A change in color is alway good!

I convinced Nathan on Friday night that we needed to go pick out paint for the basement living room. The white was showing it's age and I couldn't stand it anymore.Nathan wasn't thrilled with the idea, but went along then decided it was my idea and so I could do all the work. I stayed up till one am on Saturday morning taping. Then woke up at nine and started the process of painting while nathan went to help his sister Camille move. By the time he returned I was tired and grumpy and still was only done with one coat. He fed the kids while I did another coat then helped me move the computer desk so we could "do it right" and paint behind it too.
The kids had two options while I painted, stay on the stairs or on the couch. I didn't want to clean up any paint from the floor as they like to run around the new obstacle course that we created with moved furniture. They were pretty good sports through it all. When Zach awoke that morning to find the blue taped walls he thought that was the finished product and declared he really liked the new color. So easily pleased.
Here's me peaking behind the itty bitty space for painting behind the cabinets. I'm glad I'm small cause they were hard enough to move out that far.
The finished product. It looks really nice. I'm still deciding if I would have preferred it a little lighter, but there's no way I'm painting it again. I'll get used to it.
Different angle, but still the finished view...Nathan likes it and says it make the room look more formal. He especially like the contrast of brown walls and the white trims.

Zach's 1st grade field trip to the Big Red Barn in Santiquin.

I got to go on the field trip with Zach to the Big Red Barn!This was my first time going and Dad and Kirsten told us all that we could expect to see...the tour of the apple orchards had changed just a bit, but we had a memorable experience anyway.
After riding over 30 minutes on the bus, we disembarked the bus an got on a trailor with hay bails pulled by a tractor to bring us to the apple orchard. We passed cherry, and peach trees along the way. Notice the bundled up kids and the heavy gray clouds...forcasting our future wetness.
When we reached the apple orchard the guide explained how a apple tree comes to be from seed to keeping the insects from getting to the developing apples. The kids were pretty good to pay attention although a few complained about the freezing cold wind, not that I didn't agree with them too.
Then we were instructed on the correct way to pick and apple...grab hold and lift up so you don't cause more than one apple to fall to the ground. Each child picked at least one. Zach and Morgan are picking theirs here.
I was assigned to keep track of the blue group...Zach, Rylee, and Morgan are on the left by Zach...I don't know the other girls names. After we picked our apples we headed back to the trailer to bring us back to the building/store where we were to each lunch. On the 5 minute ride back the rain started in earnest.
We were literally soaked to the bones. Check out these drenched kids coats and pants.
We didn't get to tour the sorting machines or view a movie like Kirsten and Dad told us about, but we were very happy to be out of the rain. This small room became our cafeteria for 150 kid, teachers & parents. We took off our coats to try to dry them out before we headed back...it didn't work.
Then we were back on the buses a half hour ahead of schedule and took great delight in drawing on the fogged up windows after the bus driver cranked up the heat. Overall it was a fun trip!

Jump'n jacks with the Cooks!

Aspen and Taylor invited Caleb to go to Jump'n Jacks with on Monday the 12th. I was a little bit hesitant to leave the phone unattended as it was Kirsten's first day back to school, but after giving the school Lona Marie's cell #, I felt better about leaving to let Caleb have some fun. We had been home bound because of Kirsten's pnemonia and he was getting cabin fever. The kids had a blast and got out all their pent up energy along side their friends.

Lona Marie gave the kids a ride on the snail. Everyone waited their turn eagerly.
This is Caleb's turn when he is determined to stay on the bucking snail. He is having a blast! Thanks Lona Marie!
Taylor just being the cutie pie that he is under one of the punching bags.
On Thursday, all the kids had Fall break and no school so we returned for a second round of jumping for fun. The train going down the biiiiigggg slide.
That looks like a happy boy having fun.
It was hard to get pictures the kids were running from one bounce house to another. Sometimes Caleb would be left behind or run from when they were playing lion, but they all had fun anyway.

Zach, Aspen, Caleb, and Taylor were not too happy I made them stop for a quick picture, but did nevertheless.

Conference Weekend!

Conference weekend we got a visit from Mike, Dorothy and my nieces! It was great to see them. They bailed we out of a bind and instead of getting to visit, ended up watching the boys for me so I could take Kirsten back to the doctor for her shots for pnemonia. (She had been sick for a week already with what the first doctor said was "it's just a virus and has to run it's course," don't you hate it when they say that. Anyway that was great and all, but after a week and she doesn't completely get better and then to have fever spike and stay at 104 degrees...I was freaked out to be sure. If anyone is going to hallucinate it is going to be me from going crazy, not my 8 year old daughter from a high fever. I took her to another doctor and told her what had been happening and how there was more going on than just a virus and I wanted some answers. She agreed and order, flu, swine and influenza tests, pee, blood, and X-rays at the hospital. Sounds like alot, but we found some answers and we got her the treatment she needed to finally kick the sickness...it only took 1 weeks of suffering and 2 weeks of missed school to help her get her immunities replenish.)

They ended up coming back Friday night after their mission reunion to stay the night. We all were excited to have more time together. The kids played outside, in the playroom and even had a nice breakfast all together. Thank for the fun visit...come again soon!

32 years old, but just another day!

September 25 marked the day I turned 32 years old. As you get older, I've found that you just experience another day. My family and friends tried to make it otherwise with gifts, cards, and calls, so thank you for making the day a little more than just a day of the week.
Nathan took the kids to walmart so they could pick out their gift choice themselves. Nathan said that Zach took quite awhile to determine the flowers above were the ones for me. They were beautiful , it jst took me awhile to remember to take a picture of them...old age and all... Kirsten decided that the hair brush that I'd had since before I got married was not working for me or her when I brushed her hair and got me a new brush with a gel handle and a big mirror. Caleb a boy after my own heart, got me a big bag a chocolate candy, which he then saw I had opened and took some at his leisure. Nathan won some tickets to a comedian show in Salt Lake for Jim Gaffigan. We were both feeling under the weather and were thinking about not going, but did. It was hilarious...all the laughing seemed to break apart the snot blockage for a little repreive to breath and then we went to dinner at chilli's. Yummy! Thanks everyone fore remembering me!

Another end to the "all Boy" soccer season!

By the end of the season with the "fire dragons," Zach was getting more into the game. He was attacking the ball to keep it out of his section.
Here is the team huddle and cheer after the last game.
The final "good game" hand shake after the game.
Zach and Conner were good buds this season. They were trying their own little hand shake antics!
It's a little fussy, but it something to remember his team by. Till next year...