Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Text Off

My kids are BIG competitors.
(I have no idea where they get that from ~*said with sarcasm*~)
They also love their new cell phones.
(Yes, they are too young to have cellphones - but, come on, it's 2008)

If you've seen Tyler or Katie lately - they've probably been "texting", when they were supposed to be doing something else. Luckily, they have UNLIMITED text on their plans.

For fun, Dan and I challenged them to a "TEXT OFF" at the dinner table tonight.
Katie finished a SPLIT second before Ty - as she has had a little more experience (and a few more friends)

I told them what they had to type.
They sent it to my phone.
Dan deciphered the messages to make sure you could read them.


Katie's:
I think u r the best mom in the world i will b happy 2 do anything u ask me 2 4eva love kt

Ty's:
I think u r the best moyher in the wold i wiill be happ to do aney thin you ask me to do


Neither one of them were smart enough to realize that I now have written proof that they have agreed to do all of my housework for the rest of their lives.

I'm a genius.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Harmony

I love Harmony.
(Actually, all aspects of the word.)

When I LOVE a song, and tell you guys about it - it's probably because it's easy to HARMONIZE to. You know, some songs would NOT BE cool without the HARMONY line. For example, you know the Colbie Caillat song, REALIZE - that song would sound stupid without that guy singing the HARMONY line in the background.
(If you don't know it.....)


I actually had a cat named HARMONY when I was a kid. Seriously, she was actually a cool cat. Until she had babies in my dad's closet, on his favorite leather gym bag. Ya. Harmony and her babies quickly went to stay on a CAT FARM in the country, somewhere. (At least that's what my parents told me)

I'm the type of person that would prefer to live in HARMONY with other people. If I feel like I'm not - I would prefer to do something about it. So as to alleviate thinking about it all the time.

Do you love HARMONY?

Friday, September 26, 2008

Pet Peeve of the month

I love these people who drive 55 in the left lane.

Are you really supposed to ONLY pass in the left lane? Is that a real law?

It doesn't usually bother me. I just follow along behind, always at 4 car lengths in case they stop fast (I rear ended someone once). BUT, when it's a day when I'm stressed about something else........

I wait for the exact right moment
I speed up slightly
I get in the right lane
Hit the gas
and attempt to "Pass on the Right".
And don't you know,
right at that exact moment
the person decides
that they really should be
following the REAL LAW
and they begin driving 75 in the left lane
in order to prevent me
from passing on the right.
Which means,
I have never successfully
passed anyone on the right.
Good thing,
Cause I think it's a law
that you can only pass
on the left.


I'm not sure, though.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Wednesday Worship - Hello Love


If you haven't checked out Chris Tomlin's new CD - Hello Love - It's a MUST GET!
I love it!
I think it's available on itunes for $9.99.

Happy Worshiping!

WOW YOU ALL ARE SO SMART

TO ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT A PRESENT HUGH OR PAST,ITS OK WE WILL ALL END UP IN THE SAME PLACE SOONER OR LATER.THE THING I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS THIS,SO FAR OUT OF 8 COMMENTS THE ONLY PEOPLE TO RESPOND ARE WELL YOUR RIGHT,A BUNCH OF HUGHS...........YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY..........YA I DONT KNOW WHAT THEY SAY BUT IM SURE ONE OF THE SMART PEOPLE WILL FILL US IN:) IT TRULY IS A GREAT THING TO BE SUROUNDED BY ALL THERE GREATNESS. IF ONLY AFTER TIME A LITTLE WOULD RUB OFF ON THE REST OF US. KEEP THE FAITH,IT COULD HAPPEN.THEN AND ONLY THEN WOULD THE WORLD BE A GREAT PLACE.... HUGHS FOR PRESIDENT

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Dear Kristie, DO SOMETHING!

Story of the week……

Dan and I were driving down a back-road this weekend. We drove past a trailer park and observed an old woman sitting on a bench over-looking a pitiful garden that needed grooming. At the same exact time, we looked at each other and said “Awww, she looks sad.”

Because my husband has a bigger heart than me, he said, “Let’s stop and talk to her!”
(He’s an adventurer, with a desire to talk to random people)
My first response was, “No way! – I’m not doing that! Keep driving! We’ve got better things to do today!”
(I’m a person that loves to hang out in my own little comfort zone, with no desire to talk to anyone, except those I ‘have’ to)

Because he often listens to his wife, Dan kept driving.

About a mile down the road, I said, “You know what, I always talk about how WE NEED to be the ‘hands and feet of Jesus’ – Let’s go back and bring her a flower, You’re RIGHT!”

Dan was thrilled, as this definitely qualified as an adventure, WAY out-of-the-ordinary for me. We stopped and bought a MUM and put it in the back of our car. We drove back to the trailer park, and no one was sitting on the bench.

Dan’s thoughts: “Bummer, let’s drive around and knock on trailer doors till we find her”
My thoughts: “Sweet, we can leave now, it was the thought that counts”

As we drove down the first road of the trailer park, Dan spotted her. He called out the window, “Hi, were you just sitting out on that bench by the road?” She said, “Yes, what do you want from me?”

I won’t waste your time with the entire hour-long conversation. However, I will tell you that in the first 5 minutes of our conversation with LEOLA, we heard these phrases come out of her mouth:
“Yes, but what do you want from me?”
“Well, I don’t get it.”
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“Well, are you selling those?”
“But, what do you want?”
“And, WHO ARE YOU, again?”
“But, why are you here?”

After spending time with LEOLA, my thoughts are this. Why do people automatically think that YOU WANT SOMETHING from them? Why are people in this world so skeptical of being ripped off, or hurt by others?

Why did LEOLA keep asking us, “WHY?”

I’ll tell you one reason. Because people like me have a FIRST RESPONSE like, “No way! I’m not doing that! Keep driving! We’ve got better things to do today!”

I've learned a valuable lesson this weekend.
In order to be ‘the hands and feet of Jesus’ – you actually have to
DO SOMETHING.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Biscotti Jar

You may recall when my kids shared their First Blog Post.

I have had 3 people tell me, in the last couple of days, that the BISCOTTI jar that they smashed was an antique. And it was probably worth a ton of money.

Wonderful.

God decides to bless me, and send me the extra money I need - in the form of a Biscotti Jar.

And I allow my children to smash it - just for fun.

Yep - that pretty much sums "me" up.

Today, I'll pray for God to send me wisdom.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Wednesday Worship - What have I learned?

So, it’s been a month and a half since I began my QUEST to find out what WORSHIP means.
You would think that I would have the answer by now.

I’m finding out-
that it’s more complicated than I thought.

I’ve read the Bible, attended a weekly Bible Study centered around Worship, I’ve surveyed and observed people around me (Christians and Non-Christians), I’ve listened to Christian music lyrics, I’ve read other blogs and websites dedicated to WORSHIP, and a ton more.

Here’s what I know so far:

1. Worship is coming face-to-face with God, as Christians we encounter God with an ‘unveiled face’.
2. Worship happens when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, for the purpose of shaping us from ‘Glory to Glory’ in order to be more like Jesus.
3. Worship is not the same for everybody, and often, different people 'experience' worship in different ways.
4. Worshiping in Spirit and in Truth means something different than worshiping in spirit and in truth. (The capital letters means SO much).

I know, it’s not much, but I’m learning slowly.

This quest is not over. Don’t worry; I will keep sharing what I learn, for those of you that NEED to know, like me!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

I got nothin'

I really need something fun to blog about.
I hope something cool happens today.

If something cool happens to you - post a comment, so I can blog about it later.
No, seriously.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

And with my song I will praise him

Psalm 28:7

The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Five things I HEART.......(alot)

I HEART STARBUCKS. No explanation needed.



These are my VERY FAVORITE shoes - I've actually worn them with dress pants, because I can't stand wearing any other shoes.



This is my new favorite PURSE PRODUCT - Why didn't they come out with these earlier?? They actually work!!!!



Now, I may be getting carried away, but when you have BRACES on your teeth - a nice little "WAX KIT" comes in very handy.



I heart this man. I am a lucky woman. Do you know Dan? No more explanation needed.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Wednesday Worship - Guest Blogger

I've been asking MILLIONS of people to "guest blog" here at theLIFEinaDAYoftheCOOKS. FINALLY, someone took me seriously, and realized they couldn't pass up the incredible opportunity!!

Meet, My Dad, David.

I love apple pie. Whenever I go to a restaurant and order desert I first look at the type of apple pie they have. I am not sure how many versions of apple pie there are but over the past 50 years or so I have tasted most. Most are completely different from the other but all have one thing in common ... the apples and crust. Apparently you can do a lot with apples and crust, however. Each is distinctively different but with a common theme of apples and crust. Worship is a lot like that. Each style of worship we see in churches and in individual lives looks different from the other but should contain a general theme ... the apple and the crust. But, what is the apple and the crust part of worship we all should have as the main ingredient of our worship? At our weekly Bible study we will be looking at the Scriptures in hopes to discover the apple and the crust of worship.

Our BIBLE STUDY (NOW) meets at the Cook House on Friday's at 7:30 - join us if you can.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Influence



Have you heard about this story?

He lied about the fact that he had CANCER, to cover up a sin, and to influence people.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this word - INFLUENCE.

People INFLUENCE people.

It is VERY HARD for me to
show GRACE to
PEOPLE who use their INFLUENCE
to further THEIR KINGDOM
instead of GOD’s KINGDOM.
(And, in some cases –
THEY CLAIM they are furthering GOD’s to excuse their own sin)

It could be on a SMALL scale, like ONE FRIEND that you talk to everyday.
It could be on a LARGE scale, like this singer/songwriter above.
It could be ANYWHERE in between.

I’ve seen a lot of this AROUND me lately.
It happens repeatedly everyday.
To be quite frank, it makes me ANGRY.

Yet, are we all guilty of it?
Think about the people you INFLUENCE on a daily basis.
Are you furthering YOUR OWN KINGDOM?
Or GOD’s?

Friends


We finally got to hang out with our friends, Jeff and Kim, on Sunday.
Here is a picture of the four of us at Unity Christian Music Festival last month.
It was so nice to FELLOWSHIP together.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

the (REAL) LIFE in a DAY of the COOKS

I'm taking a huge leap posting this video.
SERIOUSLY.
This is REAL life at the Cooks.
Not just the FILTERED, "good kid" stuff.....



What do my kids do when they are un-supervised?

1. They call each other names, and tell each other what to do.
2. They dare to use inappropriate language, but aren't smart enough to realize that their actions are on VIDEO TAPE (on a video camera belonging to their mother).
3. They use 'DAN'ERISM's with pride (in fact, I think "attending to throw this in the dumpster" could be considered a 'TYLER'ISM).
4. They destroy perfectly good pottery for no good reason except to have fun.
5. They climb into DIRTY dumpsters WEARING BRAND NEW WHITE soccer jerseys that cost me $130.00 (no, I'm not kidding you).
6. They have fun together (and would make great little bloggers)......

The best/worst part about this video is that it makes me realize how much a child learns from their parents. (Mostly their dad :))

Our family is full of life.
That's just how it is around here.
People always say to me "Wow, you guys are so fun"
Except, we just see all that STUFF as EVERYDAY life.

Welcome to -
the (REAL) LIFE in a DAY of the COOKS

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Worship! - What, it's not Wednesday?

In my quest to figure out what Worship is, I have been doing MANY things.

Here are a few of them:
1. Reading and studying the Bible.
2. Surveying random people, "What does Worship mean to you?".
3. Reading other blogs, and books about Worship.
4. Attending a weekly Bible Study centered around the True Meaning of Worship.

A new visitor to my blog, Rachel - wrote an exceptional explanation of WORSHIP in her February post How do you Worship? She recently was a guest blogger with that same post over at Women In Worship. If you have a few minutes today, please check it out.

Friday, September 5, 2008

My great protector....

Here is my 2nd best friend, DUDLEY. He thinks he is a BIG, TOUGH, HUGE dog. While we were camping, everytime someone walked by the campsite - this is what he would do.

I'm sure I need the Dog Whisperer or something, I don't think dogs are supposed to do that.

(But, it is kinda cute)

Happy Birthday to Eyli!

My baby turned 9 yesterday! To celebrate, we went out to dinner at Branns. Also, while we were camping last weekend, we had a SURPRISE party for her in the camper.
(We didn't have candles, so the kids held lighters for her to blow out)

(PS: I LOVE my new FLIP video camera!)

Thursday, September 4, 2008

UNDIES

OK THIS I S STUPID,I STILL CAN NOT FIGURE THIS BLOG CRAP OUT.I HAD A PERFECT RESPONSE TO THE PANTY JOKES AND SOME HOW MANAGED TO ERASE IT.....GO FIGURE.SO I WILL TRY AGAIN. NOW IN LESS ALL OF YOU TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT TOOK BUILDING BLOCK MATH YOUR FRESHMAN YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL,THIS SHOULD BE EASY ENOUGH FOR YOU TO FOLLOW.LETS DO THE MATH SHALL WE? WAKE UP IN THE MORNING PAIR 1, GO WORK IN THE FIELDS PAIR 2, GET HOME TAKE A SHOWER PAIR 3, NOW THIS IS NOT COUNTING THE OCATIONAL OOPS WET FART,( MY GREAT FRIEND JEFF UNDERSTANDS:) OK 7 DAYS IN A WEEK, 7X3 21 EVEN IF WE ROUND DOWN AND HAVE NO WET FARTS, WE ARE STILL LOOKING AT APPROX.18 PAIRS. AND ONE MORE THING, IFF U DOWNT LIK TEH WHEY i SPEL DOWNT REED MIE BLAWG.......THANKX

Tyler Soccer

Tyler has two soccer games this weekend! Saturday and Sunday - both at 3 pm at Beach School in Cloverville! See you there!

How do I know it's BACK TO REALITY?

It's FALL.
SUMMER's over.
The kids are back to school.
For me, school is work.
So, back to reality.

How do I know?

1. My Bestest Bud is back. Yeah!

2. On a daily basis, a bunch of my little friends say - "HI, Mrs. Cook!! - OOOhhhh - You GOT braces! Do they hurt?" (For the record, adults don't do that. They just stare at you, and say NOTHING. Why you sit there and think, 'yes, I have braces now'.)

3. I wake up to my alarm clock at 5:30 AM - saying "West Michigan Academy, this is Kristie!" with a large smile on my face.

4. At least once a day, I say to a parent, "No, it's OK, that's not a stupid question."

5. Every day, I get to see ALL the little faces that make my job worthwhile!
(If it wasn't against the law - I would paste all of their pictures right here - all 420 of them)
Take my word for it- they're CUTE!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Wednesday Worship - Here I am.....



If you are standing next to me this week, I'm probably singing this.....

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

What does it mean?

What does it mean when -
after folding your family's laundry -
your husband has 18 pair of underwear in his stack?

Seriously, I am serious.
18 pair of underwear.

Katie's first day of High School - What? I am so old!!

(Ya, once again, don't pay any attention to the braces.)

Monday, September 1, 2008

While we were camping this weekend.......

Picture this

MY SON:
took a bottle of SPRAY-ON bug spray
sprayed it into the fire
to see how big of a flame he could make
got smudges of soot on his face
almost took off his eyebrows

(at the exact same moment)

THE SON of the family next to us on the neighboring campsite:
Quietly walked to the bathroom
To take a shower
Because his mother told him to
During the entire walk to the bathroom
He was reading a book, as he was walking

I miss my friends :(


Because August is SOOOOOO busy - we have been unable to connect with our friends! :(
I MISS THEM!! I am hoping to see them some time this week.