precious thoughts <3: January 2018

Since we didn't do a Christmas card this year, I wanted to post an update from our family from 2017! It's been over 9 months since I've posted on here! I definitely want to post a little more often this year! Time flies and life just gets away from you!

Josh & Lauren

It was a good year for the Cook family! In April, we had our vacation with the Cook side of the family. We went to the mountains of Tennessee, and had a great time boating, fishing, playing games, relaxing and just hanging out together!
In May, my sister Nicole got married to our new bro-in-law, Angelo! We are super excited for them and have a blast hanging out with them when they come visit! Excited to have Angelo become part of the family!
In June, Josh and I celebrated 7 years of marriage! We so enjoy doing life together, and become closer as the years pass! We are so grateful to the Lord for giving us the perfect person to balance each other out and help us to grow closer to Him each year!
In July we found out that we were expecting baby #5! Honestly, we were a little overwhelmed at first, but prayed about it, and quickly found peace and got excited about this newest little blessing! I can't wait to get in some newborn snuggles and am super excited to meet this new precious baby! Also in July, we took a trip up to Waterloo, IA to see our sis and bro-in-law Kristi and Nik, and to Chicago to see Nicole and Angelo! That was a super fun trip, and so wonderful to see family we don't get to see that often!
In August, we had our vacation with the Madison family at the beach in New Jersey! We had a great time relaxing on the beach, earning tickets and prizes at the arcade, mini golfing, playing board games, and watching movies together at the beach house!

It was a busy year for me with my 4 kiddos! I absolutely LOVE being a mom and homeschooling my kids! It's so much fun watching them learn new things every day, and getting to be involved in each area of their lives!
Josh stays very busy with work as an Optician, monthly drills for the Army Reserves, work as assistant to our pastor & leading music at church, his basketball league, and of course, being an awesome husband, and daddy to our 4 (soon to be 5!) kiddos!
In December, we started our new journey with essential oils (more on this in the next post!) and are loving it!

Joshua Caleb turned 6 this year! (How is it that we have a 6 year old already!?) In April he made the life changing decision to give his heart and life to Christ! Josh and I were so thrilled and excited to be able to lead him to Christ, and to have the awesome responsibility of guiding him in his walk with the Lord! He is sweet and eager to please. He loves playing outside, building Legos, and playing board/card games! In September he started 1st grade! He is doing very well in school and loves math! (Mommy is hoping this is a love that will last! lol) Joshua is an awesome big brother and big helper to Mommy and Daddy! We are blessed to have this little man as our 1st born son and are looking forward to seeing the Lord's work in his life!

Chloe Madison turned 4 this year! She is our creative one. She loves art, and not a day goes by that she doesn't have the construction paper, crayons, markers, stencils, play dough, and paints out, making her beautiful projects for anyone and everyone around! She has also become a big helper to Mommy and Daddy, and although she is a little more stubborn and independent than Joshua, also has a desire to please and help those around her! She started K4 in September, and is doing very well with her letters and numbers, and is learning to spell now! She loves stuffed animals (and real animals!), and was so excited to get her "fishy" for Christmas! She is a people person, and has so much fun playing with her siblings every day! She also loves to help me bake! We are blessed to have this energetic, creative, sweetheart as our firstborn daughter, and are excited to see what God has planned for her life!

Emma Marie (3) turned 2 last January (2017). She is our little sweetheart, and has the quietest personality out of all our kids. She loves playing pretend with her big sister Chloe, but also plays very well by herself. That has been so wonderful for me when I am homeschooling Joshua and Chloe! I can lay Morgan down for her nap, and Emma enjoys playing quietly by herself! She likes to join us sometimes, and has her own school book with coloring and tracing that she likes to work in a couple of times a week. She loves helping Mommy, and when I tell her she's a big helper she will say "Yes, I am a big helper!" She is great helping me clean up, take care of Morgan, and most of all cook and bake! She loves coloring, artsy things, and stuffed animals too. She has been into the Pixar movies recently (Toy Story 1, 2, & 3, Finding Nemo, and Monsters Inc.!) We are so grateful for this sweet girl!

Morgan Grace (1), is our talkative, outgoing one! She knows what she wants and has no trouble letting everyone know! She has by far done the most "talking" or babbling of all my babies! It was a big year for her! She was only 4 months in January 2017, so this year she learned to roll over, sit up, crawl, and walk (just before her 1st birthday)! She, like her daddy, puts all she is into whatever she is doing! She is curious and fun loving, and we love watching her learn and explore each day!

So that is the update from the Cook family for 2017! We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a great start to the new year! Our family verse for this new year is Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." May God bless you and your family this year!