tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16498984196724319552024-03-05T09:41:12.898-08:00Swiss Family CookKent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-54661911227794017642011-08-11T08:03:00.001-07:002011-08-11T08:09:40.332-07:00William Cooper Cook<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSfBJ-ujar1MKTSQ65LVuh2IhyFbHYDL4h6i1tsV8GepEKyLZxZdLYk0q6pS9m927hw1rEGf_qWyQRjhkP3BkoR-gfEVIsswGc0BdGFTUEqkp7BdC5Dc6Lz0i_t-23uxsfZG97tJhuSk/s1600/IMG_0782.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSfBJ-ujar1MKTSQ65LVuh2IhyFbHYDL4h6i1tsV8GepEKyLZxZdLYk0q6pS9m927hw1rEGf_qWyQRjhkP3BkoR-gfEVIsswGc0BdGFTUEqkp7BdC5Dc6Lz0i_t-23uxsfZG97tJhuSk/s320/IMG_0782.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639615481461335954" /></a><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSfBJ-ujar1MKTSQ65LVuh2IhyFbHYDL4h6i1tsV8GepEKyLZxZdLYk0q6pS9m927hw1rEGf_qWyQRjhkP3BkoR-gfEVIsswGc0BdGFTUEqkp7BdC5Dc6Lz0i_t-23uxsfZG97tJhuSk/s1600/IMG_0782.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>Brand new... enormous hands and long fingers.
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDObXkvXA_9ifRLyjlLIeps6lmEvhzzWLYAKb6QwkQqGhQaAYFriFFWYq43qsoq1dZtqwQAnSVg8rzx5k1Shy6JCsuDxP7S0SqGl-TKjcYaO7WAmiK11I88R3MDlJYzdvmHD1MsHhfVWY/s1600/IMG_0794.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDObXkvXA_9ifRLyjlLIeps6lmEvhzzWLYAKb6QwkQqGhQaAYFriFFWYq43qsoq1dZtqwQAnSVg8rzx5k1Shy6JCsuDxP7S0SqGl-TKjcYaO7WAmiK11I88R3MDlJYzdvmHD1MsHhfVWY/s320/IMG_0794.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639615476647084242" /></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDObXkvXA_9ifRLyjlLIeps6lmEvhzzWLYAKb6QwkQqGhQaAYFriFFWYq43qsoq1dZtqwQAnSVg8rzx5k1Shy6JCsuDxP7S0SqGl-TKjcYaO7WAmiK11I88R3MDlJYzdvmHD1MsHhfVWY/s1600/IMG_0794.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>Charlie isn't thrilled about sharing the spotlight... he tried to spike Cooper right after taking this picture.
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEO3QAgOvJ7Wf12hyphenhyphenlmZqLcOq12QKjC417IEHghMyR-4oEtmQue7C8mKd0O_OuAyPoqncoyMPionseJnBcL2TV3S6IR5EwoJQs34G42TzdIRkQKIYZOUY2boXnQ9T8Xq29qPTfXZe9QpA/s1600/IMG_0760.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEO3QAgOvJ7Wf12hyphenhyphenlmZqLcOq12QKjC417IEHghMyR-4oEtmQue7C8mKd0O_OuAyPoqncoyMPionseJnBcL2TV3S6IR5EwoJQs34G42TzdIRkQKIYZOUY2boXnQ9T8Xq29qPTfXZe9QpA/s320/IMG_0760.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639615471162800386" /></a>
<br /></div><div>Emergency C-section after Cooper got stuck in a weird position on the way out.</div>Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-62167811963566430512009-10-25T05:45:00.000-07:002009-10-25T06:13:47.942-07:00India 2009Here are a few pictures from India...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBmnwR5f1RuUYBqVos5MkcoBr54uj7oRlZRP6T1EnSdKz06w2BkL_SojySqMwQ2Qyhjbwwob-T-g4rLNnklACcQOPIeZaUZxmW7ySZfxerLPyFV-qA_L-hsYyXOQZzutV-vJZTwi6IJA/s1600-h/Asia+2009+223.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396519393452037730" style="WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBmnwR5f1RuUYBqVos5MkcoBr54uj7oRlZRP6T1EnSdKz06w2BkL_SojySqMwQ2Qyhjbwwob-T-g4rLNnklACcQOPIeZaUZxmW7ySZfxerLPyFV-qA_L-hsYyXOQZzutV-vJZTwi6IJA/s320/Asia+2009+223.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwWOARV7UEd5WsddcT-fkd0dxvX5aVBPaDY1nCLdo0eX82-iMRXRpS_NMGMI8l1uCanEZCzry40xJvonkDUC0DZKGPzsA3geaHgzQBHvducXAIwS7gEU4uNqIF96YY-KZGGxZ2wK_9bD4/s1600-h/Asia+2009+209.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396519397143383122" style="WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwWOARV7UEd5WsddcT-fkd0dxvX5aVBPaDY1nCLdo0eX82-iMRXRpS_NMGMI8l1uCanEZCzry40xJvonkDUC0DZKGPzsA3geaHgzQBHvducXAIwS7gEU4uNqIF96YY-KZGGxZ2wK_9bD4/s320/Asia+2009+209.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The Taj Mahal... an amazing structure of stone that took 22 years to build. You can Wiki the details, but it is an incredible building.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5s2rMjIcfllzjTb-EqGl1SVBDwPdkiqn96r45vM9WyGRjzmdwN5T_TFwJeikMfuPBd6Fs8Rm5aKrKQivepVGwkoPu52nCGrBoyWgCOToRzSMQ9mtW5wC2d0to4TG-YVj1piv6u6mFFm8/s1600-h/Asia+2009+176.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396522569526161250" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5s2rMjIcfllzjTb-EqGl1SVBDwPdkiqn96r45vM9WyGRjzmdwN5T_TFwJeikMfuPBd6Fs8Rm5aKrKQivepVGwkoPu52nCGrBoyWgCOToRzSMQ9mtW5wC2d0to4TG-YVj1piv6u6mFFm8/s320/Asia+2009+176.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Traffic in India is unlike anything I have ever seen. No rules, no holds barred... just push ahead through the cars, trucks, tractors, cows (sacred... don't hit them), dogs, children, wagons, bikes, and several other forms of transportation. Lights and signs are optional.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPA9rP4Ke2CaaZAHKu9A3AwaR3RUcerlbwhb4S4SwA_rqiUMo5fBfMnSPyA9VihAPpe1IFPOXYDRib9FgNRXclFWG_vHnBvygivA0rTbW2812Z-zLSgs_DHenOxclNFXQdFr5N73s9b0/s1600-h/Asia+2009+166.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396522564300935906" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPA9rP4Ke2CaaZAHKu9A3AwaR3RUcerlbwhb4S4SwA_rqiUMo5fBfMnSPyA9VihAPpe1IFPOXYDRib9FgNRXclFWG_vHnBvygivA0rTbW2812Z-zLSgs_DHenOxclNFXQdFr5N73s9b0/s320/Asia+2009+166.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This tractor lost his battle with the bigger truck.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BCOIy-dutKhqphx1sLfLppql2ThSodGeSRQHVN5a2LYBjwsTC8H6EDoybUG_tKoVDCRoPubMPCDitd-RbOFXAWjVHY_tcsjB2oGvV4NyvMqBPXStZ1NYpypmTbis7GUWp8HJZQonEng/s1600-h/Asia+2009+294.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396522557649016146" style="WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BCOIy-dutKhqphx1sLfLppql2ThSodGeSRQHVN5a2LYBjwsTC8H6EDoybUG_tKoVDCRoPubMPCDitd-RbOFXAWjVHY_tcsjB2oGvV4NyvMqBPXStZ1NYpypmTbis7GUWp8HJZQonEng/s320/Asia+2009+294.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This is in Old Delhi. Street vendors everywhere selling everything imaginable. Only go here if you like really crazy crowded places.<br /><div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwWOARV7UEd5WsddcT-fkd0dxvX5aVBPaDY1nCLdo0eX82-iMRXRpS_NMGMI8l1uCanEZCzry40xJvonkDUC0DZKGPzsA3geaHgzQBHvducXAIwS7gEU4uNqIF96YY-KZGGxZ2wK_9bD4/s1600-h/Asia+2009+209.jpg"></a> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUWEmjQPM8wceDrOKwTVEf7KnRvyO6eZ1IhUC3adbK6gU3CUvU0WiethiCVlc2OPCNN2BlbD7agsg_IoKpj4soW7-5sSJDS8IZaUWLGIbdR_JdhDF3XM9v5uNCpc5QVejBr-H909vo-g/s1600-h/Asia+2009+303.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396519413219085298" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUWEmjQPM8wceDrOKwTVEf7KnRvyO6eZ1IhUC3adbK6gU3CUvU0WiethiCVlc2OPCNN2BlbD7agsg_IoKpj4soW7-5sSJDS8IZaUWLGIbdR_JdhDF3XM9v5uNCpc5QVejBr-H909vo-g/s320/Asia+2009+303.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This is me just outside the chaos of Old Delhi.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBF3CoNxmsSgSPbQBQTc7PnKqZ1T7zlaCFjfevlou2K6wmyYy_u7qZzcNW8naXSmbrKr7X3P6MKlP8sPd6J0B0J_nyeILwLkhYigb2W3iZvqqQdYK8iF-fToMZ-TWmt5PY4SWI9643NFE/s1600-h/Asia+2009+272.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396519403220927106" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBF3CoNxmsSgSPbQBQTc7PnKqZ1T7zlaCFjfevlou2K6wmyYy_u7qZzcNW8naXSmbrKr7X3P6MKlP8sPd6J0B0J_nyeILwLkhYigb2W3iZvqqQdYK8iF-fToMZ-TWmt5PY4SWI9643NFE/s320/Asia+2009+272.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gRa9bBMrzpoXgW7BK4tIOMydxNJZLg0uLyuzkH0UeoKXWmPoK1BWRHN4tYkXiAbgLkAyosN9rSd1R6sjcV5AaJ_qFDBUpDl2uNH3Z6yhYgVgJMhg4cc6XBVSO5qobG2Po_Ru2XJU66Y/s1600-h/Asia+2009+275.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396519409256942658" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gRa9bBMrzpoXgW7BK4tIOMydxNJZLg0uLyuzkH0UeoKXWmPoK1BWRHN4tYkXiAbgLkAyosN9rSd1R6sjcV5AaJ_qFDBUpDl2uNH3Z6yhYgVgJMhg4cc6XBVSO5qobG2Po_Ru2XJU66Y/s320/Asia+2009+275.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I found an LDS church in Delhi and went to Sacrament Meeting there. Fantastic experience and a highlight of the trip. My taxi driver joined me for the services and was touched by the spirit of the people there. (So was I... great group.) Met a missionary there from Rexburg... his companion is from Nepal. The work continues to roll forth.</div></div>Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-86458188692303649732009-08-28T11:19:00.000-07:002009-08-28T11:38:11.458-07:00Grateful for LifeWe just returned from our summer trip to the states. It was quite eventful and caused me to reflect on how grateful I am for life, family, and friends. We had reunions with both families, reunions with my college friends, visits with grandparents, the marriage of my brother Josh to Jo, and a mix of breakdowns, car disasters, jet ski disasters, and tired children disasters...<br /><br />The most eventful and devasting part of our trip was the tragic loss of my brother and sister-in-laws' baby girl, Elizabeth. Celeste was 29 weeks along, and we all were soooo ecstatic that she was pregnant with a girl after her first three boys. About half way through the reunion, she stopped feeling the baby move. The day after Josh and Jo's wedding, on the way to the reunion in Pittsburgh, we got the message that they had lost the baby. I cannot think of the words to describe the emotion and pain we all felt for their family, and especially for Celeste. They are both such strong and amazing individuals, and have been tested more than most. I love them both for the example they have shown throughout everything. <br /><br />All of the events reminded me how lucky I am to have been raised in such a good family. I am lucky to have a husband who was also raised by such an amazing family. I am so grateful to have been blessed by having good friends all of my life. We are blessed to know the plan of salvation and the gift of eternal life from our Savior. I know this baby girl, for whatever reason, is needed elsewhere and the rest of us are given the opportunity to grow from this depth of sadness. <br /><br />I love you Jake and Celeste. You are in our prayers.Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-11296854923150743002009-06-21T11:08:00.000-07:002009-06-21T11:38:46.345-07:00Happy Father's Day, Dad!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rRBBaraCYoMfFaIQrIN6isBh_TaBqlb7V2T4dpJtsyb7D-9NMWTolwxW4izUgo_HotrL7LxFqzS5qlEaTuDJFAbou5C-Hw533LcQBS0Sr_80HiKxjk0u8Gsm9Y0WKzYgUyYVEMUqdtc/s1600-h/February-May_2009+647.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349851647606641890" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rRBBaraCYoMfFaIQrIN6isBh_TaBqlb7V2T4dpJtsyb7D-9NMWTolwxW4izUgo_HotrL7LxFqzS5qlEaTuDJFAbou5C-Hw533LcQBS0Sr_80HiKxjk0u8Gsm9Y0WKzYgUyYVEMUqdtc/s320/February-May_2009+647.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Happy Father's Day, DAD! This a tribute to you for your special day. </div><br /><br /><div><strong>Here are the top 10 reasons you are the best dad in the world:</strong></div><br /><div>10. You make the best spaghetti dinner in the world. We could always count on it when mom was gone...</div><br /><br /><div>9. You are the smartest dad of every dad I know. So smart, I often can't understand you.</div><br /><br /><div>8. You were always one of the best looking dads I know. My high school friends were always jealous when you came with me to the daddy daughter dances.</div><br /><br /><div>7. You play a mean round of golf. Or a nice round when you offer to pay for broken windows...</div><br /><br /><div>6. You are the best "Papa" in the world--Ellie always wants to see her Papa.</div><br /><br /><div>5. You are the most avid movie goer and popcorn eater I know!</div><br /><br /><div>4. You are one of the most generous dads I know. </div><br /><br /><div>3. You are the best "flower photographer" I have ever met.</div><br /><br /><div>2. You are the only dad I know who knows TWO meanings for the word "stool."</div><br /><br /><div>1. You are the greatest dad in the world, because you are not afraid to show your REAL emotions.</div><div><br /> </div><div>I love you, DAD! I can't wait to see you in a few weeks. Thank you for everything you do for me and my family.</div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>emmy</div><br /><br /><div></div>Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-61593053205284034752009-05-28T06:16:00.000-07:002009-05-28T06:17:14.671-07:00<div><embed src="http://widget-01.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=432345564274591233&site=widget-01.slide.com" style="width:400px;height:320px" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed><div style="width:400px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=432345564274591233&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-01.slide.com/p1/432345564274591233/bb_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=432345564274591233&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-01.slide.com/p2/432345564274591233/bb_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&amp;at=un&amp;id=432345564274591233&amp;map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-01.slide.com/m/432345564274591233/bb_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide9_1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=432345564274591233&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-01.slide.com/p4/432345564274591233/bb_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></div></div>Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-42417364748482778682009-05-28T04:47:00.000-07:002009-05-28T06:16:46.543-07:00Greek CruiseKent and I took the two girls on an amazing family adventure. We went on a 7 day cruise from Venice, Italy to Croatia and Greece. The weather was great, our boat was amazing, and the food an entertainment were incredible. We had stops in Split, Croatia; Corfu, Athens, Mykonos, and Olympia, Greece. We mostly went to the beach, but also had a great time visiting the Acropolis, the Temple of Zeus, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Madison and Ellie loved the formal nights when we got to dress up like we were at the ball. They especially loved dancing with their daddy, and cheering for all the onboard entertainment. I loved that everytime we left our room, we came back and someone had cleaned up for us! My favorite part of the whole trip was watching Kent win the sexiest legs contest at the top deck pool the last day! He even beat out the frenchman in the Speedo!<br /><br />We had a great time on our trip--one of the highlights was that we were amongst 700 other fellow Americans onboard. It felt like having one extra week back in the homeland. The beauty of Greece was spectacular, but America is still the best!Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-25004355555122959982009-05-28T04:41:00.000-07:002009-05-28T04:46:41.957-07:00Ellie's broken arm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8kB6ny7pYezxR_V6B_sELM9mHI7EayXNkR0ZeG8FCxZuA7jRgkGAH4IPunmdl9kJhLSmbkUog-L4hY-Prb2SPV3RFT2wvL4-Oa2boMExaC_T9M4f0ExzjIZzy5XEprDMZHLpwUseGxo/s1600-h/IMG_6131.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8kB6ny7pYezxR_V6B_sELM9mHI7EayXNkR0ZeG8FCxZuA7jRgkGAH4IPunmdl9kJhLSmbkUog-L4hY-Prb2SPV3RFT2wvL4-Oa2boMExaC_T9M4f0ExzjIZzy5XEprDMZHLpwUseGxo/s320/IMG_6131.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340839832404225938" border="0" /></a><br />Ellie was playing on the couch, trying to balance on the arm of the couch while catching her hat with a drum stick (her explanation). Then she fell and landed on her arm on the tile floor. The result: a broken arm right at the elbow joint. The fix: surgery with two pins put in her arm and a cast for several weeks. We really felt bad for her. She has been a real trooper through all the pain!Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-72139786303077553932009-05-13T12:06:00.000-07:002009-05-13T12:19:57.080-07:00Istanbul was Constantinople...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOr92t681Sjhmk50axHbC8nWQek7YpkhN8Dh8TsHbaVYj6MlNmVPrrsLG3BinwkEdyOXigsq923Oz5n0ZDOFtmUCOy7a5Gd3Ki-D943d9g-sW5szG7XUfq1Ci1mHM52H_UTiGVBK5sWKw/s1600-h/IMG_6001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOr92t681Sjhmk50axHbC8nWQek7YpkhN8Dh8TsHbaVYj6MlNmVPrrsLG3BinwkEdyOXigsq923Oz5n0ZDOFtmUCOy7a5Gd3Ki-D943d9g-sW5szG7XUfq1Ci1mHM52H_UTiGVBK5sWKw/s320/IMG_6001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335389110786713842" border="0" /></a>Kent and I had the chance to go to Istanbul for a weekend. I met him there after he had already been there working. What a great experience. After living in our small village of only 1200 people, though, it felt very overwhelming to be in a city with 20 million people. There were people and noises everywhere! We got to go see the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sofia, the Cistern, the Grand Bazaar, and the Main Square. We both found learning more about Islam fascinating. It was always amazing to hear the call to prayer at all hours of the day (and night).<br /> What a great get away without kids, too! <br /> Thanks, Rachel for watching them!!!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmLAprUVo5RYnQG77nP6sO75QbyCWxZqn-4pmS6mTblqwFuw2EfoJWTWr6XZ2VtkTRwW7gEF1mJeXzGQOYjJlgLz95D6QHmE4OsOBZTTwFvfjw-kF_I1mcc5gLZMXTckNs1BLps3-r7U/s1600-h/IMG_5979.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmLAprUVo5RYnQG77nP6sO75QbyCWxZqn-4pmS6mTblqwFuw2EfoJWTWr6XZ2VtkTRwW7gEF1mJeXzGQOYjJlgLz95D6QHmE4OsOBZTTwFvfjw-kF_I1mcc5gLZMXTckNs1BLps3-r7U/s320/IMG_5979.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335388528312960770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi71OyCsXETeSsyXREKuosKxotuoHFG5bboWdbSOZIGjpto9Cc13apsqJ2LfwW5ZNp2mOU5NttODk8v0FHE7DwoYPv01Zsr3JlWvCQX8FukptqyDQE05XVqIpDHtFKM_ai_Asw4Em3oyU0/s1600-h/IMG_5959.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi71OyCsXETeSsyXREKuosKxotuoHFG5bboWdbSOZIGjpto9Cc13apsqJ2LfwW5ZNp2mOU5NttODk8v0FHE7DwoYPv01Zsr3JlWvCQX8FukptqyDQE05XVqIpDHtFKM_ai_Asw4Em3oyU0/s320/IMG_5959.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335388525769037426" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oiFRguDn66X4maqmjrbGaeNum4hObGL3xOJmYO_iNUne51-8iqCsn4_x-THZHItQ82_bE6DhELtat_02Wcvffml1Yiw4V4qhyphenhyphenpXhYHhE8fWlEph1hwxfjLvLh2Jj5mJgDUs8a0XQVlU/s1600-h/IMG_5952.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oiFRguDn66X4maqmjrbGaeNum4hObGL3xOJmYO_iNUne51-8iqCsn4_x-THZHItQ82_bE6DhELtat_02Wcvffml1Yiw4V4qhyphenhyphenpXhYHhE8fWlEph1hwxfjLvLh2Jj5mJgDUs8a0XQVlU/s320/IMG_5952.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335388524229117106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQvYxiXcJ6mDzdT0kbXtokKCuo-GvqqNVftteePcyuqtkX85kvH_seNNTQ25dGyKXrGr02X_2DiCQby49Z7Jrcd7Eg9TqwezrM27-2rRHlbEgtu59Y_MceewbfnBV3F-HXuCNhkxQ6nw/s1600-h/IMG_5892.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQvYxiXcJ6mDzdT0kbXtokKCuo-GvqqNVftteePcyuqtkX85kvH_seNNTQ25dGyKXrGr02X_2DiCQby49Z7Jrcd7Eg9TqwezrM27-2rRHlbEgtu59Y_MceewbfnBV3F-HXuCNhkxQ6nw/s320/IMG_5892.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335388521201973314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuM_tife4haT8TqM4lNhOb9KKBBNnu4UTaEVjmfLj3VocP4xGh_3zT2QEs7MoSlgWA7WGzAUUkFco8hLE4PU_M3P-FXoh7-U5YqsQiU03pNJOW6iU63IFVa4DaU2B5zAldE1S3veZDmIA/s1600-h/IMG_5883.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuM_tife4haT8TqM4lNhOb9KKBBNnu4UTaEVjmfLj3VocP4xGh_3zT2QEs7MoSlgWA7WGzAUUkFco8hLE4PU_M3P-FXoh7-U5YqsQiU03pNJOW6iU63IFVa4DaU2B5zAldE1S3veZDmIA/s320/IMG_5883.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335388519206424098" border="0" /></a>Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-23023619354310176992009-05-13T11:56:00.001-07:002009-05-13T12:05:55.838-07:00Easter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiND3fHt5iMwKR2q4Zwl3MEbKIF0aO6UZ0-tjI04nk68bWR_lb4R-9tIpxrLOA-CIu2yL0kuAELwrpZyTXhh49szQER1zbs24mxGxhLcKrztRzymD_tFcC3EzznneyvflPYhJ-wglVZHxI/s1600-h/IMG_5744.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiND3fHt5iMwKR2q4Zwl3MEbKIF0aO6UZ0-tjI04nk68bWR_lb4R-9tIpxrLOA-CIu2yL0kuAELwrpZyTXhh49szQER1zbs24mxGxhLcKrztRzymD_tFcC3EzznneyvflPYhJ-wglVZHxI/s320/IMG_5744.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335386055052586402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfVQ_MR-723xH8tX1-5EsYpL6rSUnk_K5c-X_6ETf-K0b-XgT1uB7-az0jw8qxKKs_0o4os6yck8tyPwh0KH8y2eDUXpKsAVa-w5OljltGS2lw1Nl4R1br2eHuvkMl5nZhh5tQGZfcBM/s1600-h/IMG_5774.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfVQ_MR-723xH8tX1-5EsYpL6rSUnk_K5c-X_6ETf-K0b-XgT1uB7-az0jw8qxKKs_0o4os6yck8tyPwh0KH8y2eDUXpKsAVa-w5OljltGS2lw1Nl4R1br2eHuvkMl5nZhh5tQGZfcBM/s320/IMG_5774.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335386051273751570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYrAuEr6yg3E-e9xN2BAqo6SkqkAljPjIrwV451C4OJSd9GkLpxYOIA4a6edNXZ5V-VFqgXEhnMQh3NtHAr9XZwRG5JvcdBGsEc9wylfim-QpaIv23e1M57HmnLHci6AtZIuo7KqNmgk/s1600-h/IMG_5726.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYrAuEr6yg3E-e9xN2BAqo6SkqkAljPjIrwV451C4OJSd9GkLpxYOIA4a6edNXZ5V-VFqgXEhnMQh3NtHAr9XZwRG5JvcdBGsEc9wylfim-QpaIv23e1M57HmnLHci6AtZIuo7KqNmgk/s320/IMG_5726.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335386043788206898" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5b3rgJHrSuEgiLWZEbySlepts-2D7VTUbK8nl5KCu3WW1UqyBYFKhy34BCKduwaRmYKI62Ixeiz46RvW1jhEqNqKa42Ki8H_UG0G6_5L1lhQWdBxFO9gmH4SZF_d1EfnmqMzCcM01xYs/s1600-h/IMG_5686.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5b3rgJHrSuEgiLWZEbySlepts-2D7VTUbK8nl5KCu3WW1UqyBYFKhy34BCKduwaRmYKI62Ixeiz46RvW1jhEqNqKa42Ki8H_UG0G6_5L1lhQWdBxFO9gmH4SZF_d1EfnmqMzCcM01xYs/s320/IMG_5686.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335386037753199938" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PJ0FjLmR_mdPp9oE9bGJSVLV6Lvq9F7kYYmyJ164WoTo7SfyclQqcej5YsBDS7M9KpFNQHKDeEfC-POEN5Q6-2RbRuoWitbE5_rHMwV3gh6pg-hOiiXlZ_Zj55Lu-GtP2oichRzK8fI/s1600-h/IMG_5668.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PJ0FjLmR_mdPp9oE9bGJSVLV6Lvq9F7kYYmyJ164WoTo7SfyclQqcej5YsBDS7M9KpFNQHKDeEfC-POEN5Q6-2RbRuoWitbE5_rHMwV3gh6pg-hOiiXlZ_Zj55Lu-GtP2oichRzK8fI/s320/IMG_5668.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335386036331792306" border="0" /></a><br />Easter came and went this year without me remembering to post. We had a great easter egg hunt with our neighbors, the Jacksons. It's easy to think about new life, and the Resurrection of the Savior when we live in such a beautiful place...Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-4691686299694520372009-05-01T07:29:00.000-07:002009-05-01T07:51:55.986-07:00Our ConcertEmily and I started playing music with some friends a few months ago. One thing lead to another, and we found ourselves performing at a big event in Switzerland. It was a BLAST!!! We wouldn't make it past round one of American Idol, but it was a great time. If you can overlook the out-of-tune singing and basic guitar skills, these videos are pretty fun. These were shot with our home video camera, but there are some high-quality videos on Facebook. Emily also has her picture in the newspaper today with a description of the evening in German. She got good reviews! Enjoy.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzYK0IETNNRTznXG7p1FtZe6KLOYSS7TsP29xdo667gdkokDIFbBfj8hxPQVkLn5D3MzBHVL0ffbP7vV4G7wA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-23550338273607346882009-04-02T07:58:00.001-07:002009-04-02T08:08:09.810-07:00Charlie's 1st Birthday!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhc3_W_USktnT3z83KzxE6l8GJZYvyPBTytIlXiKgP5SUlLzJphTLvb4Lq7ivxBhW6nYNP77X8SGjWGXzvzQOVXfZImP5aI2oFJ5w4HvuOq0I9Y32qBTmC3_nBElUCUuap77IVweiAP8/s1600-h/IMG_5478.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhc3_W_USktnT3z83KzxE6l8GJZYvyPBTytIlXiKgP5SUlLzJphTLvb4Lq7ivxBhW6nYNP77X8SGjWGXzvzQOVXfZImP5aI2oFJ5w4HvuOq0I9Y32qBTmC3_nBElUCUuap77IVweiAP8/s320/IMG_5478.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320109821520470498" border="0" /></a>Happy Birthday, Little Buddy! We love having a little boy in our house. I can't believe it has already been a whole year! Charlie has made our family so much more fun and interesting.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXnOSEBbA6I1WWNratW-RP_zlWcMyuWedEVOxjQXFXuF2gkaZ5Q1oB4LkwZs0kQt047BkcY2L1wViIjZMhtHjbTzydCmrPZmM5YGyVIOwBcKBwHaBJVbbyIjrQnBl3uQR3nXeNhsGhlU/s1600-h/IMG_5479.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXnOSEBbA6I1WWNratW-RP_zlWcMyuWedEVOxjQXFXuF2gkaZ5Q1oB4LkwZs0kQt047BkcY2L1wViIjZMhtHjbTzydCmrPZmM5YGyVIOwBcKBwHaBJVbbyIjrQnBl3uQR3nXeNhsGhlU/s320/IMG_5479.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320109673545607730" border="0" /></a>Charlie has an infectious smile and laugh. He often stares people down until they look back so he can smile at them. One person recently said, "he seems to wise." It's true. Already he seems very contemplative and curious about his world. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjko_tHSOtGpjkL2GauOgzqAnnn78FJXrJ7ilYM3MbFCzKbUfVNPxAIo6Gl7XhpGVFLyWiizF847Dw60brDUFsXfPtC2jKWzDE_PPFML4Rvx_TAKmdDk1qKXHhHRZM5cKT4WDLE6s8vdKc/s1600-h/IMG_5474.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjko_tHSOtGpjkL2GauOgzqAnnn78FJXrJ7ilYM3MbFCzKbUfVNPxAIo6Gl7XhpGVFLyWiizF847Dw60brDUFsXfPtC2jKWzDE_PPFML4Rvx_TAKmdDk1qKXHhHRZM5cKT4WDLE6s8vdKc/s320/IMG_5474.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320109668499830626" border="0" /></a>Charlie loves balls, and it is a good thing, because his dad has been waiting for a boy to throw the ball around with before he gets too old to do it! Better hurry, Charlie! Only a few more years left!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGuLhUWyFqGtO6R1_cLh275acegTaXh-3NQsJ72YDxhzS_6dC2zegAjc9xZThowLAmKTU1GGHwbkFrSehLUt_houM0akhbHgTJB6C_vtSi0hDIgPl3Jza_PZwfyu7gi7B4w0K-uf8FqE/s1600-h/IMG_5500.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGuLhUWyFqGtO6R1_cLh275acegTaXh-3NQsJ72YDxhzS_6dC2zegAjc9xZThowLAmKTU1GGHwbkFrSehLUt_houM0akhbHgTJB6C_vtSi0hDIgPl3Jza_PZwfyu7gi7B4w0K-uf8FqE/s320/IMG_5500.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320109664131992578" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMLP9km48kHsuhvtLejGTGnE2iZkHtpEyuaup-admWzT4wKUVQXA1CkTTeDwbRs2W72cRX8LKoeXsne22UXba9KjuQBp-rndQYmuYATzGGXo5Z06MJRqDI5dQ-99DsYdzE-jDigqVvJ4/s1600-h/IMG_5492.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMLP9km48kHsuhvtLejGTGnE2iZkHtpEyuaup-admWzT4wKUVQXA1CkTTeDwbRs2W72cRX8LKoeXsne22UXba9KjuQBp-rndQYmuYATzGGXo5Z06MJRqDI5dQ-99DsYdzE-jDigqVvJ4/s320/IMG_5492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320109655617839826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7Y6l7j1RpXxRY5MpMy88uxhyphenhyphen77FRiUSCmZRKNv57_63UUsJP0uYW36GuhT007iBKk_411RnzU5QBcRY1K0hXuaVuzMTTjPApht5p9c5E2-s3DhMcmMQcKLRjGYPB0RJxzVkhQCbzIss/s1600-h/IMG_5505.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7Y6l7j1RpXxRY5MpMy88uxhyphenhyphen77FRiUSCmZRKNv57_63UUsJP0uYW36GuhT007iBKk_411RnzU5QBcRY1K0hXuaVuzMTTjPApht5p9c5E2-s3DhMcmMQcKLRjGYPB0RJxzVkhQCbzIss/s320/IMG_5505.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320109652587202530" border="0" /></a>Cheers to you, Charlie! We are so lucky to celebrate you on your birthday!Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-43974104638495720092009-04-02T07:23:00.000-07:002009-04-02T07:57:45.928-07:00Happy Birthday, Madison!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipba5Qm-x9jShaXegwWs2MgNQtgogCL2CF_98BYl9PqS9eFxTM2xmYstbmLG63_3bbRTxPWFJar2vH5B2gMPwTh76vGap-jNe9O8IgCp9WvJQqWx4S5A7F9K0_RLd447Sx1m40HsCDEAA/s1600-h/IMG_5377.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipba5Qm-x9jShaXegwWs2MgNQtgogCL2CF_98BYl9PqS9eFxTM2xmYstbmLG63_3bbRTxPWFJar2vH5B2gMPwTh76vGap-jNe9O8IgCp9WvJQqWx4S5A7F9K0_RLd447Sx1m40HsCDEAA/s320/IMG_5377.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320102170451057122" border="0" /></a>Happy 6th Birthday, Madison! We are so lucky to have you in our family! It was quite the celebration since your birthday was on Sunday. We got to go to church and the Primary sang to you and your teacher brought a cake. Then we had lunch at the Pail's house and they also gave you presents, sang and had a cake. Then we had cake and sang and presents at home that night! THEN, the next day after school, every kid from your kindergarten came to celebrate your birthday with you! That was a lot of kids to have for a party...<br /><br />We ate a delicious butterfly cake, created by your dad (the best cake maker, ever!). We played pin the butterfly on the flower, and since the first kid got his sticker right in the middle, every other kid got it right, too! We also played, freeze dance, musical spots, unwrap the package, and best of all, break the pinata! All the kids had a great time.<br /><br />Madison, you are a smart, beautiful, talented girl. Sometimes I think you are much older than your years. You are friends with everyone, and not afraid of anything. My favorite memory of you this year is when you got up in front of the entire school (K-12) for the talent show and played the piano and sang Mama Mia. You were a true Rock Star! Thanks for being the best, most helpful, oldest sister. You are a great example for your siblings, and often, for your parents, too. We love you!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7nqUHFtMcu5qL9MXL5q1v8ARunwT6eDEoD1LvW6jNBpP-IpfZf0IW0JJJNjC82qnrJWx_7hYWySc6_kkqRweW04sYJf6YPy3kacFiZIE9t1O5VoyD_E2xgemgZBsVB7QWxPsKcgdjrY/s1600-h/IMG_5449.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7nqUHFtMcu5qL9MXL5q1v8ARunwT6eDEoD1LvW6jNBpP-IpfZf0IW0JJJNjC82qnrJWx_7hYWySc6_kkqRweW04sYJf6YPy3kacFiZIE9t1O5VoyD_E2xgemgZBsVB7QWxPsKcgdjrY/s320/IMG_5449.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320101697030753234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYFzZh2VGe1ry3oz0OpVJ_NoZFRt37kxitteXOPF3pPgk8m35SxD4F7ONgXmyRvtyUZMYvs8BeJBR74SaN3uDCuLZLOxSuXerRrVylTBtj6vaR2iM3M-XOiMIchjHTs-TnWv304mrofc/s1600-h/IMG_5462.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYFzZh2VGe1ry3oz0OpVJ_NoZFRt37kxitteXOPF3pPgk8m35SxD4F7ONgXmyRvtyUZMYvs8BeJBR74SaN3uDCuLZLOxSuXerRrVylTBtj6vaR2iM3M-XOiMIchjHTs-TnWv304mrofc/s320/IMG_5462.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320101694439495154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFJrNEPM4cajMxIcAM_3WXHQsu-QkODGHSlkwn5XBu5pZz3jHbuDPNugKp2vbiUP_fT9LF4DKgMosIzcqzxSxnGUBWkgB4YpvSB7QPqdCpVCWWB0T9-sX05jqOyTkADIBLzX-eYR9JbA/s1600-h/IMG_5458.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFJrNEPM4cajMxIcAM_3WXHQsu-QkODGHSlkwn5XBu5pZz3jHbuDPNugKp2vbiUP_fT9LF4DKgMosIzcqzxSxnGUBWkgB4YpvSB7QPqdCpVCWWB0T9-sX05jqOyTkADIBLzX-eYR9JbA/s320/IMG_5458.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320101690013479378" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxZCFet2GFZbunW5tc-q6QF2hyphenhyphenSQBJRd9q62LBinfIxAPlmYS09-VWsst6fmFG-MFlsM4uOCgG_XfiWG6ylrgZITyetYj44E8iEmhVbmdzQPp2a-40YseBYWopHFiKd7NxrqXALT6vjg/s1600-h/IMG_5441.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxZCFet2GFZbunW5tc-q6QF2hyphenhyphenSQBJRd9q62LBinfIxAPlmYS09-VWsst6fmFG-MFlsM4uOCgG_XfiWG6ylrgZITyetYj44E8iEmhVbmdzQPp2a-40YseBYWopHFiKd7NxrqXALT6vjg/s320/IMG_5441.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320101689555037042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjus_dBVTUNIg2p6451bV3gfZT9eG74NLRk4EL8Nyn0zwighXOf2KmVf_AtwJ6XilMFj_hiqFwevwyGXVeyTzaUQS2Hq71_5aqkGPqV2aRm-HPcsTH8X8yhxZIPcc2HdE085MoZ_BxkXOE/s1600-h/IMG_5442.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjus_dBVTUNIg2p6451bV3gfZT9eG74NLRk4EL8Nyn0zwighXOf2KmVf_AtwJ6XilMFj_hiqFwevwyGXVeyTzaUQS2Hq71_5aqkGPqV2aRm-HPcsTH8X8yhxZIPcc2HdE085MoZ_BxkXOE/s320/IMG_5442.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320100932551315522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlmTM9Bmv-65DOwPPU31l8xCA0Evd3vRJHghyKt7AH1XjNs55igPIjlNmWx3rnEQTVyHJoHaKkE0itEhdfn7NazPIU8fLHQn_L5jMvoD6ksWp0eXn0QGkr12ME5h1QWyl74KYExmerk0/s1600-h/IMG_5407.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlmTM9Bmv-65DOwPPU31l8xCA0Evd3vRJHghyKt7AH1XjNs55igPIjlNmWx3rnEQTVyHJoHaKkE0itEhdfn7NazPIU8fLHQn_L5jMvoD6ksWp0eXn0QGkr12ME5h1QWyl74KYExmerk0/s320/IMG_5407.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320100924658862018" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoiiBU4oAZLizARAzE8qgTbjiK-NwAMNmLuyc03P_r4L8u2PcsM_tREm71J7VIbnThQjzMNAvpASfjrvBBLza2sbFOvgxw4vtQV2T3p_I7_RfGObxqbvBCmB3vo0Ak-Ahc-KrO2QOsZo/s1600-h/IMG_5396.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoiiBU4oAZLizARAzE8qgTbjiK-NwAMNmLuyc03P_r4L8u2PcsM_tREm71J7VIbnThQjzMNAvpASfjrvBBLza2sbFOvgxw4vtQV2T3p_I7_RfGObxqbvBCmB3vo0Ak-Ahc-KrO2QOsZo/s320/IMG_5396.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320100925915460066" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUenyATAFKGC2Re_Unpf1oB48e-vCaTmiWg7g9b-X6QhtanmdZSyeizwvBBp6Tg0nz9sZMYLB2tSEIyUWnY2hf-U4D6BjFcClMUePu6KML0VdlLlK2RdJeE8AReqs9k9dtZ1COeyKTC0s/s1600-h/IMG_5386.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUenyATAFKGC2Re_Unpf1oB48e-vCaTmiWg7g9b-X6QhtanmdZSyeizwvBBp6Tg0nz9sZMYLB2tSEIyUWnY2hf-U4D6BjFcClMUePu6KML0VdlLlK2RdJeE8AReqs9k9dtZ1COeyKTC0s/s320/IMG_5386.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320100920829231074" border="0" /></a>Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-13033897200116793842009-04-02T05:57:00.000-07:002009-04-02T07:23:49.861-07:00Laura's Visit<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgit3YQzNoVs-tdCG1qEo5l2f-U4_vEpsDRJYe9FnRsF4-jHJtl6mRIiP1iq7vetrLgfS1SAIHhyphenhyphenE_DBZmzh8xCkydMbojL2OtPzg88rhRl_24341vyc7SGio_ojesz-2oimiERxjvGq4I/s1600-h/IMG_5268.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgit3YQzNoVs-tdCG1qEo5l2f-U4_vEpsDRJYe9FnRsF4-jHJtl6mRIiP1iq7vetrLgfS1SAIHhyphenhyphenE_DBZmzh8xCkydMbojL2OtPzg88rhRl_24341vyc7SGio_ojesz-2oimiERxjvGq4I/s320/IMG_5268.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320079474120859890" border="0" /></a>My friend, Laura, came to visit us with her daughter, Jessi. We had such a great time! We went on a trip to Milan (although, I forgot my camera). Then we also tried to show her the view from the Saentis! Apparently when the snow hits, being at the top of the peak feels like sticking your head in the ice box, eh? Not quite the beautiful view we were hoping for...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXtDekx9WPLd7woZtsv0WYromOTFnC_3GIMCP4xQ-wuES_Tiype7YNCrxP2afj9g-hpcasdKykJcuN7gisRBM0hr2bHet8-Tqs_m2zUO0u_oW3-ijwrCRrdLIooUCe2Ub3GaWauGsD-8/s1600-h/IMG_5346.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXtDekx9WPLd7woZtsv0WYromOTFnC_3GIMCP4xQ-wuES_Tiype7YNCrxP2afj9g-hpcasdKykJcuN7gisRBM0hr2bHet8-Tqs_m2zUO0u_oW3-ijwrCRrdLIooUCe2Ub3GaWauGsD-8/s320/IMG_5346.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320079471978037794" border="0" /></a>After Laura and Jessi went to Paris, we took a day trip to Neuschwanstein castle. This time, Madison, Charlie, and I saw the other castle, Hohenschwangau. Not as ornate by a clear mile, but still cool, nontheless.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayUNcH4IdTQGmnH9KPFdAbrP-IKUXzxZiKoDr42HhAAKzq6P1DKqvWbnTKemvXOjnwBYh-atkVeBkULeOVO6CCQ644G44dKrRmnEQuvtKaGyhWl26EZFfsT6oL0wQRCwtuupP6daN6gk/s1600-h/IMG_5369.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayUNcH4IdTQGmnH9KPFdAbrP-IKUXzxZiKoDr42HhAAKzq6P1DKqvWbnTKemvXOjnwBYh-atkVeBkULeOVO6CCQ644G44dKrRmnEQuvtKaGyhWl26EZFfsT6oL0wQRCwtuupP6daN6gk/s320/IMG_5369.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320079471198485602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBp7QlmCi97y84Y6rCtgmPg4sVi-Z2N98haro5K8pbwwNz-oBB_MRhMbHeJ57woNUqQWmrAFAXYXxGmCn4xwhs2-OIpxUAahoeAdYtr8LfJ9ayW8Y1l78TfubAYvOdMhkdZdF-wI01QJo/s1600-h/IMG_5356.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBp7QlmCi97y84Y6rCtgmPg4sVi-Z2N98haro5K8pbwwNz-oBB_MRhMbHeJ57woNUqQWmrAFAXYXxGmCn4xwhs2-OIpxUAahoeAdYtr8LfJ9ayW8Y1l78TfubAYvOdMhkdZdF-wI01QJo/s320/IMG_5356.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320079467886903394" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiyC6Xf70AwNnxw0dPboLqyE5I3pFi_Y8ZEoE0N1KMo0IJ_6nL9_JRPeHcUz-AYaghhgfQW9szZ_u6o68c-EsjheT90q48oEDfXrH2CP5rzkjNWZBfmgwaGdIZbXptz9FKKwvDbzSvm3k/s1600-h/IMG_5327.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiyC6Xf70AwNnxw0dPboLqyE5I3pFi_Y8ZEoE0N1KMo0IJ_6nL9_JRPeHcUz-AYaghhgfQW9szZ_u6o68c-EsjheT90q48oEDfXrH2CP5rzkjNWZBfmgwaGdIZbXptz9FKKwvDbzSvm3k/s320/IMG_5327.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320079459385956994" border="0" /></a>We also went up to Appenzell for some great Swiss shopping-knives and cheese! Thanks for visiting, Laura! It was so much fun!Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-79530240659762717372009-02-08T11:18:00.000-08:002009-02-08T11:47:09.167-08:00Happy Birthday, Ellie!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklnI6hZ5i9tnIUlDNE28f-cGh3P-OlIKXp1Bu6pNXuSEuPqwUyV7tN9_Ugt9HIwIdiU5e1r5OZac1ebbPyER7xaNR7ff45xR9ZGAR1WKC5Tn6EfdLo8xCsf3TvOe4BUhfMc-IbSdUq2g/s1600-h/IMG_4926.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklnI6hZ5i9tnIUlDNE28f-cGh3P-OlIKXp1Bu6pNXuSEuPqwUyV7tN9_Ugt9HIwIdiU5e1r5OZac1ebbPyER7xaNR7ff45xR9ZGAR1WKC5Tn6EfdLo8xCsf3TvOe4BUhfMc-IbSdUq2g/s320/IMG_4926.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300513259236733634" border="0" /></a>The other night, Ellie asked if we could have some "fondue." I told her I would have to check and see if we had all the chocolate and supplies. Then she said, "No, mom. I want fun-do, like watch a movie or play some games. Can we have some?" This is why I love, Ellie. This sums her up to the core. She is full of fun, laughs, and loves. Her favorite phrase is "Guess what, mom? I love you!" She loves to be silly, and is a great friend. She walks up and down the stairs at school saying "Hi, Pia! Hi Charles!" The only problem is then they say, "That's not my name!" But, she doesn't care. She is just a friendly girl! We are so lucky to have her in our family. It would feel so empty and boring without her. And that is why, on this day, we celebrate you, Ellie!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3NSSVbGt4RzQbHgntYW8jTY5lWCjaW1An9JJoTELvQTewSsAx2PSXECL4xcRG77NXT2HiY0o5lhDQNw6D5LFwBD_BZfDtkgWmsPRk6ariD8MlR-zwpuDXp5WxEY6wjITgSgh5KocV_c/s1600-h/IMG_4982.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3NSSVbGt4RzQbHgntYW8jTY5lWCjaW1An9JJoTELvQTewSsAx2PSXECL4xcRG77NXT2HiY0o5lhDQNw6D5LFwBD_BZfDtkgWmsPRk6ariD8MlR-zwpuDXp5WxEY6wjITgSgh5KocV_c/s320/IMG_4982.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300509944443401538" border="0" /></a><br />Ellie celebrated her 4th birthday on Saturday. We had a great time, hanging out in Stuttgart with our friends, the Jacksons and the Grovers.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJEe_QC6-OLC2qNzyROVlbh8KjymghFyf3SdS2bRSusjHggxDiS-xA2uWX0c-pq_C6eCaP9N8E8cdOeVN_3ymZn8J7oARxpfzNNobjbVDPR_JD35Sb4pS30qc9CaFs_PHHMqxakrFTTI/s1600-h/IMG_4955.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJEe_QC6-OLC2qNzyROVlbh8KjymghFyf3SdS2bRSusjHggxDiS-xA2uWX0c-pq_C6eCaP9N8E8cdOeVN_3ymZn8J7oARxpfzNNobjbVDPR_JD35Sb4pS30qc9CaFs_PHHMqxakrFTTI/s320/IMG_4955.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300509942229978834" border="0" /></a><br />The best part about Stuttgart was hanging out on the military base (Stewart Grover's stationed there), and going bowling with all the friends!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo-cBvn3Hwij_cKuJDdvlAWC4CNf7mkfmGylcreem0snH9nlX0OcVvmYLbniePU5wIrROW9qlxwIjFOc78fZA17QVDoExREqctb-bY2dp6IPA9DB5wfLh2mSAUa6p-QT2NwRCeokdZmk/s1600-h/IMG_4946.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo-cBvn3Hwij_cKuJDdvlAWC4CNf7mkfmGylcreem0snH9nlX0OcVvmYLbniePU5wIrROW9qlxwIjFOc78fZA17QVDoExREqctb-bY2dp6IPA9DB5wfLh2mSAUa6p-QT2NwRCeokdZmk/s320/IMG_4946.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300509940630621458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZ796DNM87ncTMER_0xYbqhtTXWaWai5Q_MoG2k0aLRko-jRlN4sMHMAUMIF49_MfsvpeXJf85XtbQgaJZijrTiWwsDdeTEe5_RWPubWtydZYnj4Usvfuv6jMdN8HcQ4UJH87E5hTnb8/s1600-h/IMG_4948.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZ796DNM87ncTMER_0xYbqhtTXWaWai5Q_MoG2k0aLRko-jRlN4sMHMAUMIF49_MfsvpeXJf85XtbQgaJZijrTiWwsDdeTEe5_RWPubWtydZYnj4Usvfuv6jMdN8HcQ4UJH87E5hTnb8/s320/IMG_4948.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300509933535660386" border="0" /></a><br />Lake Shore, UT meets Stuttgart!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CoNk-_pVlp9O2Xnhyphenhyphen8H0BkTfUxP7XiwlyietHSBpKu8cDBY2rLDg0JzLhAc2MM37-FAY52kNKwHk3HAGbFzYAQG26ajSO8vbB_qQQ7Sx5BM_2YCpXqv9m6K8bSeu1tS_7Apt327DOiM/s1600-h/IMG_4941.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CoNk-_pVlp9O2Xnhyphenhyphen8H0BkTfUxP7XiwlyietHSBpKu8cDBY2rLDg0JzLhAc2MM37-FAY52kNKwHk3HAGbFzYAQG26ajSO8vbB_qQQ7Sx5BM_2YCpXqv9m6K8bSeu1tS_7Apt327DOiM/s320/IMG_4941.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300509032047099506" border="0" /></a><br />We made sure to drink lots of root beer and eat Pizza Hut pizza that we can't get in Switzerland.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9l23d3j5ZAGlrGIvk9-zypNJCgDPnaQLVnk7U1THY4xykMST1WJf0Vb_q0vz4Pi46H1LDw37tmn3CO2yLjh7qXNT_8QC-eNJfaS9zfIplV00AOaAxUuT3LY0G4RW1iFSThS-O3pEwn2E/s1600-h/IMG_4936.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9l23d3j5ZAGlrGIvk9-zypNJCgDPnaQLVnk7U1THY4xykMST1WJf0Vb_q0vz4Pi46H1LDw37tmn3CO2yLjh7qXNT_8QC-eNJfaS9zfIplV00AOaAxUuT3LY0G4RW1iFSThS-O3pEwn2E/s320/IMG_4936.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300509021036254674" border="0" /></a><br />Ellie loved her "Mama Bluey" from Grandma Kelli.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYW8GbopwMLUw3Rvdq7BOHnN9-4-IHi1KRDrHWeVD0F0HZ_ePnLesFVJTfbYAL1xldp7-cWMdk9lU0rgyU4xKQ_U8biPUkEFv1wNJixNjJsYwzvVoWbzgUGVua63YyOg899Lmafz1vxTE/s1600-h/IMG_4921.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYW8GbopwMLUw3Rvdq7BOHnN9-4-IHi1KRDrHWeVD0F0HZ_ePnLesFVJTfbYAL1xldp7-cWMdk9lU0rgyU4xKQ_U8biPUkEFv1wNJixNjJsYwzvVoWbzgUGVua63YyOg899Lmafz1vxTE/s320/IMG_4921.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300509015829415746" border="0" /></a><br />Always cheered up by her buddy, Danny!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOe-0gKqqkLZ_ihwxEytp_kDyPtRCfbqMZJfnmGEst7KJYZt4XrgU57LG-uVCGyxP42tbbXCGIQsWDKsY5P7suhOiOtEbd2Ah_TGJrBAACYxjLhEidHAmIh_QmeonCYzAqQ6AfhdKGqE/s1600-h/IMG_4914.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOe-0gKqqkLZ_ihwxEytp_kDyPtRCfbqMZJfnmGEst7KJYZt4XrgU57LG-uVCGyxP42tbbXCGIQsWDKsY5P7suhOiOtEbd2Ah_TGJrBAACYxjLhEidHAmIh_QmeonCYzAqQ6AfhdKGqE/s320/IMG_4914.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300509004775283602" border="0" /></a><br />Our princess couldn't go without a crown cake (except it got a little smashed on the way to school). She was pretty sad after school when I picked her up. I asked her why she was so sad and she said she didn't get any of her cake. I thought maybe this was another custom I didn't know about-only the other kids get cake? Then I asked her if they offered her some, and she said yes, but she told them she didn't want any. Hmmmmm, let the games begin about stating one thing and meaning another!<br /><br />We love you, Ellie! Happy Birthday!Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-68710791013860499692009-02-08T11:09:00.000-08:002009-02-08T11:18:15.644-08:00Ski School<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqTUVhasvc26QTAJS46O1Po6Sv5_n-ShGapsluDGcDQ4RHgmLa5ERuHn1pQQaom43RrDoSVgnF4DV7m26iC40sn652hNNSEh2vwYDfgOlnrrLV0lNir_cu9jFkCKwvK9mIjAeo1OGNpo/s1600-h/IMG_4902.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqTUVhasvc26QTAJS46O1Po6Sv5_n-ShGapsluDGcDQ4RHgmLa5ERuHn1pQQaom43RrDoSVgnF4DV7m26iC40sn652hNNSEh2vwYDfgOlnrrLV0lNir_cu9jFkCKwvK9mIjAeo1OGNpo/s320/IMG_4902.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300506626290863282" border="0" /></a><br />Madison and Ellie took some ski lessons at Wildhaus on their day off from school. We are pretty lucky since the resort is only 7 minutes from our house! Madison has been before, but it was Ellie's first time. She did great!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPVvTs0nMh8lxANBJvXo6B8DSDQlbj91pfJFAhWWJdMWqOndCFbxGeExck7hP3UNDh0iILea_OGkPKwpg8IJfSew3jBJn6U2yq6EvlDEMC5KW7238K_H5nMmAVkFZWzUGhBNp8kPxxTA/s1600-h/IMG_4896.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPVvTs0nMh8lxANBJvXo6B8DSDQlbj91pfJFAhWWJdMWqOndCFbxGeExck7hP3UNDh0iILea_OGkPKwpg8IJfSew3jBJn6U2yq6EvlDEMC5KW7238K_H5nMmAVkFZWzUGhBNp8kPxxTA/s320/IMG_4896.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300506628195281090" border="0" /></a><br />Ellie and her best friend Danny took lessons together. The whole time Ellie begged to go in the "TeePee" that we told her they had for beginner lessons. Her teacher finally said it was time to go in the Teepee and Ellie was thrilled. However, she came out after very disappointed. "Dad, there wasn't even a TV <span style="font-style: italic;">anywhere</span> in there!" She does like her movies....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyQlFZBmJ1qsSK1q-admKBO8ySGmhn84EoxqcVJtRypo6QvcawC5iQGdsDM9sAyNGGTEFnel_WYITK4MKAtr6fxJIHzjC6n8ks2oQL0Ldkv8dot9cN74iShGSq9nWwHKZ3SALdnylLTw/s1600-h/IMG_4890.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyQlFZBmJ1qsSK1q-admKBO8ySGmhn84EoxqcVJtRypo6QvcawC5iQGdsDM9sAyNGGTEFnel_WYITK4MKAtr6fxJIHzjC6n8ks2oQL0Ldkv8dot9cN74iShGSq9nWwHKZ3SALdnylLTw/s320/IMG_4890.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300506619566757570" border="0" /></a><br />Madison did great and went down the slalom course several times. She told us after she only wants to go regular skiing now cause she didn't like waiting for the kids who fell down. That probably means skiing with her mom is out now, too!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4gq9DuyxmfW5zixMWfKUs8lpzLPSJHSvgtfBuNs4zeqSaR_XnztsbRaUP_RogAYaEN5pGIkCVz6OMhva4MIEGNS2t1inHnWxZOPwEUQcphOUARrwvZOW7jR60MkdFKyn1F86EWQ3jtg/s1600-h/IMG_4888.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4gq9DuyxmfW5zixMWfKUs8lpzLPSJHSvgtfBuNs4zeqSaR_XnztsbRaUP_RogAYaEN5pGIkCVz6OMhva4MIEGNS2t1inHnWxZOPwEUQcphOUARrwvZOW7jR60MkdFKyn1F86EWQ3jtg/s320/IMG_4888.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300506617663920482" border="0" /></a>Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-1000754251702811312009-01-20T07:46:00.000-08:002009-01-20T07:58:30.854-08:00oops!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9anqvzsj74VZZBU76Xk76CsNPNBpyeVyN3FD6I30TP7if4PBORZL74q2hyXKENqrlfbw7Z28eBaZrnTTQzuoMEOyR3YEARjmsqq7E_hElhtvQUA6znqDQra3io2t2GEbzspsYj24mMI/s1600-h/IMG_4881.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9anqvzsj74VZZBU76Xk76CsNPNBpyeVyN3FD6I30TP7if4PBORZL74q2hyXKENqrlfbw7Z28eBaZrnTTQzuoMEOyR3YEARjmsqq7E_hElhtvQUA6znqDQra3io2t2GEbzspsYj24mMI/s320/IMG_4881.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293403420451080082" border="0" /></a><br />Well, I have had a lot of trials and "growing" experiences here in Switzerland, but I can say now I have checked one more off my list that I hope to not try again: a ride in the ambulance. I was running down the stairs to get the phone in the kitchen and when I hit the the bottom tile floor (that was newly mopped) I slipped and landed directly on my tailbone. When I tried to get back up, I couldn't put any pressure on my feet and had shooting pain up my back. I army crawled to the phone and called Kent to tell him I couldn't move. He immediately called the ambulance and told me to stay put. No problem.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhuAUNMdjtxaO320Fmwrnt1aximRJIJIZZGyxkdjTqLkxIkLuPPPsY62pZ8KGqs1K40pGvZ_NfzN9zIV_SJVPgnt1kENcZVYs0uFCYU1GEaFFNCReiTftYGtxvCc3H2u65MOsdk2K0bk/s1600-h/IMG_4880.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhuAUNMdjtxaO320Fmwrnt1aximRJIJIZZGyxkdjTqLkxIkLuPPPsY62pZ8KGqs1K40pGvZ_NfzN9zIV_SJVPgnt1kENcZVYs0uFCYU1GEaFFNCReiTftYGtxvCc3H2u65MOsdk2K0bk/s320/IMG_4880.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293403415813961906" border="0" /></a><br />When the ambulance workers came, luckily one of them spoke enough english for us to communicate. Also, another big blessing is that my new neighbor, Erin, is close enough now that she was able to come over and take Charlie and pick up the girls from school. The biggest blessing of ALL, is that nothing is broken. I just have a contusion on my tailbone. I will just be on my back for awhile until everything heals. Thanks to my family for all the prayers. I am sure that is why it turned out as good as it did.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Hywp4Py73L_Bj3OsHnDBrUshTRLm0bIaxy8GSdmSspk2kOgLk2bivdRwfO6fBe17mAE-FOUnsqCVrH-xxOyOZEth3Z7WfTkwWimJcDGQK1t2c2cm1iWmYTLndM-Mo5_O2Eipd8wC6g0/s1600-h/IMG_4878.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Hywp4Py73L_Bj3OsHnDBrUshTRLm0bIaxy8GSdmSspk2kOgLk2bivdRwfO6fBe17mAE-FOUnsqCVrH-xxOyOZEth3Z7WfTkwWimJcDGQK1t2c2cm1iWmYTLndM-Mo5_O2Eipd8wC6g0/s320/IMG_4878.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293403413338562834" border="0" /></a><br />Another exciting day in the Swiss Alps. At least I am hoping to heal quickly enough to still make this ski season worth it! And really, so grateful to my kind husband for documenting all these beautiful moments...Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-81498987301103199942009-01-20T07:15:00.000-08:002009-01-20T07:34:29.295-08:00Our new house<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTVCB6fZwYE2FzrZZTHHJp7wFi2d6jCAiq5vn6pQZ7caezF-SHkxLU-hvhdYTIX0znptNNj_ztQ5H5wb5rVs83AA4mb1eTTVhb77Mx7-OROdGTwrfTtIWjLMga7c0ASvBcZupwTR_tLc/s1600-h/IMG_4289.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTVCB6fZwYE2FzrZZTHHJp7wFi2d6jCAiq5vn6pQZ7caezF-SHkxLU-hvhdYTIX0znptNNj_ztQ5H5wb5rVs83AA4mb1eTTVhb77Mx7-OROdGTwrfTtIWjLMga7c0ASvBcZupwTR_tLc/s320/IMG_4289.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293399508821067682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgloMhRWtI3XhBDbN0g5RnGyezUPceuN_r7278AvHpdO1UHZri3h54RxKjSV-T14Us_TxfQSNPYPcQ18vKOr0tPcYmcbSSatNEv4GEcYzzUhyphenhyphenrhkjjredu4VsyuetLXoQSF7OURymRtYLQ/s1600-h/IMG_4851.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgloMhRWtI3XhBDbN0g5RnGyezUPceuN_r7278AvHpdO1UHZri3h54RxKjSV-T14Us_TxfQSNPYPcQ18vKOr0tPcYmcbSSatNEv4GEcYzzUhyphenhyphenrhkjjredu4VsyuetLXoQSF7OURymRtYLQ/s320/IMG_4851.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293399505504837906" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFcJTAj7nH8a-j5GilKpobcdD7ndKOYx-5mR5LpMc22Bf8knxEe0RpdT7COLWmih8awOcsCBD9Ww8b-GDVmbzl6HGR7pvc8hxjIo-NIPCtrd9uFZDl-3pSda9kKVbj_sMUtxcsTW_Ezk/s1600-h/IMG_4852.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFcJTAj7nH8a-j5GilKpobcdD7ndKOYx-5mR5LpMc22Bf8knxEe0RpdT7COLWmih8awOcsCBD9Ww8b-GDVmbzl6HGR7pvc8hxjIo-NIPCtrd9uFZDl-3pSda9kKVbj_sMUtxcsTW_Ezk/s320/IMG_4852.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293399502333849138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTzXvS_P9AiVnCtLVzcXb76uIeX_INkn5U1MncCC9p9uUxsCzQXYobUI0kVUyJ4H-18FEJg25Cub4c-VAyc6yC8oEEQZ35hLmxWjBOZ1rbu32-TXruMWWigR-ehb-XCgxeSxJMnN4reQ/s1600-h/IMG_4845.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTzXvS_P9AiVnCtLVzcXb76uIeX_INkn5U1MncCC9p9uUxsCzQXYobUI0kVUyJ4H-18FEJg25Cub4c-VAyc6yC8oEEQZ35hLmxWjBOZ1rbu32-TXruMWWigR-ehb-XCgxeSxJMnN4reQ/s320/IMG_4845.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293398289126882466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZkzXjy9d9Jsp0q52UNVszlx6JqHFTm9RV3K_FmqjYWBRpbkB6-Mhqf3IVeVqFh-optUfoPAHeHkwKfV7jUaavp2f3E0tGPSGjF_b0_20uaTL4OSee0OCBMkLJxkt2qzK2A70piwg_A0/s1600-h/IMG_4844.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZkzXjy9d9Jsp0q52UNVszlx6JqHFTm9RV3K_FmqjYWBRpbkB6-Mhqf3IVeVqFh-optUfoPAHeHkwKfV7jUaavp2f3E0tGPSGjF_b0_20uaTL4OSee0OCBMkLJxkt2qzK2A70piwg_A0/s320/IMG_4844.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293398277433852226" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1qCybbJZ3Jdu-Wp8n15wckAWI9TzAJPXJaFto_dLO3HXfYB0H2nqPXgiOArXtC-p6cykPP699DMJU300w1Z6sxqIAVJ6Dt5OEvLR5P7XGynDNxlkaR0rTVPjqBe3mzPQFMdTbH7x-bc/s1600-h/IMG_4824.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1qCybbJZ3Jdu-Wp8n15wckAWI9TzAJPXJaFto_dLO3HXfYB0H2nqPXgiOArXtC-p6cykPP699DMJU300w1Z6sxqIAVJ6Dt5OEvLR5P7XGynDNxlkaR0rTVPjqBe3mzPQFMdTbH7x-bc/s320/IMG_4824.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293398276835786434" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHs4uD9yerKnc4SaXGvgRQgA9nHGtNj6BmjOvsF0kSUAlhpHLJRn76wdqftnPiOEFw5J3vXQVQCquu1K0e35WSYPY3_IWHG5PIPUan3WO1yajWlt5ueyHHXUxMKDqf3OSmDUXfCK1PLk/s1600-h/IMG_4823.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHs4uD9yerKnc4SaXGvgRQgA9nHGtNj6BmjOvsF0kSUAlhpHLJRn76wdqftnPiOEFw5J3vXQVQCquu1K0e35WSYPY3_IWHG5PIPUan3WO1yajWlt5ueyHHXUxMKDqf3OSmDUXfCK1PLk/s320/IMG_4823.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293398271246200642" border="0" /></a><br />We moved from St. Margrethen to Gams, Switzerland. The whole move was a lot of work, but well worth it in the end. We are much closer to the girls' school, Kent's work, the gym, and our friends, the Jacksons (who live two houses away)! Our favorite part of the move has been the amazing views out all of our windows. We are up on one side of the mountain looking across to another. It doesn't hurt that it only takes seven minutes to drive to the ski resort, too...<br /><br />Kent moved all of our house with the help of some friends and missionaries. Turns out that the day they moved in November was the only blizzard we have had yet! What troopers! My mom came back here after our vacation to the states for Christmas and helped us unpack and set up the house. I really am lucky to have one of the hardest working mothers in the world! Thanks, mom, Kent, and all our friends for helping us get settled.Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-15790083817115794492008-10-12T08:01:00.000-07:002008-10-12T08:29:57.075-07:00Top of the AlpsWe took a train up to Santis on Saturday, and it was amazing. We even had our first snowball fight of the season! It was a perfect day for some pictures from the top of the world.<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Jf4or4P1h6xL6qQdRVxQMivE3ZSixoMOA4jHbU-tG11pUTjGPHB45a2aHEBixgs9_NjGQykAhDb070EKIODxfVB9t2VsTDMf48BuAxpU7_gjbuPDHOKPHWHTGAEdqUOpgIhP1WjEhIA/s1600-h/Sept-Oct+2008+157.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Jf4or4P1h6xL6qQdRVxQMivE3ZSixoMOA4jHbU-tG11pUTjGPHB45a2aHEBixgs9_NjGQykAhDb070EKIODxfVB9t2VsTDMf48BuAxpU7_gjbuPDHOKPHWHTGAEdqUOpgIhP1WjEhIA/s320/Sept-Oct+2008+157.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256284582616262802" /></a></p><p>It was a perfect day for a hike. Charlie slept through most of it on my back.<br /></p><p><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9tuTyyDs7hk66dPml2ZLP8qHiSiySeryQGBTTXsumD5oyAfOrnIMeHRlW9f2x5qziHh-PJx5j8R4-i-YE43-8mPc_z6ZWqSXJ8exFX3IQnb6EzYpKXXem3ZIX3wHQ2f1orDxQ_CheGU/s320/Sept-Oct+2008+143.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256287775109958274" /></p><p>Madison danced at the top and... </p><p><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH8aWKrmRefTA1f1JdXiUnDZlHqAva1wpFtQ6LTEuHZvdbtwyMv8RAzYuFUfcqWbnae7OsTYMON-5tqvumE_WzCALW8Tr0sZlMN85kDHcMcjgB_CXRovFV8b_CAEDfjEoP9aEF7w44SdU/s320/Sept-Oct+2008+154.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256287775195618642" /></p><p>...sang her favorite songs from the Sound of Music with Angie and Ellie.</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6rsRF7fbndap1y96ug2ULCX4r6lPnQlJo5XwDeDM7pwacr_LJpcuf2oyhKOzEqIsYOe7vWelM6-wBoxfIH5AaiVo0-d5NWc_NZV5dafExstEMQ9wPQ3kjT_BOnaAn0TUX_WXIDNuoEs/s1600-h/Sept-Oct+2008+171.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6rsRF7fbndap1y96ug2ULCX4r6lPnQlJo5XwDeDM7pwacr_LJpcuf2oyhKOzEqIsYOe7vWelM6-wBoxfIH5AaiVo0-d5NWc_NZV5dafExstEMQ9wPQ3kjT_BOnaAn0TUX_WXIDNuoEs/s320/Sept-Oct+2008+171.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256284583884945970" /></a></p><p>We're thinking about using this picture for our Christmas cards. But we have to delete the two random extra kids.... and the dog..... sorry to you dog lovers out there.<br /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvhieV_O2HqznzpbOwDhLlBvxzx-UHqRN2ZzeBC9vZLgM3nY7OlbWBf6eLPSoGiuKkYsFgKb93WA9DCJK09OM31MEU5ZuKj-2AQlFQ4X1pttG1YH3phrDTeSt0cwOnUSioBbAvdu-0hc/s1600-h/Sept-Oct+2008+105.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvhieV_O2HqznzpbOwDhLlBvxzx-UHqRN2ZzeBC9vZLgM3nY7OlbWBf6eLPSoGiuKkYsFgKb93WA9DCJK09OM31MEU5ZuKj-2AQlFQ4X1pttG1YH3phrDTeSt0cwOnUSioBbAvdu-0hc/s320/Sept-Oct+2008+105.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256284584544358162" /></a></p><p>Emily had the birds eating right out of her hands.<br /></p><p><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6QGc-mNUkbHb6A557QTDpv-5vHuVlhnuDvrPhrkWeFik6zHdrzL42pNZhCqr8e2h80-wDo-wnb-_wCFe4pias4faZZqtqGjAvKHfTsehGTPFthSUONMcq6K0A3Jy99uPBMYob0I7lpHc/s320/Sept-Oct+2008+106.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256287764370731602" /></p><p>Angie told us about her bird phobia shortly AFTER this picture was taken.</p><p><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBh7etaISoq_xHXtr8DldDythxQ9mMGjUTLHmIOuCqZOho9rR82mblkklIZpMBCTpkYr-ANqbbw2W1Zy26brchdBttcwNPvVRA_7taQkXTg-iORBA5InOEXlT1pRcgWKS0KkK_X5N_pyM/s320/Sept-Oct+2008+111.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256287769167972226" /></p><p>Charlie and I couldn't get the birds interested in our PBnJ with bananas sandwich.</p><p><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZuKXEFTRw4TSdCOuCM6s3PmGmWTCJofcpj1AW4An915ZrkXEy0FOQmw1qAIidyOy95Rv9J71edNF_cxsIGp51ENhyphenhyphenixZmI26awr_4Ju3en7OQEBVM-HmBJy_psBu1gQU9l-7SmADPbM/s320/Sept-Oct+2008+138.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256287767771139522" /></p><p>Angie... just before she started yodeling... no, really... She yodeled... pretty well actually.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAboJvFJ6ZZ5Siy1J_aqV2-pXJTVhC9ZZTZNjYTnMQiK4rIAWM1oe6TymwJVZK13sbuEgGEo9OIn8LvNMioQUohxG_GNuVhXyrz0YNtW3jJ-ExwORmU1GxiBE5i-P1QpgYXdcQBvib8k/s1600-h/Sept-Oct+2008+092.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAboJvFJ6ZZ5Siy1J_aqV2-pXJTVhC9ZZTZNjYTnMQiK4rIAWM1oe6TymwJVZK13sbuEgGEo9OIn8LvNMioQUohxG_GNuVhXyrz0YNtW3jJ-ExwORmU1GxiBE5i-P1QpgYXdcQBvib8k/s320/Sept-Oct+2008+092.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256284589510875570" /></a><br /><p>Train rides are always a good time.</p>Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-70903215492183711632008-10-12T07:16:00.000-07:002008-10-12T07:27:47.627-07:00happy birthday, Angie!<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTcTmy06sr9-YICj8zDbaHLp8y_NbzFneh4PFxVkG9bzmQVrHLzZmV3GTvxVVRldl9UllCWc8hBH6fWvHRf5UodOrMEg6o-l8VObuxGz2RZTl7zyYzovTOL5DYvuE1VGnK_fds8a6w-c/s1600-h/Sept-Oct+2008+082.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTcTmy06sr9-YICj8zDbaHLp8y_NbzFneh4PFxVkG9bzmQVrHLzZmV3GTvxVVRldl9UllCWc8hBH6fWvHRf5UodOrMEg6o-l8VObuxGz2RZTl7zyYzovTOL5DYvuE1VGnK_fds8a6w-c/s320/Sept-Oct+2008+082.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256271545347051298" /></a></p><p>HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANGIE!!!<br /></p><p>We are glad you made it back from Italy alive!</p><p>We hope 2-5 is a great year for you...</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlLAkFP1ihDt-wE8Iaq0IX3a62xvZ_kpXia1CgD6_NqzPVPqPE9r1nuBxTXJYrSL-v-oU6XDZNEoAxcg8exzg5N2pku5MoA6GpQIxZuKE08V5ko1o4e5zHyzEEaqp5UeY8NcQ3HUhSdw/s1600-h/Sept-Oct+2008+084.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlLAkFP1ihDt-wE8Iaq0IX3a62xvZ_kpXia1CgD6_NqzPVPqPE9r1nuBxTXJYrSL-v-oU6XDZNEoAxcg8exzg5N2pku5MoA6GpQIxZuKE08V5ko1o4e5zHyzEEaqp5UeY8NcQ3HUhSdw/s320/Sept-Oct+2008+084.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256271552706647922" /></a>Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-4842522248040351862008-10-12T07:04:00.000-07:002008-10-12T07:16:31.989-07:00Luzern--Kent's day off and girls in school!<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zYTapE-CXhyXXY4aZq2hJI3_E8FwsxL-QpiCSuhlI_eQsTsadM3wvQemwLFi1TaYLLxcnw0tdvXuO98k3YzwNN_gcWpE8cSdDWGP76vmCug1CEQLNjdkMxK0wdJMtljevNHTansaFAM/s1600-h/Sept-Oct+2008+018.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zYTapE-CXhyXXY4aZq2hJI3_E8FwsxL-QpiCSuhlI_eQsTsadM3wvQemwLFi1TaYLLxcnw0tdvXuO98k3YzwNN_gcWpE8cSdDWGP76vmCug1CEQLNjdkMxK0wdJMtljevNHTansaFAM/s320/Sept-Oct+2008+018.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256269328802658786" /></a></p><p>Isn't this great? You, too, could have your nanny drive you around the lake in Luzern while enjoying the gorgeous view! Don't worry, we pay Angie well with lots of slobbery baby kisses from Charlie... <br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QhtgCiDDbGR3vUIo1sx6mmYnQsg6uI4njSfTuaO_h3q8i93lg2UCp15EtcrY_R-CRcFo12IByHviawnVOgDhFbhlnBRszxBf74P3YNmmtTY51BuhvqQlmcw6AMOylgw8ZOWQ-EZHcFw/s1600-h/Sept-Oct+2008+026.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QhtgCiDDbGR3vUIo1sx6mmYnQsg6uI4njSfTuaO_h3q8i93lg2UCp15EtcrY_R-CRcFo12IByHviawnVOgDhFbhlnBRszxBf74P3YNmmtTY51BuhvqQlmcw6AMOylgw8ZOWQ-EZHcFw/s320/Sept-Oct+2008+026.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256269334224016818" /></a><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcM_xzuge9sdUwR02kfjnVQ7In7xWA3KQEFSoENBUAAsdPUciWe4igPKeHAMPc7H9S0zpTAjjsuuIeDbpf3CJhDw921X4BP29PdOwqHgxGQiFCJRjF2NtDfVScWJtKMDL6ZpidA1hO-4/s1600-h/Sept-Oct+2008+036.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcM_xzuge9sdUwR02kfjnVQ7In7xWA3KQEFSoENBUAAsdPUciWe4igPKeHAMPc7H9S0zpTAjjsuuIeDbpf3CJhDw921X4BP29PdOwqHgxGQiFCJRjF2NtDfVScWJtKMDL6ZpidA1hO-4/s320/Sept-Oct+2008+036.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256269334535753122" /></a></p><p>We are so lucky to have Angie here! The kids make her play "pets" or "Uno" every day. And on her days off, she has been to Luzern, Munich, Venice, Rome, and Naples. Next stop, Paris.<br /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaed554059-rXMKRErLCgv47vIqbmQUxfUI1oq0Sw7OejUD0ztVphXOSYbBV25_gA1ofhVNd-NaniBzkBGBQKLEDdV-lIubcoibGdtSNsM7SHE-KdTcVnFWlJNl380kNbks0G9qQtzSKA/s1600-h/Sept-Oct+2008+048.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaed554059-rXMKRErLCgv47vIqbmQUxfUI1oq0Sw7OejUD0ztVphXOSYbBV25_gA1ofhVNd-NaniBzkBGBQKLEDdV-lIubcoibGdtSNsM7SHE-KdTcVnFWlJNl380kNbks0G9qQtzSKA/s320/Sept-Oct+2008+048.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256269337207460002" /></a><br /></p><p>He looks more and more like a Cragun everyday. Isn't it unfortunate that his head is almost as big as mine? It's to hold all four of his new baby teeth!</p>Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-9331650137557069432008-10-08T12:52:00.001-07:002008-10-08T12:54:53.179-07:00Deseret News articleHello. The Deseret News picked up my venting article about the credit crisis. You can read the article and comment at <a href="http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700262986,00.html">www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700262986,00.html</a> <br /><br />Enjoy.<br /><br />KentKent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-83829701035125699322008-10-01T10:44:00.001-07:002008-10-01T10:46:00.160-07:00Kent Wrote the Following ArticleI really am flattered that you all thought I could write such interesting and informative words concerning our economy, but alas, all the credit goes to Kent. And now that YOU read it in that light, YOU all know that it sounds much more like him than me... Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-2862993653679744352008-09-29T11:12:00.000-07:002008-09-29T11:18:36.776-07:00The Financial Blame GameUnless you have been on another planet for the last month, you know about the credit crisis in America. If you have been paying attention to the coverage, you have heard several reasons for the crisis… big firms on wall street, the Bush administration, Fat Cats in New York, and even the guy who offered a loan with an adjustable rate. But there is one person noticeably unmentioned in this game of blame… YOU. That’s right… Y.O.U. <br /><br />But I must admit I am not surprised YOU haven’t been mentioned as at least an accomplice to the financial mess. Who would tell you? The media… no way… they need you as a customer to drive their ratings. They would never insult you (their customers) by saying that this current mess is YOUR fault. It’s not in their selfish interest. That is media-business suicide. How about the politicians? Will they tell you it is your fault? Of course not… especially in an election year. You are their constituents, and they need your vote. You can do no wrong in their eyes. So if the media won’t tell you that you screwed up, and the politicians won’t tell you that YOU have been living beyond your means, who will? I consider myself part of "Y.O.U.", and I take it upon myself to give us all a good dose of reality.<br /><br />For years, YOU have been living beyond YOUR means. YOU drive a car you can’t afford. YOU bought a house that is way too big just hoping the market would go up and YOU would get rich quick (like those horrible “fat cats” on Wall Street). YOU made short-term decisions that will have long-term consequences. YOU bet it all on the real estate market. YOU spend more than YOU make. YOU were greedy, and YOU lost.<br /><br />I would like to mention three groups of people YOU can’t blame for this mess… First, Fat Cats on Wall Street: Their firms bought into YOUR decisions. YOU decided to buy a house YOU couldn’t afford, and they were dumb enough to lend YOU the money. They were greedy just like YOU, not more, not less…. Just like YOU. If YOU are honest, YOU will realize that YOU are no different than those Fat Cats on Wall Street… except they were smart enough to negotiate severance packages and YOU didn’t. <br /><br />Second, the George Bush administration: I know it’s popular to blame them for everything, but I’m sorry… W. wasn’t there when YOU signed the loan on YOUR house. He didn’t buy YOUR car(s). He didn’t make the short-sighted decision to take a sub-prime finance gamble on shelter for YOUR family. He didn’t bet the farm on one real estate deal. YOU did.<br /><br />Finally, the Lenders: They made it possible for YOU to start making payments on YOUR home. They qualified YOU for way too much borrowed money… but ultimately, YOU took it. YOU didn’t have to. They didn’t hold a gun to YOUR head, and in spite of what YOU are currently saying in your lawsuit against your lender, they did not trick YOU. YOU knew the risk, and YOU thought YOU were invincible. YOUR gamble and their gamble drove them out of business.<br /><br />I know it’s hard to hear. The truth often is… which is why so few people actually tell it. Let’s be honest about how we got here. We did it ourselves through poor decisions based on trying to get something for nothing in the housing market. Let’s turn off 24 hour news that panders to its customers and get back to the accountability, responsibility and self-discipline that made the United States of America the greatest and most prosperous country in the history of the world. Let’s all quit blaming others and take an occasional look in the mirror to ask the really difficult questions… “What did I do to contribute to this mess?”, and “What can I do to help us get out?”Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-28930542773382761732008-08-19T14:00:00.000-07:002008-08-19T14:21:20.865-07:00Ravenna, Italy<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPJ0jwYp8OK-vjZvU6q2CH_FXM-lympAGNJWzkrBEkH1Cf6iTo7xqrh23acSNYQseO2CS6So0JUzSS80xOqTV7H-1kR4HZJjro8GzoKtH1EvleZ3cSPqjEJtCL1OmVSC8jXuwZbCoIpU/s1600-h/IMG_3627.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPJ0jwYp8OK-vjZvU6q2CH_FXM-lympAGNJWzkrBEkH1Cf6iTo7xqrh23acSNYQseO2CS6So0JUzSS80xOqTV7H-1kR4HZJjro8GzoKtH1EvleZ3cSPqjEJtCL1OmVSC8jXuwZbCoIpU/s320/IMG_3627.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236338809423952034" /></a></p><p>One of our stops while visiting Venice was the small town of Ravenna. What a fascinating place! There were several churchs and museums still standing that were filled with mosaics from the 6th century. Check out the amazing detail and symbolism in what we know to be restored truths...<br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfS3hV4aiVf-WFoePfVaYKaUspBTmbovZEzwb10Nd-dhCNr7eJSsLvS22zmtqP5XBi6RL3QuOoqgPHK9kl7GY-LXA-xOdbCwYQjM6VmmR1Ez3FYTqlLkS4oHUTSrI25eQJd24_kWADyB8/s1600-h/IMG_3632.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfS3hV4aiVf-WFoePfVaYKaUspBTmbovZEzwb10Nd-dhCNr7eJSsLvS22zmtqP5XBi6RL3QuOoqgPHK9kl7GY-LXA-xOdbCwYQjM6VmmR1Ez3FYTqlLkS4oHUTSrI25eQJd24_kWADyB8/s320/IMG_3632.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236338829008956706" /></a><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8A92cHCTC9XtrnaXHYCaNbICbJilV05iQilZ4QmEKCmmM5IuowPULxUYQyZvYBi9V9pLo0gQVua4q4gf6pDeMYa1lku14GOAwr7oJcFJIPxr3ht7oP_4IK1xFX62tE1PCbBAuMbNIAV4/s1600-h/IMG_3583.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8A92cHCTC9XtrnaXHYCaNbICbJilV05iQilZ4QmEKCmmM5IuowPULxUYQyZvYBi9V9pLo0gQVua4q4gf6pDeMYa1lku14GOAwr7oJcFJIPxr3ht7oP_4IK1xFX62tE1PCbBAuMbNIAV4/s320/IMG_3583.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236338851280585874" /></a></p><p>The only bad part of our trip was saying goodbye to our Heather! We miss her so much already! At least we have a ton of memories and pictures to remember her with. She is the most incredibly helpful, responsible, kind, fun and beautiful girl. I am so happy my girls have a nanny, and friend, like her to look up to and admire. We love you, Heather!<br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgoyEjhygekqb_x2CMePZ62-yqZ7WvL1OG20pGhM8kyb5V_3HObwje9OkgO9nwsh4VniAdGQa2XDhQf03rVNSt1pysxdOADPVjbeuwqBdDud8avGOl_z7eKw0fsVLDW7wCGmEwwEY67w/s1600-h/IMG_3600.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgoyEjhygekqb_x2CMePZ62-yqZ7WvL1OG20pGhM8kyb5V_3HObwje9OkgO9nwsh4VniAdGQa2XDhQf03rVNSt1pysxdOADPVjbeuwqBdDud8avGOl_z7eKw0fsVLDW7wCGmEwwEY67w/s320/IMG_3600.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236338860597772786" /></a>Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1649898419672431955.post-91540464094412646972008-08-19T13:48:00.000-07:002008-08-19T14:00:48.171-07:00Venice!<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-D4-4KZYJfN4zfVvoxbpdF4h3mh0JiFaix3P-l4FEn_L4iIBj5l0utvvHMXWRGWEKncTFrR4Rx5pmKza4TDH5PBQGCHjBhwYUnfWZ5IExuhWnyb3s0QW2ZC6xA7mB2ZEV8uE_PX95DRc/s1600-h/IMG_3545.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-D4-4KZYJfN4zfVvoxbpdF4h3mh0JiFaix3P-l4FEn_L4iIBj5l0utvvHMXWRGWEKncTFrR4Rx5pmKza4TDH5PBQGCHjBhwYUnfWZ5IExuhWnyb3s0QW2ZC6xA7mB2ZEV8uE_PX95DRc/s320/IMG_3545.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236335589041286818" /></a></p><p>We were lucky enough to take a summer vacation to Venice with the Rowbotham family. What a blast! We were especially lucky that Reed spent his mission in Italy and could help us get around. The Rialto bridge was beautiful at sunset.<br /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYFRBWKjZiM0Qpbpfij19swN5-vYQZCYrLTKR47SJrkUpBss3U1O1H79u7_dU6WbfcMVATjatpaJxzrYZD9fbG4qr2vE1O-l-iNXWd6WtFeq80mXs0hXllT2kN2OIFCXJji_fEt7gC7Y/s1600-h/IMG_3505.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYFRBWKjZiM0Qpbpfij19swN5-vYQZCYrLTKR47SJrkUpBss3U1O1H79u7_dU6WbfcMVATjatpaJxzrYZD9fbG4qr2vE1O-l-iNXWd6WtFeq80mXs0hXllT2kN2OIFCXJji_fEt7gC7Y/s320/IMG_3505.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236335595165820370" /></a></p><p>Even though we had kids with us on the gondola rides, it was still quite romantic! However, I couldn't seem to talk our gondolier into singing us a tune...<br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4S3f66xdwpUjxpu_EeGm9VezwsJmznS1J0j05VbJ_22ZU7wC7BpwLtBJ0QnToNBwhfhSl1qOh1RLEZ6T10e273jzHBJi0XVFPEYe9JOtSCck_uzvFhxBgQsJG5WvdPmeKBLUorF13fVU/s1600-h/IMG_3559.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4S3f66xdwpUjxpu_EeGm9VezwsJmznS1J0j05VbJ_22ZU7wC7BpwLtBJ0QnToNBwhfhSl1qOh1RLEZ6T10e273jzHBJi0XVFPEYe9JOtSCck_uzvFhxBgQsJG5WvdPmeKBLUorF13fVU/s320/IMG_3559.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236335603105479026" /></a><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2GwdggKeFv2Dx1a5f44PtIjBTl_BHi75fJ9Q6YFBj7am8wNtdN3fwcWwiHPQyu9iRfFbTvZHELLpkAJQXz-WT2UvAVpaINfGize5LgTB9n3WMJLOkB4YrW3h0oZBtJBHR4kIrNNcdnI/s1600-h/IMG_3424.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2GwdggKeFv2Dx1a5f44PtIjBTl_BHi75fJ9Q6YFBj7am8wNtdN3fwcWwiHPQyu9iRfFbTvZHELLpkAJQXz-WT2UvAVpaINfGize5LgTB9n3WMJLOkB4YrW3h0oZBtJBHR4kIrNNcdnI/s320/IMG_3424.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236334418797141698" /></a></p><p>We couldn't drive to our apartment in the city. What an adventure to take a water taxi and then walk up and down the bridges with our luggage!<br /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1I3E_U8K3jbprTyW061RzkvwLZsy3yErDNE6PUVBJSjWn5SYCVJ_V6owmn0x_toegAIdJgiwihVZf1UkfEzlq1QKeglIL93Hsx6Ju2PEnmKMHIhuwl4TymMCK7XJu9VbBWroSXiqIszU/s1600-h/IMG_3443.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1I3E_U8K3jbprTyW061RzkvwLZsy3yErDNE6PUVBJSjWn5SYCVJ_V6owmn0x_toegAIdJgiwihVZf1UkfEzlq1QKeglIL93Hsx6Ju2PEnmKMHIhuwl4TymMCK7XJu9VbBWroSXiqIszU/s320/IMG_3443.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236334431022757890" /></a></p><p>Madison and Ellie's favorite things there were the masks...and chasing pigeons!<br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qCQVCd9xfOXdP-Ydm2ei66o7pGmydPl5I3jQegKnEyoZ3S0k0EcYMEwFzfL08d5j7bEpLh1n04xMCusy20zp6RmC1WHE7o9T-qEx4zLb8okVW2cNii72_Pjtw59ZRrMwtaNQFa7j0lg/s1600-h/IMG_3450.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qCQVCd9xfOXdP-Ydm2ei66o7pGmydPl5I3jQegKnEyoZ3S0k0EcYMEwFzfL08d5j7bEpLh1n04xMCusy20zp6RmC1WHE7o9T-qEx4zLb8okVW2cNii72_Pjtw59ZRrMwtaNQFa7j0lg/s320/IMG_3450.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236334431976045810" /></a><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9e7ct0aHGJaaFoBAxfhG4zuG3kJhu8B-3it1YmFqUq9whFeswZXH4t2Ck8S40cSQmd4ZW-XrlqhHbERF3KwMAT72hK9Tguitk5BrwpaMV6teTZR5Kpy64xSrsL3tIEV568wISJ4we2Q/s1600-h/IMG_3461.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9e7ct0aHGJaaFoBAxfhG4zuG3kJhu8B-3it1YmFqUq9whFeswZXH4t2Ck8S40cSQmd4ZW-XrlqhHbERF3KwMAT72hK9Tguitk5BrwpaMV6teTZR5Kpy64xSrsL3tIEV568wISJ4we2Q/s320/IMG_3461.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236334436357311442" /></a><br /></p><p>An absolutely beautiful and magical city!</p>Kent and Emily Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909276110803201408noreply@blogger.com5