Giving Thanks (inspired by)


Thanks be to God, Father, Son and Spirit, for the abundance of good things he pours on His children.
We are but few, but His blessings are many.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Our new living room/dance floor

Here is our new living room floor! Isn't it great?

When then kids saw it, they immediately thought: dance party!


If you look closely you can also see the new crown molding-
it really dresses up the room!


I wonder how many other families use their living rooms for dance parties
followed by evening devotions?

So, we may not be what you might call a normal family...
but at least this time, they were tired enough to sit still through
an entire Lord's Prayer!

Michigan Highlights!

The kids and I had a great time in Michigan!
The picture at the top shows Seth and Marcus checking out an awesome octopus at the zoo!

Here they are on their brand new scooters!
(An easter present from Nana!)
They have been zipping around on these things non-stop since they got them!


Marcus has one too but it's going to take a little while for him to figure
out how to use it by himself.
So far he's figured out if he stands on it and looks pathetic for long enough he can usually convince someone to push him around in it.

Nana and the boys!



My monkeys and me at the zoo- the perfect place for us!


We ran the kids hard and earned our peaceful naptime hours every afternoon!



We came home to the sweet country on Wednesday night.
(The kids even said they missed hearing the cows and geese at night!)

We have a brand new hardwood floor in our living room- will post a picture of that later today! It is beautiful!
I had another surprise too- my dear husband painted our bedroom! It looks great- and that wasn't even on his "to do" list!

Friday, March 12, 2010

fun with puppy!

Copper is having fun getting to know her new family! Above, she is watching Eldon take his bath. He thought it was just great; even when she tried as hard as she could to get in there with him! For now, she is just too short!

Copper had an extra treat today: she was Lorraine's show and tell! (It is also PJ day for Lorraine!)

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

What is this strange sensation?

Today is day three of a quiet house. Eldon is taking great naps, and Lorraine is at school all day. So far this week we have been shopping leisurely, two times, we have gone out to eat and out for ice cream, I have caught up on laundry and gotten in my exercise.

Yesterday Eldon and I were wandering around the house and I was feeling ... something... What is this strange sensation? I wondered as I restlessly went from room to room with Eldon on my hip, aimlessly looking around. Is this... could I be... BORED?

How strange! I don't think I have been bored in years!

Josh says if I get too bored I can take the dog to the vet for him, but that's not going to happen. Maybe I will pick up one of the five half-finished books I have here on my bookshelf! Or maybe I will take a nap! The possibilities are endless!!!!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Happy Fourth Birthday Seth!

Seth, our first baby boy, our responsible, smart, organized little man.
You are like your daddy in so many ways!


Seth at age four
Favorite toys: New batman motorcycle toy, train, Lightning McQueen anything, big bouncy ball, tiger bike

Favorite clothes: Seth has strong opinions about clothes. His favorites right now: his "soft pants" (wind pants); his basketball jersey/shorts (he often asks to wear it under his long sleeves and long pants in the winter;) superman and batman pjs; super-fast running shoes

Other favorites: Books: I Stink, Rhyming Dust Bunnies, Wacky Wednesday; games: MarioKart Wii, Starfall; shows: Word World and Super Why; snack and story time, wrestle time, playing with the "big girls" at church, (especially Katie and Bailey!), getting bubble gum from the bubble gum man, learning how to fix things, learning how to read, using your big muscles to help mommy carry things



Seth's boyishness and his analytical nature cause him to see the world in a way unlike anyone else in the family. He surprises me with his insight and has an enormous heart for his family and everyone he meets. I can't wait to see what vocation God has in store for him that will use all his many gifts! As I delight in his accomplishments, and enjoy being a part of his growing-up, I am glad to share this day with him- when life is simple, and he just gets to be a kid. He works hard to be big helper to mommy, to learn and grow and play and have fun, and he does it very well!

Happy birthday little man, we sure love you!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Good idea and tough guys!

For anyone who has family living far away and needs ideas for keeping them in touch with your young kids- check out this idea that I read in Family Fun magazine! See above- my kids are snuggling on the couch reading books with their Nana- on the phone from Michigan! For Christmas I collected 2 copies of several books, gave one to grandparents and kept one for the kids. Now the grandparents can read bedtime stories for the kids whenever they want!



The boys finally got to try out their new tattoos! Wow, what manly men!


Saturday, February 27, 2010

Surviving the last days of winter

We are all a little wiggly and cabin-crazy these days! Today it was all of 36 degrees out, but SUNNY, and we all agreed it was the perfect day to go to the park!

Not at all to my surprise, having a new puppy is kind of like having a newborn baby in the house! I must say Copper seems very smart, and we are having very few problems with the house-training. However, she just constantly wants to be with the rest of the family, and so she is still whining and crying during the night in her cage. It is a strange experience for me, as Josh is the one getting up with this "baby."

She is perfectly submissive to everyone in the family with one exception: Eldon. She seems to think he is a puppy just like she is. And the more Josh and I think about it, the more we understand how she could get confused. It is almost like those two are at the same developmental stage. They seem to like the same toys... And they get in the same type of trouble... I have said to each of them this week: "Don't eat dried play dough off the floor!" "Quit chewing on that shoe!" (Or piece of paper, or rug, or sock, or remote control...) They both fuss when they don't get enough attention, they love to be snuggled and carried around, and they can't seem to get enough of the older kids! (Though the older kids often have enough of each of them!)


Eldon has learned the baby sign for "dog," and is now constantly sticking out his tongue and panting. He has added his own creative touch in his excitement over the puppy- he is usually panting and flapping his arms at the same time!

Oh, Seth and his notions of propriety! We were watching ice skating the other night, and of course Lorraine was starry-eyed over the glitter and girly-ness of it all. Seth sat there with an ugly look, obviously thinking "I just don't see the point of this." I asked Lorraine if she thought she could do that (no mommy!) Then, Seth looked at me and said firmly, "Mommy, you may NOT do that!" He seemed to think it was something that I would attempt, so he made sure to forbid me in very strong terms.

Here's Marcus, using the letter L like it is a gun! Whatever it is that makes a boy a boy, I think Marcus got a double dose of it!

Black-eyed Aggie, once again! This time it was because she decided to get involved with the first graders and their pillow fight... perhaps they were a little out of her league. I didn't think they put rocks in their pillows but maybe I missed something!

Little Eldon and Enola- what buddies! I don't know if it is because they are so close to the same size or what, but when Enola is around I am constantly grabbing my camera saying "OHHHH they are SOOOO CUTE!!!"

I agree with the children, spring can come any time now! As Aggie says several times throughout the day, "DearGodPleaseMakeAllTheSnowGoAway. PleaseSendtheSunAndtheGreenGrassAmen." Amen, Aggie!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Our family just keeps growing!

I would like to introduce you to the newest member of our family: Copper!




She joined the chaotic Cook household just this afternoon. The kids are completely in love and willing to do any dog chore I ask (for the moment.) Marcus especially, who has always been our dog person, has been walking around with a silly grin on his face all evening long!

We are trying to help her through the trauma of leaving her wild little family and being plopped right in the middle of ours- I am sure it is pretty unsettling!

Welcome to the family, Copper!