In The Tub

I like this picture. I have fond memories of long, playful baths with my siblings.

Time for a Brother?

Owen does not like to be left out.  Since he has two sisters, that means dressing up!  His current favorite is  the Ariel costume.  I hope he won't need too much therapy when he is older.  

 

Hannah's Cabin Birthday Weekend

            

Beth and I were invited to spend the weekend at our friend's cabin to help celebrate their oldest daughter's birthday.  We had a fun time.  We left on Friday afternoon and got there in the evening.   David and Alton went early and warmed up the cabin and had dinner waiting for us (yeah for the boys!!!).  The next day brought snow in the morning.  By mid-morning it had cleared up and we were able to go on a hike to Beaver Pond.  We got to see the industrious workings of the beavers and stand right on top of their lodges.

              

When I asked Beth about the trip when we got home she said her favorite parts were catching the two fish we ate for dinner on Saturday night and snuggling with the Denton's dog Ruka.      

 

Thank you to the Dentons who shared their wonderful cabin with us.  We had a great time!

Sushi and Truckin'

I got to go down to Utah last week to help with some family stuff (moving estate stuff from my grandpa's house). My mom and dad have been tackling most of it, but it all kind of came to a head and so the kids got to come pitch in a little. It was kind of a whirlwind event and I wasn't in Utah for long, but it was great to see everyone. Most of the time was actually spend driving across the country with my dad and brother to help him get stuff back to North Carolina. Utah time was spent moving all day (8AM ebelskiver breakfast to midnight peach pie dessert with lots of boxes in between) followed by a 7AM departure in a 26 ft Penske truck bound for the East Coast. I did get a little sushi in for lunch which has for me become a Utah necessity. We usually go to Takashi downtown. The “magic dragon” roll is amazing. It was sad to see my grandparents house so empty, but it was an amazing memory lane trip to go through all their stuff again. My sister and her adorable daughter were also there and family time is  gold no matter how hectic.  I wish we had more time with them and my mom (or that they could have come on the road trip with us, but unfortunately they were headed in the opposite direction with their own truck).

The road trip was the quickest I had ever been on. It should have been the longest given that we literally were on the road for 16-18 hours for the two days with no radio/music and a bench seat for the three of us (middle guy had a huge parking break to fight with). The radio/music thing was by choice as somehow we found a way to talk all day long. Politics was a frequent topic with occasional sports and religion mixed in. We did some Subway, some Wendy's and lots of chocolate covered raisins. The scenery was mostly flatlands but we actually had some dramatic clouds the first day going through Wyoming and Nebraska (see photo at top of post). We spent the night somewhere on the Nebraska/Iowa border after unfortunately driving too far past Omaha.  It was around  midnight, so we had to stop, but the accommodations were a little tough.

The second day was mostly rainy and gray. We did Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.  My brother had us timed to make sure we moved along which really was helpful as I never realized how much time it takes to stop even to fill up and get a quick drink. We had a hard time getting lunch and a fill up in under 45 minutes (it seems like we should be able to do it in 15).

The end of the trip for me was in Columbus, Ohio. I had to fly back to work so I had to leave my brother and dad to finish the trip. Carol and I moved from Columbus to Alaska and have many a happy memory in the buckeye state. We drove by our old house and stayed in our old neighborhood. I hadn't been back there since moving and it was really nice to see again.

I made it back to Alaska tired, but happy...lots of miles, raw fish and good memories.

Denali Camping

Praise to the intern that came up with the Junior Ranger program at Denali National Park! Carol and the kids and I went down to Denali National Park a couple of weeks ago for a little campout. Fall colors had arrived (somehow I'm still surprised by this up here when the leaves turn at the end of August) so we thought the park might be nice.

We headed down on Saturday after piano and dropped by the Wilderness Access Center at the park to see about bus rides. There was a bus at 2PM to the new visitors center so we signed up. Basically there is no access into the park except on the bus system. The road is a pretty well maintained dirt road and the bus system works pretty well. They do take a while to get back into the park, however. An 80 mile trip takes about 6 hours (12 round trip). We were going about 60 miles in for an 8 hour round trip adventure. We hoped the kids would do okay and for the most part they did.

Before heading out, we went by the visitors center to pick up the Junior Ranger pack. This is a great program where any kid for free can sign up to be a Junior Ranger and get a fully stocked backpack with compass, binoculars, magnifying glass, books on plants and an activity book. It is a great program. The activity book is also very well done and has the kids ask rangers questions and write the response, identify animals they see on the trip, etc. I'm sure it was the brain child of some intern and whoever that may be, I would just like to personally thank them for a great program. At the end, the kids turn in their workbooks and have a swearing in ceremony with one of the real park rangers. They get a pin on badge and lots of great memories. The video of the ceremony is here:

The bus ride was next on the agenda (the kids kind of did the Junior Ranger thing throughout the whole day). We left with food in hand for 8 hours (no food/water provided), the activity stuff from the Junior Ranger pack and some extra stuff we brought from home. The kids actually did very well for most of the trip. We had a few meltdowns, but really they did quite well. We saw a moose, a bear, lots of ptarmigan and some sheep. One of the bears actually walked right around the bus and then sauntered off and played in the road. It was great. Usually at Denali the bear viewing is at quite a distance, so this was a real treat.

We almost made it to the visitor's center, but we actually decided to jump ship and come back one stop early (you can basically get off the bus at anytime and hike or catch a ride back on one of the other buses). Denali (Mt. McKinley) was visible and “out” for our drive down to the park, but as we were going in on the bus, it clouded up. We probably would have pushed on if there was any chance of seeing it, but once it clouds up, it takes a while to clear. I've been into the park 4 times and I've really only had a clear shot once. It is beautiful when it's out, it's just hard to predict when that will happen.

After getting back to camp, we set up our new 7 man Kelty tent. It's not quite as easy as our Sierra Designs 3 man which I personally think is the greatest tent made (easy to set up, great rain fly, very sturdy). It is very roomy inside, however and Carol and I can both almost stand up inside.

We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows by the fire and then went to bed. The night was fairly uneventful. I didn't put the rainfly on which is always an invitation for disaster, but fortunately it didn't rain. My sleeping pad didn't work, so I was tossing and turning quite a bit, but it was still a great time. The kids slept fine and Carol did battle with Owen a little, but we all managed a little shut eye.

Here's another video if you're up for a little Hammond overdose:

Back to School

This is kind of a strange year for me as far as having the kids back in school as Owen started preschool and I now have 3 hours every  morning to myself.  I have always heard people say that those 3 hours go by really fast, and it is true.  I have tried to be productive and accomplish something before I pick him up, but it seems like I barely have time to shower and get to the store, or stick a load of laundry in before I have to leave to get him.  He enjoys school a lot and so that makes the transition into having my baby gone in the mornings a little easier.  Beth and Isabel are really loving school as well.  Beth is still in Paul's class and Isabel is now in Lyn's class.  Both of them have already been on three field trips, two to Creamer's field (a bird conservatory), and one to Calypso farm.  We also had a fun picnic and camp out with all the families from Chinook.  The kids had a great time with their friends.  They did surprisingly well in the tent,  although Tom didn't have such a great night as he was stuck with a faulty sleeping pad (sorry Tom!).  I skipped out on the camping out part and took Owen home to get some rest in a real bed.  The activity was a  great success and the only scars from the event were some monster mosquito bites!  Izzie got one right on the eye and it looked like she had been punched in the face.  It took about week for her to look back to her beautiful self.      

Update

So I'm a little behind on my blogging which I had conveniently blamed on the Olympics but unfortunately that excuse won't work this time. I'll try and catch up in the next week or so. My brother-in-law is amazing in that his blogging pauses are ended by a deluge of seven or eight posts...alas I am not that talented.

My first item of note is that school has started and Owen is now plugged in to the system. He has begun what was for me 22 years of learning pleasure and horrible pain. He's at the local Montessori preschool where Beth and Isabel had gone. The first few days were a little rough, but with some long morning talks and minimal bribery, he has done very well. He now goes running in with hardly a second thought as long as his play buddy is there. They have some great activities including the first annual trike-a-thon on Friday.  They basically ride in circles in the parking lot until they turn to butter.  Laps are sponsored and go to St.Jude's.  I thought it a pretty nice idea.

The girls also started at Chinook (their elementary school). They are now in their routines and have play date requests pending through 2015. The highlight of the year for me was an all-school camp out. Yes, someone at the school decided to invite all the students and parents to camp on the school lawn, eat  burgers and have a genuine bonfire (complete with fireman escort). My sleeping pad didn't work which made for a long night, but overall we had a great time. The girls played soccer until midnight and ate about a half pan of brownies each. The mosquitoes were out in force and Isabel got a good ol' bite right on her eye, but there was  no stopping the fun. I have to admit I had my doubts at the beginning, but it really turned out well.  Carol has some photos in her blog post.

Every time the school year begins and ends, I'm sure I go through the emotions all parents feel...that time goes by to quickly and the kids are growing up to fast. This year was no different...time really does fly...better make the most of it!!!

The Binki Fairy

 

Alas, the time has come that Owen no longer requires a binki in his mouth 24/7.  About a month ago, the binki fairy stopped by our house.  While Owen was sleeping, she collected all the binkis that could be found.  When Owen awoke to discover there were no more binkis, he was told that the binki fairy had come and taken them all to brand new babies who didn't have any.  Unbelievably, he accepted this with little complaint and at the ripe old age of 3 and 1/2, Owen is now binki free.  Earlier attempts to rid Owen of the binks had failed when, thanks to his older sisters examples, he quickly discovered that his thumb was a viable alternative.  Tom and I have paid special attention to make sure the thumb has stayed out of his mouth and after a month, I believe we now have one child who is suck free.  Now if we could only have a thumb fairy for the girls!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

43 years

and what do you have to show for it?

43 years and so much to show
Lots of good food and love with which to grow
9 amazing children, 7 amazing spouses add to that
2 more to come in the future
Little bros. you’re up to bat
Then to this Cook Clan comes the very best part
14 little joys that have melted our hearts
Oh yes, 43 short years and you continue to grow
43 years and so much to show

43 years each one of us has learned from our dad
Comfort, security, and lots of love we have had
Countless family trips to Palmo, St. George and, of course, Disneyland
Tennis, swimming, eating at Garcia’s
Too much fun to count on both hands
Little wormies who knew just how to tickle dad’s tired feet
Running through sprinklers and getting sprayed with the hose
Drawing on dad’s beautiful bald head in Florida’s hot heat
Oh yes, 43 fun years we have had
Comfort, security and lots of love from our dad

43 years of the greatest mom known to man
Talent, beauty and great driving skills with a stretch van
When mom is at home there is always delicious food on the table
Sewing, painting, a love of America and so much more she had taught us
There is no one in the whole world that is more able
There is always time for each person in her life
Lots of time for fun and love and making each one feel so special
With each endeavor she pursues, for perfection she does strive
Oh yes, 43 wonderful years driving the van
Talent, skills, love and beauty; the greatest mom known to man

43 years and so much to show
43 years and the love continues to grow
More good times, good food and good laughs are on their way
More times to learn and love
The Cook Clan is here to stay
Oh yes, 43 years of love with which to grow
43 years and so much to show!

HAPPY 43rd ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD

The Cabin

After a record snow fall in Utah this past winter, my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles went to open the cabin for the summer season and discovered that the original river rock chimney had succumbed to the pressure of the snow and had fallen. This led to an inspection of the cabin, and to the very sad discovery that the cabin is not doing so well. The cabin is, for me, one of the most peaceful and lovely places on earth. Over 60 years ago, Grandpa Edmonds built the cabin as a place for his family and him to get away from the summer heat of the Salt Lake Valley and spend the summer in the cool mountain air. Grandpa Taylor, with the enlisted help of Mel worked tirelessly for an entire summer to make the cabin into the beautiful retreat it has been for our family for over 20 years. The broken chimney was an eye opener for me to realize that this wonderful place may not always be there for me and my family. I was lucky enough to be able to spend almost a week there this summer with the kids. The first night was spent with Linda, Scott, Grandma and Grandpa and Sarah and Kate. The kids had so much fun together swinging on swings, taking walks and wading in the river. The rest of the week brought Grandma and Grandpa Cookie up for work on the grounds and yard. Grandpa led the clean up efforts and everyone enjoyed helping. Owen especially enjoyed it because it meant he got to help push the wheel barrow.

Even with all the work, we were able to get in a couple of rounds of Beth's current favorite game, Monopoly.

Beth, Izzie, Owen and I had a lot of walks picking wild flowers and throwing rocks in the river. And every night the kids and I read and told stories while snuggled together on the Hammock.

It was a beautiful, peaceful, cherished time and the only thing that would have made it better was to have Tom there with us. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Taylor for sharing this wonderful place with us! It has to be one of my very favorite places on this whole earth!!!