WOW! We are so blessed!

Wow, the Lord is so sweet in his timing. I was pretty down this past week about Christmas and being away from friends and family but how the Lord just truly blessed me this past Wednesday. Since school being out we can only check our mail on Wednesdays. So this is a picture of the kids right before we left to take the long walk to go and check our mail.

WE HAD MAIL! Not only mail, but packages! We were so excited. Avery was so happy that she tried to bite right into it.

This is Cooper with a few of the packages in the mail room. Sorry about the blur, it is more for security reasons.

Darin could have been more excited then the kids. Ok, maybe I was!

We got a package from Nana with lots of goodies, Darin a bible, Cooper movies, Avery some stockings (panty hose), lots of medicine for the kids and me some earrings. There were of course alot more then that! Then Baga , (my mom) sent Avery some clothes and shoes and some goodies as well. Nana, Papaw and Baga already gave Christmas gifts but they decided to send more. Thanks so much and we love and miss you all more the words could ever express.  Also we got a package from our Sunday School class. It had Christmas cards from lots of them, some incredible fudge from Amber, lots of goodies, some books and then a movie from Lane Stokes. This is Cooper holding his movie. Thanks Lane! 

Then, after all that we had another package to open that was from Cliff and Nikki. They sent Avery a new bunny blanket. Which Nikki is the one that got her hooked on the first one. They also sent Cooper a neat little Cars thing that has magnets all in it and a Cars jacket that lights up and a book (even though it could have been for Avery but Cooper decided to claim it). They also sent me and Darin a gift certificate and some candy. Well we say that candy is for us and not Cooper! They always go overboard but we appreciate it all very much. 

This is a picture that Lily Bug made for Cooper. He loved seeing all the Dora stickers on there.

It really is true love when you make pictures for one another!

Here is Cooper and Avery in the middle of most of the stuff. They were so excited. 

As you can tell Avery got some headbands and bows from Baga. That is why she has three of them on her head.

Thank you everyone for your generosity and giving to us in this busy time. It helps so much knowing that people are thinking about you. We really do appreciate everything so much!

Here is Cooper with his jacket and magnet set from Lily. It was one of the warmest days and he insisted to leave the jacket on almost all day!

Avery really enjoyed the candy! Ok, she didn't eat the candy but she loved the crinkly noise the plastic made.

After all of this great stuff the Lord didn't want to stop the blessings! Mom gave me a call and said that Jonathan and Jenny Buhl gave her lots of little Katy's clothes that were too small to give to Avery! I was so pumped. You really don't know how tight your budget is until you get here. So thanks Jonathan and Jenny for giving those to us. I sure hope little Avery will be as cute in them as little Katy. We love you all and just pray the Lord will bless you as much as you have just blessed us!

Thank you everyone for lifting our spirits and just helping us through the difficult times! We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Costa Rican Christmas

Christmas was very different for us this year! It was really hard not being with family. We did get to skype and that helped a little. But we felt a little bored. Cooper opened his presents in record time and then we took a nap after that. It was very hard buying gifts this year since we don't have room to take stuff with us to Mexico. So there wasn't many gifts. Which that isn't what Christmas is all about right? Cooper was still very happy and understood Christmas a little more.

One of his gifts were his first pair of boxer shorts (you know, instead of the underwear). He was happy that it was Spider Man, but from the picture Avery looks like she is more amazed by it. Or maybe she is still asleep since her brother decided to wake her up!

He was so happy that we got a baby stroller for Avery. Ok, so we said it was for Avery so they would have the same amount of gifts but we knew Cooper would play with it more. Every time we go to someone's house he always plays with the baby stroller. He is the only little boy on our street so he just wanted to fit in. He does push his cars in it at times. So maybe that makes it more manly.

Avery got a little toy that I am not going to try to spell. But she only likes to suck on the ball of the stick. I know, this isn't safe at all. We had to get a picture of her!

After he opened his presents he said, "I wanna do it again!"

So we all took naps and then we watched the Disney Parade. Avery doesn't usually dress like that, she just woke up from her nap that way. I really think it is from Cooper trying to help her get out of the crib.

All the "gringos" went to eat lunch at our director's house. We ate lots of food and desserts but it just wasn't Mom's candy, Angie's banana pudding, Phyllis' lasagna, Grandma's fruit salad, Mamaw Reba's sweet potato casserole, Sarah's red velvet cake and must I go on? We miss all the good food that we get to eat this time of year. But the food was good here and it beats the sandwiches we ate on Christmas Eve!

This picture is the guys trying to save the coffee beans that they kids decided to run through!

These are all the girls playing dominoes (Mexican train/Tico train) while the guys are in the house watching the bull fights. Now that is a different Christmas show!

All the kids had musical instruments running around like crazy! I think this picture is right after Cooper decided to just pull his pants down and pee. Buddy when he gets any urge he just pulls them down. Doesn't matter where, when or whose around. Just hope you are around to pull them back up and get him to a potty!

Here is our little nut on Christmas!

And then here is our little chunkster on Christmas as well.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! We missed everyone so much!

Happy Birthday Jesus

This was Cooper's first haircut from Katie.

This was me trying to put Avery's hat on. Katie didn't approve of how it looked though.

Cooper showing off his scrape after falling earlier in the day. Its hard to notice it past those cannons! Runs in the family.

Mommy and Cooper mixing the batter for our cake.

Just like his daddy, he wanted to lick the bowl.

Avery enjoyed playing with the ornaments.

Mommy made a cake and we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus!

Our Crazy Girl!!!!!!!!

Our little girl is so funny already! This was a dinner on our beach trip and Avery started out like this sitting in her high chair.

Then, she figured out that you can stand in the chair!

So we sat her back down!

But that was so much fun that she decided she wanted to make a game out of it. So every time we went and ate while we were that at the resort and had to play this game while eating. We would try to get on to her but she would just smile and then we couldn't do anything else.

She is just too adorable to get mad at. I am sure that day will come that it won't phase us at all to get on to her. Right Cooper?

She really is our Little Princess!!!!!!!

Little China Doll!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is our little niece Mei Ling! We are so excited that she is officially in the family and in the arms of her parents and brothers! They have been working on the process for at least two years now and we just Praise the Lord in his timing and for this precious Christmas gift! I really wish I could be in the states to welcome this little girl home! Mei Ling and her cousin Avery will be very close one day. They are only a month apart. She is so beautiful and we give God all the glory for him placing her in the McNelly and Mercer family. We love you Mei Ling!

Mei Ling and her mommy! Gina and Kevin are such wonderful parents and have been very big mentors to us. I know this little girl will get much love, nurturing, guidance and prayer daily from her wonderful parents. She is such a lucky little girl to have such Godly parents!

Is this not the cutest family? It is just so complete now! I know they have been waiting on this day for so long. I can only imagine the feelings that they are going through. I am sure little Mei Ling will get tons of loving from her big brothers. Just make sure you save some of that love for me little princess. Your Aunt Katie can't wait to eat you up!

Congratulations McNelly's on your new little girl! She is truly a bundle of joy and so beautiful!

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing yes, I will sing praises. 

Psalm 57:7

Tiny Trees Can Be Cute Too!

Well Darin finally gave in and let us get a tree! A very small, cheap tree. But it is a tree. So it feels a  little more like Christmas! Darin went to play basketball and Avery was in bed so I just couldn't wait any longer. I got it out and Cooper was so excited. This has been the first year that he has really showed interest. He loved getting to put the tree together and decorate it. I was fine with him helping on putting the tree up, but did not really approve of the decorating skills.

Don't you love how most of the decorations are all on the bottom?

He was so proud of how it decorated though!

What a great present under our tree!