Beginning of School- 2011

Colby on his 1st day of Kindergarten

This was a big year for our sweet Colby, who started Kindergarten!! Thankfully, big brother, Carson is in 2nd grade at Trinity Elementary and is really good at showing little brother the "ropes"!! Colby has watched Carson get on and off the bus for 2 years now, and could hardly wait to do it himself. He told me he was a little bit nervous before the first day, but I think he was mostly just excited to be a big school boy!

Carson on his 1st day of 2nd Grade

Cooper really misses both of them a lot. He cannot wait for them to get home each day. He goes to Mom's Day Out twice a week and calls that his "school", so that will have to do for Cooper for now!

Carson was such a sweet, big brother and walked Colby to his classroom each morning when they got off the bus for the first couple of weeks. He also would look for him in the cafeteria and told me he always waved to him to "make sure he knows I am looking out for him"....I can only hope these boys continue to have each other's back as they get older! They also sit together on the bus, which is a big deal, because Carson could choose to sit toward the back of the bus with his buddies his age, but chooses to stay with Colby. This makes my mama's heart so happy! Don't get me wrong, they can torture each other, but they really do stick up for each other when it comes down to it.

Colby waiting to ride the bus for the 1st time!

My big Kindergartener, Colby, riding the bus!

Colby with Mrs. Norris

Carson is in Mrs. Sharpe's 2nd grade class and had a few friends from previous classes, as well as one of his best neighborhood buddies, Sam Carneal in his class. Colby is in Mrs. Norris' class. We are thrilled to have her and Carson informed Colby that Mrs. Norris is the BEST teacher he could have in Kindergarten! Colby had a few friends he already knew from baseball, as well as a few neighborhood friends in his class. Both boys are off to a GREAT start this year!

Family Trip to St. Louis

At the end of July we went on a little family trip to St. Louis, Missouri. My sister and her husband (Kevin and Lauren) ended up going the same time we were there to do Six Flags, so we got to meet up with them for a few fun things and Bunky and I even got a little date night for our 13 year anniversary while we were there. Even though Bunk had to work some, we did lots of fun things within a few days.

We went to the St. Louis Zoo and got to feed the sharks and see lots of animals, including my favorite (the penguins and puffins). 

Feeding the stingrays

Checking out the penguins

Uncle Kevin and Aunt Lauren swinging Cooper at the zoo

We went to The Magic House Children's Museum, which was so much fun for the boys. We spent hours there and truly enjoyed the wide range of hands-on things to do!

Carson with his Aunt Lauren at the museum getting their hair all static!

Colby having some fun with the floating balls

We went up in the St. Louis Arch, watched a movie on Lewis and Clark, and toured the Museum of Westward Expansion.

St. Louis Arch

The Museum of Westward Expansion

Looking out of the Arch

 

We watched the St. Louis Cardinals play! Carson and Bunky actually went to a 2nd game to see the Cardinals and Cubs play. We took the Metro to do this, which was pure excitement for the boys as well!

Colby and Carson with their Dad at the Cardinals game!

We really enjoyed it and will definitely go back for a family trip. It was very inexpensive for ALL the fun things we did! There are a lot of free and inexpensive family things to do in St. Louis.

Unfortunately, on the way home.....somewhere in the middle of Kentucky, our back tire blew out on the suburban (which we had bought only 13 days before- used of course). So, my rock star husband changed a tire in the 100 degree heat in the middle of nowhere! I am happy to report that Carmax DID take care of the expenses for the body damage due to the tire and replaced the tire at no cost after finding out it was a faulty tire. Thankfully, no one was hurt. We are the Cooks....we always got to have a little "drama" you know??!!

Cooper's 3rd Birthday

I know....it's kind of sad that I am just posting about Cooper's 3rd Birthday, and it's now September! For Cooper's birthday this year, we had just a few of our neighbors over and his nonny and papa got to be here from Arkansas to celebrate. He was thrilled with that and it didn't seem to phase him that he didn't have a big party! He is really into little men (super-hero figurines) and anything Scooby-Doo. He absolutely adores everything about his 2 older brothers and does whatever they do. He talks non-stop and is truly one of the busiest kids I have ever seen. He is fearless and runs just about everywhere he goes. Cooper is a great eater (trying just about anything, and loves most fruit and vegetables) and sleeps good (unless he is having some of his respiratory/asthma issues- when we have those flair ups, we are pretty much up most of the night doing breathing treatments).

Overall, Cooper is just a funny, happy-go-lucky kid. He certainly has his moments of being super dramatic for attention, but is generally happy doing whatever he wants without a need for attention from anyone. He is tough-as-nails, and as if beating cancer wasn't enough in his short 3 years of life, he manages to hold his own with two older brothers who are relentless!

Alexandra, Zach, Cooper, Colby, and Carson

Our Family! 

Cooper with Tessie

Papa, Carson, Colby, Nonny, and Cooper

He keeps us laughing and certainly on our toes at ALL times. I cannot imagine life without my "Cooper the Trooper" in it. I am so thankful for the way God has used him to teach me so much about what is important in life. I know there are great things in store for Cooper Samuel Cook and I cannot wait to see his story unfold- I am one blessed mommy to be a part of it all. Happy 3rd Birthday!! YOU ARE LOVED!