Shutterfly!

I love using Shutterfly. I've been spending a lot of time on it too these last few days since I'm so big and pregnant that I don't want to move around much.  I just completed an album and thought I would share it with you. :)

Click here to view this photo book larger

Turn your favorite photos into a photo book at Shutterfly.com.

Oh Sweet Sugar!

I went to the store today for a bottle of Cherry Coke. I've been craving a little bit of Cherry Coke with my cup full of ice. It gives the ice a little flavor. Well, while I was there, I decided I needed to buy a strawberry cake mix, cheesecake brownie mix and ingredients to make snickerdoodles. Hmmm...now I'm craving sweets? Sweets and ice? Two things that I definitely did not crave before I got pregnant. It's  a good thing I haven't been craving sweets like I've been craving ice or I'd probably have gained 100 pounds! And to date, I have only gained 18!! Yep, I'm bragging. For me, that is awesome. With my others I gained 30-60 pounds. YIKES! And if the baby weighs 8-10 pounds, then I'll only have about 10 pounds to lose...well of pregnancy weight. I had weight to lose before I got pregnant. But anyway, back to the mad sweet buying. A friend posted a recipe a few days ago on Facebook for Snickerdoodles. Since that time, I have wanted Snickerdoodles so I finally made them today. And they turned out delicious! I already have a tummy ache from eating too many. Here is a picture and link to the recipe if you want to try them.

Snickerdoodles
(Mine didn't turn out looking exactly like this. They weren't as flat but they were still yummy!)

I'm not sure when I'll make the cake or brownies. The cookies seemed to satisfy my sweet tooth for the time being!

5 Things!

I didn't really have any inspiration to write but I've seen on other blogs where they will just list five things about their day or post five pictures that represent their day. I thought I would go ahead and do that just to keep my blog writing going...otherwise I might only write one post a year. = \ So here goes nothing. :)

1. Today is Riley's 19th birthday. I saw him for all of 15 minutes...maybe. I guess that is what happens when they grow up. He would rather be with his girlfriend than his mom...imagine that! ;)

2. Two weeks from today, I should be bringing little Avery Ann into this world. This pregnancy has really taken a toll on me. It is much different being pregnant in your 30's than it is in your 20's. At least it has been for me. I have felt completely drained for most of the last nine months. I've also probably eaten my weight in ice...several times! I can't describe the NEED I have to eat ice. I even wake up in the middle of the night and eat it sometimes! It is also usually the first thing I eat in the morning. Good thing it's not fattening!

 

3. I've been spending A LOT of time scouring the internet for teaching ideas for next year. You didn't think teachers really took a break during the summer did you? ;)

 

4. Adam is in OKC again this week. I think this makes his 3rd week there. He will probably be there again next week but then he will have the following week off as Avery will be joining us that week. I'm excited to see the two of them together!

 

5. I'm struggling to come up with a fifth thing to mention. Um...Oh, I made a yummy dinner for me and Grayson. (Delaney is at a friend's house, Connor is at camp and Spencer is too picky to eat it.) I made chicken fried steak, green beans and mashed potatoes. YUM!

 

I know this entry was just a thrilling read. :) Oh well...they can't all be life changers!  

 

Almost a year has passed...

Oh my goodness...I am just horrible at this. I have NEVER been able to keep up with a blog or journal. And now here it is almost one year since I last posted. You would think it would be easy for me because I absolutely LOVE to write. I wish I could do it full-time and make a living at it but I guess I have to actually write to be able to do that. Well, enough lamenting over my failure as a blogger...

So much has happened in this past year. Catching you up could probably take pages and pages (there aren't exactly pages on here but I don't know what else to call it) so I'll try to wrap it up in a nice succinct little package.

Looking back at last years' posts, I need to comment on some changes.

*We no longer have Milo. Milo was our dog. There were many reasons and Adam was not thrilled that I was giving him away but he understood. I could explain all the reasons but then it would make this take longer and it really doesn't matter. I will say that I enjoy my home much more without a dog in it. And Spencer was not too upset, in fact even wanted to get rid of him because he chewed up his toys. However, a dog-free life is temporary. When we get a bigger home, we will be getting another dog. Adam really wants one.

*The son that turned 18 last June is now a high school graduate. I am so proud of him, yet a little sad that he is not still 10 and running around the house. He is not here very much and I miss him. His 19th birthday is approaching quickly.

Riley at our church's senior ceremony. Isn't he handsome?

 

We have some big news here at the Cook household. Well, here, I'll let the kids tell you...

Yep, we're having a baby AND it's a girl. We are thrilled, especially my only daughter, Delaney. She has four brothers and has had to endure being the only girl for 13 years! Our little Avery Ann is due to be here on July 2. My actual due date is July 8 but the doctor, merciful woman that she is, will induce me on the 2nd. You see I have huge babies. And Avery does not appear to be an exception. My smallest baby was 8 pounds 7 ounces. My largest baby was 9 pounds 13 ounces. I'm so big and uncomfortable right now but I've got less than a month to go so I can do it. I haven't taken many pictures of myself pregnant because I think I look hideous but I shouldn't be like that. I wish I would have taken more along the way. I will include ONE of me and Spencer. Pretty funny, I think!

I don't remember why Spencer is making that silly face.

 

And one more update that I can't leave out...

Spencer's tumor has decreased in size!

I don't usually write about his health issues on here but I couldn't leave that out. You can always follow the tab at the top of this page over to the website I have set up specifically for his health journey if you want to read more.

 

 

 

There have been many more events that have happened this past year but if I wrote about everything, you would probably still be reading this next year. So I will close for now. We are out on summer break and I am so happy about that. However, I never stop being a teacher and I'm already working and planning for next year. Hopefully I will "see" you sooner than another year from now.



We Got a Dog!

This is big news! And I mean B-I-G! I am not an animal person. I do not wish them harm. I just don't wish them to be around me! But I guess I went temporarily insane because it's not that I just finally caved and agreed with the rest of my family to get a dog, I actually decided on my own, under no coercion, to get a dog I saw posted by one of my friends on facebook. My family had no idea this puppy even existed and they had accepted the fact that we would not get a dog until we got a bigger house. Well, I can't explain it but I just decided we needed to get this dog. And...I'm happy about it!! Still not crazy about it touching me but I'm happy he's here. I'm happy that my children and my husband are so excited to have a dog. And I must say it is pretty neat to say we are pet people. It opens up a whole new world. I have pet shopping to do. And I can carry on pet conversations. I had my very first pet conversation with a cashier at Wal-Mart when I was buying puppy chow and a few puppy toys. And now when my children are asked, they don't have to look forlorn as they explain they don't have any pets. So let me introduce you to the newest member of our family.

MILO

P.S. If you are interested in reading about Spencer's health journey, you can click on the tab at the top. I decided not to blog much about it on here since I have a website dedicated completely to my little hero. :)

  





Marriage Secret #1: Fishing? Do I have to?

The short answer is yes. My husband loves fishing and I love my husband, so yes, from time to time, I have to go fishing. We are very different when it comes to our feelings about fishing. If you were to burst into our home and say, "Let's go fishing!", Here is how my husband would feel:

I on the other hand would be making this face at you.

But I would go because like I said, I love my husband and I want to spend time with him doing something he fervently enjoys. And I am happy that he actually wants me to be a part of it. He could be content with leaving me at home but he always wants me to go. So I go and I bait my own hook, cast my own line and take off my own fish. (He taught me how to take off the fish!) He thinks that makes me extremely sexy. ;oP And I totally understand why...worm guts on my hands and sweat pouring down my face (Oklahoma summers are brutal). Who wouldn't think that was sexy?? :P We have a good time just being together. And he is sensitive to my feelings as well. I'm sure he doesn't stay out as long as he would if he were with another avid fisherman. I'm sure I'm the reason many of his fishing trips have been cut short. But he never points that out. And we continue fishing together.

I don't go everytime though. Sometimes he goes with his friends and I stay behind. This allows him to really get his fishing mojo going. He can concentrate on fishing (and I can concentrate on something OTHER than fishing) and catching more fish than the other guys. (I always catch more fish than he does...no joke.) And sometimes I go with him but sit in a lawn chair and read a book or work on school stuff. We are both doing something we enjoy and we are still together.

In marriage it is important to make time for each other. My fisherman and I definitely agree on this and don't spend much time apart. Our marriage is not always perfect, don't let me mislead you, we still have issues from time to time just like every married couple. But we are also doing a lot of things right and this is one of them. If my husband were to write a post like this one, his might be titled, "Shopping? or Chick Flicks? or Watching Glee? Do I have to? Make it a point to love your partner and love (or at least cheerfully tolerate) what they love!

Time...

Today was my oldest son's birthday. He is a great kid but he will be the first to tell you, he isn't a kid anymore. When did that happen? How did I get to be 35 years old and have an 18 year old kid? I know we hear it and say it all the time, "time flies." But it really does. I just don't feel like what I thought a 35 year old would feel like. And knowing that I am nearing 40 just blows my mind. I feel like I should still be in my mid-20's! It just went by in a blur. And now my oldest son's childhood is over. That makes me sad. I know we will be entering a new phase in his life and he does still have one year of high school left, but it is just a weird feeling that I can't quite describe. If you have already been through this, then you might know what I am talking about. Every stage in life just seems to come and go so quickly and if you don't stop to enjoy it, you will miss it completely. I guess I'm a little more sentimental than usual today but I guess that is okay once in a while. Oh, and happy birthday, Riley!