Teresa Cook

"SCHEWS!!"

2010-06-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

So Teddy was working the SMOTA Shoe Show down at the Miami Beach Convention Center this afternoon. We thought this would be a fun one to come visit him at! Thanks to cousin Whitney, Reese was an official 'buyer!' She got a bag and her very own pass that said: Reese Cook, Family Member. Too cute!

Posing with Daddy before we went into the show...

While we were walking around, we were stopped by two women working the booth: squeakers, a really cute brand of children's shoes. They asked us if Reese would like to try on a pair of squeakers. Are you kidding me? Of course, this is a kid that loves shoes...and ones that squeak?! Life doesn't get any better! So they put on an adorable pair of purple squeaker sandals, and needless to say, she put on a show! It took her about 2 seconds to warm up to them, then as soon as she realized she was drawing a crowd...it was on. She loved them, and they loved her so much they asked if they could film her running around in the squeakers for their website. Sure, why not? After a short filming they told Reese the best news ever, she could keep the shoes! Woohoo! I was obviously pretty excited too! This is a short clip of her upstairs in the SMOTA offices during lunch, showin' off her 'schews'! Enjoy!

*and for those of you that are thinking, 'well that's gonna get annoying' (yes, I know you're out there), the good news is, the squeakers come out! Then they're just regular sandals.

Summer, Shiners and Sailing...Sort-of :/

2010-06-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

I told myself after uploading all of these pictures: 'If I just committed to blogging once a month even, it wouldn't take me 2 hours to post a blog trying to catch you up on the last 3 months!' Oh well. Here we go...

Our summer started by saying 'bon voyage!' to "Hap" Ami & the boat in early May! It was so sad to see them go, okay okay, mainly because I was losing my babysitters, little selfish. I know.

Not long after, we dove into our list of summer projects. Teddy's (one of many) was to touch up the front yard. Not necessarily relandscape, but it definitely needed some lovin'! We laid some pavers (aka, stay the heck off our grass bricks) along the street and then laid sod right up to them, where formerly resided...mud. It looks so good! Such a small change made a huge difference! This is Reese helping Dadi lay the sod!

Of course, where the grass meets the driveway is kind of uneven. While handing Teddy another piece of sod (okay, not really) while stepping off she took a nice spill, face first, into the dirt. Licked the sand off her lips and kept on going...not sure it really phased her.

If anything it made her a little hungry as she came in for a snack not long after the spill.
Food = the cure all.

And here they are putting the final touches on some dry areas of grass throughout the front yard. We also transplanted a few liriope from the yard to line the driveway with. We need to transplant a few more to make it fit all the way to the front door. (mom and dad, we have no idea what happened to your liriope while you were sailing, must be a coincidence...)

Now...on to MY summer project. Yep, just one. A good friend of ours suggested before we even moved into this house that I turn the under the stairs closet into a play room. Its definitely big enough. So over Memorial Day Weekend, while Teddy was in Boston on one last guys trip I decided to tackle the playroom! SO glad I did...

We started with a 6x9ishx5ish (its very oddly shaped since its under the stairs) room that needed a piece of drywall patched. I totally can't take the credit for this part. Teddy did patch the drywall before the guys trip...

This is the odd corner that runs under the stairs, perfect for little kiddos. Step one (for me) was finding a new home for this extremely unorganized pile of randomness. Christmas decorations, weights, etc.

Then the fun began! This is after 2 coats of chalkboard paint on the bottom 5 1/2 feet of the south wall, 6 (yes, 6) coats of magnetic primer on the west wall, and then just regular primer on the top part of the south wall. I'm also mapping out where I want the vinyl wall art to go...

After 3 days of painting and drying this is our final product!
A great corner for her toys! Yay for them not being scattered all over the house anymore!

A very fun chalkboard wall! The top is actually a light gray with violet vinyl words, a lime green grass border and some small white vinyl flowers growing out of the grass. Hard to see here...
This might be her favorite part. She has stood here for hours before just 'writing' on the wall... took some training to keep it on this wall only, but she gets it!

The magnetic primer is just that, its a primer. You paint over it any color you'd like. I chose a light purple/violet to tie in with the bright violet wall art. The violet/gray/black theme came out really good! With a few touches of lime green.

Writing on her chalkboard wall...looking forward to having a little sister to play with in here!

The summer is really upon us now!
And just like Momi, its time to start ordering those latte's iced!
Decaf, of course...

And since its June, that means little Myla Rae will be here next month!! This is me @ 34 weeks! Now currently almost 37...wow!

Another exciting moment (of course, while Dadi was away...) was that Reese got her first shiner! She took a great spill in an Old Navy shopping cart, smacking her face on the metal pole on the way down. She freaked out a good bit... This is the best picture I could get... Oh! and this is also during her 'I refuse to wear a bib' phase that lasted about 3 days...still working on those stains! Errr!

Finally, we just got back from our one last trip as a family of three! We decided, very last minute, to pay a visit to Hap and Ami in Charleston last weekend! When we got word of the motor replacement project, and found out that they would actually be in the South Carolina area a lot longer than expected, we decided to take advantage of this last available weekend and go on a little road trip! So fun!

We got there just in time for the US/England soccer game on Saturday. So we ducked into a little sports bar to watch the fun. Sunday we went to a great church right in downtown Charleston and had lunch at Pagoons! We walked the city, Market Place and just before passing out from the 102 temperature, we found ourselves at another brewery watching more soccer! Monday we went back into the city for a little driving tour. I'm serious, it was HOT. We had lunch at a great little deli and then decided to head home :( The plan was to stay one more night and head home Tuesday, but the other plan was to not go into preterm labor from dehydration! :)
Again I repeat, it was HOT.

Reese's love/hate relationship with the dingy ride. No tears. But no smiling either...

She loved exploring every inch of Morning Glory...

Even the ones she couldn't reach on her own...

In front of Cook's in Charleston. A really great cookware store!

Crossing the street with Hap and Ami.

We've gotten right back into the swing of things with Reese's swimming lessons since coming home from S.C.. She really has come a long way since her first lesson, take a look...

And so I leave you with this....
Oh, and I'm pretty sure I mention it in the video itself, but just moments before this she 'swam' to the edge, shimmied her hands over to the steps to climb out by herself and then slipped off the second step right under the water, looked like a toddler water birth, eyes wide open looking up at us from under water! She took in some water, but surprisingly, stayed pretty calm. Anyways, that will explain the slight fussiness the second go-round! Enjoy!

Soap and such...

2010-02-03T06:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, so a lot has gone on since the last time we talked. We found out we were having #2...

We celebrated Christmas, Reese's first...
Speaking of firsts...she also turned ONE on January 6th...
And now, its finally the new year! We're making new habits...like saving money! Should've been an old habit :/ I was actually given this recipe years ago by a family with 8 kiddos...I thought it sounded interesting, but also thought it sounded like quite a bit of work, man was I wrong. Recently, my friend Kathy sent me this recipe again saying: "you've got to do this!" So yesterday, Reese and I made our very own laundry detergent... SO easy!

You'll need: a 5 gallon bucket, with a lid!
A bar of soap grated into 7 cups of warm water. Your choice, but know that this is where the scent will come from in the detergent, so go with something yummy. And something that you want to walk around all day smelling like!
Borax and Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. Publix had the borax, Target had the Washing Soda...
Finally, a scented oil, which is optional. This will over power the soap and add the scent, if you choose. I decided not to use the tea tree oil since I put it in everything else...like the floor cleaner and the countertop cleaner...my house constantly smells like this stuff, thought I could live without the clothes smelling like it too!
The recipe:
Grate a bar of soap into 7 cups warm water. Stir over medium heat until soap is dissolved. About 10-12 minutes.
Fill the 5 gallon bucket with 4 gallons of warm/hot water.
Add the soapy water.
1/2 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
Stir until all the grains are dissolved.
Finally, cover and let sit overnight!

This is the finished product: a thick, clumpy gel like mixture. Use 3/4 cup in a full load.

Now, the ingredients are super cheap! I haven't done the actual break down, but Kathy has! It comes out to about $2.00 a bucket! Crazy! The larger gallon sized laundry detergents are usually anywhere from $8-$12 each...and thats just one gallon! Amazing... and Ive never been so excited about doing laundry!

Ill leave you with these! Two recent videos of the soon-to-be big sister! First one is a mix of her playing peek-a-boo and showing the world her surprise face :) Always knows she can get a laugh with that one, therefore, we see it often! Shes a total ham!

Second one is a little friendly game of pillow fighting, she loves to pillow fight, or better said get smacked in the face with a pillow...theres not fighting on her end!

Try the soap! Let me know how it goes!

::Organic Produce Share::

2009-10-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

So, I recently joined this organic produce share: Annies Buying Club! So much fun! Im a coordinator, which basically means the truck drops all the goods off at my house and I sort the produce for each member. They can pick it up later that day in a two-hour window, and the rad part is I get a full order of organic produce FREE each week. We love Free.
If youre local, and youre interested, let me know.

Mom sorting green beans...

Reese and Mommy with the Pumpkin Pies

Produce for days...

Reese trying her very first Kiwi Berry!

The goods :)

"Home Sweet Hollywood"

2009-08-10T05:16:00.001-07:00

Well, we are finally settled in our new home! Life has never been better! Im loving the day-to-day routine of taking care of a home and raising Reese! Im so blessed to be able to stay home with her! Yesterday kicked off a new semester of home fellowships at our church and we are the official host home in the south! I absolutely loved it! Love having a house full of people, love the worship in our house, love our church, love the Lord, love breaking bread together afterwards...life is good! Thanks to all the people in and out Reese has totally become a little social butterfly. She is doing this thing where whoever walks up to her (no matter who is holding her) she reaches out for the other person...and so on. Its become a game really, but its too cute! People seem to just love when a baby reaches out for them. A new neighbor stopped by yesterday to introduce herself and I opened the door holding Reese and sure enough, Reese reached out for the neighbor! Complete stranger! I graciously handed her over...only because I kind-of knew the neighbor, I went to High School with her son...love being back in the hood! :)

Today is day one, of week six, of phase 2 of P90X. Confused? Put it this way...Im half way there! It has pretty much become an obsession at this point. Im losing more weight then gaining muscle, which was not the goal, but I guess just natural? Its still amazing...

My sister-in-law sent me this baking website that I have quickly fallen deeply in love with. The day she sent it I baked these immediately. holy goodness. When she says 'theyre perfect', she aint kidding. Make them NOW, while blueberries are still in season and 2/$5 @ Publix! They will change your life. Below is a picture of Reese (recently turning 7 months old...) baking muffins with her mama, I hope I never forget these moments....

Also, note the thing in her mouth!? Thanks Kailee! If it was up to Reese she would sleep with this thing. Its a mesh baggie type thing that you can put different food items in whole and she basically just sucks the juice and flavor out. Loves her some cantelope! Just like her dad! :)

And I leave you with a movie review (this post just keeps getting more random) 'August Rush'...watch it! Best movie Ive seen since Slumdog Millionaire, also, the only movie Ive seen since Slumdog Millionaire. I dont watch movies to often, if you know me, you know why... :) Anyway, its really really good. Its also on demand under HBO movies (if you have comcast cable) free movies are always the coolest.

Happy Monday! Time to 'bring it'!

Do's and Don'ts Part II...sort of

2009-06-02T15:31:00.000-07:00

So a great friend of mine posted a Do's and Don'ts blog not long ago, it was fantastic, as are many of her posts... So I thought I would piggy-back, if you will, on to her do's and don'ts with a few "nuggets" Ive picked up along the way, here you go:

DO floss your teeth every night, DONT spend more then you make (hello, welcome to our economy folks), DO nurse your babies, DONT invite someone to your bridal shower that you are not inviting to your wedding (can you say, tacky!?); DO renovate a house at least once in your life, DONT sell-out, DO rsvp when requested, DONT gossip, DO get together with old friends whenever you get the chance, it will ALWAYS be worth it, DONT sleep in, DO exercise, DONT talk on your cell phone when youre checking out @ publix, DO actually pray for someone when you tell them you will, DONT wear overalls, i dont care what people tell you, theyre not flattering, DO send thank you cards, DONT eat too much pineapple in one sitting, it does weird things to your tounge, DO always have a quick dessert ready to throw together for last minute guests!, DONT bite your nails, DO watch a sunrise every once in a while (same goes for sunset!); DONT leave dirty dishes in the sink (besides, you never know when those last minute guests will pop in!), DO wear your seatbelt!

anyone want to add to this...?

Third times a charm...

2009-05-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

Guess its true. I thought I'd try one more time to load the video on youtube and it worked! You can view it in its entirety here!

Soooo...

2009-05-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

I obviously had an issue uploading the video tour of our house...it wouldnt work on blogger OR youtube... I finally got it to work on flickr, however, they have a 90 second cap. uhh. so, needless to say, here is the first minute and a half of our 5 min. tour...

Ive also uploaded a few pictures, this was day one of renovations, tearing off wall paper and having the knock down done. Since then, we have painted pretty much the entire house! I will take some pics next time we're over there!

Can't wait for the house warming party... :)

Re-cap

2009-05-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

Im trying to squeeze in a blog this month...I just noticed I haven't blogged since April 17th!! You can blame facebook for that one... This is just a little re-cap of what we've been up to!

Earlier this month we traveled over to Ft. Myers for the Fire Fighter Olympics. Teddy played flag football and 3 on 3 basketball. They took the bronze in football, however, had to forfeit in basketball when half the team decided to head home (to Miami Beach) after an early day and couldn't make it back across the alley the next day for the finals because of all the fires! Stinks! It was still a great weekend get away for us. We stayed in a beach house owned by some friends, it was wonderful! Here's a look at the team...

A better look at the team... (kidding!)

The following weekend was Mothers Day! Very exciting because it was my first... :) The cook girls (minus one) attended the Mothers Day Brunch @ St. Andrews! It was great to just be together!

For Memorial Day weekend we headed up to Pt. St. Lucie to hang with some family. (Wait for this one...) Teddy's sister, Kailee is married to David, David's little brother Taylor was in the State Championships for High School Baseball. (We'll go anywhere for anybody apparently...) Since the Tallahassee family was going to be a short hour and a half away we thought we'd go pay a visit! (and poor Taylor thought we were there for him...joke). Its always good to see them, and let the cousins be together! And in 16 more days we'll all be back together for Jamies wedding!! Here is the only picture I took all weekend...Teddy with his girls, Reese and Kinley! Can you believe the girl @ Panera asked if they were twins? wow...

And finally, I leave you with this: a 5 minute walking tour of our NEW HOME! We closed on May 20th, our 4 year wedding anniversary. It was the best gift ever! That day we started some minor renovations! We are hoping to be moved in in about 3 more weeks! We've done the whole 'live there while youre tearing out a kitchen and laying new floors' thing, totally not suggested! This video was taken literally 30 minutes after the closing. I am doing my best to take pictures of the renovation process, I will post 'um as them happen!

Easter in Park City!

2009-04-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

Reese went on her first plane ride to Park City, Utah... (she did great!)

To have her picture taken with the Easter Bunny @ the Ski Slopes! (Her first Easter!)
We did a lot of cooking...
A lot of snow watching...

Even more just hanging out....

And now that we're home...shes helping mommy catch up on all the laundry! :)

Keepin' it in the Family...

2009-04-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

We're buyin' another house! :) This one, however, is a little different and extremely special. Its not just another house... I have memories in this house from 20 years ago. Ive probably 'slept over' in every room in this house, and I slept in the guest room the night before my wedding...I used to be able to walk here from my house for years, until they built the wall... some of you may recognize it...

...yep, we're buyin Laura's house! We signed the contract last Friday, and we're set to close on May 20th, our 4 year wedding anniversary!

Still can't believe it...

another blog...

2009-04-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

What am I thinking, right? Between facebook and a blog already, how am I going to have time to manage yet another blog?? Over the past 3 months Ive accumulated several short videos of little Reese, so I thought Id follow the lead of my sister-in-law and start a 'video only' blog! Enjoy these home videos of our girl, and we'll continue to add 'um as they happen!

"Is it Summer yet...?"

2009-03-26T06:12:00.000-07:00

...Reese was just wondering!?

(Thanks Aunt Bonnie for my new raft!)

more pictures...

2009-03-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

I finally got my hands on some more pictures of our cousins week..

The family at Elliot Key

Possibly the best pictures all week

Sailing, Monkey's and Cake...

2009-03-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

This past week Kailee, Avery, Kinley and Jamie came in town from Tallahassee...it was non-stop. We went sailing, to the Miami Metro Zoo, lots of wedding planning and ofcourse, shopping! We ended the week by showering Jamie, once again! It was so much fun, but exhausting by the end of the week...now that life is back to normal, Ive posted all the pictures!

Jamies Shower

our family at the zoo!

cake testing with jamie...not a bad job!

reeses firsrt sailing trip!

Its the little things...

2009-03-01T13:05:00.000-08:00

I went upstairs earlier this week to wake sweet little Reese from her nap so I could feed her and look what I discovered...someone found their thumb :) Too sweet!

I love when our friends and family get to meet Reese for the first time. This week one of our great friends Matt was in town with his girlfriend Jennifer from Birmingham.

Love that they got to meet our little one!

Finally, my mother-in-law and I went to Tallahassee last weekend to celebrate Jamie's bridal shower with her! It was the first time all of the cousins were together! So much fun! I still can't believe there are three of them...
Reese ( 7wks); Avery (2 1/2) and Kinley (9wks)

Baby Reese...

2009-01-31T08:17:00.001-08:00

"Hey, you wanna piece of me?"

Checkin herself out in the mirror

Play time
So sweet

2009-01-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

KATHRYN REESE COOK

1.6.09

8lbs 20 3/4"

due date...

2009-01-03T19:28:00.001-08:00

So todays my due date. Unless this is miracle baby, and miracle delivery, chances are she's not coming today. It seemed like a any other day, I returned some Christmas presents, had lunch with my sister, cleaned the bathroom...nothing unusal.
I did, however, box up all my maternity clothes for the next baby! Then I thought, I could still be pregnant for the next two weeks...oh well!
The reality is, if I had to be pregnant for two more weeks, Id be just fine! I don't feel quite miserable enough just yet...I guess thats how we know shes not planning on introducing herself any time soon!? Or who knows, maybe she'll just surprise us all when we least expect it!
So now it's officially the waiting game. Im finished with work and we're pretty much ready for Reese! (except for those few details in the nursery that keep haunting me...)

Until next time...In waiting,

Teresa

a whirlwind...

2008-12-02T11:26:00.001-08:00

The last few weeks have been absolutely crazy. It all started when we moved in to Teddy's parents house last week. You can read about that here. Of course, if you want a more detailed run-down, you can always email me! :) Just know that it was a total answer to prayer, especially in this housing market...and something we are very thankful for :)

Speaking of being thankful, Thanksgiving didn't exactly allow us to slow down any. It was a non-stop weekend that started with Jamie and Josh coming in town Wednesday night! Thursday morning we had breakfast at my Dads house and then headed to Teddy's Aunt Carol's for the traditional Thanksgiving Feast! (the opposite of how we did it last year...) It was sooo good!

Thankgiving 2008

Friday morning I headed out bright and early with all the crazies on Black Friday. I have to be honest, I pretty much live for this day. Whoever created this 'holiday' is a genius! It's becoming a tradition to get BREW and then head to the Galleria with Lauren and Jen! 2 years going strong :)

Jen, Me and Lauren in front of BREW, gettin ready to tear it up! ha!

After a long day of shopping (and some great deals!) We had a very relaxing sunset dinner cruise on the sailboat down off of Key Biscayne with Teddys family.

On the boat

just a funny one taken at the dock...
On Saturday Teddy had a volleyball tournament down on South Beach! It was the perfect day to just lay around and get some sun! And yes, at almost 36 weeks...Im still rockin the bikini! yikes! They came in second...way to win back all the money I spent on Black Friday babe! :) ha!

Teddy in the final game...

On Saturday night we celebrated the wedding of Todd and Stephanie. My sister was the maid-of-honor and the wedding was beautiful...and full of tattoos!

The bride with some girlfriends @ our table...

And finally Sunday came, after church we stayed East for the afternoon and hung out with some friends that we never got to see before we 'headed west'. The highlight was definitely meeting little baby Eva, born on 11/23/08! Too cute, and I can't believe we'll have one of those in just a couple of weeks...

Teddy holding baby Eva for the first time...

Now I leave with you a few 'randomosities' for the holiday season...

I love the smell of Christmas trees, and the Evergreen scent @ Bath & Body
Has anyone ever noticed that they sell fire wood @ Publix...really?
The Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate @ Starbucks is life-changing...

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! And here's to a wonderful Christmas season!

~The Cooks

:best shower EVER:

2008-11-13T11:59:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday my sister and friends hosted what I like to consider the best baby shower EVER. I love when all my worlds come together. Friends came from North Carolina, Orlando, even Oklahoma to celebrate the very near arrival of Little Reese. It was absolutely perfect! There was great food, more then enough pictures taken to satisfy my photo obsession, and the best part, massage therapist giving mini massage to all the guests...sweet! Below are just a few pictures to get you started! Can't wait to meet our little girl...7 more weeks!

High School Friends and my Cheer Coach!

Lauren, Amanda and Kathy...cooking up some great food!
mmm...startin the day off right!

Me and the best planners in the world!

The Cake (after mom saved the day!)

The adorable diaper cake Amanda made

Reese's first American Apparel Onesies!

::Taylors Closet::

2008-10-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday night we attended the Taylors Closet Fashion Show Benefit and Gala. What an amazing night! The entire gala was done with excellence and we already can't wait until next years show! It was held at a hanger at the Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport, such a cool setting!

I also managed to sneak in a 29 week picture! :) Enjoy!

29 weeks!

My latest concoction...

2008-10-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

I love the beach (I love to be tan more then anything...) But lately my tan has been restricted to just the 'front' of me! If Im at the beach with Teddy (being 7 months along now, those days are few and far between) I will just dig a small hole in the sand and lay on my stomach that way, not incredibly comfortable, but it works! However, this past weekend I created this...my "pregnant ladies beach chair". I took a cheap, $15 dollar old-school plastic beach chair from CVS and cut a nice big square out of the center of it and wha-la, the pregnant ladies beach chair! I know what youre thinking...genius! Yes, thank you! And its super comfortable not to mention!

I wish....

2008-10-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

I wish I was a little better about posting things when they actually happened, instead of waiting for 3 or 4 exciting things to build up then overwhelming you with one long post, but here we go!

A few weeks ago we celebrated our neighbors 6th Birthday! We love their family and she is a total ham! She had a mani/pedi party. The 'big girls' (6th graders) from her school came over and gave all of her girlfriends manicures and pedicures, it was too cute! Then they all changed into their 'fancy dresses' and had a 3 course dinner! Everyone had steak, Carmella's choice! Good thing the UM game was on in the living room....it was a little much for Teddy. Later that week we went to Buca di Beppo for her actual Birthday dinner with her family.

Here she is opening her present from us:

The Cezaras and The Cooks

Just this past weekend we celebrated the wedding of Julie and John Adams! Our great friends Jeremy and Julie Cox came in town to marry them and of course, hang out with us! I love the way weddings bring people together...

Julie, John, Jeremy and Julie

Julie is also expecting! It was so much fun to get to 'compare notes' since we're so close together. Their little girl Lola Kay is due January 10th and we are due January 3rd! She is exactly one week behind me! We did lots of maternity clothes shopping and lots of eatting! :)

Julie at 26 weeks
Teresa at 27 weeks
(yes, shes actually pregnant, I know it doesnt even look like it!)

Meanwhile, Teddy has been keeping busy making us millions as a pro-beach volleyball model. Okay, Im kidding about the millions...., but below are some amazing pictures that a sports photographer took of him last week.

Finally, we are making progress on the nursery! The sad news is we had to find a new home for our dog this weekend (we are definitely going through withdraws) but he is with a great family and has a new friend to play with all the time! Ive been painting some furniture and getting ready to put the final touches on the room. I will be sure to post pictures of it when its finished!

Have a great week!

~The Cooks

24 weeks...

2008-09-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

::Baby Update::

2008-09-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

we actually saw my stomach move last night when she kicked!
she got the hiccups for the first time...crazy

6 months pictures coming at ya soon!

Our little girl...

2008-09-02T13:27:00.001-07:00

her profile at 22 weeks :)

It's a...

2008-08-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

GIRL!!

The suspense is finally over, our first baby will be a little girl :)

~Katherine Reese Cook~

We haven't decided if we'll call her Reese or K.C., but the name is definite!

(after my best friend Kathy)

Can't wait!!

::Happy Birthday Jen::

2008-08-18T07:30:00.001-07:00

Jen's 30th Birthday at Texas de Brazil

Having fun in the office...

2008-08-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

One of the Attorenys I work with recently asked me if I have been measuring my progress? No, I told her, I didn't really think that was that important? So we decided to grab a tape measurer that was laying around and go to work! I was shocked at the results...from 26 to 35 inches ... Ive grown 9 inches! Which according to progress calendars, thats how big the baby is at 20 weeks...9 inchs! Guess Im right on track!? :) (who needs doctors...)

35 inches doesn't look that big when youre just holding it up...

Catchin up...

2008-08-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend in the Cook house!

Friday night was like a big Hollywood reunion for us. Our friends the Byrds hosted a BBQ for my old pastor and his wife who are in town to celebrate the birth of their 8th grandchild (born on 8/8/08..mmm?) along with the San Francisco McCords, great times! A couple other familiar faces from FBC stopped by throughout the night and before we knew it it was a full out party. There is truly no substitute for old friends, like my husband so wisely says: "proximity and time". No substitute.

Saturday I spent the entire day with my sister doing some serious maternity clothes shopping. Yep, my very first pair of maternity jeans, ouch. Im almost 20 weeks and it was definitely time. I held out as long as I could...

Sunday was the first day of the fall semester for our Home Fellowships at church! I love this Sunday, its like the first day of school! Since we attend a home church this is truly the DNA of our body. So exciting!

Finally, I got around to picking up my pictures from the 3rd annual girls trip to Mexico! Picking up...? I know what youre thinking. One of our 6 glorious days was spent at a protected water park in Mexico, Xel-ha (pronounced shell-ha). This is a natural lagoon off of the Riviera Maya. Amazing is an understatement. So since we spent the day going from one water activity to the next, you had to purchase an old-school underwater camera! yah! I finally picked up my prints! The last few pictures of the set are the Xel-ha pictures, the rest are the other 5 amazing days in the Caribbean. Its good be home. Its even better to be home and tan! :) Heres a few pictures to get you started:

Layin by the pool - Secrets Capri, Mexico

Mayan Ruins - Tulum

Have a great week everyone!

::Welcome to 2008::

2008-08-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Cooks finally got text messaging...holy crap.

Atlanta, its good to be home!

2008-07-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

Please don't let the title mislead you, we had a great time in Atlanta, but we are glad to be home...finally! Our 4 day trip suddenly turned in to a 5 day trip when our flight home Sunday night was canceled. After waiting around the airport for several hours, having our 8:50 flight delayed until midnight, then, no, wait...its back to 9:30! Only to have it pushed back to 11:40 again 15 minutes later, and ultimately canceled later that night, we threw in the towel around 10:30 and decided to take a flight home the next day. Delta tried to make it up to us by putting us on first class for our flight home Monday, however, we have both vowed to never fly them again! Monday turned in to a great day, one more day with the family, and we got to go to the Georgia Aquarium, not bad! The wedding was beautiful and it was great to spend time with our Tallahassee family as always!

The Cook Gang

The entire Cook/Wyrick Gang

::Baby Watch::

2008-07-15T12:00:00.001-07:00

A lot of you have been asking for pictures of my progress, especially those of you that are far away, well here you have it!

My 12 week baby bump:

My almost 16 week baby bump:

I still feel great, and a lot bigger then I know I probably am...

Only 24 more weeks to go!

:) Mommy

BBQ, "Tick Checks" and Boiled Peanuts in a Can...

2008-07-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

...only in Birmingham! Teddy and I just got back from celebrating 4th of July in the deep south, Birmingham, Alabama! We stayed with our great friends George and Marina and got to spend some time with one of our favorite families, the Crumps! The fire works were great the night we got in, and the BBQ just got better and better.... we piniced at Oak Wood Mountain State Park, had dinner with Linda, got to visit Matt at the station and spent the last day with Matt at lunch and just hanging out...it was a blast! We got in way too late last night, but just in time to unpack and pack again for Atlanta on Thursday! It never ends....but we love it! :)

Oak Wood Mountain State Park

Me and Linda, one of my favorite women!

Me and my two favorite guys!

Happy Anniversary JLB!

2008-07-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

My Firm just celebrated its 8th Anniversary last week! Needless to say this is not an anniversary I will soon forget. Or anyone for that matter...

Our Anniversary is July 3rd. We always eat lunch out and then have a big Happy Hour at the office for all of our friends and family. Good times! This year we had lunch at Casablanca Cafe on Ft. Lauderdale Beach. It started with Calamari, Shrimp and Escargot, and of course, Margaritas overflowing.... Now, I have to tell you, I questioned the Calamari at first, being pregnant and all, but I went for it! I also had grilled Mahi with rice and a papaya salsa. Yummy! Until about 20 minutes after the meal. My boss, sitting just to the left of me, screams "oh my gosh, you're breaking out in hives!!" (he's a little dramatic at times). Well to my surprise I was breaking out in hives! Red bumps and spots all over my left arm, neck and back that quickly made its way to my chest and face! Scary! Immediately I think 'the calamari'. Or maybe the Mahi? It was panic mode there for a minute since everyone knows Im pregnant of course. With a quick call to the doctor, and a Benadryl, the hives were fading within 30 minutes! Below is the 2008 group picture of our Firm. As you can tell, my face and chest look like a lobster, and you can almost see the bumps down my left arm! After all the madness, it was narrowed down to the Papaya! So no more papaya for me! Bring on the Calamari....

Later today, Ill post about our weekend in Birmingham!

The world will never be the same...

2008-06-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

...once Baby Cook arrives :)

Due January 3, 2009!!

and it only took me three tests to believe it...

another one...

2008-06-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday Little Judah!

Love you buddy!

(look at that kid....are you kidding me???)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2008-06-05T10:57:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Teddy!

I love you so much!

::New York City::

2008-05-28T05:58:00.001-07:00

We just got back from five fantastic days in New York City! This was my first time in the city, Teddy has been there a few times. The weather was perfect (70's and sunny) and we did literally everything, and then some. Great food, shopping in Chinatown (well...shopping in every town), going to the top of the Empire State Building, Ground Zero, Statue of Liberty, The Today Show, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, a service at Redeemer and almost a Yankee's Game. We walked pretty much the entire city! So much fun! It's always good to be home...and NYC sure makes Ft. Lauderdale feel like Paducah! ha! Below are a few videos of our adventures, and of course, pictures!!

Alanis Morissette: "Thank You"

Alanis Morissette: "Ironic"

My fancy foot work on the Giant Piano @ FAO Schwartz!

Happy Anniversary!

2008-05-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary Teddy!!

Thank you for three of the best years of my life! LOVE you!

74 more days...

2008-05-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

First of all: three posts in one day!?

It must be something about "threes"...
Speaking of, the third annual girls trip has officially been booked!

Just the three of us again, but we're taking it back to Mexico!

Ahh sweet Mexico, I can taste you already! :)

Family Camping Trip

2008-05-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend we headed back up to Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine Florida to do a little family camping. Minus the downpour on Friday night, it was a ton of fun!

If you're in to camping, this is a great place to stay in North Florida!

Happy Camping :)

::New Kids on the Block::

2008-05-19T07:14:00.001-07:00

Don't act like you didn't watch them on the Today Show Friday morning....

and because you know you want to watch it again (and again, and again...)

a GREAT cookbook!

2008-05-12T11:04:00.001-07:00

I recently picked up the Deen Boys' cookbook! "The Deen Bros. Y'all Come Eat" (I believe it's their second one, they do have two out). It is so good! I've only had 3 of the recipes so far, but I plan on trying them all! My favorite is the Ultra Creamy Mac & Cheese Casserole.
It is the best Mac & Cheese I have ever had!

Try it...

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces & softened, plus additional for coating the dish
2 cups cooked elbow macaroni
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
8 ounces american cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
4 ounces of cream cheese, cubed
1 cup half-and-half
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 13x9-inch baking dish, set aside.

2. In a large pot of water, cook the macaroni according to package directions; drain. Return the macaroni to the pot. Add the cheese to the hot macaroni and stir well. Spread in the prepared dish.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup of butter, the half-and-half, eggs, sour cream, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Pour over the macaroni. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown & bubbling. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Or, just buy the book here! (that way I won't get sued for copy writing....)

Enjoy! :)

The newest (and hottest) blogger...

2008-05-06T10:47:00.001-07:00

One of my very favorite people has jumped on the blogging bandwagon!!
Everyone stop by and welcome her!

Clearwater Beach

2008-05-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we headed over to Clearwater Beach for a Volleyball tournament! Great friends, beautiful weather and 9th out of 22 teams...what more could you ask for!? :)

Teddy serving it up

Teddy & Jason

Sunday...sort of

2008-04-28T07:41:00.001-07:00

Well, I did take this picture on Sunday, and I had full intentions of posting it on Sunday, but the day quickly filled up and before I realized it, it was well after bed time and still no post!

So I almost made it a full week! Oh well...

This is probably one of Teddy and I's favorite things to do on Sunday mornings, the Las Olas Farmer's Market! We walk down there every Sunday before church and get our produce for the week! Its kind of small, but it's a ton of fun, and we love it!

Here are a few reasons why you should shop your local Farmers Market!

Las Olas Farmers Market

Happy Monday! :)

Hopefully it won't be 2 months before you hear from me again!

Teresa ;)

::Saturday::

2008-04-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

Weddings!

xoxo

Unfortunately for Teddy, I love weddings! (he could go the rest of his life without ever going to another wedding and be okay) No matter where the wedding is, we usually go...Kentucky, California, Naples or Mississippi! I love the different styles to every wedding, no two are ever the same! Here are just a few of the weddings we've been to in the past 2 years! CRAZY!

Raf & Angie

Shelby & John

Scott & Sara

Ellasyn & Mark

Tory & Trish

Kevin & Julia

Neil & Rachael

Alton & Romey

::FRIDAY!!!::

2008-04-25T06:58:00.001-07:00

A sunrise run on the beach! LOVE it!

My entire life I've lived less then 5 miles from the ocean...

There was a period of time when I would get up every

weekend and go run on the beach during the sunrise

it never gets old...

Happy Friday everyone!
Have a great weekend! :)

Teresa

::Thursday::

2008-04-24T06:34:00.001-07:00

Old friends...there's nothing quite like um!

(Christina Billisi; Lauren Glendenning; Laura Nipe [my maid-of-honor!]; Brooke Kehoe;

Me; Christina Commins and Sarah Miller. 8th Grade Trip to Washington, D.C. 1994)

::Wednesday::

2008-04-23T17:24:00.001-07:00

A great spinning class!

::Tuesday::

2008-04-22T05:53:00.001-07:00

Lattes, from my favorite local cafe!

Until tomorrow...

Things I love...in pictures!

2008-04-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

With inspiration from this friend to blog more, and from this one to take more pictures, Ive decided to take on the challenge of blogging every day this week, one thing that I love...in pictures! But the goal is to not stop there. I really do desire to blog more, I just feel like it has to be life-changing in order to post it, not anymore! So heres my promise to you blog world to blog more! But please note, that means 90% of my future posts will have zero relevance!

# 1

My new car!

(my love for this thing is almost unhealthy)

Happy Monday :)

See you tomorrow...

ABIDE

2008-03-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

Powerful thoughts...

What is the essence of abiding? How would I communicate this to someone in practical terms?

Acknowledge the Source
Believe the Source is enough
Invite Jesus into every situation
Determine the cost
Expect Fruit

Now here is where it gets powerful.....

Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father who art in heaven - Acknowledge the Source

Hallowed be Your Name - Believe the Source is enough

Your Kingdom Come, You will be done on earth as it is in heaven, Give us this day our daily bread - Invite Jesus into every situation

Forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors, and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. - Determine the cost

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen. - Expect Fruit.

Here is where it gets even more powerful.......

John 15:1-8

I am the true vine and my father is the vinedresser - Acknowledge the Source

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. - Believe the Source is enough

If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will done for you. - Invite Jesus into every situation

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. - Determine the Cost

This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. - Expect Fruit.

(read that twice)

...from the mind of Jeremy and the heart of Jesus.

Have a great weekend and a powerful Easter!
Love, Teresa :)

Whats your spot?

2008-02-29T08:47:00.000-08:00

Speaking of moving, this is a fun little web site to mess around with. (or maybe its just fun for Teddy and I....we're not normal)

Happy Friday everyone!!!

TCook

*Jen, now shes really gonna be embarrassed! :)

The Longest Blog....EVER

2008-02-22T06:02:00.000-08:00

Another good name for this blog would be "Randomnocity"...the name of my husbands blog!Excuse me while I jump all over the place, only because our lives have been all over the place these last 2 weeks...in a good way! So here we go!

Mr. Randomnocity had to work this Valentines Day (yes, he got out of another one!) So we squeezed in a Valentines Day breakfast at 6:00 a.m. on the 14th before he headed to work! The Baked Blueberry-Pecan French Toast with Blueberry Syrup that we had was just way too good not to share, and since this blogger and this one are in to sharing recipes, I thought I'd jump on board too!

Baked Blueberry-Pecan French Toast with Blueberry Syrup
1 baguette (or challah bread works really well too)
6 large eggs
3 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup pecans
1/2 stick butter plus one teaspoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups blueberries (one cup of which will make the syrup)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

*Butter a 13x9 inch baking dish. Cut bread into 1-inch pieces and arrange in layers in the baking dish. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, nutmeg, vanilla and 3/4 cup of the brown sugar and pour evenly over the bread. Chill mixture, covered, until all the liquid is absorbed by bread, at least 8 hours and up to one day.

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

*In a shallow baking pan, spread pecans evenly and toast in middle of oven until fragrant, about 8 minutes. Toss pecans with 1 teaspoon butter and salt. (This can also be done in a saute pan on the stovetop).

*Increase the temperature to 400 degrees.

*Sprinkle pecans and blueberries evenly over bread mixture. Cut 1/2 stick butter into pieces and in a small saucepan heat with remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, stirring until butter is melted. Drizzle butter mixture over bread and bake for 20 minutes, or until any liquid from blueberries is bubbling.

*Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, cook blueberries and maple syrup over medium heat until berries have burst, about 3 minutes. Pour maple syrup through a sieve into a heatproof pitcher, pressing on solids, and stir in lemon juice. Syrup may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat syrup before serving!

*this is a great 'night before' recipe for those 6:00 a.m. breakfast dates! :)

We did celebrate Valentine's DayFriday night at the Capital Grill! Yummy!

As we were pulling out of the Capital Grill Friday night (in a neighborhood we're in all the time) I noticed for the first time ever a luggage store in the shopping plaza across the street!!

So this ones for you Uncle Tom!! haha! (I warned you guys....this was random!)

And of course...this post wouldn't be complete without another Cook Vacation! This past weekend (President's Day) we headed to one of the greatest places on the map, Breckenridge Colorado! Teddy's college roommate Kevin, and his wife Julia, moved to Breckenridge this past Fall, so you know we had to pay them a visit!

Our timing couldn't have been better, as Jeremy was in Keystone skiing with his youth group for the week! We skied two days and went snowmobiling the third day! We walked main street, shopped, and celebrated Julia's Birthday the last night! It was so much fun, and we might even be back before the seasons over! You never know....

And finally, I leave you with this...the long awaited hummas recipe!

Jamie, Kailee and Mom have all asked for it, and the rest of you out there know you want it too!

Cilantro Lime Hummas

4 - 15oz. cans of chick peas (drained and rinsed well)

entire head of garlic *ROASTED*

2 tablespoons of sesame tahini

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less, to taste)

1 1/2 cups of good olive oil

juice of 2 limes

1 cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves

enough water to thin to preferred consistency

kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Throw all ingredients into food processor and blend away! Thin with water as it runs.

Depending on the size of your food processor, you may have to do this in batches.

Makes a TON of hummas. Like 8-10 cups.

Get creative:

chipotle hummas: omit cilantro and add chipotle peppers and lemon (instead of lime)

roasted red pepper and basil: omit cilantro and lime and add 3-4 roasted red peppers and basil leaves with fresh lemon juice

Happy Friday!

Have a great weekend everyone :)

~Teresa

Camping!

2008-02-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

This weekend we came from all over the State to meet at Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine to do a little camping!
Craw Fish & Shrimp Boil, Camp Fires, Catch Phrase, Smores, endless games of horseshoes and bocce ball, great beach time and great friends....minus getting pooped on by the seagull and 'officer friendly' handing out some citations....I dont think it gets much better!

The newest blogger...

2008-01-31T09:41:00.001-08:00

Check him out right here!

Adeline House

2008-01-17T06:13:00.000-08:00

A great friend of Teddy's from college has started a business in the Hattiesburg, MS area called: Adeline House. Check out her site here.

If you can't hire her services...shes got some great ideas and pictures on her site! Enjoy!

Christmas 2007...

2007-12-26T19:23:00.000-08:00

...got off to a rough start when Teddy and I awoke to find that our scooter was stollen in the middle of the night, Christmas Eve!! With places to get to, we decided we would deal with it at a later time. stinks. Then, immediately after I took the picture (of a picture) of our adorable neice, I dropped my camera ... it was done. :( That should explain why I only took 15 pictures this Christmas...! Thankfully the rest of the day went smooth!
Then...to our surprise, we awoke Wednesday morning to find that our scooter was BACK! haha! Whoever stole it on Christmas Eve brought it back sometime early Wednesday morning! Guilty conscious? Who knows...but with our scooter back, and a new camera, things are looking better! Enjoy the few pictures, here!

Happy 2008! (can you believe it?)

Teresa

2007-12-24T06:50:00.000-08:00

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Love, Teddy & Teresa Cook

Drive the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to San Diego...check!

2007-12-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

First and foremost...Im a complete slacker! Sorry if you were checking this page for pictures!

Here are a few to get you started, the rest can be found here!

The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA

The McCords
View from 'Cross Hill', San Francisco
Great view from the PCH, just south of San. Francisco

My Playground!

ahhh....Malibu, CA

Santa Monica, CA

Chinese Theater, L.A. (probably the closest I'll ever get to a red carpet!)

Hollywood, CA!!

Laguna Beach, C.A.

Sunsent in San Diego, C.A.

All the Mexicans trying to get out of Tijuana!

(believe me...you'd want out too!)

La Jolla, C.A.

Scott & Sara 12.15.07

Our last sunsent in San Diego.

Picture of the Day?

2007-12-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

Can I really make it happen?

A blog that I frequent, sets out on a family vacation every summer for two weeks!
Instead of their regular post, they post a 'picture of the day'. Everyday.

As Teddy and I head out to California today, for the next 10 days, I will attempt to post a 'picture of the day'. Now, Im definitely not a professional photographer like Janelle, one of the 'girltalkers', but it will still be a picture nonetheless!

Journey with us down the Pacific Coast Highway, from San Francisco, to San Diego!

Happy Travels :)

Teresa

Happy Thanksgiving from our gangs to yours!

2007-11-27T06:18:00.000-08:00

The "Hardee" Gang

The "Cook" Gang

more pictures of our entire weekend here!

Girls-Night-Out

2007-11-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

Vendors, locally and from around the world, come together for one night: Shecky's Girls-Night-Out! Its happened for years in New York, L.A., San Francisco and many other cities, last night it happened for the first time in MIAMI! Don't miss it next year! It's well worth the $12 to get in!You can get more info here or view our pictures here!

Have a great weekend everyone!

::The Corn State::

2007-11-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

This past weekend Teddy and I headed up to the Heartland of the USA, the Corn State : Iowa!

We had a great time hanging out with the Cox's and the Brewer's! The weather was perfect and we even got the last little taste of fall, my favorite! :)

Enjoy our pictures here!

AVERY'S ONE!!

2007-10-22T05:48:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AVERY!

More pictures of our weekend in Tallahassee....oh, and GO CANES! :)

Mini Reunion

2007-09-10T05:32:00.001-07:00

Lauras Birthday/Housewarming Party in Orlando!

Labor Day in S.C.

2007-09-06T09:14:00.001-07:00

Never slowing down....we spent Labor Day Weekend in Greenville, SC with some of our closest friends! After a day in the city, we headed up to the Simmons' lake house in Seneka, SC. We spent 3 days on Lake Keowee, trying to master the 360 knee boarding...
'Success' for some of us...others, not so much :)

Abby, Josh, Gizmo,Trish, Joel, Teresa and Teddy...Downtown Greenville

This is me...attemping the 360

and this is Teddy...doing what he does best...showing up the wife :)

Another addition to the Cook Family...

2007-08-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

the latest..."Agape"

::OKLAHOMA::

2007-07-31T11:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Teddy and I headed to the Midwest, where the nicest people in the world live! We spent three days with our friends, The Rameys, and their family!

On our way home, we had a two hour lay over in St. Louis, which after an added delay, turned in to almost a three hour layover! Well, if you know Teddy and I, we can't exactly be in a new city that we've never been to before, and not get out there and explore! So we took a quick trip, thanks to the great public transportation in the City, to the Arch and the Cardinals Stadium!

Sit in an airport for three hours....never :)

Teresa, Kathy and The Boys!

Cute video of Eli eatting lunch...and going through the animals :)

~The Cooks

"look who conformed..."

2007-07-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/thecooks3

:)

4th of July recipe...a little late!

2007-07-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

Crockpot Baked Beans: the best!

8oz bacon
1lb ground beef (or turkey)
2 onions, sliced into rings
2 - 14oz cans of beans in tomato sauce
1 - 19oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 19oz can chickpeans, rinsed and drained
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon for 5 minutes until slightly cooked, not crisp
Remove from pan and place on paper towels
Cool and Coarsely chop (or chop before you cook it...much easier!)
Drain the fat from the skillet
Add ground beef and onions to skillet and cook for 7-8 minutes, breaking up the meat, until browned and onions are translucent
With a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to the crockpot
Add beans in sauce, kidney beans, chickpeas, ketchup, sugars, vinegar and mustard, stir to combine
Cover and cook on low 5-7 hours (or 3-4 hours on high) until bubbly

Sooo good!

Catchin Up!

2007-07-10T12:47:00.001-07:00

Its been an eventful couple of weeks! We spent 4th of July with Teddy's Family, and our adorable niece Avery.

That weekend we headed up to Kentucky to celebrate the wedding of my cousin Neil and his beautiful bride Rachael!

All the cousins...

Have a great week!

Teresa ;)

Ice Cream Cake Anyone...?

2007-06-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

One of Teddys favorite cakes is a good ole' ice cream cake, any way it comes, he'll take it! His momma used to make them for his birthday when he was a little guy, so I thought I would attempt one this year for the big 2-6! (Happy Birthday LOVE!) I started with an oreo ball crust, added a layer of vanilla ice cream, a layer of cookies and cream ice cream, a layer of 'cake shake' (ever have one of those??) and finally topped it with more oreos and white chocolate....seriously, it will change your life. ;)

Just thought Id share....

Happy eatting,

Teresa

"Hey Mon...Evry Ting Irie"

2007-05-30T05:35:00.000-07:00

Well...another girls trip has come and gone...I cant believe it! This years destination: JAMAICA!
A few changes, but still the same great memories!

From the six of us...

To the three of us...

From margaritas...

To Pina Coladas and Rum Runners...

From one Birthday..

To another... ;)

and finally....from my first Tamale....

To my first Jamaican Pattie! HA!

It was a great trip...and there are many more pictures of our weekend!

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Bye!

Teresa, for the 'girls' ;)

More Home Projects!!!

2007-05-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

Teddy has been a busy man with week...and its not about to slow down any time soon...
We (aka Teddy and Brad Schmidt) started the week by fencing in our backyard, and Brownie will be forever grateful ;)
Yesterday, he started the first stages of a new guest bathroom....with a little help from Bonnie (very little, lol)
We will post pictures as we progress..and just incase you dont remember what the bathroom looked like 'before'

Linving in dust....again,

The Cooks! ;)

Bragging Rights

2007-04-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

Teddy took home his first open win in volleyball 2 weekends ago on South Beach ;)

Above are 2 pictures of the final game!

Congratulations Love!!

Muah~

A Busy Week....

2007-03-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

...but an awesome week!

Volleyball season is in full swing! The season opener this year was in Clearwater Beach. It was a great trip, and even a great tournament for the guys, but the weather for us spectators was awful....

The following morning, after a long drive home, we woke up at the ungodly hour of 4:00 a.m. to catch our flight to Salt Lake City, UT so Teresa could go skiing and Teddy could find more wives....just kidding ;)
We were on our way to our first annual Cook Family Ski Trip (can I say that guys?)
Here are my "Top 5" for our trip to Utah.....

5. Endless hours of The Office
4. Dads mouths on fire Beef Stew and Lasagna Jerky!
3. The many falls taken by all of us, oh yea!!!
2. Bonnie calling Ski Patrol!
1. Jamie not getting off the lift... "Dad, I didn't do it!" (sorry Jam, but yes, you beat Bonnie calling ski patrol)

Good Times! Can't wait till next year....

After a week in Utah, we were home just in time to celebrate the wedding of Tory and Trish!
Great wedding, and it was only 8 years in the making!! Holy Cow!

And tonight, we had to say goodbye to our friend Andy...headed to Seattle for bigger and better things! Andy,you'll be missed!

Good Night Everyone ;)

TC

::OREO BALLS::

2007-02-28T12:33:00.000-08:00

Half a package of Oreo's (about 25-30)
8oz package of cream cheese at room temp.
white chocolate-melted

Blend Oreo's in the blender or food processor until powder like (there will be no more white)
Mix together with cream cheese until completely blended
Roll out into balls, not too big, place on a cookie sheet
Put cookie sheet back into fridge for about 1/2 hour, until the cream cheese is set again.

Melt the chocolate in a double broiler and roll the oreo balls in the chocolate to cover.
Let them cool on a cookie sheet and then store them in a tuperware in the fridge.

They will change your life. :)
Enjoy!

great website...

2007-02-11T15:56:00.000-08:00

www.theforgivenessproject.com

one of the stories:
http://www.theforgivenessproject.com/stories/katy-hutchison-ryan-aldridge

Love Thy Neighbor

2007-02-08T16:16:00.000-08:00

A recent post by a friend of ours caused Teddy to do a little reseach and find out more about this man named Arnold...

Last night we finally met Arnold on Ft. Lauderdale Beach and saw what he, and 'Love Thy Neighbor' are all about.

Teddy and I were able to team up with Arnold and help serve food (really good food) to over 100 homeless men and women, pray with them, share a meal with them, and hopefully encourage them...It was powerful.

I would encourage you to check out his website.

They meet every Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. on Ft. Lauderdale Beach, just North of the Clipper in front of Bahia Mar and Sundays at 'Who's on 1st' which is on Broward Blvd., and 1st St. downtown.

Arnold and his team can always use extra help!

Teresa

The Promises of the Lord....

2007-02-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

"...And the Lord said, 'I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.' "
~Exodus 33:19

Be encouraged today,
Teresa ;)

Superbowl Miami Visitor's Guide

2007-02-01T11:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Miami, Super Bowl visitors! You are going to have a wonderful time, from the moment you arrive in our magical city, until the moment you discover that your wallet is missing.

I'm kidding! You'll be fine, probably! Because the truth is that Miami is a terrific place, despite the criticisms you may have heard from ignorant yokel blowhards who shall remain nameless, such as U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo.

Back in November, Rep. Tancredo, who represents suburban Denver, ruffled some feathers down here when he called Miami ``a third-world country.''

For the record, that charge is unfair: Miami is WAY better armed than any third-world country. Miami is also a world-class party city, which is why the Super Bowl is being held here for a record-tying ninth time. Compare that with -- to pick a city at random -- Denver, which has been selected to host the Super Bowl a total of, let's see, the '60s, nope, the '70s, nope, the '80s, nope, the '90s, nope, the 2000s, nope . . .

Gosh, it seems that Denver has NEVER, not one single time in over four decades, been selected to host the Super Bowl. I'm sure there's a good reason for this, such as that the Denver area has too few hotel rooms, or too many xenophobic dimwits representing it in Congress.

But enough about Tom. Let's get back to Miami, and how you, the Super Bowl visitor, can get the maximum possible enjoyment from your stay here, with the fewest possible sucking chest wounds. We'll start with:

ARRIVING IN MIAMI

Chances are you'll arrive -- Lucky you! -- at Miami International Airport. Here you will find a spacious, modern, convenient, well-designed, passenger-friendly, state-of-the-art facility depicted on murals showing what the airport allegedly will look like if they ever finish it. This is unlikely to happen in the current century because the airport is under the control of Miami-Dade politicians, who traditionally fall into one of three categories: (1) incompetents; (2) criminals; and (3) incompetent criminals.

I have lived here for more than 20 years, and for that entire time the airport has been under construction, with almost all of the visible progress taking the form of larger and better murals.

At the airport, you will notice that many people are speaking Spanish; this is often true in Miami. It is not a big deal.

Most Spanish-speakers speak some English; in fact, many of them speak it far better than -- to pick a xenophobic dimwit at random -- Rep. Tom Tancredo.

Nevertheless, you may find it helpful to learn a few basic Spanish phrases, such as:

"Disculpe, dama o caballero.'' (``Excuse me, lady or horseman.'')
"He estado esperando mi equipaje dos días.'' (``I have been waiting two days for my luggage.'')
"Sí, es un mural atractivo.'' (``Yes, it is an attractive mural.'')
"¿Usted piensa que conseguiré mi equipaje a tiempo para el tazón estupendo?'' (``Do you think I will get my luggage in time for the Super Bowl?'')
"¿Dónde está el Rep. Tancredo?'' (``Where is the toilet?'')

GETTING AROUND MIAMI

Miami boasts a modern light rail and ''people mover'' system that cost hundreds of millions of dollars and serves an average daily ridership of nearly eight people. This system was conceived of and built by basically the same political leadership responsible for the airport, so needless to say it does not go to the airport.

It also does not go to many other places that many Miami residents would like to go, which is why most of them do not use it. To them, the Metrorail train is a mysterious object that occasionally whizzes past over their heads, unrelated to their lives, kind of like a comet.

The point is, you need to rent a car. Do NOT be afraid to do this. You may have heard scary stories about driving in Miami, but the truth is that you will be perfectly safe, as long as you remain within the rental-car lot. Beyond that, you are on your own.

If you do venture out on the roads of Miami, here are some rules to bear in mind:

* Never stop for a yellow light unless you want to be rear-ended.
* Ditto for a red light.* In fact, as a general rule, never stop.
* In Miami, signaling a turn is viewed as a sign of weakness.
* If you find yourself stuck behind a slow-moving car that does not appear to have a driver, that car is in fact being operated by a senior citizen approximately the height of a Pepsi can, but with worse eyesight. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PASS THIS CAR. At any moment the operator could suddenly decide to change lanes without warning. Just be patient, and within a mile the car will drive off the road, often into a canal or building, and you can pass safely.
* Whatever else you do, do NOT get on Interstate 95. If, by mistake, you DO get on Interstate 95, whatever you do, do NOT get off.

About parking: In Miami, it is acceptable to park pretty much anywhere, including on sidewalks, lawns, and slow-moving pedestrians. There are also some legal parking spaces; if you find one, you're supposed to pay for it at one of the electronic machines located around the downtown area, which you can identify by the clot of people cursing at them, because they never work.

Parking is trickier in Miami Beach, where the last available space was taken in 1997. If you go over there, you will have to leave your car with a valet, who will park it somewhere else. Haiti, for example.

Here are some useful Spanish expressions for getting around Miami:
"Salga de mi camino, usted Rep. Tancredo.'' (``Get out of my way, you stupid idiot.'')
"No dispare, por favor.'' (``Please do not shoot.'')
"¿Está el Océano Atlántico por aquí?'' (``Is the Atlantic Ocean around here?'')
"¿Dónde está la playa con la gente desnuda?'' (``Where is the beach with the naked people?'')
"Discúlpeme, pero usted ha parqueado en mi pie.'' (``Excuse me, but you have parked on my foot.'')

ATTRACTIONS

Here are some of the ''must-see'' attractions in the Miami area:
* The Everglades: If you like vast featureless expanses of grass growing in rotting muck, you will love the Everglades.
* Hot Women: They are everywhere down here. I'm not saying there are no attractive women elsewhere; I'm just saying that, compared to Miami women, they are Labrador retrievers. When male friends of mine come to Miami from other cities, they constantly must drop to their knees and feel around with their hands to locate their eyeballs, which have ejected themselves from their sockets in an effort to get a better gander. I myself do not have this problem because my wife (Hi, honey!) is a total babe.
* The Forest of Cranes: Miami boasts the world's largest outdoor collection of free-range construction cranes. Some of them are being used to construct unsold condominiums -- a major industry here -- but many of them have no apparent purpose other than to screw up traffic. There seem to be more of them every day. We suspect they are having wild crane sex at night.
* The performing arts center: If you want to see arts being performed, this is the place for you to go. Maybe you could do this the same day you visit the Everglades.
* The Two Comically Close-Together Arenas: In 1988 Miami built a new arena for $52 million. Then in 1999 Miami spent $175 million to build ANOTHER new arena just four blocks away. Then we sold the first arena for a tidy profit of minus $24 million. That is the kind of savvy financial-mastermind political leadership we have. It's only a matter of time before we build a second light-rail system.
* South Beach: This is the heart of the action, a happening scene where supertrendy people gather to valet-park their cars and go to clubs with names like ''Moisture'' where they join other supertrendy valet-parkers to listen to music loud enough to liquefy brain tissue while drinking watery cocktails at upwards of $18 a pop. Sound like fun? Then head on over to SoBe, where friendly club bouncers will welcome you inside, provided that you are a woman with a hotness quotient of Scarlett Johansson or higher. If you are a normal human female, or God forbid a male, you may have to wait outside in the Ugly Person Line until (a) the bouncer decides you have been sufficiently humiliated, or (b) Easter, whichever comes later. Maybe you should pencil in a second visit to the Everglades.
* Fort Lauderdale: Don't miss it! There is plenty of parking.
* Joe's Stone Crab: Miami has many great restaurants, but Joe's is the king of them all, and for a very good reason: You can't get a table. This makes it highly desirable. People have been known to spend their entire Miami vacation waiting for a table at Joe's, and yet they always come out happy, because the stone crabs are that good, plus they contain (Don't tell anybody!) heroin.

In fact, you can avoid the long wait for a table at Joe's, provided that you know the correct procedure for dealing with the maitre d'.

A TIP ON

First off, you do NOT simply walk up and hand him money like some clueless tourist dork (or, as we call them down here, ``Tancredo'').

Instead, you let the maitre d' know, subtly, that you will grease his palm on the way out. It also helps if you can convince him that you are either a regular customer, or an important celebrity such as Cher or the pope.

To help you visualize this procedure, here's a sample dialogue between you and the Joe's maitre d':

YOU: I'd like a table for four, please.
MAITRE D': Name?
YOU: Either a regular customer, or an important celebrity such as Cher or the pope.
MAITRE D':
YOU: Don't worry about money, because on the way out I will be greasing your palm with some.

That's all there is to it! While you're waiting for your table, you can enjoy a drink, or perhaps another visit to the Everglades.

But in any event, I hope you enjoy your meal at Joe's, as well as the rest of your stay here in the Miami area. And we look forward to seeing you back here in 2010, when we will be hosting the Super Bowl for a record 10th time.

In between, it will go to two other cities. Neither of them, for the record, is Denver.

By:Dave Berry

and i leave you with this....

2007-01-26T12:21:00.000-08:00

Ohhh...Hollywood Hills High School.....GO SPARTANS!!

Have a great weekend everyone!! ;)

Teresa Cook

::SUPERBOWL GAME/PARTY::

2007-01-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

Superbowl Party at the COOKS house!!

Kick-off time for party: 4:00 p.m. (a little pre-game in the park across the street)

Kick-off time for game: 6:00 p.m.

What to bring: yourself!! and a lawn/beach chair...game will be projected in the back yard on the big screen! watch out!

1027 Tequesta St, Unit 1, Ft. Lauderdale - See you there!!!

Running for a Cause

2007-01-10T18:18:00.000-08:00

Almost two months ago I committed to running the A1A Half Marathon with our church, CityChurch, on behalf of Broward House.
This past Saturday morning the serious training started with "Sargent Tom", exactly 6 weeks before the big run! Pray for me ;)
I will be raising money to help benefit the non-profit organization that houses people in our community living with HIV or AIDS.
If you would like to know how to sponsor me by giving to Broward House you can email me at: tnt4cook@yahoo.com

Happy Running!

Teresa

A Birthday Reunion

2006-12-27T10:32:00.000-08:00

In my last post I mentioned a friend of ours who was watching her father slowly fight his battle with cancer, on Christmas Eve Megan's Daddy went to be with the Lord, and she's right, what better day?

Megan, we love you so much, and we're here, praying along side you and your family.

~The Cooks

'tis the season to be jolly...

2006-12-21T13:19:00.000-08:00

A recent post on a site I visit everyday really hit home this Holiday Season. It's an article by Jim Elliff and I highly suggest you take the time to read it! (its not too long) During the joy of the season we are surrounded by depression, hate, death, sickness, seperation, divorce, and the list goes on and on....
Teddy and I are experiencing this right now, personally, in the midst of the Christmas Season. We have friends who are watching their parents slowly die as we speak, or have gone to be with the Lord in the last couple of days, Teddy actually attended one of those funerals today.
We have friends who are battling for their marraiges, asking questions like, 'when did everything go wrong?', and the reality is, they will spend this Christmas apart from one another.
I pray that our joy isn't found in this Holiday, or any Holiday, or anything fading for that matter, but in Christ alone. The creator and sustainer of our lives....

http://www.ccwonline.org/jolly.html

Merry Christmas Everyone!
With Love,
Teddy and Teresa Cook

Open House Christmas Party!!!

2006-12-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, DECEMBER 16TH, FROM 7PM - 10PM WE WILL BE HOSTING A CITYCHURCH OPEN HOUSE PARTY!!
PLEASE STOP BY IF AND WHEN YOU CAN, AND BRING YOUR FRIENDS!
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE...

Teddy and Teresa Cook
1027 SW Tequesta St. Unit 1
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Faith like a child....

2006-12-09T13:54:00.000-08:00

Well, the Holidays are definitely in full swing! Last night I joined the First United Methodist Church of Downtown Ft. Lauderdale for their very first Children's Christmas Pageant.
Skylar was a star! (actually, she was an angel) However, the true angels are the teachers that work with these children, and children everywhere! They deserve our praise!

::HAPPY THANKSGIVING::

2006-11-23T08:58:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

Thankful Thursday...

.... At about 7am this morning I was thankful that Winn Dixie is open on Thanksgiving!! :)

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! Enjoy your families! Eat up!

Love,
Teddy and Teresa

Thankful FRIDAYS...

2006-11-17T14:32:00.000-08:00

a little late...but still thankful!
(Stacey that video was adorable!!)

Im thankful for...

1. My new truck!
2. The unbelievable patience of my husbnd
3. The evident work of the Lord in our City and in our Church
4. The daily reminder that our stuff is just stuff, and that our treasure awaits us.
5. The favor of the Lord on my cousin, Amy.
6. Short work weeks...!!
7. Forgiveness

See you all next week!!

With a thankful heart~
Teresa

::Thankful Thursday's::

2006-11-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

Some of mine and Teddy's great friends have started something on their blog called Thankful Thursday's, during the month of November, and, in honor of Thanksgiving! Ofcourse, Stacy and Brad, along with Teddy and I are thankful everyday...not just Thursdays!

So here it goes, my very first Thankful Thursday...

1. Im thankful to be alive.
2. Im thankful that my dad has two cars
3. Im thankful for puppies that don't "go" in the house!! ;)
4. Im thankful for friends that truly pray for me
5. Im thankful for a husband that loves me more than he loves himself
6. Im thankful for my job
7. Im thankful for our church body
8. Im thankful for Good Karma's at BREW!!
9. Im thankful for old friends. They're one of a kind.
10. Im thankful for awesome neighbors that are raising their kids in the heart of the city, while trusting our Savior.
11. Im thankful for little babies (and those little babies to come... ;)
12. Im thankful for pain killers (as awful as that sounds)

Until next Thursday....What are you thankful for....?

Teresa

the past month, the good, the bad, and...the ugly.

2006-11-07T17:33:00.000-08:00

What a month...
I just noticed the date of my last post, September 27th. That seems like an eternity ago. So much as happened...

I quit my job at Gossett & Gossett. With the recent move to Ft. Lauderdale, the trip to Hollywood everyday was getting old. I wanted to be back in the hood.
My last day with Gossett & Gossett was October 18th, 4 days after our adorable little neice came into the world!
Avery Claire Grulich

Teddy and I took off to Tallahassee to meet little Avery that week.
After spending a night in Tallahassee we were back on the road the next morning, destination: Jackson, Miss.

Kevin and Julia finally got married ;) October 21, 2006.

Kevin and Julia

It was an absolutely beautiful wedding. The entire weekend was just perfect. Julia looked amazing and the reception was a home that looked like it was right out of the pages of a Southern Living magazine. With the southern Mississippi charm and all!

After returning home from Tallahassee/Mississippi, I started my new job with Johnson, Leiter & Belsky! And its awesome! I couldn't ask for a greater boss, or people that I work with! And its exactly a mile from the house, I could even take the scooter....yea right...that leads me to....the ugly...

This past Wednesday night, after picking some things up at the Target in Hollywood, I was heading home. Thats north on I-95 towards downtown Ft. Lauderdale. As I was coming up on the airport/entrance ramp on to 595, I was all the way in the left lane (HOV). I noticed a white car that was all the way in the right lane, exiting onto the 595 overpass. All of a sudden I guess he/she changed their minds and decided to stay on I-95, as they swerved back onto 95 they lost control of the car. Going at a 90 degree angle across 95 straight towards the median wall, right in front of me. At this point I slammed on my breaks realizing Im going to t-bone this person in a little white car, myself in an SUV, going about 70 on the highway. I swerved to the right to miss them, clipping the back end of their car. I then swerved back to the left and at that moment lost complete control of the car. I slammed into the wall on the drivers side and then flipped three times to the right (passenger side) clear across 95. It was only by the grace of God that no one else hit me as I was rolling across 95. Its also only by the grace of God that I am okay. At the time, I knew exactly what was happening, I was conscious the entire time. Now, thats been my biggest issue. Remembering the whole thing. It was definitely th scariest thing Ive ever been through. Im doing much better now. The day after the accident we took some pictures of the car at the junk yard before they totaled it.....

:::THE LONG AWAITED DEBUT:::

2006-09-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

I have finally posted the pictures of our remodeling process up until this point...I will continue to post as we go....!!!

Its been a loooong 4 months...

Our second home during the last few months
(man do we hate this place!)

Our kitchen table!
(when we didn't have one)

...the rest

ENJOY!!! ;)

Teddy and Teresa

God Fathers Palace...

2006-09-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-creligionsep25,0,3909634.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

pretty cool write-up on The God Father's Palace and other young 'worshipers'

(the picture in the right sidebar is of Andy!)

Just added...

2006-09-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

...Kailee and David, the newest and hottest bloggers! ;)

Kevin and Julia!

2006-09-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

This is the couple that got engaged on July 4th of this year on the Cook's sailboat. Check out their wedding website, it's so cute!

Congratulations Kevin and Julia, we can't wait to celebrate with you next month!!