Christmas Day 2011

Merry Christmas!!

Mr. Clete Cook woke us up at 2:30 AM Christmas morning, I managed to keep him wrangled in our bedroom until 4:30 AM, after that all hope was lost! We decided to go ahead and let him get into his loot and get the older boys up there when we could!

Our tree with Santa's additions!

We finally got the big boys up to come get their loot!

Poor little Tripp wound up at the Dr. when they opened at 1 PM!

The big boys with their new toy in the "mancave"

Daddy with his big present!

(haha I knew about this one for a long time, I was with MiMi when she got it framed!)

Christmas Eve 2011

Christmas Eve this year was so fun! MiMi and Pop came over at lunch time, MiMi and I prepared a wonderful Christmas Eve feast for everyone. We baked a ham, made potato salad, baked beans and macaroni-n-cheese. For dessert I fixed up a chocolate pie!! After we all ate it was time for the kids to open their 1 gift for the night, which after much begging from all parties involved, turned into 2 gifts! Unfortunately, little Tripp didn't make it through dinner, he was starting the early symptoms of an ear infection, BOOOOOOO!!!

Our tree with all the loot!!


Jackson with 1 of his gifts


Drew with 1 of his gifts

Britt with 1 of his gifts

Of course the man of the hour, Clete with 1 of his gifts. I think he actually talked us into letting him open 3!

To end the night, our tradition of Daddy reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas"

Just because it's Christmas!

Sweet, Sweet Babies!!

And we're JUMPING!!!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

I am so excited about Christmas this year! I am still in complete awe that God blessed us with another little Cook to celebrate it with! Not to mention the fact that this year I'm not puking every 10 minutes! I think last year we were lucky that we got the tree up and the stockings hung! This year however, I have gone all out! I have even managed to get a few gifts wrapped already, complete with my fancy bows!

Santa Clause is coming to town!

Clete in the sun room with the kids tree and his new Christmas Train! Granny surprised us with the new train on Saturday, Clete and Tripp love it!

I always put up a kids tree every year, it has all the ornaments that the kids have made throughout the years. I think that once Tripp begins making ornaments we will have to upgrade to a bigger tree! Like the commercial says, " No Mom ever turned down a homemade ornament"!

Tripp in his Santa hat hanging out with the stockings! He's so precious!

2011 Opelika Christmas Parade

Even though it was a little bit chilly today, we braved the wind and headed downtown to the Opelika Christmas Parade. I have to say, both my little buddies were complete Angels! Tripp had a fun, fun, fun 1st Christmas Parade!

Tripp and Auntee April. Thank goodness for Auntee!

Happy Little Elf!

Auntee, Clete and Tripp

Mommy, Clete and Tripp

Clete and Tripp

What is that?..... It's a TOOTH!!!!

Yep, Tripp has his 1st tooth! Funny thing is it's not a front tooth, it's a molar! I found it last night as he was pitching a fit to fight taking a nap. This baby is so ready to eat solid food that he is trying to grow his chewing teeth 1st! I guess this explains why he screamed all day Saturday and couldn't be satisfied, yes even during the Iron Bowl. It never crossed my mind that at 4 months it would be a tooth! Oh well, this is the best picture I can get since it is in the back!

Thanksgiving 2011

My tired little buddy after an awesome 1st Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow, 1 year ago, I found out that we were expecting this beautiful sight!

We are so very thankful for God's blessings!

Hope everyone had a great day!

For My Beautiful Britt

Made a wrong turn, once or twice, dug my way out, blood and fire. Bad decisions, that's alright. Welcome to my silly life! Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood. Miss "no way, it's all good", it didn't slow me down! Mistaken, always second guessing, under estimated, look, I'm still around. Pretty,pretty please! If you ever, ever feel, like you are less than perfect, Pretty, pretty please If you ever,ever feel like you are nothing, You're perfect to me. You're so mean when you talk, about yourself, you are wrong. Change the voices in your head, make them like you instead. So complicated, look happy, you'll make it! Filled with so much hatred, such a tired game. It's enough, I've done all I can think of. Chased down all my demons, I've seen you do the same. Oh, pretty, pretty please don't you ever, ever feel like you are less than perfect. Pretty, pretty please if you ever, ever feel like you are nothing, You're perfect to me. The whole world stares,so swallow the fear. The only thing I should be drinking is an ice cold beer. So cool in line and we try, try,try. But we try too hard, it's a waste of my time. Done looking for the critics, cause they're everywhere. They don't like my jeans, they don't get my hair. We change ourselves and we do it all the time. Why do we do that? Why do I do that?(Why do I do that?) Pretty pretty please don't you ever, ever feel like you are less than perfect. Pretty, pretty please if you ever, ever feel like you are nothing You're perfect to me. You're perfect, You're perfect!

Alecia Moore(Pink)

Big Boy!

I can hardly believe that tomorrow Tripp will be 4 months old! He is quite the little chunk, weighing in at 17 lbs! He loves to play with his toys and can reach for and grasp them, of couse then whatever it is goes straight to his mouth. He babbles, laughs and smiles all the time! He loves playing in his Exersaucer(Thank you Aunt Gladys). He is starting to reach for me now, previously he would get this really serious look on his face, thrust his chest out like a rooster and grunt! I will have to admit however, that he is incredibly spoiled! Tripp wants to held ALL THE TIME! Both his Daddy and myself are to blame, one of us is constantly holding him! Oh well, he is our last baby so why not! We are working with him trying to increase his play time, he only wants to be out of my lap for about 15 minutes and then he wants me to pick him back up. We spend a lot of time these days on the pallet in the living room. Overall he is the most precious little chunky money that there is!

Happy 19th Birthday Britt!!

Ole Blue Eyes

Happy 19th birthday Britt! We love you and are so proud of you!

From the Heart

I normally only post happy, family related entries here on the blog, but today I am going to get on my soapbox. It's a big box, so get ready! For the 2nd time in the last 2 weeks, I have found out that a young, vibrant young lady( younger than myself) has breast cancer. I am LIVID! I am not a spring chicken, but this disease seems to be attacking at a younger and younger age. I mean how dare this SELFISH, NON-DISCRIMINATING disease keep attacking young mothers! This infuriates me! As a mother you do everything in your power to keep your children healthy and protect them. You spend sleepless nights worrying about their well being. Then POW this nasty disease smacks you in the face! As I sit here posting this, I am looking at my precious 3 1/2 month old baby boy, I can't begin to imagine being too sick to take care of him. It is beyond my psyche, thinking of leaving my children and husband behind! Seeing the beautiful face of my funny and soooo smart 5 year old everyday, seeing my handsome 13 year old Homecoming King turn a double play in a baseball game, seeing my awesome 18 year old(soon to be 19) graduate college, get married someday and becoming a parent himself... this decrepit disease has the ability of wiping that all away! All I can think is WHY,WHY,WHY!

I lost my mother to colon cancer in May. It was too late when they found it. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about her. I live everyday knowing that my baby boy will never know her. He will never be able to go to "MiMi's House" and get fed Hershey Kisses by the bag full, never get to go to Wal-Mart with her and get spoiled beyond belief in the toy section, never get to go grocery shopping with her and come out with endless treats and chocolate milk! Most of all he will never get to feel her hug him, kiss him or hear her tell him that she loves him.

I pray that I will never have to face this awful disease. I also pray that there someday soon will be a cure! To those of you who have battled and have won, you are my hero! To those of you that are battling it now, kick it straight in the butt!! Early detection is key! Get your mammograms, colonoscopies, see your doctors and get your pap smears! There was no history of colon cancer in my family, like I said earlier, it doesn't discriminate! Be strong!

Love to all,
Robin

Halloween 2011

Time to go Trick-or-Treating!!!!!

Fall Festival 2011

More fall fun!

Jack-O-Lantern Lane

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year! I love to see all the little kiddos dressed in their costumes, so excited just to get that candy from you. I also love all the fall festivities. "Auntee" April and I decided several weeks ago that we were going to take Clete to the "Jack-O-Lantern Lane" festival in LaFayette. Sunday was a gorgeous day and off we went to the pumpkin patch!