My Wife, the chef

My wife has been dazzling me with her culinary delights. She cooks dinner almost every night. I have some pics from a night when she baked salmon in a lemon butter sauce with some garlic, green peppers, mushrooms and rice. It was really good.... mmmmmm

Jonathan Edwards and John Piper

There is a lot of reading going on in our house these days. Daniel is in the midst of working on his thesis. He is writing on the relevance of Edwards' epistemology for postmodernism. For those of you who are thinking "what the crack?", epistemology is the study of the forms, sources and methods of knowledge and postmodernism is in part the rejection/skepticism of static, timeless, universal knowledge. Some of you may still be thinking "what the crack?" and that's ok. I spend about 75% of the time asking the same question.

Edwards is an interesting individual and comes from an even more interesting family. Here is a quote from Marsden's book, Jonathan Edwards: A Life, " Jonathan Edwards is sometimes criticized for having too dim a view of human nature, but it may be helpful to be reminded that his grandmother was an incorrigible profligate, his great-aunt committed infanticide, and his great-uncle was an axe murderer." Who would have ever thought one of America's finest philosophers and preachers would come from such a background.

This afternoon Daniel and I strolled around Barnes and Noble and Borders looking for Marsden's book and perusing the shelves. I came across a book by John Piper, The Purifying Power of Living by Faith in Future Grace. Being the Piper fans that we are, we decided to purchase Piper's book. Interestingly enough, the final chapter of Piper's book is entitled, The Debt I Owe to Jonathan Edwards.

Piper is well known for the premise of his writings, "God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him. " I believe if Edwards were alive today he would shout out a hearty AMEN.

I have only read one of two introductions to Piper's book this afternoon, but it has already left me with some theological "cud" to chew on. Conversations around the Cooley household in the days to come could prove to be interesting with all this reading going on.

My Husband's Thumb!

Daniel has something wrong with his thumb! I never noticed it before we got married, but in the past two months it has become more and more apparent. It looks perfectly normal, it is not some ghastly color, it does not have a weird crook in it, the nail is pretty nice and well trimmed. What in the world am I talking about then? Nothing out of the ordinary... Daniel has a green thumb! I was shocked to discover this, but it is such a nice surprise. Daniel bought me a chrysanthemum plant shortly after we returned from our honeymoon. It was beautiful at first, but after a couple of weeks in my office it looked terrible. I brought it home and tried to salvage it.






A few days later, I was outside watering our lemon tree (inherited from the Petros) and Daniel came out and started pruning the plant. He REALLY wants that plant to survive!

Not only does he have a green thumb, but he has great taste in flowers.








Last week I received flowers on Monday and Friday. They were beautiful!

Church Search

Daniel and I have been visiting churches for the past few weeks. It is not an easy process to pick up and leave a place where you have established roots and begin looking for a new place to worship, but Daniel and I both feel like we need to explore some other options. We have visited Bent Tree Bible Fellowship, Irving Bible Church, and Northway Baptist Church. Last Sunday we visited Northway Baptist Church and Jesus' words in Mark 10:14, "Let the little children come unto me..." had a whole new meaning.

Picture the pastor and two kids, possibly 10 and 12, sitting on the stage in easy chairs discussing baptism and the commitment these two kids have made. A sweet picture isn't it? Now picture a third child about 3 years old with bleach blond hair, khaki shorts, and flip flops sitting in an easy chair expressing his need for a microphone. The picture becomes a little comical. But wait it gets better.

Imagine a strong sermon on Romans 12:1-2, a baptismal service for the two kids pictured earlier, and the challenge to leave all and follow Christ. Enter 3 year old surfer kid. He makes his way back up to the platform where the worship minister is leading the congregation in song, heads straight to the area on the stage where the easy chairs and microphones sit, picks up a microphone and begins singing. Luckily, the microphones were turned off, but everyone in the congregation was aware of this little dude and soon bursts of laughter could be heard throughout the church. Tired of playing Milli Vanilli the little surfer dude then makes his way to the edge of the stage and has a seat. Unbeknownst to him, an older gentleman has approached the stage and soon the little guy finds himself being carried out of the service.

Our first experience at Northway was a picture of what it means to have child like faith. We will be visiting Northway again this Sunday... perhaps we will learn another lesson from this rambuctious three year old, but if not, I am sure we will leave changed!

Is Anybody Out There?

Daniel and I were just wondering if anyone ever reads our blog. We really enjoy posting and sharing photos of our adventures, but are unsure if anyone takes the time to actually read this stuff. So....if you are reading our blog...please post a comment!

Thanks!

Bitter-Sweet Moments

Saying good-bye is one of the hardest things I think we have to do in life. I hate good-byes almost as much as I hate moving. In the past two years since completing my Master's degree at Southwestern Seminary, I have had to say good-bye to a dozen or more friends as they have moved about the country and some of them even to remote parts of the world. This week I am saying good-bye to my sweet friends David and Heather and their precious little one, Makayla.

Heather and David both hold a special place in my heart. Heather and I became friends in the fall of 2002 when she came to Southwestern. We met at church and soon after became close friends. She is more a sister to me than she is a friend. David and I also met at church; however, we have an even more interesting friendship... David was a student in a Hebrew class that I taught on a few occassions for a professor at seminary. I would have never guessed he would one day marry one of my best friends. Just this past Sunday we laughed about this as we sat at the dining room table in the Cooley Casa enjoying some chicken enchiladas. Heather and David have given me the privilege of being "Aunt Glo" to yet another little one and I am so thankful.


Life has changed quite a bit for the three of us since the time we all met. Heather and David were married... I caught Heather's bouquet just three days after my first date with Daniel and now just short of two years later, Daniel and I are married and just a few short months ago, little Makayla made her grand entrance.


Saying good-bye sure is hard, but I am so thankful that as brothers and sisters in Christ it will only be a short time until we are all together again.

So long sweet friends! God Speed!

Post Wedding Report Part Four

The wedding itself went so fast, but it was good... the best day of my life.

We just got our wedding video yesterday. It was interesting to watch it and see that day again. It was cool getting to see all the people that were there that day, and I got to see my wife in her dress all over again.

After being home almost thirty days since the honeymoon, I think I might have found myself the best wife in the world.

Waco Weekend

I am sure many of you are probably getting tired of reading about our wedding and may even be wondering if we have anything else to talk about... so.... I decided to take a reprieve from the post wedding update and tell you about our trip to Waco last weekend. Nothing too exciting happened, but it was a nice little escape from Dallas and I did get to hear some dirt on Daniel.

Why did we go to Waco you ask? Well, Daniel is a Baylor graduate as are a number of his friends. Al and Karla, two of Daniel's close friends, decided to celebrate their birthdays in Waco with some of their college buddies. So, Daniel and I joined them for dinner at George's and a visit to some of their favorite college hang outs. I had the opportunity to see where Daniel lived in college and to have some coffee from Common Grounds.

Sunday, Daniel and I attended church at University Baptist Church. David Crowder leads worship there when he is in town and this past Sunday he happened to be there. Daniel and I both really like David Crowder so it was kind of a treat to see him at UBC. After church, Daniel took me to the Baylor campus to show me around. We went to the bear pit, but it was just too stinking hot for the bears and they were asleep in a cave. We were able to see them through the glass, but I was hoping to see them up close and personal. We walked around campus and took a few pictures, but it was SO HOT! We then met up with Al and Karla and some of the other Baylor bunch at Ninfa's for lunch. Mmmm....mmmm...good!
After lunch we got back on the road and headed for home with a quick stop in Hillsboro at the outlet mall where we purchased Casting Crown's new CD and some Starbucks!

Post Wedding Report Part Three

Yes, Daniel was a great help, running all the errands I did not get to the week before our wedding. In fact, I put all of my clothing and things I needed for our honeymoon on the bed on Thursday afternoon and Daniel took care of all of our packing. We were not missing anything when we made it to the cruise ship!

While Daniel was enjoying breakfast with Karla and Al, I was having breakfast with Michelle and Jen at the Doubletree. We then headed to the salon so that I could get my hair done. As we were leaving the hotel it was raining...which I am told is supposed to be good luck on your wedding day... but by the time I finished getting my hair done the sky had cleared up and it was a beautiful June day.

The rest of the afternoon seemed to drag on as I dressed at the church and waited for the moment I could walk down the aisle. Of course there was make-up to be done, pictures to be taken and lots of laughs along the way.

At 4:00pm the music started and we were on our way. I could not wait to see Daniel. Our friend Tyrone Johnson was our soloist and as he began to sing Holy, Holy, Holy, I could not help but cry. It was absolutely beautiful. The doors then closed and my stepdad and I prepared to walk down the aisle. What a sweet moment it was when the doors were open and I could finally see my groom!

Little Daniel McGraw was on the last row and when I walked in he waved and said "hi Doria." It was precious.

The ceremony went by quickly, but there are moments I will never forget. Daniel becoming emotional during his vows, us praying together after lighting the unity candle, Pike having us turn to face the congregation and seeing all of our friends and family gathered there, and the moment when Pike pronounced us husband and wife. It was a beautiful ceremony...everything I had dreamed of and more.

The reception followed at the Doubletree Hotel. We had a great time! We danced, ate, laughed, enjoyed friends and family, but most of all enjoyed one another. I didn't want the day to end. It was perfect.

Next stop was San Juan, Puerto Rico where we would board Royal Caribbean's, Adventure of the Seas for a seven day Southern Caribbean cruise. More to come....

Post Wedding Report Part Two

While Gloria was running around Dallas with all the other bridesmaids I was running around taking care of the things all the bridesmaids didn't have time to do. I drove to pick up things for our honeymoon. I packed for our honeymoon. I dropped our honeymoon bags off at the hotel the day of the wedding.

The rehearsal dinner was at Celebration Restaurant, one of my family's favorite restaurants. We had a great time that night.

On the morning of the wedding, I was a little anxious mainly about making sure I hadn't let a detail slip like forgetting to pack something important. Nothing disastorous happened so that was a bonus. My best man and his wife (Al and Karla, see pic with Gloria's parents) decided to bring my breakfast that morning and come and see the apartment that Gloria and I would be living in after the honeymoon. Well they ended up having some trouble with the directions I gave them and the 15 minute trip took them 45 min. (sorry guys). That was probably the worst mishap of the day.

Honeymoon Pictures

You can view pictures of our honeymoon by clicking on the link to the right labeled Our Pictures. These pictures were taken on our cruise and while we were in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Enjoy~

The Post Wedding Report Part One

June 17, 2006-

I awoke to the sound of raindrops falling lightly against my hotel window. My matron of honor, Michelle, and one of my bridesmaids, Jen, and I spent the morning lounging around chatting. There was no sign of pre-wedding jitters. In fact, I was so relaxed it was almost 10am before I ever made it out of bed. This was the day I would become Mrs. Daniel Wayne Cooley. I knew from the day Daniel left Guatemala in the summer of 2004 that I would one day marry him and that day had come.


The week leading up to the wedding had been full of friends, family and festivities. Tuesday afternoon my mom, stepdad and aunt all arrived from Florida. Daniel and I had dinner with them at Houston's and then brought them to see our new apartment. Wednesday, I spent the day with my family at the Stockyards. It was nice to have a little time to spend with them away from the busyness of last minute wedding errands. That night Daniel and I had our final date as an engaged couple. We dined at Lawry's Prime Rib. It was a perfect evening. Thursday announced the arrival of friends and my wedding party. I headed to the airport that morning to pick up Jen, one of my closest friends from high school. It is so weird to think that we have known one another for 15 years and still remain in touch. That afternoon Jen and I enjoyed being pampered as we received pedicures and I had my nails done. Girl's Night Out was that evening so upon arriving to the hotel Jen and I quickly changed and headed to The Cheesecake Factory where I met up with my bridal party, some seminary friends, and some friends from PCBC! What fun we had!

Friday there was a bridesmaid luncheon to attend and the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. That night Daniel walked me up to my hotel room and we spent our last few minutes together before the big event.

Now back to the morning of June 17th, but wait a minute....Daniel is waiting to go get a Dulce de Leche milkshake... so... stay tuned for part two.

I Hate Moving

I must admit I really hate moving. It is not the thought of relocating, or leaving friends behind (even though that is always hard), or even the packing and unpacking, but the move itself. The loading up vehicles with all of your earthly possessions and toting them across a city or sometimes even a state or sometimes even a country. I hate moving.

Today, Daniel and I along with our friend Rob moved the majority of my furniture out of my apartment. In case I haven't mentioned, I hate moving. Moving causes me anxiety. Moving makes me grumpy. Today's move caused me a little more anxiety than usual. Of course, this anxiety was caused by an event which at the time did not seem very funny, but now has become sort of comical. Let me share with you....

Ok, how many times have you been on the highway, freeway, expressway, or whatever you call the major road that connects one city to another, and have seen some unlucky person traveling with a mattress strapped to the top of their vehicle? Or the unlucky mover who is on the side of the road gathering belongings that have mysteriously left the confines of the back of a truck or the top of a luggage rack? Can you guess where I am going here? On Saturday, June 3rd I became one of the many unlucky movers who has lost an item or two to the highway. I hate moving!

Daniel, Rob and I loaded up the couch, dining room table, china cabinet, dresser, and bed frame without much despair. Then the challenge began. Where would we put the mattress from my double bed? We tried to put it in the back of Beth's (Daniel's sister) Pathfinder to no avail. The truck was full and the Pilot had little to no room. So our three brilliant minds together decided to strap it to the top of Beth's Pathfinder with some bungee cords. We got it up there and secured it tightly. Or atleast we thought we had secured it properly and tightly. Daniel and Rob left in their vehicles while I stayed behind to pack up a few more items. Shortly thereafter I got on the road as well in the Pathfinder. I slowly made my way to the interstate and began making my way on. I am sure you can guess what happens next. Within just a minute or two of entering the interstate, I hear a strange sound and look out the rearview mirror to see my mattress lying in the middle of the lane. I was mortified! There was more traffic than I desired and I could hardly find a place to pull over. I called Daniel and explained to him what had happened. I couldn't tell if he was frustrated or just trying not to laugh. I was trying not to cry. He told me NOT to get out of the car because he did not want me to get injured, but to just leave the mattress. My mattress became a casualty to Interstate 30. Luckily, this little mishap did not cause any injuries or accidents and looking back we now can see the humor in this event.

Unfortunately, our move is taking place in steps. The first step was to move all of my large furniture to Daniel's apartment. The second step is now moving all of our furniture combined to our new apartment. Thankfully, we hired movers! Maybe I don't hate moving as much as I thought after all!

19 DAYS!

Hello everyone! Sorry Daniel and I have not posted anything recently, but we have both been busy. Over the past few weeks Daniel finished up another semester at DTS and took a 1 week intensive class. I finished up my year at PCA with a terrific mission trip to Mexico with the eleventh graders. Daniel is now in Galveston with his groomsmen for his bachelor weekend while I am packing up boxes and boxes of books in his apartment! What kind of deal is that?

We are 19 days away from becoming husband and wife and we are both looking forward to the big day. There are a few last minute details to be taken care of, but for the most part we are in the seventh inning stretch. We will begin moving our stuff into our new apartment on June 7th. I am looking forward to arranging and decorating our new home with the many gifts we have received from family and friends.

If you have not checked out the photo link to the right, take a few minutes and enjoy some photos of the festivities.

Photo Album

Daniel has created a link to SnapFish where you can view all of our pre-wedding celebration photos. The link can be found on the right side of this page under the links for our registries. We hope you will enjoy viewing our pictures and we will continue to post a few on the blog to whet your appetite.

Florida Fun

This past weekend I traveled to Florida for a wedding shower hosted by my mom and my Aunt Pat. While I was there I attended Lexie's softball tournament and was able to be there to celebrate my niece, Kylee's, fourth birthday. It was a great trip and I had a lot of fun. My mom and aunt did a tremendous job decorating the house in various shades of purple. In fact, there was so much purple in the house I joked about maybe needing to change my wedding colors. Mom didn't think it was too funny.

Am I cute or what? This is my niece Kylee. She celebrated her 4th birthday while I was home. She is definitely a little ham.

Just hanging out!


Look Aunt Glo! I did it!


It's my birthday!


PaPa and his moviestar.


Na-Na and the birthday girl!


Kylee sure loves her Aunt Glo!


The cake!


The gift table! My mom made the bow on the front of the table.


Lexie and her mom Karen were my fabulous dress designers.


Toilet Paper Bridal Gowns...anyone need a good designer. I know a few.


Kylee is helping me cut the cake. It was delicious!


Everyone wants a hat like mine! This was the bridal bonnet created out of the bows from my packages. I am told that I am supposed to use this as my bouquet at our rehearsal.


Lots and lots of presents. I had to have most of them shipped back to Texas. Being engaged is like having a birthday every day.


The happy but exhausted hostesses. My Aunt Pat is on the left.


Mom and I chillin' at Lexie's softball tournament.


Me and Dirt-Dirt. She is one snazzy second baseman!

Showered by Good Friends

Here are some pictures from a shower that was hosted by Gaylon and Sue Brown from our church . The Brown's are long time friends of the Cooley family.
Gloria and I had a good time opening our gifts at the shower.

My mom wrote down all the names of the people who gave us gifts as we opened them. To the left of my mom is Nancy Young and Merikay Presley is seated to next to Nancy.

Some of the gifts were difficult to open so I gave those to Gloria to open.

I didn't know this until I got engaged but apparently few are able to resist the urge to watch an engaged couple open presents. It's like cocaine for some married people.

Another shot of the gift-opening-watcher addicts

A number of people gave us a set of flatware. I think this is one of the sets that we got.

Wedding Shower Fiesta Style

Here are some pics from a shower that some friends from Daniel's old neighborhood organized.
If there's a party you gotta have cake!

Susan Byrne (Gloria's mom), Karla Escobar, Al Escobar (Best Man) and Jim Byrne (Gloria's step-dad) enjoy some drinks at the party.

Gloria's family came to Dallas for the shower (Susan, Jim, Glo, Tammy, & Thomas (Gloria's brother)

Here are some old friends from Daniel's neighborhood (Tommy Wainscott, Frances Gannon (a gracious host), Greg Gannon, Erica Gannon, Erin Wainscott)

Daniel's cousin Martha Glasgow and his mom Marty

Some of the guests enjoy some drinks, chips & salsa

This is really why we came

After we opened our gifts we were afflicted with a creative skit which everyone enjoyed at our expense