Today, my brother and his wife are expecting their first baby to arrive!

12/12/12

in

Room 12!!!!!!!!!!!

We are all so excited!!!!!

I will hopefully have pictures to share tomorrow, but I wanted to ask you all to pray today for Maura and Cy as they await this most exciting moment in their life as a married couple!

I also wanted to share the exciting news of one of Nick's best lifelong buddies!

Derek, who will graduate from high school this spring, signed with Pikeville College to play baseball next year!

Derek's mom, who is one of my dear friends, called and asked Tim and me to come share in the big day,

and

we were honored!

Derek will always be like a son to us, and being able to stand with him at such a pivotal time in his life meant the world to our hearts!

Derek and Nick became friends when they were barely four years old, so watching Derek grow into such a great young man has been a joy and a pleasure!

Allison made me sit by Derek in this photo......

I was so humbled to share this special moment with one of Nick's dearest friends.

I don't know how to say "thank you" to Nick's friends' moms for allowing me to be such a special part of their sons' lives as I miss Nick so much.

My heart just overflows with thanks and love for each of them. 

That's all I can say.

'

Derek shared with the newspaper about his faith in God and how he wanted to use his time in Pikeville to bring glory to God.

I felt as proud of Derek as a mom could feel as I watched him answer their questions with such confidence and deep faith in a calling higher than the world's calling.

When everything had finished, I turned around to see Derek hugging Tim.

This moment for me was the most touching of the entire ceremony.

Just as we rejoice with Derek and his family at this exciting time in their lives,

I know they still mourn with us.

Derek misses Nick so much too.

So do his mom and dad and brother.

I can't even express in words how it feels to know that we do not grieve alone.

Take time to rejoice with those who are rejoicing.

And also take time to mourn with those who mourn.

You never know what your hug or kind words could mean to someone today.

Thankful today for Derek and his family!

They are forever part of ours!

I plan to buy a Pikeville t-shirt soon and attend some college baseball games in the future!

I'll share about the arrival of my nephew as soon as we receive word that he is here!!