Nathanael and Mommy

Nathanael and Daddy

Nathanael Levi Cole

Nathanael at 3 weeks.

We never knew we could be so IN LOVE

We were extremely blessed to have a healthy little boy on April 18. It is so amazing to be parents and we are so enjoying our little Nathanael. God is so kind to us, how can we not love him. It is fun just to stare at him and look at every little feature. He is the cutest little boy and we love his personality. He has been a good boy though we know he is a sinner. He certainly loves his Daddy. He gets lots of Daddy time and they look so much alike. Well, we pulled out Derek's baby picture and were so surprised at how much Nathanael looks like his daddy in the eyes. Here are some pictures to bless your day. He has changed so much since the first day he was born. He is now 3 weeks and 2 days old. May our Lord God bless our little boy and save his soul at a young age. May God be glorified.



Baby Derek

Isn't it enough? (Paul Washer's Secret)

Paul Washer's testimony is a wonderful example of a true conversion, from a vile drunk to an eloquent preacher. Jesus Christ can do the same with you if you will repent of your sin and cry out to Him for mercy.

John Piper's God exalting language

This is one of my favorite youtube videos.

His Mercies never Fail!

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords has been so incredibly good to our family. Nathanael is now in his 33rd week and he has been a blessing to both Derek and I. We love him so much and are thankful to the Lord for him and this chance to be parents. We must admit it is so hard to wait when you really want to see what he looks like and hold him in your arms. The Lord has his birthday all planned out, as well as all his days (Psalm 139), which is comforting to know. My belly has gotten quite big. It is even bigger now than in these Valentine's day pictures. I cannot complain, it isn't always fun, but I can be thankful that I have Nathanael, and any back ache or other aches are so worth it for this little boy. He has been kicking very hard as well as sleeping lots. I love to see his legs or arms move across my tummy. He could come at any time. Here are some quotes that Derek and I found to be interesting:
Christian parents “will endeavor that their children may be more God’s
children than theirs.”- Thomas Watson

“Women especially must expect so much suffering in a married life, that if
God had not put into them a natural inclination to it, and so strong a
love to their children, as maketh them patient under the most annoying
troubles, the world would ere this been at an end, through their refusal
of so calamitous a life.”- Richard Baxter

Daniel Rogers wrote, “Husbands and wives should be as two sweet friends,
bred under one constellation, tempered by an influence from heaven whereof
neither can give any reason, save mercy and providence first made them so,
and then made their match; saying, see, God hath determined us out of this
vast world for each other.”

Now all these quotes have some measure of truth to them. Even the one about a married women having a harder life than a non-married women. But the blessings are so great, that they by far outweigh the trouble and hardship.

Steph's Baby Shower

Jenna Sanders along with Licha Esquivel and Mary Sanders, had a lovely baby shower for Nathanael and I. It was a small church family baby shower. We had such a good time celebrating Nathanael's coming birth. Nathanael's adopted Great Grandmother Licha Esquivel made him a special coconut cake. It was delicious.
While Nathanael's ultrasound video was playing in the back ground we all had great fellowship and enjoyed Licha's yummy luncheon. After eating, we all gathered around for a devotional by Sally Harris who spoke on several passages about how children can glorify the Lord. It was very good and made me excited to begin teaching Nathanael the ways of the Lord.
The Lord Jesus has blessed our family and this baby shower was another amazing blessing. We received many toys, clothes and even a bassinet and car seat. The Lord always provides and he has given us a church family that truly cares about us. Thank you to everyone for your generosity!

A Precious Gift from God

After much prayer, the Lord has chosen to give us the desire of our hearts. He has blessed us with a baby. In His Word, God says in Psalm 127: 3 Children are an heritage from the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. We are most undeserving of this wonderful gift.

After going to our last ultrasound, we got see Nathanael Levi in 4-D. It is so neat how his face is visible. This picture was only possible because the doctors felt that I needed an ultrasound done on a higher quality machine because of a problem they had found with my cervix. But thanks to the Lord, we found out that it was a misdiagnosis. Nathanael's due date is April 18, 2008.

In preparation for Nathanael, we are reading Growing up God's Way, by John Stormer and a number of other parenting books. Also on our parenting book list is Withhold not Correction, written by our very own pastor, Bruce Ray.

Derek chose Nathanael's name from the Bible. The spelling is the same as that of one of the disciples. His name means gift of God. Nathanael likes to kick when Daddy reads him his favorite book The Lightlings by RC Sproul. Nathanael loves it!

For anyone who would like to bless Nathanael with a gift, he is registered at BABIES "R" US. (http://www.babiesrus.com/)

Honeymoon in Michigan!

We had a wonderful honeymoon in Michigan. Thanks to Dad and Jeanine, we were able to stay at a lovely hotel and see all of Derek's relatives. They even hosted a beautiful reception that included family and friends. Stephanie really enjoyed meeting Derek's family for the first time.

Another highlight of our honeymoon was spending time with Khira and Mom. We enjoyed a day at the mall and an excellent homemade meal of spaghetti and garlic bread. Yummy! Mom can really cook great meals and is willing to share her recipes with me. Thanks mom!

We got to see our bestfriend Jesse from college and meet his family. We even rode 4-wheelers which was a blast. Jesse took us on a nature hike and we enjoyed Michigan's beautiful forest. The Lord sure did a good job when he made Michigan.
The very best part was being able to enjoy one another and spending time enjoying the gift of marriage. Praise the Lord that he chose to show us himself and a picture of Christ and the church through the union of a man and a woman. How can we ever grow weary of how amazing our Great God is?

Derek and Steph's Wedding

It is amazing how God brings two people together and makes them one. Our wedding day was unforgettable. The groom was definitely the best part of the whole wedding, at least that is what the bride thought. A big thank you to all the people who brought it together. Cheri Johnson, Licha Esquivel, Mary Bloomberg, Mom (Mary Sanders) and Dad (Danny Sanders), and our two photographers Keith Whyte and Michael Floyd, you guys will never be forgotten, thank you for your sacrifices and hard work. And of course my little sister Jenna, who introduced us to one another at school. Where would I be without her?
Also a big thanks to our dear pastor, Steve Harris who gave a wonderful message on the roles of man and wife. We were grateful for the presence of our church family, Juanita Community Church, who truly helped us celebrate this life-changing event. We love all of you. The Lord is so good to us to give us people who care about us as well us provide for all our needs. Thank you Father, for saving us and loving us enough to give us good and perfect gifts on earth.