have a budding nudist on our hands in the Bettelli household.

Ethan has decided to take his clothes and diaper off everytime he is in bed.

This includes both naptimes and bedtimes.

It has been happening for about a week now.

We don't have a fancy monitor that you can watch your kids on . . . ours is noise only . . . old school.

We will put him down.  He is perfectly quiet.  When he wakes up and calls for me, he is in the buff.

I don't get it.

He doesn't take off his clothes when he is out of his crib.

It is only to sleep.

And yes he has done both number one and two in the crib at times.

Lovely.

I won't show pictures because it is obviously inappropriate to show a naked child on the internet, but I will show you our solution to this problem.

Yes, we have started using painter's tape to keep those babies on.

So far, so good.

I hope he learns this lesson . . .

You may think you can outsmart your parents and take your pants off whenever you want, little one, but we will always find a way to keep your pants on.

As long as we possibly can.



 

Disney..."Old Hat"

Hey all you blogger people out there, I’m back with another post. Hopefully after a few of these I will get the hang of talking with you all.

So if you don’t already know, my son is an avid Disney Fan. It’s pretty much my fault. I’m not really sure how it happened except for the fact that we have literally taken him there between ten and twenty times and he is only five years old. I think this was Ethan’s third time there.

Needless to say, we had a blast!

George told us that instead of a party this year, he just wanted to go to Disney World with his cousins. Well, if you saw my facebook page you’d know that we went to the bounce house too. We threw that in thanks to a little thing called “the groupon.”

So…back to Disney…At this point, going to Disney World is “old hat.” I am definitely bragging when I say this, but it’s absolutely true…we are PRO’S when it comes to Disney.

We know where all the characters are, the best times of the year to visit, and the best restaurants to hit while we’re there.

If you all were smart, you wouldn’t go to Disney without having a consult with us first.

Anyway, George just hit the 45 inch mark this April which meant he got to go on the BIG BOY rides. We almost went on Expedition Everest, but George said he wasn’t quite ready for that one.  He did go on Splash Mountain for the first time, to be followed by the second and third…that’s right people, my 5 yr old son went down that crazy drop 3 times the first time he was tall enough to go.

All I have to say is FEARLESS…he must get that from his dad.

Check out the rest of the pics below, and don’t forget to consult the Bettelli family before you go to Disney World.

& Tim