celebrate

"Celebrate all the good things God has given to you!"

Deuteronomy 26:11

When Craig and I first started dating, my sister and cousin teased us for going on 6 dates in 7 days (something like that...I'm sure Bethany or Cody could tell you the exact details). Needless to say, since Miriam's arrival we have not been out on a date. Gran and Granddaddy came to visit this past weekend, which provided our first opportunity. We decided to try a new restaurant, Mack and Kate's. (I have a goal of trying a new restaurant each month this year.) It was a cute place with delicious food. We started with the bacon deviled eggs, which were incredible. Then they bring you these small biscuits that melt in your mouth. I had the steak and biscuits, and Craig had the pork. We were both pleased and would go back on another special occasion. After dinner, we went to the mall to return something and then rushed home to see our sweet baby girl. She did great while we were gone! She loved snuggling and being spoiled by her grandparents. That night she even slept for 6 hours!! Maybe Gran and Granddaddy should babysit more often. Thanks Gran and Granddaddy for visiting and for giving us a night out!

In the picture above, Miriam is wearing Pamela Sue's dress. Pamela Sue was my dad's name had he been a girl. This was a dress his mom bought while she was pregnant. When my dad was not a girl, my grandmother put the dress away. She later had two daughters, but they didn't get the dress or wear it. My grandmother gave this dress to my mom. Now it belongs to Miriam. I wanted to get a picture of her in the dress with my dad holding her. The dress is pretty small so we took advantage of the time this weekend. Sweet memories! 

one

One. Month. Old.

One wonderful month. One amazing miracle. One incredible daddy. One happy mommy. One breath that changed our world. One look that melted our hearts. One blessing that will never be taken for granted. One little girl that already has us wrapped around her little finger. One exhausting yet rewarding, frustrating yet humbling, tearful yet joyful, fastest months of our lives that we can't thank God enough for. Here's to many more wonderful months ahead!

At one month, you...

weigh 8 pounds & 4 ounces

measure 21 1/2 inches long

enjoy napping with mommy

love daddy's singing & stories

make lots of noises when you sleep

like bath time & tummy time

Psalm 139:14

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." 

Believe

"With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

Our hearts are full of joy as we welcome the arrival of our precious miracle, Miriam Lynn. She weighed 7 pounds and 11 ounces and measured 20 1/2 inches long. We praise God for a healthy baby girl! As many of you know, our journey to our baby girl was difficult. I want to share the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, "Never Once" by Matt Redman. May these words encourage us to trust God in all circumstances because He is faithful.

Standing on this mountaintop. 

Looking just how far we've come.

Knowing that for every step. 

You were with us.

Kneeling on this battleground. 

Seeing just how much you've done.

Knowing every victory. 

Is your power in us. 

Scars and struggles on the way.

But with joy our hearts can say

Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did you leave us on our own

You are faithful, God, you are faithful.

Aunt Bethany & Gran stayed with us for two weeks.

Miriam arrived the day Aunt Bethany made it back to Nashville.

She was very excited to meet her and didn't want to miss one minute!

The Copeland family celebrated Christmas in Nashville at our house. 

Papa & Meme are thrilled to have a granddaughter!

Cousin Gentry adores baby Miriam. It's precious! 

We can't wait to meet his little brother or sister in February!

"For this child we prayed."

My Little Girl

You're beautiful baby from the outside in.

Chase your dreams but always know the road that will lead you home again.

Go on, take on this whole world.

But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl.

I convinced Craig to have a Gender Reveal party. We went to the doctor on Monday and waited until Saturday to have the party so some out of town friends/family could join us.  Betsy, one of my college roommates and dear friends, kept the secret for us and had the confetti put in the balloon. We waited to find out at the party with all of our guests, which was a lot of fun! Our guests came dressed in blue or pink and played games: predicted boy or girl, picked the baby's name from a list, and guessed the heart rate as well as the position. Craig and I both had a very strong feeling our little miracle was a girl from the beginning. Most of our guests thought we were having a boy.  My mom actually guessed the name right, Miriam Lynn, and had almost a perfect score card. We can't wait to meet our sweet little girl in December! 

Some of our decorations

The list of names

 Glad Luke made it. Eliana was just a week old.
Luke even had Adam & Cathy on FaceTime for the reveal.

Gentry couldn't wait to pop the balloon!
He's so excited about his little cousin.

 My college girls.
Sarah, Allison, Emily, Meaghan, & Betsy

 Our Memphis family.
Russ, Heather, Maddie, Elizabeth, Andrew, Brandon, Meaghan, & Madelyn

Our Life Group leaders and dear friends from Jackson

Mark & Melody

Now time for the big reveal...

Miriam, we have many prayers and wishes for you. May you grow to deeply love and protect those people in your life who are special. You are our miracle and blessing from above! We love you!

"His sister (Miriam) stood at a distance to see what would happen to him." Exodus 2:4

Summer Lovin

Summer lovin' had me a blast

Summer lovin' happened so fast

Well, once again, I have abandoned the blog and left you all hanging with the happenings of our lives. Please accept my apology, and please accept my apology in the near future as well. I have decided to do a quick recap of our summer. This will not include everything, but it will help me remember some of the big things we enjoyed.

 We bought a house in Brentwood. We lived with various family members for most of the summer while our new house had some renovations. We are thankful to finally be settled (for the most part)!

We found time (like it was that hard) to take two trips to Destin. I spent the majority of the time relaxing by the pool, when I felt like it. The weather was perfect!

Adam and Latham came to Nashville/Florence for a few days in June. We missed Cathy and Bethany, but it was nice to have most of the family together. This little cutie is growing too fast!

 Craig finished residency at the end of June and enjoyed having the whole month of July off before starting his new job in August. We are loving the new schedule!

We took Mom and Dad to Atlanta over the July 4th weekend. We spent time with Aunt Charlene and her family, went to a Braves game and a tour of the stadium, shopped at Ikea, and ate lots of good food.

 Craig went on a baseball trip with his dad and his brother. They went to Boston, New York, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Cooperstown.

 Luke and Laura had a baby girl, Eliana Rose. We are enjoying living close to them and can't wait for Miriam and Eliana to be best friends!!

 We kept Gentry, and I think this picture says it all. He is beyond cute and has us wrapped around his little finger. We took him to the pool, Rainforest Cafe, and Build a Bear. It took us a few days to recover from all the fun!

 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." Ecclesiastes 3:1

All I Want for Christmas...

Can't believe you're here now

Tiny dream come true

The answer to a prayer now

I'm so in love with you

(Safe and Sound by Matthew West)

Every year my parents write something like this in my birthday card, "To our best Christmas present ever." Well, it looks like I may do the same thing for our precious little one. Craig and I are so excited to be expecting our first child on December 22. I always said I wouldn't get married in December, and on December 30 we will celebrate seven years. I also said I would never have a child in December, but our precious little miracle is expected to arrive 3 days before my 30th birthday. Well, I believe God has a funny sense of humor and likes to prove that my plans are not His plans. It's amazing how much better His ways are! Please continue to keep us as well as our little one in your prayers. 

"Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy." John 16:20

It's a Beautiful Day

Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole!

Ole! Ole!

If you know anything about my family, you probably know we are HUGE soccer fans. Our love for this sport is something we all share. It is one of the few sports we all played, and we all enjoy watching on tv. We even wake up at crazy hours to watch the World Cup. Our passion for soccer was established during our years in Brazil. When I was little, soccer was not popular for girls. I played from the time I was five, but I had to play with the boys. My dad started a girls team at my high school when I was in 6th grade, so I practiced with the team and went to all of the games like a little assistant. Looking back, I am sure I was annoying. I was so thrilled to wear #10 for the Lady Panthers. Oh, what fun! 

Back to the post...sorry sometimes I get carried away. Last week (okay it's been longer now because I forgot to publish this post) the U.S. women's national team came to Nashville to play Scotland. Well, you know me, I can't pass up an opportunity to watch soccer. It was so much fun! It made me miss playing! It brought back wonderful memories of games, teammates, silly songs we wrote on bus trips, traditions, and lots of laughs. I was so glad Mom and Dad could meet us for the game. I only wish the rest of the family could have joined us. Oh well, we always have Canada in 2015 for the women's World Cup. 

It was my first professional soccer game to attend, and I can guarantee it won't be my last. I am so thankful soccer has become more popular in the U.S., especially for women. It was awesome to see Abby Wambach earn her 200th cap, but we were disappointed Alex Morgan didn't play. Can't wait for another game!

"A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health." Psalm 15:30