Catching up!

Ok, so I have not been keeping up with my blog and SO much has happened since February so I will try to sum up...March was a sad and happy month.  During

 our Spring Break, my grandfather (Papa Spivey)

 passed after several months of deterioration.  I count it a great blessing that I was able to see him in January and that he was having a GREAT day when I visited.  I will miss him forever.  Cooper turned 1 on March 29th and we did a joint party with his buddy Brody a week later.  They loved the red cakes!

April was an exciting month... Pops retired and within a couple of weeks, he and Lulu were in Nebraska helping us get ready for Calleigh's birth.  Between my contractions and Cooper's need for constant hands-on attention, they were a God send.  Not to mention the countless friends who became second mothers to Cooper during the day, the friends who cooked for us just because they loved us, and my husband who was Dad AND Mom each night while he was trying to finish up the semester and prepare for exams.  I have so many heroes!  :)  

Back to my parents... I wish I had taken a picture of Dad's truck, it was packed to the max and then when they unloaded... let's just say WOW!  It was work of art how it packed like an an architect and they were prepared for any possible scenario!  I can't begin to express how amazing it was.  The day they arrived, Coop was at Miss Carol's so we went to pick him up.  He was SO excited to see Pops and Lulu!  Just in the first few days of them being here, he learned how to give kisses and blow kisses.  SWEET KISSES!

Well, May 1st was the day Calleigh Grace made her appearance.  Thank God, Dr. Eberspacher had sympathy for me and my month long contractions and induced me a week early.  She was evidentally ready to come b/c I was having contractions so close

 together as we entered the hospital that they almost couldn't give me the induction drugs.  She was a big girl too... 8 lbs and 7.7 ozs.  

Had we waited another week, she would have been over 9 lbs!!!  :)  She was born healthy and beautiful! 

Mom and Dad left a week later and school was over and now we began trying to figure out what life as a family of four was like!  Honestly, I can't imagine what life would be like without our 2 munchkins!

June was another happy and sad month.  We went to Alabama to spend time with the Spivey and Lones families and had a blast.  Everyone loved meeting Calleigh and getting to see how big Cooper had gotten.  We were able to eat supper with some of our dear friends in Montgomery and go to church with our former congregation in Huntsville.  In our first week we went

 to Orange Beach and it was the best vacation EVER.  Cooper LOVED the beach, the sand,

 the swimming, and the time with his Uncle Drew and Pops and Lulu.  Life was great.  Shortly after we returned to Montgomery,

 we headed up to Huntsville to spend quality time with Billy's family.  We ate well and lived well while we were there.  We were blessed enough to have a morning to go over to Decatur and visit with my Nana and several of my Spivey cousins and their families.  It was a great morning and in retrospect, I wish we could have had more time to spend with everyone.  Sadly, it was the last time we saw my Aunt Cathy.  I won't get into details, but within a week Aunt Cathy passed and we all were devistated and more sad than I can express (I still am).  I was so blessed to be able to stay and visit with Cathy's boys and their families during her time in the hospital (thank you Billy for working this out for me and thank you to my folks and Billy's folks for taking care of me and the kids during this time).  Anyway, a HUGE plus was that I got to know Jackie (my cousin Tim's wife) for the first time.  She is such a blessing to my life.

July was a busy month.  Billy started working in corn fields and was gone from EARLY in the morning to late afternoon 7 days a week for 3 weeks.  I have SO much respect for single moms!  My kids were good during this time, but it was interesting wrestling them without much help.  :)  We wrapped up the month with VBS at church and it was a lot of fun.

August has been a busy and good month.  We started it out with bible camp in the Black Hills of SD.  We went with the Booths and the Eldreds and had a wonderful and blessed week.  We are already recruiting other families to go with us next year!  The camp was beautiful and we were able to see amazing and interesting sights.  On top of all of this, Cooper caught his first fish!  He also had the opportunity to sleep with Billy and I each night and I think he LOVED it!  Other than the constant wallowing and tossing and turning, we loved it too.  Of course, we were ready to get home and get back to our normal sleeping arrangements.  :)

When we got home, within a week Pops and Lulu were in Nebraska and my kiddos were loving their lives!  We played and enjoyed our quality time with them and were sad to see them go since that meant no more spoiling until Nana (Lones) comes to visit in October AND it marked the beginning of a new school year.

Classes began last Monday and we are very pleased with our classes.  Billy's Criminal Justice program has grown from 5 majors to 16 majors!  I am SO proud.  He is working hard and I promise to keep everyone posted on how the semester goes for us.

Sorry for the delayed blog, but much appreciation for the love and prayers.  Blog ya again soon!