Pretty as a Picture

My friend Meriann has all of this fabulous camera & lighting equipment that she was so gracious enough to let us utilize for pictures of Marley & Grace. Some of these pictures turned out well! Some are a bit goofy!!


This was Marley's version of a 'surprise' face...doesn't she looked surprised?


Marley looks cute, but I wish her smile was more genuine & not so phony looking!


This smile is much better!


I don't know if it's how she's positioned, sitting, her face or a combo of everything, but I LOVE this picture of Grace!


This is a cute one as well!

Meriann took SEVERAL pictures of the girls together, and this was the best one there was! I guess I can't expect the girls to cooperate as much as I'd like!

I really like this one of Marley!!

This is Marley's version of a 'sad' face...very cute!

THUMBSUCKER

Marley attempted to suck her thumb when she was an infant, and it looks like Grace is trying to do the same. Even though it looks so cute, I refuse to let them suck their thumbs as it can cause so many problems as they grow older. Grace HATED the binky but I persisted making her use it and she will now use it for sleep, but for sleep only. She refuses to use it any other time, which is fine for me because I really only want her to use for sleep anyway!!

WATERING CAN

Marley got a new little watering can. The large one that we actually use for the garden was much to bulky for her to use so I got her a smaller one, since she loves to water the garden. Apparently she likes to water other things as well. She had filled up her watering can and was watering all the dried flower that I have downstairs by the fire place because she thought they needed to be watered!!

MY LITTLE GALS

I caught Marley playing with Grace on the bed & thought, photo op! These gals are so cute, although I'm a bit biased!!

JUST LOUNGIN'

Even though Marley likes to be girlie and dress up, she's also all for comfort & relaxation. She loves to lounge in her mini recliner!

BASKETBALL LEAGUE

(where has-been basketball players attempt to one-up each other in a stuffy, sweaty middle school gym!)

My brother Seth got Kevin to join an adult version of Jr. Jazz Basketball league. I didn't get to go to many games because it was always in Provo & the games were always around 8 pm, which is too late with the girls (I mean how old do I sound? Eight o'clock being too late? Oi vey!) It was fun being able to watch them play. They made it to the 'finals' but unfortunately were barred from finishing due to an unfortunate issues with uncontrolled anger (and, no, it was NOT Kevin who got them tossed!)

Pretty Princess

One day Marley roped Aunt Tina into her dress up world & got Tina to make an 'up-do' with Marley's hair & put on make-up. Then Marley added her own accessories: heals, skirt, fairy wand, & a necklace! She adores dressing up & has such a wonderful imagination!

PETER PAN

Since Marley absolutely loved the play "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" (and still talks about going again), Mandi invited us to join her & Sadie to BYU's, "Peter Pan". I knew "Peter Pan" was a bit longer than "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" so I wasn't sure how well Marley would do watching the whole thing. I was completely surprised how well she paid attention & how much she really loved it! She now talks about seeing "Peter Pan" again (even though she had some concerns about "Pirate Hook"), as well as "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie". Looks like I have a lover of the stage!

Paleo...perhaps not!

For the past several months, I've been going to Crossfit. Part of Crossfit, is following a Paleo diet meaning no grains, beans, added salt, dairy, or processed foods (do know that I'm known to cheat! I try to follow it at least 85% of the time!) My wonderful neighbor, Marcie gave me some almond flour to try & make a Paleo chocolate cake. Needless to say, as you can clearly tell by the picture, it didn't quite turn out...the taste was fine but the presentation left much to be desired! I'm a horrible cook as it is & when I attempt things like this that take time & effort, then turn out badly, it just reinforces my distaste for cooking!!

Time in the Tub

Miss Marley is such a good big sister! She wanted to help bathe Grace! She's usually so helpful with Grace...I can only pray that such an attitude will continue as she grows older!!!!

Playtime

It's so fun to watch Grace's mechanics & movements improve & get better. She was being so cute playing with this toy, but I kind of failed to take a decent pictures. I love that she is learning something new everyday!!!

Banner

Marley found this scrap of tissue paper. But for a 2 1/2 year old, it's no ordinary scrap of tissue paper...it's a "banner" that Marley wrote some sort of "message" on, then proceeded to hang it on the fridge for everyone to read. Sometimes I can't believe the imagination of this child!!






BLANKET TENT


Marley loves to make this make-shift fort out of blankets & the mini-recliners. In fact, she'll sometimes insist that she eats lunch in there or that Grace lay down in there with her!

Coloring with Markers

When Marley showed me that she had been coloring in her Hello Kitty activity book with markers, I was absolutely shocked that she had colored nearly the entire Hello Kitty face & stayed within the lines. I'm sure it's a fluke & I probably won't see her color like that for awhile!!









MY SWEETY PEAS



I love little baby bodies! They are so little, cute & soft!! Grace doesn't normally like to lay on her belly, but since she seemed to be tolerating it alright, I was able to get a couple of non-crying pictures!!

Pillow Pet Dreams

I was doing something like folding laundry in the other room when I realized that it was too quiet in the living room. This is how I found Marley! Asleep on the floor with her 'snugly' blanket & her beloved Pillow Pet!!





ANNUAL COOKE NEW YEARS BOWLING PARTY


For the past 3 or 4 years, Jerry & Ruth book several lanes at Fat Cats bowling in order to host the Cooke Family Bowling Party!! It's always such fun to get together. I'm the worst bowler possible (this year, I broke 100 in one of the four games I played...a record for me!) but I enjoy getting together, especially now that Marley's old enough to participate.

Kevin's sister, Kristen & her hubby, Guy (Kevin's bowling competition), Kevin, & I.

Marley was going nuts with the air vent thing on the bowling conveyor belt thing (I'm sure there's a technical term, but I'm not that nerdy!) or as her Aunt Trina called it, bowling "Flash Dance".

Marley took home 1st prize in her lane! She beat out Papa Jerry!! She was pretty happy to get that medal!

Kevin's bowling nemesis, Guy, won the Grand prize this year, which includes bragging rights, your name engraved on the silver bowling trophy, & being able to showcase the trophy for an entire year! Next year, Guy. Next year!

My Sweet Baby Grace

There's no particular reason I'm posting these photos...just love my sweet baby Grace! She's so darn adorable!! I want to constantly kiss those cheeks!!!


IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE...
My mother-in-law Ruth thoughtfully decided to give me tickets to the play "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie". It is based after those fun "If You Give.." books. So Marley & I, and Miranda & her two daughters, Sadie & Kinley went together. I was a bit nervous that Marley wasn't going to sit through the entire play...but she LOVED it & sat through the whole thing. She talked about wanting to see it again weeks afterward!!

Kinley, Marley, & Sadie on the set of "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie".

Snow Day

Marley got a new snowsuit & sled for Christmas. Since there was lots of fresh fallen snow, Marley & Kevin decided to try it out in our front yard!

Then we decided to move to an elementary school down the road that has a great hill for sledding!!
I stayed warm in the car with Little Miss Grace!

Marley LOVED, LOVED, LOVED playing in the snow & using her new sled! She was a die hard & didn't want to stop even though she was so cold!!

Marley also had to take a minute to play on the playground equipment as well!

I LOVE this snow suit on Grace! You can see several hours of sledding was enough to wear Marley out!!

BROKEN RECORDER

Marley has this extremely cheap recorder that she got for free somewhere. One day she was trying to play with it & ended up breaking it & her heart apparently. This is how I found her...sulking over the broken instrument!!!

MARLEY, GRACE, & A BALLOON

Like every little kid, Marley adores balloons. In fact, she won't want to part with them & let me throw them away, even when most of the air is out & they are nearly all shriveled up!!

Marley is always wanting me to take pictures of her & Grace. To bad I can't get a decent picture!!






IT'S A PILLOW PET!

One of Marley's favorite things she received for Christmas is a lady bug Pillow Pet. Whoever came up with this idea is a marketing genius because she is obsessed with hers & it was one of the cheapest things she got for Christmas!

CUPPY-CAKE

Marley is constantly asking to make cookies & cupcakes. So we gave her this cupcake-maker for Christmas. She had loads of fun making them, but mostly because I did all the work! There are so many cracks & crevices to clean on that thing! It's ridiculous!!!

Marley enjoying the fruits of my labor...but I really enjoyed spending time with her & she loved it!

CHRISTMAS...IT'S FINALLY HERE

Marley checking out her Christmas haul...of course she goes right for the Pillow Pet!

Marley insisted we get a bumble bee Pillow pet for Grace (she also keeps insisting that I need a unicorn Pillow Pet.) What a nice big sister!

So as you might be able to get from the pictures, Marley & Grace got a whole bunch of stuff. In fact, probably TOO much stuff! It got so overwhelming to Marley & she didn't know what to play with because there was TOO much!!! I think we went over board! It's so darn fun shopping for them, but next year, I'm determined to cut it, at least, by half! This was out of control!!!! No kid needs this much stuff!

COOKE CHRISTMAS

We met at Kevin's sister Noelle's clubhouse for a Cooke Christmas get-together this year. Mr. & Mrs. Claus made an appearance. It took some coaxing, but I got Marley to sit on Santa's lap!! Having little kids makes Christmas so much fun!!

ACKROYD CHRISTMAS

Marley with her Aunt Tina; Grandma Orimi with Grace.

Kevin, Seth, & Jono

Of course Marley had loads of presents to open. This kid gets way too many things from all her family! She doesn't even know how lucky she is!!!

You may wonder what my brother Seth is doing...having a seizure, a short bout of palsy, or just being a weirdo.

We had so much fun hanging out with the family! It's always a good, relaxed time!

SLEEPING BABY

I love looking at my kids when they are asleep. So innocent & peaceful! Grace looks so cute sleeping that I have to resist the temptation to pick her up! Love this kid!!!!