Goodbye 2008

Today I feel like I have to blog, but I have a very bad headache, so this will be short--probably.

2008 - It's time to say goodbye to another year and look forward to what God has in store for us in the new year. So much has happened this past year and we have so much to be thankful for.

2009 - What will this year hold? We know of one major adjustment that we will deal with--Tom starting college! This weekend we'll be traveling down to Texas for New Student Orientation at SAGU. Not sure we're ready for the commitment this is going to take, but we're gonna give it a try. Tom will be starting with only two classes so hopefully this will give us an idea of how it will work.

I really don't care to do New Year's resolutions--that way I don't have to worry about breaking them :-)

So there are my last ramblings for 2008. Happy New Year everyone!

Merry Christmas!

Sorry it's been a little while since I've blogged. It's been a very busy time for us (and for many of you too!). So I will be going back a little ways to share what we've been up to.

About a week and a half ago we went and drove around looking at Christmas lights and enjoyed the Drive-Thru Lights that a church here in the Springs had put up. Gregory really enjoyed looking at them too. There was also a live nativity and real sheep there too.

Then there was lots of shopping to do to prepare for Christmas since Gregory and I would be out of town for a little bit before Christmas.

Last Thursday, Gregory and I flew up to Minnesota to be with my family for a few days for an early Christmas. There was a houseful at my sister's when everyone had arrived. It was my parents, my grandma, my aunt and uncle (from Montana), my brother and his wife and two daughters, my sister and her husband and two boys and then Gregory and I. We had fun eating, playing and just relaxing. Of course there were presents and yummy homemade treats too. The highlight of the gifts were the marshmallow shooters--the guys all got these--but I tried Tom's out for him :-) Sorry there aren't any pictures--I was busy playing! My parents, grandma and aunt & uncle left on Sunday morning since my dad was singing in the Christmas Cantata back home at church. I got to enjoy a church service with Raquel & Bryan - we were reminded about the gifts that were brought to Jesus after His birth...and the pastor expounded on what those gifts could compare to today--gold (finances/money), frankincense (our worship) and myrrh (our trials and troubles). On Monday, we (Raquel's family and Gregory & I) me Kirk's family at the Minnesota Children's Museum where we spent all day. All of the kids (big and little) had a great time here. Clifford the Big Red Dog was there that day as well, so this was an extra special treat. Here are a couple of pics of the kids having fun! Of course there are tons more pictures at our picture website if you've got time. www.tomandroxannecook.shutterfly.com

Gregory did great on all the flights, in the airports and with the minor delays. We are glad to be home and looking forward to celebrating Christmas as a family tomorrow since Tom will be off.

A Relaxing Day Shopping

Today Tom had the day off so we took off and went up to Denver to go to a few stores we don't have in our area. The Container Store was one of them...so much fun to see what they have!

Then we also went to the Park Meadows Mall...it was crazy busy but we still enjoyed our window shopping. We stopped at Wetzel Pretzel to get a snack in the afternoon and Tom and I were figuring out what to get and I was getting something for Gregory to eat and I learned a valuable lesson...make sure he's awake if you are getting him something to eat :-) He had fallen asleep in the stroller - yes, a very relaxing time for him today.

Playing in the Snow

The other day it was finally nice enough for Gregory to get outside and play. So I got him all bundled up (thankful that he can't say he has to go potty yet). Then out we went!




















We made a little snowman since that's all the snow we could get to stick together--it had a coating of ice on top of it.
After swinging and playing in the snow we got out the wagon to go for a walk while we waited for Tom to come home.

It's Christmas Time

You can sure tell it's Christmas time all around us...yeah there is snow every other day (or so it seems), but there is also Christmas music on the radio, lights on many houses and Christmas parties!

Yesterday Gregory and I went to a Christmas party for him and some of his friends. It was a fun time. It was our pastor's wife, our youth pastor's wife and me along with our kiddos. We ate yummy food, opened some gifts and sang "Happy Birthday to Jesus".

Gregory has been enjoying playing with his nativity and looking at our pretty Christmas tree too.


























We continue to get more and more snow, so there is hope that Gregory will get to go play out in it as well...but not today it is way too cold! Brrrrrrrrrr. But it sure is pretty to look at from inside.