Cook's Corner

Starry Night

2011-09-27T14:58:00.004-05:00

The night sky that we've observed over the past several evenings is more incredible than any I've ever seen. Beach front lighting is restricted around Cape San Blas due to sea turtle hatching, so the beaches are pitch black at night. We've been taking walks with flashlights to capture some of the sea creatures that come out in the dark.

Pictures don't do this starry sky justice....but Jeff tried to capture it anyhow.....absolutely amazing. Thanks, God!

The View

2011-09-25T08:52:00.002-05:00

After about 16 hrs of traveling and suffering from a bit of sleep deprivation, I was ready to get out of the car. Around 10:30pm eastern time Saturday, we finally settled down for our bedtime family prayer. Last night we were thanking God for the beauty of the His creation (of which we get a seriously magnificent taste this week!). Our duplex is literally steps from the beach. We're just plain blessed to have this view for 6 days. We're lovin' every minute of it!

Vacation!

2011-09-25T08:28:00.005-05:00

Its been awhile since we had family vacation.

Life is full...of home schooling, mom and dad working jobs outside the home, helping out with Grammy's affairs, and the boys' weekly 6hr Swim Team training, not to mention a few volunteer commitments.

These next few posts cover our long awaited, much needed, first family oceanfront vacation. We're thoroughly enjoying a beachfront house on the Gulf Coast area called Cape San Blas. There's only one road on and off this forgotten coast. Check it out here on Google maps!

More to come.....

Flashback Friday: My Three Sons Then & Now

2011-09-09T12:13:00.006-05:00

2005

2011

Thank You Right Now

2011-06-28T09:41:00.003-05:00

Lately I'm going with the convictions God gives me to write or share my heart when I feel prompted. After reading this short message from This Day's Thought.org , I just had to share it.

Dear GOD:
I want to thank You for what you have already done.
I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves; I am going to thank you right now.
I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet; I am going to thank you right now.
I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job; I am going to thank you right now.
I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed; I am thanking you right now.
I am thanking you because I am alive. I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties. I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles...I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better.
I'm thanking you because FATHER, YOU haven't given up on me.
Unknown

This Day's Verse:
“Yea, our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.”
Psalm 33:21 The Revised Standard Version

I often get stuck in a rut waiting for trials to pass or waiting for circumstances to be ideal before I will thank God or let myself be content with whatever is. Thoughts like those above, full of thanks, are the best way to begin the day so there's way less room for the negative. Glad I read it. Hope you are too.

Fatherhood

2011-06-19T00:00:00.001-05:00

He isn't completely comfortable accepting compliments. Still, this post is in recognition of Jeff on Father's Day.

This isn't a "brag fest" about how much better my husband is at fathering than anyone else, its just an honest, genuine note of thanks that he does his best.

The fact is, he's been specifically chosen by God, hand-picked to father our three sons, and he is the best man for the job - period.
He isn't perfect, thank God! Oh, sometimes he thinks he's perfect, but God put me right here up in his face to remind him that he isn't. :)

Mistakes or no, he does father his children in his own special way, and I believe that's what God intended. I pray that Jeff and I together succeed in building spiritually rich, physically able, God honoring men.
My deepest thanks to Jeff for forging onward in the challenge
of fatherhood and razinkids with me!

Flashback Friday - Donald Leroy Earl

2011-06-17T11:43:00.011-05:00

Although my dad is gone, I still remember him often and especially on Father's Day. He was imperfect to say the least, but one of his greatest strengths was giving affection to me. He hugged and kissed me regularly, probably because I went looking for affection first and he was the one parent to always return it. I'm glad for that, because it did help to make up for the great deficits he left in other areas of fathering me.

Occasionally I'll stop and let memories of dad come flooding in. Its good for me to remember the mixed bag that was dad. It gives my heart balance where there's emptiness left from wanting more from him as a father.

My dad was full of goofy humor, and I loved that. We kids got a kick out of his occasional toilet humor, of which my mom disapproved, especially during mealtimes.

Dad was the best hugger.

Dad could draw really cool doodles and caricatures.

Dad chewed a lot of Wrigley’s Spearmint gum, a replacement for a smoking habit he gave up when he was 40 something, I think. I remember he’d often make little shapes with his gum and stick out his tongue so we could admire his work. A few times he created some cool gum wrapper origami, which he gave to me as a little gift. I thought it was so cool.

Dad was very creative. He played a Gibson guitar and sang(off pitch). Dad was a songwriter, and he also wrote poetry, which I didn't find out until I was an adult. These were his God given gifts(all except singing).

Other random memories of dad….his curly perm fro (LOL!), his “plastic” hair, almost nightly trips to Baskin Robbins when his songs hit Billboards Top 100 or Top Ten, guns and tasers in our home, loose change in his basket, his salt n pepper beard, strange stories of St. Louis city cop life, and his own funny or even sad childhood memories.

I thank God for my dad, both the good and the bad. His strengths and especially his weaknesses have helped me be a better parent in the end.

Losing It

2011-06-16T12:26:00.005-05:00

Its sad to observe a once healthy mind slowly succumb to memory loss. Its a helpless feeling, and I'm not talking about the one who's losing her memory, I'm talking about ME!
I'm losing it! (my sanity)
She's losing it! (her memory)
My mom is 67 years young and mostly healthy. Mom has battled short term memory loss for the past few years, with a pretty significant increase in confusion over these last few months. While she's still mostly independent, I've begun to help her manage her medications and her fiances to a large degree. I'm on all her HIPAA forms, and she needs someone to go with her to all doc visits. Mom stays moderately active and remains involved in church activities, where she has a second family willing to love and guide her through this transition of her life. But its clear that we'll soon be paving the way for the next step in "memory care" life requirements.
For my own mental health, I've decided that I'm putting my vulnerable stuff out there....and no one reads this blog anyhow, so I can just do some writing and sounding off all at once.
The most prominent part of my personality could be called the CRITICAL PARENT. She says, "Quit whining about having to take care of your mom. It could be worse, so knock off the bellyaching and get on with it!" A less prominent part of my personality that people don't often see is the CLUELESS 12 yr old who just wants someone to hold her hand while they guide her through this crazy thing called life. I hide her out of necessity. She doesn't fit into the world because the world tells her to buck up and dig deep to be strong from within 'self'. But even this clueless 12 yr old knows she can't do it herself.
I sometimes feel like I'm losing my own sanity as I step in to help my mom deal with her memory loss and its life changing consequences. As a Christ follower, I don't think Jesus wants me to lose myself or my peace of mind as a result of taking care of "others", so I lean even more heavily on Him to guide me to know how the heck I'm gonna manage all this without indeed losing myself.
I'm overwhelmed and exhausted and this is only the beginning! Even so, I know I'm not alone, I have my Savior right here all the time. And God has given me Jeff, who is a downright ROCK for me when it comes to dealing with my mom. Then there's a long list of others who are there as well...siblings, best girlfriends, church family..... so many to have by my side - while I'm losing it.

Making Memories

2011-05-01T15:57:00.002-05:00

I'll save my commentary on violence for another day and just post this work done by my nephews and sons.
I'm impressed with the editing and production that Christian has achieved with an old camera and limited resources.

More movies to come....

Fourteen and counting.....

2011-04-25T13:47:00.004-05:00

Yikes, when DID this happen???
The tallest person in the house is not dad.

Current Events - STORM!

2011-04-14T08:23:00.005-05:00

2011 saw our family venturing into uncharted waters. Caleb and Lucas joined a Swim Team at the South City YMCA. Like any competitive sport, its a bit intense at times and even a bit "cultish" in my view, but in a good way. :)
The whole YMCA experience has been "interesting" as well. Mix together my boys and men's locker room/open shower experiences, and I guarantee you the dinner table conversations have been amusing.

Overall, its been one of the best experiences we've had so far with our kids and team sports. Our thanks goes out to one of the THE best coaches ever, Jamie Hamilton, and all the others who made this program possible.

Looking forward to next year!

2010-10-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy 45th Jeff

Thanks for the all the ways you sacrifice to take care of our family~

May you stay forever young as you grow old :)

Love,
Amanda, Caleb, Lucas, and Isaac

Blow Out

2010-07-26T08:46:00.003-05:00

Before playing with small explosives,make sure to read the directions....

Happy Birthday to Me

2010-03-12T08:57:00.002-06:00

Here is a thoughtful gift from my sister. Thanks, Shannon, for the gift of memories! Great song choice, too!
And thanks to EVERYONE for the bday wishes. What a lovely day it has been....here's to many more years of life and love.

Lost

2010-03-11T11:16:00.000-06:00

2010-01-22T09:16:00.005-06:00

Jerry Arthur Cook
(click on name for obituary and service info)
father***husband***grandpa***friend

Let it Snow 2010

2010-01-12T15:36:00.001-06:00

Snowman #1 for 2010

We hope there are more to come!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-09T06:00:00.001-06:00

2009-11-09T10:25:00.007-06:00

For the most part, I am decorating-impaired. I dread the thought of coming up with a plan for my new kitchen. One of the reasons that decorating drives me crazy is the one million and one choices of color, style, furniture, design, etc. I like a variety of everything. I need it narrowed down for me. Starting from scratch makes me feel a bit overwhelmed. I'd rather look at several completed room designs and pick one to recreate.

We recently removed the wall to wall carpet in anticipation of refinishing our hardwood floors. However, the living room hardwood is just too darn cold for my feet, so I insist on having area rugs to warm the place up. I took a leap and bought an area rug that I love. I'll worry about the rest of the living room details when the time comes.

Flashback Friday - Halloween '06

2009-10-30T12:09:00.003-05:00

Playing Possum

2009-10-27T11:00:00.000-05:00

We love living in a house that backs up to a wooded area, but it seems there's always some critter exploring a little too close to home. Often the little pests end up in the trash cans. As a result, all of our cans have tight lids which we make sure are kept closed. However, the neighbor's lid-less garbage haulers offer prime opportunities for feasting to skunks, raccoons, shrews, mice, squirrels, and birds. If one makes its way into the can, it isn't long before kids warn us of the discovery with shrieks of delight or fear.

My favorite part of a critter close encounter is watching my neighbor release it back into the wooded area behind the house. Mustering all the machismo he can, he drags the can to the backyard and foot-tips the can away from the gang of gathered children. Sometimes it takes an additional kick or two on the bottom of the can to coax the creature out. The kids scream and scatter as the critter runs for wooded cover. The neighbor makes the rare "sissy scurry" away from the can as the beast escapes, but who can blame him? The wildlife around here have no fear of humans. Have you noticed the size of the common squirrel these days?! And skunk spray takes weeks to wear off, ya know.
This picture has a high 'ick factor' with Mom....

Here is the latest find:

opossum - alive and well!

Flashback Friday

2009-10-23T09:59:00.002-05:00

Birthday Blessings

2009-10-12T12:37:00.004-05:00

October is full of birthdays for our family (about a dozen in fact)!

Here's to the men in our lives celebrating birthdays! Our prayer for them is that they would know and trust Jesus above all people and things.

We thank God for the gift of their lives and look forward to many more years with them.

Room with a View

2009-10-09T06:30:00.000-05:00

While visiting Jerry in the ICU, Jeff snapped a few pics from the balloon race at Forest Park. These were taken from a window up in the Queeny Tower of the Barnes Complex

Great Forest Park Balloon Race on September 18-20, 2009

Lessons from our Kids

2009-10-02T13:06:00.008-05:00

Today Isaac was playing Foosball with Lucas, when his whine factor became higher than I could tolerate. I gave him the direction to go into his room for a time out and told him he could come out when he was done whining. He screamed at me, and in true five year old fashion stomped up to his room.
Two of his favorite things to scream at me are "I hate you, mommy" and "you're fat, mommy". And scream them he does! I've learned to remain calm when he does this. As long as he's not adding physical blows and is headed to his time out place, I let him alone.
Today he surprised me. During his time out, I was in the kitchen cleaning the screen door, when I suddenly felt arms come around from behind. As I turned and looked, I could see Isaac was crying and looked very sad. But I could tell that he wasn't trying to manipulate me into removing his time out. With the most humble and grown up sincerity I have ever seen in a child, he looked me in the eyes and sobbed, "I'm sorry mommy." I asked him what he was sorry for, and he continued with the same sincerity, "I'm sorry I called you fat." I hugged him, and thanked him for caring about my feelings. "I believe that you're sorry and I forgive you," I added.

I thank God for the ways He uses our kids to teach us. I was humbled by this one tiny moment and stunned by the sincerity of his apology. I attribute it to God and His Holy Spirit at work in even the youngest of us. Perhaps it's a small insignificant story for others, but I am glad that Jesus has given me eyes to see clearly, and a heart that takes things personally, loves deeply, and feels intensely.

I'm sure I'll need this memory for the next time he has a fit. :)

Flashback Friday - Mickey Pancake

2009-09-18T12:26:00.003-05:00

More Birthday Wishes

2009-09-01T06:00:00.002-05:00

In honor of Grandma Jo's birthday today, we share this little reflection/letter given to her for Mother's Day 2009

by Jeff Cook

Memories of My Mom
stories of my childhood & my mom that I share with my kids

I remember my mom making clothes for us when we were kids. I remember complaining about it as any child would. The most memorable part was that we all looked alike!

I remember playing hockey in the kitchen wearing cowboy boots while mom fixed dinner. She told me repeatedly not to wear the cowboy boots when playing hockey in the house; it scuffs up the floor. But I loved those cowboy boots so the floor was always scuffed until I out-grew the boots.

My mom was a zookeeper. We had chickens & rabbits & gerbils & turtles & snakes & dogs & cats & puppies, which always ended up under the shed. Mom would crawl under the shed and pull them out so they would have a proper home IN the shed, not UNDER the shed.

I remember my mom holding us & rocking us when our pets died.

I remember eating raisins with worms in 'em. I remember taking ipecac and throwing up in the tub. I still don't eat raisins by themselves.

I remember I woke up one morning, came out to breakfast, and saw that mom had a broken arm. I wondered what happened over night? Ladder fell while mom was on it. I also remember watching my mom break her arm after slipping on the ice. Ouch!

I remember that once while mom was driving the station wagon in the snow, we were clipped by a farm truck that took off the side view mirror. (editorial from Amanda: oh, that is SOOOOO Jefferson County!!)

I remember the time I backed the car out of the garage, catching the bumper on the toolbox, smashing it into the wall & crushing the wall. I remember mom trying to fix it so I wouldn’t get in trouble. Dad never did notice it.

I remember having a summer job at the pheasant farm & mom always being ready for us when we got home so we could shower the 'pheasant ick' off.

I remember my mom being a great cook. She cooked things I love that I can't get anymore (like liver & onions and stuffed peppers). I learned how to make chili from my mom. My wife now makes chili like mom taught me. After we got older & mom went back to work, the quality of dinner meals went down (the onion burger incident.)

And most importantly I remember my mom always being there.
I love you mom.
And my family loves you too.
- Jeff

Happy Birthday to you, Grandma Jo!

Flashback Friday - Birthdays Gone By

2009-08-28T09:15:00.008-05:00

Lucas August 2004
celebrating in STL
Makin' a wish with help from Gpa Jerry

Lucas

August 2004

celebrating in Illinois

"two parties...

two cakes.....

saweet!"

HBTY!

2009-08-01T09:50:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday, Shannon!

Amanda & Shannon (aka Aunt Shannon) Jan 2009

Flashback Friday - Cletus Collage

2009-07-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

Aunt Jan's Bloodhound, Cletus

early June '09

Back to the Grind (sigh)

2009-07-07T10:57:00.005-05:00

Vacation is always nice, but then there's the reality that you have to go back to work eventually - (sigh)

Hope your 4th of July was great. We had fun, but it flew by.....here's a glimpse!

Flashback Friday - Cool Treats

2009-07-03T06:00:00.002-05:00

Summer 2005

Lucas

Caleb

Isaac

Beat the Heat

2009-07-01T06:00:00.001-05:00

Monday Motivator

2009-06-29T06:00:00.003-05:00

Click here for SCC's "Dive"

The long awaited rains
Have fallen hard upon the thirsty ground
And carved their way to where
The wild and rushing river can be found
And like the rains
I have been carried here to where the river flows, yeah
My heart is racing and my knees are weak
As I walk to the edge
I know there is no turning back
Once my feet have left the ledge
And in the rush I hear a voice
That’s telling me its time to take the leap of faith
So here I go

I'm divin' in, I'm goin' deep,
in over my head I wanna be
Caught in the rush, lost in the flow, in over my head I wanna go
The river's deep, the river's wide, the river's water is alive
So sink or swim, I'm divin' in!

There is a supernatural power
In this mighty river’s flow
It can bring the dead to life
And it can fill an empty soul
And give a heart the only thing
Worth living and worth dying for, yeah
But we will never know the awesome power
Of the grace of God
Until we let ourselves get swept away
Into this Holy Flood
So if you’ll take my hand
Well close our eyes and count to three
And take the leap of faith
Come on lets go!

Flashback Friday

2009-06-25T10:14:00.002-05:00

Jeff and Jerry back when......

Like Father Like Son

2009-06-22T11:21:00.011-05:00

posing like monkeys in front of the STL Zoo Primate House (not a big stretch for these 2 men!) While PD (Parkinson's Disease) has begun to take its toll on grandpa Jerry, he still has his sense of humor and an attitude full of spit and vinegar. One minute his voice is barely audible, and then the next minute he's barkin' at the kids to "keep it down"! With time, PD reality is that confusion may set in at one point, followed by moments of lucidity which bring relief. A successful brain implant surgery has lessened the trembling, but balance issues continue. It's both serious and silly to watch him as he moves through life one day at a time, dealing with the effects of PD. And it's eye-opening to watch a loved one suffer through this disease.
I've watched Jerry's kids become painfully aware of what PD can do to their pop, but I've seen them willingly rally to his side to help take care of him. As Aunt Jodie put it, the biggest trophy goes to Grandma Ann, who unconditionally and sacrificially cares for him 24/7. This is the stuff that makes you REALLY think about the meaning of marriage vows like "in good times and bad; in sickness and in health". Thanks, Ann, for your love and commitment to Jerry.

Jeff and his dad are definitely alike. But they are also very different. Time has shaped them both, for better or for worse, and we are grateful for them. Each has filled the role as "father" in his own unique way. As the 'mother' part of the parental equation, I have come to appreciate the differences in they way mom does it verses the way dad does it, and I can be thankful for both.

We might think that we have all the time in the world to spend with family, but truthfully time is short. Enjoy your fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, cousins, etc. while the time is ripe.

Permission to Kick Butt

2009-06-16T10:58:00.009-05:00

Caleb and Lucas have been taking karate lessons for about a year now. Currently they've both earned up to their purple belt. Friday evenings are reserved for sparring, so the boys have permission to "fight". But being the boys they are, there is also plenty of good ol' sibling rivalry around the house throughout the week.

above:

Caleb vs the owner of Robinson's Karate, Steve Robinson.

Flashback Friday

2009-06-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

2007 Feller's Cake Contest (Scouts Blue & Gold Banquet)

Monday Motivator

2009-06-08T06:30:00.001-05:00

Flashback Friday

2009-06-05T09:26:00.002-05:00

"Cuttin' A Rug"
JUNE 2007
Lainey and Joe Puglisi Wedding

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-06-03T06:00:00.004-05:00

Relying on God

has to begin all over again

every day

as if nothing had yet been done.
C. S. Lewis

If you have yet to read any of this author's MANY works, you are missing out on some superb God-inspired original insight about Christianity (he was once an atheist) and some fantastic children's literature as well.

Check it out here.

Grand Theft Auto?

2009-06-02T06:00:00.006-05:00

Some time ago on one of our usual trips to Jefferson Barracks trail for our family exercise session, dh and I discovered a new trick. Like always, we loaded up the minivan with 2 med sized bikes, 2 adults, 3 kids, and a double jogging stroller. It takes a bit of work to get all these people/things to fit into the van, but we get 'er done. It takes the same bit of work to unload and assemble, while keeping tabs on the "adventurous" 5 year old who is amused by his discovery of the bright blue toilet water in the port-a-potty.
But on this trip, in the chaos of this getting ready to exercise ritual, we locked the keys in the van. Having started jogging ahead of Jeff and boys (I'm slower than my physically fit spouse), they caught up with me to break the news that the keys were being held prisoner inside the hatch of the van. So, we went back the 1/4 of a mile that we had already covered just to verify that it wasn't a dream. We all did the obligatory cup-your-hands-around-your-face-and-peer-inside-van-repeating-the-phrase 'yep, there they are' . Since we leave the front driver's side window cracked about a 1/2 inch, we scoured the parking lot for something to stick down into the window to nudge the power lock. No luck. Hmmm, what to do. I am often driven by my obsession to exercise daily without letting anything or anyone interfere, so I thought hard. As I removed my mp3 earphones (its hard to think with earplugs in), it hit me. The earpiece is shaped to fit around your ear, so it would grab the tiny lever for the power locks and bingo! It was easy enough to slip the skinny flexible wire and earpiece through the window opening, and in under 15 seconds, we had unlocked the van. We cheered, retrieved the keys, and went on our way.

As we began the trail run again, I felt obligated to go into a paranoid spiel about how we better not leave our windows cracked open like that anymore since I was SURE that the "thieves" waiting for us to leave our van alone in the parking lot had already thought of this earphones in the windows trick! In my coolest secret agent fashion, I nonchalantly surveyed the area while telling dh a half dozen times that there might be a handful of people out there who know how to hot wire a van just like ours. Hadn't they thought of this one?! What a perfect way to break into a vehicle and easily unlock power windows! I felt a little bit like one of the characters from "The Riches" with my newly learned auto theft skill. Good thing Jeff has learned to smile and nod so well when I obsess.

Kids, don't imitate everything your parents do.

Flashback Friday...with Attitude

2009-05-29T11:01:00.013-05:00

Fun with Windows Paintbrush
circa 2003
At about age 4 Lucas went through a "stage" where his attitude and behavior quickly turned from sweet, affectionate, and cuddly to all around sour. He smiled less and sneered more (pictured below). We had a nickname for him that was less than flattering and most people gasp when we divulge it. Suffice it to say that he had a real bad attitude. We caught him mid-sneer in this picture. You can see by the hands-on-the-hips pose that he meant business......

Jeff's embellishments:
Mom's editing:

Walkin' In Memphis

2009-05-25T11:36:00.002-05:00

Follow This!

2009-05-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

This past week, the Administrative Pastor of our church embarked on an incredible adventure! I refer you to his blog below. I look forward to following him and his wife on their journey into Alaska and beyond! (Scroll down on the blog page and start from the "Welcome" post to for the full story.)

Pastor Bill's Blog

Flashback Friday Memorial Day

2009-05-22T09:18:00.008-05:00

Caleb & Lucas placing flags at JB National Cemetery 2007

Saluting as "Old Glory" is raised
Opening ceremony of Boy Scouts annual flag placement
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery

Motor Skills Lessons

2009-05-17T22:10:00.000-05:00

A Shout Out to......

2009-05-15T13:48:00.003-05:00

EVERYONE who helped to defend homeschooling and our basic parental rights (homeschoolers or not!) Read more about this important issue here.

Have a Great Week!

2009-05-10T20:28:00.000-05:00

Lego Mania Part 2

2009-05-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

A few of our creations...

Lego Mania Part 1

2009-05-04T08:40:00.000-05:00

There is never a shortage of Legos in our home. I can appreciate Legos and the creativity they inspire in kids and adults alike. To my dismay, we've spent (ahem) hundreds of dollars on Lego pieces and sets. We consider Legos a good investment and don't mind if the boys spend hours playing with them.
Check out this cool example of Lego creativity.

Flashback Friday - Boys of Summer?!

2009-05-01T09:58:00.007-05:00

Circa 2000
Jeff Cook, Chris Cook (no relation), Bob Louis (finger in navel), and Michael Zaretzky (needs a wax job REALLY badly!)

Perspectives

2009-04-29T14:10:00.004-05:00

Caleb turned 12 recently and seems so "grown up" to us. But this tree at Jefferson Barracks makes him look small again. :)

Play Ball!

2009-04-28T12:16:00.008-05:00

Jeff has been coaching one of several baseball teams for Green Park Lutheran School for the past 3 years. Lucas and Jeff share a love for baseball and other sports so they anticipate baseball season with excitement. Gone are the instructional, coach-pitching baseball days, as this is the first year the boys themselves will be pitching . Their first game went pretty well. Over 5 innings the team only suffered 3 HBP, 5 BB, and 13 K. And we won 9-5!
Jeff has a passion for coaching that is evident in his enthusiastic, patient instruction of these rowdy, excitable, growing and developing young athletes. Coaching is definitely one of his gifts. Other than the flying clipboard incident, he stays pretty even-tempered out there. Pat on the back to you, my dear. Keep up the excellent work!

SHARE Project Fair 2009

2009-04-26T14:58:00.006-05:00

The S.H.A.R.E. Project Fair was this past April 14th. Each participant created a project on a subject of personal choice and displayed it for fellow homeschoolers, parents, grandparents, and visitors on Project Fair Night.

Caleb spent several weeks researching eagles and presented a project called "Eagles Everywhere". He included photos of our past visit to the Wild Bird Sanctuary in Lone Elk Park.

Lucas chose to study the state of Oklahoma. In the process of researching OK he emailed the OK dept of tourism and received several impressive pieces of travel info. The history of OK is interesting and the travel adventures seem endless.
It was nice to put away some of the other subjects for a few weeks and really dig into these topics. Homeschooling allows us to steer off the planned course of instruction where we can study the present subject more in depth if we like or we can pursue something else that comes up in the process. Handling our kids' education in this way makes it more flexible and more enjoyable for everyone.

PS....

Back in 2005, Caleb did a project about his Venus Flytrap. It's cute to look back....

The Big 12

2009-04-17T14:18:00.003-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

High Eggspectations

2009-04-13T10:41:00.005-05:00

We have a family tradition of dying eggs for Easter. With practice and patience, you can get pretty creative with this process.
Each year I take the time to prepare the eggs, mix the dye, and set up the table. As SAS (short attention span) would have it, the older boys are finished within the first 5-10 minutes, and Jeff, Isaac and I usually finish the rest.

Caleb blazes through 6 eggs in under 30 seconds, while Lucas takes a bit more time (60 seconds?) to do his. Their idea of dying eggs is to fully submerge each egg in the dye cup for a millisecond. This year, while we were dying eggs, there was a knock at the front door. The boys quickly abandoned egg dying for a more appealing activity - playing baseball with the neighbors.
Our boys have little interest in art projects that involve, well, sitting still in general! Even so, I enter into every art project with high expectations that they will want to take the time to think and create. What I've come to realize with our boys is that they are most creative when they initiate the project themselves. That is, after all, what individual creativity is all about. We are more than satisfied with that.

Celebrating Faith and Sacrifice

2009-04-10T09:00:00.011-05:00

This Holy Week is a significant time of remembrance and celebration for our family. On Easter Sunday (and every Sunday during worship) we celebrate the gift of Jesus' sacrifice for us and the miracle of Jesus' Resurrection.
Have a joyful Resurrection Day!

"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For he who has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."
Romans 6:3-11 The Revised Standard Version

"Beautiful Scandalous Night"

(originally by Smalltown Poets;

covered here by Leigh Nash, of Sixpence None the Richer, and Bebo Norman)
Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified

Follow Christ to the holy mountain
Sinner sorry and wrecked by the fall
Cleanse your heart and your soul
In the fountain that flows
For you and for me and for all

At the wonderful, tragic, mysterious tree
On that beautiful, scandalous night you and me
Were atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful, scandalous night

On the hillside, you will be delivered
At the foot of the cross justified
And your spirit restored
By the river that pours
From our blessed Savior's side

At the wonderful, tragic, mysterious tree
On that beautiful, scandalous night you and me
Were atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful, scandalous night

You carried the sin of mankind on your back…
…..and the sky went black

Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified

At the wonderful, tragic, mysterious tree
On that beautiful, scandalous night you and me
Were atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful, scandalous night

Hockey Screams

2009-04-06T06:30:00.007-05:00

When we make plans to do something fun or special with the boys, we often wait til the last minute to surprise them with the news. If we tell them too far in advance, because of Caleb's obsessive tendencies, we're met with a barrage of questions about every last detail. It's much more peaceful for all of us if we spring the secret on them just before.

It can be challenging to keep the secret, especially when the surprise takes planning or preparation. For our February vacation to Great Wolf Lodge in KC, I packed the day before and kept the mess hidden in our dinky 12x10 master bedroom. Since the boys don't venture in there much, the mound of clothes and pool accessories remained undiscovered. The following morning, Lucas began to suspect when he saw the Google maps page on my laptop displaying directions to GWL in KC. (rats!) I heard him whispering to Caleb, and they began putting clues together. Once we confirmed their suspicion, they were alarmingly calm yet very stoked to take this unexpected vacation. Caleb and Luc were telling us how they figured it all out, but Isaac shrugged his shoulders and chimed in with, "I just didn't find out anything" (he didn't have a clue what was going on).

We still enjoy surprising them occasionally. If we plan well, we can capture their reactions on tape. Watch the latest episode below. Notice that our boys' screams (or Isaac's mini tantrum) will give any kid a run for their money. I am especially proud of how well Isaac milked this one. :)

Flashback Friday

2009-04-03T08:26:00.004-05:00

Jeff and Jerry Cook (circa 1967)

Flashback Friday

2009-03-13T11:02:00.003-05:00

It's Not About Me

2009-03-12T12:44:00.012-05:00

Today I am 41.
I feel more alive today than ever, and my life is better than ever.
My circumstances may say:
I'm stressed out!
I need a break!
The economy stinks!
Someone dissed me!
My friend is hurting!
My neighbor is struggling!
There aren't enough hours in the day to get it all done!
I am exhausted!
I need some quiet time!
I need more money!
I need less debt!
I have so much to do!
I feel depressed, or anxious, or scared, or insane, or unnerved, (fill in your own word here)!

BUT despite my circumstances, my heart and my faith know:
peace that I can't explain and
joy that a person can only find ABOVE his/her circumstances.

This is who I am. This is what I believe.
And I believe it's all because of Jesus.

Flashback Friday

2009-03-06T06:30:00.000-06:00

Haiku

2009-03-02T16:14:00.000-06:00

A few Fridays ago we spent our language arts time creating poems called Haiku. As soon as I spoke the word 'poem', I heard protests and deep guttural groans. (The boys have also become adept at giving facial gestures that make them appear temporarily disfigured. I choose to ignore most of these responses most of the time.) I explained there was no rhyming required and they perked up a bit.
Isaac has the rhyming talents in the family, but the older boys consistently struggled with that concept. Go figure! It's a hoot to listen to Isaac come up with a rhyme for any word you give him. At times unbridled 5 year old rhyming can be dangerous, but mostly it is entertainment for us.
Haiku (the Americanized version) has a syllabic pattern (1st line - 5, 2nd line - 7, 3rd line - 5) . Thankfully, it's far less challenging for my older boys to count syllables than to rhyme. I gave them the pattern for writing the poems, and we donned paper and pen for a brainstorming session. As we embarked on the planning process for writing, the irony began.
Haiku does not require complete sentences or punctuation. In the opposite case of story or paragraph writing, we've been practicing writing complete sentences using correct punctuation. Seems I've had to beat it into them, and even though it is becoming habit, they occasionally give me incomplete or run-on sentences. Ironically, the second they attempted to write a haiku, they gave me nothing but complete sentences and correct end punctuation! As I sat there urging them to use phrases instead of complete sentences, I couldn't help but cringe at the thought that I was contradicting all the skills I had beaten into them recently. In my efforts to salvage some of the progress we'd made in successful sentence writing, we reflected on how the rules of grammar have exceptions, and they understood a little better why they were allowed to write without sentences.
Haiku typically have nature themes, but I gave them permission to choose any topic. Now don't go all legalistic on me when you see what we turned up for Haiku. The Americanized version of original Haiku has evolved far from the Japanese original.
Here's the result:

Star Wars by Caleb Cook
Galaxy in space
Lots of action and fighting
Force may be with YOU

Volcanoes by Lucas Cook
Gigantic hot rocks
Hot lava flows down the side
Smoke and ashes rise

Lego’s by the Cooks
Many small pieces
Use your imagination
Ready, set, create

Calvin
sneaky little child
a big imagination
grounded once again

Share your very own Haiku in our comments section, just don't post it on Facebook or it could become public domain! :)

Flashback Friday

2009-02-27T06:30:00.001-06:00

Jeff and his siblings 1988
some pictures need no captions :)

Give Me a Break!

2009-02-23T07:34:00.008-06:00

A few years ago we made a decision for our family. We decided to take the time and bear the expense of at least one family vacation per year. For about 3 years we have kept that tradition, and we try to encourage our kids to be grateful for whatever vacation we get to take, big or small. October has been our month of choice as it's a good time to avoid crowds and receive off season discounts, but we missed our regularly scheduled vacation due to the chaos of preparing our home for sale. With the flexibility of homeschooling comes the perk that we can pick up and go at a moment's notice. So, we're off! No school, no work, no house keeping, no domestic responsibilities of any kind.
Enjoy your week, and we'll catch up when we return!
We're headed to Kansas City, MO to play here.

Flashback Friday - Music Past

2009-02-20T07:20:00.000-06:00

Jeff has a HUGE library of music, and once in awhile I actually listen to some of the same artists. While we both appreciate a wide range of artists and genres, we have distinctly different tastes in music. But this group is one on which we agree. In 1995, "Send Me on My Way" hit Billboard's Hot 100 at #72. I remember that I primarily listened to "pop" or classic rock music stations in 1995, so I immediately liked this song when it was first played on radio. From there, the challenge was to figure out the lyrics.

My jury is still out on what the ACTUAL lyrics are, but you can google the song title and see what some have come up with. I am not 100% sure that the artist would agree with what is posted, but I haven't found lyrics officially posted by the artist anywhere.
Listen and watch here.

STL Zoo's Cinder Dies

2009-02-19T08:33:00.001-06:00

Being huge fans of the STL Zoo, we were sad to read this STL Post Dispatch article today. The Chimps, Gorillas and Orangutans are among our favorite exhibits at the Zoo. We will miss our hairless friend.

Hello Old Friends!

2009-02-16T08:29:00.027-06:00

Do you know any famous people? We know lots of them.
Two of the words used to define famous are "excellent" and "first-rate". We're blessed with a slew of famous friends, but I'm saving an exhaustive list for a future post.
Pastor Tony, Jen, and kids are among our famous friends. They are former members of our church, Christ Memorial. The Booses left STL several years ago after Tony accepted a call to be an Associate Pastor, Director of Missions at Faith Lutheran Church in Troy Michigan. We miss them for sure, but we are happy to see how God is using them in Michigan.
Here are two short videos from the Booses family. The first is a "cover" video of "A Homeschool Family" (with original lyrics!), and the second is a short interview about a recent mission trip. A "shout out" goes to Lauren and Brandon - great job! But I have to give Pastor Tony an honorable mention for sharing his vocal talent as well! :)
Thanks, Booses, for always encouraging others with your friendship, your example, your love, and your willingness to put Jesus at the forefront of everything you do.

.

The Source of Love

2009-02-13T08:25:00.024-06:00

Cliche' as it sounds, love is indeed a choice - an ongoing series of actions we choose when it comes to relating with others. It isn't always easy to love, but with the help of a loving God, there is hope and help to love others. I believe we cannot do it on our own. I believe the source is God himself, and if we love anyone, we do it because he enables us to do so.
Our family has seen some adversity. But we've found that when you take the time to chisel things down enough to search your heart for the love that's there, often times that can uphold you through adversity and beyond. Finding love for "self" and then others begins when we acknowledge the deep love that God has for us - His creation.

1 John 4:19 "We love because he first loved us."

Today we're sharing a SHORT daily devotion (below) which we receive through a church friend. It's a realistic word about love and commitment through adversity.

We wish all our friends and family a happy Valentine's Day. May you know God in a personal way and realize the love He has for you!

Enduring Love
READ: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 [Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. —1 Corinthians 13:7

Like many people, I enjoy the Google homepage artwork that appears on special days and holidays. Last Valentine’s Day, the artistic logo showed an older couple—a man with a cane and a white-haired woman—walking hand in hand as the woman held two heart-shaped balloons. It was a beautiful reminder that while our culture glorifies youthful romance, true love has many stages during our journey through life.
Paul’s great essay in 1 Corinthians 13 celebrates the depth and tenacity of the love that carries us beyond self-interest and mere affection. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (vv.4-8).

Brian Wren has captured this reality in his moving hymn,
“When Love Is Found”:
When love is tried as loved ones change,
Hold still to hope though all seems strange,
Till ease returns, and love grows wise
Through listening ears and opened eyes. © Hope Publishing Co.

When our commitments are tested in the fires of life, no matter what difficulties we face, may God grant us a greater experience of His enduring love and the grace to demonstrate it each day. — David C. McCasland

God’s love is a fabric that never fades, no matter how often it is washed in the waters of adversity.

Flashback Friday - A Child's Heart

2009-02-06T13:09:00.006-06:00

February 2006

Isaac decorating Valentines

Happy Sweet Sixteen!

2009-02-03T08:25:00.007-06:00

Here's to you, Alex!

Have a great sweet sixteen.

We thank God for you!

Sledding at Jefferson Barracks

2009-01-31T06:30:00.005-06:00

There is no lack of childlike desire to just PLAY among the adults in our house. Every winter our family anticipates at least one or two snowfalls good enough for sledding. Thankfully, we usually get our wish.

If the snow is heavy enough, the local schools are closed for a day or two and many in our neighborhood can be found sledding at Jefferson Barracks. Besides a winding walking trail, cork ball fields, and a myriad of wildlife, there are several prime sledding spots. If you live in ST. Louis and haven't visited Jefferson Barracks, check it out!

See some of our fun on Flickr.

Flashback Friday - Let it Snow..in March?!

2009-01-30T05:30:00.002-06:00

Last March we had a heavy and beautiful snow here in STL. Our family remembers it well because we had a home school "snow day", and Dad even stayed home from work. We spent well over 6 hours playing outside in the snow, into the early evening after the sun had set. What fun it was! Hope you take time to play when life delivers the opportunity!

note the baby snowman next to the adult sized snowman :)

Random-ness

2009-01-29T11:17:00.010-06:00

Just a simple photo I accidentally shot while preparing to take pics of our sledding adventure. I love that little nose. :)

Most of the good shots I end up taking are the ones where I don't even try. {sigh}

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-28T09:21:00.010-06:00

If I am stealing the "Wordless Wednesday" title from someone in particular, please let me know. I don't think I am since I have seen umpteen thousand blogs using the same theme on Wednesdays. It won't be a weekly thing, but sounds like a good idea for a Wednesday post now and then. I am not a "blogger" so I don't know "the rules". :)

Last night after a short game of Disney Pixar edition Monopoly, Jeff and the boys headed outside for a walk. Here are some shots captured along the way (10:30 pm).

A View From Space

2009-01-26T06:30:00.000-06:00

America voted, and a new President was elected.

Check out this satellite view of the inauguration.

The kids loved these photos. Make sure you click on the Zoom Out prompt after the description of the photo for an even bigger view.

Romans 13: 1-3
Submission to the Authorities
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Flashback Friday - Pong

2009-01-23T06:30:00.001-06:00

With the overwhelming popularity of Wii, XBox, etc., etc., we step backwards in time to consider one of the very first video arcade games to which my generation (some say that is generation X) was exposed.
Read more about it here.
I liked the game but hated the awful "bloop" noises.
Please share your nostalgic thoughts and insights on this and other games of the past.

2009
Wii Boxing
Gotta love this picture of SIL vs. MIL!

The Rest of the Story

2009-01-20T07:36:00.011-06:00

We are NOT moving!

Our house is officially off the market, and we are staying put at our current address for years to come.

The past 5 months have been quite a learning experience for our family, in both exciting and stressful ways. You can plan and prepare and discuss and decide, but sometimes you simply can't know what will actually happen until you reach a certain point in time. Our journey toward moving began with a much different plan and goal than how it ended once we considered all the details that were added along the way. Our bottom line - we are content with our "little" house on Southshire and our "little" house payment as well!

I think now we might begin to tackle our very own "extreme makeover" home edition.

But we'll keep it in mind to expect the unexpected.

Expect the Unexpected

2009-01-19T11:59:00.009-06:00

This may or may not be news (or newsworthy), but the blog seems a logical place to make the announcement.

We are.................

(come back tomorrow for the rest of the story!)

Flashback Friday 2

2009-01-16T06:30:00.004-06:00

Hard to believe they were ever this small...and I was ever this "large"?!

There are many badges that we wear as "moms" from a bit of extra weight or some (lots) of stretch marks. For this mom, the physical imperfections and evidences of bearing and birthing children are worth it.

Psalm 127:3

Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.

photo of Amanda, Caleb, and Lucas on AUGUST 27th, 1999

New Year's in Tennessee

2009-01-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

Vacation seems to snowball me into that state of puttin' things off (procrastination!). We've been plenty busy, even during our vacation, but since this blog is for keeping in touch with family and friends, a few posts here and there is good enough. Vacation has ended, and I am doing an average job of staying on task and on schedule.

We hope you all had a great Christmas and healthy start to 2009. Our New Year began better than 2008 ended. The day after Christmas, Caleb was hit by a stomach virus. The next day Jeff had similar symptoms - only bigger and better! It was very unpleasant for him, and he was down for the count for several days after. Finally, Lucas was hit the day after dad. We assumed that it would eventually hit the last 2 victims (Isaac and mom), but thankfully, somehow, we escaped it this time around. That was lucky for us, as we were preparing to leave for our annual New Year's Eve vacation at my sister's in TN.

Since the boys were slowly but surely showing signs of recovery, we decide the that we'd travel as planned. On Wed, Dec. 30th, we donned travel barf bags and cautiously but happily piled into the van to set off for the great state of Tennessee. The weather in St. Louis, through Illinois and Kentucky, and into Tennessee was mild, clear and balmy, so the drive was pleasant. Since we left after lunchtime, the last 2 hours of our 5 1/2 hour trip provided a beautiful, star-filled midnight blue sky. At last we pulled into our final destination, and we were giddy with the excitement of a relaxing and fun vacation.

We enjoy our vacations in TN for many reasons. Tennessee's winters are not near as cold as most St. Louis winters, which means the kids can burn off any "cabin fever" by playing outside most days. Three spunky dogs (Buddy the Golden Retriever, Rex the Terrier, and Trixie the mutt) provide plenty of adventure. Caleb, Lucas, and Isaac love having wrestling matches with their older cousin Stephen on the huge trampoline. The yard is about an acre, so there's plenty of room for all 9 of us to play touch football and kickball. Alex, the oldest cousin, makes lots of time to visit and play with everyone when she isn't texting her friends or reading some sophisticated literature. :)

Of course, part of any good vacation is the food. You won't find any St. Louis style pizza in Tennessee, so we take along a special pizza care package per my sister's request. "Uncle Kelly" makes an awesome spinach artichoke dip, and "Aunt Shannon" always saves us plenty of Christmas cookies and raspberry tarts, which she and Alex can whip out in no time! Shannon also keeps a pitcher of Christmas punch ready in the fridge. We also enjoy bonfires and toasting marshmallows in the evening.

This vacation is a great way for our family to start each new year. It's all about playing, eating, and visiting family we love. It's a content feeling to get so much enjoyment from simply visiting your out of town family. We look forward to many more visits to come!

Happy 2009 to everyone! We pray it is blessed year for all!

Flashback Friday 1

2009-01-09T20:09:00.009-06:00

Fridays at Cook's Corner will be reserved for an assortment of "flashbacks". You'll just have to keep visiting to see what I come up with.

While organizing my photos to do my scrapbooking, I started to scan many of our old family photos to keep on the computer.

Here is one from circa 1977.
L to R is Amanda, Don, Shannon, Carol, and Chris

Lucas looked at this picture and said, "Mom, you look like a boy."

Gee, thanks, Lucas.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T06:30:00.004-06:00

Have a warm, wonderful and very Merry Christmas!
Jesus loves you!

"Welcome to Our World"
(words and music by Chris Rice; covered by many artists, but sung below by Michael W. Smith)

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome Holy Child, welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home, please make Yourself at home

Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome Holy Child, welcome Holy Child

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born, unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God, perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

The Greatest Gift of All

2008-12-24T08:17:00.156-06:00

Jesus.

That's what it's all about. Christmas, that is.

On December 25th, Christians celebrate the birth of no ordinary child, but a king like no other king in history. On this day each year, believers in Christ celebrate one of history's greatest moments.

For me personally, the Christmas story took on a whole new meaning after I confessed faith in Jesus as my personal Savior. It's different now when we celebrate it with our church family and as we raise our kids to embrace faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

As a kid, I generally experienced a more secular and commercialized Christmas through books and TV. There was some focus on "faith" as our family celebrated, but it was mostly commercial to me, and I thought more about the magic of Santa Claus. As an adult, with a different kind of "faith" - a new personal faith in Jesus as Savior- I can read the facts about Jesus' birth from the Bible. I once again experience the magical spirit of Christmas that I held dear as child, only now I see that it isn't magic, but the awesome power of the one, true, very personal God who loves each of us intimately.

Take a moment to read about the birthday of Jesus in Matthew 1, Matthew 2 , and Luke 2 .

Make it your own direct encounter with the God who created you. A faithful friend of mine suggested that as we read God's Word it's helpful to set aside preconceptions or former teaching about Jesus and try to read it as a biography of someone you are hearing of for the first time. God will help you take it in from there. For me, this made the difference in my pursuit of God.
(If you want to know more, please ask me!)

God invites us to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus His son, whom He sent to take away our sin. We can only understand this more clearly as we stay connected to God. He will help us build that personal relationship through prayer (talking to God) and reading about His attributes and His plan in the Bible.

Even if you aren't used to reading the Bible on your own, you can easily start today, and consider how God is personally speaking to YOU. You don't have to understand it all, just go to God, and keep reading His Word daily. Start with John's gospel, for example, and ask for help to hear and understand what God is saying to you personally. God will be faithful to lead you the rest of the way. Say a prayer by just talking honestly to God. He wants to hear from you and can handle anything you say to Him. See what John's gospel reveals to you, and be amazed by God's faithfulness as you acknowledge His call.

The holiday bustle can certainly be full of things that distract us away from the true reason for celebrating Christmas. As you celebrate, don't forget to focus on the greatest gift of all - Jesus.

Even if you haven't made Jesus the focus of this celebration- or your life- up to now, it isn't too late to discover and experience the gift that God has for us in Jesus and a personal relationship with Him.

We wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love,
Amanda and family :)

Increase Your Vocabulary

2008-12-23T09:55:00.004-06:00

procrastinate - verb
Definition: delay, put off doing
Synonyms: adjourn, be dilatory, cool*, dally, dawdle, defer, drag, drag one’s feet, give the run around, hang fire, hesitate, hold off, lag*, let slide, linger, loiter, pause, play a waiting game, play for time, poke*, postpone, prolong, retard, shilly-shally*, stall, stay, suspend, tarry, temporize, wait

I sometimes procrastinate, but it isn't a major problem for me. I try to accomplish tasks in a timely manner, since often it involves being respectful of other people's time!

However, during Christmas "vacation" procrastination becomes an art form for me. I justify this temporary bad habit of putting things off with the I-work-really-hard-the-rest-of-the-year-so-I-deserve-a-break-at-the-holidays philosophy.

If you read through the different words used to define it, then maybe you were convicted by exactly what your own procrastination means.

I was convicted. But seems I'm still guilty of doing it. This holiday, I've added a new word, similar to 'procrastinate', to my mental word bank .

You see, last week my ears perked up when I heard a pair of radio DJs mention a website called Word Spy. The DJs were sharing info about the site and giving examples of some newly invented words. In attempts at humor, they were making up their own words. I believe they coined the following term themselves because I didn't find it on "Word Spy". Either way, I am guilty of doing it, especially around holidays. And the new word is...

"Procrastibake"!-
...choosing and executing the task of holiday baking over every other higher priority task you really should be doing instead. This can include impulse holiday baking which you hadn't even planned on doing in the first place!

So here's a "slide" of me as I procrastibake and candy make (with some help!)

Many blessings to you this holiday season as you procrastinate and procrastibake(!) along with the rest of us! :)

Impulse Blogging (Post Script)

2008-12-18T12:09:00.023-06:00

I got some feedback about the You Tube hero dog video. Most who read it commented to me and not on the blog post itself. Here is what I heard:

"After watching the first dog get hit, I couldn't (and didn't!) watch anymore..."

"You know, that 2nd dog was simply dragging his next meal off the road so no other animals would get to it before he was ready to eat!"

"Awww, that was so, um, sweet?..uh, no, well, I mean it was neat - er, uh,.....it was nice of that little dog to drag his dead friend off the road. How would you describe it?!"

I laughed at the comment that perhaps the homeless dog was just hungry and that is why he dragged the dead critter off the road. But it's probably not crazy to assume that if an animal is hungry enough, he'll eat anything. :)

So, until I consult with the Dog Whisperer (yes, I LOVE Cesar because he has enough sense to treat a dog like a dog and not a human) and find out for sure, I suppose the whole hero dog post could have been in vain?

Addicted?

2008-12-15T21:37:00.001-06:00

I like my coffee strong. Since I don't have an espresso machine I have to settle for trying to create an espresso-like effect with my Mr. Coffee. Doesn't really work, just brews very very strong coffee. It's OK, though, because lots of steamy, frothed half-n-half tops it off perfectly. It's the way I start every single morning without fail.

I used to kid myself that I was not addicted to coffee. But when I look at the definition of the word 'addiction', I begin to reconsider.

Here's what I found at Dictionary.com: addiction - noun; 1) the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma;
2)The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or involved in something.

Let's see...I do have one every morning so I guess that fits the "habitual" part. When I don't get to enjoy my morning latte, I guess you could say that it might be mildly harmful to others. Without the stuff, I get a mild headache and slightly irritable. I'm careful not to abuse anyone if (forbid it!) I don't get my morning latte. Depending on the mood I'm in when I wake up, it can be severely traumatic, at least for me, if I must forgo my morning fix even for one day. That seems similar to the "cessation causes severe trauma" part. Hmmm...

My name is Amanda, and I'm a latte-holic.

Admitting the problem is the first step in recovery. Even so, I doubt this is one addiction I will give up anytime soon.

Thanks for the Memories

2008-12-13T10:56:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite childhood memories of Christmas was watching the old Rankin Bass holiday specials. Besides family gatherings, a few holiday masses, and occasional winter holiday traveling from Tennessee to St. Louis, we didn't have many special family traditions for Christmastime. I just remember how I'd look forward to those TV specials each year. Watching them year after year helped us fall in love with the quirky characters and know all the songs by heart. These old "stop motion" animation classics have stood the test of time, and our kids love to watch them even now. Forget any of the newer Christmas specials - they all fall short in comparison to the good ol' Rankin Bass creative talents.

Our favorites include Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Year Without a Santa Claus, The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. The voice talents in these specials was top notch as well.

Kudos to Rankin and Bass for that yearly nostalgic trip down holiday animation memory lane!

Impulse Blogging

2008-12-09T12:44:00.051-06:00

Okay, this one is strictly impulsive, but I couldn't resist.

I ran across this story while reading the news on line Tuesday morning. It was a brief "awwww" moment for my day.

I am not a big animal lover in general. But I did love the unpredictable little American Eskimo puppy we had when I was a kid. I guess even now if I had a pet I might grow to love it. However, I am SURE I could never love a cat! I'm allergic to them so that doesn't increase the likelihood that I'll ever come close to enjoying them. ( Why do most cats remind me of the stuck-up, antisocial, spoiled, neurotic cheerleaders from my High School days?! Maybe my issues are more about the cheerleaders and less about cats?!) I simply LOATHE cats.
Then again, there is ONE exception. My sister had a likable cat. "CP", (short for couch potato), would chase a foil ball and bring it back to you much like a dog plays fetch. CP seemed to be a bit more social than other cats I have known, even though she primarily lounged on the couch. Once she jumped from the kitchen window smack dab into a pan of hot enchiladas on the dinner table! Gross, but funny! She was a cool cat to have around.

But I digress....

So, here is a rather poor video quality version of the story from Tuesday. It's a bit rough to watch at first so be warned. If you can watch it for the full 40 or so seconds, the end is somewhat of an "awwwwwww" moment. (note: It appears that the first dog did not survive, but there is something to be said about the other dog pulling his comrade out of the barrage of speeding cars.)

Can you say "Good dog!" ?

Chili Weather is Here!

2008-12-08T15:32:00.009-06:00

We sure enjoyed autumn in St Louis, but it seems that old man winter had no problem blowing the mild weather right outta town lately! During the winter months, we do a lot of crock pot cooking, especially soups and chili. I typically don't follow recipes, but instead follow the Nike philosophy of "Just Do It". Most times the soup or chili tastes great, so it works for our family. And if the rest of the family doesn't particularly like what I make, they are only forced to eat it at one meal. (We have a rule in our house that you eat what the pot makes. There are no other meals prepared for picky eaters, and they can choose to eat or not to eat! Guess what? They always eat it!)

What are your favorite meals, family recipes or food traditions that are specific to winter time (not necessarily the holidays, but those traditions and recipes would be great too!)?
Please share!

Tis the Season

2008-12-03T09:20:00.026-06:00

Late October/early November means Clementine season, so as usual we have our counter stocked with these sweet miniature kid-friendly oranges. Our kids are strongly encouraged to eat at LEAST 2 fruits daily (more is recommended!), so they like Clementine season because it means quick and easy doses of their required fruit intake.
Honey crisp apples are next on our list of favorite nature's candies. In St. Louis we enjoy these apples from late summer into early winter. If you want to pay for it, you can have them shipped year round! They are so fabulous, if you can afford it, it's worth it. Luckily, l can still find them at the Dierbergs in my neighborhood on occasion.
We also love Bartlett pears. And tis the season for this sweet juicy gem as well!
Several weeks ago we tried our first Pomegranate. This most unusual fruit had many many tiny seeds which we had to separate from the peel and internal white membrane. The Pomegranate seeds (the part you eat) were full of sweet juice which we decided tastes like a combination of cranberry and carrot juice.

Share your favorites with us! Maybe we will find something new to love along with our old favorites.

Genesis 1:11-13
Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

Home School Science 101

2008-11-22T20:04:00.008-06:00

Halloween 2008

2008-11-13T16:33:00.055-06:00

I'm cheap.

Every year I insist that the kids find costumes for Halloween at garage sales or the thrift store. Or we make a costume out of anything we can scrape together around the house. So far, we've spent very little money over the 5 years or so that our kids have been trick-or-treating. (Yay, mom!)

My pet peeve about trick-or-treating in STL is that peculiar, irritating, time consuming, agonizing ritual where every kid tells a joke at every house before collecting candy. Back in Tennessee (where I grew up and we created homemade costumes) we'd simply go from house to house, knocking and yelling "trick or treat!". Then we'd get candy. No performance required.

But I guess the ol' saying is true that "there's no such thing as a 'free lunch' "?!

This year in the Southshire subdivision it was business as usual....jokes from every child at every house. Thankfully we have a super group of neighbors with whom we can visit while our kids are practicing their public speaking skills (log that one for Language Arts school hours!) and soliciting free candy from the neighborhood association and beyond.

Here are pictures from this year's Halloween night.

Best of Both Worlds

2008-11-12T16:08:00.055-06:00

A few weeks ago, I heard some little voices on the back patio summoning me outside. I was at the opposite end of the house, so by the time I made my way to the door, I saw the back sides of two little blonds running out of my gate. I didn't recognize them, so later, when Lucas came inside, I asked him, "Who were those girls?" He told me that they were our own neighbors, Courtney and Maria. I said, "You mean those twins with long blond hair?!" He sprung out the back door without acknowledging me and disappeared. A few minutes later my mystery was solved. Two giggling girls came dancing through the gate to show me their new Hannah Montana wigs. I snapped their picture as they happily posed in true Miley style!

Later that day I was laughing with Maria's mom about how I didn't recognize the girls, and she told me about the bargain she got on the Hannah Montana wigs. When she reached the checkout to pay for a wig for her daughter, the cashier informed her that the wigs were $20 each, or 2 for $10. YOU do the math on that one. She bought two. :)

Most everyone knows that I am outnumbered in my house - 4 males to 1 female. I don't have much if any clue about being mom to a little girl. But I do have the neighbor's girls to give me little doses here and there of what raising girls is about.

So thanks to my neighbors' girls I get the best of both worlds. And these 2 little ladies are as delightful as they are cute!

More "Things Kids Say"

2008-11-10T10:00:00.032-06:00

Last week while driving home from karate class, I heard Isaac in the back seat quietly repeating the word "Flamingo". Finally I said to him, "What?"

His reply as he pointed to the splotch of purplish colored bird droppings on the car window was,

"Right there. It's pink, so it must be Flamingo Poop. "

I smiled to myself and said, "Ah, I see. That makes sense."

It's amusing the way a 5 year old thinks. We may see it as silly, but really, it makes lots of sense at times.

Many years ago, Jeff and the 2 older boys were riding in the car when Lucas (then about age 5)asked Jeff, "Since mom is allergic to pets, can we get a dog if she dies?"

It's good to laugh.

I love my life.

-the Mom

99 Balloons

2008-11-04T07:36:00.007-06:00

A friend of mine forwarded this video to me, and although it goes back 2 years, it's a touching story. I think we all need a break from the intensity of election madness and a reminder of the blessings we have in life that come straight from the God who created us all.

Eliot Hartman Mooney

For more on this family's past journey, visit www.ninetynineballoons.com

And their newest blog is at
http://thespectacularvernacular.blogspot.com/

Psalm 139: 1-18 :
O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

Vote 2008

2008-10-30T07:53:00.000-05:00

Frankly, as with most Presidential elections, I'd rather :
gouge my eyes repeatedly with a dull butter knife
or comb my hair with a hacksaw
or hug a cat
or watch grass grow
or eat live roaches
or watch Rock of Love
or weed a strawberry patch (inside joke for my siblings)
or clean up my kids' vomit
or (fill in the blank!) ______________________... than vote for either candidate.

If you research both candidates YOURSELF instead of listening to the media and others, you'll see that both candidates have questionable "things" to consider.

Let's face it - it sadly comes down to the lesser of evils.

I won't reveal my choice for President here, nor do I want to debate anyone, but I AM posting this nugget made by a friend of mine. Go ahead and assume what you like. :)

Just KNOW who/what you are voting for! Be informed about a candidate's past voting record.
Take the time to do the research so you can understand what their plans entail. Then vote!

If you live in South County, look here for elections info.

And now for a message, not necessarily from our sponsors:

HBD Isaac!

2008-10-18T09:03:00.001-05:00

"You're HOW old?!"

"I'm FIVE!"

Isaac turns five today. :)

Hard to believe our baby is 5. But it's a delight to see him growing, changing, and becoming the unique little man he is.

It's challenging to get a picture of Isaac sitting still or NOT making some sort of animated face or gesture. That's just the way he is. He is the one who sings or talks nonstop and it seems he's always moving - even when he is sitting or laying down.

Isaac hand picked the activities for his birthday. First we ate lunch at Culver's - Butterburgers, fries, and custard for everyone! Next, we visited Whittle Shortline Railroad in Valley Park. This store has several large play tables filled with tracks, bridges, buildings, trains, and other cool railroad related toy accessories. After playing for awhile, we took a drive down to Lone Elk Park to see the Elk, Bison, and deer. We stopped at the wonderful World Bird Sanctuary, where we hooted with the owls and tried to get the raven to talk with us. [The birds living at the WBS are amazing and beautiful. Check out the WBS blog for pics and video. We love visiting the WBS often. ]

Our evening ended at Walmart where Isaac picked out some more Star Wars Galactic Heroes (to add to our collection of "a gillion") and a Lego Troll Assault Wagon set (mom rolling eyes).

Happy Fifth Birthday, Isaac!