Whale Watch!

Dave and I have long wanted to play the part of tourists since moving to the Cape by going on a whale watch. This summer, we heard that there were more sights than usual and Dave jumped on the opportunity to surprise me. He loves to keep me guessing!

Monday, August 11, was a beautiful morning. A friend had offered to watch to the kids so we could go out for a bit before Baby Sister came (this friend has three kids . . . she knew how to bless us well!) and Dave had talked to her about making it an extended morning. 

The tide was low as we left Barnstable Harbor.

The tip of Sandy Neck from the water.

Another whale watching boat and a spout!

The humpbacks made the icon dives.

This is a fin whale, the second largest animal on the earth (after the blue whale).

Open mouth for feeding time. The boats don't bait the whales in any way, but they do have jets that stir up the rich water that the whales enjoy.

The humpback we watched had a baby with her. (baby on right.) Though it was still nursing, at times the baby practiced open mouth feeding like the mom.

Dave's First Wedding Shoot

Last May, the day before Josiah's birthday, I had a great and fun opportunity: I shot my first wedding. Some friends of ours from the church asked if I would be willing, so I enlisted the help of a friend, borrowed about $2,000 in lenses (there's a reason wedding photography is expensive!), and had a blast.

Jason and I took about 1,650 pictures that day, between the two of us. Here are a few of them.

Father-Daughter Dance

Stephanie's Favorite Part of Her Dress

Stephanie's Bridal Portrait.
Bonus note: this was actually taken inside my office, where I usually have a file cabinet,
because I knew the light would be perfect there just before the wedding started. 

Baby Sister!

[Originally written in early May :)]

On Tuesday, April 1, we had the joy of seeing our little girl! All four of us went to the ultrasound at the OB office. The tech was kind and quiet, but narrated the whole experience. Praise the Lord, she looks healthy and right on track! We were also excited to find out gender (especially after our last experience at an anatomy ultrasound!) and the ultrasound tech was pretty confident in what she saw.

The kids stayed quiet for Dave and only got a little rowdy once they were over the questions (Sarah) and one word observations (Josiah). They both picked up right away that we had a little girl on our hands. Josiah would say sister, and our little contrarian Sarah would grin and say brother, then ask us to ask her again. She got it :)

In the month since then it has definitely settled in even more. Josiah knows right where baby sister is and Sarah is concerned that she is going to eat through my clothes. It has been really fun to talk about pregnancy with Sarah! Dave and I are working on a name and I had the joy of packing away Sarah's clothes with the knowledge that we will probably get to use them again.

We are already feeling like a family of five. That is a blessing that Baby Sister has already given us. August is coming quickly and we are excited!

Happy 4 years, Sarah!

We had such a fun day/week celebrating Sarah's birthday and remembering back to the day of her birth. She is our kind, delightful, helpful girl. We are so thankful for the four years we have shared with her!

Weight: 40 lbs 13 oz (86%)
Height: 40.25 ins (62%)
Clothes: 4T/5T; shoe, size 9

Likes: swinging (by herself!), chalk, swimming, babies, music (piano, making something a microphone, just having a singing day), special sweet treats, learning to do something herself (like buckle her seatbelt)

Dislikes: blowing out candles, smiling for pictures, loud noises paired with crowds

Schedule: Sarah can read a digital clock now and she has taken real ownership of her routine. She knows that at 7am she may come downstairs. If she wakes up before that she may play or potty, but has to stay upstairs/in her room. While Sarah rarely naps we have preserved a rest time from 1-3pm. She goes down at 1pm and knows that she is to stay in bed. At 2pm she may get up to read or play and at 3pm she may come downstairs once she has made her bed and picked up her room. It is working well for our family!

Eating: Favorite foods are green peppers, pancakes, cheddar, crackers, yogurt, and any fruit. Sarah eats well and is willing to give most things at least a try.

Talking: The nurse practitioner who conducted Sarah's well visit said she felt like she was conversing with a 7 year old. (Proud parent moment :) )Sarah is known for talking with her hands and with an occasional flair for dramatic story telling. She loves to sing, figure things out, and pretend.

Random, but fun:
* She is on track with her gross motor skills, which is refreshing and fun.
* It is so neat to watch her pick up writing skills. We haven't intentionally taught her letters and numbers, but we practice them with her and she in turn can copy anything we have given her to write. Making cards is her favorite way to practice!
* She and Josiah have their rough days, but for the most part they love to play together and interact really well together.
* Sarah is taking swimming lessons at the beach this summer. At first she was nervous about being part of the class, but now she loves her life guard instructors and is feeling confident in the water. She chose to be brave!
* This summer Sarah was also part of her first VBS group. She was a year younger than most children, but kept up with the group really well. It was a joy to hear what "stuck" at the end of each day.

Next appointment: Monday, July 27, 2015 at 10:15am

Back in January she was just learning to write her name.

Valentines party! The best day to wear pick socks with red sparkly shoes.

A preschool carnival at church. She was pretty excited about decorating her cupcake. She gets it honestly :)

Their first time riding together in the car. He didn't know he was missing out on suckers yet . . .

And again in the Target double stroller. This is probably her favorite carriage ride. (Yep, they call buggies carriages up here.)

MOPS St. Patty's Day party.

Little girl loves a project. I am not always super great at giving her projects, so the moment had to be documented!

Yep, she came up with that on her own.

She found a way to keep quiet time in her room during nap time.

Silly girl at her finest.

Decorating Dave's birthday cake.

Before we cut her hair . . . enjoying the view at the National Seashore on Dave's birthday.

She sang with the children for Palm Sunday and loved it.

Our girl who used to scream from the time we entered to the time with exited the doctors' office now loves to play doctor, as well as visit the doctor.

Sweet girl :)

We played tourist in May . . . before the tourists came :)

Everyone loves music time with Dad.

She loved to tell people that her Dad didn't like dandelions and she wasn't allowed to blow them. A sweet friend told her she could blow all she wanted in her yard :)

At the AWANA banquet. One day Dave will probably be glad he was in this picture with the Cubbies, right? Sarah wasn't letting go of his hand!

Girl picture! Standing behind a waterfall in NC.

A rare treat to have everyone together. Plus a very large bear :)

Sweet moments

Swim lessons!

VBS closing

Feeling a little sassy in her "robe" at her four year well visit.

Swim lesson dive stick fun.

Loving Mrs. Lisa time!

Letter to a Baby Girl

These days you might expect us to be writing a letter to a baby girl, but this letter isn't to our little one we hope to meet in August. This letter is to baby Emily Elizabeth Johnson, born to our friends Meghan and Raymond Johnson earlier this month and named after our Emily. 

Dear Emily Elizabeth Johnson,

You have a very strong name. 

I know what it means to love an Emily Elizabeth. Mine loves loyally, works unceasingly, and speaks carefully. She is the enemy of no one (at least of no person.) 

To be named Emily is to be called industrious and be associated with powerful, capable women. The English used to name their daughters Emily (and also Elizabeth) after queens, hoping they would bear a fraction of their namesakes’ nobility. Our American family names our daughters Emily after their mothers, I think with a better understanding of what it means for a woman to be regal and powerful. 

These Emilys are known for the fruit their lives have borne. I have read about many of them in Mississippi history books, which note their strong arms and working hands. Whether in the field or the house, they finished jobs with unusual vigor. I think they worked hard and well because they kept in mind the reason for all their work: the children they had borne and would soon be sending off, many of whom would become Ole Miss football icons. It is those children that they are now known for, long after the work is done and the farmhouses are forgotten and empty. These, I believe, are the makings of a true queen. 

My Emily is no different. She works unceasingly with hands that are capable, treating our home the way a surgeon treats the body. Yet she isn’t known for her work. People don’t talk about how well she keeps our house or how wisely she mothers our little ones. They rave about her children. Emily, of course, would have it no other way. And when this house is torn down or burns with the rest of creation, I hope Emily’s claim to fame will be the children we send out of it. 

Yet the diamond bears another facet: a character quality seen only by those who love her most. She loves with a remarkable consistency. Your mother knows my wife as a faithful friend, and I know her as a faithful wife. She has taught me that living with integrity doesn’t just mean doing the right thing; it means doing the right thing day after day after day. This is how my Emily lives, and no doubt how your mother and father will teach you to live.

I refer to these women as queens because the character qualities they exhibit are truly otherworldly. They were given to them by another King, one whom your mother and father will teach you all about. By his kindness, these women, though they look different from the royalty we can see, will one day rule the world alongside this Nazarene King. May you reign with them, with us, and with your mother and father. 

So Emily Berryhill Poole brought forth Willodene Poole Robertson, who brought forth Emily Susan Howell, who brought forth Emily Elizabeth Cook, who bore to me Sarah Emily Cook. This is a strong legacy, one of which you now get a piece. I pray you will fill up their measure to the fullest. 

With joy at your birth,

Rev. David Michael Cook

Osterville, Massachusetts

July, 2014

A Night To Remember

One week ago, Friday, June 6, I had the opportunity to go to Boston and see the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall. But this wasn't just any night at the Pops (which would be amazing!). John Williams was the conductor and the evening was named Film Night. Oh my.

We returned from our trip to see family the Monday before. I spent the week unpacking, taking care of things around the house, and helping our kids adjust back to life with just mom for entertainment. The kids and I had a special plan for Friday though. We were going to north Boston with a friend and her daughter for the day. It was an adventure and we love adventures! We picked our friends up at 9:45am and had a great day.

As I was pulling into our neighborhood right around 5:00pm I received a text message from a friend. It said she had a free extra ticket to the Pops and all Dave or I had to do was meet her in Boston to claim it. I pulled in the driveway and Dave said I had to go. I was unsure. It had literally just driven home from Boston. I was tired from a day with the kids. Then he dropped the John Williams Film Night bomb on me and I knew there was no way I could say no. I quickly changed, refilled my water bottle, and was one the road by 5:15pm.

It turns out our friend, who is an elementary school music teacher, was taking her 6th graders on a field trip. (I didn't even find this out until I got there. I just knew to be at the doors at 7:30pm!) One mom and her son from church were part of the group. While I would have most loved to share the moment with Dave, I was thankful to have known a few other people.

Here is the program for the evening.

He ended the night with THREE encores. I believe the first may have been from E.T., the second was the Darth Vader March, and the third was the NBC theme song.

The NBC theme song and Call of the Champions are my all time favorite Williams pieces. Other favorites he shared during the evening were the theme from Jurassic Park, Flight to Neverland from Hook, and Harry's Wondrous World from Harry Potter. There were excellent videos that accompanied several of the pieces. A really special one went along with a piece from Saving Private Ryan and he spent a moment commemorating D-Day, as it was the 70th anniversary that very evening.

He also said "may the force be with you"- an epic moment!

It was truly an adventure- a night to remember.