Happy New Year!

I cannot believe that New Year's is here already! What are we doing for New Years you ask? My answer is a big whopping NOTHING! Me and Jer will probably watch a movie and try to stay awake. I know. I know. We're animals! I keep making such a big deal about this coming year and thinking about how 2008 has really flown by. I was thinking why is this year any different than the rest. OH!!! but wait it is....we only have three and a half months left and then England here we come! Time is flying by and I am trying to stop and appreciate Utah and my family and friends while I can! Anyways.....We had a great time for Christmas with Jer's Mom and sister Amy(hopefully Dad can make it next time). They were with us for a week and the time flew by. We love and miss them already! I am just waiting to get their pictures emailed to me and then I will post our Christmas pics!
Happy New Year!

They know how to get down around Christmas time!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

YeAh! Christmas is around the corner!

I am so excited about Christmas! It can't get here any faster....I have tried to explain the whole Christmas thing to Riley and not a whole lot of it has he understood. Every time someone comes to the door he gets so excited and yells "Mom quick get the door it's Christmas and all my presents"! He is going through withdrawls. Starting the middle of October I stopped getting him the little dollar toys and told him that we have to wait for Santa to come. That has been a HUGE mistake! So before Halloween got here- all that I have heard is when is Santa coming? I guess I have learned from my mistakes and will wait until at least after Thanksgiving to bring up Santa!

I aM tHanKfUl fOr EvErYtHiNg!

Thanksgiving is around the corner and I just wanted to take a minute and be thankful! I am SO thankful for my wonderful husband who understands me and loves me for me! He is an amazing man and Daddy! I am so thankful for my family and their health. I'm thankful for laughter in my house. It gets crazy at times but I love that we can stop and enjoy the giggles! I am thankful for wet kisses from Kinley and bear hugs from the Colby and Ry. I am thankful that I have wonderful parents that taught me to recognize the small things and appreciate my life. I am so blessed with family and friends and am thankful to have them in my life! HaPpY ThAnKsGiViNg!

Huntin in our Basement

The boys are always talking about how they can't wait until they are older to go hunting with Dad. So, Jer (the great dad that he is) set up campground downstairs and the two monkeys have been playing in the basement all day. I took these pictures and Riley said "Hurry Mom put the pictures on the blob (blog). I can't resist a cute request like that! I promise this is the last post for the day. Enjoy!

Winter?...I thought it was fall!

Utah is so funny when it comes to weather. You never know what your going to get. I love that has snowed and we got a TON! Luckily Fall will be back by the middle of the week and as far as snow....we will see you in the WINTER!

Hello Kitty Birthday Party for McKinley

I was so excited to have a girl birthday party! We did Hello Kitty theme and I don't bake very well but I guess I felt like trying...I made the cake and it looks some what like Hello Kitty! McKinley hasn't stopped playing with all of her toys since the party on Friday. Thank you everyone for all the great present and for coming!

West, East, North, South......Everywhere but in my mouth.

We had spaghetti tonight for dinner and I am so glad that I took off McKinley's clothes before she could ruin them. She has had spaghetti before but nothing like this....it was everywhere. I had to take pictures of her so everyone could see that there wasn't a place that the spaghetti didn't get. After I gave her a bath and washed her really good I still had to use like five wipes to get her orange stained face back to normal. Good Times!

Jeremy is HOME!

Jeremy is finally home and we couldn't be happier to have him home. My parents and Kahlilee(Riley's way of saying Kylie) helped out SO much -Thank you! Jeremy had an awesome time and brought back some goodies for all of us. Also thank you to the Roundtrees for entertaining him for one night. Above are some pictures of where he went.(Italy, Holland and Belgium)
I tried to remember where he said these all were taken (I hope they are right). Enjoy!

My DAD

For those of you that know me -you know that I am a HUGE daddy's girl. My dad and his friends go on a camping/horseback riding trip a couple times a year. Well it was this past weekend when he went and I got a call from my mom Saturday night saying my Dad is in the hosptial. His horse bucked him off and he landed on his back and broke some ribs. OK I was freaking out! My Dad hardly is ever sick or does he ever get hurt so when he does get hurt-I have a hard time! The doctor said that he punctured his lung but it wasn't big enough to call it a puncture. They kept him in the hospital to make sure that there is no internal bleeding and my mom thinks that he is coming home today. OH! I have lost sleep over him being hurt! I know that it wasn't critical but it makes you really appreciate your loved ones! Dad I love you and am so happy that your okay........don't ever get hurt again (J/K)

Happy Birthday McKinley

I cannot believe McKinley is already one. It seems like yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital. I like to ramble on and on - so I thought instead I will just write somethings down I love about our little bug.

giggles - open mouth kisses - dances to music -when she doesn't like what your doing she growls at you - loves her brothers - how she pats my back when I hold her - she has five minute long conversations on the phone to herself - says Hi to everyone and everything - smiles with her bright blue eyes - when she cries her bottom lip hangs out - chubby cheeks - how she loves to play cars with Riley and make the noises too - everytime you say "yeahh" she claps - the way she looks at Daddy - her hugs - how happy she is to see me in the morning when I get her out of the crib - how she yells at you in her jibber jabber

Happy Birthday Kinley! We are so thankful to have you and for all the happiness you have brought all of us.

Family BBQ

My brother Kirby and his wife Cheryl live in Washington and they came down for a visit so we had a nice family barbeque with all the family there (minus a couple of people). It was a couple of weeks ago but I just got some pictures (thanks Denise and Cheryl) . I love doing things like this with all the family-the Cook side is so funny to be with and I think we all have a good time when we're together. Jeremy didn't come because he was sick but when we got home-he came to greet us at the door and found me crying like a baby......it is now starting to hit me that we are leaving and I was just so thankful for all of the family helping me out with the kids that night. I have some great siblings and I love all the Cook's. I will really miss days like this one. I had a really good night catching up with everyone and I think we should do stuff like this more often like maybe before April!!!

Yeah McKinley's hair is FINALLY growing

McKinley is not a big fan of having any kind of bow in her hair longer than like five minutes. Her hair is starting to grow.....finally. I can now put it in a pony tail and she can't pull it out. The picture was taken a couple of minutes after I first put her hair in a pony tail and she is so frustrated that she can't reach it to pull it out.

Proud to be an American

Today I have to stop and look at all we have to be thankful for. This day is always hard but it is so important for all of us to remember what all those heroes did that day and what the soldiers are still doing for us to keep our freedom. I am so thankful for this country. We have a lot of soldiers in our family. I am so thankful for all that they have done and for serving our country. I am very proud to be an American and am brought to tears when I think of the soldiers and the heroes from 9-11. My heart goes out to those directly effected by loss, husbands, wives, children, parents, and friends. My heart still aches for all of them. All those heroes from 9-11 will never be forgotten and to the soldiers-Thank you for my freedom and God Bless America!

Fall is almost here

I love living in Utah because we do get to have all four seasons. But I am not going to lie I would be happy if it were fall weather all year long. I love how the leaves start changing colors and you can see it on the mountains, the smell of fall time, Halloween, haunted houses, Thanksgiving, fires, the kids go to bed earlier(since it gets dark earlier), oh and of course the cute clothes. Jer keeps laughing at me because I had all my fall decorations and candles up the first day it got to the low 80's. So the last fall thing to do was to change the background so it is fall on our blog. HAPPY FALL TIME! YEAH!!

We all scream for ICE CREAM!

Last night we took the kids for ice cream cones and they loved it! McKinley was so funny trying it. Thought you all would get a laugh of this picture of Kinley. Enjoy!

I aM a ChiLd oF GoD

Colby was baptized today; what a really awesome day! Ben (Colby's other dad) baptized him and Jeremy confirmed him. Many loved ones came out to support this major event in all of our lives. Colby wasn't nervous about anything other than the water being too cold! Wow, we all can't believe how big the little man is; grown up before our eyes, especially in his new suit...The day was outstanding and we all had fun...other than the two monkeys (Riley and McKinley) letting everyone know they were there too

(they both needed naps like something fierce!!!).

Kinley is going to be walking soon.... LOOK OUT!

Mckinley has been some what crawling since she was like five months old. For about two months she has been pulling herself up to furniture and walking around it. Whenever we try to hold her hands and walk with her, she does the whole stiff body and won't walk. I have mentioned before about how Kinley loves her doll. Well I got this stroller/walker and put Loulee (doll) in it and McKinley has not stopped pushing the stroller around. So pushes it all day and gets so tired that you have to pry the stroller away from her to take a nap. She took three steps all by herself yesterday and today she has taken a couple steps and sees that I am looking and sits down. I don't know what it is with her doll. All I have to do is put the doll near something I want her to do and she will do it. She cracks me up!

Before the big storm Saturday night We all decided to enjoy the cool weather

and played outside until we had to carry the crying kids

inside for a bath (they were so dirty).

Happy Birthday Turbo

Colby turned 8 yesterday! We cannot believe how big he is getting. We had a pizza party at the park last night and then today for our present we took him shopping and let him get whatever he wanted. Colby is such a sweet boy and we are very lucky to have in our family.I know that it has been hard for him to bounce back and forth but he always is happy to see us and we love him so much! Happy Birthday Turbo! Thank you to everyone that came and for all the presents. I will post pics of his birthday ...asap.

Today was the perfect weather for the PARK

We went to the park today with Kylie, Boston, and Nash. Ry loves his cousins. We gave Boston his birthday present(light saber) and so all three of them had a blast playing Star Wars. Days like this makes me appreciate my sister and how close we are. I know all of us will have a hard time when we move to England. Kylie's boys and Riley play very good together and McKinley loves to follow all of them around. We had fun today and got some really cute pictures.

McKinley SLEEPS through the Night!!!

OK so for those of you that don't know McKinley has not been sleeping through the night and on weeknights I stay up until like 11:30 or 12 until she gets in a deep sleep. Starting Monday I just let her cry for like a half an hour(i felt like the worst mom) and she finally slept until 8:30 in the morning. YEAH!!!! Last night she went to bed at 8:30 and woke up at 7 and only cried for like five minutes. It is funny how it works-the more sleep they get the more sleep they want. Her sleeping pattern was not that great before-she only took one nap in the day -no matter how hard I tried. Now she is taking two naps and it is MARVELOUS! Happy Baby means a Happy Mommy! Next challenge is conquering the whole potty training with Ry Guy. Wish me luck-I need it!

I'm HuRt..... quick get me a band aid

Today I put some music on and let the kids do some dancing. Well Riley got a little crazy with his bad self and fell and got a pretty good size cut on his lip. I comforted him and after about five minutes or so he was over it. Jer got home from work and we had to tell him all about Riley getting hurt. Well Riley the dramatic monkey he is...told Dad all about it and acted like he fell all over again. Needless to say Daddy came to the rescue and gave Ry a band aid. Well Ms. McKinley kept grabbing the band aids, so she got one too. McKinley wasn't hurt when the band aid went on but she was when it came off...SORRY Kinley. Riley is such a trooper.....Poor thing.

Random pictures of the boys throughout the years