Suh for Heisman

He is a long shot, but we are hoping for the best here in Nebraska. This is a great story about Ndamukong Suh and give his storied background. We shall see tonight who is the coveted Heisman Trophy winner. Suh had Colt McCoy's number in the Big 12 Championship and in my ameatur opinion, McCoy should not be the recipient. Here is hoping he wins it for all the guys up front. The above picture is Suh after he intercepted then Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins' pass last season at Memorial Stadium and proceeding to "step" on him on his way to the end zone.

UPDATE: Suh has been named AP Player of the Year. Here is the article.

This is a picture of Ndamukong's sister at this year's Colorado/Nebraska game. She is taking a picture of a kid that was wearing her brother's jersey. She said he is so excited when people wear his jersey.

Holiday Prep, Ear Surgery and Snow Day

The weekend allowed Liz and I to get ready for Evan's first Christmas. We did some shopping on Saturday, starting at 6:10 a.m. Evan decided that he needed to be up, so we decided to make the most of it and run errands. We started at a store that rhymes with "Fal-Tart", as my Aunt Roxanne calls it so they don't get credit, and found that is a great time to shop because no one is there.

Additionally, we were able to purchase our first official family Christmas tree from Indian Creek Nursery. I felt like Clark Griswold when the guy asked, "Do you want me to tie it down on the top of your car?" The picture says it best and I promise we did not come home with a squirrel embedded in the tree for a surpise later at the family gathering.

Evan's ear tube surgery was a great success and he came through with flying colors. Dr. Quinlan, who did the operation, stated that, "He is very mild-mannered young man and he did just great." Grandma Sandy has been visiting and spoiling Evan. Quality time with grandma, even at 9 months, is always special.

Liz and I enjoyed a shorter day today because of the snow. With everything closing in Omaha on Tuesday afternoon and evening, it was a nice surprise. We are waiting for the "blizzard" that is yet to come, but we are supposed to get around 9 inches and winds of 20 - 40 mph. We are definitely getting close and we are hoping for another snow day tomorrow. Enjoy the photos.

Thanksgiving and trip to Colorado

Grandma and Grandpa Cook were gracious and allowed us to set-up shop in Brush, CO for Thanksgiving weekend. The reason I call it "setting-up shop" is because it truly is that; pack up every possible toy, an outfit for each day (and PJ's), bottles, formula, food, diapers, wipes, spoons, bowls....I could go on but I will spare you the 15 minutes. Never mind the stuff that mom and dad always bring. Needless to say we had a lot of STUFF.

Evan did very well in his second road trip to Colorado. That 6 1/2 hours in the car seat is really pushing it, but we timed things well. Other than getting a little antsy on the way home, we cannot complain on how he handled it. Evan was able to spend quality time with the Colorado family over the few days we were there and he always enjoys the attention that he gets from everyone. I will have to say though, I have never seen a boy more excited to be home then when we arrived on Sunday back in Omaha; he screamed when we put him down on the floor. I guess when you are almost 9 months old there really is no place like being at home, playing on your own floor and sleeping in your own bed.

Evan enjoyed his first sweet and mashed potatoes and the Cook way of doing Thanksgiving. It really isn't that different than most others, but usually involves at least 20 people. With Liz coming from a smaller family, the shear number of people that attend family functions always amazes her. I will say she is amazing with names even when it comes to the extended, extended family.

Liz and I enjoyed time in Boulder (or I guess we spent time there) watching the Huskers beat the Buffaloes. It amazes me how many Nebraska fans attend the game and the amount of red that is present at Folsom Field. Now on to the Big 12 Championship for the Huskers and with some help, maybe beat the Longhorns of Texas. We enjoyed the victory with dinner at a great "gourmet mexican food" resturant called Cantina Loredo. These photos are from last week and our trip.

On to the holidays now and the busy times it brings. Evan will be getting tubes for his ears on Monday, Dec. 7 so we will keep everyone updated on his progress. 6 ear infections is far too many and continued antibiotic treatment is not netting good results. Grandma Sandy will be visiting to provided needed comfort that only grandma's can give. Happy Holidays to everyone! We will be in Omaha for Christmas this year and look forward to enjoying time with family.

Halloween and TCU Homecoming

Evan enjoyed his first plane ride and long-distance trip from Omaha to Dallas over Halloween weekend. We all headed to Ft. Worth, Texas, for Liz's 10 year reunion and to celebrate her graduation 10 years ago from Texas Christian University. It coincided with Halloween so we had fun celebrating Evan's first Halloween in 75 degree weather (just doesn't seem right when the leaves are green on the trees and there are still flowers blooming).

Evan's plane ride was great. He was a little fussy, but he likes new enviornments and is always very curious. He tends to win strangers over with his curiousity and easy smile. If they only knew. We rented our car and realized that using someone else's infant car seat is not ideal. If you can, at all costs, take your own if you travel. We learned a valuable lesson here as it was a royal pain. We arrived in Dallas to sunshine and 60 degree weather.

Friday night we met up with Liz's college friends, their spouses or significant others and had Margarita's and more Margarita's at Joe T Garcia's. The drinks are awesome and the food was decent. Great atmosphere and definitely worth going to if you are in Ft. Worth, a true landmark.

Saturday morning brought some sleeping in and getting ready for the parties, tailgates and football game. I was surprised at the level of tailgating one does at TCU and clearly everyone is looking for an excuse to have a few beers and really good BBQ. We stopped by Liz's reunion party and continued to the Miller/Kyle Tailgate. This group had couzee's that were especially made for this year. When you order your own couzee's, you clearly have one mission in mind. Lots of people and lots of beer. TCU handedly won their game over UNLV and I was glad to see Nebraska was able to hold off Baylor. Halloween night brought costumes and a neighborhood full of kids and candy.

Sunday, we enjoyed a great lunch with the Jamison's (Drew, Meggan, Hudson and Ellis) before leaving Ft. Worth. One of our favorite memories is Hudson and Ellis listening to their mom's cell phone and singing "Low" by Feat. T-Pain. "Apple Bottom Jeans, Boots with the Fur". We have never laughed so hard!

Evan's flight home was great and he was definitely ready to be done with the National Rental Car carseat. We arrived home with colds in tow and a screwy time change that has Evan off his normal routine.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend. Can Nebraska beat Oklahoma on national TV on Saturday night? Let's hope so! We will be there, sans Evan, to find out. Go Huskers!

Visit from Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Mike

Last week, my parents came to Omaha to hang out with Evan. They had not seen Evan since the 4th of July, so they were pleasantly surprised at how big he has gotten and the many things he can do now: rolling over on his stomach and back over to his back, his extended vocabulary (mostly mumbling at this point), putting his feet and toes in his mouth, giving a non-blinking stare down, giving wide smiles, and touching peoples faces for some tender loving. We visited Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Grandpa then went to Lincoln for meetings while Grandma hung out with Evan all day. Liz hosted a shower at our house for her friend Jackie who is having a baby in December. We joked with my dad when he got to Omaha we were having a dinner party for 25.

Here are photos from their visit and assorted photos from the last few weeks.



We woke up this morning (Saturday) to 2 (update, 3.5) inches of snow. We were, of course, only supposed to get a dusting of snow and some rain. So much for that forecast. We had the most amazing mums in our pots on the front step of our house, but of course they got snowed on so I didn't have time to take a picture of them. They were brilliant yellow and looked amazing.

Evan is 7 months this week. Every day brings a new "thing" and it is exciting to see what Evan thinks of or what he learns at school. It is hard to believe as he is growing up before our eyes.

6 months already?

Evan turned 6 months on Tuesday, September 15. It is hard to believe really. It has been quite a ride so far and we cannot wait to see what the next 6 months have to hold.

He is 26 1/4 inches long and 15 pounds, 9 ounces. He had his first seasonal flu shot and other immunizations to ensure he stays healthy. He is rolling on his tummy but cannot quite figure out how to get back over. He holds his rattle and exchanges it between hands which is a good sign. He talks A LOT and is very close to sitting up on his own. He has been working very hard on this at school and his teachers say he is making good progress. He also seems to be the "favorite" there, but I am not sure he is old enough to truly be the pet.

Evan has finally been feeling well consistently the last few weeks after having a few rounds of ear infections. Thank you all for calling or emailing to check up on him as he knows when you call. He is getting acclimated to wearing red every Saturday to cheer on the Huskers and will be watching his first game on TV this weekend versus the VaTech Hokies.

Here are some photos from the last few weeks:


Fall is upon us here in Omaha as the leaves are changing. The trees behind our house are showing their fall colors which also brings cooler weather and eventually snow.....just doesn't seem possible. School is in full swing and Liz and I are both busy at work. Liz is also taking classes once a week to complete the HR Professional certification which concludes in December. Good luck to your football teams (real or fantasy) and may the best man walk away with the crystal football (can I get my hopes up that it will be Nebraska?).

September 2, 2009

"What the heck do we write about in this post because we don't have any ideas," says Shawn. "I don't know, come up with something," says Liz. Insert long sigh.

That is how it started, as you can tell. The subject goes right along with it. The date simply marks this post. There really is not any update here from Omaha and no accompanying photo this time around. We have been relatively busy with work and taking care of Evan. As my dad would say, "Nothing new to report here."

We are all looking forward to the extended weekend and enjoying Labor Day in Omaha this year. As I reflect back over the busy year, I just realized this was the weekend we were in Colorado informing everyone that a new arrival was going to be coming to the Cook and Temple families. We also spent time driving around Omaha or on the phone sharing our big news with the Crossman and Andres families. This time around, there is no big news. Rather, an uneventful weekend of football watching and hanging out. We cannot wait!

I do leave you with a random thought; has anyone heard of Geocaching? I learn something new every day and it is exactly why I continue to work with college students. Who has time for this? Sounds fun, though.