Happy Birthday to Me!

well...some people just aren't very good about keeping up with their blogs! Where has the time gone?


Christmas came and went... We enjoyed having Jamie home for a good, long visit. The Jones Family stopped by Christmas morning on their way to the Keys- and it was good to share breakfast with them- Then off to Grandma's for our traditional Christmas dinner and mayhem. We missed Kailee, David, and Avery- they were in Dallas this year.



Then somewhere in the middle of the week, the Florences, from Atlanta stopped in for one night and a sail-day...it was great to see them- kind of a whirlwind visit! No pictures-sorry!- we didn't stand still long enough!


And before you know it, it was time to celebrate 51 big ones! Ted and the kids took me out to dinner, then we had dessert at Teddy & Teresa's.



Maybe that sort of catches us up!

More sailing posts, soon!- We took Tim and Laura Love out last weekend, and blew out our jib. Good thing Ted saw it coming, and the sailmaker was already working on a new one for us. We're going to hoist it tomorrow and show off our pretty new sail. Maybe I'll post a picture of it before next month!

Happy Thanksgiving from our gang!


And while you're here... check out the newest sailor!

I just can't resist one last goofy shot....


We had a wonderful weekend with family gathered 'round- God's blessings are bountiful!

Party in Tallahassee!

All sorts of family got together to celebrate Avery's first birthday...Sort of a mini-family reunion! The party was on Saturday, followed by the Canes game. (some went to the game, some stayed home in air-conditioned comfort.) Teddy and Teresa and Bonnie headed back after lunch on Sunday, while Ted and I stayed on for a couple more days. (Never long enough!)
Are you wondering where the birthday girl was for the picture?


In the bathtub under the watchful eye of Auntie Courtney!


It was so good to be with all the Tallahassee folks again.

And even extra fun because of all the people who were in town for the Canes game.... it was just a rip-roarin', action packed weekend!

Family Reunion

I believe this was the 19th annual Wy-ook family reunion. We just get together for the weekend, play games and hang out on the beach, by the pool, in the game room... and catch up on one another's lives. It really is a highlight every year- When we started doing this, we felt like our babies were going to grow up so fast- and we wanted to be sure the cousins would know each other. Now they're Gators, Canes and Noles, some even roommates! Some are married- Now one's engaged- and we keep growing! This was Avery's first reunion (and Greg's- Jill's fiance.) Wonder who'll show up next year for the first time? No tellin'! Next year we'll all be in Atlanta, for a wedding-reunion combo. Can't wait!

I keep saying I must post a picture of our mango tree... before the parrots eat all the mangoes! It's never been this full of fruit before. I foresee lots of smoothies in our future!



And while I'm at it, have you ever seen bananas beginning?





I love living in the tropics! (except for at noon on a Summer Saturday!)

Summer at the Cook House

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Oh my! It's been a while since I've posted... Let's see...where have we been? Well, mid-June we spent a fun weekend at Lake Lanier with friends from college days- thanks, Flo and Shan for sharing your "little cabin" with us. It was so good to reconnect with the Callens, Florences, Geenwoods and McCowns.

Then Kailee and Avery were here for the 4th of July, and we had the Cook/Wyrick clan over for dinner and the amazing neighborhood fireworks display. David couldn't get away from work, so we missed seeing him- but had a great week with "the girls".


Bonnie's home... working at Rick Case Powersports, and enjoying the local "mudding" spots. She's happiest when she's out in the everglades or on a dive boat- and glad to be back in South FL where both are close. We don't see much of her- her work schedule is kind of opposite of ours- but it's good to have her home. She'll be traveling up to Tallahassee next weekend to get her stuff moved back here- I know she'd appreciate your prayers for "traveling mercies" as she's not looking forward to the long drive and quick turn-around... and packing!

And I just got back from spending a week at Middle School Camp with the kids from St. A. It was great fun- made me miss my Student Ministries days...also made me realize I'm getting older! Middle Schoolers have a lot of energy! I'm glad they were the ones in the Dodgeball competitions and Box Soccer games... but I can still run a mean go-cart race! Hah! It was a blast. Also good to see Jamie, who was able to come visit on Thursday. (Her church youth group was there, and she works for the youth pastor, so she came down with his wife to spend the day.)

And now we're home for a week or so till we head up to Family Reunion... Can't wait!

Does anyone want to talk about lightning?

Well, as most of you probably know by now, we had a bit of a shock on Mother's Day... We're o.k.- but another great story (and close call) in the journal of the Cruising Cooks.
We'd been down in the Abacos for about a week- Teddy and Teresa even flew down to join us for a few days, and that was really fun!
They flew home Sunday morning, and we moved over to Green Turtle Cay from Marsh Harbor. A little rain shower washed off the deck for us right after we anchored- we were planning to dinghy ashore for dinner as soon as it passed- well, the wind shifted and as the leading edge of the storm came back in our general direction...and... a bolt from the skies smacked our mast!
We knew we'd been hit as soon as it happened- and in the same instant we knew we were both o.k.- which is really all that matters- Thank you, Lord!
So bottom line is we've got some repairs to do-
We had a very rough crossing home (23 hours straight across the
Bahama Bank then the Gulfstream, with no navigation lights or instruments), and we had to cut our vacation short by a few days.
(yes, that's a wall of water behind us- when I say rough seas, I ain't jokin'- I'm starting to feel like a real sailor...learned how to use the compass and a chart this trip! I also learned that having a precautious captain who brings along an extra handheld GPS and radio is a good thing!)
It's good to be home. Believe it or not though, we're already planning our next trip! Sound familiar?