6.30.2009
6.28.2009
Vivid
Sometimes I wonder what Celia would’ve looked like as she aged. Would her hair have maintained its cursive-like curls, her lips preserved their pillowy Jolie likeness? She’ll never develop wrinkles or gray hair. But her disease hasn’t rendered her in shades of black and white; she’s still just as vibrant as ever in this world full of color. In fact, when I focus on her, it’s the things around her that become dull and blurry.
JEB
6.26.2009
In One Month
I am not a runner. If I jog, I prefer to stop often. You know, to adjust my shoelaces, or smell a flower, or retie my ponytail. Important stops.
I do like to swim. Andy even awarded me the title of the “fastest Betz in water.” I was really fast, when I was fourteen. But those were twenty-five meter races. I barely had to pause to breathe, the distance was so short. And now, I do lazy laps at the in-laws' pool, if I’m feeling energetic.
And, I do not ride a bike. Once, during high school, Andy’s family took me with them to Snowshoe, during the off season. We rented bikes (meaning they paid for me to borrow a bike) and started off along a trail. Except the trail was made of boulders, in my book. And I couldn’t do it. I didn’t like it. Growing up on the farm, I used four-wheelers and golf carts to get around, and I wasn’t a seasoned bike-rider. So while the rest of the Betz family rode on, I quit and went back to where we started (it was still within view because I didn't ride very far because, like I’ve indicated, I am not a bike rider). Instead, I spent the day in the creek. As I've mentioned, I do like the water.
All this to say, I couldn’t do what Mandy is doing. I couldn’t run or swim or bike one mile, let alone one hundred forty. In one day! I couldn't do it. But she can. And she will, in one month, do it for Celia. And we will be forever grateful.
JEB
Celia's pictured here in one of several positioners we brought home, on loan, from the medical equipment store. Once we've determined what makes her most comfortable, we'll be able to make a purchase using money Mandy has raised for Celia. Money many of you, our blog readers, have generously shared. Again, we will be forever grateful.
I do like to swim. Andy even awarded me the title of the “fastest Betz in water.” I was really fast, when I was fourteen. But those were twenty-five meter races. I barely had to pause to breathe, the distance was so short. And now, I do lazy laps at the in-laws' pool, if I’m feeling energetic.
And, I do not ride a bike. Once, during high school, Andy’s family took me with them to Snowshoe, during the off season. We rented bikes (meaning they paid for me to borrow a bike) and started off along a trail. Except the trail was made of boulders, in my book. And I couldn’t do it. I didn’t like it. Growing up on the farm, I used four-wheelers and golf carts to get around, and I wasn’t a seasoned bike-rider. So while the rest of the Betz family rode on, I quit and went back to where we started (it was still within view because I didn't ride very far because, like I’ve indicated, I am not a bike rider). Instead, I spent the day in the creek. As I've mentioned, I do like the water.
All this to say, I couldn’t do what Mandy is doing. I couldn’t run or swim or bike one mile, let alone one hundred forty. In one day! I couldn't do it. But she can. And she will, in one month, do it for Celia. And we will be forever grateful.
JEBCelia's pictured here in one of several positioners we brought home, on loan, from the medical equipment store. Once we've determined what makes her most comfortable, we'll be able to make a purchase using money Mandy has raised for Celia. Money many of you, our blog readers, have generously shared. Again, we will be forever grateful.
6.24.2009
Cupcaking
cupcakes from 3.2008, Cel's 1st birthday partyAlthough occasionally we lose sight of the simple, joyful things, in general the four of us are fairly proficient cupcakers. Sometimes, none of us gets dressed till well after noon. We spend time together on blankets on the floor, babies, parents, dog, playing with toys and with each other. We stroll to the library, or to the local ice cream shop, once we've gotten dressed, of course. We nap together in the backyard hammock. We sing along, uninhibited, to the radio, or make up songs of our own. We sip sweet sun tea, steeped on the back deck, and fill the mantle and the windowsills with flowers dunked in mason jars and old soda bottles.
In fact, now that I think about it, perusing People Magazine might even qualify as cupcaking, too.
How do you cupcake?
JEB
6.23.2009
6.22.2009
Foreshadow
Looking back, our first blog entry was a bit predictive. Little did we know then how the plot of our lives would unfold, but the following quote, from that first post, may hold even more truth now than it did then:
Obviously, the blog will feature Celia. She’s one epic baby. She’s nothing short of sunshine. She's pure goodness, crystallized. She, in my opinion, deserves to be chronicled in song and legend for centuries to come. Perhaps this blog will suffice.
Father's Day photo, June 2008
I know I don't need to explain myself, but it feels good to do just that. We still use pictures of Celia in the header, and the title usually shows her name. It's not that we're neglecting Tucker, that his story is any less significant than hers. It's just that hers will likely end sooner, that we won't get to share pictures of her for years to come. At some point, sadly, we'll run out.
So, if the blog seems Celia-heavy, if we're not doing a good job balancing photos and quips of both kids, that's fine. For now, it's still her show. She is epic, and we want to chronicle everything we can, while we still have the chance...
JEB
Obviously, the blog will feature Celia. She’s one epic baby. She’s nothing short of sunshine. She's pure goodness, crystallized. She, in my opinion, deserves to be chronicled in song and legend for centuries to come. Perhaps this blog will suffice.
Father's Day photo, June 2008I know I don't need to explain myself, but it feels good to do just that. We still use pictures of Celia in the header, and the title usually shows her name. It's not that we're neglecting Tucker, that his story is any less significant than hers. It's just that hers will likely end sooner, that we won't get to share pictures of her for years to come. At some point, sadly, we'll run out.
So, if the blog seems Celia-heavy, if we're not doing a good job balancing photos and quips of both kids, that's fine. For now, it's still her show. She is epic, and we want to chronicle everything we can, while we still have the chance...
JEB
6.20.2009
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