Zachary and Elizabeth: 2011 in Review

We have been married for six months now, and what an amazing six months it has been!  From day one, we have felt God’s blessing, and we are thankful for His provision and protection as we begin our new lives together as husband and wife.

Our June 11^th wedding was a day we will always look back on with fond memories.  Our dear friends and family helped us in so many ways in the days leading up to the wedding, and we are immensely thankful.  We felt the love of both the family members who came from near and far to witness our vows and the dear friends who went above and beyond to care for us and give us a good start.

We miss our church, First Baptist Church of Ponca City, very much now that we are away from Ponca City, and we look forward to every visit “home” to see our church family.  They continue to be in our thoughts and prayers.

Our honeymoon took us to Missouri and Arkansas where we enjoyed visiting the beautiful underground caverns.  We photographed hundreds of stalactites, stalagmites, and columns that awed us with a fantastic reminder of the grandeur of God’s creation.  One of the highlights of our stay in Branson was a stop at The Butterfly Palace.  One large blue butterfly landed on Elizabeth’s forehead!

Our first home together is in Okmulgee, Oklahoma – a two and a half hour drive southeast of our hometown of Ponca City.  Zachary is attending the OSU Institute of Technology here in Okmulgee as he pursues a degree in Information Technology.

We were met with open arms by our new church: First Baptist Church of Okmulgee.  A visit to the church was one of the first things we did upon our arrival in Okmulgee, and we were instantly struck by the love that is to be found in the body of Christ.  They made us feel at home and provided job leads, temporary work until Zachary found his full time position at Covington Aircraft, and – most importantly – friendship. We have met many men and women who are faithfully serving the Lord in both word and deed.

Knowing that every child is a blessing, we decided long before we were even married that we would leave family planning to the one who gave each of us life – our Heavenly Father.  Practically speaking, we didn’t know if we would be parents within the year or the decade, but His timing is best.  About a month and a half after the wedding, we found out it would be the former!  Our baby is due in late March of 2012, and we are so excited!  Elizabeth has been blessed with good health during her pregnancy, and we eagerly look forward to our baby’s arrival.  Feeling the baby become more active is a joy that provides us ready smiles!  We know God will use parenthood to continue our own spiritual growth as He blesses us with the responsibility of loving and training this little one that He is even now forming in the womb.  Please pray for the safe arrival of “Baby” Pruett.

The Advent season has been a special time as we remember God’s precious gift to us in the form of another pregnancy and baby – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  It has been fun to come together as a newly formed family and begin our own Christmas celebrations that include a time each evening to read and pray together.

Zachary was privileged to be a cast member and soloist in our church’s Christmas production on December 11^th.  He played the part of a young assistant of the Magi who is “Searching for the King.”

Elizabeth continues to expand her meal plan repertoire, and, in addition to her other household duties, enjoys hobbies such as quilting and genealogy.  The wedding quilt was finished just in time for the cold weather to set in, and she is now working on a baby quilt for the spring arrival. Zachary continues to enjoy photography and has been experimenting with both digital and 35 mm film.

2011 was a momentous year for us, and we know that 2012 will be equally life changing.  We pray that each of you would be blessed in the year ahead.