Introducing...

The Thomas Family
Est. 2000

Mark was born in 1979. His father was military so he spent a good bit of his life moving. He started in Colorado, moved to California, was in Germany for 6 years, then to Virginia for 6 years, Panama, Central America for 6 years, and finally landed in Panama City, Florida. He started school at Rutherford High School in September of 1996….and that’s where the story begins. He was active in band and that’s where they met.

Kim was born in 1981. When she was 2 years old her family moved to Panama City, Florida. In the fall of 1995 she started high school at Rutherford High School. In January of 1996 she took up clarinet and joined the band.

Rutherford had an amazing football team, which is just another way to say that they played football until right before Christmas. The good thing about a great football team is that when they get into the playoffs the band got to ride charter busses rather than the standard “cheese wagons.”

This is where the story really takes off. It was winter of 1996. She was sick as a dog and had gotten lucky enough to get 2 seats to herself. It just didn’t last for long. Because just a few minutes into the trip back home a tall boy with brown hair invaded her bubble so that he could sit closer to his friend across the aisle. And so it began.

She pined after him for 2 ½ years. She told everyone that would listen that he was IT and that she would marry him one day. Because they had mutual friends they began to hang out more and more. They became best friends. That was about to change.

In April of 1999 something happened. He finally saw her as more than just a friend. At a movie that night he became affectionate. He put his arm around her during the movie and held her hand on the way home. But she had been heartbroken before. She warned him that if he wanted to be nice to her now- he’d better be prepared to be nice forever. Nothing changed, they were still just friends.

The month of May brought a high school right of passage…Prom. Neither one of them had a date, so they decided to go together- no strings attached. He picked her up wearing a white tuxedo and black and white wing-tipped shoes carrying a dozen roses. He took her to her favorite restaurant- 1 ½ hours away. They laughed, the talked, they danced. He asked her to be his girlfriend, she said yes. They watched the sun rise. He told her he loved her. She said “don’t say that unless you mean it.” They had their last first kiss.

They graduated from high school together. She went away to college, but quickly came back. At the stroke of midnight, when everyone’s mind was occupied by the looming possibility of the world coming to an end at the hands of Y2K, he was on one knee asking her to be his forever. She, of course, said yes! Eight months later, on August 12, 2000, they promised to continue to grow closer to God and each other together, for the rest of their lives.

Three years later their family grew by “two feet.” Camber Elise was born in June of 2003. She is a spunky princess who loves to talk and dance. She adores all things pink and sparkly and is all girl. Before even one year went by they discovered that they would be blessed again. Mark Robert Cooper was born in December of 2004. He is like night to Camber’s day. He has the energy of fifteen 5 year olds and runs everywhere he goes. The only time that he stops is when he’s sleeping, and if you’ve ever shared a bed with him you may beg to differ on even that point!

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We look forward to sharing more of our lives as you embark with us on this roller coaster that God has called us to strap into!