Baby on Board!!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Excited to say that my husband, Steven, and I are expecting our first baby together!! We are so anxious to meet our bundle of joy. So much to do and not enough time it seems.

Being pregnant is a beautiful thing. My sister had my niece, Londyn, last year in October and I was overseas and missed her birth but luckily I will have my sister by my side when my baby is born. I had to realize that being pregnant means I can't do what I use to. Sad as it seems. As much as I want to get on the volleyball court I can't and that hurts a little, but I know once its over it will all be worth it.  Here is a picture of me by the pool three days ago.

 22 weeks

Below is the picture of my sister 4 days before giving birth to my niece Londyn.

I honestly just amazes me how the human body knows exactly what to do and when to do it. Like I stated before pregnancy is a beautiful thing. Before I got pregnant I thought everything would be easy. I stand corrected its great being pregnant but it is also a struggle to maintain a healthy diet as well as exercise regularly without causing injury to myself and my unborn child.

All the wonders of motherhood has already started and my baby isn't even here yet. I find myself at Babies R Us a lot. It's comforting to be around other pregnant women. Not to mention seeing all the different toys, devices, electronics, baby clothes and all. I fall in love every time I walk in. I have 3 more months to go. I go into 23 weeks on Sunday. It's going by so fast and I can not wait for December to get here it's going to be great.

I have so much to write about but I cant wait to meet my baby. Then it's back to the sport I love. Until next time. :)

Volleyball Camps and Merchandise

Hello all I know it has been a long time since I posted. The season here is Russia is coming to an end. Next month the playoffs will start. As a few of you may know I had my surgery on Dec 28th and it was a success. Was back on the court 4 weeks later. Sooner then expected but God had me.

Now onto business. The Summer is fast approaching. Summer means Summer CAMPS!!!! I have about 7 locations confirmed around the USA!! It's going to be a blast and I can not wait. I have a few people traveling with me. Not to mention some of the locations have made flyers/posters don't they look great?:

Each camp will have an Herbalife stand and an area where my merchandise will be sold. It's a great feeling to have fans all around the world who consider me their inspiration. Here is one of the popular ones:

Posted it on Instagram and it got about 1200+ likes. :) Went on my fan page and a fan told me that I inspire her and that she is getting a case made with another one of my pieces. Check it out:

Everything is happening so fast feels like I'm going on a music tour lol Here's the locations and dates that I have so far

1. Dallas, TX                            May 23rd - 25th
2. San Antonio, TX                  May 29th -31st
3. Lexington, KY                     June 28th - 30th
4. Durham, NC                        July 18th - 20th
5. St. Louis, MO                      July 23rd - 25th
6. Niles, IL                              July 31st - Aug 2nd
7. Seattle, WA                         Aug 8th - 10th

Waiting on Georgia, Minnesota, Michigan, Louisiana, Florida, and Canada. This Summer is going to be BUSY BUSY BUSY. Just wanted to keep you all updated with everything that is going on. Looking forward to meeting all of my fans and future campers. Have a blessed day :)

Destinee Hooker-Coulter 

Injuries Can Make or Break You.......

Hello everyone I know it's been a while since I have posted. I have been dealing with another injury. Luckily it requires a simple surgery that will have me back on the court in no time. 

I had the same surgery last year March 17th 2011. The recovery time was a total of 6-8 weeks. Now it's my meniscus and MCL. Due to this injury I have been out a total of 5 games and it's really frustrating. The sooner I get this surgery done I will be back in full force. My love for the game nothing is going to stop me from playing. This hasn't broken me but made me more DETERMINED!!!

Even though I haven't been playing on the sideline I am being the best cheerleader I can be!! I write on my teammates towels and give advice when I can. They have been playing great. You can be a leader even when you aren't on the court. POSITIVE ENERGY is the best energy!!

My Teammate, Helena Havelkova's, Towel 

Other then that my experience in Russia has been great. I have done a little bit of shopping and tried some Russian dishes. It's not as bad as I thought it would be. Other then the snow I like it here. The team is great. We are in the Russian Cup Finals which start late December and we are ready for it. A total of three leagues. The Russian Championship, Russian Cup, and the CEV Challenge Cup.

Keep Dinamo Krasnodar and myself in your prayers. :)

LONDON 2012 Memories!!!

It has been so long since I have posted on my blog. I figured I would start it back up. This summer has been full of MIND BOGGLING activity. From the Olympics, Red Carpet Events, My Volleyball Camps, Marriage, Moving, and of course starting my season in Russia. I am making up for lost time. So this will be the first of many I will be posting while in Russia. :)

LONDON 2012!!! I'd Made It!

The Olympics was an AMAZING experience. Playing against the best in the world and coming home with the silver. What more can you ask for? Of course we wanted gold but who can say they went to the  Olympics and played their best and bring the silver back to their country. I was able to meet new people as well as reconnect with a few. Having my family there to support me was definitely a bonus.

My Mom, Dad, and my fiance Steve (at the time)

Mom and Dad with my bobble head doll 

Parents relaxing at the P&G House

TEXAS Alum representing in London

USA Volleyball before entering the ceremony

Tyson Chandler

Deron Williams

Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, Asjha Jones

Andre Iguodala

Reid Priddy

Candace Parker

Megan Hodge

Kevin Durant

Carmelo Anthony

Misty May- Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings

Russell Westbrook

Diana Taurasi

USA Women's Volleyball Team with the USA Men's Basketball Team

The best moment was opening ceremonies. That's when the reality set in. My FIRST Olympic Games.

in the arena

lighting the torch

the opening ceremony arena

confetti drop :)

After all that was done it was game time!! Playing the game I love for my country. We are U-S-A!!

As I stated before London was full of surprises. Media was over every little thing. From my nails, to my  name, and more. I thought my name was bullied before but after London it went from minor to major deal in both positive and negative ways.

My nail art for the Olympic Games

Some media was bad but led to better things :)

At the end of the Summer I was invited to Red Carpet events where I got to share them with my husband and friends. All were very rememberable and tasteful. A few birthday parties, and more. The Olympics have really opened my eyes. Being able to represent your country is truly an honor. I appreciate the hard work and dedication from all of my teammates and coaching staff. Hugh McCutcheon was truly an amazing coach. Thankful he pushed me to come back and be apart of the USA program. I am looking forward to the next Olympic Games in Rio. God bless you and thank you for following my blog I have so much more to put up but until next time :)

With my Silver Medal!! :o)

I miss these ladies. This was us on the bus to practice with our shades on. #swag lol

Back in California!!

It's that time again. When all the USA players get together to go to war on the volleyball court. Today we had a special guest.  Two from the US Army and one from the Women's Paralympic team. This morning truly showed me how blessed I am as well as an honor to wear red, white, and blue.

We were to hear an amazing story from Silver Medalist, Kari Miller (one of the best liberos in the world)

Her story truly touched my heart. Here she is playing the sport she has grown to love and understands the true meaning of team work. She also shared accident with us. I got emotional because you would think she would be the one complaining about it but instead she is strong and found a way to bounce back. Being on the court could be very stressful at times but it's the ones who play together despite the bad that come through on top. 

Another inspiration was hearing Scott Smiley. For those of you who don't know who that is. Scott is the first blind active-duty officer. His story sent chills up my spine. He told us up to the very last moment of his sight. The thing that admire is that he wanted to stay in the army. It's a family to him.  He told us how he had to counsel a few of his soldiers, give advice, calm them down, motivate them, and so much more.  Being on the volleyball team we are a family too and we provide for one another. 

They made it both perfectly clear that you don't have to like one another but on the court or on the field we fight to the death, we have each other's back, and we protect each other. Off the court we can go our separate ways. I feel today a lot of people think we have to be the best of friends in order to play well and that isn't the case at all. 

Their speeches got me thinking about my father. He was the captain in the military and he would tell me stories about the war and how you would know when a bullet came only after it went by you because it made a loud "ZIPPING" noise. Just goes to show you how thankful I am. It truly is a blessing and I have nothing to complain about. I could have lost my father, he could have been an amputee but instead he is healthy and living his life. 

The highlight of the night was being handed the american flag that each of the soldiers wear on the uniform as well as a coin. 

Coin: Members of the U.S. military have a long-standing tradition of carrying a special coin symbolizing unit identity and esprit de corps. With bonds forged in battle thousands of miles from home, these custom coins minted for military units – each bearing their own revered symbols and mottos – capture in metal the essence of their affiliation and their fierce pride. Known to generations of American military personnel as challenge coins, they are a vital part of military life today and are revered by troops in every branch of service.

Flag: I am sure a few of you are curious as to why the flag is backwards. If you want to learn more go to..... http://www.usflag.org/flagpatch.html but in short it symbolizes the flag being carried into battle. 

Receiving these two items truly meant a lot to us. Once we step on the court we are going into battle with USA on our chests. I hope this blog inspired you. I wish I could've recorded the meeting this morning it was truly was an honor. God Bless