Oldies but Goodies

I was looking through iphoto today and came across these two pictures. They were taken at a wedding shower hosted by some of our wonderful friends in April of 2006. I just love these pictures! Especially, Daniel starring as the Strainer Soldier!

Cry Out To Jesus

I read a number of blogs each day. Many of them belong to people I do not know and who I may never know. Several of the people whose blogs I read are carrying heavy burdens. If you happen to read my blog, take a few minutes to jump the fence and to pray for these people.

Heather @ www.especiallyheather.com
Nicole @ http://nicole-austin.blogspot.com
Paul @ www.saxonreport.blogspot.com


I heard this song shortly after my dad passed away and it was such a healing balm to my soul. Perhaps you are carrying a burden that seems to heavy to bear. If so, Cry out to Jesus!

Soul Food

This morning I met up with Ames and Mel at Mimi's Cafe for a delicious brunch and some much needed fellowship! Oh, what a sweet time we had. It has really been way too long since we have gotten together. Spending time with some long time girlfriends was good for my soul!

***Photos to come***

Good Food. Good Friends. Good Fun.

Happy, Happy Birthday Daniel! Yesterday was Daniel's birthday and so we had a great weekend celebrating his special day. Saturday night we headed to Gloria's Restaurant to enjoy some great food with some great friends. Following dinner we headed back to the Cooley Casa for some chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream...YUM! The celebration wasn't over there. Yesterday we had lunch at Pappa's Pizza with our friends Melissa and Lindsay and dinner at the Cooley's.

Pastor Brent and Dr. Beth
We love these two!

Melissa and Lindsay
We love them too!

South Padre

Gloria and I went to South Padre for four days. We had a great time while it rained, and rained, and rained at home. We spent a lot of time walking on the beach, and we got to go fishing too.

Roses, Wedding Cake, Videos Games and Hydration Packs

If you could guess what this post is about based on the title you deserve an award!

I am so in love with this man! He is my best friend and a wonderful husband!

Sunday was our first anniversary! It seems kind of weird to say that we have been married a year because it went by so fast. Being married to my best friend is the greatest. Daniel and I have so much fun together and have truly enjoyed being married. One year down and eternity to go!

It sure was a lot of fun celebrating our anniversary. We went to church that morning and then headed to lunch with the in-laws at Celebration. This is the same restaurant where we held our rehearsal dinner. What a fitting place to have lunch! After lunch we headed home to exchange gifts. Daniel had given me a dozen roses on Saturday and on Sunday he gave me a CamelBack Hydration Pack. Doesn't that sound romantic? It is actually something that I wanted and will use as I train for the 3Day. Daniel was the lucky recipient of a new video game, a coffee grinder, some Starbucks coffee and a Starbucks giftcard.

Later that evening we watched our wedding video and relived our wedding day. It was so sweet and made both of us a little emotional. Our wedding day was truly the best day of my life so far! It was my very own fairy tale wedding.

We then ate some of our wedding cake that had been in Daniel's parent's freezer. I told them we would pay them rent for housing the top of our wedding cake for a year. I am sure they were happy to get rid of that thing! By the way, who came up with that tradition?

Even after spending a year in the freezer our wedding cake still tasted pretty good!

One of the neatest gifts we received for our wedding was a blessing cup and a book of blessings. The book contains prayer-rituals for families and groups and has a prayer or blessing for various holidays and special events. Daniel and I have begun the tradition of using our blessing cup to honor and to celebrate significant events. For our anniversary we shared the blessing cup with one another.
I am looking forward to many more anniversary celebrations with the love of my life! Daniel, you are such a blessing and I love you so very much!

60 Miles....Am I Crazy or What?

In October I will be participating in the Breast Cancer 3-Day. I will walk 60 miles over the course of 3 days. I will spend two nights sleeping in a pop-up tent, have the wonderful opportunity of using port-a-potties and a shower truck. Doesn't that sound like a ton of super-dee-duper fun? I know it will be! For a couple of years now I have wanted to be a part of this exciting event, but always found a reason not to participate. This year, I made no excuses and registered.

Why am I walking?

I am walking because my family has walked down the "breast cancer" road. Ten years ago my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Until that time breast cancer was something that happened to other people. But in the blink of an eye it became a reality for my mom and for me. My mom underwent a single mastectomy and tram-flap reconstruction. Thankfully the surgery was successful and we just celebrated her 10 year anniversary of being cancer free on April 1st. For that reason I will walk. I am also walking for the number of women who I do not know who daily face the challenges of this disease called cancer. I am walking for my niece, my future children and grandchildren, so that they may never have to worry about breast cancer. I am walking for a cure.

Training has been hard and there are days when the last think I want to do when I come home is walk. But I walk anyway.

You can read more about the 3 Day at www.the3day.org and if you would like to support me in this adventure you may make a donation at http://www.the3day.org/dallas07/gloriacooley

Gotta keep walking!

Horses, Screaming Frogs and More

Last weekend Daniel and I headed to Pilot Point to visit with his Aunt Bonnie and Bill. They have a great house on 22 acres. We had such a fun time. Daniel picked me up from work on Friday afternoon and we headed out. When we arrived in Pilot Point, Bonnie and Bill were in the kitchen cooking a fabulous dinner. We had Copper River Salmon, a yummy salad, squash, and some great bread. After dinner we headed outside to sit on the back porch with some herb tea to watch the sun set and to enjoy the beautiful scenery. It was so peaceful. The cows from across the way were lowing, the frogs were singing, the wind was blowing. Sheer beauty! As we went to bed that night there was a huge thunderstorm and we fell asleep with the deep thunder and flashes of lightening.

The next day we walked around the property. One of the funniest things that happened was sneaking up on the frogs at the pond and hearing them scream right before they jumped in the water. It was greatness! I had never heard a frog scream and didn't really believe that they did it until I heard it with my own ears. We played with the horses and just had a great time visiting with Bonnie and Bill. We drove into the town square to have lunch at a wonderful whole in the wall Mexican restaurant. After lunch we headed back to the property where we drove the tractor and played with the horses a little more. It was such a good weekend and Daniel and I had a fun time getting away from the city and spending time with family.

Cody enjoying a mid-morning snack
Selano and "Lil' Bit."
The baby has actually not yet been named. He was six weeks old when we went out there and so cute. He was at the stage where he was exploring everything with his mouth.

Cody decided he needed to take a walk with me.

Cody is an extrovert if you can't tell. He always has to be a part of the action.

Home of the Screaming Frogs
Lil' Bit's Momma, Bandit

God's beautiful creation

Wild grapes

Bo-Bo and Bubbles, the fattest donkeys I have ever seen!

Does this remind you of your childhood?

Just a note.....Daniel did not post this....I was too lazy to sign in and he emphatically stated that he was NOT the one to post this clip!

Free At Last!

Well, I knew this day would come eventually, but it is still hard to believe that it is already come and gone. Two Saturdays ago I graduated from Dallas Seminary with a Master's degree; however, I am still uncertain as to what exactly I have mastered. Nevertheless, I am happy to have completed my course of study (I think my wife is even happier than I am).

Missing Guatemala and My Dad

One of the many beautiful places in Guatemala. This is on a mountain overlooking Antigua.

The summer of 2004 was such a significant time in my life. It was the beginning of one the most difficult times in my life as well as the beginning of one of the most special times in my life. My dad was battling terminal cancer while I was serving with Buckner Orphan Care International in Guatemala. While my dad fought the cancer that would eventually take his life, I spent my days loving on some very precious children who did not know what it meant to have a father or mother who loved them. I held little Jacob (Hacobo) who did not have a name until I gave him one. I played with Roxana as she ran around the orphanage with her beautiful smile and enthusiasm. And back home my dad fought. He fought hard! In fact, he fought hard right up until the very end. My dad went to be with the Lord on May 11, 2005. Some days it seems like it was just yesterday that he and I were talking about fishing and John Wayne and other days it seems as though he has been gone for so long. I remember traveling to see my dad soon after my return from Guatemala. He had lost all of his hair due to radiation and chemotherapy. He seemed so thin, so fragile. He had to use a walker in order to get around and needed help getting up and down from a chair. But despite all of that he still listened intently as I shared with him about my precious little ones in Guatemala. Sweet Checha, who called me his mom. Catherine the little girl with the cleft palate. I am so thankful I was able to share my summer with my dad through photos and stories. You see, I wasn't sure I would get to see my dad again when I left for Guatemala. But the Lord is good. He sustained my dad while I was away and He sustained me. This week marks the two year anniversary of my dad's passing and almost the three year mark of when I left for the beautiful country of Guatemala. I miss Guatemala. I miss my dad.

Checha taking a little nap.
This little boy brought so much joy to me and others!

Hacobo just after having his head shaved to help prevent lice.
He was approximately 6-8wks old when I met him. I would spend hours holding him and caring for him. I would have adopted him on the spot if I could have.

Roxana! Doesn't she have the cutest smile? It's contagious!

Unfortunately I do not have a picture of my dad available to post. I will have to scan one and then add it here!

Ekklesia Weekend

This weekend Daniel and I are teaching a class on Community at our church! We are both excited about this opportunity. Here is the cool art work our pastor and friend, Brent, created for the class. Please be praying for us and for those who will attend.


Led by Ethos partners Daniel and Gloria Cooley, this weekend will explore the essential role of community in the life of the Christian. We will unpack themes in Scripture concerning the nature and purpose of community as it relates to God, His people, and ultimately our own lives. In a world that prizes individualism, the Church desperately needs to proclaim community as a value to be nurtured not simply a spiritual commodity available for purchase.

The Man I Fell In Love With

Since we no longer have a digital camera, I decided I would go back and post some older photos. This is one of my favorite photos....it is of the man I fell in love with! Watching him with Marina at the orphanage melted my heart! He is an awesome man of God and the best husband I could ever ask for!

Unwanted Guests

Daniel and I had some unwelcome and unwanted house guests this week. These guests entered our home unannounced. They forgot to wipe their feet on the way in and left a trail of muddy footprints on my carpet and in a few other places. They dumped out some of our things onto the floor, left our cabinet doors and drawers open, and then left with a few of our belongings....without our permission I might add. Yes, our home was broken into this week. Not what I expected to come home to on my lunch hour on what seemed to be a wonderful day. Fortunately, they only took "stuff." Stuff that is not eternal, stuff that is really just extra in our lives, but nice to own anyway. I will miss some of the stuff, but we will probably just buy more stuff and after a while we will not miss what was taken. Unfortunately, our digital camera was among the "stuff" and so there will be no new pics posted for a while. Thankfully our guests left before we came home and hopefully they will not return!

Just A Few Special Young Ladies

While teaching at PCA I had the opportunity to meet some great young ladies. They will be graduating in just a few weeks and heading off to college and I am so proud of them. This post is a shout out to some great girls.....

Emily (aka Professor), Brittany, Courtney and Kendra. They came to visit me in Dallas for lunch one day.
Katie and I after the Junior/Senior Powder Puff Game.

MAVS Magic

A few weeks ago Daniel and I had the opportunity to go to see the Dallas Mavericks play the Milwaukee Bucks. We had amazing seats thanks to my wonderful father-in-law. In Daniel's words, "you could smell them sweat!" It was a very close game and the Mavs won in the last 12 seconds. Here are some pictures from the game. Please excuse the blurry ones, but there was a lot of movement on the court and you are not allowed to use a flash during the game.

Warming up for the game
Tipoff
Dirk making a free throw
Jason Terry and Eric Dampier
I love this picture. This is of the big screen in the stadium. Jason Terry is in full celebratory mode as the Mavs beat the Bucks 105-103.

It Is Finished!

My thesis that is. For the past twelve months I have been laboring to complete my thesis on Jonathan Edwards, an eighteenth century colonial pastor and theologian in New England. I turned in my "final" draft on Monday. I ended with far more than I bargained for with this paper.
















Anna Jean is the lady in the Registrars office who diligently handles all the theses at DTS. Gloria took my picture with her on V-Day.





I purchased this t-shirt from the Jonathan Edwards Center, the Mecca of all things Edwards. http://edwards.yale.edu

Springtime

Spring has finally made it's way to Texas!

Daniel and I took a class a few weekends ago at DTS. We took this picture on the campus during our lunch break. The tulips were gorgeous!

This is a blossom from our lemon tree. It is covered with them right now and they smell heavenly! I love all the spring flowers!

Favorite Kiddos

Here are some recent pictures of my favorite kiddos. I love my niece and nephew so very much! Hunter will be turning three on Easter and Kylee will be five in May. They are getting so big.

Sweet Siblings! Looking at this picture you would never know Hunter is two years younger than Kylee.

Can you tell I am a ham? Check out those curls.

All worn out after a day at Na-Na and Papa's house

Isn't it amazing how children can sleep in the most unnatural positions?

Pomp and Circumstance

Ok, so I am a lousy blogger. I spend so much time reading other peoples blogs that I do not have enough time to post on our own blog. However, to be real honest, there is just not that much going on in our lives right now. Daniel is focused on graduation day (as am I)! He is working diligently to finish up for the semester. The final draft of his thesis is due in less than two weeks and boy will we be happy to see it completed. Daniel has worked really hard on his thesis and I have had the privilege of proofing it numerous times. We will both be so relieved when this semester is over and Daniel has completed his seminary degree.

My trip to SC was GREAT! I had a blast hanging out with Meredith. Unfortunately, I only took two pictures the entire time I was there... one of Mere's cat and one of Heather and Makayla. I have yet to download them so they will not be accompanying this post. It was nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city and have some girl time!

We have heard back from the PhD programs that Daniel had applied to and it seems that God has a little different plan for us. We will be staying in TX, at least for now. We were disappointed at first, but have gradually become thankful for the break we will have from the world of academia. We trust that God knows what is best for us and are looking forward to seeing where and how He leads us.

And just for fun here is a picture taken on our honeymoon!