We've finally moved Bobbi to the "dark side"

This is Bobbi and Sarah BEFORE...(sorry I don't have "after" pics of Sarbar)

I am a closet/wannabe hair stylist. In my youth I used to spend time cutting Jenn's hair late at night. She was always a good sport about my crazy ideas. One time she didn't even hold a grudge when I nipped off the top of her ear! What a gal.
Anyway, now I color my own head of hair to hide those silver wires that are springing up by the day..I swear, ever since I turned 40! Well, that intro brings us to the year 2008; location: Provo, Utah..Cook's backyard paradise.
Sarah, Bobbi and I start talking about Bobbi's hair (the style she has had for 10 years). Sarah says, "just let Terri color it." Bobbi hesitates then, under pressure, she relents. The results of the color, trim and style are shown below. BTW, not only did I color Bobbi's hair but Sarah got in on the action too. They both looked so fab that I colored my own hair again last night..

Cook out in Provo Canyon..With a few uninvited guests

Mary Ann suggested we take our kids and go up the canyon to cook dinner and enjoy the evening last night. By the time we got ourselves together, along with the children and the provisions it was after 8:30 when we finally go there. Mary Ann (previous, legendary, camp director extraordinaire) had a great fire going. We cooked hot dogs, fought the 3 minute rainstorm and enjoyed getting out for an evening.
After it got dark, Beckham, Watanabe's dog, started barking and acting unsettled. We soon realized there were racoons raiding the trash cans that were nearby. We think there were about 5 "coons"..I had trouble getting a good photo because it was too dark. That quick brush with wildlife was enough for us!
We loved the roasted marshmallows though....

Never ever, ever give up!

My brother Dave was in the Utah Summer Games racing a sailboat that he built himself. There was a category of "swifts" That's the type of boat he sails. He just finished the boat early this spring and hasn't logged a lot of hours on it so this was a really good opportunity. We all got on Sarah's boat, and in the spirit of Kerr tradition went to Deer Creek to support Dave. Never do I remember missing anything our only brother did, if there was any possible way to be there to support him. That's just how it is. We are a tribe. We all do whatever we can to be there to support each other and celebrate the victories together and carry each other through the trials. Jenn couldn't make the trip because she and her family are coming next week to go to Lake Powell with all of us. She called several times during the race to find out what was going on. She hated missing it.
The race was fascinating and it was so incredible to see Dave sailing this boat that we have all heard about and watched through the process of completion.
Then...the wind kicked up and things got crazy! As we were sitting out on the water watching him negotiate the boat around the course, all the sudden the wind kicked up and his boat just tipped over! It was so hard to watch..He climbed up on top of it and pulled and tipped the boat upright again. No sooner had he done that, a gust came up again and blew it totally upside down. He climbed on top again and pulled it back up into position...This cycle continued for what felt like forever. Everytime he tipped over the Coast Guard would drive up and ask if he wanted help. He just kept saying "no thanks". He wanted to finish the race..Finally, after the race had finished and two other heats had also finished, he was so physically exhausted that he had to accept help and be towed to shore.
I'm so happy we were there, not just to tow him to shore, and not just to show our support, but for us and our kids to witness what it means to never, ever, ever give up! What an amazing character he has. The kids, of course were wondering when the race would end, when we would get on the float and go for a ride..why was Dave's boat upside down again? Soon, they seemed to understand that this wasn't really what we wanted to see happen either and they became a little more patient. I'm uncertain what impact that experience will make on the kids long-term. I do know for me, I will think of the exhausted man laying on the bow of his self-made boat with hardly the energy to even hold his head up and challenges will be faced with a little more courage from now on.




Dave, you are an inspiration..I am so proud to have you as my brother. Love you. T

The kids had a blast being pulled behind Sarah and JD's boat. They were all laughing non-stop. Charlie's face was frozen into a smile and his thumb was frozen in the up position because he just wanted to go faster and faster.

Before long I realized my cheeks hurt from watching them and laughing with them all around the lake. And, how can you beat that setting???

The Latest HYPE

Our family seems to always go through phases of total obsession with a snack or treat, then we move on to something else. One of the things I look forward to each time we come home is to find out what the "thing" is going to be..
Well, it's:....frozen yogurt???...
Never in my wildest nightmares would I have thought that Barb, of all people would be hooked on frozen yogurt. It's not good with a Diet Coke!
Anyway, Red Mango is this frozen yogurt that is just out of this world. (I should get a few free ones for this promo). They only have two flavors: regular and green tea. They have loads of fresh wonderful toppings and this soft serve frozen yogurt. (I am totally shaking my head in disbelief as I type this..it's ground breaking). They even claim it's healthy. This is soooo unlike the Kerr's who usually go for high calorie, high fat, extremely savoury food. And it always has to be good with a Diet Coke.

I'm onboard baby! I love this stuff. I think they must infuse some sort of addictive properties into it. The "berry" best way to have it is to order regular with triple raspberries as pictured below. This stuff is so not-filling that even when I order a large, I go away wanting more, more, more! I guess I'm on the hype train going to Red Mango 2-3 times a day.
The Provo store is supposed to open at the end of this month..People, who will remain nameless, have been spotted peaking in the windows of the empty store.. willing it to open early, chanting "open, open, open"! Bottom line, if you get to try this stuff..go for it. Jump on the train..hurry before you miss it and we are all onto something else.

Shopping in an upscale neighborhood

Bobbi, Sarah and I got wind of a woman who sells brand name clothing at discount prices. So, we went to the open house she was having. It was crazy. This big house at the mouth of Little Cottonwood canyon had 3-4 rooms of racks full of everything from jeans to sweat suits. We had a great time shopping but the most fun was the picnic we helped ourselves to on the front lawn afterwards. You know Bobbi, always a cooler with Diet Coke and good ice nearby. This time she even offered pretzels.

BTW check out Bobbi's "old" hair style. This is the before picture.

Check out this cute sweater Sarah bought at the sale. Isn't in great! From the $10 rack.

Friday Night BBQ at Cory and Angie's

Angie and Cory invited all of us up to their place for a nice evening tonight. The kids and I took off from Provo at about 4:30. After two returns to the our house before even leaving the neighborhood we finally got on the road. The kids have looked forward to this night all week since Angie extended the invite. The kids were invited to spend the night there with their cousins which is a total thrill both for them and for me. I gave Sarah a call and asked if I could spend the night at her and JD's place since Cory and Angie live only about 15 minutes away. Things went a little later than I had planned so when I arrived at their house they were already asleep but hopefully we will get a little time together in the morning.
On the ride to Salt Lake the kids and I were snacking on edemame beans. After a few minutes and several beans, Jack asked, "Mom, how do you think they get these beans inside of the shells?" It was such a sincere, genuine question the likes of which I will miss all too soon. I told him that Heavenly Father just made them that way and that this is how they grow, just like watermelons have seeds built into them. Charlie then said, "I know how it's done. They just open this one side and stick the beans in then seal it back up again." That just added to the moment. To be reminded that these two boys are thinking and analyzing everything is just amazing and so rewarding and often times really funny.
(As I review the photos I took of the evening I am realizing the kids I didn't get photos of were Jack, Sam, Chasik, Olivia and Avery..Darn..They are all so adorable, but hard to catch once they get playing and having fun together. Bummer! I will have to be sure to include them in the next post.)

Little miss Lily. Ben and Michelle's youngest child and the youngest Cook grandchild. She will be two on July 4th. Independence day is the perfect day for her to have been born. Tonight she celebrated her freedom by enjoying whipped cream off of the Key Lime Pie we had for dessert. It was so much fun to see the big grin on her face as she fed herself with her fingers. The fork was just left by the side of her plate...Why bother with utensils anyway?


Michelle, Ben's wife, another of my awesome sisters in law. Ben travels a lot for work so he wasn't with us for dinner but since it was Friday, he flew in at about 9:30pm and Michelle went home to see him for the first time this week.

Ben and Michelle's only son Noah. He is such an easy going sweet kid. He is so easy to be around and nothing really seems to ruffle him. He has a great time with Chasik and Sam. Noah is in Cairo's same grade so he is a year behind Sam in school. As shown on the earlier blog post, he is a cute little athlete playing baseball and tennis. I asked him earlier this week if he had ever been in trouble with his parents. He told me one time he had been. He had been told to do his chores or he wouldn't get any treats the next day. He then quickly did his chores so he was no longer in trouble. Honestly, if that is the one time he can remember being in trouble, he has to be a darn good kid.

Charlie and Braxon having dinner. The best photo I could get of Charlie was a "crazy" pose. Regardless, they are both super cute kiddos.



This is Braxon..Cory and Angie's youngest. He is the twin's "pardner". Because he won't be 5 until October he will be a year behind in school but they are close enough in age the three of them are so cute together and have a great time. They often want to be included with the older 3 boys but rarely are welcome.

Cory, Brad's brother, and his gorgeous wife Angie. Angie is like a sister to me and Cory is one of the great men of the Cook clan. He watched all 12 kids tonight after dinner while Angie, Michelle and I took off and indulged in some shopping. Thanks Cory!

Madison, Bailee and Cairo acting crazy in Cory and Angie's backyard. I agreed if they would pose cute for a few photos they could do a few with "attitude". This is the resulting photo

Here are the girls in one of the original smiling photos. Aren't they adorable?

Recent Trip to Sun Valley, Idaho

Jack and Charlie taking in the ballgame.

Taylor...She is so full of life and spunk. Non-stop energy and always good for a laugh. She has grown up so much in the past year.

Whenever they got a chance, Sam and Drew would get online to feed their webkinz.

This is party central! My parent's home. For as long as I can remember this is the place to gather for good food, good fun and unlimited laughs. We moved into this home when I was 12 years old (if I remember right). Since then the house has undergone many changes in paint color, remodeling, and has welcomed 3 new spouses and 7 new grandkids to the family. There have definitely been more good times than bad. This address of 1413 E. 1200 N. in Logan holds more value than just the property. If these walls could talk...They would tell a story of a great life and great people and loads of happiness and memories shared. I always love to drive up to the house for the first time in a while. This time I decided to stop and take a photo. This is home..this is where my story began.

Dani and Cairo decided to sell frozen OtterPops at Drew's game. They managed to sell out quickly. I'm certain, based on the stained lips and tongues, that Jack and Charlie were their most frequent customers

After the ballgame, Dani and Cairo wanted to walk home to Jenn's house. We let them out a few streets from the house and they were so cute how they held hands and headed off to the house.

Sammy watching Drew play ball.

Charlie at the ballgame, enjoying his OtterPop and the red stained lips that will remind all of us what he had to eat at the game.

Time with Cook cousins watching Noah play baseball

Braxon is Jack and Charlie's "pardner". The three of them have a great time together. It is so much fun to see how these kids seem to just pick up where they left off.

Avery is another fun Cook cousin. She is Braxon's older sister and a daughter to Cory and Angie. It's crazy how these kids are getting older but I'm not..

Sun Valley was our next destination. We met Bobbi in Tremonton and rode in the same car to see Drew play baseball and to watch his martial arts test. Of course there were a lot of reasons to visit Jenn, Skip and the kiddos but watching Drew in action was a highlight. All the kids are getting just old enough to enjoy each other and to be able to sleep through the night in spite of the new surroundings they experience daily.

Jack at Drew's baseball game..

Upon our arrival in Utah the weather immediately became unseasonably cold. Therefore our fun was moved to indoor venues. The Cook and Merrick cousins had a great time roller skating and playing arcade games at the Logan fun park. This is Cairo and Dani on their skates.


Missing family and the events that go with it is the most difficult part of living in Abu Dhabi. So, when we get home for the summer we do all we can to support our cousins in their activities. We turned out this night to watch Noah play baseball.

My great sisters-in-law, Michelle and Angie. We have so much fun together and the cousins really love the time together. On this beautiful evening we all met at the ballpark to watch Noah play baseball.

This shot was taken in Hailey, Idaho near my sister Jenn's home. When I saw all the great poppies we just had to stop and take some pics with the girls in the flowers.

Cairo and Dani