Hunter

Thought I'd dedicate a post to my little boy, Hunter. For no other reason than Emma can be a bit of a camera hog. :)

Here he is with his best friend in the whole wide world (and cousin), Jojo Luna...

Here's Hunter

being a gentleman

Impersonating his jack-o-lantern

Being neurotic (this is how I find things all around the house--all lined up)

And the very best of all, being his mama's little baby :)

No Regrets

Jeff's 20th and the 100 year anniversary Yuma High School being open fell on the same year. The school decided to have one big party at the fairgrounds and Jeff's band, "No Regrets" got a spot to play at the party. It has been the talk of the town the whole week. The reunion, that is. A pretty big gig...eh-hem...if you play during the hours the party is supposed to take place. I won't get too technical, but we'll just say they "opened". Nevermind that.

I am here to tell you they rocked the house. This group of guys can not only straighten your teeth, build you a house, make a mean sandwich and/or sell you concert tickets, THEY CAN ROCK!

You can ask any of the 5 other people that were there!

All joking aside, they really were good! Bobby Lemmon, I didn't know you could do that! I'm stunned. In a good way. Loved it.






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Jeff can't believe I made my own "No Regrets" groupie t-shirt.







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He's irresistible.







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We're pretty sure this is the rocker sign.







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Is he cute or what?




Come check out "The Regrets" at the Battle of the Bands at Harkins Theater next weekend. You won't regret it. haha. :) And if you want me to make you a t-shirt, give me a holla!

Happy Halloween + Question

Hunter thought this was a really fun game...

throw candy all over porch...

other children put candy back...

throw candy...

put it back...

repeat.

"No want to dress up."

Waitress

*Genie*

Hanna Montana

Punk Rocker

*Emma is wearing the genie costume that my mom made for Heather when she was little. I guess it really does pay off to save the old stuff. And, sorry Mom, this picture doesn't really do it justice, either. The back has really cute criss-cross straps, but I wasn't thinking when I was having them pose.

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On another note, please help if you have a tip...I always find myself wanting to switch the order of images after I load them. How do you do that?

On being a woman

I found this quote on one of the blogs I stalk. Like many others, I have been inspired by an e-friend Stephanie Nielsen (nieniedialogues.blogspot.com) and her sister, Courtney (blog.cjanerun.com). I came across this quote and I had to repost it:

“There is in every true woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.” -Washington Irving


So true, right girls? Don't mess with a woman!

Long Beach Half Marathon

This year the Long Beach Half Marathon was on October 12th -- what would be our beloved Ricky's 35th birthday. Be assured that the prankster was with us in spirit as we ended up being over an hour late (thanks to traffic) and barely squeaked by the start line as it was about to be closed off for the next race, the 5K. Ricky was also there with us (Tommy, Heather and me)as we ran our best races with a time of 2 hrs, 19 min, 48 sec. I think that averages a little over a ten minute mile for 13.1 miles. Our goal was 2 1/2 hours so we were very excited. :) Yay! And no one needed CPR! Double yay!

Oh, and make sure you check out our shirts...a cute heart with wings on the front and professionally Photo Shopped image of Ricky riding a steer on the back (except for Hunter--we put his picture of Ricky on the front so he could see it). Designed by the talented Megan and Christina. Megstina? Christegan? Boomnina? Good job, girls!

Happy Birthday, Jeff-wee!

We somehow managed to get all the "big Cooks" in for a picture with some "little Cooks" scattered here and there...even if some eyes are closed and we're not all facing the camera...we'll take it!

Art by Accident?

My camera settings got all messed up when I shoved my camera in my pocket at a party. I didn't realize it happened, though, until I took some pictures and tried to play them back.

To the untrained eye they might just look like blurry pictures. But, in actuality, they are my two really cute kids fighting with each other. Isn't that adorable? Ok, so they're just blurry pictures, but they are kinda cool, hu?

Don't worry, the fighting quickly changed to this...

Memory Lane

Being a pro now at this blogging thing, I decided to help my brotha (Jake) out and get him started with a page of his own (adayinthelifeofjakecook.blogspot.com). He loves staying connected with his friends/family and loves getting email. So, I searched my shutterfly account for any and all pictures I could find of Mr. Jake (you'll have to check his blog for those) and came across this album of oldies. (Heather scanned them and made me a little bound book for my birthday...I know, she rocks. Love ya, Heather!)

Anyway, I found some

really, really cute ones

(is that conceited to say I was cute?

I'm referring to past tense, not present tense,

so I think I'm okay...)

and........

this really really scary one

I'm posting special for Jessika

(the one right next to Heather)

of our dance performance with

"futuristic" theme...

or was it "streetwalkers"?

I can't quite remember.

We did win blue ribbons as you can see,

but it was obviously not for costume.

We chopped it!

Here's Emma's new haircut.

And here's Hunter in his uniform...t-shirt, swimming trunks & cowboy boots.

She's heeeeerrrrrrre...

Grandma Cook (my dad's mom) just moved to town. Here's one of her classic poses if you have never had the pleasure of meeting her. She's a fan of using the rolling pin as a weapon, but if that's not handy, a broomstick or fly swatter will do.

I like to tell the story that the first time I was ever cussed out was by none other than my very own grandma! I was about 7 years old and she had just taken me to Mervyn's to buy a new outfit for my birthday. I was so excited I wore it out of the store and when I got home, I started wrestling around on the floor with Zach and Jake. When Grandma saw what I was doing she yelled, "Jill! I work too G** D*** hard for my money! Get your a** up off the floor and out of those new clothes!" Yep. That's my granny...

As we've both gotten older I've become much closer to her. She doesn't really yell at me that much anymore unless I'm doing something I shouldn't like, open the oven to peek at the cookies while they're baking, or wash my hands in the kitchen sink instead of the bathroom sink...

But with all honesty, I'm really looking forward to seeing her more and learning more about her. Like, this morning for example, I stopped by to see her after I took Emma to school. If we didn't live in the same town, I probably never would have known that she likes to soak her vitamins in her coffee so they are easier to chew...Love you, Grandma!

Milestones...First day of kindergarten

I had envisioned a much cuter outfit to mark the occasion. You know, a button-down top, pleated skirt, lace-trimmed socks and Mary Jane's. Little did I know that I would become one of those parents whose mantra would be, "Pick your battles!" So I let her have her way or shall I say "express her own sense of style" with a falling-apart-at-the-seams sundress and flip-flops.

And don't be fooled by the tense pose (clenched fists) in the picture. Emma broke away from Hunter and me about halfway down the hall, pushing her way past parents to get through the doorway and into the classroom to meet her friends. No tears...phew!

To err is human...

I forgot that when I hit "post" there is a list of people who automatically get emailed my lovely blog. I was trying to be fancy and do this new thing my friend Megan showed me with the "big image". Well, it didn't turn out exactly like I wanted to, so I kept editing and re-posting, then I realized that you might be getting all my revisions. Sorry, people! So here's one more email to fill up your mailbox if my other ones didn't quite put you over the top. Please find a place in your hearts to forgive my novice blogging.

4 Generations of Hotties

This one is for Grandma Hancock, the hottest hottie of them all...you're next, of course, Mom...then me...actually, Heather, you might be the next hottest, but you're not in this picture.:)

P.S. Megan, thanks for the tip on how to get the big images.
P.P.S. If the image is cut off, just click on it to see the full view.

We Can End Duchenne

I got an email from my friend, Kelli, asking me to participate in a campaign called End Duchenne with hopes to raise more awareness for the disease, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Kelli's son, Elijah (who starts 4th grade this month), was diagnosed with the disease a few years ago. I had only heard of Muscular Dystrophy before I met Elijah and his family, but didn't really know much else about it.

DMD normally only affects boys, as it is an x-linked genetic disorder. The disease can occur spontaneously or can be carried by a mother to her son. DMD causes relatively rapid progression of muscle deterioration because muscle fibers are constantly dying away, being replaced by useless fatty deposits. In the history of this disease, most boys are permanently dependent upon a wheelchair by an average age of 10-12. It is common for boys to lose their battles with the disease in their late teens, and most do not live into their thirties due to respiratory and cardiac failure (the lungs and heart are the two most important muscles we have!). Despite these statistics, there is hope that the children fighting Duchenne will be spared by advocacy, research and faith.

I think the idea of the campaign is so cool and simple--print out a declaration, write your name (and give it some "flair" if you want to be like Emma and me), take your picture, then load it to the website (EndDuchenne@ParentProjectMD.org). With more exposure and awareness, there is hope that advanced treatment and eventually a cure might be found for young boys suffering from this disease. Please feel free to participate in the campaign along with us! The more the merrier!

You can check out Elijah's personal website if you want to read the story of an adorable, fun, sweet and resilient little boy: www.caringbridge.org/visit/elijahjamesmiller

My little girl all grown up...

Emma lost her first tooth on the way home from our summer vacation. And she's starting kindergarten in 10 days. Sigh. Next thing I know, she's going to need a training bra!

This summer in Colorado

Tommy built the ultimate swing set...


we caught butterflies...


Emma made "Blue Goo"...

Hunter learned how to cast & reel with his own fishing pole...

And helped his dad gather wood for the fire...

We rode in a horse drawn carriage (47 times)...

And threw rocks in the river...We're relaxed and refreshed and glad to be home...but we sure had a great time in Colorado!

Practicing for the Jr. Bronc Riding Event

Emma learns how to load & shoot a blow gun. My dad would be so proud!

This Is Pretty Funny

Yesterday Emma found the "Pop Star" dance-along video she got for her birthday last year (apparently I wasn't tricky enough with my hiding place). So the kids all got dressed in their pop-star attire complete with matching side ponytails. In case you were wondering, no, I don't let Emma out of the house with that size 2T shirt. And I have no idea where she gets her dance moves. :)

P.S. The other two little girls are our best friends, Jordan & Olivia Jones. Their baby sister Ella is bopping around at the bottom of the screen about halfway through.

Waiting for Grandma

I couldn't resist taking this picture of the kids waiting at the front door for Tommy's mom to arrive.

And, no, Hunter is not potty-trained yet. He had been deathly afraid of putting underwear on until now, but he's a sucker for Thomas.

Running Divas

If we look a little tired, it's only because we just ran for 5 hours, 50 minutes straight.

That's right, Heather and I can now check the box next to

"marathon momma"!

P.S. Don't mess with us...we are freakishly strong!