Christmas Letter

We didn't have a chance to send a Christmas letter this year, so I thought I'd post a copy on the blog. These are just a few of the highlights of our year. Enjoy!!

Dear Friends, December 3, 2008

Merry Christmas! 2008 has certainly been quite a year of change for the Doty Family. We have had lots of fun watching God’s marvelous plan unfold. Here’s a recap of the highlights of our year.
January/February: We spent most of these months finishing up last minute wedding details. Heather had a bridal shower in February and we were truly showered with many prayers, blessings, and gifts.
March: God provided such a wonderful day for our wedding. We enjoyed every minute of it! We left the next day for Couples Sans Souci in Jamaica for our honeymoon getaway. We really enjoyed hiking the Dunns River Falls, sea kayaking, snorkeling, and relaxing by the mineral pool.
April: Heather moved in with David and the kids (Makenzie and Drayton) and the transition to family life officially began.
May/June: Heather’s house finally sold and we were able to have two yard sales to get rid of duplicate household items and finally organize our home. We also began to meet with a group of families who will be planting a new church here in Charlotte.
July/August: Summer break for the kids! We spend some afternoons at the Kerlin’s pool and a few days at the park. Heather and David went to Atlanta for a quick weekend trip to visit a church and go to a Brave’s game. What fun!
September: David and Heather went to a medical conference in Stowe, VT for a long weekend. Although it was rainy and cold most of the trip, we had a wonderful time. We enjoyed the early foliage and wild flowers, the quaint shops and unique restaurants, and the walking trails. Makenzie also began taking gymnastics lessons this month and she loves it!
October: We found out we are… pregnant! Yes, we will hopefully meet baby Doty face to face in late June. David also finished his last class for his BBA degree and we’re so proud of him! In mid-October, we had a birthday party for Drayton’s 11th birthday. We had a racetrack cake and a guys’ sleepover.
November: This month, we caught our first glimpse of the baby. At 9 weeks, the baby was about 1 inch long and her (we think it’s a girl, but we’re not sure J) heart rate was 172 beats per minute. We marvel at God’s ability to create human life! We celebrated Thanksgiving at Sean’s house (Heather’s brother) and had a FEAST! Drayton even got to ride Sean’s dirtbike and he loved every minute of it.
December: Shopping, decorating, enjoying family time…. We’ve really enjoyed reading a book called The Heavenly Man together as a family. It is a true story about a Christian in China who undergoes tremendous persecution but God uses him in miraculous ways to share the Gospel in his own country. It has really helped us to keep perspective during this holiday season. We’re so grateful that we can openly celebrate our Savior’s birth here in America. We pray that you and your family are encouraged this Christmas season as you reflect on the faithfulness of God. He has provided us with a wonderful Savior and Redeemer. Merry Christmas!

Much Love in Christ,
David and Heather

Physicians say the dumbest things... :)

Well, I thought I'd share what could potentially be my most embarrassing moment of 2008. It happened at the office today...

So, a patient came in to the office today with a cough and stuffy nose. So, I began to go about my usual routine. I placed my stethoscope in my ears, placed the end on the patient's back in order to listen to her lungs. At this point, I typically ask the patient to take a deep breath. HOWEVER, I have no idea what prompted the words to fly out of my mouth, but as I placed the stethoscope on the patient's back, I said, very clearly, "Knock! Knock!" I was mortified. I looked at the patient, who erupted with laughter as my cheeks turned bright red. I have no idea where that came from, but we both got a good laugh.

Guess I managed to squeak in one more embarrassing moment before the year's end. Can I blame that on pregnancy hormones?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone! We hope you had a wonderful day celebrating the birth of the Savior. It truly is the sweetest day in history!
We had a rather leisurely day. Our plan was to spend the afternoon with John and Jane, but poor Makenzie was sick all day. So, we spent the day at home, enjoying time together as a family. Poor Kenzie woke up a few times to ask if she was still pale, then went back to sleep. :) She is such a sweetie, even when she's not feeling well.
David had a fantastic idea this year to buy two gift cards from Walmart to give to someone in need. So, he bought them a few weeks ago and we prayed for God to show us who to give them to. God showed each of us someone to bless with the gift cards. It was so fun! We may never know how God uses it to touch their lives, but it sure was a blessing to us to be able to give a gift in His name.
We're back to work today and David begins his yearly week of extensive overtime at work. He is such a hard worker and we're so proud of him!
That's all for today! We hope you have a wonderful day!

The Beginning...

Hi, everyone! Since this is an exciting season for the Doty Family, I thought it might be fun to start a blog to keep friends and family up to date. We're so grateful for all that God has done in the past few years and we're excited to share all about it!
David and I were married on March 22, 2008 after a 9 month courtship and 6 month engagement. We love being married! David was still in school finishing his Business Admin degree, so our first six months of marriage were incredibly full. He finished classes in October and we found out we're pregnant. God surely does order our days! We're thrilled to add a little one to our family. Drayton, my stepson (11 years old) and Makenzie, my stepdaugher (9 years old) are really looking forward to a baby brother or sister as well.
I reduced my hours at the urgent care to two days per week, which has been a tremendous blessing. These early days of pregnancy have been challenging, but the Lord hasn't failed to sustain me yet. He is always faithful to strengthen me for the tasks of the day. David has been wonderfully attentive and supportive as well. I have a wonderful husband!
So, I hope we're able to keep you up to date and on all that's happening with the Doty family. Stay tuned!