One Year Later....

It's been FOREVER since I've updated my blog. The kids are getting older and cuter, and my husband and my lives are getting busier. Natlatlie is in Kindergarten and also involved in gymnastics. She loves BOTH! She is learning to read and can spell the names of everyone in our family. She has mastered forward and backward somersaults and is working diligently on mastering her kartwheel. Nolan likes TAG this year (thank goodness). His mind works so much like mine....adding birthdays to get someone else's birthday, using phone numbers to make words.....I can see the math coming out in him already!

Nathan is as rotten as ever. He has had a few mishaps at school, as far as goofiness is involved. He is improving his behavior, however, and is very proud when he gets a good report from preschool. I didn't really expect anything other than this, as he is the clown of the family....always looking for a laugh :) And who can fault him for his comedic behavior?

Nick is getting bigger and smarter each day. As the fourth child, his vocabulary is quite remarkable and he catches on easily with all things the older kids expose him to. He's becoming sneaky like Nathan, independent like Natalie, and brainy like Nolan. He's a complete combination of his siblings.

I am winding down in my college education and can FINALLY see the light at the end of the tunnel! I am so thankful for a husband who supports me and helps me and for kids that are excited for me to become a teacher. Though not every single day is perfect, I LOVE every part of being a wife and mother.

Here's a more recent picture of the fam!

The Christmas Play...

Nolan, Natalie and Nathan had a Christmas play at their Awana club last night. Nolan did a great job. We had practiced his song and he sung it wonderfully, and of course, as his mom, I could hear his voice above the others.

Natalie and Nathan on the other hand, had practiced their lines and had them down pat! I was so anxious to see these two on stage for the first time. When they came onto stage waiting to start, Natalie found me in the crowd and waved repeatedly. I waved back. She then says, "I love you mommy," which melted my heart and made the other audience members say, "awe." Then the kids were ready to begin. Most kids did not want to say their lines, and one boy started his quietly then ended it by screaming. My two thought it was hilarious, especially Nathan, whose laughter could be heard well afterwards. Finally, it was my little Natalie's turn. She turned in one knee and looked shy. The teacher says, "Let's help Natalie," and she lashes back, "I know it!" But then she continues with her silence. Then beside her is Nathan. He gets the mic..."I love mommy!" he screams. But his line is "our King of Glory." The final kids say their lines.

Next is a song. My two make up their own lyrics which mostly consist of" "I love mommy." Needless to say, I was mortified by their behavior, but nonetheless happy that they declared their love for me. If ever there was a time I wish I was invisible, this may have been it!

Fall Pictures

We have all been extremely busy so far this Fall. With four of us in school and Matt transitioning at work, I have fallen behind in everything....especially blogging. I took an opportunity yesterday to snap some pictures of the kids. They are growing up so quickly and are so much fun.

I can't believe how big he is now!

My pretty girl.

Cute as can be!

Adorable boy.

Everybody say, "pumpkin head!"

Three in School

Nolan, the first grader.I'm so thankful that he enjoys school. He is so smart and I can only imagine how his teachers must love him.

Natalie in Pre-K.

Natalie is at a new preschool this year, as she was on the waiting list for the elementary school. Matt and I decided to go ahead and enroll her at a different school rather than have her sit out a year. She's got a friend that was our old neighbor in her class, so that helps. She really seems to enjoy her new school so far.

Nathan in Pre-K as well (for 3 year olds).

Nathan, too, is excited about school. He's only been 2 days, but each day when I arrive to pick him up, he tells me he doesn't want me there cause he wants to stay at school. He is attending the school that Natalie went to last year, so the teachers already know him and me. I have warned them that Nathan and Natalie are like night and day, and that Nathan is a class clown. He wasted no time living up to the title as he greeted his teacher on the second day by saying, "Poopity-poop-poop." There's really nothing left to say :)

Settled....

As I mentioned in a previous post, Matt and I decided to sell our townhouse and buy a home. After a very quick contract, but a long and drawn out loan process for our buyers, we finally sold our townhouse and bought a new house.

















It is so nice to live in a brand new home. Everything is clean and new.....until my kids get their opportunity to dirty it up! So far, so good, though. We're trying to make sure that everyone understands we must do our best to keep things nice, not that we didn't do so before, but since this is a new house, we have a greater sense of pride, I guess.
















We are in a smaller subdivision with fewer kids, but we have made up for that with a fenced in yard and playground of our own. The kids have so much more space to play inside and outside. We are pretty much settled in, but there are things that we will improve and change as we live here longer.

Happy 4th of July!

The kids and I spent the morning and early afternoon of the 4th at Mom-o and Pops' house. I was heading back home later in the day and wanted to make sure the kids were worn out enough to sleep for most of the trip. Wearing out he kids is no problem at Mom-o's house. The kids spent a couple hours in the pool having a great time.

Natalie floating.

Nolan floating on his back.

Nathan. He was really into having his picture taken.

Mom-o, Nicholas, and Natalie.

Natalie....she won't let go of her floaty.

Mom-o helping Nicholas float in the duck.

Granny & Poppy's Anniversary

My mom's parents have been married for 60 years, WOW! I look up to them so much, and admire their marriage...the ups and downs, the tears and smiles, the sorrows and joys. They are truly an example of what life is.....not always perfect, but when you stick together, you can get through anything.

We spent the day at the church building for food and time with extended family and friends. Then we (my brothers and all of our kids) headed to Granny and Poppy's house to watch the kids play, "country style." Granny got out her slip and slide and blow up pool, and I brought along our jump and slide. It has been a year since all of these kids were together, so it was a true delight to watch them all have so much fun. I love that my grandparents wanted nothing more for their anniversary other than to be with family and friends and to see their great-grand kids. I cannot express enough how much they mean to me.

Here are just a few pics of the kids at play.

Judson getting a running start for the slip and slide.

Nolan sliding down for a splash landing!

Nathan and Nicholas kicking around in the kiddie pool.

Natalie and Nicholas bouncing around.

Kids' Photo Shoot

Nolan, Natalie, and Nathan like it when I take their pictures, and ask me to do so frequently. Nicholas, on the other hand, doesn't always get in on the action. I attempted to take pictures of all the kids together, but Nicholas wasn't quite up for it. Here's the product!

My big three were ready to cooperate and looking so cute!








Big smiles :)





















Nolan's pose.




















And, Natalie's pose too.










Isn't she sweet!?!




















Looking like he's about to stir up some trouble!












"Forget it, Mom, I will not take this out of my mouth!"

A Day at the Park

I took the kids to a local park, not the one in our subdivision, on a sunny, yet not too hot day. Natalie and Nathan played t-ball at the field below, and we would play briefly at the park following the games. The kids were always disappointed when we left, so I thought we should try a day trip so we could stay longer.

The kids had a blast! Nicholas went down every slide, even the big swirly one, all by himself. Just because he's still a baby, he's not gonna give up and let the big kids have all the fun. This park was so much fun and it was very easy for me to keep up with all the kids, as they had no desire to stray from the slides and swings. We will definitely make our way here again soon.





Here's the determined Nicholas making his way onto the slide!













Nolan stopped for a photo....say "cheese"













Nicholas climbed up for this shot....he's quite the climber :)
















Natalie's turn down the slide.

















Nathan peaking out of the porthole!








"Take my picture, Mom!"



















Nolan on the swinging bridge.

Father's Day

To my dear husband who has put up with me and our four beautiful kids, we love you so much and appreciate everything you do for us. Matt, you are a great dad and wonderful husband. I love my family so much, and look forward to many, many happy years together.

Nathan's Glasses

Earlier than expected, Nathan and I were able to pick up his glasses. As I suspected more than a year ago, he has vision problems. The doctor is optimistic that with glasses and possible other treatments his vision can be corrected. I won't be holding my breath, though, as my vision is poor and chances are at least one of our kids will end up with my horrible eyesight.

Nathan is doing well with his glasses. The doctor said not to force him to wear them, but to get him to wear them as much as possible. We've had a few hours of success each day, but none have been completely successful.

Nathan looks absolutely adorable in his glasses....such a grown up look for such a little guy :) I hope we can get his vision corrected so he can enjoy everything he sees. I just love this little guy so much.

T-ball 2010, Opening Day

Opening Day of T-ball was on Saturday, May 1st. The kids looked so adorable in their baseball outfits!!! First were pictures. I can't wait to see the outcome of the kids' pictures. Natalie held a pink bat and actually smiled for the photographer! Nathan was looking cute in an over sized jersey and holding a bat....I'm sure his picture will turn out awnry as usual. I wasn't around to see Nolan's pictures, but I'm sure they will be great.

So after pictures, on a near 90 degree day, Natalie and Nathan began warming up for their game. They came over to me for a drink, and Natalie said that she wasn't feeling well. Next thing I know, I'm with her over by a fence while she's throwing up. I took her and Nicholas home and put Natalie in a cool bath and gave her a Popsicle for hydration. She appeared to be well, and we headed back to the ball field to catch the end of Nolan's game.

Nolan is one of the older kids on his team this year and is showing much improvement from last year. He likes his teammates, enjoys playing, and is getting better at throwing, catching, fielding, and batting. It's so wonderful to see him enjoying a team sport.

So, after Nolan's game, we headed home for naps. The kids (except Nolan) took naps, but Natalie woke up sick again. She threw up so much that we called the doctor then took her to a local Urgent Care to see what was wrong. They gave her a shot of Zofran for her stomach issues, and they gave her 4 stickers for her bravery with the injection. After the shot, she did much better. I still wonder if it was a stomach virus or something to do with the heat, as the rest of my family did not get sick.

So, we'll try again this Friday for 3 of the 4 Cook kids to play t-ball. Hopefully the weather will be milder and the kids will all get to play successfully!

Settling Down, Hopefully!

From the blogs of yester-year when I was so distrought over moving away from family, I have finally become confident enough in myself and my family to realize that home is wherever we make it. Though it's been a difficult decision, Matt and I have decided to try and sell our townhouse to buy a Single Family home in Morgantown. We have Nolan in elementary school making friends, a great pre-school program in which Natalie is currently enrolled and Nathan is in for the Fall, and so many fun things to do within the area. So, I guess I'm trying to say, that the Cooks will officially be Morgantown residents for many years to come, if things go as planned.

I will continue to miss the days of Sunday gatherings at the homes of our families, but Matt and I have to do what we feel is right for our family. The kids have no concrete memories of living close to "home," and actually when I presented the idea of living in Morgantown for good to Nolan, he was fine with it. He has made so many friends, as I'm sure he would anywhere, and is only concerned about being with me and Matt....which is the great wisdom that my own dad has instilled in me since I became a parent. Home is truly where the heart is, and I'm looking forward to planting our own roots and moving forward with our blessed lives. Please wish us luck as we make yet another transition and be looking soon for updates of our new home.....hopefully!

Natlie's Ear Piercing

Last Sunday, Matt took the kids to the mall to play (all except Nicholas) so I could stay at the house and clean. Much to my surprise, when they came back home, Natalie had a BIG story to tell/show me. She had her ears pierced. She was so proud of being a brave girl and it was her idea to get them pierced. Natalie also picked out her pretty purple heart earrings!

I'm so proud of my little girl. She's the daughter I always dreamed of....sporty, yet prissy :)

Nolan's Basketball Game

Nolan's last basketball game was today. Here are a couple videos from the big game!

A Small Break from Cabin Fever

This wonderful Winter weather has had the kids and I have suffering a bit from cabin fever. Matt talked me into going to Valley Worlds of Fun over the weekend. I wasn't really in the mood to go anywhere that day, but I'm glad I did. The kids love this place! They have bowling, rides, and an arcade. We bowled one and a half games, ate some pizza, let the kids ride a ride or two, and ended with a couple of arcade games. We made the mistake of going around 6:00 pm, which was entirely too late for the kids to really get to spend a lot of time playing. I didn't get many pics, but I'll share the two I got :)



Nolan watching his ball roll down the lane. This kid actually got a strike and a couple of spares (with bumper pads)!




Natalie's choice of arcade game was shooting basketball. She actually scored an 18 on her own! She's definitely an athlete :)

Snow, Snow, Go Away!

Last Friday into Saturday, we got about 14 inches of snow. It's been 11 days since the initial snowfall, and we've had an additional 6-10 inches of additional snowfall since then. The kids were all pretty excited about the first foot that fell, and enjoyed a few hours playing in it. However, since we've had cold and snowy days basically every day since, the kids are finally getting fed up with all the snow. Nolan and Natalie have only had school 5 days this month....(7 days so far have been cancelled.) We're all anxiously awaiting Spring and the big melt!

Natalie's gigantic snowball!














Nolan's HUGE snowball!

















Natalie on top of the shovelled snow getting ready to go down the "snow slide."













After 9 days, this is what my neighbor's deck furniture looks like!

Here are a couple samples of the icicles hanging from our gutters. This was a couple days ago, and they now hang even lower. I would estimate many icicles now exceed 10 feet in length as they hang as low as the bottom of the windows!