Put Me In Coach-Baseball 2015

In spite of the rain and cooler temperatures that seem to be lingering longer than they are welcome, baseball season has arrived and is more exciting than ever! Mason is the catcher/pitcher/infielder for the Cheeks' Chargers, and Adam is the "short stop" for Browns Bombers! We are about half way through the season and both teams have an outstanding record! Cheeks' Chargers have lost one game so far, while Brown's Bombers are currently undefeated! They are both on great teams, with great coaches, players, and parents!

I must admit that I LOVE BASEBALL SEASON! To me, baseball season means so much more than a ball and a bat! Baseball season means SPRING, warmer weather, community, exercise, nights at the ball-fields, hot dogs, hamburgers, Gatorade, slushies, late night dinners, practice, muddy cleats, dirty WHITE ball pants, catchers gear, time with friends, supportive fans, mama's hearts, daddy's pride, the ring of a bat, the face of a child, and that all-american feel of perfection!  There is nothing greater than to gather the ball bags, put on the uniforms, grab the cooler and the camera and head out for an evening or full-day at the ball fields.  

As I put my camera around my neck and angle myself to get the "perfect shot,” I get to see the game in a frame that no one else sees.  I see the big eyed smiles that light up the face of the batter as he hears the crack of the bat and sees the ball he hit soar out into the field. I see his face change quickly to determination as he runs as fast as he can to first base, striving to beat the ball to the bag.  I see the nerves that dance on a pitchers face as he winds up and releases the ball toward the batter, hoping for the strike.  I see the catcher squatting time after time, framing the pitch, throwing off his helmet, chasing the loose ball, searching for the runner, throwing to second or third base as he tries to "catch" the runner, and racing to home plate to stop the run.  I see the in-field working together like a fine oiled machine as they execute the play, resulting in the out at first, second, third, or home...and sometimes even achieving the coveted DOUBLE PLAY. I see the face of the outfielder as he runs forward, backward, side-to-side trying to gauge the fly ball in hopes that he can catch it for the out.  I hear the coaches as they encourage each player with words of affirmation saying, "you can do it, keep your eye on the ball, take a practice swing, have fun, no harm/no foul, great hit, great catch, way to run!"  I see the coache’s faces when an error is made, when the out is made, and when the winning run slides into home. I see expressions of joy, excitement, frustration.  This side-line view draws me in, makes me feel like part of the team, and reminds me how fortunate we are to live in this small community.  A community where our kids can play baseball in a safe place, under coaches who truly care about our kids, where our kids can learn about healthy competition, where all kids get the chance to play, and where all kids are loved and encouraged while being corrected and challenged. 

I wonder, how many of us truly recognize the time GIVEN by each of the coaches on the fields each week.  Do we show our appreciation for the time they invest in our kids?  Teaching them not only how to play the game of baseball, but also respect; to respect their teammates, their coaches, their parents, their teachers.  They teach our kids to believe in themselves, to encourage their teammates, to encourage other teams (after all, the kids on the other teams are our kids best friends), to embrace healthy competition while guarding their actions and their tongues, to win with excitement and humbleness, and to lose with their heads held high. 

I wonder, do we as parents exemplify these same traits the coaches are trying to teach our kids. Are we, as parents, showing our kids how to show respect to their coaches by respecting their coaches ourselves?  Are we encouraging our team as well as the opposing team? Are we affirming our own children with words of encouragement like "good job, you'll get'em next time, keep your head up, way to go!" or, are we tearing them down with words like, "what are you doing out there, I can't believe you struck out, can you not catch a ball?" What is the message we are sending our kids? After all, I believe the heart of every parent is for their child to be confident in themselves, to be respectful to others, and to have character that also deserves respect.  As I contemplate these questions, I surmise that WE must be the model of what we expect from our kids. In other words, as parents, we need to "practice what we preach." It is our responsibility to represent the morals and behaviors we want to see in our kids, both on and off the field.

I want to thank the Clay County Recreation Department, every VOLUNTEER coach, every umpire, every concession stand worker, every parent, and every community member for supporting our youth baseball league.  Thank you for grass that is mowed, fields that are lined off and ready to play. Thank you for your time, your heart, and your knowledge.  Thank you for concession stands filled with affordable foods when families find themselves at the ball fields all day on Saturday or all night on a week night.  Thank you for your dedication to our youth and your desire to provide our kids with a fun and safe environment to play ball and build character.  Thank you for "Baseball Season," for without you, there would be no season at all!

Catalpa Worms Galore!

We have to Catalpa trees in our yard! Obviously these trees are fairly rare around here because we often have folks stopping by and asking for the worms off the trees.  A Catalpa worm is fat and black with yellow stripes, and are apparently good for fishing!  Well...Mason and Adam got the idea to collect all the worms off the tree, put them in a bucket, and advertise them "for sale" on Facebook.  They worked long and hard all evening gathering every worm they could possibly reach, pulling them off the leaves and putting them in their bucket.  They were so excited, with dreams of all the money they were going to make from selling the worms.  They fantasized about what they might do with the money, what they might purchase at "Wal-Mart" (since Wal-Mart is the only store within 2 hours that sells items that little boys would get excited about.  
So, I advertised the worms on Facebook, 12 worms for $6.00, and we waited for all the orders to pour in, after all, these worms are a rare commodity in these parts.  Well, we waited, and we waited...and finally we got an order! Yay! Boys are excited, right! Little entrepreneurs dreaming big dreams.  Then the orders ceased! We only got one order for all the Catalpa worms we gathered. :(
As it turns out, even though the boys were a little disappointing, they realized that it really didn't matter, because the real fun and excitement was experienced in the "picking"! We were all outside together, gathering worms, carrying buckets, acting silly and laughing together! Those few exciting minutes spent working together with a a dream of a possibility that may only come through perseverance and ingenuity far outweighed the disappointment of not selling the worms! The memories made together, gathering worms will last forever and you can't put a price on a memory!
I must say, I am so proud of them! Proud of their character! Proud of their compassion! Proud of their imagination! Proud of their perseverance! Proud of their ability to handle disappointment with character and to see the positive things that were gained throughout the process.
Cook Kids....You are Loved more than could ever be expressed! 

Adam Lost His Tooth!

Adam lost his first tooth (July 28, 2013)! He and I were working on filling freezer bags with corn to be frozen for the winter when I looked at his tooth (for the hundredth time) and realized that the new tooth had already broken skin behind the baby tooth! I said, "Adam, you have to get that thing out of there tonight!"  So he and his daddy began the process to get it out. Darren tried first, then Adam tried for a while, finally Darren was able to get it out! Adam never shed one tear! He was excited that he had finally lost his very first tooth!  Me.....I cried!!!!!!!!!! Darren laughed at me, of course, but I couldn't help but to be saddened by this milestone!
 It is sad to see my baby growing up so fast...all my babies growing up so fast!  After he had pulled it he ran up the hill to show his Papaw Burch that he had lost his tooth!   As I watched him run (he loves to run) up the hill, I said, "I still see him as no more than 4" and he is 6!  Ugh!!!!!!!!!! Parenting is terribly wonderful! Haha! 

That night he put his tooth under his pillow in a little Ziploc bag, and the Tooth Fairy brought him $5.00 for that first lost tooth!  A morning I am quite sure he will never forget! After all, who can forget losing their first tooth and finding money under their pillow, placed there by a special fairy who turns their teeth into stars in the sky!


We love you Adam....To the moon and back!!!!

The Ant Bite!!!!

 

 

 

August 31, 2012 the kids were invited to a birthday party up at the Beach Park in Hiawassee Ga.  The kids were have a blast swimming and playing in the sand with their friends, the adults were enjoying time to have adult conversation while the kids were playing.  About the time we started cutting the cake Katy came over to show me that she had been bitten on her 2nd toe by an ant.  I looked at it, it looked okay, she seemed okay and went on to get some cake.  The next morning we were getting ready to go to Mason and Adam's flag football game and she showed me her foot again. She was limping a little and said it was hurting, I looked at it and it was beginning to swell.  We went on to the game but by the afternoon it was VERY swollen and red.  The next day it was tight and a purplish color.  We went to the doctor where they gave her a steroid shot for the swelling but said there was no infection.  Long story short, she spent the whole following week on crutches because it was so swollen she could not put any pressure on it. We were so afraid of infection, but as it turned out, it was just an allergic reaction to an ant bite.....which she swears was just a plain black ant!   Needless to say, we will try to steer clear of any and all ants from now on! 

Summer 2012 is Coming To An End! :(

Even though the calendar tell us that summer lasts until September 20, all of us with kids know that summer actually ends on whatever date school starts! For the Cook Famiy, this year summer ends on August 15, 2012!  The alarm will commence to go off at 6:20, the kids will complain about being tired and not wanting to get out of bed, they won't want to get dressed, they will want to watch TV in thier jammies! However, regardless of the hopes that summer will never end, it will, and soon! We will get up, we will get dressed, we will eat breakfast, we will remember our backpacks, and we will head out the door and go to school!  And summer will be a fond memory we will only get to visit on weekends, until the cold truly does set in!

The summer has gone by too fast for my liking, that is for sure! A true highlight was the fact that we were invited to be part of a water ski club called "Liquid Feet." The kids had the opportunity to be on a ski team all summer where they learned to water ski and wake board! We met every Tuesday night and brushed up on our skills in the water.  The kids have loved it! Darren and I agree that it has been the best thing our family has ever been a part of! I have to send out a big THANK YOU  to Lee and Nancy Church for inviting us to be a part of such an incredible group of adults and young people!

We scampered off to Cherry Grove with the entire Cook Clan not too long after school was out.  I must say, we had a FABULOUS time! We could have stayed there all summer (if we could have afforded it)! We did nothing but spend our days at the beach and our evenings hanging out togher.It was wonderful!  After the beach we had the 4th of July festivities to look forward to! Matt outdid himself this year with the very best fireworks show yet! The 4th of July is a favorite for my kids, they look as forward to it as they do Christmas! They love the family time, the firworks, the food, and the homemade ice cream. We all enjoy this tradition and are thankful to Kellie and Matt for creating it for us! It is important to have family traditions! It seems that most of ours have fallen away over the years, so it is nice to have a new one that we all have grown to love and look forward to!

The rest of July was filled with days at the pool and the lake (unfortunately the kids had a lot of "babysitter" time this summer since Darren and I were both working a lot)! In all the years that we have lived in Hayesville, I have been fortunate enough to have a job that enabled me to spend a lot of time at home, which I am grateful for.  However, it made it hard when I had to be away from the kids so much this summer! I must say that I am very fortunate and grateful to Heather, who happily kept our kids a lot for us this summer and made sure that they got to have lots of fun in our absence!

We finally squeezed in a camping trip in July (with the Plemmons') to Standing Indian! It was a perfect camping trip. We got to spend lots of time together hiking, playing in the water, riding bikes, roasting marshmallows... The Grands even visited us one night for some cornhole and dinner! I am so thankful that our family loves to camp! It is the perfect oppotunity for "Family Time!" It seems that even with all our good intentions, we never spend as much time together when we are home as we do when we are camping, so it is important that we get to camp at least once every summer! We hope to go again before the cold sets in!

And now....The time has come for the kids to go back to school! How could it be school time already, I keep asking myself???? And even though I can't find a good reason for it to be happening already, we will find ourselves rising early on August 15, getting dressed, and going back to school! Time needs a good set of brakes!!!!!! I can't seem to slow it down, no matter how hard I try! So, the best thing I know to do is grab the reigns and hold on, keeping my eyes wide open, as not to miss a moment, keeping my mind wide open, as not to miss an oportunity, and keeping my heart wide open, as not to miss a single precious moment granted to me each day!  What a blessing we have inside our home with our three precious Cook kids! Lord....Lead us to lead them, and to value every moment you give us together!

And there you have it folks, the end of summer 2012! Until next year....

Lots of love always,
Mom

Mason is 7!!!!

My Mason in the Middle is now 7 years old! The time has passed so quickly since I first held him in my arms 7 years ago! He was so cute, so tiny, so precious......and, he still is!!!  Mason has a heart bigger than all the waters of the world and I love the fact that he Loves his momma so much! All my kids love me, as I do them, but Mason has a special consuming love for me and he makes me feel special.  I also feel especially bad when I have to fuss at him because it seems to break his little heart, and in turn, mine breaks too! But, enough of the mush! Mason is an incredible kid with a heart of gold, a natural ability, a keen mind, a sweet smile (paired with crystal blue eyes that make you melt), a love for sports, and an innate desire to help those who are less fortunate or different from him.  He is truly a great kid!

This year for Mason's birthday we invited lots of his friends and took them out to the gazebo for some fun on some kayaks and a paddle board.  Please remember, it is April, and the water was super cold! The mom in me was thinking, "is this really a good idea to have the kids out here in this cold water in April?" But, it was Darren's idea, Mason was all for it, and who was I to say "No."  I must admit, that it was one of the most fun birthday parties I have ever had or been to! The boys all had a wonderful time! THEY LOVED IT!  Darren gets the award for being the "Cool Dad who lets us do fun things" award! Of course all the boys ended up soaking wet with lips the color of grapes and teeth chattering out of their heads, but they didn't seem to mind one bit!  After we played in the water for a while, we had hamburgers and hot dogs (thanks to Chad and Heather for manning the grill) an cupcakes, per Mason's request! Then we opened gifts, which is always a hit!I believe the gift of choice this year was a BeyBlade battle bowl and BeyBlades! Then it was time for the kids to show of their muscles by taking a whack or two at the Army Tank pinata!

As the sky darkened we all loaded up and headed back to the house.  The boys brushed teeth and got ready for bed. Then we all gathered upstairs for a double-elimination BeyBlade tournament set up by "The Cool Dad!" The boys had a blast battling each other with the BeyBlades! When it was time to settle down, everyone found a spot to rest their weary heads and watch a movie on Netflix....they chose "Rango!" Somewhere around midnight the last set of eyes closed and it was smooth sailing until about 7:00 a.m.  We all got up, ate pancakes for breakfast and got ready for church! Some of the kids went home before church and some of them went to Meadow Grove with us!

I must say, that by the end of the day on Sunday, we were all exhausted! But it was all well worth it, because Mason deemed he had had the best birthday ever! What more can you ask for!!!!

So, we will put up our candles for another year! And we will squeeze in as many hugs, kisses, late night snuggles, books, dreams, activities, and conversations as we can before the next year comes to pass......He will be 8 before we know it! Time...it goes by way too fast!

We love you forever Masonator!

Adam turns Five!!

Adam Turns 5!!!!

March 21, 2012, the Adam Bomb turned 5 years old!!!i must say that he is the funniest little thing ever, and he has no problem expressing his thoughts, ideas, and opinions! He has been in Ms. Cindy Longs and Dawn Kelly's class this year for Pre-K, and he has loved school! He has learned so much and is one smart cookie! I believe he may be reading before he goes to Kindergarten! We had a birthday party for him at Meadow Grove church, and he chose Pumba for his birthday cake! Darren set up an obstacle course for the kids, we had sack races, nd busted a piñata (Adams favorite part)! He was so excited to have his first real birthday party where he got to invite his friends! We all had a great time! One thing I can say about Adam is that he is so funny and that he is a thinker! He says all kinds of things that show he has been thinking about them for a while! And he asks all kinds of questions! He is particularly good at coming up with reasons about why thing "aren't fair!" But we couldn't ask for a better boy! He holds a special place in this family!!!
Adam is five
We've many years to survive
His wonderfully crazy ways
His laughter contagious
His spirit courageous
We will love him all of his days
Theres no doubt in my mind
His personality will shine
All spirits he surely will raise
All the days of his life
As parents well strive
To guide him through each day
Teaching him to love God
Helping him to know
God And to always give him his praise.

We love you so much our precious ADAM-BOMB!!!!

Katy Turns 9! Where Have the Years Gone?

On March 16, 2012, Kathryn Eliza Cook turned 9 years old! I have no idea where the past nine years have gone! They have been filled with wonderful memories made within our family, but the time has passed us by like water flows in a stream..."You can always see the water moving, and you don't realize that the water that just flowed through, although beautiful and real, is now gone forever." I am trying in this life, to take advantage of all the time we have together, the good and the bad, because if it were gone, even the bad, would be the good!
We go to experience a lot of "the good" on Katy's 9th birthday! We are so proud of the hear she has! Instead of presents this year, she asked her friends to please bring the money they would normally spend on a birthday present, and bring it to help "Bring Lucy Home." Lucy is a little girl in China who will soon be a part of Amy and Brian Trout's family! They will go to China to bring her home in April. Katy has taken this adoption into her heart and wanted to do something special to help bring her home! We are amazed at her unselfish and generous heart! God has special plans for life, I just know it!
We had a Rock Star party, where each girl dressed up like their favorite music star! Katy was so excited to have all her friends over for a sleepover and lots of Rock Star fun! And as a bonus, we had the house to ourselves for the weekend! Darren and the boys went to the cabin with Papaw Cook and Austin.
Katy's excitement rose with each arrival of one of her friends. The moment she had been waiting for was finally here! The party began! We took lots of pictures, we danced to lots of songs, we sang, we played outside, we painted lots of fingers and toes, had a fashion show...we ate tacos and birthday cake (in the form of a blue and zebra print guitar)!
We had 10 girls in all! The celebrities in attendance were:

Katy Cook-Taylor Swift
Sydney Patterson - Carrie Underwood
Lelia Barnard - C.C. from "Shake It Up"
Maggie Plemmons - Francesca Battistelli
Keera Smart - Jeremy Camp
Haley Noe - Taylor Swift
Jala Stamey - Lady GaGa
Elizabeth Beck - Carrie Underwood
Madison Crawford - Rocke from "Shake It Up"
Emry Crouch - Christina Aguilara

On Saturday morning we had chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast! Then the girls proceeded to play Dance Party and Sing It on the Wii, and play outside and upstairs until their parents came to pick them up.
Katy and I enjoyed some "Mom and Daughter" time that afternoon! We went to get our toe nails done, then up to Say Hey Boutique to make an exchange! That night we just hung out together, watching a movie of Katy's choice, "Legally Blondes" one of the sequels to Legally Blond with Reece Witherspoon. Then, of course, she slept with me that night!
The next morning we went to church, ate at a benefit lunch to support Ashely Faggard to go on a mission internship. Then we came home, chilled out, and waited for the boys to come home.
All in all, we had a great birthday weekend!

Katy,
We are blessed beyond measure to have you as our daughter! You are so beautiful both inside and out! We know that God has great plans for you! So, we pray you will continue to grow in your faith continue to develop the kind and loving heart you possess! You are AMAZING! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!

xoxoxo

Love,

Your Family

Update

Well, Adam's ear drum burst around 7:00 this morning, and he felt fine after that! His ear has drained all day, and he has been tired, but he is feeling better! It scares me when this happens, I don't want him to lose any of his hearing. I bet there is a good chance we will have to get tubes again (the one in the infected ear fell out a few months ago.) He and I had a good day together, we were able to get a short nap and I picked up his antibiotics! I am hoping for a speedy recovery!
I just hate seeing him in so much pain and being so helpless!!!!

Katy had a great day! Tonight was her, "Night of the Notables" at school. She was Marie Curry, scientist who dicovered Ranium. I had never heard of her! LOL! Each child dressed up as thier character and came in the room, one by one, and answered questions about thier person, then we, the parents, had to guess who they were! They all did a great job! We were really proud of Miss Katy! She had worked hard on her project!

Dear God,
Thank you for you guidance in our lives. Please continue to be with Adam, help him to get better! Thank you for our family and for the personality you gave each of our children, they are each perfect in thier own way!
Amen!

Adam's Ears

It is 11:40, Monday night, February 27, 2012. Adam has just fallen asleep...finally, after crying for an hour because he has yet another ear infection! He has had tubes in his ears twice now, and has recently lost one of the tubes! I hate it when he feels this way! There is not one thing I can do to provide any kind of instant comfort. All I can do is give him some ibuprofen and wait until I can get a Rx filled tomorrow. I read on the Internet that you can infuse olive oil with garlic and put it in the ear and rub it around the ear to to take away the pain. I am going to give it a try!

Right now, I am going to enjoy listening to his faint little snore as he sleeps on the "little couch" opposite my "big couch." I can't believe he will be 5 in March! Wow, where did the time go and how did he become so big, so quickly! I pick him up fully expecting his little body to mold int mine and fit perfectly in my arms, however, I have had to face the reality that even though he will never be too big for me to hold, he definitely doesn't mold or fit very well anymore! He is half as big as me! So sad!!!

I must say though, that Adam is an incredible little boy! Smart, funny, cute, handsome, sweet, witty, affecionate, loving, sneaky, creative.... He is all the things I could ever wish for in a little boy! He is incredible and we are so incredibly blessed that he is ours!

Dear God,
Thank you for this sweet little boy, and please touch his little ears and restore him to his cheerful little self ASAP!
Amen!

Thankful for Home!

It seems our lives have been so buys for......years! We have been going, constantly, forever it seems. Our weeks have been filled with many committments (and still are) and our weekends have been filled with travel or other committments for a long, long time. It seemed we never had time just for us, for our family to spend time together, void of the outside world. Fortunately, 2012 has been different for us! We have been home every weekend since Christmas!!! We have taken the kids skating, and to the movies, and out for pizza...we have had family movie nights, built forts, played the Wii, cooked together, eaten together... We have taken advantage of our time together and have enjoyed every minute of it!

When you are a parent of young children, you often hear, "Enjoy them while they are little, they will be grown before you know it!" And, it's true, they do grow up so fast...too fast! But, I think that poeple think parents don't realize this at all, but we do!!! We struggle with it every single day! We worry that we don't spend enough time talking with them, singing with them, playing with them, snuggling with them, teaching them, guiding them....LOVING them! We struggle with those things with every breath that we take!

That is why I am so thankful for the fact that our lives seem to have slowed down just a little lately. Thankful that we have been able to spend that extra time with each other and with our kids! I thank God every day for our family! For our kids! We have been blessed with three of the most wonderful kids God ever created! We are blessed!

Please God, help us never to forget how blessed we are! Help us never to take each other for granted and to always cherish our time together!

Realization

I just logged into my blog for the first time in over a year! How terrible is that!!!! I also just found a site that will publish your blog into a hardback book, which I did! But now I realize how sad I am that I dropped the ball so often over the past few years in recording all the wonderful things that have gone on in our lives! Therefore, today, under a new realization of the importance of recording our lives in order to preserve our most cherished memories, I pledge to maintain this blog regularly for my children! I pray that they never forget the good and the bad parts of growing up Cook's! This blog will help to insure that never happens!

So much has happened in our lives over the past year! Katy turned 8 on March 16, Mason turned 6 on April 18, and Adam turned 4 on March 21. All three kids played ball in the Spring. Katy was on the Volcano's softball team with lots of her friends. Mason was on the Red Sox baseball team, and Darren was able to help coach. Adam was on the Braves T-Ball team, and was so cute in his little uniform! The season went well, we all had a lot of fun! I know that Mason and Adam will play again this year, as for Katy...The jury is still out! Again, I plan to write more specific blogs later to highlight their seasons!

The kids and I, along with Andrea Matheson and her kids Dakota and Ella went to New Smyrna Beach for Spring Break! We had a wonderful time! Janet gave us her time share condo for the week and we took full advantage of the beach and sunshine! It was an awesome trip! The kids had a great time playing together and we relaxed and enjoyed an totally no-stress vacation together!!!

We were fortunate enough to get to go camping a few times this past year! Our first trip was in May to Davidson River campground in Brevard with Stacy and Steve Lohr. It was an amazing campground and we had a perfect double camping space. We learned earlier in the year that Stacy and Steve would be moving to Alabama, so we took advantage of this camping trip with them. We had a great time. We rode bikes, hiked, visited the Cradle of Forestry, went to Looking Glass Falls, swam in the freezing water, ate lots of good food and enjoyed the time we had together. Of course the kids had a blast enjoying free range of the campground and the woods around it. Jeff, Teresa, Hillary, Hanna and Peyton came over on Saturday night! It was good to have them visit, even if we couldn't talk Teresa into staying the night!

Our second trip was in June to Lake Powatan in Asheville. Papaw Cook joined us and we all enjoyed the weekend together! The kids go their faces painted, we went on a creek crawl where we found lots of crayfish and salamanders. We went swimming at the lake. The boys helped Papaw chop wood forever. Mason chopped so much wood, his core was sore for a week! We grilled steaks, roasted marshmallows, and had the best country ham in the world for our Sunday morning breakfast! We did not like the campground as well as Davidson River, but has a great time!

Our last camping trip was with Papaw Burch and Lavonda. We went to Standing Indian the first weekend of October. It was freezing COLD!!!! But we had a good time! I had to take Katy to her football game and the boys stayed at the campground with Papaw and Lavonda. They took a nature walked and gather lots of leaves to decorate the motorhome with! The sky was so clear on Saturday night that you could see a gazillion stars! It was beautiful! We spent a lot of time sitting around the campfire talking, roasting marshmallows and drinking coffee!

We went to Cherry Grove beach with Papaw Cook and Linda in July! It was a wonderfully relaxing and fun vacation with family. We spent long days on the beach and most early mornings and nights sitting on the deck of the house. We had crab baskets at the dock of the house and Darren and the kids loaded it up every day with raw chicken and every day we caught new crabs. This was one of the boys favorite parts of the whole trip. We also rented a sea kayak for two days. Darren paddled the kids out into the ocean and they rode the waves into shore. They loved it. Darren and I took it out one time and saw a school of jelly fish in the water.....UGH! We went to Judy's one night for dinner, and we went to Dockside Seafood twice (it was yummy)! The last night our family played putt-putt. We all got at least one "hole-in-one" and Adam got a hole-in-one on the last hole, therefore, he won a free game!!! He was super excited! That was one of the best beach vacations we have taken!

Adam started Pre-K in Mrs. Cindy Long's class! Mason started First Grade in Mrs. Christy Kelly McClure's class! And Katy started Third Grade in Mrs. Kristy Thurmond's class. They were all excited to go back to school this year! Adam was especially excited to get to go to school for the first time this year! I will do a full blog entry later on what a special day that was for him. The kids are all enjoying school this year!

Katy decided to cheer this year. She was so cute in her little uniform! She really enjoyed it for the first part of the season, but began to lose her enthusiasm as the season ended. Mason and Adam played Upward flag football in Blairsville. They loved it!!!!! Mason scored his very first touchdown. It was the cutest thing ever! I hope they will play again this year!

This year Nana was here the week before Halloween and was gracious enough to help make the kids costumes! Katy was a hippie, Mason was a mummy, and Adam was a tiger. They all looked awesome! We went to a big Halloween party at church where we all dressed up. Darren was a football player and I was a Hippie like Katy. We later went to Trick-or-Treating on the square, but this time the kids all dressed in different costumes. Katy was a go-go girl, Mason was a black bat!

I accomplished something I never imagined I would do in November. I ran the Rock-and-Roll half marathon in Savanna GA. Stacy was supposed to run with us, but she ended up having to close on their new house the day before the race. Hillary and I ended up running it together. I finished 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 8 minutes!!! I was quite proud.....and exhausted!!!! We had a great time, and I hope to do another one soon!

We spent Thanksgiving at Kellie and Matt's (Darren went hunting at the cabin). We shopped til we dropped and then came home. We celebrated Christmas with the Burch's the weekend before Christmas, and spent Christmas at Papaw Cook's. After Christmas Darren traveled to New York to pick up a motorhome for my dad and made the trip in a total of 26 hours, he was more than exhausted!!!!! Stacy and Steve and their kids came up after Christmas and stayed with us for 3 nights. We all had a great time together, with them and Jeff and Teresa. One night we went bowling in Franklin. New Years Eve night we went to the Possum Drop for the first time ever! Next year I definitely want to take the kids!!!!

All in all, 2011 was a good year for the Cook family! I can't wait to see what 2012 will bring!

Project Time

Today, my Aunt Mary is coming to help me make cushion covers for my glider rocker. I am so excited to do this project! First for the satisfaction that will come with the accomplishment and second for the fact that the chair will look like it actually belongs in my living room. When Katy was born, I chose a glider that was covered in an ABC pattern (Darren said, don't buy that one, it won't go with house later) but NOOOOO, I just had to have it for my new baby's room! Dumb decision on my part. Now it looks aweful, it is stained, and ugly, so I will now re-cover it! One of those things I have to admit that I should have listened to him in the first place! Anyway, here we go! I will post pics of the finished product as soon as it is finished!

Today is February 4, 2012....I am updating this post to say that we finished the chair and it looks amazing! Just like I knew it would! Everything Aunt Mary does turns our well!!!! I love her and am so fortunate to have her in my life!!!!!!

Once Again...I have fallen behind!

Okay, so, it looks like it has been over a year since my last post! Wow, how things are changing and moving forward. Katy is now a second grader, Mason is in Kindergarten, and Adam is in Preschool! Darren is still working at Hinton Center, and Me, well I am at home right now. My job as an Early Learning Specialist (mom/child learning group coordinator) was not funded again afer 9.5 years because of budget cuts in NC. It has been a challenge financially, but I have also found many blessings woven into my life over the last few months of being home with my family. I feel like I am so much more connected with my kids, available for them and for Darren, a better mom and wife! I continue to look for a job, and know that I will go back to work one day (unless we win the lottery, then I am home for good, LOL)! I feel like I should give a racap of our past 14 months to catch everyone up to speed. Where to start????

Well, last Christmas was our first Christmas morning away from home. I thought it would be "lacking" because I always wanted the kids to experience Santa and Christmas morning in thier own home. I was wrong, It was great being with family who was excited to see them excited on Christmas morning! A pleasant surprise!

We went to Florida last January to visit Dad. The weather was nice! We had a great time! We went to the beach, found sharks teeth in the frigid water, went to the aquarium, and canoed down the Myakka River with the alligators (Papaw Cook threatened to take the kids away from us over that one, haha)! We love getting to go down there in January, it is alway a great trip for us!

We took the kids snow skiing in February! Katy skiied and Mason snowboarded! We were so proud of them! We had a lot of fun working with them and teaching them! It was an awesome day for everyone!

Katy turned 7 on March 16. She chose an Arctic animal birthday cake. Then we moved into a girly spa party where the girls made thier own lip-gloss and sugar scrub. They paired up and gave each other foot treatments with a foot bath and thier sugar scrub. The girls sang and danced and had a great time!

Adam turned 3 on March 21. We had a family party for him (and included the other two for family birthday time). Adam had a Pirate birthday party with a big Pirate Ship cake! It was super cute! He wore his big pirate hat the whole time and was all smiles. He loved the attention his birthday brought!

Mason turned 5 on April 18. He had a Bull Rider cake and a water gun shoot out in the back yard with his friends. This was Mason's first year to have a "friend" birthday party. He was so excited and had a really great time!

Darren and I went on a cruise with our friend Steve and Stacy and Craig and Jeannine! It was a lot of fun! We had never been on a cruise before! We enjoyed it, but I don't think Darren will go on another one, he doesn't like being stuck out in the middle of the ocean with no way to get to his kids. I agree with that part, but I would go on another one!

Our Spring was pretty hectic. Darren was President of our little league baseball/softball teams and that took a lot of time and energy! I am glad to say he isn't doing that again this year!

We changed churches in March. We just felt that we needed to be somewhere where we could be fed and a part of something that was alive and moving for God. We miss our friends at our old church and love the poeple there, but we love our new church and the people there and are exited about moving forward with them. They have so many opportunities to grow and learn and to serve. The kids love the programs they are in as well! It has been a good move for us!

We got a new to us boat in April and spent lots of time on the lake this year. The kids (Katy and Mason) learned to ski. All the kids wake boarded with Darren. We packed lots of picnics and spent lots of time on the water! I love the lake!

Austin and Kinzie came up for 2 weeks. We went camping and out in the boat a lot. It was great to have them here! We haven't had them for a summer visit in too long!

Once again, we had a great 4th of July here at home. Matt brought his firework display and it was amazing! Our 4th of July bonus was the newest addition to our family, Gracie Rose Best. I now am a GREAT AUNT! Really? I am getting old! She, however, is precious!

In late July Darren and I planned a trip without kids to Charleston SC. What a trip it was! Our truck was hit by lightening with us in it (we were parked on the off ramp). The lightening blew all the computers in the truck, all the electrical stuff... WE were towed on to Charleston where we dropped the truck at the Chevrolet dealership and rented a car. Aside from the stress of the truck, we had a GREAT time! I loved it there. We were told the truck would be fixed in a few days, so we opted to stay, the kids came down and we took them to the beach for a few days. As it turned out, the truck was not fixed in a few days, and Dad had to come pick us up and bring us home. 4 weeks later, we got the truck back. It still wasn't fixed! We continue even now to deal with things messing up and insurance troubles.....UGH!

We also had the opportunity to go to Myrtle Beach for a long weekend this summer right before school started back. We had a great time with Papaw Cook and John and Judy. Katy found a fairly large hermit crab and brought it home with her. We had a very relaxing, fun in the sun kind of time!

The kids went back to school in August. Summer began coming to an end. Where our days had been filled with sunscreen and swimming pools, they were now filled with school days and homework. The kids all like thier teachers and are enjoying and doing well in school this year!

Katy got a new dog in September, a toy poodle from some newly found beloved friends! He is black and his name is Cooper! He is super cute, and very hyper! We love him!

Katy and Mason both played soccer this year! We all enjoyed playing together and watching them play thier games!

Nana and Granny came to visit us for a week in October and we had a great visit with them. It was so nice to have them here and be able to spend that much time with them.

Darren and Papaw Cook took the boys for their first adventure to "The Cabin" in October. They loved it! They all had a great time! Katy and I enjoyed a girls weekend with a little shopping and movie time! It was a good weekend for everyone!

We went to Virginia to Granny's house for Thanksgiving this year. We had a great time there and got to tour the base which is right beside Granny's house. Jimmy made us some wonderful clam chowder and we had some fresh steamed oysters, yummo!

And now, back to Christmas again! We did our Burch Christmas the weekend before Christmas at Dad's house and enjoyed the most wonderful Prime Rib dinner you can imagine! Then we went to Mocksville for Christmas weekend. Christmas Eve at Vivian and Richards and Christmas day with Papaw Cook. It snowed on Christmas day this year and we all ended up snowed in at Papaw Cooks! It was fun! We spend the next day playing together in the snow!

And now that brings us up to date on the ins and outs of our lives for the past year! We are hoping that 2011 will hold many new adventures and blessings for our family and for our loved ones!

Halloween 2009

This year we were the proud Halloween chaperones of one beautiful Miss Cleopatra, and two roudy Ninja Turtles! After working for three weeks on thier costumes, I finally finished them up just in time to put them on and go to our much anticipated "Trunk-or-Treat" at church. The kids all loved their costumes and looked great in them! The boys definately played the part of Ninja Turtle, they were totally "in character." Katy joined her other little friends for lots of laughs and giggles and posing for pictures together. Everyone was so cute!

We ate hotdogs and chips and then the kids went on a hayride. When we got back, they went trick-or-treating to all the "trunks." We then moved on up to the fire pit where we roasted marshmallows. We all had a good time together.

On Halloween night we went to a Halloween party at Jason and Laurie's house. All the adults and kids dressed up. There were about 15 or so kids there, needless to say, they had a ball together. We all had a really good time.

So now Halloween is over and the costumes will be used for dress up play and possibly incorporated into a Christmas play. I wonder what my babies will come up with for me to make for them next year! Only time will tell!

Adam Bomb

What can I say about our Adam Bomb, other than the fact that he undoubtedly the cutest thing! He has got personality popping out of his ears! You never know what you are going to get with Adam. You may get a great big smile and a big hug, or you might get a miffed "hmmmmmph" and ignored. You can tell what the day will be like just by watching him round the corner when he gets up in the morning. If he has a little grin popping out from behind his passy and a little sparkle in his eye, the day is sure to be a good one. However, if he happens to come in with with his eyes drawn down and his passy held tight in the pinch of his mouth, the day is sure to be a doozie! He is the funniest thing, and has a mind and an opinion all his own.

He is smart too! He has a good vacabulary and has no problem getting his point accross. Like when he wants something, milk for intstance, he says, "I want milk, I want milk, I want milk, mom, mom, I want milk, mom, I want milk........" a million times (getting louder and louder) all while he sees me pouring his milk. He never stops asking until it is sitting in front of him. Do any of you out there know his father....well, there ya go, patience is not thier strong suit.

Adam's favorite phrase at the moment is, "I do it self." He wants to do everything by himself. Get this, he even changes his own diapers. If I am not in the room, he will remove his own clothes and diaper, take the diaper to the trash can, then come find me to say, "I poop mom." Really! Lovely! Now lets make sure that I check all the floors, furniture, and carpets! Then clean up the boy and get him dressed! You might think, "hey, if he can do all that he should be potty trained!" Well, I challenge anyone to come try that, he pretty much refuses, unless it is his idea. So, like every thing else, he will do it in his own time!

Adam loves books. He would sit and let someone read to him all day, that is unless he takes a notion to read it "self" which is often. He will sit on the couch or lay in the floor on his belly and read books forever. He loves "Llama Llama, Red Pajama."

Adam....he is the glue in our family, everyone is drawn to him and we all stick a little. We all have this notion that since he is the youngest that he needs to be looked after more, that he needs a little special attention. Truth is, he's gonna do just fine all on his own. You know why, because he knows he can! As parents, we strive and desire to instill confidence, persevereance, possitive self esteem in our children, and I believe parents do give these things to thier children. But, I also think some are just born with a little extra, a little confidence built in for a rainy day! That is Adam, he has it.

Lord, please help me to be the mother that Adam (and Katy and Mason) need. Help me to encourage them, to support them, to believe in them, to be attentive to them, to guide them, to educate them, to stand by them, to love them so much that they never doubt how much they are loved and valued. Help us to be the very best parents we can be for each of our children. Help us to recognize thier idividuality, and their strengths and weaknesses, and help us to parent them as individuals, not as a whole. They are each special and different and the same, and we love each and every ounce of them!

So, here we go, facing each day together. Preschool and spelling tests, diapers and attitudes, arguments and kindness, protectiveness over each other and kicks and screams at each other, tricycles and two wheelers, skinned knees and bee stings, smiles and giggles, and six little blue eyes full of possibility, hope, and confidence in the fact that thier mama and daddy are the rulers of the universe (and they still like us)LOL! Lord, help us not to let them down!

Katy C First Grader!

Our Katy went to First Grade on August 25, 2009. She was very excited. She got herself a cute new haircut just for the occasion. She got up on Tuesday morning, took her shower, ate breakfast, got dressed, brushed teeth, dried hair and strapped on her backpack like an old pro. She was super excited, but a little nervous she said. She had said she was a little nervous for a few days before going as well. But she loaded up in the truck with Daddy and went on her merry way to Fabulous First Grade. Her teacher this year is Ms. Krishna Allison and Mrs. Joyce Hogan. She is going to have a great year! She is lucky to have a few friends in her class, not any of her close friends, but some friends she knew from last year. What a great time to expand her horizons and make some new close friends. I know she will love it and will do GREAT!

Katy,

We love you so much and are so confident in your ability to conquer first grade with flying colors! You are going to learn so many new things this year. You are going to grow up so much! Slow down, I can't stand it! I wish for you the very best 1st grade has to offer. I want you to learn new things, meet new friends, accomplish things you never thought you could! I want you realize how wonderful and smart and talented you are and to embrace the life in front of you! Most of all, I want you to have FUN! FUN! FUN! This is your only year to be "6," so take advantage of it and make every second count!

You are the most precious and most special girl in the world and we love you more than you'll ever know!

You are the best! I love you more than the man in the moon!

You and Me=Peas in the Pod!

Rockin' the World of Pre-School

Mason Burch Cook started Pre-K today and totally rocked the world of Pre-K with his amazing blue eyes, long eye lashes, and a smile that could melt the Statue of Liberty! Mason was so excited about going to see Mrs. Weesa (Lisa) and his new classroom. He was proud to be going to Katy's school! We walked in and he was a "wittle bit shiney" (shy) at first, but he found his cubbie, hung up his backpack, gave us some kisses and hugs, and headed to play with the dinosars! And there he was.....growing up a little more right there in front of me. Sigh!

I offered to pack his lunch, he said he would just eat in the cafeteria. I offered to come pick him up from school, he said he would ride the bus with Katy. I wanted to offer to wrap him up in his blaket and take him back home with me where we could snuggle together all day, but I knew he would just say something like, "no mom, you need to go take care of Adam, I will see you this afternoon," so I just let him go and wished him a fantastic day! And that, he had!

Mason,

We are so proud of you! You are the sweetest little boy on the planet! You are so smart and so funny, and so talented, and so.................AWESOME! We love you and wish for you the best the world has to offer. I hope you take this year to be completely and totally "4." Play, make new friends, learn new things, get dirty, get wet, make new things, read lots of stories, sing lots of songs, and............did I say play! This is your time to learn through play, so play with everything and everyone available to you!

Always know that we are here for you, loving you with all my heart! Always believing in you, always praying for you, always seeing the best in you! We wish you all the greatness in the world!

We love you Mason! Pinky Promise!