What a Romantic Surprise!!

So, I came home real anxious to see Daniel today already because my cell phone died in the morning so I couldn't call and talk to him during my lunch break or after work like I always do. So I was excited to see him. Well....he has been mentioning that he has wanted to do something special for us lately...so I came home to smelling a wonderfully cooked meal and a candlelit dinner (He made bacon/cheese filled boneless chicken breast, mashed potatoes, and mixed veggies). I also have to mention that he was all dressed up and looked absolutely stunning! That's what topped the whole romantic moment! Mmmm! It just made my day. What a blessing it was to come home to! God has so blessed me with a wonderful, thoughtful, and loving husband. And it's so nice that he can cook, too! He has helped and taught me quite a few things already! Thank you Daniel, I love you so much!  

A Trip to the Zoo!

A few days ago, all the Cooper females (Heather (the mom), Twila, Gabby, and Carley (the daughters) and I went on an afternoon walk to the zoo in Wahpeton! For a small town this zoo is quite nice! It was a beautiful day to go but the heat was hotter than we thought! Luckily the walk was only about a half mile.

Gabby and Carley ready to go! Heather just got this Schwinn bike buggy/stroller and she was pumped to take the girls in it! They are adorable!

We couldn't resist modeling in our beautiful monkey bodies!

We also went to the carousel which is right by the zoo. It's built indoors and is beautifully painted! I'd have to say it's been a while since I have rode one of those! Carley didn't know what to think of it at first! She held on tight.

Heather was ready to ride her horse! Giddyup!

Gabby had a blast! She wanted to keep getting rides, but we left after two rides. 

A Special Gift...

My sweet sister-in-law was so kind enough to write a few pages about our wedding! It touched my heart so much and Daniel thought that it was cute. I had to hold back the tears and the frog in my throat while reading it! It made me miss her so much! She's got such a beautiful heart! Enjoy reading her special wedding piece! We put it up on our fridge to show it off! Thanks, Jacqueline we love and miss you! Click on the pictures to be able to read better....

Summer Softball!

This whole summer Daniel has been playing ball for the church. He has mainly been pitcher and has done a great job. And when he gets the chance to play third he loves it! It's a blast to watch him play and cheer him on. We always bring Takota along to each game and some little girls from the church that come to the games have made him the mascot. 

 It's so fun to watch him get so intense and excited when playing!

Batter up! He has been batting left and right handed. He said for a while that he was doing better when batting left handed! Go figure. He loves switching things up and taking risks! That's my man!

Check out my Slide Show!

A Weekend Getaway....

This weekend we had the privilege to travel out to Bruce and Dorothy Dockter's farm (a couple from church). They are such a blessing to us. We left Thursday night and stayed until Saturday evening. The scenery around this area is incredible. It's not like most of the flat terrain in ND it's got lakes/ponds and so many hills. 

The weather wasn't the greatest on the way there at all. We ran into strong winds, rain, hail, and lightning. It's amazing to watch lightning and the clouds out here since everything is so open and visible. But this rainbow was the outcome of the storm. It was cool! If you look close enough you can see the double rainbow.

Of course we brought Takota to share the weekend. He was able to play with the Dockter's two cocker spaniels. They kept him busy. The Dockter's grandchildren loved playing with him.

 

Bruce loves to grill. We were having some juicy hamburgers and hotdogs for lunch on Friday. It was nice since the wind was pretty calm that day. 

Daniel getting some quality time with the Dockter's grandson, Hunter and wearing Hunter's hat. I always love seeing Daniel with babies and children....he's so wonderful with them. 

On Saturday, it was very windy so there wasn't much we could do outside besides four-wheeling. Daniel had a blast driving them and of course he gave rides to the kids to keep them occupied. 

Taking a break and waiting for the next ride. 

Happy July 4th!

I just want to thank all the armed forces that serve our country and put their lives on the line to protect our country. Thank you specifically to my brother-in-laws Brad and David. It hits so much more at home for me now with family serving in the army. Wow! 

Daniel and I had a great day. The day brought nothing but beautiful sunshine and great fellowship with a family from church, the Cooper's.  

Daniel had a blast firing off bottle rockets and so many more fireworks. (I love when he sticks his tongue out like that!) What a difference it is with fireworks being legal in North Dakota. People start a week before July 4 and randomly fire them off all evening long up to July 4th. But it is annoying when they shoot them off at 11 or 12 at night when we are trying to sleep. 

A couple of the Cooper's, Twila and Dawson and Daniel about to fire a bottle rocket off.

We brought Takota to enjoy the fun, too. Isn't he a cute dog. He had a blast playing with the Cooper's Labrador, Cole. He gets tired out from all the playing and running around.

Dave, Twila, and Dawson Cooper posing while we wait for the fireworks to go off. In Wahpeton, everyone meets at the local baseball field and sit on the lawn and watch the fireworks. It was pretty cool being so close and all.

We really enjoyed the whole day and it was a blessing to spend it with the Cooper's. We have really gotten close to them. Daniel and I would be lost without the loving people out here especially with being away from the family back in MI. Love and miss you guys. 

*I am going to try to get a lot of other pictures that have been needing to get up on this blog soon.