Wheeeeew!

What do you do after two straight weeks of visitors, a major flu bug throughout the whole family, and four birthdays???? You get a coke, you buy the Pioneer Woman cookbooks at Costco and you just sit in the sun, sip your coke, read your cook books, talk on the phone, and completely ignore the laundry that's hanging up behind you, and your house that has fallen apart and deal with all that the next day.

Yep, I still don't have a dryer, but really I don't even miss it. My laundry dries in two seconds and it's free!

PS Easton took these pictures and I had no idea that he took the one of me on the phone. That cute kid!

PPS Please don't get me wrong, we LOVE visitors and we want anyone to come and visit us anytime!

Karen

This is my amazing friend Karen. She has been a total tender mercy for me. I know that Heavenly Father had a hand in us being friends. I didn't know her that well and we ended up being Visiting Teaching companions. I know that it wasn't a coincidence. She is the sweetest person and I just love her. She was so thoughtful and brought me this array of treats over for my birthday.

So Long, Farewell...

These are the super cute pillows and quilt that my mom made me. I LOVE them so much! I really need to take a closer picture so you can see just how cute they are. Carter took these pictures. Didn't he do such a great job!
I did not want my parents to leave! I could tell they were anxious to get home and get on with their lives, but I just wanted them to stay. I kept begging them to stay longer. I am so grateful for them and for all the love and support that they give me. I know that if I ever need anything that I can call them and they would do ANYthiNG for me! My mom is so loving and caring of other people and always wants to make people happy. She is hard working like my Grandpa and a total perfectionist. I love her!

My Dad, what can I say?? He's amazing! He is the most giving, selfless person I know! He washed Mandy's car before she left. He never said anything, he just went out and did it. We went out there to put her stuff in her car and he was out there doing it. That's the kind of guy he is. How did I get so lucky to have such great parents??

Happy 5th Birthday Easton!

This is Nile trying to help Easton blow out his candles. Easton told Nile to not blow.

Nile is now really mad and upset that he can't help blow out the candles. It also didn't help that Nile was extremely sick with the flu

This is Nile just a little bit later. You can see just how miserable he was! Poor guy!

My Easton is turning 5! Where is time going! He is so excited to FINALLY be 5. A lot of his friends are already five so he's happy to finally say he's five years old. Nile ended up fevering really bad the night of his birthday and I was up with him until 4am. Medicine wouldn't even get rid of his fever. He was miserable! I was supposed to have Easton's preschool group at my house that day for his birthday but I had to cancel because Nile was so sick. Luckily one of the other moms said she would do it so Easton took his cupcakes to his preschool group at his friend's house. After preschool Grandpa and Grandma took him to Taco Bell (his favorite) for lunch while Nile and I took a nap. Poor Nile just wanted me to just sit and hold him all day. Luckily my parents were there so I really could just sit there and hold him. Easton got a bike for his birthday and he was so excited. Santa had brought him a bike for Christmas but it was just a little too big for him so he didn't have a bike he could ride. He always felt left out when everyone wanted to ride their bikes. We went to the park that afternoon hence the very DIRTY white shirt! He wanted hot dogs for dinner so that's what he got. He also wanted a blueberry cake so my mom found a cake that we could put blueberries on.

Easton is my little sweetheart. He is so thoughtful and tenderhearted. Happy Birthday Easton! We LOVE you!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Nile!

Don't ask me why he's not wearing any clothes...I don't remember. Poor guy.

It was so fun to watch Nile get so excited about his birthday presents. We kind of took it easy this day. Everyone was tired and throughout the week everyone was getting the flu. Nile was so cute blowing out his candles. He loved it so much we had to do it probably 4-5 times-I'm not exaggerating! He is my little ray of sunshine. He has a little zest for life. When he walks around he does a little skip and a hop. It just makes me laugh when I see him do it. Nile we love you! Happy Birthday!

PS I don't care if my baby is 2 years old, I will still call him Baby!

Carter's Birthday Cont'd

Carter wanted Costco pizza for dinner and cheesecake for his dessert. It made it an easy night for me! Happy UnBirthday Carter!

Ghost Town

Carter wanted to go to the ghost town for his birthday and my parents had never been there so we thought it would be fun to take them to see it. It was a FREEZING day! I know, it's Arizona and we are wearing our winter coats, but it was so cold! The next day it was back up to eighty.

Happy UnBirthday Carter!

This is Birthday Extravaganza week for us in the Cook household. In a matter of about two weeks it is mine, Nile's, Easton's and Carter's Birthday. Carter's birthday wasn't for another week and a half, but we thought we'd celebrate it on a day right by the rest of them so that my parents could be here for it. It was so fun to watch Carter open his presents up. He is turning 8 this year and will become a Cub Scout. It really was the cutest thing seeing him open up all of his scouting stuff and put it on. It melted my heart and he looks so cute in his little uniform. Poor Brad was feeling miserable and just laid there in misery while Carter opened up his presents. It was so cute to watch my Dad show Carter how to put his bandana on. I can't believe my little baby Carter is going to be 8! It seems like forever since he was a little baby, but at the same time it has FLOWN by! I love this sweet kid. He loves life and loves to have fun. he has lots of friends and everyone loves to be around him.

Happy 28th Birthday to Me!

This was probably the best birthday I've had in a long time. It was so great to have my family and Mandy and the girls with me for the whole day! I was so spoiled! My Mom even made my bed for me! It was funny because I woke up that morning and thought I don't want to make my bed today! My mom made me the cutest quilt ever and the cutest pillows to match for my family room. I knew she was making them so it was exciting to finally have them!

Brad spoiled me with roses and a coupon book that he made with a TON of coupons. The coupons were so good I thought he was joking at first and then realized that he was serious. He put an expiration date for next year but I have to save them and use them at just the right time.

We got ready and went to lunch at Joe's Farm Grill. Yum, yum, yum! Did I say yum?? I seriously cannot get enough of Joe's! I had my favorite BBQ Bacon Bleu Cheese burger, garlic fries, and wedge salad. (Mmmmmm, my mouth is watering right now just thinking about it.) My birthday was the first day that I started really smelling the Orange Blossoms and realized what they were. There are lots of citrus trees at Joe's so it just smelled so good! We kind of just hung out for the day and then went to dinner to San Tan Flats. it is a really fun place to go and eat. They have little fire pit things that they build fires for you and you can roast marshmallows. The kids had a blast doing that. It was a little dangerous because there was a family sitting right by the fire pit. Easton's marshmallow caught on fire and he started waving it around frantically trying to stop the fire. I thought for sure that thing was going to go flying and hit someone! At one point Easton actually did hit the guy behind him with his marshmallow. I felt so bad!

Afterwards we went home and everyone sang and we had homemade oreos. They are my favorite and I had been craving them. It really was the most wonderful 32nd..I mean 28th birthday!

PS My Dad and brother Dan were there. I don't know why I didn't take any pictures of them. And, I didn't even take any pictures of Dan the whole time that he was here! I'm so mad. I love Dan. He is so funny and makes me laugh. We always have so much fun when we are together no matter what we're doing. He is such a good example to me and especially to my boys. I wish Dan could live down here with me!

Yuuuuuuuuummmmmmmm! Look at that yummy food. I heart Joe's! I really wish you could taste it so you knew what I was even talking about!