The Cook Family Adventure Blog

You know that feeling when you are so far behind in something that it seems absolutely impossible to catch up? Well here it goes...

Crystal started the year off with a raging eye infection, but it all got better from there. We were able to again get out on our annual Mirror Lake Snow shoe. Snow shoeing with kids is HARD! Its more about drinking hot chocolate and playing in the snow. I track it on our gps GAI and every year we get a bit further! Some year we will actually make it all the way to the lake ;) We got out t ski a few times, Fiona is starting to tear it up and we are having to remind her to slow down and take turns...why would she when she can just go fast! We even got a trip in down to Hoodoo to ski with some other families.

The early spring had some stressfull times with construction on our bathroom that seemed to go on forever, with never ending tile work and then....the lice fiasco 2023. There it is...I said it, we all got lice. Apparently the kids entire school and Fiona's school ALL got lice, it was everywhere. I will be happy to forget this period :)

We were lucky to get some time off around spring break to do a quick San Diego trip. The first night started a bit rough with pouring rain during out Safari sleep over at the San Diego Zoo, but we made the best of it. This was followed by some time at Lego land which was surprisingly fun! Then a night at the beach.

Spring brought basketball for elliot, easter egg hunts, lots of t-ball, soccer games and all around good times. We were blessed to have a visit from the Maine Cooks and grandparents. But our luck didn't go too far, the adults had ski'd the day away and grandma and grandpa Cook had brought the kids up to Timberline for the night to ski the next day. Just a few short hours and a breif swim in the pool later we were heading back to Portland at midnight! We had just gotten the kids to bed, blessing our lucky stars that they had all fallen asleep in a bunk room when the fire alarm went off. Clearly, like all good parents, we made sure it was real before we woke the kids up and drog them out of bed! Turns out Timberline lodge was on fire! So skiing the next day was canceled but we all made the best of it and were delighted to find out that the damage was pretty well contained at the lodge. This will definitely be a Cook story that changes over the years. In 10 years I am sure it will be told that were were jumping over burning logs ;)

Thanks to all the family support Crystal and her siblings were also able to take Grandma Weis on a 70th birthday trip to Italy! What a great time talking and having adult conversation. It has been a very long time since we were together for that long!

And finally, closing off spring celebrating Elliot turning 9! Elliot enjoys the company of her VERY close BFF's Finley and Amai and we did a low key birthday with going swimming, out to eat and a movie in the back yard. We had a lovely close of the year with a Memorial Day camping trip, Field day at school, violin concerts, futsal classes. Grandpa Cook also came all the way out to Oregon to take Wes to his first boyscout camp out since mom and dad had to work! The boyscout energy is INTENSE but a good time was had by all. Finally wrapping up the end of the school year with Wes' 7th birthday and a trip to the lego store for his birthday party.

A very busy spring :)