Merry Christmas!

If you didn't receive our Christmas card this year, I apologize.  Apparently I have more friends and family than 20 cards worth.  Don't ask me why I only ordered 20!  So, even if you didn't get a physical card from us, please know that you are special to us and we are so happy you are a part of our lives!  I thought I would post a copy of it so you could see it.

When I look at my boys in these pictures, I can't believe how grown up they are getting.  Preston is 5 going on 20.  He has tons of questions, his favorites being "What would you rather be eaten by; a killer shark or a killer whale?"  Hmmm....I had never contemplated this until he came along.  I guess it would have to be a killer whale because maybe I'll get eaten by one that doesn't chew his food very good and he will just swallow me whole.  Painless.  He also just recently told us that he wants to be a shepherd.  But then he started thinking about what he would do if a wolf came to get one of the sheep.  I told him that's what his stick is for.  So, I guess for now the occupation of shepherd is a go.  He is also having a ball at preschool.  On the way to school the other day he said, "I can't wait to get to recess because we are playing "daddy."  I guess this is a game of tag where the girls chase the boys.  Don't ask me why it's called Daddy.  I don't think I want to know!  I guess it's better than "Baby Daddy."   He has a particularly fiery young girl redhead named Sophia who loves him and affectionately calls him "Presty" which he HATES!  Finally I'm not the only one who embarrasses him.

Owen is still my little spitfire at almost 3.  He has grown leaps and bounds this year.  He is no longer a toddler.  He is a full-fledged boy.  It wasn't until he started talking really well that it hit me how much he has grown.  If I tell Owen not to do something, there is a 50% chance that he will obey.  Not really great odds, but we are making progress.  There are lots of times where I catch him with a dining room chair pulled up to one of the cupboards in order for him to get candy, a Sharpie or scissors.  I think it's a small miracle that he still has not cut his hair.  Well, I guess there's still next year.  He is also our little comedian.  Just today he cracked me up.  Poor Preston has been sick with the flu and was getting sick in the toilet when Owen runs in with the Ipod touch on camera mode and says "Say cheese Peston!!!" (he can't say Preston yet.) and he took a picture of him throwing up.  I about lost it right there but I had to hold it together so that Preston didn't feel like I was laughing at him.  That's what good moms do, you know.

Cameron is almost 11 months and has shown us that having the smallest head in the Cook family has its advantages.  Apparently you can crawl faster and pull up onto furniture sooner.  He also has the personality of third child down pat.  He is calm when we need him to be but can raise a ruckus at times.  His favorite thing to do is bother Owen.  He loves to crawl over to Owen, pull up on him and just stand there hanging onto him.  This is not well-received from Owen who will say "Moooooom, Cameron keeps following me."  Poor little baby.  Cameron also has been our most verbally advanced baby.  Just today I came in the room where he was and he started crawling towards me and said "Mama."  It was his first time and I looooved it!  Taking care of him has been a joy that I was not expecting.  

Wes has been busy at work.  He just got back from his yearly business trip to Dallas.  This is pretty much the highlight of Wes' life.  He gets to eat at ANY place he wants on the company's dime.  For a cheap guy like Wes, this is like giving a kid the keys to the candy store.  Every night he will call me and go into elaborate details about what he has eaten that day such as steak, lobster, salmon, you name it.  To which I respond, "how wonderful!  I just finished eating bread crusts and dirty water."  He never believes me.

We also became small group leaders at our church with another couple and have had a great time getting to know more couples from Noblesville.  Our church has been a huge part of why we love Noblesville so much and why we will be so sad to leave.  

As this year winds down, we think back on what a year it has been.  We still feel freshly the loss of our brother-in-law Chuck and think about him often.  Preston still talks about the fishing trips that Chuck took with him like they were yesterday.  I think it's very special that Chuck was the one who taught all of us how to fish.  Preston loves to say that Chuck is up in Heaven with Aunt Pat.  Maybe they are fishing together. 

This upcoming year is going to be exciting in many ways with lots of changes for our family.  We look forward to moving out to the farm, to building our own house and to the changes that will come with living out in the country.  Hopefully none of those changes include cowboy hats or boots.

Yeehaw and I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Love,

Wes, Stacy, Preston, Owen and Cameron