The Cook Family and Cooper Trooper News

Colby's 6th Birthday

2012-02-23T19:38:00.000-08:00

My sweet Colby only a few weeks old

Colby Watson Cook....my precious middle boy turned 6 years old on February 10, 2012! There really are so many things about this kid that just overflow my heart with JOY! I know as parents, we can sometimes overly exaggerate the positives about our children, but I can honestly say with Colby....it is NO exaggeration (and most people who know him would probably agree)! He is one of the most kind-hearted, unselfish, thankful children I know. He is laid back, rarely gets in trouble for anything, is so well-mannered, and goes out of his way to make sure I know how much he loves and appreciates what I do for him. For example, he thanks me every time I cook anything (even if it's a pop-tart), offers to help clean up after himself and his brothers, asks me how I'm feeling about things, offers hugs and snuggles on a very regular basis, and truly obeys without questioning, on the first time on most occasions! Sure, he can get sassy from time to time, not obey, pick on his brothers, and have some melt-downs that are ear-piercing, but not too terribly often. He is a great balance between his older and younger brother, who tend to be on the more dramatic side! Just last week, when I was tucking him in bed he said, "mommy, don't let the bed bugs bite you, because you are just too beautiful"....seriously, he melts my heart with his sweetness!

Colby with his sweet teacher, Mrs. Norris, having the class guess what the treat he brought was!

I went to his school to celebrate on his special day. He also just happened to be selected as "Student of the Week" this week, so he was giving his class clues to guess what the special treat we brought was......Cookie Cake!!

He got a MarioKart Wii game from his Nonny and Papa- it's actually his 2nd one....they broke their 1st one and he's been wanting another one forever. He was so excited!

His "Harry Potter" birthday cake

Colby with Mrs. Tessie

Colby with Papa and Nonny

Dad and Mom with Colby at Chuck E Cheeses

He had a birthday party at Chuck E Cheeses with the boys from his class, his brothers, and 2 other good friends. They had a BLAST!! Lots of excitement and EASY preparation/ clean up for mom! My kind of party!!

Wearing his "Crown of Tokens" at Chuck E Cheese

My sweet 6 year old

Happy, Happy Birthday Colby Cook!! You are LOVED!!

Mud, Mud, and More Mud!

2012-02-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

Bunky, Carson, and Colby played in a Father/Son Bowl flag-football game last weekend. It was one of those moments that I have to say I felt a little jealous being the "mom"! I wanted to get out there in that mud and belly slide across the field. My true inner "tom-boy" self was coming out in a big way! I kept my composure and watched and cheered from the sidelines with Cooper.

Worlds BEST dad with Colby and Carson

Needless to say, they had a BLAST! Their team was made up of some of the dads and sons from our neighborhood. The field was a muddy mess and they made the most of it....slip sliding all over, getting more muddy by the minute. In fact, the car took hours to clean out (and will honestly never quite be the same). Oh, and their clothes....well, that's another story about "a mom's most challenging laundry endeavors". Let's just say, some articles of clothing were just thrown away and others will be forever deemed as "camping/outside play clothes".

Back Row (dads)- Brett Aufdenkamp, Craig Seaman, Mark Carneal, and Rod Cook
Front (boys)- Alex Aufdenkamp, Thomas Seaman, Sam Carneal, Colby & Carson Cook

The muddy boys- Carson, Colby, Sam, Thomas, and Alex

Love the way my husband is so involved with our boys and I have no doubt they will truly cherish these great, and very fun memories with him. And for the record....I wouldn't trade the dirty car or ruined clothes for that ANY day!

Boys and Date Nights

2012-01-08T19:25:00.000-08:00

I absolutely LOVE being the mom of boys! God knew in HIS infinite wisdom that 3 beautiful boys were just what I needed to fill my cup. I'll admit that there have been times I wondered why HE didn't allow me to have a daughter and there have been times I longed for this. However, I cannot imagine my life without all the precious things that come along with being the mom of boys and I wouldn't want it any other way.

At this point in my life, I don't even know what I would do with a little girl to raise. I am blessed to have lots of sweet friends with daughters and who gladly let me love on their daughters when I need a girl "fix" and plenty of sweet nieces to do the "girly" thing with. When it comes down to it, though, I love the care-free, low-maintenance, low-drama life of raising boys and it is a perfect fit for my personality.

Cooper's eye injury after playing football in his rain boots (it wasn't raining) in the driveway!

Sure, there are lots of characteristics on the flip side that prove challenging day in and day out....like all the cuts, bruises, wrestling in the floor, destruction of property, burps, farts, and discussions of body parts and all the noises they make, the non-stop smell from the not-so-great aim in the toilet, stinky shoes, mud and dirt that seems to just scream their name and draw them like magnets, and the appetite that has a dramatic impact on my grocery budget!! I wouldn't trade ANY of it for being the "lady" in their life, at least for now. I cherish the sweet words, "I want to marry you mommy" and how my kisses seem to make all their boo-boo's feel better. I know the day is coming all too soon when they will be taller and bigger than me, when kissing their boo-boo's would be most embarrassing, and when I will no longer be the leading lady in their life. I am thankful for the sweet gift of these boys and pray that we will always have a special relationship! I have also prayed continually, since before they were born, for the ladies that God will bring into their lives one day as their suitable mates in marriage. I cannot wait to meet these young ladies and love them well, as I let go of my babies and allow them to be husbands, fathers, and the men God intended!

Over Christmas break I got to enjoy separate "date nights" with my 2 oldest, Carson and Colby. I loved every minute. They were both such little gentlemen and and I treasured our sweet conversations. I am so blessed with a husband who loves me well and exemplifies the way a lady should be treated. My boys get to see that modeled in our home and that is truly a blessing.

Me and Carson before our date to Mellow Mushroom for dinner, then Sweet Cece's for yogurt

Me and Colby went on a date to see a movie- The Adventures of Tin Tin, then went to get a hot fudge sundae

December Fun 2011

2011-12-31T20:27:00.000-08:00

The Boys on Christmas morning- Cooper, Colby, and Carson

Jesus Birthday Celebration and Kid's Ornament Exchange

Making Christmas Sugar Cookies

Bowling!

Cooper making sugar cookies in his own style- underwear and boots only!!

Community Group Christmas party- Love these people!

Seems like our December has been full of activities and has flown by at lightning speed!! Cooper had his 3 month MRI on the 12th to monitor the questionable lymph node that was of concern from his September MRI. We got the great news on the lymph node was unchanged, however, there was a new place in the original tumor area that showed up with the December scan. Thankfully, after a CT scan on December 29th, it was determined that this "new" concern is most likely dental in nature. We will go back in 3 months for another MRI and if all remains unquestionable, we will get to continue with 6 month scans again.

Cooper with his sweet cousin, Emma

Colby's class Christmas party

Colby making his Gingerbread house

Aside from all of that, we have had lots of fun with school parties, birthday for Jesus parties with friends and neighbors, ornament and gingerbread house-making parties, Christmas celebrations with family, making ornaments, visit to Opryland, bowling with friends, drives to look at Christmas lights, playing games, date nights, movies, making sugar cookies, and on and on!!! It has been jam-packed and full of JOY!!! We are blessed beyond words and thankful for all that God has given us.....especially HIS son!

Cooper's 1st Trip to the Dentist

2011-11-12T20:34:00.000-08:00

Cooper had his first visit to the dentist recently. He has gone to the dentist numerous times with his older brothers, so I thought it should be no big deal....it's not like it was something new to him. Boy was I wrong. Overall, it went fine, but he was very skeptical and wouldn't open his mouth until totally bribed. Thankfully, there were no cavities!

Take special note of the rain boots.....he would wear these almost every day if I let him. This particular morning it was sunny and warm, but I wasn't up for the battle. He also brings his little "men" with him everywhere. It actually turned out to be a good thing, as his little army man got his teeth "cleaned" first! Cooper even asked if his man could get a prize after we were done out of the prize drawer, (because, after all, he got his teeth cleaned too)!!

Pumpkins Galore!

2011-11-11T20:46:00.000-08:00

Well, we just wrapped up our 2nd annual Pumpkin Patch for The Cooper Trooper Foundation! A few words come to mind to describe what the last month of pumpkin selling has meant to me...HUMBLING, EXCITING, EXHAUSTING, FUN, FULL-FILLING, AMAZING, SPEECHLESS, BLESSED!!

For the second year, we held the foundation's biggest fundraiser - a "pumpkin patch" in Franklin, TN. We were honored to have so many individuals give their tireless efforts for almost an entire month supporting and volunteering for the cause! The Foundation raised over $25,000 this year, which more than doubled last year's total. We are thrilled to be able to touch many, many families impacted by childhood cancer because of these efforts.

Me and my amazing hubby talking to the first group of volunteers there to unload almost 4,000 pumpkins! I still feel speechless at the generosity of so many people making this all happen.

Unloading the first of 3 full semi truck loads we got over the course of the month.

Zach, Cooper, Nate, and Colby- working hard at the pumpkin patch!

Me and my biggest boy, Carson

LOTS of pumpkins!

This super sweet family was back for the 2nd year to buy their pumpkins....what's even better.....their girls received our Cooper Trooper Kits at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital after their sister was diagnosed with cancer! This is WHY we do what we do!!!

The JOYS of my heart....Cooper, Colby, and Carson

The whole family!

It is truly a "family" event for the month and we LOVE it. It is such an honor and privilege to know we are giving back in some small way after our own family experience to hopefully touch the lives of other families going through childhood cancer. Praise God that our story is one that includes our little boy running and playing, cancer clear, in a pumpkin patch!

September MRI

2011-10-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

Cooper had his usual MRI Sept. 12th. This was the longest we have gone between scans, as we are now in the "6 month club".....getting to wait 6 months between MRI's. Cooper did great. When I woke him up that morning, he was happy, not even asking to eat and just content to take an early morning ride to the hospital (an answer to many prayers no doubt). Of course, the moment we went back into the Radiology Department, he realized where he was and started getting a little more cranky. Fortunately, he was distracted with his little superhero figures and they took him back fairly quickly, so it was fine.

It's hard to describe the sinking feeling that overwhelms my momma's heart, each time we go in that place. It represents so many things to me and lots of memories come flooding back all at once, when we walk through those doors. On one hand, the magnitude of what we have been told, scans we have seen, pain that has been endured by our little boy, waiting for answers, sheer exhaustion, questions that couldn't be answered, and the fragility of life come rushing back.... making me want to curl up in the fetal position and block it all out. On the other hand, I am thankful beyond words for how our lives have been forever changed for the better. I am honored to have met, cried with, been hugged by, and even prayed with some of the most amazing surgeons, oncologists, and nurses on the planet. I am grateful to be coming back for MRI's as opposed to the alternative of not having the opportunity to come back, like so many families who have lost the fight against cancer. I guess walking through those doors will never again be just that....walking through the doors. There will no doubt, always be the emotions on each end of the spectrum that accompany that experience. I can only hope and pray that God uses that to soften my heart to others and keep perspective on HIS control of ALL things.

Not quite awake from the anesthesia

As for this MRI, we received encouraging news overall. There is no evidence of recurrent tumor (Praise God). They are wanting to monitor a lymph node that they have been tracking for a while now. Apparently, it is a little larger and different than they would like it to be and it has continued to grow over time. So, the plan is to go back December 12th for another scan to see what it's doing and then make a decision from there about whether or not to biopsy it. I am hopeful that it is nothing. I feel like they are especially cautious about everything with Cooper, which is okay with me too.

Beginning of School- 2011

2011-09-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-17T20:28:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

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!

Who Do You Play For?

2011-08-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

Check out Cooper, featured as a child who has fought cancer on this wonderful non-profit foundation's website!!

http://www.whodoyouplayfor.org/purpose

Sister/Cousin Visit

2011-08-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

The last couple of years my sister, Heather, has come with my nephew, Paxton to visit us on her birthday! The boys always have so much fun and we thoroughly enjoy just hanging out together for a few days.

Lots of Game Playing!

Colby, Carson, Cooper, and Paxton

This year my sweet husband even watched the boys all day long for us to get away for a day of shopping and lunch in Murfreesboro. We also went to Cookeville to visit Hannah (my niece, her daughter) and see her college campus and where she lives. Then, my sister-in-law, Beth came and brought Emma and Alea (my 2 sweet Georgia nieces) to ride back to Arkansas with Heather to visit family there.

Beth, Emma, and Alea

Heather and Me

LOVE having this time together.....it truly fills my cup!

Carson's 8th Birthday

2011-08-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

Our oldest, Carson turned 8 years old on May 20th! He typically has a big backyard party with lots of friends, neighbors, and baseball teammates over to play baseball games, etc. This year we gave him the option to have just a few friends and a very small party...in exchange for a nicer gift from mom and dad. After all, the money we saved from having a smaller party would be worth getting him a little more for his birthday. That's what he chose! So, just a few friends came over and had a "build your own ice cream sundae" party and then had a home run derby in the back yard. It turned out perfect!

Spring and Summer Baseball

2011-08-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

Since I am so behind at blogging, I am going to do a little summary of Carson and Colby's baseball from the Spring season and also from Carson's All-Star team this summer. Both of the boys LOVED playing baseball again. The main difference this year, was that their dad was not able to take the head-coaching role, as he was the Commissioner for Baseball for EWA (Our athletics association) and also ended up taking a new job with a lot of travel in the midst of the season. Rod was able to be assistant coach and was there as often as he could be. Both teams had great coaches and it worked out just fine.

Carson moved into the machine pitch age division and was on the Dodger team with a lot of his buddies from past seasons. He truly enjoys playing and we really enjoy watching him. He is such a little competitor and gives it 100%. Carson also enjoys pulling for his teammates and I love watching him encourage others. He played short-stop most of the time and really did an amazing job! He then went on to play on the All-Star team, the Knights! It was a lot of fun. He played pitcher on this team. We are so super proud of him.

Colby played on the 6U team as a Dodger, and was most excited that his buddy Zach was on his team. Colby played 2nd base and right field most of the time. He was nicknamed, Colby "Cheetah" Cook as he was encouraged to run like a "Cheetah"......bless his heart, those little legs just don't have the speed yet as a lot of the bigger players. He never gave up and continued to try his hardest, improving so much over the season, and always had a positive attitude. His team ended up going all the way to the championship playoffs and came in 3rd out of 16 teams in their age division. They were truly a team with so much heart, that were so fun to watch! They improved from the beginning of the season to the end by leaps and bounds!

Primrose Spring Fling and The Cooper Trooper Foundation

2011-05-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

This year The Primrose School in Cool Springs invited The Cooper Trooper Foundation to be the recipient of their Spring Fling charity event. We were honored and thrilled to be a part of this opportunity. The foundation received a very generous gift of $3000 from Primrose School.

Unfortunately, it started off as a dreary, rainy morning. Fortunately, there was plenty of fun to be had indoors with a bake sale, amazing auction, pancake breakfast, games, face-painting etc. There was a gigantic inflatable outside as well.......the kids didn't let a little rain stop them from enjoying it either.

We truly appreciate being selected to benefit from this generosity. Primrose is an impressive program, full of caring people. There is an immediate feeling of "family" within their community of parents, children, and staff, from the moment you step foot in the doors. We enjoyed spending our morning at the school and getting to know the families and staff. It is an honor that they wanted to contribute to our mission of helping families impacted by childhood cancer.

THANK YOU PRIMROSE!

Visiting Family in Arkansas

2011-04-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

The boys and I took a little "last minute" trip to Arkansas over spring break. Originally, my sister, Heather, was going to come to Tennessee for a visit. However, my niece, Hailey, has been in and out of the hospital and Heather did not need to leave her. So, we decided to go for a few nights to see everyone.

Me and my sweet niece, Hailey

Colby and Carson with their cousin, Paxton (in middle)

My parents (Nonny and Papa) with Colby

Me and my brother, Jeff

Hailey enjoying the fresh air at the park

Paxton and Carson- these 2 have a great time together

My sister, Heather, with her Hailey

My other sister, Lauren, with the boys

One of the "highlights" of our trip was the beautiful weather while we were there- it was in the 70's each day and just gorgeous. We spent a lot of time playing outdoors with everyone. One day we went to a park and Nonny ordered pizza for everyone. There was a creek that the boys literally spent hours playing in. They had an absolute blast just throwing rocks and walking in the creek! I remember loving to play in the creek as a kid.....oh for the simple, fun things that our kids seem to miss out on with all of the technology, etc. distracting them. It was so much fun to watch them really PLAY!

Nonny playing in the creek with my boys

Cooper loved throwing rocks in the creek

Colby throwing rocks!

Carson just chilling

My niece and nephew- Abby Grace and Paxton

Cousins having fun- Paxton, Abby Grace, Carson, and Colby

A Date With My Carson

2011-04-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

I got to have a date with my sweet boy, Carson, when his school did a special "Boys Night" last month. The boys got to invite their mom, grandma, sister, etc. for a date at their school...complete with dinner, a disc jockey playing some dance tunes, and a Home Depot workshop to build your own birdhouse.

Carson had a blast dancing on stage! He was cracking me up with all of his cool "moves". Most of the moms just sat and watched their sweet boys dancing like crazy up on the stage. It was quite entertaining to say the least!

We built a super cool bird house in the gym in record time! I get the "handy" gene from my dad. We were a great team and it was a lot of fun.

Carson with some of his buddies really strutting their stuff! It was such a fun night, and Carson was quite a little gentleman. He opened the car door for me and even told me that he would pull out my chair at the table (like his daddy told him to), except that the chairs were connected to the cafeteria table so he couldn't...... so sweet! I hope he will be a gentleman like this to his wife one day, but for now, I will just enjoy him being a little gentleman for his momma!

Cooper's Latest MRI Update

2011-03-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

I realized that I had not updated the blog after Cooper's last MRI (March 7th). We are so thankful that Cooper has had another "ALL CLEAR" scan!

We went that morning, and in true "trooper" fashion, Cooper slept until I woke him up to leave for the hospital, never even asked to eat or drink, and even bobbed his head around dancing and smiling to the music in the car on the way! It's amazing how these little details are so important, especially at his age.

Once we went back to Radiology, he suddenly realized where he was and what was going on. His face went from just fine to horrified the minute the big doors opened. After pulling out a bag full of his "little men", which are his favorite thing to play with....he settled down.

We are so thankful, yet a little sad that we know the nurses, anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, and radiologists on a first name basis at Vanderbilt. They are amazing people and do their jobs beyond expectation. We were happy to have our nurse, Christa again this time.

Cooper with his nurse Christa

It definitely took longer to wake up from anesthesia this time and he has had a more difficult time over the last few MRI's, as he is getting older. He likes to point that finger and tell everyone "NO", if anyone tries to talk to him! He also threw up all over himself in the car on the way home.......not fun!

We met with Dr. Pine, one of his oncologists, on March 9th. Sadly, we found out that she will be leaving Vanderbilt to move to Utah soon, working with a Hospital specializing in bone marrow transplants. She has been such a blessing and will be missed. Dr. Ho will continue as our primary oncologist with Cooper and has been following him from the beginning.

Cooper with Dr. Pine

Basically, we got the exciting news from Dr. Pine that Cooper can now go 6 months between MRI scans until he is about 5 1/2 - 6 years old. If all scans remain clear between now and then, he will be discharged from the care of the Oncologists and considered in complete remission at that time!!

God is so good and we are so very thankful for this news!

Bunky's 40th

2011-02-26T19:49:00.000-08:00

My super sweet, funny, hot, amazing husband turned the BIG 40 this month! I wanted to do something meaningful for him, so for a whole month I had to be sneaky, getting together a book for him full of letters, notes, and pictures from various people in his life (family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc- some he has known most of his life). I set up an email account so he wouldn't come across anything in my regular email and for about a month before his actual birthday, received emails from people who were in on the fun. I also got a few mailed to my neighbor's house. Overall, there were 70 letters in his book.....some really long, some shorter, some funny, and some heartfelt and serious. It turned out to be a great combination of words to my husband who has had an impact on a lot of lives. I think he felt extremely loved and celebrated, which is just what I set out to do. He is truly one-of-a-kind, and I am honored and blessed that he is MINE! For what it's worth, I don't think he looks a day over 29 either! :)

Bunky checking out his book the morning of his birthday!

We also had a wonderful steak grill-out with our community group and a few other dear friends that night. Here's to 40 more wonderful years and a continuing legacy that is well-respected! I love you Bunk!

Some of the guys checking out Bunky's book

Praying- Yes, I take pictures during prayers sometimes

Blowing out the candles on his favorite.....Oreo Ice cream dessert

The girls- From L: Lora, Traci, me, Jami, Melanie, Tricia
Bottom: Molly, Suzanne, Alyson

The Guys- From L: Brian, Jeff, John (with Josh), Jeremy, Dustin
David, Bunky, Patrick, Greg

Molly with Bunky

Jeremy with Bunky

David and Bunky

Alyson, David, Tricia, Bunky, and Dustin

Jeff, Lora, Bunky, and me

"Sock Hoppin It" with the Cook Brothers

2011-02-24T19:30:00.000-08:00

Colby and Cooper's Mom's Day Out program has a 50's party and sock hop each year around Valentine's. The boys dressed up in their 50's best (unfortunately we have a limited supply of this stuff) and had a blast. Colby even "practiced" some dance moves before he went to school that day, with little brother just jumping around behind him in excitement. He even showed me some line dancing he learned after the day's events.

Tis the Season for Sickness

2011-02-24T17:40:00.000-08:00

It seems like since before Christmas, someone in this family has been sick! I used to brag about how we seemed to dodge a lot of the illnesses going around, but this year has proven different. No matter how much we wash hands, lysol and disinfect every thing, and take all the right precautions.....we have still managed to get everything from strep, stomach bugs, and fever viruses! Cooper usually tends to get it the worst, with his compromised upper respiratory stuff. I hear the sound of his nebulizer in my dreams often, after all the breathing treatments we have had to give him! Boy- will I ever be glad for the spring to come and the illnesses to go!

I thought it would be fun to remember how each child's personality is when they are sick....as they are so different. So, here is the "typical" when it comes to each one when they are sick:

Carson- Ultra dramatic, you would think he is at "death's door" with even so much as a cough. Needs lots of attention and wants someone close by. Typically, comes down to our room at least 2-3 times a night when sick. Likes to have the following items surrounding the head of his bed or in near reach: a flashlight, a full glass of water, extra blankets, an extra pillow, a full box of tissue, humidifier, barf pan, and a hand towel. We have to set up "shop" to accommodate.

Colby- Doesn't complain- the only way you know he is sick is if he actually has visible symptoms OR from the "look" in his eyes....they are usually droopy and red when he runs a fever. He may be a little more whiny than normal. His only request is to stay in his pj's all day, otherwise, you could basically just leave him alone. His typical response when I check to see how he is feeling is, "a little bit good and a little bit bad".

Cooper- I am truly convinced that it takes a WHOLE lot to get this kid down. He is a bit more clingy when sick, but the magic number for him is a temp of 102.5 or higher- if it's below that, forget it- you wouldn't know anything is wrong. He runs around like a wild Indian. He sounds like he is going to cough his lungs up and out of his chest, but is used to getting up throughout the night to get breathing treatments, so he just rolls with it usually. I feel guilty saying this, but if he's going to be sick then I would just assume he have a higher fever to slow the child down a little! :)

This is Cooper with a fever of 103.8 and pneumonia- Check out Carson's face (He's crazy). None of us know how to react when Cooper slows down this much, because it is so rare!

Colby's 5th Birthday

2011-02-18T19:03:00.000-08:00

We celebrated our sweet Colby's 5th birthday on February 10th. He truly is such a joy to our family. He is definitely our most laid back, easy going one of the bunch. Colby is also very respectful and well-mannered. He is my big helper and will often go out of his way to do things, even without being asked! He wanted to celebrate by having his class from Mom's Day out and a few neighbors over for a Scooby Doo party. We LOVE us some Scooby around here- all of us!

Happy 5th Birthday Colby Watson Cook

"Mummy wrap game"

Dog bone relay

Cake time

Carson was really sick so he just had to stay in the room until the very end, when he came out to watch the pinata!

Nonny and Papa got to be here for the party

Lots of Snow!

2011-01-22T20:55:00.000-08:00

Cooper ready to get out in the snow

Snow, snow, and more snow!!! Not only did we have a white Christmas this year, but have already used over 1/2 of our 10 allotted snow days missing school....and it's not even through January yet. In fact, my boys are starting to view snow as "not a big deal", whereas they used to get up at the crack of dawn, driving me crazy to get outside and play in it.

Colby with his snowman

My boys- Carson, Colby, and Cooper playing in the snow

Carson with his snowman

Colby with our neighbor, Zach

The boys with our neighbors- Zach and Alexandra

Cooper

Colby

Tiger Basketball 2011

2011-01-22T20:07:00.000-08:00

Carson's 3rd year with the Tiger b-ball team

After the game they won this year- so excited!!

Carson is in full swing with basketball again and plays with the EWA league here in Franklin. This is his 3rd year to be on the Tiger Team with Coach Jeremy and Coach Mark. A lot of these boys have played together since the beginning and it is really neat to see how they have "grown" in their knowledge of the game. This year is a "transitional" year, as they have moved up to an older league, where a lot of the teams have older and much bigger kids, and things are much more intense. So, despite more losses than they are used to, it has been a great year for them to build on their skills. Keep in mind that they won the Championship for their age group last year, however, they have only won one game this year. Carson has definitely had a hard time with that, but it has really been a good lesson for him to keep giving his best effort, whether winning or losing! I'm super proud of him!

Carson's 1st year on the Tiger team
(Look how little they are- so cute)

1st year

2nd year after winning the championship!

Reflections on 2010

2011-01-01T20:09:00.000-08:00

I always think it is a good thing to take a little time and reflect on the past year as you begin a new one. Most of all, it allows me to center my thoughts on God's faithfulness and the ways HE has provided for and guided me over the past year. It also helps me to think about my hopes and fears for what lies ahead, which translate into goals and things I would try to improve upon or change.

It truly blows my mind how life circumstances can drastically change from one year to the next. I feel like our family has lived out the saying, "You never know what tomorrow holds" over the last couple of years, and can honestly say that I am thankful for these circumstances, as they have allowed me to experience God in a real way, and probably more fully than I could have ever imagined otherwise. In fact, 2 years ago tonight, I was at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in the ICU with Cooper (then only 5 months old), who had just undergone his 2nd major surgery to remove the rare, cancerous tumor from his head and neck.

Then, one year ago, yesterday (Dec. 31st), our entire family was at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital delivering the first of many "Cooper Trooper Caring and Courage Kits" to help other families impacted by childhood cancer; with TV crews, hospital staff, and Cooper's oncologist with us, celebrating what the foundation was doing.

Now, here I sit 2 years later, on this same night, thankful that my boy is cancer "clear" at this time. I here the hum of the monitor as he is sleeping in his room. I wonder where this child gets all his energy. My biggest concerns for him right now are making sure I don't miss a dose of antibiotic for the step throat he got last week, and trying to teach him why biting his brothers is NOT OKAY. God is amazing, faithful, and really does know the plans HE has for us!

Cooper now!

What I want for 2011

I know as a wife, I want to be all God intended for me to be to my husband. I want to be his support, showing him the respect he deserves, I want to be his best friend, his biggest cheerleader, his comfort, his advocate, his challenger, his love that is unconditional.

As a mom, I want to pour love into my children, show them the love of Christ and point them toward HIM, encourage them, discipline and speak truth to them, protect them while also allowing them to fail and learn from their mistakes, demonstrate a loving marriage to them, build into them the qualities and character that God intends, all while keeping my cool! :)

Me with my older 2 boys- Carson and Colby

As a friend, I want to speak truth in love, be myself, laugh often, cry when needed, have no regrets, and treasure the small amount of time that I get to spend with them in this crazy phase of life.

Most importantly, as a daughter of The KING, I want to make my time with Christ a priority, soak in HIS truths, pray more often, and spend more time thanking HIM for all the blessings HE has given me. I want to spend more concentrated time in Bible study and journal more often.

I have lots of specific goals that I won't go into, but that is a general picture. I have to say, while 2010 was full of blessings, there were certainly many moments of uncertainty, fear, sadness, anger, and frustration. However, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God uses all of the "hard" circumstances to mold us, press us, and prod us to fall completely dependent upon the Greatness of who HE is. I look forward to what HE has in store for me and my family in 2011!

A Precious Phone Call

2010-12-20T21:19:00.000-08:00

Tonight our phone rang at about 9:30pm, with a call from Dr. Jim Netterville, the amazingly gifted physician who did both surgeries to remove Cooper's tumor. I just had to write a little about this man, who truly is a "hero" to our family and so many others.

I have sent a Christmas card to his office the last couple of years from our family, not necessarily expecting that he would even see it. This year he opened our card and called us at home to thank us, ask about the family, and about what all we were doing with the foundation. We talked for 10 minutes or so, and I don't know if he will ever realize the profound impact it had on me and Rod, that he would take the time out of his busy schedule to call (keep in mind, it has been almost 2 years since he did the 2nd surgery on Cooper). He was so kind and encouraged me with these words, "how wonderful it is that you and Rod listened and obeyed God's calling to help others, when you were going through what some would consider hell on earth."

Cooper with Dr. Netterville

I have had the opportunity to know quite a few people in the medical field, and I must say that this man is truly one-of-a-kind! Not only is Dr. Netterville the Director of Head and Neck Surgery at Vanderbilt, an international leading authority on treating head and neck cancer, one of the world's experts in the treatment of skull base tumors and has a vast clinical experience, he is a man of God, humble beyond words, with one of the most caring hearts of anyone I know. I look forward to the day when Cooper is a little older and can personally thank him for what he did. God has gifted this man with an amazing skill, and I still thank the Lord for placing us in Dr. Netterville's care.

We will forever be grateful to this man for removing the sarcoma (which he himself referred to as "the size of a tangerine in an infant's head") through 2 complicated surgeries on Cooper's head/neck. However, the magnitude of our gratefulness for the "person" he is, and not just the "surgeon" cannot really be expressed in words. What a blessing to get this precious phone call tonight!

The Cooper Trooper Foundation Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser

2010-11-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

This year was our first year to do a Pumpkin Patch fundraiser for the foundation! We exceeded our expectations and are so proud of the success we had- the foundation raised over $12,000!!!! We will be able to help so many families whose world has been turned upside down by childhood cancer.... that is so exciting.

Cooper playing in the Pumpkins

On a personal level, I just feel so humbled and honored that so many people were willing to volunteer to help pull it all off. God has truly blessed our efforts to reach out and impact families, especially the young siblings, of those in the fight against pediatric cancer. It still amazes me how passionate so many, who have rallied around our own family during our difficult time with Cooper, have become in joining us to fulfill our mission of supporting other families. Words cannot describe the gratefulness I feel in my heart about that!

I think for me, the opportunity to get the word out and let people know about what The Cooper Trooper Foundation does, was really the most exciting thing. I had the opportunity of talking with so many families who didn't know what we did. One of the highlights for me was meeting a couple of families who have actually received our Caring and Courage Kits through Vanderbilt and hearing the impact it had on them as a family during a tough time. I also met several adults who were siblings of kids with cancer at one time- to hear how this experience impacted them and how thankful they were that our foundation was providing a resource now, that they never had the opportunity to receive was priceless!

Members of Page H.S. and JV Football Team, along with coaches who came to unload our first shipment of pumpkins!

Thanks guys!

Volunteers- Elise, Tessie, Kim, and Will

Volunteers- Jeff, Hap, and Andy

Volunteers- Courtney, Suzanne, Molly W., Molly C., and Mark

Carson and Colby at the patch

Volunteers for the 3rd shipment of pumpkins- we unloaded 2000 this day!

Lots and Lots of Pumpkins!

Colby and Carson

Some of the kids spelled out "PUMPKINS" with the small pumpkins

Suzanne, Molly, Traci, and me

Becca Lewis with her mom, Suzanne, and Cooper- Becca was a huge help with Cooper at the patch!

Thanks Becca!

The Sigma Chi Fraternity from Vanderbilt Univ. helping with clean up!

They made this process go a whole lot faster!

We definitely plan to sell pumpkins again next year!!!

Thank you to everyone who volunteered and bought pumpkins this year.

A special thank you to Molly Westmoreland for coordinating the whole event!

Family Visits

2010-09-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the boys Grandma got to come for a visit. Colby was proud to play baseball in front of her. Carson was proud to show off his bike-riding abilities, and Cooper was just proud to show off!! The weekend was complete with a trip to Wal-mart (one of their favorite things to do with grandparents) to get some new silly bands. Apparently, they filled her in on all kinds of things they want for Christmas as well! We watched football, played outside, read books, watched some funny Tom and Jerry episodes, grilled burgers, went to church, and just hung around the house. We were glad she was able to get a ride with some people heading this way, so she didn't have to drive by herself.

Bunky's cousin, Terry, also came in town right after Grandma left because he was here for work!

Two weekends ago the boys Papa came in town for a visit! Again, they got to go to Wal-mart and came home with remote controlled cars, which continue to make lots of noise and zoom all over the house. They have so much fun with them though. We also had our own little tailgate at the house and watched football. Plus, Colby got to play his first baseball game with Papa looking on. The boys also enjoyed wearing Papa's glasses! Thankfully, they didn't get broken. I couldn't get Cooper to cooperate for a picture with papa this time! :(

Colby's 1st Baseball Game

2010-09-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

Colby is full "swing" into baseball and loving it! He has sat on the sidelines watching Carson play various sports for the last 3 years and is now feeling like such a big boy himself. He is so fun to watch and takes it very seriously. His papa came in town and got to watch his first game. Then, several of our neighbors came to watch him play his 2nd game. This past weekend his Grandma got to watch him play. He may begin to think that he should have his own cheering section at every game after all the attention.

Daddy getting Colby ready!

Colby in his Rangers uniform (notice how big the pants are)

He is our "little" guy and the small pants swallow him!

Colby and his coach (aka dad) before the game

Colby and Papa at his 1st game

Running home! Notice the serious face with the tongue out!

My Birthday

2010-09-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

Well, September 6th was my birthday! It happened to fall on Labor Day this year, which sometimes happens. My dear, sweet husband had a Fantasy Football Draft planned for that night- so, I opted for celebrating ALL weekend instead. I got the better end of that deal!

My boys treated me like a queen- I got to go out to dinner with my best friend, who also happens to be my hubby!! Our wonderful neighbors kept our boys and had them all in bed when we got home. I had a terrific massage at my favorite spa, did some shopping, and didn't cook all weekend! It was GREAT!

Thanks guys for making me feel so special! You bless me beyond words!

Weekend Trip to Texas

2010-08-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we took Carson and Colby with us to Texas for Camp John Marc's 20 year reunion. This is a camp that Bunky worked at during the summers while in college. He was on the staff the very first year, and has always talked of the impact that the camp had on him. The camp specializes in providing a fun, camp environment for children with various chronic illnesses. It is an amazing place and I was so glad I finally got to see it, meet a lot of people that meant so much to him, and allow our boys to see a place that had such an influence on their dad. They had a lot of family fun activities, such as rock wall climbing, zip lining, canoeing, fishing, horseback riding, water war, paddle boats, bonfire, fireworks, etc. It was action-packed.

Carson on the zip line

Hanging out at the bon fire

Paddle boats

Coming back from the pool

In front of the cabin we stayed in

Bunky with Camp Director, Vance Gilmore (such an amazing man)

The boys also got to experience flying on a plane for the first time! There was even an added bonus, as the pilot let them sit in the cock-pit and "play" with some of the buttons (we were on the ground of course)! I hope it is something they won't soon forget... I know I won't.

Colby's 1st Go at Sports!!

2010-08-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

Colby will be playing fall baseball! He is very excited as this is his first sport- no more bat boy or watching older brother from the sidelines. His dad will be coaching his team, which consists of a very young team I might add (a wonderful challenge for the coach). In addition, Carson has decided to take a "season off", which is almost unheard of- he has done something, whether football, baseball, or basketball, EVERY season since he was 4. I think the heat of all-star summer baseball just wore him out a little and he is taking some golf lessons- so this is really probably a great decision.

It will most likely be the ONLY time that Colby will get total spotlight, since we have 3 boys who enjoy sports (Even Cooper prefers to play with any kind of ball over any other toy). So, we are all excited to give Mr. Colby lots of attention this season! He is super shy, so I am hoping this will help bring him out of his shell a little too.

First Tooth Lost

2010-08-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

Carson, along with his brothers, was always later to get teeth in as a baby. Although, it was nice to enjoy those precious "toothless grins" a little longer, I remember wondering if they didn't have teeth at one point!

Needless to say, the dentist told us that the later baby teeth come in, the later they tend to lose them. Carson has been anxiously waiting to lose a tooth forever it seems. Most of his friends have lost multiple teeth, so this has been a topic of great concern for him for a while now.

Finally, Tuesday night he came home with a very wiggly tooth- which I am sure he played with at school ALL DAY! Dad pulled it out with tweezers pretty easily and he was soooo excited!! I wasn't sure what the going rate from the tooth fairy was, so I asked on Facebook. I got responses ranging from 25 cents to 20 dollars!!! I went with $3 since that was what my neighbor told me she got, as Carson and her are very competitive and I figured it would be brought up. He seemed super excited with it! I got lots of great ideas for the next lost tooth though- sprinkling "fairy dust", silver dollars, $2 bills, gold dollar coins, etc!!

Brother Pranks

2010-08-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

Growing up with 2 brothers and 2 sisters was full of memories! One minute we loved each other and couldn't stand to be without each other, the next we were killing each other. I don't remember playing too many pranks on each other, as much as we liked to gang up and play pranks on our parents. Fun times! I have noticed over the last year or so the boys starting to play pranks on each other- whether it's giving each other wedgees or hiding favorite toys or pulling Cooper's diaper off- they are always up to something. The other night I went to check on the boys before bed and found Colby fast asleep with a pair of Spiderman underwear on his head! I had to grab the camera. I knew this had to be the work of his older brother Carson. Sure enough the next morning, I asked Carson about it. He said, "yes, I did it- I just thought it might help him keep his head warm"!! He is crazy! I am just amazed that he pulled it off without Colby even waking up.

1st Grade

2010-08-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

Carson started 1st grade this past week! I think we were all ready. He has Mrs. Cooper for a teacher (we won't have trouble remembering that name for obvious reasons), who also happens to live across the street from us! She has been teaching for a long time and is a super sweet person. We are really blessed! I told Carson he couldn't "play hookie" from school since she lives across the street- ha! He also has 3 girls from his Kindergarten class and another really good friend that has played ball with him!

Getting on the bus!

Unfortunately, boys are not much on giving all the details, as I have discovered early on! However, he did tell us something from his first day, which is seriously funny and I had to put in the blog!
He told us that he had one of the meanest kids in the school in his class, so I asked why he thought that. He then said, "well, he called me a dork right to my face". So, here I am wondering what his reaction would be to that- did it upset him? how did he handle it? I asked what he said and here was his response.....

"well, I didn't really say anything, it's all right, mom .... he will be workin for me one day!"

Needless to say, he must have gotten that from his dad somewhere, and all I could think about was how that was a better response than what I would have imagined him saying! He is one funny kid!

With his brothers while waiting on the bus

Poor Colby started asking at 10:00am if he could watch out the window for "Tarson" to get off the bus... they have really enjoyed the summer together, and for the most part, played wonderful together. He LOVES his brother and has really missed him while he was back at school!! One more year, Colby, and you will be getting on the bus with him!

We also have our "after school friends" Sam and Madison Smith, who I watch for a little while every day after school! This is them getting their snacks out of our snack basket!

Here they are again in their Trinity Tiger t-shirts after school. Sweet kids!

12 Years!!

2010-08-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

Today is mine and Bunky's 12 year anniversary! These last 12 years have certainly been a roller coaster- at times it feels like we have coasted along easily, but for a lot of these years we have been taken for a ride that wasn't always what we had wanted. Thankfully, God has carried us through those times that weren't what we would have planned, and has shown us that HIS plan is always perfect. We have grown a lot over these last 12 years, and our marriage has become more solid in the midst of it.

There is no one I would rather live life with, no one I would rather raise my children with, no one I would rather cry or laugh with than this man. Through heartache, loss, hurt, uncertainty, helplessness, joy, victories, through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows- He has always been right by my side. My love really does grow deeper with every passing day. He also keeps me laughing, which is one of my favorite things about him!

At Destin, Florida

We started a little "tradition" when we got married. We have written each other a letter every year that we read on our anniversary. We did this for each other the night before we got married and it was really special, so we just kept it up and do it each year for our anniversary. I keep them in a box and have them labeled for each year. I think when we have been married for 50+ years, it will be cool to go back and read them all!

On a hike in Asheville, North Carolina

Fun night with our Community Group! We went bowling and Bunk and I decided to show up in matching "Team Cook" bowling attire!

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the gift of an amazing husband! I am blessed beyond words!

Happy 2nd Birthday Cooper!!

2010-07-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Today is sweet Cooper's 2nd birthday!! In so many ways these last 2 years feel like they have flown by, and in other ways, they have felt long and full of uncertainty and waiting. Words do not begin to describe the joy and gratefulness I feel in my heart for this child today. His little amount of life has had an enormously huge impact on me.

I have learned so many things throughout these last 2 years with Cooper....... how to walk in blind faith because of biblical hope, to cherish every moment with my family because we don't know what tomorrow holds, to let the small stuff go, to laugh more often, to hug more often, that my Heavenly Father is ALL that He says He is, I have learned how to love more deeply, how to listen for God's voice in the midst of LIFE, to say thank you more often, I have learned who my true friends are, I have seen the power of prayer, have felt the peace that only God can give, and have learned to complain less- because there is always going to be someone who is struggling more than me! The list could go on and on.

I remember the night Cooper was born very well. A friend had just dropped off a meal for my family, as I was on partial bedrest with full placenta previa and a history of premature births. My due date was still 6 weeks away and I was hoping to make it for at least another 2 weeks. I sat on the couch and thought my water broke when I sat down. I got up and there was blood everywhere. Thankfully, we live about 4 minutes from the hospital. Bunky got me to the hospital QUICKLY, as I continued to bleed pretty bad. There was no stopping labor and I was rushed in for an emergency c-section. I just remember thinking...."this is not how I wanted this to go, God, but please let him be okay". Cooper was born and although he was only 5 lbs, he seemed to be okay. He stayed in the NICU for 6 days. I didn't do so great- lost a lot of blood as they could not stop the bleeding after the c-sec. My dr. later told me I gave her quite a scare, and that I was the most complicated c-section she had ever done. Needless to say, we came through all of that to find out 8 weeks later that Cooper had Infantile Fibrosarcoma. So, here we are 2 years later and a lot of that is still very vivid in my mind, and a lot of it feels like a huge blurr!

I love you Cooper Samuel Cook! I am hoping that the next 2 years are a little less "eventful" than your first 2! Happy Birthday!

Cooper's MRI

2010-07-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

We found out today that Cooper had another clear MRI- no evidence of tumor!!! We are so thankful and excited for this news. God is so good and mighty! It is hard to believe that he will be 2 years old in just a couple of weeks. On one hand, those 2 years have gone by fast, but in other ways and at certain times, it has felt like an eternity- lots of waiting and uncertainty marked these 2 years of his life. I have truly learned not to take one minute for granted! Thank you so much to ALL the many people who have prayed on Cooper's behalf- Our Father has been faithful to answer- He has heard and chosen to answer our prayer for healing of our son. I am reminded daily that this is not the same story for many families, and my heart breaks at those thoughts. I still know that God is who He says He is and is kind and wants good for His people, even in the midst of uncertainty and heartbreak. I am humbled and feel extremely blessed that we are rejoicing in the good news for the moment! Thank you Lord Jesus!

What's Really Important- Life Lessons Taught

2010-06-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

This week has been difficult and emotionally draining, to say the least. We found out on Tuesday that Bunky was let go from his job with Takeda Pharmaceuticals, after 11 years with the company. We knew it was probably coming after an announcement by the company several weeks ago, but getting the final word was still hard to swallow. 75% of management in this area were let go, as the company, like many other pharmaceuticals, were unable to meet financial expectations and had to make serious cuts company wide.

I guess the good thing is, that after you have been through what we have gone through over the last 22 months with Cooper, these difficult life circumstances, really seem like "small potatoes" (as my husband said so eloquently himself)! Nonetheless, it causes one to ask a lot of "why" questions. Thankfully, we believe in a God who loves us, cares for us, and will never let go! He writes our story and knew and still knows what lies ahead. Therefore, we put our trust in HIM and wait and hope with joyful anticipation at what HE has in store.

Last night was our end-of-the-season party with the Dodger little league team that Bunky coached. The players got their trophies, had pizza, played a game of wiffle ball and we all enjoyed being at Crockett Park.

Zach Benson (one of the players)- I love this picture of his face as he

was listening to Coach talk about all he did this season right before he got his trophy!

So proud!

Zach getting his trophy!

After the trophies were given out, the players presented Bunky and the assistant coach with a framed poem, which each of them signed. I think the poem sums up what really matters when you look at the big picture of life! This meant so much to Bunky, especially in the midst of all he has going on. I took a picture of it, but will type out the poem since it is hard to read.

You have taught me to-

Start with prayer before the show

"skateboard, step, and throw"

Stop a ball with my "alligator" chomp

calm down when I run off with a stomp

Play ball in the hot summer rain

Ask, "where's the play?" to awake my brain

Hold the ball up if there isn't a play

Signal me when to steal and when to stay

Have fun by ending practice with a relay race

Look at the dirt outline of where my feet should be placed

See me at my best and award me with a game ball

Grow my confidence and make me feel so tall

Know that some things are more important than to win a game

Give great effort, respect and kindness to others

life-long lessons to real fame!

THANK YOU COACH

Real victories in life aren't about winning or losing games, employment, how much money you have, or how you look to others! Real victories are made of the little things- kind words spoken, bonds that can't be broken, confidence built in a child, forgiveness, and having little glimpses into God's perspective of others and life around us that are important!

Dodger Baseball with the Cook Boys

2010-05-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

Colby and Carson

It's that time of year and Carson is almost done with his regular season of baseball with the Dodgers- complete with his dad as Head Coach and Colby as the official bat boy! We are going into the last 2 games undefeated and have had a blast with a lot of our teammates from last year, along with some new ones. Colby was not quite ready to play organized sports, so we decided that the bat boy position would be a perfect entry into all of it. He has loved it and when he is not too hungry or distracted in the dug out- he really does a great job running out to get bats! He is part of the team and makes sure anyone who asks knows that! We only had one wack in the head (of course he wasn't wearing his helmet) and coincidently it had to happen while I was away on my girls trip. No stitches were needed and after a little apprehension, Colby is back in the game!

Colby with his new helmet after getting hit in the head!

He is very serious about being bat boy!

Carson is quite a little ball player!

Coach Rod does an amazing job with these boys! He really loves these kids and has a "ball" with them!

Nothing better than getting the game ball and having a bag of chips!

Carson, Zach (next door neighbor) and Colby before a game!

Spider Monkey

2010-05-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

Cooper has officially been given the nickname "spider monkey" by my husband!! A few weeks ago when the historical flood hit the Nashville area, my sweet hubby was on full-time duty with our 3 boys while I was away on a girl's trip with some dear friends. It was during this time, that my wild little almost-2-year-old, rocked daddy's world and hence received the nickname. I received a text from Bunky saying, "Cooper is like a caged spider monkey who has been cut loose". Cooper truly is into EVERYTHING! When I say everything, I don't mean toys, baby Einstein movies, or anything that little boys his age "should" be into- I mean toilets, coloring on the walls, destroying everything in sight, trash digging, climbing on tables, staplers, screwdrivers........ and the list goes on and on. He is non-stop and runs everywhere looking for the next thing to destroy!!

I came back from my trip to an exhausted husband, who truly has a new-found appreciation for my daily routine with the kids. And although I want to pull my hair out most days, I sit back and truly marvel at all God has done in his little life. I can't help but be thankful for his "high energy" and know that things could be very different with this little "Spider monkey", so I just try to remind myself of that on those days that I want to flush him right down the toilet along with all of the toys, food, toothbrushes, etc that he himself has managed to flush down!! :)

How many pieces can I tear this into??

In Daddy's office with the stapler!

The Impact of Teachers

2010-05-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

Well, Carson officially finished Kindergarten last week! He had a wonderful year and the progress he made with reading, writing, and even math are simply amazing to me. Holding him back one year was, no doubt, a right decision. His teacher, Miss Mackenzie Riggs, complimented him so much on how well he focused and took responsibility throughout the year. I am so very proud of him! We are truly blessed to have had, what I believe is the BEST kindergarten teacher EVER! Unfortunately, she will be moving to New York City, so we won't get to see her next year. Carson's last day was truly devastating for him as he said his goodbye's to her. It was like a scene from a movie. We said goodbye and as we walked down the hall the flood gates opened and with tears streaming down his face, he said, "Mom, I might not see Miss Riggs again, I need one more hug", then proceeded to run back down the hall and grab her, bawling his little eyes out. He then cried the whole way home, telling me that when he got to Heaven, the first thing he was going to say to God was, "Can you help me find my Kindergarten teacher...her name is Miss Riggs"- how precious is that??

Being the kind of wonderful person she is and knowing that Carson's birthday party was the next day- she took a break from packing and she came to his party!!! Thank God for teachers who REALLY do love their job and care about their kids! OH, and Carson has a framed picture of him and Miss Riggs on his dresser and he prays for her every night- she had quite an impact!

Another Clear MRI and Perspective

2010-03-11T19:02:00.000-08:00

Well, first of all.... Cooper's MRI was completely cancer-free!! I can't begin to describe what it is like to answer the phone call from his Oncologist after an MRI. I almost feel like I can't breathe as I wait for the words to come out of her mouth. It is truly a relief like nothing I can put into words, to hear good news. I think for so long we continued to get one set of bad news after another, that the good news we have been getting more regularly now is almost unbelievable. I have to pinch myself. So, Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your hand in all of this!!!!! We are filled with JOY and happiness and even more hopeful of what lies ahead for our sweet boy.

Cooper with 3 of the nurses in Radiology- they know him well in there!

He is still coming out of "happy land" from the anesthesia here.

This morning as I was spending a little time in prayer and reading God's word, I just kept thinking about how so many things that seem so big to me at times and consume my time and energy are just so completely worthless. As I thought this morning (before I got the "good news" call), I just had a renewed perspective about life. I tend to draw closer to God when things are tough or uncertain, but He wants me there at all times! I have definitely learned that aligning myself with God's plan- spending time with Him, listening to Him, crying out to Him, stepping out in faith, and taking my focus off of all the craziness of this world we temporarily live in is a practice I should continually walk in- NOT just when life is hard. He reminded me that HE NEVER CHANGES- He is a constant, steady, ROCK, in a world of waves crashing all around. If I will just cling to that, my perspective on life really is different! The things that are sometimes seeming so big are really so small.

Psalm 17:1-2
"I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

II Corinthians 4:17-18
"For our light an momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Basketball

2010-03-11T11:29:00.000-08:00

Carson played basketball again this year and really loved it. He was on the Tigers team with Coach Jeremy and Coach Mark for the 2nd year in a row, with a lot of his teammates from last year. It is so much fun to watch these boys develop over the season in their confidence and in their skills.

The Tigers ended up winning the EWA Championship for their age group and beat a team who had been undefeated for 2 years! We were some proud parents! Carson and another teammate were selected as "All Stars" for their team. He was so proud.

I also got to experience some of what is to come with having all boys and sports events. The last game of the season, I was videotaping and saw someone go down..... as soon as I heard the scream- I knew it was Carson. I turned off the camera and looked up to blood on the gym floor and Carson's dad carrying him off the court. I waited for a little while, trying to be a tough mom, knowing that Rod and our sweet friend, Dr. David Whetstone, could handle it. Then after about 10 minutes with no one coming out of the room they were in off to the side of the court, I had to check on things. I walked in to blood all over Carson's arms, legs, jersey, etc. His nose was bleeding pretty bad. Apparently, he hit someone pretty hard with his nose. Well, you know noses can really bleed and his certainly was and didn't want to stop. The sight of all the blood freaked him out. However, in the midst of all of us trying to stop the bleeding, he kept yelling out, "It's probably already the 2nd quarter" and "I've got to go play, dad, they need me out there". He also informed Dr. Dave to "hurry up and stop the bleeding so I can play". David just looked at us and said, "he is one tough kid"- I am glad he is tough, but I think I am going to have to be on some medication to handle all the drama, if this is going to be how it is!!! Needless to say, he got to go back in the game once we stopped the bleeding- they made him take off his jersey because it had so much blood on it! Oh, the fun of being mom to boys!

Boys can dress up too!

2010-03-10T20:28:00.000-08:00

Carson's 100th day of school was a big event at Trinity Elementary! The kids were supposed to dress up like they were "old". Of course, I scrambled around trying to find something and ended up just putting white baby powder in his hair (which had gone away by the time we took this picture), drawing glasses on his face (since no one here has any eyeglasses) and he wore one of dad's ties. He ended up being in a video they did- it was cute! The link to it is below the picture!

http://video.wcs.edu/100_days_2-4-10.wmv

Colby also had a "dress up" opportunity at his Mom's Day Out program- it was a 50's Valentine's Sock Hop! He was really cute in his button down shirt with slicked back hair and a comb in his pocket. Check out his cute shoes and rolled up jeans! Oh, and I heard that he did a little dancing at the sock hop!

THE HILL

2010-03-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

Well, we ended up having quite a few SNOW DAYS the last month or so! We have an awesome hill behind our house for sledding! Typically, most of the neighbors come over and sled and everyone is in and out of our house to warm up with hot cocoa! I love having all of our friends over.....even though my carpet looks fabulous the next day! Ha! :)

We have actually started having people from anywhere and everywhere, who have heard about our hill, drop by on snow days! Anyone is welcome! We actually counted how many people had come and gone one day at the end of January and it was over 50!!! There is a lake at the bottom of the hill, and although there have been a few times some of the kids have gotten a little too close for my liking- it has never been a problem! Well, unfortunately, after ice fell on the snow- the hill was probably competitive with some of those in the Winter Olympics, and we had a friend sled right into the lake. Scary stuff- but he was fine after a warm bath and was out sledding again an hour later..... this time with about 5-6 adult men standing at the bottom of the hill to "catch" those sledding a little too fast! I think Bunky and I will start having parents sign waivers before they sled after that experience! Just kidding! It really is a lot of fun so I wanted to post a few pictures!

Carson, Bunky with Colby, Mark, Brett with Alex, Matt with Alexandra

Yes, that is me going down the hill- so much fun!

Carson, Thomas, and Cooper Allen

Carson with Dustin and Nate coming up behind him!

Luke, Caroline, Madeline, and Holly

Colby's 4th Birthday

2010-03-10T19:15:00.000-08:00

Okay- I know...... it has been WAY too long since I have posted anything on here. I decided I needed to go back and do a little updating since my precious, spunky, independent, funny, stong-willed, middle child turned 4 YEARS OLD on February 10th! Oh, Colby, Colby, Colby! He came into this world rocking it- my first experience with a premature baby- born almost 6 weeks early, yet weighing in at 7 lbs! Good thing we didn't go full-term. My first experience with the fears of the NICU- then multiple hemangiomas, which gave us a scare, hernia surgery, and finally the whole "hemet" experience! I remember thinking...... "Things just couldn't be any more scary for a parent!" Little did I know, right? I look back at all of it now, and realize that it was not really that big of a deal, although it seemed that way at the time. You were my little "chunky monkey" and I could kiss those cheeks a thousand times a day! I love your laid back personality- things don't bother you too much and you are always being silly! Thank you for bringing the special joy to my heart that only you can bring!

Happy 4th Birthday, Colby Watson Cook! I love you beyond words!!!!!

A Little Snow Goes a Long Way!

2010-01-08T15:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday and today schools were closed because of the little amount of snow we got (maybe .25 inch)! However, my boys were determined to make the most of it and played outside for most of the day- with a few in and out moments for a warm-up with some hot cocoa! I was laughing as I watched them out the window with our neighbor, pulling each other down the driveway (which had very little snow on it) on snow boards. Cooper stayed inside, as he is battling yet another cough, and watched out the window. I think he was entertained and quite content just watching from the warm indoors.

Carson and Colby all bundled up

Carson and Colby looking in at Cooper (I love his little reflection smiling back at them)

Carson and Colby with our neighbor, Alexandra Benson

Another Milestone!

2009-12-31T14:56:00.000-08:00

Today marks the one-year mark since Cooper's 2nd major surgery to remove the residual tumor. I remember quite vividly sitting in the PICU on this very night. The 2nd surgery was a lot harder on him and on us compared to the first one. I remember my heart breaking as I watched him waking up from the anesthesia in pain and them needing to do 2 blood transfusions!! I remember the large drain tubes coming out of his head and his pale skin and swollen face. Then, I look at him today and all I can do is thank God for where we have come in one year's time. I watch him crawl like a lightning bolt across the room, walk (when HE wants to), put everything (and I mean everything) in his mouth, smile, laugh, babble, and do his best to keep up with his big brothers! You would look at him and never know what the little guy has been through in his 17 months of life, aside from a faint scar in front of his ear and down his hairline, and maybe the crooked little smile because of the cut facial nerves! I am reminded of God's faithfulness to Cooper and our family and cannot put my gratitude into words.
We went to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital this morning to deliver our first 50 Cooper Trooper Caring and Courage Kits, which will be given out to siblings of children diagnosed with cancer at Vanderbilt. I felt a flood of emotions as parents were coming and going from the food court and would catch my eye. I whispered a prayer of thankfulness to God, as I was there this same time last year, NOT to deliver kits, be on the news, and interview for a newspaper article, BUT instead as a worn out, scared parent with my baby in the PICU. God is mighty to save and holds our family in HIS hands! Thank you, Lord!
My hope is to hug my boys a little tighter and live in the moment with them in 2010, because you never do know what tomorrow will hold!
Happy New Year!

This is us with Cooper's oncologist, Dr. Pine, at the delivery of our first Kits to Vanderbilt!

Dr. Pine with Cooper

Amanda, Oncology Child Life Specialist, Dr. Pine, Cooper's Oncologist, me with Cooper, Janet Cross, Director of Child Life at Vanderbilt, Rod, (Colby and Carson in front)

REJOICING!

2009-11-13T06:38:00.000-08:00

The news came yesterday afternoon that Cooper's MRI was clear! It is so hard to put into words what you go through mentally and physically while waiting for what the results will be. It is a strange balance between trying to hope for the best and at the same time fearing the worst. The bigger picture is what I try so desperately to keep my eye on- God's faithfulness in every circumstance! I am human- just a mom worried about her baby and also a sinner who allows my mind to travel to those dark places that Satan would love to have me dwell in. Thankfully, my Father's voice of TRUTH is always there if I will just listen- even when the news is not what I want to hear about Cooper! Praise God- this time it was ALL GOOD!

Psalm 33: 20-22
"WE WAIT IN HOPE FOR THE LORD; HE IS OUR HELP AND OUR SHIELD. IN HIM OUR HEARTS REJOICE, FOR WE TRUST IN HIS HOLY NAME. MAY YOUR UNFAILING LOVE REST UPON US, O LORD, EVEN AS WE PUT OUR HOPE IN YOU."

Tomorrow is the day

2009-11-10T18:52:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we go in the morning for Cooper's MRI. We are hoping and praying for great news! I want to believe so badly that everything is clear, but am also aching inside at the thought of what is possible. I want to enjoy the holidays without the worry of chemo or anything else. If you think about it tomorrow morning, please pray for sweet Cooper- that he will be calm in spite of being hungry as we wait for the anesthesia team, that there will be no complications with anesthesia, that the neuro-radiologist who has to read Cooper's MRI will be there, that Cooper's oncologist will be in and available to receive the report, that we will get the results quickly, and that those results will clearly show no signs of the cancer recurring. God is so good and we are believing Him for BIG things for Cooper! Thank you for thinking of us, loving us, supporting us, and most of all for praying for Coop! We will post any news we get on the "NEWS" link of the webpage.

Pizza Chefs

2009-11-09T20:08:00.000-08:00

One of our family traditions is to have a movie/pizza/popcorn night on Friday nights. The boys love it and we are pretty consistent in keeping this routine as a family. Last Friday night the boys wanted to make their own mini-pizzas, which we have done several times before- I just never get pictures of it! I love family traditions, and also love seeing my kids take pride in something they have "made"! It was yummy pizza too!

Our Little Beaver!

2009-11-09T19:35:00.000-08:00

We are now officially referring to Cooper as our little "beaver". He is "munching" his crib non-stop! He will even do it in the middle of the night. I kept hearing weird noises coming from his room and now I have figured it out. I have literally had to sand his crib railing to smooth it out because it was rough from where he chewed and he was getting little splinters in his lips! Our pediatrician recommended putting that thumb-sucking stuff on there because it tastes nasty, but it doesn't seem to phase him! I have been reading on line some ideas and plan to tape down some material over it tomorrow. It is CRAZY!

This is one of the sides of the crib

This is the front of his crib! He has literally chewed the the paint off- it is awful!

Here is our little beaver with his swollen lip! :(

Halloween Fun for the Young and Old!

2009-11-04T19:58:00.000-08:00

Halloween weekend was jam-packed with lots of activities- from our Papa from Alabama visiting for the weekend, to an adult murder mystery dinner with our Community Group, to Carson's flag football game, to Fall Festival at Colby and Cooper's Mom's day out church (Franklin Christian), to our annual trick-or-treating with the neighbors! This year was great because we didn't have to buy a single costume! Everyone was content with something from our "costume closet" or a hand-me-down (it's so nice having all boys)!

Colby and Cooper with their Papa

Carson eventually got over wanting to be a hip-hop dancer and settled in on the Darth Vader costume I purchased at 75% off last year after Halloween.

Colby first wanted to be Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean (another 75% off costume from last year). However, after putting it on, decided he didn't like the dread locks hanging in his face and had a melt down so we quickly changed to Indiana Jones (which was Carson's costume last year)! I loved the Jack Sparrow on him, but it wasn't worth the fight!

Cooper was a little brown bear, which was Colby's costume from 2 years ago!

Neighborhood Fun

Mario (Thomas) and Darth Vader (Carson) with

The Disney Twins (Sarah and Katie) and Indiana Jones (Colby)

Halloween Fun for the "big kids" too!

Bunky and I were Banker Bob and Banker Bonnie in the Murder Mystery! Fun stuff

Me and the girls in our costumes..... minus Andrea!

By the way- I was at Toys-R-Us today and their Halloween costumes are 75% off! These are great for my boys to play dress up in OR to use for next year :)

I got a Baby Darth Vader, GI Joe, and Clone Trooper costumes for $5 each!!!! Love it!!

Fall Fun

2009-10-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

Fall is definitely in the air! The last few days we have had some family fun making fall sugar cookies and taking a trip to the Walden Pumpkin Farm, so I thought I would share a few pictures. This is my favorite time of year. I love to look at the magnificent display of colors as the leaves change and breathe in the cooler, crisper air. God is amazing and does all things well! I just don't understand how anyone could look around and not sense His greatness! I also am crazy about college football! My husband is actually a fanatic about it and got me hooked early on while we were dating! It's hard to go to a school like The University of Alabama and NOT become a big fan. Roll Tide, by the way!!! I think I also just love the anticipation of the holidays right around the corner- Thanksgiving, then celebrating our King's birth on Christmas! Family, Hot Cocoa, sweaters, Christmas music, decorating the house, and so on....... So many things I love about this time of year!!!!!!!

Dance Party

2009-10-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

Carson had a dance party with his class on Friday because the class had filled a jar with marbles for good behavior. The class voted and decided that a dance party with their teacher was what they wanted for their "reward". Carson was so excited about this! Thursday night he spent quite a bit of time deciding what the perfect outfit would be to wear to school on Friday! It was really funny. He wanted to wear his flag football jersey from last year and then, as he put it, "practice his dance moves" for me, Colby, and Cooper!

He came home from school on Friday, proudly wearing a fake gold chain with peace signs on it, and informed us that he won the BEST HIP-HOP Boy award from the dance party!! It was really funny! He even declared that he might be a Hip-Hop dancer for Halloween this year! I think he has changed his mind (thank God) and wants to be Darth Vader now! I think all this "hip-hopping" business started with our neice Hannah when she lived with us- THANKS Hannah! :)

Kindergarten Knowledge

2009-10-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I have to say that my son, Carson, is really LOVING Kindergarten and I am amazed at all he has already learned! His teacher, Miss Riggs, is just wonderful and is so passionate about what she does with this class- I couldn't be happier as a parent.
However, sweet Carson came home the other day to tell me "I learned something new today", which he does quite often and then proceeds to tell me things like..... "The person who draws the pictures in a book is called the illustrator" ...... or "the center part of the book is called the spine"..... etc, etc. This time he said, "I know how to say, 'I hate you' in Spanish" - then, he proceeded to stick his middle finger up at me!! We had a little talk about how "hate" is a strong word, so then he said, "Well, then, mom, I won't say it I will just do this (as he is flipping me off with his middle finger). Needless to say, not everything he is going to learn in Kindergarten is good! We have talked about how holding your middle finger up at someone is not appropriate, so hopefully, my sweet Kindergartener won't be walking around flipping the bird at people!

Cooper's Troopers and the Half Marathon

2009-10-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one I won't forget soon- partially because of my aching legs and sore knees, but mostly because of the amazing support we had representing The Cooper Trooper Foundation at The Middle Half- Murfreesboro half-marathon!

Runners/walkers were: Alyson Whetstone, Tricia Foretich, Molly Westmoreland, Traci Scheer, Holly Marcus, Me, Brian Scheer, Noland Cummins, Brad Lee, Jeremy Westmoreland, John Keveren.

Cooper Trooper Water Station Volunteers were: Rod Cook, Susan, Addy, and Andrew Charest, Paul LeGuenec, Jennifer LeGuenec, Adam Rennhoff, Suzanne, Bekah, and Caroline Lewis, David, Annabelle, Andrew, and Caroline Whetstone, Hap Harrington, Jeff and Robyn Jeffrey, and Kevin Currin.

We had the BEST Water Station by far and all of our "Troopers" crossed the finish line with no injuries!

We are so blessed to have such great support! Cooper got there just in time with Carson and Colby- thanks to the amazing Paul and Tessie LeGuenec- to cheer for mommy as I crossed the finish line!

Wonderful Weather and Birthday Wishes

2009-09-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

Today was just gorgeous, as it has been the last several days. I LOVE this time of year! Colby and Cooper spent some time swinging today and playing with rocks on the ground (such a boy thing)! Cooper especially enjoyed Colby pushing him- he squealed every time Colby even got close to his swing in anticipation of getting pushed! So cute!

I love blue-jean overalls on little boys!!

Cooper is fascinated with the rocks!

Today is also our dear Tessie's birthday! For those of you who don't know her, she is our neighbor and what we like to call our "angel on earth". She is not old enough to be a "grandmother figure" to my kids, so I guess you would say she is like another aunt to them. Her whole family is really just like an extension of our family- we love them all and really don't know what our life would be like without them in it. She has been there through so much with us! She was actually with me at the moment I knew something was wrong with Cooper- at the first ultrasound. My boys adore her and we all hope she knows just how much she is loved!

Happy Birthday Tessie!!!!!!!

Thankful!

2009-09-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

Today is another mile-marker for the Cook family! Exactly one year ago today, Cooper had his first surgery to remove the tumor that was taking up 1/3 of the volume of his head. I am so amazed at Cooper's resilience and how God has faithfully provided for our every need throughout this past year. I like to look back at my journal and read my thoughts during all of this as it was occurring last year. Here are a few of the things I had written on this very day in 2008:

"Dr. Netterville and his team were able to remove the large and extensive tumor amist many nerves and blood vessels this morning. Cooper appears to have handled the surgery well and will be in ICU for several days. We were told that they do not know what the tumor was and were all quite 'perplexed' at what they saw. Thankfully, God is NOT perplexed or caught off guard by any of this. I am trusting today in His control, knowledge, and understanding of what is going on with our Cooper- even when a team of over 15 surgeons don't understand! My mother's heart is overwhelmed and grieving over what my sweet baby is going through, and at the same time, I find myself covered in a peace that can only come from God (Phil. 4:7- And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus). His peace floods me at those moments when I feel like I can't breathe. We are unbelievably blessed with so many people surrounding us with love and covering us in prayer."

I am so grateful to God for his goodness! I am truly enjoying Cooper day by day and never forget all that has already happened in his short life. It definitely keeps life and what is important in perspective for me.

Lovin' but not Likin'

2009-09-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

A profound moment happened last night between my oldest 2 boys! Carson and Colby were in the back seat of the car just chatting back and forth. A lot of the time I tune them out and am singing at the top of my lungs, but last night they totally caught my attention by what they were saying and I just had to write this one down.
Carson: "Am I your favorite brother, Colby?"
Colby: "Yes, but I not like you, Tarson"
Carson: "Why don't you like me, do you hate me?"
Colby: "I not hate you, I just not like you"
Carson: "Well, if I am your favorite brother then why don't you like me?"
Colby: "Cuz you just hit me all da time and putted tickers on my butt"- (We had just left the grocery store, where the cashier gave them stickers, so Carson proceeded to stick stickers ALL over Colby, including his behind)
Carson: "But I thought you loved me"
Colby: "I do love you, I just not like you"
Carson: "Mom, Colby is just crazy- he doesn't know what he is saying- how can Colby say he doesn't like me but say he loves me- you can't love someone and not like them, can you?"
Mommy: "Oh, yes, it is very possible to love someone and not like them too much sometimes"

His expression was so priceless- He just could not believe the 2 could go hand in hand! It's funny how little lessons about life pop up in conversations when you listen for them.

A Year Ago Today

2009-09-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

It is unbelievable to think that one year ago today, on Sept 14, 2008, we discovered the lump on Cooper's neck that would cause our world to turn upside down! I remember it so well- he was 6 weeks old and I was feeding him, gently rubbing his sweet face with my fingers, when I realized there was a lump right under his jaw bone. After being born 6 weeks premature, and all the "drama" that went along with that, I remember thinking, "Oh great, what is this?" My first thought was a swollen lymph node. I honestly didn't want to have to take him back to the dr's office- AGAIN- after having to go so much since his birth. I asked Bunky what he thought and he encouraged me to go ahead and have it looked at. That next morning we went in and Dr. Chambers sent us to Vanderbilt for an ultrasound that very afternoon (Thank God for his wisdom and discernment as a doctor to refer us quickly).

I knew immediately that something was wrong as his ultrasound took what seemed like forever, then we were told we needed to wait in the private waiting room for the dr. to call us back before we left the hospital. This was after 6 or 7 people came in to look at the ultrasound, and after the Radiologist came in (when we were told she had left for the day). I will never forget their faces. I guess they are trained to not overreact or show too much emotion, however, a mom just knows and I knew! What transpired over the next couple of weeks was an intense whirlwind that made me feel like I couldn't breathe. Several MRI's later and after meeting with the ENT, Dr. Netterville, we knew the journey before us was going to be full of the unknown and leave us feeling desperate and helpless. I still cannot get the image of the MRI we saw out of my mind- the inside of his head was basically 1/3 taken up by a complicated tumor weaving in and out of tiny facial nerves, muscles, and structures. It lit up like a Christmas tree due to the vascular nature of the tumor. Everyone was perplexed by it and no one seemed to know what it was.

I took these pictures of sweet Cooper this morning as he was playing in his PJ's! I have stopped several times today to thank God for His faithfulness and for carrying me throughout the last year. We did not know what was going to happen, nor do we know what is in Cooper's future, BUT God did know and does know. I read a quote this morning from someone in the 17th century imprisoned for his faith, "I GROW UNDER THE LOAD". I would have not chosen this "load" for our family to carry, but I am certain I have grown because of it and have experienced like no other time in my life what it really means to have HOPE and FAITH, and to really rest in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I have also learned to live in the moment and to take nothing for granted. God has already used my son to teach me so many important things about life and I am forever grateful to Him for that!!

Zephaniah 3:17

"The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs."

I love you my little Trooper!

A little time away is good for a mommy!

2009-09-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my sweet husband and I took a little road trip to Asheville, NC, while my parents and sister and brother-in-law came to stay with the boys. We had always said we would go back to Hawaii or Cancun for our 10 year anniversary, however, I spent our 10 year anniv. in Williamson Medical Center after having sweet Cooper a few days before and undergoing an emergency c-section. So, we said, well, we will do something for our 11th instead- that also came and went with all we had going on for The Cooper Trooper Foundation kickoff. SO, our beach anniversary get-away turned into a few nights in Asheville. It was NOT the beach, but it was relaxing and great to spend a little time with my hubby, just the 2 of us! It has been a while, since we have gotten to do that. We saw a movie, ate at some neat places, went on long walks, hiked to the top of Chimney Rock and then to a waterfall below, shopped at the REI store, watched the Alabama football game without 3 little ones screaming and running all over the place, and just enjoyed being able to talk without 100 interruptions. I am married to the most amazing man who still makes me laugh so hard I could pee in my pants! I am so proud to be his wife. He truly gives 120% at everything he does, from his job, to being a loving husband, the best dad, son, and friend. I love this man and am so blessed that God gave me such a wonderful gift in him! Did I say he makes me laugh?

On top of Chimney Rock

Another view

On the hike to the Waterfall

Unfortunately I came home to a little one getting sick! Took him to the Dr. today and he has Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease- our first experience with that- FUN! "Welcome Home Mom"- Reality is never far away, but this is why it is good for us moms to get away sometimes, Right??

1/2 Marathon Troopers

2009-09-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

For a couple of months there have been several friends training to run/walk the 1/2 marathon in Murfreesboro, TN on October 3, 2009. The Cooper Trooper Foundation will have a water station at Mile 4 and we are in need of some volunteers to help pass out water. The website has more details, so please check it out if you are in this area and are interested in participating. Our big kick-off event on July 25, 2009 was amazing and went better than we could have hoped for. It seems like things have finally settled down a little and life is a little more normal around our house- meaning, that there are not boxes of t-shirts all over the entry way at our front door and other items from the event spread throughout the house! So, we are pressing onward and hoping to bring more awareness to the foundation at the 1/2 marathon! I for one, am ready to get it over with. While it is a great feeling to get into better shape- my knees are just not young anymore! Be sure to come cheer us on if you are in the area!

This picture was taken at the Country Music Marathon and 1/2 Marathon, where some "troopers" brought it for The Cooper Trooper Foundation! Come join the fun for the Murfreesboro Middle Half- 1/2 Marathon!

School is in Full Swing for ALL the Cook Boys

2009-09-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

Today Colby and Cooper started their "school" at Franklin Christian Church's Mom's Day Out program! They will go on Tuesday and Thursday! This is the first time in 6 years that I have a little "free" time, if you want to call it that! I felt a little guilty for about 5 minutes after dropping them off and then realized quickly how much I have needed this. It is just amazing how much you can accomplish without children in tow. I am spending more and more time working on things for The Cooper Trooper Foundation, and that combined with all the normal activity around here, was just starting to pile up a little. I must say that I got out of the car twice and automatically opened the back door to get a child out of a carseat, without thinking. The first time I had a mini-panic attack because there was not a little Cook boy sitting there smiling back at me. I missed all of them today and was actually glad for the chaos that happens here between about 4-7pm! I am a blessed mommy!

Riding the Bus

2009-08-25T13:39:00.000-07:00

Carson rode the bus to school for the last 2 days. He LOVES it!! I wish I had 1/2 the enthusiasm from him about getting out the door when we are going somewhere. There are several little friends that ride the bus, which I am sure makes it easier. I only shed a couple of tears on Monday and none today! He was actually embarrassed that I was taking his picture in front of the bus. He said, "Mom, could you please not do this, everyone will see you taking my picture". I just informed him that every kid on there probably had to smile for a picture the first time they rode on a bus! This was one of those moments I had to capture, in spite of the embarrassment it would cause my child. I knew he would get over it and he did! He will be glad that I took the picture one day I hope!

My Baby started Kindergarten

2009-08-20T19:42:00.000-07:00

Today was Carson's first 1/2 day at Kindergarten! They have to drag it out a while before the Kindergartener's go full days like everyone else. Last night it was obvious to me that he was feeling a little nervous about going. He had about 50 questions right before bed about everything from "when was recess?" to "what would be served in the cafeteria?" We talked a while and prayed and then I should have known it was going to be trouble when he started wanting to know how early he could get up- can I get up when the 1st number says "6"?, I said that would be okay, but then he wanted to know if he could get up when the 1st number on the clock said "4"!!!! He came downstairs at 2 minutes after 6am and said he didn't sleep good all night. Of course, when I asked if it was because he was nervous about school, he said, "oh, no mom, I am just excited". Well, he walked right in like a big boy, acting put out that I needed to take pictures. He had that look that if I stayed just a little too long or gave him too much attention, the flood gates were going to fly open, so I very quickly said, "see you later, have a great day". I got in the car and cried for a few minutes, but overall did pretty good I thought. I have to say that holding Carson back for Kindergarten was the absolute BEST decision for us. He is so ready this year, which just makes it a lot easier on me too.

According to Carson, the following were the best parts of his day:

- "I love the cafeteria, mom, the hot dogs are delicious!"- Yes, he used the word "delicious"!

- "It was a little boring because there were not a lot of toys to play with"

- "One of my favorite things today was helping a boy in my class who can't really talk, you know, he uses sign language, not "human language" to talk.

-"things will really get good when I can ride the bus and stay ALL day"- (told you, he is READY)

- When asked by his dad how his day was, he said, "totally AWESOME"

We are so thrilled about his teacher, Miss Riggs- she is truly God's provision for Carson and his 1st year of school- I am already convinced of this- TOP NOTCH!!!

Going for it!

2009-08-15T18:37:00.000-07:00

Well, for months and months now, I have said that I needed to start "blogging"! I am one of those who just "kind of" gets technical things. I think I know just enough to get by- I do have a blackberry, which I only use as a phone and have only recently learned to send a text message. I am on facebook and can read email and surf the internet. Oh, and I have also figured out somewhat how to use my i-pod and a new Garmin watch I got for running. So, I say all of that to say that I don't know what I am doing, but wanted a place to have a record of what is going on in our family, etc. etc etc.

This stems from the fact that this whole past year has felt completely overwhelming and there are lots of scattered thoughts in my head that should be put down somewhere. My boys are growing up so fast, and I want to at least somewhat "keep up" a record of what is going on with them. That may mean I only do this once a month, or possibly daily, when the mood really strikes and I have an unusual opportunity of time to do this. It will also serve as a place to post updates on The Cooper Trooper Foundation, although those will mostly be found on our website for that- www.coopertrooper.org

My friends Christina and Kim do this and I just love reading about the "adventures" in their lives and with their kids and seeing the pictures that go along with them, especially since I feel like my actual visits with them are few and far between these days. So, I figure this is a good way for others to know what is going on in our world a little better.

Highlights in the Cook Household:
- Carson is starting Kindergarten (1st full day- Aug. 27) and can hardly wait. He seriously has asked me why he can't just hop on the bus and go already! Holding him back a year was the best decision we ever made.
- I am training for the 1/2 marathon in Murfreesboro, which I will be running on Oct. 3 to bring more awareness to The Cooper Trooper Foundation! I have gotten up to 6 miles at this point and am really enjoying pushing myself. We will host a Water Station at mile 4 if anyone wants to come out and help or just cheer me on!
-Our van, which we were hoping would hold out for another 2-3 years, completely died .3 miles from Carmax's car lot. (Yes, I said "point 3, as in 3/10 of a mile)- We had to WALK onto the car lot- not a lot of negotiating power when you walk up into a car lot! So, needless to say, we have a "new" used 2004 Suburban- lots of room for the boys and their stuff- but not quite as user friendly as the van. I have never been a mini-van kind of girl, but I have to say it was very practical for the ages of our kids!
-My football fanatic husband has begun his yearly countdown to college football kickoff- he is seriously like a kid anticipating Christmas. I think I may make him one of those paper chains so he can pull of one for each day as he counts down. Between that and Fantasy Football, I am about to totally "lose" him for several months. Thankfully, I love college football too, so it is not as bad as it could be.