Yada yada yada-The Cooks!

My Studley Husband

2011-10-02T17:39:00.000-07:00

About a year ago Ben just started running. He hated it. This spring he was able to run the Salt Lake Half Marathon, because a friend of his signed up and then couldn't run it, so Ben did it for him.

He came home so excited that he signed right up for the St. George Marathon! This is a HUGE marathon, with runners from all over the country and even the world. It's a Boston qualifier, and apparently fairly popular. He was lucky enough to be drawn in the lottery and had a spot!!

Then he thought: What have I gotten myself into??? Dun dun dunn..

Six months, lots of knee and Achilles pain, many runs and THREE ICE BATHS (yes, ice baths) later, the big weekend arrived!!!!

On the way down things were serious business in the car. He wanted to be sure he was mentally prepared. This meditation technique shown below is known as "The Twizzler Teeth."

The night before there was a big Runner's expo and the boys and I got to make signs to cheer on our awesome runner!

An early morning after a nearly sleepless night: 4:00 a.m the first shuttle up into the mountains headed out. (The boys and I were still snug in our beds.)

Waiting near the finish line:

Here he comes!!!!

Andy (in the blue shirt) gave Daddy a high five as he ran past!!!

There he goes, almost there!!!

He crossed the finish line nine seconds under his goal time! Whewf!!!

26.2 miles down!!! Super proud of my man!!! Way to go after your goals babe!! We are all so proud!!!

Pictures that Make Me Smile.

2011-06-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

Just a few random pictures that make me laugh or smile. Some of the day to day moments that make up our lives. A few were taken by the boys themselves.

First day on his training wheel bike!

THREE THREE THREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-04-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

Somebody special turned 3 in February!

Cousins Max and Maddie came and brought some super fun gifts. We also had a visit from Grandpa and Grandma W! Thanks for coming!

The kids spontaneous pose! They are so funny!

Andy got a haircut not long after his birthday and looked even more grown up. We sure love our little Monkey-Goose.

THREE YEARS OLD, February 6, 2011!!!

I always ask Andy who is my Goosey-Boy, and he says "ME!" I ask "Who is my Monkey-Goose?" "ME!" "Who is my zoo-zoo boy?" "ME!" "Who is my stinker-buggy?" "ME!"
"Who is my zizzer-zazzer-zuzz?" "ME!"

He is sure getting grown up, and he is still SO much fun.

Christmas Catch Up!

2011-04-09T10:06:00.001-07:00

Well it's only April and I'm finally getting around to update Christmas. I wouldn't really worry about keeping up to date except I print my blog books every year and it's my only "scrapbook" for our family so I must keep up!!!

Christmas Eve 2010 my boys got a new pair of jammies, they were so excited! Then we read from the Bible and watched the animated A Christmas Carol, with Jim Carey. Turns out it's even scarier than the version I grew up watching, but by the end my boys were happy and enjoyed it.

It already seems AGES ago but we had a wonderful Christmas.

Things I want to remember!

2011-03-06T19:14:00.000-08:00

I'm really behind blogging! I've got to do Christmas and Andy's birthday, and some other fun things we've been up to. However, loading my pictures from my camera to my computer seems like such a chore right now! You'll just have to wait! But for now, these are a few of the things Andy says that I just LOVE, and want to remember always.

When asked what my name is he says, "Daskeena!"
He calls tractors "trapters".
He calls his babysitter Rosario "Buh-sario".
He calls the dental light at my work "Dr. Toby." I work for Dr. Stobbe (Stobey). He then somehow mixed that up into thinking the dental light was the doctor! Not sure how but he likes Dr. Toby!
He calls yogurt "Rogurt." Turns out now they actually make Scooby-Doo themed yogurt they call "Rogurt" so naturally I had to buy it!

I can't think of anything else right now, but whenever Ben or Charlie corrects his pronunciation I always shush them! I know he'll grow out of his cute way of speaking far too soon!

Pack It In!!

2010-12-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

With Ben working six days a week this entire month, his one day off is Saturday. So this Saturday we packed in the activities! We had our ward Christmas Breakfast, and Santa paid a visit. Then we went sledding with our good friends the Earls. Followed by dinner at Trolley Square and lights at Temple Square with my cousins and their families. It was a great day together!

We're working on an arranged marriage between Charlie and Emma Earl! A few weeks ago she came home from school and said "I am in love with Charlie." "He has a very cute face." Love it!

My Boys!!

At Temple Square there were these two big trees just totally ablaze with awesome orange and yellow lights. The picture doesn't do it justice!

Packing it in worked out this day!

Happy Happy Birthday Charlie Dear!!

2010-12-05T08:57:00.000-08:00

Mr. Charlie-Boy turned Seven on December 1st. Pretty amazing how time flies!

Charlie on his actual birthday.

We had a great time a few days later, with lots of cousins for his birthday party. The guests included:
Cousins: Gracie, Susie, Rosie, Max, Maddie, Alyx, Ethan, Braden
Aunts/Uncles: Lynette and Jared, Bret and Laura
Grandma G also came! Thank you everyone for coming!!

Minute to Win It-Shoveling Snow game-the kids were pretty funny to watch shaking their heads trying to get the cotton balls off their nose!

Make a wish!

At 7 years old Charlie loves:
School-he's quite a good reader now, working his way through chapter books
His friends at school-I hear the most about Marcus, Sawyer, and Israel
Lego's-been having quite a fun time building his Lego's starwars collections
Skiing-he chose to get ski boots for his birthday and less toys
How To Train Your Dragon
Putting up Christmas decorations
Playing with cousins and friends

He also is:
A healthy eater-his choice for birthday dinner: Salmon and green beans and almost didn't even want to eat his birthday doughnuts on his birthday or his cupcake at his party

Still sweet to his Mom, although gets a little too cool to say hello or hug his Mom when I help at his school.

Still loves soccer although he's on break from it during the winter.

Top Reader in his school class for reading the most minutes.

Gets awards at school for "Always paying attention and knowing the answers."

Really good at his math homework and he likes to have homework.

Still my early riser!

We love you Charlie!

Happy Halloween! Over a month late....

2010-12-05T08:51:00.000-08:00

Eleven Years!

2010-09-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

How we celebrated 11 years married!
All together, with our two beautiful boys.

Last year for our tenth Ben and I went to Las Vegas, alone, for a great little get away. This year I strongly felt I wanted to just do something together as a family.

I have never been to Arches before. It's awesome! Awesome I say. I noticed in the parking lots that Utah plates were very rare. I saw Tennesee, Texas, Washington, Oregon, lots of California, and a few others. I think sometimes we take for granted the awesomeness that may only be a few hours drive away for us. People come from all over the country to see these! There were also lots of people from other countries too. We loved it.

Just a little brag moment for our little Andy, who has been potty trained for several weeks. I worried when we started our Delicate Arch hike that he wouldn't be able to hold it the whole time. We even brought a pull-up for emergencies. Ha! He made it the whole time no problem, and not once on our trip did he have an accident. SA-WEET! What a good little Manny-man.

Day 2 was tiring! He slept a good 45 minutes or more bobbing around in the backpack.

Charlie is a rockstar hiker and I started calling him my mountain goat because he was so good. He liked that a lot, and started saying, "I'm a mountain goat, eee-awww." Ha ha! We reminded him that a donkey says eee-aww not a goat. So funny!

Ben found some fun off-road trails to four wheel drive on, the scenery was gorgeous. This hole looks a lot smaller before you get to it. I was a little worried we wouldn't fit, but then I climbed out and saw it was fine.

Now if this isn't a perfect "Backcountry Ben" photo then I don't know what is!

First Grader!

2010-09-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

Charlie is loving first grade! He thinks eating lunch at school is pretty cool, and he's also rocking the reading biz! His good buddy Sawyer from kindergarten is in his class and I had the fun privilege of helping settle the kids in on their first day for lunch, and watching them giggle and talk together excitedly made me happy.

These guys are my favorite.

It doesn't get any more real than this! Welcome to the Cook household!

Tradition!

2010-07-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

As our little family grows up, we're trying to establish some family traditions for holidays that are just our own.

I am loving our July 4th tradition!

Our good friends Melanie and Jerry (yes, I still like to say "Ben and Jerry" this and that) host a neighborhood breakfast every 4th, and we ride our bikes up, have breakfast with our great neighbors, then we ride our bikes just over a mile to the parade.

I love that we have something active and physical along with our tradition. We would've done it three years ago but at that time Andy was only a few months old and unable to ride in the bike trailer. So this is year two!

Last year the sirens made Charlie cry, and Andy didn't care too much one way or the other about the parade.

Finally this year, we all enjoyed all of it and there was no crying, well amost. I like parades and if you combine good ol' love for my country, toss in a little nostalgia from my youth, and the fact that sirens also can have a very sad connotation, it is probably no surprise to those who know me well enough that parades actually make me almost cry a bit too. I usually try to hide my goober-ness beneath my sunglasses or blame it on the bright sun in my eyes! Shhh....

Happy Fourth of July!

Beach boys!

2010-05-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

I have a little catching up to do on the blog because of my prior frustration with uploading pictures to blogger. Today it seems to be working pretty well, phew!

In March during spring break we headed out to San Diego and split a beach house with Ben's Mom Anita, and his sisters Laura and Heather and their cute families. We totaled 7 kids and 7 adults!

It was SUCH fun. Our beach house had great ocean views and was really nice!

Our first dinner on our first night!

We made Gracie a mermaid. The kids LOVED playing in the sand.

Grandma's are special.

It just DOES NOT get any better then this:

We visited Sea World. Within the first 10 minutes of arriving Andy split his chin open but all is well now!

Then one day in Disneyland!

Here we all are on the way into Small World!

Charlie loved Buzz Lightyear ride, Small World, and the Winnie the Pooh ride.

Andy seemed pretty happy the whole time and didn't fuss the entire 11 hours we were there!
He even had a special moment with his Fairy Godmother:
Andy chillin' with the girls Maddie and Rosie, waiting for fairly like things:

I thought of the Beach Boys at this moment, "Two girls for every boy!" Gotta love California!

It was such a fun trip, the kids were great, the beach house was perfect. Lots of great memories! Thanks to Ben's family for being so awesome and doing fun things like this!! I loved it.

My bliss:

And then, a few weeks later, I turned thirty.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Our little Cricket

2010-04-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

We brought home our newest family member on Saturday!
Meet Cricket. She's our 11 week old Yorkie puppy. She weighs about 2 lbs.

Her first night she was so quiet and good. I was shocked. I expected her to cry all night! She was quiet as a mouse. She's been an absolute doll and seems to love us already. The boys just love to see her and she's really cuddly. What a cute little creature!

Ben said "I'm glad you talked me into it."

He loves her too!

ARG.

2010-03-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Is anyone else having problems with blogger lately? It uploads pictures sometimes, then all of a sudden it just...won't.

It looks like it is but it just sits there for EVER and never gets anything done.

Help! It's very aggravating.

The Dream Dare

2010-02-24T14:56:00.000-08:00

Do you remember on Pretty Woman, at the beginning and end they show a shabby, presumably homeless man, cheerfully wandering the streets of Hollywood asking, "What's your dream? What's your dream? Everyone that comes to Hollywood has a dream?"

That's what I'm asking you. I have read on some various blogs about bucket lists, things that people want to accomplish before they die. There are some pretty quirky and interesting things on those lists. I also blog a lot with a group of amazing women about health and fitness, and we often talk about goals and willpower and inspiration, and all sorts of great things. There is talk about how we can achieve amazing things with the will to get up and work for what we want.

It got me thinking. Marinating over what my real dreams could be. They've changed over the years. To run a marathon? No. To skydive? Not anymore. Some people dream of climbing Everest. I will never be among them! I have dreamed of being on Broadway, to be a veterinarian, of living by the ocean or on a great expanse of land with a lake and a Golden Retriever named Marty.

Some dreams I've had have come true, and I'm so thankful. To marry a great guy (greatest EVER!), to have healthy children (they are healthy, beautiful, smart, good, funny, everything I could ever want), to have great friends. Done and done!! I've been blessed in life to have pursued a great career, I became a dental hygienist. I work two days a week and make good money, and still have time with my kids and to run a household. I love my job, I am happy doing it, it adds to my overall life's satisfaction. I love my family so much it hurts, I love my friends, my home, and my neighborhood. I am happy with life, truly happy. Laundry and a dirty kitchen disrupts my bliss, but that is another story.

But......maybe, just maybe, I could be lucky enough to have even more? Sounds kind of selfish, considering I've been given so much. I will be honest though and tell you that I do hope to achieve more with this life I've been given. I've found my dream. Let me correct myself, I have always had this dream but I tucked it neatly aside for a very long time. To write. More truthfully though, not just to write, but "be a writer." I've always loved reading, I toyed with the idea of majoring in English, but decided against it with no regrets.

It took me a lot of courage to admit the dream to myself, and even more to others. I want to write a book. I've started writing one. I've joined with a group of other writers. I've done some research and I realize that it's a long shot. It's a tough road to get published, even tougher to become well known, to have a bestseller. TOUGH I say. It will take a lot of work, time, and sacrifice. Can I do it? Am I good enough? Doubts can crush your will to succeed. I won't answer those questions because I don't like the answers I give myself. I'm just going to go for it. Now you know. It's terrifying to admit. I have a LOT to learn. I will learn it. I am finding immense satisfaction and joy in the whole process. In the end, that may have to be enough, which is the nice thing about dreams; sometimes, trying is the true triumph.

Now it's your turn. "What's your dream? What's your dream? Everybody that comes to Hollywood has a dream." Tell me if you dare.

Monkey's Second Birthday

2010-02-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

Our brown eyed buddy turned two on Saturday!

We had a fun filled simple day because he was just getting over a bad cold.

Andy at two years old:

Loves fruit and veggies (especially berries and broccoli and green beans) but has little interest in eating in general.
Loves all balls!
His favorite movies are Cars and an old Gumby and Felix Magical Mirth video that is way old.
He can repeat almost anything you say. He can say 3-4 word sentences.

What he says the most: "I'll do it."

He is VERY independent.
Andy likes to look at books.
He is still talented at throwing tantrums especially when not feeling well.
He is very sweet and darling and spunky.
He is mischievous.
Andy can really tell you off if he wants, but also gives very sweet kisses and hugs.

Nicknames are: Monkey, Zeedle, Magoo, Candy Andy, Baby Goose

We love our bud. We are so thankful to have this little monkey in our lives.

The gift of Jeep!

2010-01-25T18:09:00.000-08:00

My Father's good fortune in being able to retire after a wonderful career with the Forest Service, has benefited Ben as well. Ben has loved this old Jeep from the moment he saw it. Some of you may remember me driving it when I was in high school! My Dad gave it to him as a Christmas gift since he no longer needs to drive to and from work.

Ben was excited to try his new toy out with the scouts. This is his attempt at plowing snow with it!
He got it stuck but "it was fun!"

Thanks Dad!

Our latest project revealed at last!

2010-01-06T10:46:00.000-08:00

I love doing projects to improve my house! Ben, on the other hand, doesn't love doing them but he loves me, so he does them. He does always appreciate the results. I truly appreciate his talents in all things handy-manish...

Before:

I don't have the greatest before pictures. Ben came home one night and just started ripping the floor up. But you can see from these shots it's just a light colored plain linoleum. I never liked it and it was hard to keep clean! It had all these annoying little dimples all over it that got dirty! You can see it pretty well in the next photo.

During:
Charlie loves to help his Dad! I love to see them work together. I'm so lucky!

Our fabulous living arrangements for almost 2 months!

Drumroll please, After:

I just love it. It's porcelain tile that is made to look like stone slate. But natural slate is not smooth surface and I knew that'd be a nightmare to clean. So when I found this tile I fell in love!

Thanks sweetie!

Christmas!

2010-01-02T11:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve was a GLORIOUS DAY!

I let the kids out in the snow to play.

Then a movie, bath, then bed is the trick. So Mom and Dad can tiredly play St. Nick.

Christmas morning, what fun, what joy! Even Daddy likes the baby toy!

Spending time together is the true treat! Then rocket building is next-what a feat!

Top off the day with a visit to Temple Square, it was freezing cold but we didn't care!

We love you all and wish you the best in 2010! It's a new year-here we go again!

A quick update!

2009-12-29T18:33:00.000-08:00

Many of you have wondered how Ben was doing since Thanksgiving (my last post.) He is feeling fine, thanks everyone for your concern and thoughts. He passed that stone and started to feel much better. He will have lythotrypsy next month to break up the rest of the kidney stones, and then I'm not sure how he'll feel but we'll just have to wait and see.

He finished my tile floor with the help of my brother-in-law Jared and my father-in-law Bob. Thank you!!!!! It looks great, I am just waiting for the trim to be put up and the pantry doors to be back up before doing a proper before and after blog post. Merry Christmas to me!!! I love it!

Christmas was AWESOME and of course I can't wait to post pictures but I keep waiting for Ben to network my laptop with our main computer so I can get the pictures from our main computer and blog that way. I could and should just do my blog post on the main computer but it's a media center computer, meaning the screen is our big screen tv and it just seems easier to use my laptop. So I've lagged on posting due to sheer laziness.

Pictures coming soon!

The wierdest Thanksgiving I've ever had.......

2009-11-26T15:50:00.000-08:00

My thanksgiving this year has been so strange. But through the strangeness sometimes the greatest feelings of gratitude are born. It's been a quiet day spent at home, with Ben sick on the couch and Charlie gone. Andy and I sat and had some thanksgiving leftovers together, just the two of us. Ben was able to have a little pie and a roll. It's the smallest and quietest Thanksgiving I've ever experienced.

Most of my family knows that Ben was in the ER on Monday night with bad kidney stone pain (which is "old hat" for him and he usually toughs it out) but this time he was throwing up and couldn't keep down water so he finally went in for some relief.

Four hours and one cat scan later we learn that the stone he is passing is the size of a peanut and there's many more much larger ones that would be impossible to pass. Anyone who has had a kidney stone knows that they are agony and a peanut is HUGE. We are waiting till next week and he'll meet with a specialist to see how to deal with all the rest.

He has had no progress and so he's still medicated and waiting, waiting. We were supposed to go to Manti today for Thanksgiving but he isn't well enough to go. So last night I sent my Charlie off to Manti till Saturday night with his aunt and uncle.

This is where the gratitude begins. Ben's sister Laura and her husband Bret have been so amazing to us. We love them so much. Laura babysits my kids twice a week while I work, and does a great job. They are always helping us out. They were so willing to take Charlie down there with him and the rest of the family was so glad Charlie could join them. I'm so thankful that I have such a wonderful in-law family to call my own. They are all warm and loving and fun people and I feel blessed to have them in my life. My son is so lucky to be able to spend this holiday with his wonderful Grandma Nita, aunts, uncles and cousins, and Grandpa Bob and Grandma Gayle.

When my parents heard about our situation, they drove an hour and a half to bring us a Thanksgiving dinner. I can't cook much because Ben is right in the middle of tiling my kitchen floor, I have no oven or running water in the kitchen. My brother Lance came along and he and my Dad gave Ben a blessing. I am thankful for the Priesthood and the comfort it can bring in times of illness. I'm so thankful for my parents and siblings and the support and love they show us. Lynette's husband Jared is probably going to come and finish our tiling and I appreciate it SO much. I know it's a lot of time and work. I come from a great family and I love each and every one of them!

I'm so thankful for my wonderful sons who brighten my life. I miss Charlie already so much, but we've also enjoyed giving Andy some one on one time. They are great kids, healthy and happy kids. We are so blessed.

I am thankful for my loving husband Ben. When someone is sick and the worry sets in it also makes you hyper-aware of how much you love someone. He is my rock, and I love him dearly. He is a wonderful husband, kind, patient, hardworking, self-sacrificing and fun. He's also a great Dad and my kids really look up to their Daddy. They come running with arms wide open every time he comes home from work. Please send your prayers out for Ben and a speedy recovery.

I'm thankful for my good girlfriends. I am thankful for my good home, neighbors, job, and life.
My day today may have been quiet and strange, but it really has also helped me realize all of the things in it that make it so good.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Dude.

2009-10-20T18:43:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to share Charlie's kindergarten picture with you. It's not perfect but I think he's super cute!

Half and Half

2009-10-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

Outings in public with young kids are often half fun, half major embarrassment!
Take our Timponogos Cave outing yesterday.

It was BEAUTIFUL. I was very in love with the fall colors and the weather was perfect!

Hiking with the kids was great!

Once in the cave Andy started getting upset because he couldn't run around and get into everything....Which, if you know Andy, leads to screaming pretty rapidly. Embarrassing..

Can you guess what this is?
If you can then you've probably been in a cave with a little boy who drank a lot of water and then refused to use the outhouse near the mouth of the cave because it smelled really bad. I mean REFUSED to the point of tears....

Turns out if someone has to pee in the middle of the cave, they get this nifty little blue bag. Turns your pee into gel. Cool right?

We didn't know they had nifty blue pee bags, so Charlie leaked a little on himself before our tour guide realized he needed the bag. Which leads us to the dinner afterward. We stopped at Sizzler, where I spent 15 minutes in the parking lot persuading Charlie that no one inside would know he leaked a little on his pants...He was embarrassed, WE were all embarrassed.

Once inside the restaurant, all went well until Andy decided he was full. Again, if you know Andy once he is full he likes to throw all food and any other items he can reach on the ground. Sigh. I always tip big at restaurants now. :)

I'm still glad we went, it was fun, lovely, tiring and embarrassing all at the same time.
Life is kind of like that.

How I love September!

2009-09-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

I was running Tuesday night in the dark. I'd done a good 4.5 miles and was just starting my last half mile till I reached home. I came near a sprinkler, and the wind was blowing a glorious mist in my direction, so I lifted my eyes from the road to bask in the fresh mist.

Big mistake.
Rolled my left ankle and went down faster then I thought possible. With pain throbbing in my foot, I could only sit by the side of the road and hope that someone would stop. After several minutes, and many many cars flying past me without a thought, my good Samaritan came along, in the form of a woman named Becky with a long brown braid and two wide-eyed 11 year olds in the car.

Thankfully, she gave me a ride home. I couldn't even stand up on my own let alone walk home. She pointed out that my right knee was gashed open! Really? I hadn't noticed because my ankle was so painful.

Thank heavens I'm married to Mr. Camper, Hiker, Biker, Scout extraordinaire...He had all sorts of first aid stuff and took GREAT care of me.

I'm also banned from running in the dark EVER again by my very worried and concerned husband. Hello gym, here I come till next summer!

I was going to do a mountain2 metro 7 mile trail run this Saturday with 3 of my girlfriends. It starts up near waterfall canyon, goes through Ogden River Parkway and into downtown Ogden. Sounds beautiful huh? Alas, I will be elevating and icing my ankle instead!

On a lighter note, we have had some fun times this September. It is one of my favorite months.

Took a hike with the Bret and Laura family over Labor Day. Ben looked like Sasquatch from the knees down!!!

Took some cute pictures of Andy in the tub:

Spent some quailty time in the kitchen with my boysies one beautiful Sunday afternoon:

And celebrated TEN years married to my best friend Ben!!!! He took me away to Las Vegas for 5 days of relaxing by the pool, Phantom of the Opera, Blue Man Group, and lots of sleeping in! I'm waiting for my scanner to work to do a proper "then and now" blog post! ;) Big props to my sister in law Laura for taking our kids the WHOLE time! She's so wonderful! Thanks again!!!!!!!!!

Love you!

Tis the Season...For back to school pics!

2009-08-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

One crazy day back in 2002, Ben got a raise. That's right. It wasn't a lot of money, but it seemed like it was at the time. We thought, well, now..Let's buy a house and have a baby!

After 11 months of waiting, wondering....We were blessed to become pregnant with our little darling Charlie boy. Who, let's face it, at 8 lbs and 10 oz, with a HUGE Cranium...Well, he was quite the healthy little darling.
There were nights that Ben and I thought he'd never "grow out of it." There were nights that would never end. But boy, oh boy..Things do change, and sometimes faster then we want them to.

Five and a half years later....Well, he's one of our very best friends in the whole world. He always tries his best to be good. He is not perfect but I often tell him that he has a heart of gold. Ben and Charlie tell me I have a heart of chocolate. But that's beside the point. He's genuinely a great kid. We love our little Charlie-Boy with all our hearts.

So in honor of Charlie's first day at kindergarten, this post is dedicated to him. And how much we love him. Mommy, Daddy, and little Andy all love Charlie so. We are so proud of our grown up boy.

Each milestone that passes is a happy and exciting one, but Mom's know it's so hard to let your kids grow up. I want him to stay my little bud forever.

Love you sweetie!

Super Hero Days

2009-08-06T10:58:00.001-07:00

Ben spent the entire week last week at Scout Camp. I've gotten used to it after almost 10 years of marriage, 9 of which he's been in scouts. However, sometimes things still go bump in the night and I wind up feeling jumpy.

This year though I had some fierce protectors visit.

Friends Shawn and Bradley (AKA-Batman 1, Batman 2, and Batman 3).

Super Max and Super Charlie. Even heros need downtime!

This super hero's talent is being adorable. Pretty powerful if you ask me.

I was in good hands.

The REAL harvest

2009-07-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

So we actually have gotten quite the amount of veggies out of our garden, despite some major tomato worms!

One of my favorite things to do with all the zucchini (it grows like mad!) is this:

Cube up chicken, zucchini, and this time I added sliced carrots which we grew too.
Stir fry it in just a tiny bit of of olive oil and sprinkle on some Cajun Seasoning.

Top with cheddar cheese. I serve it over rice sometimes and it's good alone. Healthy too! It was super good with our fresh carrots this time.

We also have lots of tomatoes. Any ideas what I should do with them all?

HARVEST TIME at the Cooks!

2009-07-19T19:04:00.001-07:00

We spent a few minutes in our garden tonight.

These are the fruits of our labors........

The joys of gardening..wuh wuh wuuuhhhh....

We LOVE Summer!

2009-07-10T19:22:00.000-07:00

Friends, Slip n' Slide, and Popcicles....
Need I say more?

ROAD TRIP!!!

2009-06-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to spend 9 days together on a wonderful road trip up the Pacific Northwest last week! We were headed for Washington and on the way we also saw and stopped at places in Oregon, Montana and Idaho! We chose the scenic routes rather then the fastest ways and it was awesome!

Here we go! Up and at 'em after spending a night in Boise, Idaho...Ready to road trip clear to Portland, Oregon!

On our way up we stopped in Oregon to take in some sights!

Multenomah Falls, Oregon

Bonneville Dam, along the Colombia River Gorge in Oregon

Japanese Gardens in a park in Portland, Oregon

We did some fun things while in Seattle!

Space Needle

On our way up!

At the top!

We escaped certain death at the Seattle Aquarium and the PacSci Museum:

Then we:

Museum of Flight-flight simulator

Sleepy baby. He was terribly sweet considering we messed with his schedule!

We also took a Harbor Cruise tour of Seattle and saw the Woodland Park Zoo, and visited Pike's Place Market and watched the fish throwing and checked out the local artists. Very cool place!

BEN'S favorite part-probably camping in the Cascade Mountains. It is absolutely gorgeous! I left my camera behind during our hike and it was a heartbreak because it was so amazing.

New Halem, WA campground.

Ben also loved showing Charlie around the Pacific Science Museum.

CHRISTINA'S favorite part-being with my family for 9 days and visiting some old friends!

Salina and I getting our corn on at a farmer's market in Renton, WA. Friends since childhood!

Salina and her husband Michael were kind enough to let us stay with them for 3 nights!

My friend since babyhood Melanie Mills. In Omak, WA.

My childhood home in Okanogan, WA...Man those trees have grown!!!
(For those of you who don't know I lived in Okanogan till I was 12.)

New friend's the Russon's in Battle Ground, WA.

CHARLIE'S favorite part-swimming in the various hotel pools and the Pacific Science Museum.

ANDY'S favorite parts:

Toddler area at the PacSci Museum

Wearing Salina's shoe around the house.

Pushing around the wet floor sign on the pool deck.

It was WONDERFUL to be together, to see some GORGEOUS places and see beautiful friendly faces.

Washington, we'll be back, I love ya!

It's not you...It's me.

2009-06-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Estate Vineyard paint,

The first day I saw you I fell in love. You were bold, rich, dark, and so gorgeous I could almost taste you. I ignored the very wise advise of my friends and family, who told me to go in another direction. I was so excited to have you, to try something different, to take a chance.

It pains me to admit that there is such thing as "too much of a good thing." I'm sorry to say that this relationship has started to smother me. I felt oppressed each time I was around you, overwhelmed and unhappy with my choices. So, Estate Vineyard, after nearly 10 months, I need to admit I made a mistake. I need to say, it's....it's.....Well....

I found something new. I feel lighter, more refreshed, and somehow freer. Ahhhhhhhhhhh...

Hail the conquering graduate!

2009-05-24T12:09:00.000-07:00

Preschool is over and he'll never go again. Next it's kindergarten! Unbelievable! I'm looking forward to this summer because I know that once kindergarten starts it will be quite the adjustment for me! I'm used to having him home with me almost all the time. He's really good company most of the time. ;)

Of course now that it's sprinkler season again Charlie can't stop talking about it. Ever since his first spring when he could walk we took a morning walk each day, and he loved to stop and watch the sprinklers that were on. I used to get so bored sitting on the curb waiting for him to finish watching a cycle. So we've had 4 springs of sprinkler obsession and things haven't changed much!

Andy enjoyed it except for when the water got in his face.

We are so excited for more summer fun!

2009-05-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

ONCE UPON A TIME....Mommy took a shower.

THE END.

What is the moral of this story? NEVER leave any half eaten food in dishes in reach of a 15 month old!

2009-05-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

You Nork, You Nork... I spent last week in New York City, or as Charlie calls it, You Nork...It was really cool to experience many of the places I had only ever seen on TV. The Statue of Liberty of course, the subway, Central Park, and Broadway!

Turns out there ARE huge rats in NYC...This one also apparently has a serious case of gingivitis!

I like this shot because it reminds me of a similar type photo of Michael Jackson, back in his glory days....Lately I've been thinking a lot about him...Weird huh????

We got up earlier then I EVER thought I would on vacation to go be one of the screaming, cheering wavers at the Today Show! Turns out it was pretty cool, we got to see No Doubt in their first concert together since, geez, I don't know, the 90's? Well, we mostly heard them but we did see a little bit...Course also the today show crew was there.

My first Broadway play (we saw Chicago), my fist time seeing our lady of Liberty, and EVERYTHING was great. I really loved Central Park. It better be a great park since it's all they have over there. It's definitely a different lifestyle!

Central Park:

Joni, Andrea, Brooke (lives inNYC) and me in the park..

Joni lives in Conneticut and I also thought it was very charming and loved all the trees. Isn't this a cool park they have over there? These are all covered in rose bushes and will soon be even more glorious!
One of my favorite pictures I took there...

All in all it was a wonderful experience...I have to give HUGE props to my amazing husband Ben for being Mr. Stud-Muffin of the world here. (I'm sure he's so flattered by that nickname! Ha!) He not only took 3 days off work to be home with our boys, he also had the house spanking clean when I returned! He is amazing and I love him so much. The boys really had a fun time with their Dad. Thanks sweetie! I was also super glad to get back home to my great kids and husby, these "wide open spaces" and friendly people who smile and wave at total strangers...Ah, Tooele...Thank you for being kind to me!

2009-04-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

A listening ear...ears....

There sometimes isn't any better way to spend a warm Sunday afternoon then sitting in the sun having a nice chat. Horses are apparently very good listeners and although I'm not sure what was said, Charlie had a very nice conversation, complete with hand gestures, which cracked me up! Gotta love that kid!

2009-04-04T08:28:00.001-07:00

I'm So Glad when Daddy comes home!!!
Posted by one very lucky wife and Mommy!

2009-04-01T07:48:00.001-07:00

Mother Nature's idea of an April Fool's Day Joke.

I'm not laughing.

2009-03-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

Brotherly Love!

Charlie was born to be a big brother, in more ways then the obvious fact that he was born first! He is SO good to Andy day after day!

These two play together so well! It makes me so happy to see them enjoy each others company so much.

Charlie is such a help to me, I cleaned my entire house today and he played with Andy and kept Andy out of the way for me for hours. Not to mention he cleans his own room and puts away his own laundry (with a little coaxing)...One less room for me to do!

Andy really is a very good baby. We've had a bit of a rough time as you know, with him being sick for so long. Turns out his ears weren't infected again, and his eye is fine today so I think it was just a little scratch that made it goo up but not infected! What a relief! I was prepping for the worst!

They are this Mommy's dream kids!

2009-03-22T17:43:00.001-07:00

My mood matches the weather today!!!

So after a glorious warm sunny week, this is what we have today! Yes, those are snowflakes you can barely see...Grrr!!!!

Now most of you know how easily I get cold..But I had SUCH a good attitude about winter this year! The snow was lovely, the sky was lovely, and I was happy. We had gorgeous days like this that made me enjoy the season..

However, I am now OFFICIALLY over winter and this weather is bringing me down!
So this week Andy threw up a little Tuesday, was fine Wednesday, had a little diarrheah on Thursday, and then a lot of ear tugging on Saturday, and literally minutes before we all headed to church today he threw up again! So soon I will be taking him to yet ANOTHER PM pediatrics visit to see if he has this 3rd ear infection in 3 months...It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that he has been sick for 90% of these last 2 months...I am also scared that this is a new trend of monthly ear infections...I thought I was fine but then at church today I was telling my neighbor and I started to tear up! It is very frustrating! Soon though good weather will be here to stay and we'll figure all this out and he'll be back to normal..The sun will come out, tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow....There'll be suunn!!! ha ha ha! Now you all have that song in your head..You are welcome. :)

2009-03-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

Abra Cadabra!

Charlie has the cutest preschool! Every week they do some darling craft or costume item. The letter this week is W so he is a Wizard..Betcha can't guess which wizard?

2009-02-24T18:31:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged by Andy-Lou......

8 Favorite T.V. Shows :
The Office
So You Think You Can Dance
Little House on the Prairie re-runs...yes...I said it
I enjoy sometimes the 20/20 or Dateline type stuff like Live to Tell or the mysteries, especially medical mysteries
I like My Name is Earl but don't watch regularly
The Biggest Loser
I don't think I have 8 tv shows..Sorry folks.

8 Things i Look Forward to:
Kissing my kids faces after I get home from work
Springtime and playing outside again
BBQ weather with friends and neighbors
My New York Trip in April
Getting my tax return money
Family vacation to Seattle in June
My little brother-in-law's wedding
Having my backyard finished

8 Favorite Places to Eat:
ABC Mandarin in Roy
Lee's Mongolian BBQ in Ogden
Crown Burger
University Broiler and Grill
Subway
Rumbi Island Grill
Tepanyaki
Ligori's

8 Things on my wishlist:
Pay off student loans
new back deck that is wood free
A world free of all stinging and biting insects
A cruise with my husband for our 10 year anniversary
A mega promotion for my dear Benny boy
A pain free back
A new car
A maid

I tag Marisa H., Rachel C. and Nisha W.

2009-02-15T14:57:00.000-08:00

My HANDSOME Valentine Date!

Because poor Andy is still very sick, and Ben wasn't feeling that great either, Charlie and I went to a movie together on Valentine's night.

He was a very handsome and sweet date! We went to Coraline which he thought was kind of scary so he said he only had "a little bit of fun." He wanted to go home in the middle of it because it really was pretty scary and creepy! He stuck it out though. I had a great time and even got a goodnight kiss. :)

Thank you Ben for the lovely flowers and for volunteering to stay home with Andy so Charlie and I could have our date..

2009-02-08T15:54:00.000-08:00

Andy's BIG day!!!

Our precious boy celebrated his first birthday (February 6th) with a trip to the Doctor thanks to a very nasty cold! So the next day we had a small party and he managed to have some fun, and even spoke his first words! (uh-oh and dada.)

We love our little baby so much. He truly is a sweetheart and we all adore him.

2009-02-04T15:58:00.000-08:00

WATER BOY!!

I thought it would be a great idea one morning if during Charlie's shower I let Andy watch since he loves the water. I figured it would keep him entertained so I could get myself ready...

It wasn't long before I heard PLOP! "Oh no! Andy got in the shower with me!!"

This is what I found!

I think he was a fish in a previous life!! He loves the water!

OOooo why did you take me out of there?

2009-01-25T10:01:00.000-08:00

Our little ski buddy!

Charlie started asking to go skiing with his Dad around the age of 3 or 4 and we always said when he was 5 he could go. That sounded like a LONG way away but it's here already!

I was nervous he'd fall a lot and give up and cry but I was wrong..
He was SO good and only fell a few times, he never gave up and he skied for over 4 hours! He did a green circle run twice at the end and was very good! I was so proud and I thought he just looked so cute in his gear!

In this picture Ben's friend from work Ann was coaching Charlie...She used to be a ski instructor and she and another friend skied with Charlie on both runs helping him out! He had some serious one on one attention from some experts that day... It was really nice of them!

Someday when he's winning the gold medal in the Olympics we'll show these pictures. Ha ha!
Actually it was just a really fun way to spend a winter day!
That little one tooth grin warms my heart!

2009-01-11T19:36:00.000-08:00

In a world filled with darkness......

A world where innocent babies pull floor lamps over and almost bash their heads...

Only ONE man can save the day...

Who is that man? Well, the BENMAN of course!

Benman can fix anything and do everything! MY HERO!!!

Benman's one true love isn't helpless either! She's PaintGirl!!!

PaintGirl saves the kitchen from grayness.....

And turns it into a brighter and happier place.....

Our offspring also seems to have superpowers.....

2008-12-30T12:17:00.000-08:00

Goodbye 2008!
We really did have a good year! It went by TOO fast. Somehow my newborn baby is now almost a one year old! How did this happen?

Andy got his first haircut last Friday!

Before:

After:

We had a nice Christmas at home this year and the weekends before and after we got together with our wonderful families!

The weekend before Christmas we spent in Manti.

Have you ever seen such fabulous wisemen before? You are welcome Laura, I know you are glad I posted this picture!
(My wiseman costume was inspired by Tina Turner and Michael Jackson.....)

Ben's Mom really loves the kids to act out the Christmas Story every year. Andy was a very wiggly Baby Jesus.

Two days after Christmas we headed to my parents.

Aunt Becky playing Don't Eat Pete with the kids.

My beautiful and suddenly very grown up niece Natalie. She has turned into such an accomplished and beautiful young lady.

Andy couldn't seem to close his mouth while cuddling with Aunt Lisa. She is jaw-droppingly beautiful...

We finished the evening with a little Rock Band of course!

We look forward to a fun filled 2009 with friends and family!

2008-12-23T17:05:00.000-08:00

One of our little mundane moments that makes my life worthwhile....

Good morning sunshine!
Merry Christmas to all!

2008-12-07T14:49:00.000-08:00

Count em! FIVE!

Charlie's birthday-December first!

His birthday party was on Saturday the sixth!

Some of the boys and my funny niece Alyx in the middle!

I really regret I didn't get ALL of the kids together in one shot! What was I thinking?
Starting with Charlie then heading to his left-Charlie, Connor, Ethan, Braden, Alyx, Max and Carter. Maddie, Kara, Daegan, Nash, Boston, Scout and Connor were also there but not in this picture!

I accidentally only put four candles on!

That's better!
Balloon fight! Max, Maddie and Charlie.

Random action shots!

Impromptu bbq for those who stayed..

I really want to thank everyone who came over last night! It was quite a drive for most of you and it really made Charlie's day to have everyone come. It really means a lot to us that you came to help Charlie celebrate. Thanks as well to grandparents who sent birthday cards and money. He kept saying how lucky he was! We are all lucky to have such great family in our lives. Love to you all!

2008-11-30T20:10:00.000-08:00

BOO! Hello, did you miss us?

You know I dropped my camera and haven't blogged lately. I am SO TIRED OF LOOKING AT THAT STUPID BUG every time I get on here to link to all of ya'll's blogs! Time for a new post no matter now mundane it may be!!

You know, it only took me a month and a half to paint my bedroom! Ha! Here is how it turned out for those of you wondering. I like it! Looks a little dark but it doesn't bother me at all, looks very pretty especially in daylight!

I also painted these bathrooms, they were white before. I like color!

This is Charlie's bathroom, or more correctly the second bathroom. The color isn't true in the picture, it's called Pumpkin Butter and is more on the orangey side rather then yellow. It really warmed it up in there though and I love it!

This is our master bathroom, which isn't very big and I couldn't find a flattering angle to take a picture! The color is again not quite right, it's a little more limey/richer color in person and the towels are purple, I thought the looked almost navy in the shot which is all wrong. I like it, it's like an iris flower, the ones with the dark purple petals and green stems! I know, I know, OBVIOUSLY green stems but you know what I mean!

I still have several more rooms to do! It's fun having projects to keep me busy and motivated but at the same time I am anxious to be finished!

Next room on the list is for this guy...
What a sweetie!

2008-11-12T13:47:00.000-08:00

EEEWWW!!!
This nasty dude was creeping through my garage today after I dropped Charlie off at preschool. Turns out about 2 weeks ago my neighbor was discussing their "Jerusalem cricket" they have in a jar at school and, yep, that's what it is. It's BIG! About 2 inches long and pretty fat! This is an internet picture since (sniff sniff) I dropped our digital camera (broke it) and the only pictures I have are blurry camera phone ones.

MAN! I had to do an insect collection in 8th grade and I NEVER found anything this cool!

2008-10-24T20:35:00.001-07:00

OH RIKKI!!!!

Charlie asked me to dress up for Halloween so I kept my promise...It was fun!
Now I know it's not Halloween YET but we already dressed up for our ward party!

It was very popular amongst the adults....Kids were confused..I Love Lucy..Hello!

Could he BE any cuter?

Our ward Halloween party..Ben dressed up last minute, he is a "punk kid snowboarder" but really, we all know that's his true self. Snowboarder: check, punk: double check, kid (at heart): check!

Masks weren't allowed at the ward party so here is Charlie's full Power Ranger costume!

Should have dressed this one as a jailbird!

2008-10-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

QUIRKS..Who, ME?

Andrea tagged me to list 6 quirks so here goes!

1. Sniff sniff.....I need to smell all new food before putting it into my mouth. Ben teases me, but really, all I need is one good sniff and I already know whether or not I want a taste. I also REALLY love to sniff a freshly opened Snickers bar. Almost more then actually eating it. The eating is usually a slight let down after the awesome aroma!

2. This one drives Ben crazy-I am lazy when it comes to screwing lids on things tightly. I just set lids on top of stuff and this can cause problems when someone else (namely Ben) tries to pick it up by the lid! Peanut butter, bottles of pills, hairspray, you name it and the lid might not be on tight at my house...

3. I spell words in my mouth with my tongue on my teeth. The last word someone said, or a word I am thinking of. Now that is embarrassing and strange, I KNOW!

4. I make up and sing the dumbest songs to my kids...Those of you who know me best know my knack for singing about the mundane. One of my most popular right now is "keep it up, keep it up, you're doing great" which is to be sung when Charlie is cleaning his room. He will amazingly clean his entire room and put away all his clean laundry and make his bed with a smile on his face if I sing/chant that the whole time. Small price to pay to get him to enjoy his chores! I also have several versions about how cute the baby is and things like that. Sometimes I sing "go get your shoes on," and other instructions. Charlie also seems to have inherited/learned this talent and it's very cute when he sings his responses to me..Now that isn't weird is it?

5. I have a major aversion to doing laundry. Especially putting it away. I would rather clean the ENTIRE house then fold and put away the laundry. This one I share with Andrea but I'm having a hard time thinking of 6 so I had to post it anyway. ;-)

6. It's hard to think of 6 that I will make public without embarrassing myself......Sorry..I guess 5 is all you get!

I tag Becky G. and Kari S.....GO!

2008-10-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

DID YOU KNOW??

That making a haunted candy castle is more fun then going to the racetrack? Amazing!

That Charlie went to a farm with his pre-school last month and ACTUALLY rode the horse?

This is his overall impression of the pigpen.....

Did you know that Charlie takes some pretty funny pictures when he's allowed to run free with the camera?

That this is the weather today? Soccer got canceled..YIKES!

Did you know that Andy is in the 77th percentile for height and the 6th percentile for weight! Wow...This is how to feed a baby who doesn't like his bottle. He's also taking medication for reflux and things are going pretty good as long as you know the tricks! (picture taken by Charlie, which explains why no Andy is visible!)

Did you know that these guys are pretty wonderful? I sure did....

2008-09-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

-CSI TOOELE-

DATE: September 12, 2008

TIME: 7:43 p.m.

SCENE OF THE CRIME: Nearly empty neighborhood

WITNESSES:Andy Cook/Christina Cook

AVAIL. ASSISTANCE: NONE

EVIDENCE:One blood trail 1/4 mile long

PERPETRATOR: Gravel Blaster Bike

VICTIMS:Charlie Cook/one front tooth

VERDICT:
Charlie's got a brand new smile.........

2008-09-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

LOVE YOU BEN!!!

This week has been a busy week! Soccer practice, pre-school, work, birthdays, scout camp etc! Ben and I's 9th anniversary was on Wednesday! He got me these roses which are GORGEOUS I couldn't help but want pictures of them!

This is what I got him!

TA DAAA!!!

Hee hee! Homemade zucchini bread. The best looking loaf is already gone, this is what's left of the second smaller loaf!

However, he offered to get off work early and take the kids so I could go to Ogden to celebrate my friend Andrea's 29th birthday. It was her very first 29th birthday of many other 29th birthdays' to come so I wanted to be there. That's what you gotta do sometimes if you choose to get married on one of your best friend's birthdays. We had so much fun! Pedicures, dinner, and chocolate fondu!

(Far be it from me to not give credit where credit is due. Jennie Taylor had the camera, took the pictures and I stole this collage from her blog...Thanks Jennie, I hope you don't mind!)

Today is also Ben's thirty-mumble mumble cough 'th birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN!!!!!!!!

I wanted to come to his work today and make a big deal about it since I won't see him till tommorrow (scout camp tonight) but he said this morning he wouldn't even have five minutes! Sad!

So, our anniversary and birthday celebrations are post-poned for a less hectic week! I am looking forward to some alone time with this awesome guy!

2008-09-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

AHOY Matey!

Charlie started his second year of preschool today (please note his obligatory fake smile for Mom). This; however, is my FIRST time taking him to preschool when I am actually home! Most of you know he went to preschool last year but it was at the childcare center that he had gone to for years when I was at work all day, so it was a bit different. They had a pirate theme. He had SUCH a fun time!

Here he is displaying his loot. He said "I have the best school ever!" Clearly the first day pirate kickoff was a hit!

I also thought I'd post this picture of the face I am greeted with each morning and after every nap! He is so sweet!

2008-08-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

HMMMM....

So I got a new bed set. My original plan was green tea colored bedding with brown walls. As you can see somehow I chose this chocolate brown bedding. I am not sure if I love it or not, but Ben really likes it and doesn't want the green stuff and I'm not sure I want to return it all since I have to do mostly online shopping. SO...Now I am stuck. What color should I paint? I don't want to do brown for fear it will all be brown and boring. So...Any thoughts? I've considered soft yellow, Ben suggests a wheat/tan color, how about pale olive like Andrea's lovely kitchen? What do you guys think? Any other ideas?

On a more important note Charlie started his first season of soccer. He was super excited about it and had his first game Wednesday night. He got tired and grumpy before the game started and almost didn't play! Luckily we talked him into it and he had a wonderful time!

He was playing with a goofy grin on his face half the time. Which I loved but wasn't able to get on camera! He is number 4. My brother-in -law Bret volunteered to be their coach and is doing a great job! Thanks Coach Bret!

Also keep your fingers crossed for Andy..He really struggles with his bottles and it seems like they cause him pain. So we are going to have an upper GI study done at the hospital to see what is going on, possibly reflux. If that doesn't tell us anything there is a feeding therapist we have an appointment with. I hope it works out soon!
We think he's pretty wonderful!

2008-08-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

ANDY THE BAD GUY!
Charlie had his finger in Andy's mouth in the car the other day and started to tell me "Andy has sharp teeth, ow! He has sharp teeth..He's turning into a bad guy!"

I thought it was hilarious. Sharp teeth naturally equal evil villain in Charlie's world.

He's a pretty contented bad guy though. His mischief consists of rolling onto his tummy and getting stuck, then spitting up on the carpet! Such treachery!
This superhero and villain are good buds!

2008-07-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

My FUN filled day!

A great day begins with watching the sprinklers run for about an hour!
Then I like to draw a picture about the different sprinklers I saw.
It's also fun to remember when I played boxing on the Wii with Grandpa!

A fun afternoon activity is being an explorer in the Tooele City Children's Parade for the 24th!
At the end of the day though NOTHING compares to watching an entire washing machine cycle!
Transformer jammies and a fun day makes me a happy camper! Sweet dreams!

2008-07-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Be it ever so humble...

For the curious at heart, such as myself, I thought I'd post some pictures of our new place! We are loving living in Tooele, and particularly because Ben's sister Laura and her husband Bret, and their kids Max and Maddie live in town as well! It's why we came!

Our backyard neighbors are seriously strange! Always biting each other, and eating right off the ground!!

Our "lake view" off the back deck, even though in the picture the lake blends into the sky, it really is beautiful at sunset.

Looking out my front door. We really like it here!

2008-07-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog! I would love to share my life and family with all random strangers who find us here! Ha ha! Just kidding! If you are reading this you must be privileged!

AAAAHHHH! Summer! Running through the sprinklers is the best! It's Charlie's new favorite thing.

He is 4 and a half years old and such a joy! He no longer qualifies as a "baby" since he is so big! He's started having friends over and getting invited to their houses! And he learned how to ride his bike with no training wheels! Wow! He just finished his first swimming lessons and did great! We are so proud!

My true baby and our newest addition is Andy, almost 5 months old! How GLAD I am I decided to have another baby! He is the sweetest baby in all of creation! He is all smiles and squeaks and LOVES to be talked to, held and kissed. His other loves include his binky and fingers.

Ben is working really hard (as usual) and plays hard (as usual) trying to hike and camp when he can. He is also the scout master in our new ward (as usual). We just moved to Tooele and are loving it! Our neighbors are so NICE and it's very pretty!

This summer I am learning the best ways to avoid housework is facebooking and now blogging! Ha! I'm also working a little in Salt Lake and I like it a lot! I also enjoy my days at home with my cute boys and my coloring skills have really improved these last few years!

Stay tuned for our upcoming summer adventures such as: mowing the lawn, growing a veggie garden and working on the basement! The excitement is hardly to be contained! And I'm working on that whole "updated family picture" thing so don't worry! Love to all!