Squirrel!

Recently the David Osmond Cook family reunion was held in Wyoming. We were on Jackson Lake, Coulter Bay, in the cabins on top of the hill. We were there from August 3rd -8th. This little blog is about our picture day of the reunion.
I have many cute little nieces and nephews. They are full of energy and a love of life. They are very close in age to each other, ranging from 2-6. While we were getting ready to get our pictures taken, I was reminded of the movie, “Up.” In the movie there were dogs that would be easily distracted by squirrels. The voice box on the dog actually said what the dog was thinking. The dog would be paying attention to the matters at hand and then all of a sudden yell, “SQUIRREL”. Troy and I have older kids, and we were very amused by the little cousins running around after squirrels. Our sister-in-law is the photographer trying to get the kids all placed and ready for the picture. Her kids were leading the pack for the majority of the time. The kids kept after the squirrels. Someone would yell SQUIRREL!” and it would be a mass congregation at the place where someone saw a little critter. It was very fun to watch, because it wasn’t our kids running around.
For the rest of the trip the kids were running around after squirrels. Here are a few pictures that we captured of the kids running around trying to find those furry little creatures. Notice the smallest of them all, a 2 year old, keeping up pretty darn well.

The BIG 6 0

The BIG 6 0. My dad reached this milestone recently. My father has always been the young guy, the skier, the active participant in life. He still is. “Age aint nothing but a number” is what really comes to my mind when I think of my dad. My parents have always been the youngest parents. My mom and dad were the parents that came outside while I was young and played games with the neighborhood children. My dad worked at a hardware store and he would bring home wood pallets and we would have BOMB fires in the backyard. Not bonfires but BOMB fires with gasoline and everything. We would play kickball in our backyard. I had a very charmed childhood being raised in the same hometown as my grandmother & my father. My dad used to let us skip school on Thursdays and go skiing with him. I have fond memories of a great day on the slopes and then we would stop on Provo Center Street and pick up postum and a bagel. (Postum is gross, but the bagels were great.)
60 doesn’t seem old. It just doesn’t.
My mom organized a surprise open house on Sunday July 25th, 2 days before my dad’s birthday. I don’t know how she did it. She can’t keep those kinds of secrets. We started the day with a family dinner and when we pulled up to the house Jenny & John were here from Texas were bringing rolls around from the backyard. It was the GREATEST surprise. It had been almost 2 years since I had seen them due to their overseas adventure in Australia. We had a very quick family dinner and then something was up. All of us kids jumped up to clean up so that we could get ready for the open house.
My very awesome in-laws showed up first and they came bearing a carrot cake. Carrot Cake happens to be my moms and my husband’s favorite dessert. We hurried and I am grateful for my mom Stark. She helped us all get ready for the open house. Many people came to wish my dad a happy birthday. People I haven’t seen in years. Remember I am from a small town and everyone knew me growing up including during my amazingly awkward stage. There was ice-cream from BYU and Utah State Creamery. There was a huge cake and a family staple the candy “bar”. The Cook’s always go big.
It was a wonderful day to mark a great milestone in Dad’s life. I am again reminded how blessed I am to have the family that I do on both sides.