Saying of the Month


May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

~Author Unknown


Friday, November 13, 2009

My "Clumsy Concrete Kisser".....

As many of you already know.... on Friday, Oct. 23rd, Darryl had an accident at work. This 15 ft(faulty) ladder decided to fall over... sending Darryl plummeting about 20 ft to the concrete below!

(The smaller ladder in this picture is the average
6 ft ladder)





He tried to grab on for dear life, tearing through the hatch opening.

He landed elbow first, then his face hit the concrete. He said that everything went "white" and that he thought he was dead.....but as soon as he "bounced" on his back, he realized that he was alive and in excruciating pain!






He endured the 50 mile ambulance ride (which included an "almost" car accident with an oblivious geriatric lady, who's car ended up on a curb) to Desert Regional Medical Center, a Trauma Center. It was actually quite lovely there! Thank goodness, 'cause he was there for 3 days... granted, he had his own room on the "Sinatra" floor! ;)


After hours of running tests, it was
determined that Darryl's most
serious and obvious injury was his
left elbow which sustained
compound "open" fractures.

Not lookin' too hot!




He was in surgery for 5 hours! They repaired his 80% torn tricep muscle and the major fractures and crushed bones.











Darryl's new hardware! 18 screws, a few plates and some other parts that Darryl swears they took from his tool box!









30 staple swollen trail (3 days post-op)
Just a few days after surgery, he had to "move" his arm/elbow so that his tricep muscle won't turn into "cement". He wasn't excited to do it...... mucho pain!






Some ummm.... massive bruising! And we are only talking about his arm/elbow!
He did suffer a concussion, bruised ribs, knees, face....and the list goes on~ poor thing!









Started therapy within the first week!











Here he is on his 2nd week of therapy. Doing much better and the swelling has gone down tremendously!














Having staples removed! "Oops, sorry... did that one pinch?"






Considering this being the month of "Thanksgiving".... let me express how grateful we are that it turned out the way it did!
We have imagined a million different "could haves"..... like, could have been:
lying in a casket
lying on life support
lying in a coma
lying as a quadriplegic
lying as a paraplegic
lying with crushed legs
lying with a crushed pelvis.....and so on!
We are so thankful that he was being watched over that day and like we keep reminding
ourselves..... it could have been worse!

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Birthday Halloween Baby!

It was 7 years ago today..... I went to visit my cousin's newborn twins at the hospital when I started having contractions! When all said and done......

Scott Ryan Cookson was born!
7lbs 11oz 21 inches long




Ready to "pop" (3 days before delivery)















































































































Sorry..... my blog wouldn't let me comment on the pictures!





"Scotty Too Hottie"

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Beach Break....

7 days Camping at Silver Strand State Beach in Coronodo, San Diego. We have been going to this beach since I was a kid! Great memories with cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings etc. (I want the same for my kids)

We had two beautiful days and a few chilly ones.....but what do you expect when summer's over?





We went to the Legoland Sealife Aquarium. It was just perfect for the kids....not too big or overwhelming! Very clean too! ;)



The Jellyfish were amazing!




















Kyla and her friend Alaina!







Seaweed jump rope? What creative kids! :) Scott, Jayden and Hailey (twins) were all born on the same day which is coming up soon..... Halloween day!


More pictures to come!!!! :)

Friday, September 11, 2009

Where Were You?

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on that horrific morning of 9-11-2001? I had just dropped off the kids at school and turned on my car radio....that's when I heard! I ran in the house and flipped on the news! I couldn't believe my eyes and what was happening! I was profoundly impacted that day!
I AM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN and being PATRIOTIC holds a whole new meaning for me!

This was the scene when I dropped the kids off at school this morning! A tribute to those who lost their lives that fateful day!




I remember thinking that this would be a historic moment in time..... so I grabbed the camera. One day....my kids could share with their kids, grandkids (and so on) their place in time.....when history was made.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

August when?

August came and went..... without much notice....(except the days it got to 110-112 degrees) I guess that is because all the craziness started! I believe August 3rd was the day! First day of school, first day of football practice and I started helping Darryl in his office down in San Bernardino! I am driving on average, 150 miles a day! Great meditation time! And trust me.... I need it! (Along with some great books on CD) Now that we are somehow in September......are you sure we even had an August?
Scotty's First day of First Grade!

Oh...ya~ I also have two other school kids! Ha Ha

I guess they feel too old to have their picture taken on the first day of school! (Not too many moms are on Jr and High School campuses taking snap shots of their 'babies' on their first day)

Ya... it might be embarassing for all! Anywho... D.Jay is now in 8th grade and Kyla 10th! Wow...how did that happen?

Monday, July 27, 2009

Krazy Kyla!

Kyla has really come into her own! She has broken out of her shell and she has really blossomed into a really talkative, crazy-kind of girl!





















Kyla has taken a few trips with my cousin, Carrie and her family! She went camping in Bishop, Ca and went to stay on a Ranch in Colorado. She definitely had her fill of nature's pure beauty!











Kyla's favorite "modeling" poses!



You can tell that she's got raw,
natural, talent huh?




These were the killer cows.....ready
to attack at any moment!





Wild horses with Kyla's favorite miniture donkey! She said it was
exactly like the one in the movie
Shrek.

























Kyla is such a good helper with all the little guys!
Here she is with Carson.























Having fun with fishing!












Kyla and cutie pie, Camryn!













Don't fall!!!













The little gang and the two teens!