The Cook Family

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T20:35:00.000-08:00

This is pretty much what it's like when I try to get a picture of my kids all together at once. It takes at least 20-25 shots before I can get one of everyone looking at me at the same time.

Even though they never really do sit still, I can't wait to see what memories we will all create in 2012!

Happy New Year!

Christmas Day

2011-12-27T20:03:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning came! The kids waiting to see what Santa brought. Ooohh! They are on pins & needles!

I really think my favorite part of Christmas morning is watching the kids open their presents. I love their faces all filled with excitement and anticipation.

Showing off their angry birds...

My favorite...

My other favs are the super sleepy faces of kids that were too excited to sleep the night before...

Santa left the kids a Thank You note for the cookies...

We had to follow tradition and jump in all the wrapping paper...

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas! We sure did!

Christmas Eves

2011-12-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

This year we celebrated Christmas Eve Eve with Justin's family and Christmas Eve with mine.

For Christmas Eve Eve, we celebrated with dinner then did the nativity scene and talents. Isn't Breezy a super cute angel? Love this girl.

The chaos of getting ready...

Love these kids. So glad they are all close cousins.

Next came time to open presents...

I love Annalise's present.

Lots of random family shots...

Grandma Steverson (Gam La Mor) is always so sweet to give all the grandkids treats and money. She is an amazing woman that shops around all the Goodwill stores and finds the BEST things! She has clothed all the grandkids and she's 92! We love you Gam la Mor!

Next up was my family's night to celebrate Christmas Eve. Once again, did the dinner thing, opened presents, talked about the real meaning of Christmas, decorated cookies for Santa and opened presents. Here's a few of my favs.

Hopefully, this post didn't put you to sleep! (Yep, I'm gonna be in trouble for this one...hehehe)

December fun

2011-12-20T01:39:00.000-08:00

Alrighty, this is another random picture post. Enjoy...

I snapped this picture with my iPhone. I am in love with sun rays and huge cloud cover. This is a little piece of heaven for me. :)

This guy showed up at our house again...the kids get so excited when he comes to visit. I must say that he can be pretty forgetful though. He forgot to change spots a few times. I'll have to tell Santa he's a lazy elf!

My baby is starting to scale the furniture...why does he have to grow up??

For our ward Christmas party we went on a hay ride & did caroling around the neighborhood, had yummy food & hot chocolate & had a visit from Santa. Did I mention Justin was in charge of the whole night? It was a lot of fun. You did a great job hunny!!

We got a few treats this month too from some friends and family. They were gobbled up immediately by my sweets-addicted children.

I love my Christmas tree. Makes me happy!

This is Caleb & Nickolas at school. They are inseparable. What's so cute is that they have this amazing connection between the two of them. They are both non-verbal and both have Downs. What cute friends.

A lot of wrestling went on this month as usual...

Miss Bree had an open house dance class where all the parents and grandparents were invited to watch. She was so dang cute. Melts my heart!

Caleb got to have a pajama day at school 2 days in a row. Lucky! They partied big time. We love Mrs. Sue!

Gunner had a Christmas singing celebration followed by making a crafty Christmas tree with frosting and yummy treats.

I love his concentration face...

The finished product

We adore Mrs. Neal!

This month I really wanted to get a picture with all my kids and Santa. We went to Bass Pro Shop and it was so fun! First, I've never been there (I guess because it's a Man's Outdoor store...haha) but I will be going back for sure! They have a winter wonderland for the kids, a mini Merry-Go-Round, a huge fish tank, lots of toy areas where you can play with the toys and a restaurant! No wonder Justin never told me about this place...it's so fun to hang out there!

Anyway, we played on the toys and stuff while we waited to see Santa. And yes, I let Bree wear her Minnie Mouse dress...

Massive fish tank with lots of nice Bass. :)

Such a happy baby...can you see his first two teeth?

After all this it was our turn to see Santa. Bree kept telling me she didn't want to sit on Santa's lap consented to stand by him and tell him what she wanted for Christmas. She was doing fine until it actually came time to go up to him....She wanted nothing to do with him.

Being the mean Mom I am (and because I wanted that picture) I made her go stand by him. Here's the result. Poor girl.

I must say, Santa looks thrilled to be there...

The last picture of the night...me: "Please everybody, one last picture...look at me!"

Aha! Success...

Can't wait to see Santa next year!

More to come later...

November Randoms

2011-11-30T21:17:00.000-08:00

I am trying to play catch up. Here's a few of my favorite moments from November!

I had the chance to see Twilight's Breaking Dawn with some fun girlies from my ward. I loved it! Can't wait for Part 2!

This little man started eating solids on his own. He LOVES cheese! Who wouldn't? Plus, I found this hat that I friend handed down and it fits perfectly. Oh, how I love this little boy. (9 months in this pic)

This month I also got to attend my brother's cello recital at ASU. He's an AWESOME cello player! He played with the Manheim Steamroller over Christmas. Like I said...he's AWESOME! Bree went with me for his recital. She was great during the recital, but decided she to be a stink during picture taking. I Love her "I'm sooooo over this Mom" expression!

My uncle Glen and his family came down for the week of Thanksgiving. I was glad I got to see them. They are from North Carolina and we don't get to see them very often. It's been years in between visits. My Grandma & Grandpa Taylor came down from Utah for Thanksgiving also. It's always so good to see family. :)

This month I started doing some Christmas shopping (it's early for me to do it in November!) and Bree is always my little helper at stores. She found a friend at Old Navy and wanted some pics together.

Justin got to go to Caleb's feast at school. I couldn't go because Gunner had croup. :( In November, everyone took turns being sick week to week. It was awesome. I was thrilled. Not!

Another random day... Bree dressed herself, picked out her necklace, shoes and sunglasses. I love the ensembles she creates...especially wearing sunglasses upside down.

This was our attempt at a family picture on the Smith's side...inside at night...not my best work, but at least we're all there!

This is what happens when I leave Bode & Bree alone for a few minutes. She plays dress-up and Bode gets the brunt of it.

I just loved this picture of Caleb. He loves to watch a movie with his popcorn bowl plopped on this lap. Love it!

I didn't get any pictures of Thanksgiving because I ended up getting the stomach flu on Thanksgiving day! Not fair! But, the day after we were able to travel up to Prescott for the day and spend some time with family. We went window shopping and I captured this sweet moment with Grandma Cook reading to the kids.

Caleb found a quiet spot and found some books to read too.

Really grainy picture but super cute of Grandpa Cook & Bode. Grandpa's favorite color is camo. He's so proud!

Just throwing another random one in of my cute baby. His mouth erupted and he got 4 teeth in one month!

People ask me if I crimp her hair...nope, I just let the wind do it for me. And whatever chemotherapy did to her hair. :(

Next up...December....I'm almost up to date....

Wrapping up October

2011-11-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

After our Cali/Disney trip we had a good rest of the month. Here's a few of my favorites.

I had to be sure to throw a few of Caleb's snaggle-tooth pictures in. This was before our trip when he busted out one of his "temporary's". This kid is so cute. He hates my big camera but will smile BIG when the phones come out. :)

A few pics the night before his big root canal and 2 fake teeth put on.

You can't see it too well, but his shirt says "You can't handle the tooth!" His Aunt Krista and Uncle Ryan got him this shirt in Huntington. They were so sweet to think of him! It's perfect for what he's been through!

Ah, miss Bree. I let her color with markers and she seemed more interested in coloring on her arms than paper...

This is how I often find Bree after I put her to bed. She sneaks into my room and falls asleep on my bed then we move her into her own bed. This one night I couldn't resist taking her picture. Love her pose, yet it seems so uncomfortable ;)

How I love the soccer seasons. Gunner did really well and enjoys playing. He gets so aggressive on the field. He is a great defender.

I love the end of the game cheers and tunnels. This is Caleb's favorite part. :)

Bode is such a good sport. He just rolls with it. Poor kid trying to grab some zzzz's.

Breezy had a Halloween/Fall party and got to dress up. She loves preschool so much but was being a big stinker and wouldn't sit still for a picture. I told her she was acting like Cinderella's step sisters instead of Cinderella...I don't think she cared though!

Caleb had the first annual fall Olympics with his class. He was so cute and excited that I came to watch him do all the events! The egg walk:

Basketball:

Cycling:

Playing Simon Says:

At the end of the events, they did a closing ceremony and each of the kids got a medal for all their hard work. Caleb was so honored!

Ms. Jessica. We love her!

Next is Halloween. I always love dressing up but it seems that once I get all the kids ready, there's no time left. However, this year we went to a friend's party a few days before Halloween and I think my costume was pretty original. It was all Justin's idea. I'll let you figure it out for yourself:

This year the kids got a ton of candy because we celebrated Halloween twice. Once at our ward trunk or treat and then again on Halloween night. I have candy to last us through the next year!

Ah, so sweet, he does love his little sister!

Caleb loved handing candy out to all the trick or treaters. I think he loved that he had a "job"

Bode the "Hot Dog"

Bree, the princess, "Cinderella"

Gunner aka Captain Jack Sparrow

I can't believe he let me put make-up on him. I think he looks really legit!

I could eat this one:

Caleb didn't want the costume I got for him (someday I will get it through my thick skull that he doesn't like to dress up!) so I put him in one of his old pajama robes. He wore this for a pajama day at school a few years back and everyone kept calling him "Hugh Heafner." I thought it was cute, but no one "got it" so we changed him into a SunDevils jersey. He was much happier. :)

Let Day 2 of candy overload begin:

The happiest hot dog I've ever seen.

Bree was so cute. As soon as her pumpkin was full, she said, "I'm all done. I'm full!" And with that she sat in the stroller the rest of the night while we went to more houses. I'd keep asking her if she wanted to get more candy and she kept saying, "No Mom, I'm full!" I love that she was happy with what she got!

Gunner loved his loot, Mommy is not going to like having to do extra doses of teeth brushing to fight off the cavities it will bring! Happy Halloween!

Motherly thoughts

2011-11-11T20:02:00.000-08:00

I woke up today in a bad mood. Several things weren't going my way. If you're a mother, you know how it goes. Kids wake up waaaaay earlier than they should. Dishes are undone from the night before creating more mess. Husband leaves early. ...and then things snowball into chaos...Cherrios crunched on my floor... baby had a dirty diaper that turned into an explosion and somehow ended up on said baby's legs, tracked on my carpet and found on my favorite pajama pants. 3 out of 4 kids are sick and Mommy is already out of gas by 8am.

So, I stayed in my pajamas.... til noon.

(I actually changed to different pajama pants since my first pair got pooped on!)

Then, I took a 5 minute break & read a couple of friends blogs. (You know, since I don't do much FBing these days) I wasn't feeling so great about myself...still in pajamas, messy house, sick kids... I started to compare myself to other moms that were brilliant at managing their households, having clean houses and raising wonderful children. I felt like what I do as a mother sometimes doesn't matter. Then I remembered a message my sweet visiting teacher shared with me. See below.

It was then, that I got up, dusted myself off and realized that the daily chores I do actually DO matter. They matter to my children and to my hubby. They matter to my Heavenly Father. Its the small things that count. My 6 year old thinks I'm awesome that I sewed on his patches for his soccer uniform and my 3 year old loves that I will spend time with her playing Princesses. Caleb loves it when I sit down next to him to watch a movie. He flashes me his million dollar smile. Sometimes, I need to remind myself that the work I'm doing isn't going to get me much recognition or even much thanks, but that I'm doing it because it matters in the long run.

I know my children will grow up and be teenagers before I know it. I may not being doing everything perfectly but that's okay. This is a reminder for myself to take a deep breath, enjoy these kids of mine more, have more pajama days and look back with a smile that I was doing some great work.

Disneyland - Picture Overload!

2011-11-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

(In my last post, I neglected to mention that we did leave Bode home with my Mom & a friend. We missed him so much and plan on taking him to D-Land in a couple of years when he can really enjoy it!)

On the Monday of our trip, we headed up to Anaheim and checked in to a hotel across the street from Disneyland. We've never done this before and I highly recommend it! We spent 3 days at the Happiest Place on Earth (also, the most crowded, exhausting and expensive place on earth, but nonetheless, we did it!)

Upon entering we saw Minnie all decked out in her Halloween attire and the kids went rushing over! (I think the kid next to us was a little ticked he didn't get to her first!)

One of our first rides was the Matterhorn! Yippee!

Caleb loved meeting Cinderella. She was so graceful and very sweet.

We spent a chunk of time in Fantasyland because all the Princesses live there. They also do story time and a meet & greet. Breezy was beside herself. She adores the Princesses and if she could pick, we would've stayed there all day.

Story-time...

After lunch the boys took off for a few rides and I stayed with Bree to meet the Princesses....An hour later we got to meet them. Sheesh!

Meeting Ariel...

And Tiana

We stopped for a few photos while we waited to meet up with the boys.

Thumbs up!

Toon town.

These are my favorite pictures of Disneyland. The totally exhausted children.

Gunner was a wild man and stayed awake until midnight riding the rides and loving every minute. Heck, why not, right? Carpe diem...sieze the day!

That same night, Caleb needed a baby tooth pulled out. And thank goodness we knew a good pediatric dentist that happened to be traveling near us! Uncle Ryan to the rescue! After he had that nasty tooth out, he slept like a baby. Thanks Ryan!

The next day we were able to meet up with Krista and Ryan & kiddos again. We headed over to California Adventure and did some of the rides over there then headed back over to Disneyland.

I found this dress at Goodwill before our trip. It fit Breezy perfectly! Little poser!

Ragin' Rapids! We are getting set to get wet!

Tower of Terror. The kids loved this one. Gunner's face is so serious.

Breezy lost a shoe on the Little Mermaid ride. I was sad. I loved those shoes. She loved walking around in socks.

I think Caleb's favorite thing about Disneyland is meeting all the characters. He would give them hugs and kisses. They should feel so lucky to get a Caleb hug!

This is one of my all time FAVORITE pics! I adore Caleb's smile.

Watching Captain EO. Ah, Michael. Brings me back to the 80s. Good times.

Day 2 - Pure Exhaustion. Mom's Mission Accomplished!

Day 3 - Ready to go again!

Meeting Winnie the Pooh. We rode his ride 3 times in a row. There were no lines. :)

We hung out in the petting zoo area just to take a breather and Woody and Jessie happened to show up. The kids loved hangin' with them! Woody is Caleb's favorite from Toy Story. I think he was star struck!

Bree loves Jessie! Love her face!

Riding the Merry-Go-Round. Gunner was a good sport. We needed to do a few "mellow" rides before going on the more intense rides because Caleb needed a break.

Poor Mr. Caleb somehow broke off the other "temporary" front tooth in the middle of Space Mountain. The poor kid really had a rough couple of weeks with his teeth! He was such a good sport though! That's why we wanted to let him relax a little.

We stopped and watched the parade. Bree loved seeing the Rapunzel float. Caleb's favorite was Mickey. Gunner & Dad took off to do Space Mountain one more time. :)

I took Caleb & Bree to see Mickey at his house in ToonTown. They both loved exploring in Mickey & Minnie's house.

We missed having Bode with us, but we had a great trip. We made lots of memories and can't wait to come back...we might need a few years to recover!

October break - Part 1

2011-10-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

This year, I was determined to get a good vacation out of October break. In years past, it creeps up on me and I don't plan to do much while my kids are out of school. So, this year I wanted to get out of the heat (since it was still in the 100s in October here! yuck!) and escape to Cali! So, we took off to Huntington Beach & Disneyland for a week and it was a great trip!

We spent the first couple days with Krista & Ryan and their cute fam. Our kids play so well together (I wish you guys lived closer!) and we simply adore them! We shared an awesome beach house and it was so fun having all the cousins together.

Justin & Ryan kickin' it:

We went to Ruby's on the pier twice while we stayed at the beach house. Yum! The kids all enjoyed taking a walk on the pier and seeing the surfers and waves.

We desert rats don't realize how windy it gets on the pier and I forgot to bring the kids jackets. Duh! I don't think they really minded until the walk back. It gets cold! Who knew?! I love this picture of my Breezy in the breezy California wind at sunset (and the tiny surfer in the background).

Straight out of the camera. I L-O-V-E sunsets!

Before we got dinner at Ruby's we walked around to see what some of the fisherman had caught. One guy had a couple of these bad boys. The kids were thrilled.

On the first night, I went to check on the kids after they fell asleep. This is how I found Caleb. He was totally gone asleep. I was amazed he could sleep this way. His head is on the floor!

The next day we headed to Balboa Island.

Krista knows how to window shop!

This cute guy was saving me a seat while we watched the people going by and window shopped some more

On the way to the ferry to Balboa Island, we walked by some gorgeous houses on the beach. Where are the pictures, you ask? Oh ya, I didn't take any. :( I did love how much Billy would take care of Bree. He was always holding her hand and being such a sweet cousin.

I love the sparkling water in the background!

Balboa. Let the fun begin.

On the ferry...

Checkin' out the salt water candy. The chocolate chip was my fav!

Breezy loves driving with the windows down. That's my girl.

Ah, my snaggle-tooth! At least that was his nickname for that week. He lost one of his "temporary's" before we left for the trip and walked around like this that week. I still love his smile. Teeth or no teeth!

After Balboa we hit the beach back in Huntington. Gunner was running wild with his cousins, I only saw him when he came back to get warm for a minute then went back out again. Caleb was a little more cautious but loved chasing the waves back and forth and up & down the beach.

Breezy told me she didn't like the cold water so she just wanted to play in the sand. I wish I looked as cute with my belly sticking out as she does here. :)

Gunner tackling the waves...

When the kids got cold, we buried them. I love Anna's face. She was nice & toasty.

Pure relaxation! Plus, I liked my pink toes.

Forgot to throw this one in. Just because I love it. (and I love her buns)

Know what I mean?

Some of my favorite shots:

If this post didn't tucker you out, just wait...Disneyland is up next!

Picture Outtakes

2011-10-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

Every year I envision getting family pictures done and having them turn out perfect. Well, in real life where I live, it often doesn't happen...unless I hire a photographer.

This year was no different. I opted to take the pictures of my kids myself then then do the family ones using a tripod and a little help from a friend.

From now on, I will hire someone to do it for me!

The stress of having everyone ready, getting myself ready, finding a perfect location with good back-drops, being behind the camera while trying to remember the settings on my camera (I am still an ameatuer, remember?), posing everyone, trying to get them to smile at me while I threaten their lives, then reassure everyone "we are having fun, right?" while all along trying to beat the sun going down and also maintain my composure....

Next year, I'm hiring a professional.

Nonetheless, there were a couple good pictures until my sweet Caleb had an accident and fell and knocked out both of his PERMANENT front teeth! What?? How does this happen?? During family pictures of all things!

However, Caleb was ok. He was actually a trooper with everything that happened. He was able to get in to our sweet bishop, who is also a Pediatric dentist, and he fixed him right up. He put 2 temporary teeth on until we could get him back in for a root canal and 2 shiny new implants. Oh, the poor kid. But, like I said, he was amazing through it all.

And now, going for parents of the year award, since Caleb seemed to be okay, we tried to take a few family pictures right after it happened. I know, we are nuts. But, we were dressed & he was okay for the moment so we thought we could get a few taken. None of these will be on the Christmas card but it's a memory. There you have it. (Just when you thought you were the best parent of the year, I go and throw that at you...ha! can you sense my sarcasm?)

Anyway, here's a few for your viewing pleasure...

Babies are pretty much photogenic no matter what mood they're in, but my baby seems to really like the camera. :)

I love this one, but I saved the best one for the Christmas card. Sorry, you'll just have to wait. Ya, I'm mean like that.

Gunner saw these scrolls and thought they'd be good for a picture or two.

His poses are all his own idea.

My sweet girl

She told me her shoes were "glass" like Cinderella's.

Mr. Caleb before his accident...all teeth intact...smiling for the moment.

For some reason I love the crooked glasses.

Goofing off with Dad

Caleb wasn't in the mood for a group picture at this moment, so I snapped a few of these 3 cuties.

Most of our family pictures looked like this...

...until he knocked out his teeth and they were worse.

Getting hugs after it happened. :( Ya, I took pictures after the fact. I'm weird like that.

Sweet Daddy doing some consoling...

His lips started to fatten up right away. My poor little guy!

Trying for a silly picture...it's pretty much all we could get. Poor Caleb was totally done at this point.

and so was everyone else...

The end!

the rest of September

2011-10-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

Soccer season started again. I love all these friends playing together. Their team name keeps changing from the Fire Bolts to the Sharks to the Lightning Bolts. So, for now we are calling them the Fire-Lightning Bolts. Whatever they're called, they're stinking cute and really good soccer players. :)

Caleb loves to watch the games and he loves to clap whenever they score a goal. He's my spectator buddy. Love that smile!

One quick note about this picture...it was the last one taken of Caleb's smile before he lost 4 teeth...more on that later.

Mr. Bodster likes to watch the games too. As long as I bring an ample amount of Cheerios to keep him fed. This kid can EAT! Finally, a Cookie kid that likes food! Yay!

Unfortunately, this month also brought some sickness. Every kid of mine came down with a nasty cough. Bode got his first introduction of breathing treatments. He did okay with them, but didn't like the mask on his face for too long. He's still stinkin' cute though, right?!

I had to throw this picture in because all my boys wore this same "Pete's Fish & Chips" shirt when they were all about 6-9 months. Pete's has a special place in my Hubbs heart. If you know Mesa, than you know what I mean.

Then, on the 28th, I turned old again. Don't ask my age. Let's just say I'm sticking with "29" for the next several years. The kids had a half day at school so we headed to BounceU for some fun before the big party that night. Funny thing is I didn't get any pictures of them bouncing. Ah well!

The boys love air hockey

Score!

Caleb lost a tooth somewhere in one of the bouncy houses. What a gap! By the way, this is typical Caleb-fashion for loosing teeth. We have yet to find any of his lost teeth! He either swallows them or spits them out. And we can't ever find them! Tune in to the next post for more info on Caleb's teeth!

The kids all wanted to do the hurricane simulator. It blows air at you really fast for about 90 seconds. In my opinion, it's a waste of $2 but at least they got to experience a hurricane. ha ha.

That face is too cute...please don't be a boxer when you grow up...

That night we celebrated my being born into the world. I always like to celebrate as much as I can. A separate dinner date with Justin, a girls night out and dinner with family & the kiddos. It's always good to stretch it out and milk it for as long as you can!

Breezy & Corinne. I love how well they play together. They get along like sisters. Half the time fighting over toys, the other half playing like best friends. Can't wait to watch the two of these girls grow up together.

I love how Caleb blows out candles. All the air comes out his nose. :)

It was a great birthday. I was showered with gifts by my sweet hubby and family & friends. Can I start counting birthdays backwards now?

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-10T22:19:00.000-07:00

Every year for Labor Day, we take off to the cabin to enjoy the nice weather & beauty that surrounds us in Greer, AZ.

When we first arrived, both Justin and I were amazed to see how green everything was.

With all the fires that had gone through this area this past summer, we weren't expecting this, but it was a nice surprise!

Another tradition we do every year when we come up here is work. Everyone was busy trimming trees, mowing the forest & picking weeds.

We couldn't complain, really. Compared to the 105+ degree weather back home, we were loving being outside...even if it was working!

Hands off ladies, this man belongs to me!

Gunner can barely contain his excitement to go rake the weeds.

This is the beloved cabin in Greer. My sweet father in law built this whole thing from the ground up. Isn't it beautiful!?

I love that it's in the center of the forest.

Taking a break. Daddy & his boy! Bode looks so much like Justin did when he was a baby. Such a pretty boy!

After the outside work was done, I went on a walk with Caleb & Bree. We found some pretty flowers and brought them back to share with everyone. I'm teaching Caleb, at his young age, that it doesn't hurt to bring flowers home, even if you didn't do anything wrong. :)

Bree especially loved the daisies. She kept telling me, "we need MORE flowers Mommy!"

I'm in L-O-V-E with this one!

I found these two hanging out a lot. Gunner & Gage are nearly 2 years apart, but they play so well together. And in typical cabin fashion, I hardly saw Gunner when his cousins were there. I did hear a lot of giggling, squealing and games being played. Music to my mommy ears.

At one point, Bode had at least 7 kids surrounding him. They were playing peek-a-boo with him. He was really enjoying it until some little girl in pink kept flying her legs in front of everyone to get some attention. Sheesh!

Koby was such a sweet cousin to Caleb the whole weekend. He spent lots of time with him and Caleb loved it! Eating chips & swinging in the hammock! What a life!

If I can't get a decent family picture done before the holidays, this one might have to suffice. Aren't the wild flowers awesome!?!

Little diva!

A tradition up at the cabin is catching crawdads in the creek and then cooking them up. I dont really get it, but it's all in good fun. The things kind of creep me out. They look like gigantic roaches. Yuck.

Nonetheless, Gunner took part in the fun. He ate the crawdad once it was cooked. Way to go buddy!

We stopped by Greer lakes on our way home. It was so hard to leave. The weather was PERFECT!

Justin has some mad rock throwing skills! Perfect form. Way to go hunny.

Somebody needs a haircut. :)

It was a great weekend. We had a blast. Until the next time...

Little Dancer

2011-09-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

Bree started her first dance class back in the beginning of August.

She goes once a week for an hour and is in LOVE with it. She does tap, jazz and tumbling and she is quite the performer. She's in a class with about 5 other girls and it's so fun to take her and watch her try to do the moves that her teacher is trying to teach them.

I think my favorite part of her taking a dance class is getting her dressed up all girly. I adore the leotards, tights and tutus more than I thought I would. After I see her all dolled up, I can't help but make her pose for the camera because she looks so darn cute!

Here she is telling me, "Last one, Mommy!"

I love that she likes it so much. And, hey, since she's my only girl, I'm going to relish every moment that she'll let me dress her up!

It's official...

2011-09-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

My baby is crawling.

He started the "army crawl" at 6-1/2 months and hasn't looked back.

Love this pretty boy!

Happy Birthday Caleb

2011-08-26T22:55:00.000-07:00

Caleb turned 9 on August 25th! Can't believe it was 9 years ago I had this boy!

He had a great birthday weekend. On his special day, I busted him out of school and took him to McDonald's for lunch. Then we ditched the rest of the day and sat and watched a few Disney movies together. (He has a great love for all the classic movies and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to hang out with my boy!)

That night we all went to a huge trampoline place and jumped our hearts out! Caleb was in heaven with all the trampolines! He didn't want to stop jumping!

The next day I brought ice cream in to his class. Caleb came to meet me and then headed back into his classroom. When we came in, the whole class jumped up and yelled, "Surprise!" Caleb wasn't quite sure what happened but loved the attention nonetheless!

Then on Saturday we celebrated by having a party at Peter Piper Pizza. (Note to self here: never plan a birthday party at noon on a Saturday when it's 115 degrees outside...the place will be packed!)

We had lots of family & friends come to celebrate and support Caleb.

The kiddos love the rides. Especially Breezy. She is entertained by the smallest things!

Caleb & Ms. Amanda, aka "Martin." One of Caleb's many girlfriends!

Cousin Corinne was covered in tickets. Cute girl.

While I'm bouncing between Caleb playing the games and getting pizza for our party, I find my Dad giving my baby his first taste of Coca Cola. I don't object of course, it is tradition after all!

"Not bad!"

Singing "Happy Birthday." He really enjoyed the attention he received and even waited until everyone was done singing the song before he blew out his candles. Huge stepping stone from years past.

I love how Caleb blows out his candles. He inhales then closes his mouth and blows out his nose. It sounds funny, but it's actually really cute to watch him do it. He was successful and blew out all of them! (To those that are reading this and were there that day, sorry, you probably did get a little snot mixed in with your brownies...hehehe)

Opening Presents. Caleb loved this part. Again, huge improvements from years past. To see him attend to a task like this is great!

He's a little "into" bouncy balls. Loves to bounce them all over the house. I'm unsure if he got enough?

Happy Birthday Caleb! We love you and are so proud of you for all the accomplishments you have made this past year. You are one in a million buddy. Your smile brightens my day. You remind me to slow down and enjoy the moments of life that will be gone in a blink of an eye. We love your sweet personality. We love your squeal and your laugh. You have a natural ability to love unconditionally. Thank you for teaching me patience and for giving me your famous hugs at times I need them most. We hope you had a great birthday! We love you so much!!!! xoxoxo

Love, Mom & Dad

Swimming & Preschool

2011-08-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

After the boys started school, Breezy continued doing swimming lessons. This session, she was able to be with her cousin Corinne. They had fun with each other, giggling & talking as the teacher would try to explain how to do a certain stroke. It made me think about how they will be 10 years from now.

Giggling, chatty girls.

Reminds me of me and my sisters.

Bree was probably the most hesitant to get her head wet out of all the kids her in class. But, she finally mustered up the courage to do it....eventually.

Just love these two!

I'm so glad they have each other!

Then, on August 5th, Breezy started preschool with Mrs. Stacey. She's seen her brothers go to school and was so excited to start herself. The week before, we picked her backpack out, and she was ready to go!

She kept telling me, "I go to preschool Mommy, and you stay home." And immediately after that she'd say, "But, don't be sad, I come back to you, okay?"

Modeling the backpack:

Kisses for Daddy & she's off!

She was obviously ready to go...

She was a little upset when she was informed that we needed to wait for all her friends to arrive. Then, the annoyance really set in when more parents wanted to take a group picture. Ah, the nerve! haha! You can't tell by the pictures but Bree was so ready to get started that she kept pulling Mrs. Stacey's hand to go inside and start school. This girl is ready to learn!

Should be a great year!

6 months

2011-08-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

Seriously?!? How can this boy already be so old? I feel like the time is flying by me. It was just a second ago, I was swaddling him & listening to those newborn sounds. Now, I feel like I'm going to blink and I'll be watching him graduate.

Maybe since he's my last baby, I try to cuddle him a little longer, rock him a little more, and take lots of pics of this blue eyed stud muffin. I think he's pretty cute and it may be just because he's mine, but I do get a lot of compliments on how cute he is when I take him around town. I love this age. The gut laughs, the rolly legs, the squishy arms & tummy. I can't get enough.

This boy is such a delight. He really is a good baby. Here's his stats at 6 months:

Height: 26.5" (50%)

Weight: 17 lbs (40%)

Head: 17.5 (70%)

Here's what he's doing now:

slept through the night at about 4 months

rolling front to back, back to front

pushes up on his arms

pushes himself backwards on his tummy

laughs & is super ticklish on his ribs and shoulders

still no teeth

started solids @ 4-1/2 months (my earliest eater)

takes a sippy cup of formula (between 4-6 oz/day)

eats 2 jars of baby food/day (stage 2) - the boy can eat!

still nursing every 4 hours (during the day)

loves to cuddle

adores his Daddy & brothers and sister

babbles really loudly...loves the sound of his own voice :)

We love you Bode. Please don't grow up too fast!

Toothless

2011-08-18T14:45:00.001-07:00

Had to put this down for the journaling purposes.

Gunner lost his 2nd tooth last night. He finally loosened his tooth enough until it was hanging on by a thread. He wanted to try tieing it to a door and then slamming the door shut so it would pull it out...ya know, the "tough guy way."

We we had it all rigged up. Floss tied tight around his tooth and then to the door. When I went to shut the door lightly, Gunner wasn't ready and accidently took a step back and out popped the tooth! We didnt have our cameras ready or anything!

Gunner was so happy (that it didn't hurt) and pleased with himself that he did it "like a man would do" (as Grandpa Cook would say). Sure enough, the blood started to come out and he was so excited that hsi tooth was gone. The next thing he HAD to do was call ALL his cousins and Grandparents. He was so proud.

Way to go buddy, you are a man now.

...and july...

2011-08-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first to admit, I am not the best at keeping up with my blog. Four kids, one husband and one dog really keep me busy. Plus, I try to make that "me" time by exercising & getting a shower everyday. Hopefully that will buy me some sanity from the craziness of my days.

Even though I am most of the time still changing diapers, cleaning floors, doing dishes & folding laundry, I really do enjoy my job. It may not give me the rewards of a 9-5 job, like money or benefits (haha), but my rewards are my children's faces when I say, "let's make cookies" or when my sweet girl wants to have a tea party with me. :) They are priceless. They {those kids of mine} are the reason I get up everyday and try hard to do what I should. (Plus, that cute guy that I sleep next to is pretty fun to have around too. wink wink!)

And, let's be honest, not every day is sunshine & rainbows. The majority of my days are very long. I often play referree between kids, clean up poop off clothes and the floor more than I would like, and quite often my feet hurt. But, I think about those that cannot have kids or have lost a child to an illness, and my heart breaks for them. It reminds me to savor these little ones while they are little. So, I'm trying to do more of that...

Anyway, on to the month of July!

This month was packed! It seemed like it flew by. If you are planning on reading, grab a chair, it's gonna be a long one!

For the 4th, we headed up to the cabin in Greer. Thankfully, our cabin was spared from the Wallow fire. But, when we pulled up it was hard to see how much of Greer was burned. The line of trees that we can see from the porch of the cabin is a sad sight. It's all burned. Now all you see is charred tree-lines. It was an eerie sight to see how close the fire got to the cabin. This is about a quarter mile away. A special thanks to all those fire fighters and volunteers that helped fight off the fires and save beautiful Greer. We are so grateful!

On the actual 4th of July, we attended the Eager Days Parade. The floats were sparse because the town was evacuated for the fire but let back in about a week prior to the 4th. Can you imagine having to leave your home within minutes only to wonder if it might burn down? I'm so thankful that so many homes were saved.

This is the best shot I could get of all the kids. 1 smiling out of 7. Awesome. :)

The night before Grandma Cook made these cute bandanas for the boys & necklaces for the girls. Gunner wore his proudly and wnated Bode to join in the fun. Bode is such a pretty boy, I think if I stuck a flower to the bandana, people might've thought he was a girl!

Although the town didn't have much time to put together floats for the parade, the kids didn't care because there was still CANDY!

Sweet Grandma Cook. This woman is aMaZiNg!!!

Breezy proudly wore her red, white & blue. Isn't this dress adorable? We bought it last year and this year it actually fits!

Thank you to all the men & women who have fought or are fighting now for our beautiful country!

Grandma Cook made a yummy cake for the 4th. Delish!

Bode did a lot of bonding time with Grandpa.

Breezy found a soft spot & fell asleep. Grandpa has the magic touch. :)

Gunner had so much fun this weekend, I could barely catch him to snap a picture.

This might be one of my all time favorite pictures of Bode so far. The kid is pure joy.

In other news, July was a hot month. I snapped a picture of my car's thermostat one day while waiting for Gunner to finish one of his dive practices. Isn't this ridiculous? It's waaaaay too hot!

In mid July the kids all started swimming lessons. Caleb was even able to do a 1:1 special needs class. His instructor was great with him and by the end of the 2 weeks, he was blowing bubbles and moving his arms & legs through the water. He still can't quite swim, but at least is catching on to the idea. :)

Gunner loved his lessons. Before lessons he could swim ok, but after he became a fish. This made him really excited for swim team next year. :)

Breezy took lessons too. She was very timid at first and didn't like to get splashed with water or dunk her head, but by the end, she at least would put her face in. Progress I guess?

This is how I found Bree at the end of every lesson...clutching for dear life to her coach. Notice her hand. It's practically turning blue. :)

Also this month, I finally put some frames up in Bree's room. I've had her room painted for quite some time, but just never found what I wanted to put in her walls. I found these cute frames at the orange blossom shop. And I LOVE them. :)

Then on July 25 to be exact...(yes, you read that right)...Caleb & Gunner started school again. Caleb's in 3rd and Gunner in 1st grade. They were super excited. Bree started another round of swim lessons...which I'll post about later.

I love how handsome they are. Why do they have to grow up?

A quick pic with Mom...

....and Dad...

This year I didn't feel those nervous jitters for either of my boys. Caleb has the same teacher and classroom and Gunner's teacher moved up with him from Kinder to First. It's made the transition really easy! :)

I was 50/50 about them going back to school. I love having them home and us doing our own thing like swimming, summer movies, visiting family. But, on the flip side, I was also suuuuper stoked that they had routine again. The fighting and bickering was starting to drive me crazy!.... So, happy day, school's back in!!

our june...

2011-08-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

Warning: Picture Overload!

Our summer started with dive team! Originally, we signed Gunner up for swim team, but learned that he needed a little more practice so we signed up for lessons AND dive team. It seemed like something that would be fun to do in the summer.

The dive meets were in a little on the sweaty side for the spectators. Gunner was loving it because he got to get in and out of the pool. Sadly, we only attended one meet as a family. It was too hot to be out there to watch for 1-1/2 hours in 100+ temps! But, Gunner loved it, plus he got a good tan in the process.

Caleb doesn't seem to mind the heat. At least for a little while. He still asks to go out on the trampoline and jump....in 105 degree weather. Crazy kid.

Gunner had a good time, made some friends, got a tan and gained some confidence in doing flips and dives. Way to go buddy!

Most of our mornings were spent like this: (love these two!) I also love that we didn't have much of a routine.

We were able to swim at my parent's house a few times. I think Caleb gained some confidence by watching Gunner. He LOVES to jump off the side and have Daddy catch him.

For a whole week this month we were able to escape to Prescott. Gunner plays in a soccer camp there every year with his Brown cousins. It's a tradition now that it's happened 3 years in a row. We stay with Krista & Ryan and they are the most fabulous hosts ever! Love you guys!

Gunner & Cameron are the same age & they have so much fun together. For crazy hair day this year, Cameron went all out. Gunner was digging the dots for some reason. We later learned that the red spray paint stains the scalp for a good week. So beware!

Another fun part about crazy hair day was that you dress up in a costume. These boys are so cute.

Fortunately for Bree she made a friend who brought lots of girlie toys. She loved playing while her brother and cousins played soccer.

Pretty much every day after soccer camp, we'd go to lunch, then go swimming. Love this picture for several reasons. His goggles are upside down, his hair is still stained red (after a day & me trying to scrub it out of this head) and the pine trees in the background. We don't have many swimming pools next to pine trees in the valley!

Some more good news that happened that week was that Gunner lost his first tooth! He was eating his ice cream cone and suddenly his tooth popped out. He said he thought it was part of his ice cream and accidently spit it in the grass. :( Oh well, the tooth fairy still found him!

He was elated with joy. Can you tell?

This is how Bode traveled ALL the time. :)

This is our sweet hostess, Krista (and her son Cameron). She is super fun, super busy, SUPER mom all the time!

Little stink stole my sunglasses. I guess she's pretty cute though. I think she knows it too.

Krista & Caleb just kickin' it!

I had to throw this one it. Couldn't resist!

Other news that happened in June was Bode started baby food! When we were in Prescott, the boy could not get enough to eat and wanted to nurse ALL the time! So, it was time for food. Now, he's a machine & will down 2 jars of stage 2 baby foods a day! This kid is an eater!

We also celebrated Father's day. What a wonderful husband and Daddy Justin is! The kids all helped make his favorite breakfast, biscuits and gravy!

This month we were able to do lots of swimming. This is my aunt & uncle's old house. They moved this summer and we will miss that house. We had lots of family gatherings and get togethers. Plus, the pool was amazing!

Oddly enough, Caleb loved jumping from the 15+ foot cliff with Justin & Gunner. He kept signing "more." Crazy thrill-seeker!

Lastly, my sister and I got our kids together for a picture of the grand-kids on my side. Yes, I have 4 of the 5 grandkids. :) It was my Mom's birthday at the end of this month and she had asked and asked for some pictures so she was really happy & surprised to get this picture. It wouldv'e been better if they were in matching outfits or something, but at least their faces were clean and they were all looking at the camera...the smiles were a bonus. :)

Now, on to July....sheesh, I'm almost caught up!

remember the moments

2011-07-13T21:32:00.000-07:00

This week has been hectic. Swim lessons every day; going to the store, grabbing lunch with a friend, naps in the car, getting the oil changed, running errands to & fro, etc. Just getting in and out of the car with 4 kids in 110 degree weather is a chore!

Even though my week has been chaotic, I am reminded that my little ones will soon be grown up. Tonight after baths were done, prayers were said, my sweet Caleb climbed on to my lap and wanted to be rocked. Normally he doesn't sit with me that long or lay on me like he did tonight. But tonight, he just wanted some extra love and attention from his momma and I was happy to give it. He nestled his head on my chest, curled his long legs up on my lap and was very content to just sit and rock back and forth. He also gave me several slobbery kisses that I just adored. I was grateful the other 3 were playing with each other at that moment so we weren't interupted. It was a sweet moment and I hope that 10-15 years down the road I'll remember it.

I love those moments where my children are all playing together. I can hear happy screams or giggles and I smile to myself. All mothers around the world know there are not always happy moments with children. They are most often those times you'd like to pull your hair out or send yourself to time-out to get away from it all! Or even duct tape your kids mouths shut so they can't talk back or fight with one another! (come on...you know you've thought it!) But what I want to remember most about my life as a young mother of 4 is that I enjoyed the moments.

I have felt for a while that I was letting time go by without recognizing what I was missing. Recently I had a sweet talk with my father in law. I asked him what advice he would give me going into the next 10 years with my family. His advice was to "make memories." Spend that quality time with my children and husband and create great memories we can look back on and be grateful we had them.

I taught Relief Society on Sunday and the topic was families. I felt so grateful to be around such wonderful women. I was the teacher that day but it turned out that I was the one being taught. It helped me re-evaluate my calling as a mommy and be grateful for it. I felt that this life is all about QUALITY TIME spent with our families. Especially when they are so young. I guess that's why I'm writing this down tonight...so I can remember to spend that quality time with my kids. Cuz, that's what it's all about!

Still in the clear...

2011-06-23T23:28:00.000-07:00

Breezy had her tests again on June 21 & 22nd. She's still cancer & tumor free. We couldn't be happier. And neither could she!

Like the hair? I curled her hair for church one day and without hair-spraying, it turned out like this. Kinda reminds me of an old-fashioned hairstyle? You?

Ah, what to do with the hair!? I get asked on a consistent basis if I crimp her hair. And the answer is "nope" The hair does what the hair wants.

I took this pic moments before they took her away to put her to sleep for a couple of hours. Notice the medical bracelet taped to her shoulder? She wouldn't wear it on her wrist because it "not pretty nuf Mom!" Apparently the hospital needs to put a little more bling on their medical bracelets to meet Bree's approval.

All is well, she's still kicking cancer's trash. We are forever grateful. Some other good news is that she'll get a year off from doing any more scans. We'll still monitor her bloodwork every few months but other than that, she's doing great!

Go Breezy!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-06T00:04:00.000-07:00

We headed up to the cabin for some cool weather, work and good times with family. The kids all had a blast with each other. It's crazy how I'd barely see my kids when we're up there because they were all playing with cousins, building tree forts and they're exhausted each night. LOVE it!

Caleb loved hanging out with his older cousins and wanted to be where ever they were.

He also had fun exploring around the cabin. Can you find him?

Love his million dollar smile!

Gunner was in heaven. There weren't enough hours in the day for the fun he had planned. He adores all his cousins!

Bree LOVED hanging out with the girls and doing more calming activities like painting or sleeping. :)

She also found out that the porch swing is pretty fun too. :)

Bode liked being held or rocked to sleep and also enjoyed eating every 2-3 hours. The boy is a tank. The life of a 4 month old is tough. Eat. Sleep. Poop. Repeat.

This pic of him is my latest fav!

He sure adores his Grandma!

Justin loved the gourmet hot dogs that his parents brought up. They were massive!

I enjoyed taking pictures of everyone and capturing fun moments.

My sis in law Alisa is so gorgeous!

Sweet Livi found the best spot around!

Alisa always loves playing pranks and brought in a crawdad from the stream. She just wanted to show it to her mom. I guess Mom isn't a fan.

Cute boys

Yummy food

Great company!

Happy Memorial Day!

Last Day of School

2011-06-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

Nothing but parties, food and more parties. The boys both had a great "last day."

In Caleb's class they did a little ceremony for all the kids and had them walk down a red carpet (since they were all STARS!) and received a certificate of advancement into the next grade. They all loved the attention.

(I was mad I forgot my good camera at home so I had to take pics with my phone. But, at least captured the moments!) Caleb was so proud!

Ms. Jessica. She's so sweet.

These two are good buds. Yuensong. He's such a goof ball and such a lover-boy!

I had to throw this picture in because it was so cute. Evan is graduating to Jr. High and his mom had him wear this cap & gown. It was so great. He ran up and down the red carpet giving high fives to everyone. He was definitely feeling the stardom!

I started to tear up it was so sweet.

Gunner had an end of the year program too. All the kinders sang songs related to the ocean. They all designed their own t-shirts too. Why do they have to grow up?

I love their sailor hats! During all the performances, Gunner kept looking over at me to make sure I was watching him. He was so proud of himself. He knew all the moves and all the songs. I love that he still likes me to come watch him!

Gunn and Mrs. Neal! She's moving up to 1st and he gets to have her again!

Can't wait for next year!

As we were walking out of the school, Gunner tells me, with lots of enthusiasm,

"Mom, I'm a 1st grader now!"

If only he could stay little forever.

Sigh.

Don't ask me what she's doing in this picture. Her poses never surprise me anymore. :)

After the parties, we went out to a spectacular lunch at McDonald's, then rented a movie, made popcorn and let our summer vegging begin!

Welcome Summer Vacation!

Spirit Week

2011-05-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

Needed to throw these pictures in the blog. Gunner was so proud of his crazy hair during Spirit week at school. Poor Caleb came down with pneumonia again so he missed that whole week at school. Poor kid. He's still smiling thru it all!

Wild man!

Mother's Day Weekend

2011-05-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am WAAAYYY behind on my blogging. I use this as my journal and it has been forever. Shame on me. So, get ready to see several posts from me in the next few days so that I can catch up on the last 2 months!

On Mother's Day weekend, HopeKids put on a wonderful event for the Moms and their daughters. They did hair, nails, toes and make-up. They also had an area set up where our pictures could be taken together and also fed us lunch. It was a fun afternoon. Breezy definitely enjoyed being pampered.

She was so excited to get her nails and toe nails done. Then it was on to make-up. She was a little unsure about the eye shadow and blush but definitely wanted to try different shades of lipsticks or "lips" as she calls it.

There were tons of cupcakes to choose from. She could hardly make a decision there were so many!

Finally chose one with a shoe on it. :)

I loved being with my girl! What a fun day we had!

The following day was Mother's Day. I was spoiled rotten by my hubby who let me sleep in, took care of the kids & made me a yummy breakfast. He took the kids to the dollar store the day before and they each picked out a gift for me. Caleb picked a balloon, Gunner picked silk flowers, Breezy picked a porcellin doll & Bode "chose" a chocolate bar for me. It was cute how they all were so proud of their gifts. They will be something I cherish forever.

My weekend continued into the next day because my Mom, sisters and I (with Breezy and her cousin Corinne) went to get pedicures. I LOVE getting a pedi!!

It was Bree's first time going into an actual salon and she didn't know what to think about the bathtub at her feet. But she quickly caught on and enjoyed getting pampered, yet again.

Bode was the only boy but still seemed to enjoy himself...

My sisters Kelli & Kristin with her daughter Corinne.

Me & Kenna. Not the best pic, but proves we were there. :)

I had to throw this pic in...Love my little niece Rinny!

The finished products! Notice how Bree's not wearing shoes? That girl takes her shoes off the second we walk in the door...anywhere, anytime! sheesh!

After our Pedi's we went to lunch at Paradise Bakery. Yum. Love me some cookies! The little girls had a lot of fun dancing to the music in their heads. What cute cousins. I'm glad at least Bree will have a cousin that is close in age since she doesn't have any sisters.

Group shot! My Dad and brother joined us for lunch.

All in all, it was a fabulous weekend. I'm so thankful for my wonderful Mom who has taught me to be a good Mommy, to enjoy my sweet children while they are young. She's also taught me how to serve. She is always serving everyone around her. I hope I can pass on her legacy of service to my children as well. I'm thankful also for my sweet mother in law. She is a woman that is incredible. She does so much and is the most humble woman I know. I love you both so much! Happy Mother's Day!

6

2011-04-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

This boy of mine is growing too quickly. He was counting down the minutes until he would turn 6. Months before his birthday he would ask me, "Mom, how many more days until my birthday?" In fact, the night before his birthday he told me, "Mom, I want to skip my bath tonight, get my jammies on and go straight to bed so that when I wake up, I'll be six!"

He wanted a "Sports Party" where all the boys went through an obstacle course performing different sports. He had a blast.

Things I love about him at 6:

- He has a very competitive spirit (LOVES any kind of challenge!)
- He LOVES going to school. Hope that never changes!
- He is determined. He is great at riding his bike and has been determined to master it!
- He loves games of any kind (even races of who can get dressed the fastest). Loves the Wii of course!
- He has a testimony of our Savior and of prayer
- He still wants a goodnight kiss from me
- He adores his Dad and wants to be just like him
- He excels in school with reading and math
- He still loves super heroes/guys and loves to play with them at any moment
- He loves sports of all kind (favorites: soccer & football)
- He is very kind-hearted and always willing to help anyone in need
- He helps me to do what's right
- He still pronounces some words wrong (I hope he never gets them right...it's so cute)
(bisgetti (spaghetti), biz-anya (lasagna)
- He loves to help me do anything (especially cooking)
- He's a good boy about doing his jobs around the house (hardly complains when he has to help Caleb with his jobs too)
- He loves to laugh and giggle with his brothers and sister
- He's sensitive yet tough

Happy Birthday Gunner! We love you so much. We are proud of the boy you are and are grateful you are in our family. It wouldn't be the same without you. You are a great example for your brothers and sister. Thanks for always keeping us laughing and enjoying each day as it comes. Happy Birthday Gunn, you are six now...only 364 days until you are 7!

Gymnastics

2011-04-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

I have a crazy flipping monkey girl for a daughter. She is constantly hanging on my bed upside down, doing flips and somersalts and loves to walk across the back of the couch. So, I enrolled Bree in a gymnastics class once a week so she could get all the jumping and flipping she wanted! I think she's a natural...

An experience I'll never forget

2011-04-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

On the Friday of Easter weekend we were able to spend some time with Justin's family at a picnic lunch at Freestone park. We had a great time being together. The cousins all had so much fun running at the park and also did an egg hunt.

Krista & Ryan & their family joined us for the day & it was so great to spend time with them. That night we headed to the Easter pageant at the Mesa Temple with some of our family. Click here to learn more about the LDS church and pageant.

There are probably over a thousand people that attend the pageant every night.

Before the program started, there were cast members that came out to mingle with the people in the crowd. Shephards, Roman soilders, angels, etc. I was talking to Bree about what we were about to see and she seemed very interested.

We had eaten dinner there and just then I turned to go put our pizza box underneath a chair behind us and when I came back, Bree was gone.

I checked underneath chairs, in our stroller, next to her cousins...

She was gone!

Well, I found out later she decided to go on a walk by herself...in a sea of about 1000 people.

I tried to be as calm as I could. The first thought that came to my mind is "you are on the Temple grounds surrounded by nice people, she'll be okay."

I told Justin & our family to start looking for her and everyone spread out. Then started asking people if they saw a little girl... when we didn't immediately find her, the worry started to set in.

After about 10 minutes of intense worry and fear I saw Krista carrying her back to where we were sitting.

She said a nice couple had seen her wandering around and took her to where the lost children are taken (the Flagpole for future reference).

When I asked her where she was going she told me, "I want see Jesus Mommy."

She thought that she might get to see a glimpse of Jesus up close. What a sweet girl. I couldn't help but shed a few tears. Tears of relief & gratitude that we found her and tears that she knows who our Savior is and wants to be with Him.

Through the whole program that night, she was so entranced with the music and was sure to point out where Jesus was standing. She also loved the angels and the dance of the 10 virgins; because they were princesses, of course.

I can't help but think she was surrounded by angels when she went through her cancer

almost 2 years ago. And I think that's why she has such a special relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. Because I know He carried her through those months of pain and suffering.

And He is still with her today.

I'm grateful we can celebrate the real meaning of Easter which is our Savior's resurrection and celebrate the knowledge that He lives and will be with us always.

Happy Easter!

Easter weekend

2011-04-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

I've never really been very pro-Easter bunny.

Don't get me wrong, I love to celebrate Easter. I love traditions that we have. Dyeing eggs, decorating with fun pastel colors and using this holiday as an excuse to buy lots of chocolate & candy to hide all over the house.

But, the Easter bunny? I've never really "got" the idea of him. But, this year my mom insisted on taking my youngest 2 kids to see him at the mall. It was fun, but it was freakishly hot outside (one of the hottest days in April) and we waited in line far too long only to find out that Bree wanted nothing to do with this overgrown bunny. I didn't blame her. He was kinda creepy looking. :)

Bode, on the other hand, didn't care at all, as long as someone (or some-thing) was holding him, he was happy. Bree, at least, gave me a cute pose...far far away from the Easter bunny.

This little one is so delicious. He's such a good baby.

One of our Easter traditions is spending time together at the Phillips Lake to hang out with family, grill hamburgers and hot dogs by the fire, water-ski, dye eggs and of course, the Easter-egg hunt!

Gunner couldn't wait to get on the water and practice his skills.

Gunner loved to water-ski (at least he thought he was skiing) :)

Caleb loved the jet-ski.

Bree loved the cupcakes!

Uncle Dave instructing the kids about the hunt.

The hunt is on! Gunner was first in line to grab those eggs.

Isn't she cute?

Caleb was happy with his loot.

Gunner was such a sweet brother. He stopped several times to share his eggs with Caleb or even point out more eggs for Caleb to find. What a tender hearted boy. It melts my heart to see how much he watches out for Caleb.

Easter Sunday. Love my boys in matching shirts. And I'm so glad to have a little girl to dress in pink! (Even if she is making a double-chin face).

We hope you had a fabulous Easter! We are so grateful that we could celebrate the knowledge that our Savior lives!

Blessing Day

2011-04-10T22:01:00.000-07:00

Today Bode was given a name & a blessing by his Daddy.

It was a beautiful blessing.

He got all dressed up for his special day.

We had a lot of family attend. Thanks to all that came!

I got a picture with the man of the hour. Isn't he so cute? A bit of a chunk these days, huh? I love his chubby cheeks.

The blessing outfit was Gunner's and his shoes were Caleb's - baby Converse. Love it!

We had lots of family at our house for the traditional luncheon after the blessing. And between being hostess and feeding this little guy, I didn't get any pictures of everyone that attended. Shame on me.

I did manage to get lots of kisses by my first baby though.

These were some of the highlights of Bode's blessing:

"Bode Michael Cook"

"We love you and are so glad you have come to our family. You are now surrounded by great men. Develop relationships with them and look to them for advice. Your family loves you. We bless you that you will be great friends with them. Develop characteristics of kindness and be gentle like your mother. We bless that you'll have a special relationship with Caleb. We bless you to be patient and proud of him. We bless you that you'll grow and serve your fellow men, that you'll receive the Aaronic & Melchezidek priesthood. We bless you'll be a good student. Study & read your scriptures. Bless you'll be a good man and serve a mission and go to the temple. And bless you that one day you'll have a family of your own. We bless you'll have a great testimony of the Son of Man. Know you are created in His image. We bless you that you'll have a good direction of right and wrong and that you will always choose the right. Your family loves you."

2 months

2011-04-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

Why do babies have to grow so fast!? My little Butterball is 2 months old today.

The time has seemed to go slow at moments and then at other moments (mostly when my kids are fighting with each other) it can't go fast enough!

But, alas, time will keep moving. Babies keep growing, kids get older and I wish I could reverse the clock on myself! All I can do is take lots of pictures, try to savor the sweet quiet moments with these babies and enjoy the moments of laughter and the noises of my children at this age; because I know it will be gone before I know it.

My little man is smiling. Already. He started this at 7 weeks.

Other stats for Bode at 2 months:

* sleeps 6-7 solid hours at night. It's so dreamy! Now if his Mom would go to bed on time!

* still nurses every 3 hours during the day

* turns his head towards voices he recognizes. He knows his immediate family.

Weighs 11 lbs 11 oz (50%)

Height: 24-1/4 inches (90%)

Head: 15-1/2 inches (40%)

Shots - 6 immunizations in total. 3 shots to the legs with 1 oral. Poor babe. He's hurting pretty bad. But he's tough already!

He loves to cuddle and still nuzzles into my neck. (One of my favorites about this is he crinkles his forehead when he's under my neck.)

I. LOVE. IT!

I'll take another Mama's boy any day!

Breezy loves him and asks to hold him every time I am holding him. I thought she might be a little jealous but instead she really just wants to mother him. I love it. She's a natural.

I've been trying to let her help with bathing, changing diapers and getting him dressed. She's so careful with him and loves to sing him songs. It's kind-of funny that she isn't as interested in baby dolls since Bode was born. I guess it's all because she has a real baby to tend now. :-)

Oh my baby, please stop growing and stay my baby forever.

Anyone want to grant my wish?

Big girl

2011-04-03T22:33:00.000-07:00

Lately, all I've been blogging about is my little girl. Yes, I do have other children and I love them dearly, but hey, I only have 1 little girl & I do love to spoil her

so there ya go.

Breezy reached another milestone before she turned 3 years old. She's potty trained!

Yay Yay Yay!!

She started being interested in panties so I thought, "I'm home all day (with a 4 week old newborn, mind you!) and going no where (literally) so why not potty train her!"

I admit, a few days in I wanted to throw in the towel. She had a few days of accidents and I was so sleep deprived from being up with the baby. But, we pushed through it!

I offered lots of bribery with M&Ms (which she calls N&Ns) for pee pee and Disney princess figureine dolls with more M&Ms for going poop.

It only took her 2 weeks and she is fully trained! She can even sleep through the night and stay dry. I was not expecting this so, of course, I'm super EXCITED about it!

In addition to her princesses she received a new Princess dress of her choice. She loves to model it and won't take the thing off.

(I promise, I do her hair, but it ends up undone in seconds!)

Our little Cindarelly worked so hard she passed out upstairs. It was so quiet and I couldn't find her for a moment. She was sleeping sweetly, dreaming of her prince.

She is super proud of herself and we are so proud of her too!

Love you Breezy!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2011-03-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

Did you get kissed or pinched? :-)

Happy Birthday Bree

2011-03-12T23:19:00.000-08:00

Our sweet girl is 3 today. I feel so blessed to have this little beauty. She brightens my day. Even though she is a firecracker and can definitely try my patience at this age, she is worth every moment of it. I still feel so grateful to have her. I will always remind her that she beat cancer and that she is strong...I still feel so grateful we have her every day.

I took her to the farmhouse to take some pictures of her for her birthday card. She had fun being the model and posing for the camera. She loves the camera. Whenever I pull it out to take a picture, she immediately poses and says "Cheese!"

This is the card I made for her 3 year announcement:

front:

back:

I asked her what she wanted for her birthday and she told me a "pink burfday hat." She also wanted a "pincess cake." She is too cute, I could eat her up.

Here's the traditional "right when you wake up" picture. This was probably the only time she wasn't happy to see the camera. hahaha

This is the "Pink Pincess cake" that I made per her request. I am SO professional, don't you think? Alright, cakes are not my strong suit.

At least the birthday girl liked it...

Oh it's so hard to resist...it's her cake after all!

This was the "Pink Burfday hat" that I made the night before...I thought she'd be so happy when she saw it. Instead I had to convince her to put it on...what a diva.

She didn't really want to wear it until I told her how beautiful she looked with it on.

This was the best attempt at all 4 kids. Oh do they love their baby brother!

She loved opening her many presents...

...loved her new Prince & "Pincess Rora". Such a serious girl.

Dress up clothes and hats...

...and dress-up dresses for her polly-pocket Princesses. Oh the pink in this girl's life!

Ever since her 1st birthday we do the traditional balloon release with wishes for her. I still tear up every time we do this because of how special her life is. Every balloon that I let go I wished for her to have a long, happy and HEALTHY life.

I loved this picture of her with her Grand parents. So sweet.

A few things about our sweet girl at 3 years old:

*She traded her babies in for princess dolls that can change their dresses.

* She likes to change her own clothes at least 4-5 times a day (Heaven help me!)

*She loves dress-up clothes and has to be in a "dress" - no more shorts/pants!

* She still loves her blanket at night.

*She calls Daddy her "Prince" - When he's at work, she asks me "Where my Prince, Mommy?"

*She likes me to sing her 3 favorite songs to her every night.

* She loves to help me cook.

*She basically potty trained herself a week before her birthday!

* She loves her brothers and often says "I the queen" whenever they play. That's my girl!

We love you Breezy! Happy Birthday sweet girl!

Soccer begins...again

2011-03-10T23:05:00.000-08:00

Gunner started soccer again right after Bode was born. Since I had just had a baby, I wasn't able to attend many practices or games at the start of the season. Instead of the typical boring team pictures, my sweet friend Amy took these pictures of the team after one of the practices and they are just darling! Great job Amy!

She also took individual pics of all the boys. Gunner is such a Mr. Sensitive in this shot. I just love this boy.

Happy soccer season!

Dance your way to Healthy!

2011-03-07T22:17:00.000-08:00

I told my friend Kathleen that I would put this on my blog to get the word out. If you are able, please support her cause! Thanks for reading & get dancin'!!

-Kari

Dance Your Way to Healthy as a Family

Submitted by Kathleen Thomas on behalf of Primrose Educational Preschools

Dance can be a fun, easy way to introduce physical activity into a child's life. As a provider of educational child care, Primrose Schools has recognized and is actively fighting against the childhood obesity epidemic. Childhood obesity is a critical issue for young children in America. The Family Dance-off supports Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, a non-profit organization that raises funds for more than 170 children's hospitals, which collectively treat 17 million children annually for every illness and injury imaginable.

Through their annual Family Dance-off event, families are encouraged to record and submit a 30 second video of themselves dancing to promote fitness and strengthen family ties.

Participating in the Family Dance-off is easy:

1. Record a 30-second video of your family's best dance moves. Don't be afraid to let loose and be silly!

2. Visit The Family Dance-off site and upload your best take by March 19.

3. Share your video with your friends via email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

4. View and vote daily (you can place five votes per day) for your favorite family dance video!

What would a competition be without prizes? Primrose Schools is providing prizes that aren't only great for your family but for your whole community, with $65,000 in donations to local Children's Miracle Network Hospitals:

· Grand Prize: $5,000 and Primrose will make a $30,000 donation to a local Children's Miracle Network Hospital

· 2nd Prize: $3,000 and Primrose will make a $20,000 donation to a local Children's Miracle Network Hospital

· 3rd Prize: $1,500 and Primrose will make a $15,000 donation to a local Children's Miracle Network Hospital

· All 14 Finalists will also receive a FLIP camcorder

Visit The Family Dance-off site for details on how to take part in the fight against childhood obesity, participate in the competition, and view past competitors!

Out of Africa

2011-03-04T14:56:00.000-08:00

For a family Christmas present, Justin's parents gave all their kids and grand kids tickets to Out of Africa.

This is a great place with animals you can see, touch & even feed! We all had a blast being together. It was our last "trip" before Bode was born so we lived it up. :-) I took tons of pictures so sit back and enjoy!

Our first stop was inside a caged area with lots of friendly reptiles. The boys loved this.

Caleb brought his own dinosaur and I think was trying to introduce him to this big guy.

Some of the family. ;-)

My sweet in-laws. They are so fun!

Next we boarded the bus to see & feed the animals like the giraffe and camel. They gave us all carrots to feed the giraffe. I sat next to this cute guy.

Breezy and Daddy had a good time being together.

Our first stop was the giraffe. I forget his name but I remember there were 2 of them and they had to be kept in different spaces because they fought over an imaginary girl giraffe. That's a man for ya!

What happened next was funny. As we pull up, all of the kids on the bus start waving their carrots around excitedly thinking this giraffe would come right over.

Little did we know that the giraffe was sleeping with his eyes open. So our tour guide got out of the bus and tried to wake him him by throwing carrots at him! It was great entertainment!

Finally when Mr. Giraffe woke up he realized we were all yelling at him to come and eat the carrots so he came right over. The cool thing to do was feed the giraffe by putting your carrot in your mouth then he would give you a big wet slobbery kiss.

Gunner was pretty brave and got his ready.

I didn't have my shutter speed set fast enough so I missed the tongue-to-the-face shot but this was taken just after Gunner got a big fat kiss! He loved it!

Krista (or Aunt Kissa as Bree calls her) definitely got a good kiss. My bro in law, Ryan is a goof. He kept teasing the giraffe with the carrot and putting it over his wife's face so she would get licked over and over. It was so funny.

Me & my boy!

One of the next feeding spots was the camel. It wasn't quite as cool as the giraffe, but fun nonetheless. Caleb loved him!

Awww, how sweet. I love her chunky little face.

Gunner definitely had a great time.

After our bus tour ended we headed over to the white tiger show. They do lots of tricks with the tigers. It's crazy that they really are just very large cats that like to play the same as house cats...only they could take your head off with one swipe of their claws!

Action shot!

After the white tigers, we walked around and looked at some of the wildlife just hanging out. I made sure that fence was sturdy before letting my children wander so close to these animals!

The next stop we made was at the reptile show. They brought out lots of reptiles including this very large, very scary looking python. They invited groups of people in to come hold it and touch it. The guide told everyone they could touch anywhere on the python except for his head.

What happened next was classic Caleb. He sits right down to touch it and I guess Mr. Python's head was getting too close or Caleb thought he might want to eat his play dinosaur so he decided to give him a good bop on the head!

As soon as he did that everyone around him gasped and some kids started to back up. You can see the scared look on everyone's faces.... Mr. Python, however, just raised his head up tall wondering what just happened. He was very gracious not to strike back at my child for smacking him in the face :-)

We decided it'd be best if Caleb stayed closer to his mid-section instead of his head.

The last show of the day for us was the hyenas. It was neat to learn about them and hear their "laugh."

I love this last picture. Bree had enough and crashed on Grandma. So sweet.

All in all, it was a fun trip as an entire family. Thanks Mom & Dad for a great time and great memories!!

Backing up a bit

2011-03-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

Since this blog is a record of what our family has been doing, I need to go back in time a bit to remember a few things from January.

On the second day back into school after Christmas break, Gunner's face smashed into another boy's head during a game of ball. It got ugly. Not really, the two boys just rammed into each other. The nurse at school was so impressed that Gunner didn't cry since his eye was so swollen. He didn't cry until he saw me, and saw the expression on my face with how bad his eye looked. :) But, I reassured him that black eyes and scars were cool and he'd be the talk of the town over the next week.

After all, chicks dig scars right?

Every person that saw him would greet him with "Wow, buddy, what happened to your face?!" After a while he got sick of explaining the story so I just told him to say, "You should see the other guy!"

Lil miss Breezy got a dress up chest for Christmas. It had all sorts of dresses, tiaras, shoes and jewelry in it for playing "dress-up." She wanted to dress in this get up one day and I couldn't help but take lots of pictures of her. Justin was showing her how to do a curtsey (sp?) and this was her rendition. More of a squat, but still cute right?

Over Christmas and New Years break Gunner had the opportunity to play flag football for the first time and loved every second of it. He didn't understand too much in the beginning of the season, but by the end, he was a pretty good little player.

One of my favorite things about Gunner playing football is he would get so excited for his games. His team was the Cardinals and each week his coach would tell them, it's us VS the Colts or Chargers, etc. So pretty soon, Gunner took it quite literally and would ask me, "Mom, who are we versing this week?"

As a mom, I'm always a little aprehensive about my kids playing such physical sports. I know it's flag football and they don't get hurt (or at least they're not supposed to) but I just get so nervous watching from the sidelines. Boys will be boys though, even if mom is nervous!

Last of all, I had to throw this picture in because I love Caleb's hair. It got so long and we finally cut it off. I'm jealous of how fast his hair grows. I love that he's my surfer boy!

Peace out!

1 month already

2011-03-02T22:20:00.000-08:00

This boy of ours is such a sweet piece of heaven. We are all completely in love with him. I can't believe he's already 1 month old. How fast time goes. I SOOO wish I could slow down these moments when my kids are little newborns. I love the sweet sounds and smells when they are so new and so fresh from heaven.

Here's a few things that he's doing at 1 month:
- snuggles in to my neck when he's tired
- he calms down at the sounds of my voice
- eats every 2-3 hours (he's so hungry!)
- sleeps ALL the time...except at night!
- makes lots of squeaky noises when he eats (it's so cute!)

We LOVE this little man!

First week of life

2011-02-19T22:26:00.000-08:00

Here's a few pictures of Bode's first week home.

He had lots of visitors, lots of cuddling with his brothers and sister and lots of pictures. His mama wished she got lots of sleep, but alas, that didn't happen.

This was the day we left the hospital. I love how they do the names of the babies. So fancy, yet masculine!

I know I'm a fatso, but I LOVE this picture!

All packed up and ready to go home!

Caleb couldn't wait to hold Bode. He immediately sat on the couch and put a pillow on his lap and held out his arms as if he were saying "Okay, Mom, I'm ready, give me the baby!"

Breezy, of course, loved to baby him!

We printed this picture so Gunner could show his class his new baby brother. He was so proud!

He had lots of visitors. This is his Great Grandma (Gam-la mor) Steverson. She's 91 and is amazing. She still does water aerobics, goes shopping and drives her own car. Like I said, Amazing!

Aunt Kissa and Uncle Ryan came over for a visit too.

Sweet Anna banana. She's so grown up!

He took lots of naps...Oh, how envious I was that he could sleep so much! haha

How I love the gas smiles!

Justin's already training him on the finer things in life...

When he was exactly 1 week old, I took some pictures of him all cuddled up in his favorite blanket. What a sweet little man he is!

Tiny little feet...

Tiny little hands...

Oh that face!

I had fun making his birth announcement.

Front:

Back:

We love our sweet baby boy!

The Birth Story

2011-02-18T23:35:00.000-08:00

Just to clarify, we named our last baby Bode. And I've been getting a lot of the same question, "So how do you pronounce it?" It's pronounced "Bodie" but we spelled it differently because we thought the "i" looked too feminine. My apologies to any Moms out there that spelled it the right way, I don't mean to offend, it was just a personal preference. Hope you still like me! ;-D

Anyhow, on to our little guy. Here's the story. On February 3rd, I had gone out to dinner with a few girlfriends in hopes of getting one last girls night in before Bode entered this world. We had mexican food and it was so delish. I was sad I couldn't finish my meal (seeing as I was still prego, my stomach was about the size of a quarter since Bode's little body was taking up all the room in my tummy, I couldn't hold any more food... oh, you get the idea). After our wonderful meal, these friends of mine surprised me with a baby shower. Cute girls. As we visited and I opened some presents, I started getting a few contractions here and there. I didn't think much about them because I have never gone into labor by myself. My doctor has usually had to induce me or has to strip my membranes for my body to begin the labor process.

Anyway, once I got home, I told Justin that I was having some contractions. He suggested I time them. I sat at the counter and started to write some thank you notes and thought, "this really can't be labor, I'm a week early...I have plans with my kids this Saturday... I'm not mentally ready yet...these aren't real contractions, are they?" etc, etc etc...Once I started timing them, they were about 10 minutes apart and kept coming consistently. And it was midnight. Great.

So, I got my bag packed and tried to get some sleep. Sleep was non-existent that night. My sweet Mom came over around 1:30am in case this was the real thing so she could get the boys off to school the next day. I was in so much pain by 2am and my contractions were coming every 8 minutes. By 4am, they were 5 minutes apart and so we decided to head to the hospital. We got there by 5am and waited in triage for about 30 minutes. They checked me and I was dilated to 4 cm and 80% effaced. They checked me in, started an IV and ordered my epidural. The nurses notified my doctor and by 7:30am, my epidural was in full effect and so they advised me to get some sleep if I could. Unfortunately that didn't happen. My epidural was so good that I couldn't feel my legs or back at all and I felt like a dead fish from my waist down. It was so embarrassing that they had to help move me just to turn on to my side. My legs were dead weight and I was so uncomfortable. By 9:30am, my doctor still wasn't there so I asked my nurse to break my water. She declined because she said only a doctor could do that. I knew that if my water broke I would deliver very fast. That's how I roll. My water breaks and then my babies come out quick. Once our nurse left the room, I jokingly (and seriously) asked Justin if he would break my water. What can I say, I was desperate and very much ready to get this baby out! I know he didn't like to see me in pain, but Justin wouldn't break my water either. So there I lay for another hour & a half to wait it out.

By 11:15am, my doctor finally came to my rescue! He broke my water and the nurses begin the process of getting the room ready for the baby. This is always such an emotional stage for me because I know what's about to happen. A new baby is going to be born. A sweet little one from our Heavenly Father is going to be given to me and Justin and it's always such a moment of anticipation mixed with fear and joy. I'm about to meet my son and I'm overcome with tears. The tears don't last long because the next step is to actually push him out! By 11:45am, they give me the "ok" to start pushing. 5 pushes and he was out!

This perfect little boy was here! 7 pounds 13 ounces and 21-1/2 inches long.

Perfect. Little. Boy.

When he came out he had to be suctioned out because he swallowed a bunch of amniotic fluid. He needed a few puffs of oxygen to help him breathe normally again. He grabbed the face mask and it was so sweet. The nurses decided that putting him next to me would help him more than anything else at that moment. So the nurse put him on my chest to help him calm down and breathe regularly.

This was by far my favorite moment. The connection between mommy & baby is almost indescribable. The fact that he knew my smell, knew my voice and just being next to me could calm him down was so special and I'll never forget that sweet moment.

We are so happy to have this little boy join our family!

Family of SIX!

2011-02-17T13:25:00.000-08:00

It's true! Our beautiful baby boy was born to our family on February 4th, 2011. He is perfect in every way. He was born at 11:50am. He weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and was 21-1/2 inches long. We named him Bode Michael Cook. He is the sweetest baby and his brothers and sister are completely in love with him. Here's some pictures for your enjoyment. :)

Gunner was so excited to meet his new baby brother. One of the best things he said was "Mom, this is better than Christmas presents! I love him so much!" Well put, Buddy!

Breezy was equally excited to meet Bode. She kept giving him kisses and the first thing she did when she held him was sing to him. So precious!

Caleb was definitely on pins and needles. He ADORES little babies so much we were a little apprehensive about how he'd do meeting Bode because he loves to smother little babies with his hugs and kisses. But, he actually did very well. He definitely kissed him a bunch, but was very gentle when he held him. So sweet.

It's official, we have 4, count them, F-O-U-R kids. Gotta love it!

Our first family picture at the hospital as a family of six!

All is well with us. I will post his birth story here soon. Life is hectic and chaotic but I'm so glad to have the opportunity to slow down and enjoy this little man. I love the sounds & squeaks he makes, I love the "littleness" of tiny babies. They are so close to God it's amazing. We love our little Bode and are so thankful he's come to our family.

Future Salesman

2011-01-31T23:15:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas break Gunner had seen a few kids in the neighborhood selling lemonade or hot chocolate. One day we were flipping through a kids recipe book and we see a recipe for mouse cupcakes.

Gunner had the fun idea to bake up some of these cute cupcakes and sell them to cars that pass by our house or kids on their bikes.

He was so excited & proud to display his sign.

Breezy had to make a sign too. She did a pretty good job huh?

Making (and sampling, of course) the cupcakes.

Aren't they cute?

Getting ready to sell his little heart out!

Dad was his first sale of the day. Justin also taught him some tactics to "closing the deal" and Gunner ate it up. His phrase of the day was "Let's make a deal." Justin was so proud. :)

(Don't you love the Chavez-like frosting mustache?)

Caleb joined the fun too.

A few of the neighbor girls came over and played leapfrog between sales. They are so sweet!

They also took a few quick breaks to take the Hot Wheels for a spin. He's actually quite a great little driver.

Making the ASU "Sun Devils" sign (or trying to). Yes, we are raising future devils. :)

"Look Mom! No hands!"

At the end of the day, Gunner made about $18. He sold all his cupcakes. He sold a few to grandparents over the phone and even had a few friends & cousin stop by (thanks to my friends that I called for sending their kids over!). All in all, it was a success, we all had fun and he got his feet wet in the sales department!

The end!

A word about Bree...

2011-01-26T20:35:00.000-08:00

(I forgot to document this in my last post about little miss Breezy so I wanted to make sure I record this so I can tell her when she's older what a good little patient she is.)

Nearly every time we go to see her oncologist, pediatrician or the hospital she is such a great little patient. In fact, she's very interested in what they need to do to her. Take, for instance the last time we went in to see her oncologist. Every time we go, which is about every 2-3 months, she needs to get either a finger poke or a butterfly in the arm to draw her blood. This last time, the nurse asked if she could take her blood and do a little poke on her finger. Well, since I had her on my lap, I braced myself for her to cry. Instead, she holds her hand out for the nurse and puts her pointer finger out for the nurse to poke her. Then says, "Here you go."

What!?!

And naturally, I thought she would either cry or look to me to soothe her while she gets poked. Nope. Wrong again! ...instead she takes great interest in watching the nurse poke her finger and squeeze the blood onto the sample plate for testing. Are you as impressed as I am?

This little girl is destined for great things. She is extremely tough and yet is soft and sweet and loves to comfort others. She constantly melts my heart. She's been rather sneaky lately and will come and get in our bed at night. But, every time she does, I secretly love it. She'll caress my face and even pat my back. She'll ask me in a very quiet whisper, "you okay Momma?" and she'll make sure I have my blanket on. Then she'll tell me, "you go sleep now Momma."

Like I said,

Melts. My. Heart. :)

Update on our little miss

2011-01-23T23:59:00.000-08:00

Breezy had her bi-yearly tests (MRI/urine/blood) a few weeks ago and she is still clean! She's still stable with no change or any tumor growth! Yea!

Just wanted to say how thankful we are for our little princess! Go Breezy!

New Years Partay!!

2011-01-23T23:34:00.000-08:00

Warning: Picture Overload!

Typically, for New Years, we celebrate at home with the kids (they get to stay up til 9 or 10pm). We bang on pots and pans and yell and scream from the top of our lungs. Then Justin & I put them to bed and watch a movie together then toast in the new year at midnight with our sparkling cider (yes we are real party animals).

This year we headed up to Prescott and spent time with Justin's sister Krista, her hubby Ryan and their 4 kiddos. They had a huge snow storm right before we came up so it made it extra fun playing in this...

The kids didn't waste any time and got right down to playing with each other...

The kids couldn't wait to get their snow gear on and head outside for some much needed playtime with the white fluffy stuff.

Gunner and cute Anna all ready to go!

Caleb loved being in the snow. He wanted to go out with the kids so bad he took off without his gloves!

Breezy was so excited to wear her pink hat with matching scarf and gloves. I dont think they were the warmest but at least she was stylin' :)

We went outside and started playing in the snow as we waited the arrival of Justin's other brother Tyson and his family.

Bree liked eating the snow more than playing in it.

Billy sharing his snowballs with Caleb. Ah, how sweet.

Fun with cousins. Gunner & Cameron

So while we were waiting for Tyson & Angie & their family to arrive, the big boys (Ryan & Justin) thought it would be super fun to surprise them with a snowball attack when they made their entrance.

Here's Billy showing me his giant snowball he found for the attack. (I dont think he actually used it...it looks like that can cause some damage!)

Tyson should have known not to open his window when his brothers & nephews were armed with so many snowballs!

I think they thought the attack was over when they got out of the car...think again!

It's all good clean fun right?

Next we headed up to a mountain to do some sledding! While we waited for the other Cooks to get their snow gear on, we took some fun pics. Love this one of me & Breezy.

One of the belly for documentation, yes I am huge these days...

Even though it was SUPER cold, the kids loved going sledding.

Caleb especially loved it. He kept trying to take the sled and make it go when he wasn't on a hill. When he wouldn't go anywhere, he wasn't too happy. When he did he was in heaven!

Go Caleb!

Justin took Breezy down once even though she wasn't digging the idea. She's like her Momma and likes to stay warm. :) I love that all you can see are her eyes!

Don't ask me about this next picture. This is what happens when Justin & Ryan go shopping with one another. They come back with interesting finds. What can I say, they're weird.

That night was New Years' Eve. We did the count down with the kids and celebrated with root beer floats.

Caleb was super tired yet still wanted to party

Happy New Year!

The next day we played in the snow some more. Krista & Ryan are such great hosts. Krista knows how to please everyone. Since there was so much snow, she broke out all the fixings for snow cones. What a fabulous hostess! Tyson wanted to take all the credit for this idea. Nice try Tyson!

The kids were in heaven. I think Gunner had at least 4 cups!

In between snow cones he made snow angels.

Caleb didn't care if he had a cup, he just ate it straight from the source!

After snow cones, lots of snow fights broke out. Tyson was the target, yet again. :)

Take down!

Thanks so much Krista & Ryan! We had a wonderful weekend with you guys! Can't wait to play again soon!

The end!