Cookie Dough..mmm mmm good!

Have I ever told you all just how much I love cookie dough. I didn't think so. I love cookie dough! It doesn't matter what kind it is just as long as the dough has sugar and butter in it. My amazing husband is the best cook ever (no pun intended) and he makes these cookies that should be banned.

New Year's Resolution...

Ok so I think I've been way too serious about this blogging thing. So I'm making a New Year's resolution, (notice I said a...meaning 1) . I am going to lighten up a little. Yep that's it, just lighten up a little. Wow I already feel lighter wahoo!

Noelle Elizabeth Cook born December 25th 2003

Yes, my little Noelle was born on Christmas morning at 5:16 am. People always ask me if that was a bummer and I always say no but that it was my most favorite birth out of all the kids. I started having contractions while I was putting the older two to bed and that was about 11 oclock pm. I hurried and got all the presents wrapped and by the time I was done I was in that pain....you know ThaT pain. We got to the hospital around 3 and by 4 I had the epidural and was relaxed. My midwife was there the entire time and it was so cool because we talked about the birth of the Savior. Noelle came just after 5 am and when they took me to my room it had just started to snow and the scene out my window was picturesque. Absolutely beautiful, I will never forget the feeling I had lying there with Noelle in my arms. I felt nothing but peace....I love that emotion!

She loves to look pretty...good thing it comes easy for her...she's my beauty inside and out!

She loves a party escpecially when it's planned for her.

She loves to get her face painted...this was the ultimate face painting job done when we went to Disneyland

She loves to play at the park

She loves horses...she's saying yeehaw if you can't tell.

Loves to pick my flowers and put them in water.

She loves to go boating with family and friends.....and she has no fear.

She loves sunglasses and was so sad when she lost these over the side of the boat.

She loves to jump on the tramp...too bad grandma got rid of hers.

She loves when the easter bunny comes.

She has such a love hate realtionship with her big brother Conner.

She has always been a poser.

When Noelle turned one.

Isn't she beautiful!

My Sleeping Beauty

I love this picture!

And this is the day it all began.


I remember one thing Colby blessed her with in her baby blessing. He said that she would be the peace maker in the family. I have to admit that sometimes it's hard to see that right now but she has such a tender heart and rarely is the one to start a fight. She just wants to love and be loved. I love her bright smile when I see her first thing in the morning. I love the way she dances when she is listening to her favorite songs. I love the way she pretends with her big sister Savannah. I love the way she trys to play sports with Conner. I love the way she handles Auttumn even though Auttumn is constantly beating up on Noelle. And I love the way she loves her baby brother Boston. She sings to him, dances with him in her arms (a little scary too), wispers in his ear sweet nothings, calms him down when he's fussy, and the list goes on. Ohhh how I love my little Noelleeee. She's wonderful!

Christmas Eve and morning!

Christmas was wonderful! Christmas eve was spent with my family for the first half of the day and with Colby's family for later part. My mom always goes the extra mile to make everything wonderful and this year was no different. The kids played bingo for prizes while the adults laughed and enjoyed each others company. I love my family!!!!!! I can't even express my appreciation for my mom and dad for all they do to make their house a home for all of us kids. Colby's sister Rana put on a wonderful spread for everyone and I mean wonderful....She's amazing. My kids loved the chocolate fountain! I made a charm bracelet for Colby's mom and it made my night when through tears she expressed her appreciation. After we left Rana's house we came home and the kids exchanged their gifts with one another and to top it all off we read the Nativity story to the kids by candle light. All the kids fell asleep except for Conner....it took him extra long to wind down, he was too excited for his presents to sleep.

Conner showing off his new i touch

Auttumn with her new dolly

Savannah with her new dog.....what we got her a dog whose idea was that?

The birthday girl checking out her presents

Colby showing his excitement for the killer card he pulled (Chris Paul refractor card) from the pack of cards Savannah bought for him for Christmas. She was so excited to give him her present.

We spent most of the day just lounging around with the kids. It was nice and relaxing. That evening the girls and I and Boston went over to Kim's to enjoy their traditional holiday spread. I brought Nick and Grace back with me and they all went sledding to finish off our magical day.

Holiday Traditions

I'm always looking for fun holiday traditions. We love decorating gingerbread houses, making sugar cookies, making fresh pine wreaths and buying sub for Santa gifts to name a few. Actually to be honest, it stresses the heck out of me but hopefully my kids will remember Christmas as a magical time of year full of family activities. This year we started a new tradition. Every night just before bed we read Christmas stories by candle light. The kids loved it.....I think they were a little more enthralled with the candle than some of the stories but at least they enjoyed it.

More Holiday fun.....Picking out our Christmas tree.

Every year on the first family night after Thanksgiving we go to our favorite Christmas tree lot and pick out 2 things, our tree and a Mark Roberts fairy Santa.....I love them. The kids played hide and seek while Colby and I pick out the tree. Savannah always has an opinion on what kind of tree we should get but this year we went for a really tall skinny one to her dismay. It was beautiful and smelled so delicious. Colby picked out a Santa while I stressed over how much we were going to spend.
The kids posing in front of the tree. It was too tall to get the whole thing in the picture.

Auttumn debating on which expensive item she should touch first.

Savannah imitating the kissing fish ornament she is holding in her hand.

Last but not least my little Auttumn posing for the camera. What a nut!!!!

The Holidays 2008

December is always so busy but magical as well. We started out the holidays by staying the night up at the Grand America Hotel. The kids had such a great time, we ordered room service, went swimming, went to see the lights on Temple Square and ate yummy food. I asked Noelle what her favorite part of the weekend was and she said seeing the live Nativity scene at Temple Square. It made me feel good that at such a young age she still could feel the magic and spirit of the nativity story.












The weekend was planned around the thought of having breakfast with Santa at the hotel but when we went down Saturday morning to eat breakfast guess what had been cancelled and the Cooks didn't get the memo. Yep breakfast with Santa. I was so bummed and the kids were way disappointed....especially Noelle. She thinks that the whole Christmas season is for her because her birthday is Christmas day. Any way they made it up to us by inviting us up on the 20th and giving us the best seat in the house. We were the first table Santa visited when he came in...it was awesome and worth the wait. The kids got their picture taken with he and Mrs. Claus after breakfast. What a fun morning.