Matt and I have had a huge secret for about 15 weeks now! WE’RE HAVING A BABY!!!! We learned this amazing news in late February and have held on to it until this past weekend. We have eagerly anticipated the day we get to share our big secret with our family and friends and are thrilled it’s finally here! On Friday night Matt and I were at the lake preparing for our family reunion and in a moment of downtime we took the opportunity to present my parents with cards and a gift which held the secret we had been dying to share. My parents were surprised and thrilled with our news. They both claimed that they had a feeling but I think it was just wishing! My mom is super excited to have 4 grandchildren in 4 years and has already started providing suggestions for baby names. My brother was there to share in the big reveal and is just as excited as my parents. I think he’s relieved to know that a baby will come into the family and it doesn’t have to be his. I had the opportunity to share the news with my sister and Emma first. We met for dinner on Thursday night and I shared with her that she would be an aunt all over again. She, is so excited and mad that we are moving to Ft. Worth.
My grandparents learned our news when they arrived on Saturday morning. They can’t wait for November and to meet their 4th great-grandchild.
On Sunday we celebrated Mother’s Day with the Hopkins’ family. Genie, Adam, Matt and I cooked dinner for Carla and invited Grandma and Grandaddy over to eat. Carla thought we just insisted on celebrating her day but in actuality we wanted to share our big news with the entire family. We gathered the family in the living room before dinner to give gifts and cards. The first card Matt handed Carla was the singing card with the ultrasound pics. It took a bit of time for her to focus on the picture and for it to register but when she finally realized what it was she got so excited. Tears streamed down Carla & Ronny’s faces, there was tons of hugging, I mean lots of hugging, and “oh my goshing” and “really?, really?”. I wish we had the moment on video, it was priceless. Adam and Genie were also equally excited. Adam had a hard time letting the news sink in, I think he was in disbelief that his brother was going to be a daddy. Grandma is thrilled that she’ll have a great-grandchild she can see and hold. She already has one but they live on the east coast, too far for G-Ma and G-daddy to travel. It was an exciting day for the Hopkins’ family. Basking in the glow of Adam and Genie’s new marriage and now becoming even more excited that we have something just as exciting to look forward to.
Matt and I can’t wait to be parents and are amazed at how fast the first trimester has flown by. We are looking forward to November 19th but are enjoying and taking advantage of our last 6 months w/o kids. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the progress of Baby Hop as he or she grows! Until then!
The annual Corley/Day family reunion has come and gone. It was one HOT day full of family and fun. My parents and grandparents hosted the event at the lake house. We ate tons of BBQ and enjoyed catching up with family members we rarely see. After everyone left and all was cleaned up we took advantage of the cool water by swimming in the lake. Emma had her first boat experience. She was a very afraid at first but relaxed by the end of the trip. Hopefully she’ll warm up to it more next time. We are all happy that the reunion is over and plan to host the next one earlier in the year so we can have cooler weather!
I recently wrapped up post production on a commercial for the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) league EliteXC. The spot is for an upcoming event they are having in Hawaii. You could see the spot on channels like VS, Spike, ESPN 2 and Showtime. Keep your eyes on Showtime for the fight, if you’re into that sort of thing…
I am FINALLY finished with school! On May 15th I completed my last class as a masters student. It was an amazing feeling to turn in my last packet of work and know that I have completed the last requirement for my degree. I didn’t attend the graduation ceremony (had more important things to do) but did manage to take photos on campus my last day of class.
During the years of coursework I enjoyed my working on my degree, making some really great friends and learning tons about the counseling profession. It’s weird to have my own time now but I still feel like I need to pick up a book or study for a test. I am working on relaxing and reading for pleasure now! I am very thankful for my family, Matt’s parents, and my grandparents who fully supported me during this time. My grandparents were the best dorm and taxi service in Hunstville, TX. I know God moved them to Hunstville all those years ago because he knew I’d need their help during grad school! Thanks Granny & Pop! I surely would have had about 10 more parking tickets this semester if it hadn’t been for you dropping me off on campus! I know Matt’s glad we saved that money.
I can’t wait to see what’s next in my book of life. I know it’ll be something amazing and fun! Until then!
This past weekend Matt’s brother Adam married the love of his life, Genie. It was an amazing weekend in Gruene, TX and we are thrilled to have a new sister-in-love! There are tons of pictures and they really say it all. Enjoy!
For Logan’s first birthday his parents threw him a special family birthday party. It was tons of fun and the kids enjoyed helping Logan open presents and blow out his candle.
Matt and I can’t believe that he’s already a year old! Wow, my how time flies. He is such a happy boy, always having a HUGE smile on his face. Happy Birthday Lo-Man!
Our 7th grade students were awarded with a campus visit from one of the Houston Astros. Each student competed in a essay writing contest discussing “Why it’s important to make good choices”. The students wrote beautiful essays that perfectly illustrated good decision making. As a reward for winning the contest Brandon Backe, starting pitcher, came and spoke to our students. All the girls (staff included) were star struck and immediately fell in love, face it…he’s a hottie! The visit was great reward for our students, they worked hard this year and deserved such a fun experience!
My mother, mother-in-love, grandmother-in-love, sister, niece and I all attended the churches 2nd annual Mother Daughter Tea this past weekend. Along with the tea the women’s ministries coordinated a fashion show with a local botique in the area. All the little girls were so cute prancing up and down the catwalk in their princess dresses and casual attire; not one tear was shed, no one tripped, and there was only one wardrobe malfunction! Emma, my niece, was chosen to be one of the models and did a great job strutting her stuff. We had a fantastic time talking with the other mothers and daughters at the tea, it’s always fun to do something really girly! I’m looking forward to next years tea already! Until then!
This past Friday the faculty of AMS showed the students what it takes to be a real athlete! The athletic department hosted a fund raiser basketball and volleyball game in which the 8th grade students played various members of the faculty and received quite a beating! I didn’t volunteer to play basketball or volleyball but I did participate by being a member of the cheerleading squad. The day was a nice flashback to middle school and high school – I was ready to bust out in a half time routine for the crowd! Thankfully I stopped myself before I stated high kicking my way across the gym floor! The students did a great job and we all had a blast during the game. I wish we had time for more events like this during the school day.
I had the opportunity to share the news with my sister and Emma first. We met for dinner on Thursday night and I shared with her that she would be an aunt all over again. She, is so excited and mad that we are moving to Ft. Worth.