Hi Baby Isaac

My favorite quote...ever.

Cooper (speaking to Isaac via LeAnne's belly button in the privacy of hiding under her shirt) says in a quiet whisper:

"Hi baby. I Pooker." and then kisses LeAnne's tummy. So sweet. I can't wait for his best buddy to come out! (In July of course)

Help?

Ok...so I am trying to update my blog...I just want it to be something cute, I am not too particular. BUT, I am ridiculous at trying to figure this out. So for now, I am having it on the most boring option available. If you have any ideas (above and beyond the 12 offered templates) please let me know! I need some fun in my life! :o)

My how time flies...

So the other day we were looking at Cooper's baby pictures. Wow! Bad idea! I cannot believe at how much he has changed. He is such a big boy now, I miss my sweet baby boy. Here are a couple of "then and now" photos of sweet Cooper.

These are from his first few months of life:

And these pictures are from the last few months....

Stephanie tagged me...

So I guess that I better do this. :o)

The directions - Share five random and/or weird facts about yourself, and then share the five top places on your “want to see or want to see again” list, and finally tag five people.

Randomness:
1. I have recently felt like I have been called to be the mother to multiples. Weird, huh? Maybe just a dream so that I could have many children at once, but maybe it isn't? Who knows. My SIL also had a dream that I had twins.
2. I love to have everything organized, but a lot of times everything is a mess. I will assume that it because I am rarely home to organize everything, so it kind of gets thrown around. Maybe sometime when I have more time...
3. I am kind of an animal hater. I would never do anything to hurt them, but I just really don't care for animals. I didn't grow up with pets, and to have a puppy now is just weird. Plus, you have all the work of a child, but without the benefits of a child. IE a soul in Heaven for eternity.
4. I love to read people's blogs. I feel as though it is like a window into their lives, and although I don't really update too often, I can't wait for others to update. I also like to read random people's blogs. Like I will say down below, I am a people watcher. But not a creeper, ok? :o)
5. My parent's got divoriced after 34 yrs of marriage, and it happened (well the separation) right before Clint and I got married. I think that it has allowed me to realize exactly how much work a marriage takes. Now, thats not to say that we have it down at all, but I know that it will not be easy.

Places to go:
1. New York City! I want to go and see Wicked on Broadway (I saw it in Dallas and it was amazing!) I also love to just people watch, so I think NYC would be a great location. I also would like to live there for a short amount of time.
2. California - just because I have never been. Plus I love Disney World, so I can't wait to go to Disney Land!
3. Hawaii - I love the beach, so I suppose that this would be the "ultimate" beach...except that it is extremely over priced.
4. Europe - I have never been, and I want to see it all!
5. Bermuda - I have been once, but I would love to take Clint to create even better memories! :o)

Five Tagees:
1. Kim G.
2. LeAnne
3. Karen
4. Clint
5. Gretchen and/or Jamie

It's about time...

I suppose that it is time for a new update...

School has started for me again, and I am taking 18 hours this semester. I am really excited though, because they are all education classes! I will be working in school on a weekly basis, and that is so thrilling. Busy, but exciting!

So I have definitely been seeing God using all of our past experiences to use for His glory. I have been able to share our experiences and see God working in some people's lives. It has really been a blessing as I have been waiting to see where all of our experiences were taking us.

Not too much else to say, possibly more on the above statement at a later time, but we will just have to see how everything works out!

A year of changes...

So I began thinking about this past year (13 months really), and I am so amazed at what all has changed/happened. So, here is our year in review, the good, bad, and ugly. Or as we call them, the mountains and the valleys.

December 15(ish): Clint is offered and accepts a job with Adult Protective Services
December 16: Clint graduates from Tech with a major in Psychology and a minor in History (in 3.5 years mind you...including a marriage and a new baby! WOOHOO)
December 17: We are offered the part-time job of being youth ministers at New Home Baptist Church

March: We purchase our first house! WOOHOO. No more tiny apartment. God is good!

We were able to help plan and be apart of our best friends (Ben and LeAnne) big wedding day. Clint was best man, Cooper was ringbearer, and I was a bridesmaid. What a wonderful day! (and a few stressful months leading up to it...)

June: Berridge family (Clint's sister) moves in with us for 2 weeks while they are in Lubbock house hunting. Kerry also decides to return to school in the fall at this time.
July: We take our youth kids to church camp...WOW (Nana and Granddaddy Donaldson stay with Cooper)
August 10: big-time wreck in which our Mountaineer is totalled (on the way to rehearsal dinner for the above mentioned wedding, no less). Thankfully no-one is hurt.
August 11: Ben and LeAnne's wedding!

A short time after that we find out we are pregnant with number 2! A wonderful surprise and blessing that we are thrilled about.

August 20: (my birthday) But, we buy our first car! "thanks" to the wreck we were able to purchase a 2004 Buick Rendezvous.
August 27: School starts at Tech...hang on tight! 15 hours... :o)

Labor Day weekend: a fun trip to visit Kerry's grandma in Roswell turns sad when Kerry begins to miscarry the baby.

Thankfully we know that the Lord has bigger and better plans for our lives, but it was definitely a huge growing and life changing moment...or moments. My due date was in April, which is right in the middle of the Spring semester. God definitely knew what He was doing, and I feel blessed to know that we have a sweet baby waiting for us in Heaven! (maybe it is a girl! :o)) We were definitely devastated, but it helped us grow as a couple and a family. I know that this is just another way that God will be able to use us in the future!

The fall semester was surprisingly without major changes, minus the big change of getting used to Kerry being in school and working and both of us working at the church, and Clint working. And Cooper being in Parent's Day Out full time. Get the idea? :o)

December: Kerry makes it through the fall semester. Praise the Lord!

January: We get a new puppy, a Border Collie/Poodle mix named Ryder! (more pictures/info later on him)

Wow, I am worn out just reading all of that. It is amazing to look back and see that we did make it through all of that. God is so good to us. We were worried about each of those things. Would Clint find a job? Was youth ministry where we needed to be? How can we know if we should buy a house? Will Kerry really be able to go back to school? How will we ever get over this loss? And you know, God took care of us 100%! While we still worry some (so hard not to!) we know that ultimately God's plan will always prevail. We still suffer and ache and we are definitely tired, but we have survived! So now we look forward to another crazy year!

Christmas with the Donaldsons

Well, Christmas has come and gone, and I can't believe it. I have been looking towards Christmas since I started school, it was my benchmarch. I can't even believe that I will be starting my second semester at Tech in a week! AH! That being said, I can't believe that I only have a year left! This time next year I will be preparing to student teach! Praise the Lord!

Christmas was great this year! Cooper is starting to really get into it, and we are loving it! Here are a few pictures from our Christmas in Lubbock:

He got a tool bench from Santa, and he loves it! He enjoys "working".

Here he is on his new bike that he also got.

While we were in Plano we were able to go to Santa's Village with Cooper's cousins on my side.

He also got to make a gingerbread house at his Nana Jan's house (my mom).

I think that Cooper was unsure where the icing was supposed to go... :o)

~Kerry