Life since last summer...

So...we are both terrible at this blogging thing. We keep saying that we need to update, but never seem to have time.

(Cody and I pretending to cross the finish line before we left the house -->)




There's a lot to tell since the last time we updated after the summer. In October, Cody, Christy (my sister), John (her husband), Nathan and Amber (2 of my cousins) and I did the Race for the Cure (a 5k). It was really fun! I've never been a runner and tried really hard, but I still held Christy and Cody up. They both said they didn't care and that that wasn't the point, but it was a struggle. Either way, I was excited to be doing something new and with my family for a great cause - breast cancer. My mom was supposed to come out and watch us run and dad was supposed to be running with us, but mom was sick that weekend. (For those of you who don't know, she had breast cancer for 2 years).
A few weeks later, she passed away after we found out the cancer had spread to her liver. It was short and unexpected and devastating to say the least.
Life has gotten better, but has been very difficult for the past few months. I am so blessed to have Cody with me through this process. He has been the most amazing husband and friend I could ask for and has been there for everything I've needed and even things I didn't know I needed. I could not ask for more. I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have married such a wonderful man.
To everyone who sent cards, flowers, plants and food, you will never know how much that encouragement and love meant to my family and me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.


On top of all of this, Cody is still in school full-time and working full-time and looking for a new job. I am in school part-time and work full-time and we've been trying to go home to be with my dad and sister every other weekend. Our lives are CRAZY!!! But wonderful. Oh...we're also selling our house and building a new one...apparently, everything else in our life just wasn't enough to keep us busy. The pictures of us in front of the massive mound of rocks are really of us standing in our new lot where a house will be in a few months. I can't wait!!!

We've also had many blessings recently. While Mom was still in the hospital, my sister found out she was pregnant! She was able to tell my mother, which I know means the world to her. She's having a little girl and naming her Lauren Isabella after my mom (my mom's first name was also Lauren) and calling her Izzy. She's due July 4th. Cody's sister, Timpy, is also pregnant and due April 1st. She's having a little boy and naming him Ethan. The Lord's blessings never seem to end!
Since we haven't written in so long, I've added a few other random pictures from ICE, which we went to Christmas Day, and one of our dogs playing under the bed. Cute little boys!











































Cody just got back from India a couple of weeks ago, so that will be our next blog entry full of pictures!