Breaking & Entering

"The Suspect in Custody"

I know that it has been a while since we have last talked, but I was waiting for a blog-worthy moment...tonight it happened!!!

After a long day at work, and Brian had a long day at school we like to just come home and relax.  After dinner, tanning and watching a few shows we were getting ready to go to bed.  Brian went outside to the car to get his ipod and sneaky little Riley snuck out with him.  I had gone back to the bathroom to go potty (I know T-M-I) and I heard this loud crash; I assumed that Riley was just looking out the window and had pulled the mini-blinds down and I was going to be mad.  As I started walking down the hall I noticed glass, and Brian, from outside telling me that the dog had ran through the glass door.  As I rounded the corner I saw Riley cowered over in the dining room and Brian trapped outside with no shoes on....oh ya, and glass all over my house!!  So the first step to recovery was to get the dog outside and shoes on Brian! In the meantime I am trying not to cry because my poor little puppy ran through a door and I knew he was scared, and that he might have been hurt, so I got Riley outside and checked him over...I really needed Shanna tonight, and got Brian some shoes.  Now came the hard part, there was glass from the front door all the way to the opposite wall leading to the backyard and it wasn't like big chunks of glass, there were millions of teensy weensy pieces of glass all over. While Brian took the door off the hinges I started sweeping up the glass...I should have put on real shoes instead of flip flops because little glass pieces were getting all over my feet!!  After about 30 minutes of sweeping and vacuuming we thought we had all the glass up, and it was not until we went to get the dog that we noticed there was glass by the back door...how it got way back here we don't have a clue.  We are so amazed and so thankful that our sweet little puppy (who is not so much of a puppy, obviously he can bust through a glass door) was not hurt at all, no scratches no anything...CRAZY.  So after the feeling to cry went away Brian and I had a good laugh because how often do you hear of a dog running straight through a glass door!!  As far as our door goes...we didn't like that door anyway!!!  

Blogger and I were in a fight!

Ugh, I think I am technology dumb!  I spent at least an hour last night...45 minutes this morning and just realized that in order to change my background I couldn't just add a gadget, I have to delete the others in order to get my new picture!  I was literally fighting with it and now I feel a little stupid....OK a lot stupid!  I don't know how every person my age can be so technology savvy and I don't have a clue?  It is like when people our age were born they were given some knowledge about this stuff and I missed the bus!  I feel so left out!!!!  Anyway, I am done with my pity party, I got it changed, I just feel sorry for my keyboard (I think I hit it a little harder than it needed) ha!

Well Brian and I are back in full swing with work and school.  He is busy juggling methods and all the hoopla that goes along with it.  If he can get through the busy work and crazy lesson plans he will be golden!!  I am going full swing with basketball, but also preparing for track.  We found out last week that Atkins is in charge of hosting the first track meet and this year the district changed the meets from two days to one.  So not only am I learning how to host a meet at someone else's track (the middle schools don't have tracks, we have to go to the high schools) I have to figure out how to change all that they have done in the past and make everybody happy!  I know it is possible, but I don't know if it is possible to have it run off in the short amount of time that my coaches are used to.  We (Atkins) were actually not allowed to run off a track meet last year because they ran it off way to fast the year before!  The male coaches are extremely precise in their timing and like to get through things fast!  It will definitely be interesting!!  Maybe a little clashing between me and them...but that is nothing new!!!

Well I guess that is all I have to say for today, sorry no pictures, I don't think you want to see anything from our lives right now (a bunch of smelly middle school kids, or Brian's homework)!!  Not really, the kids don't smell that bad!  We will try to get some photos up soon! Have a great week!!

Just a quick hello!

Ok friends and family, I just have a short update because it is getting further and further past my bedtime but I thought we should say hello!!  

The second semester of school is in full swing and I am already exhausted!!  Today was a crazy day at school, everybody showing off their new Christmas clothes (or hooker boots in the case of the kids at my school) and so many hugs for missed friends....middle school kids are too weird!  And just to top the day off we had a game!  Thank goodness my girls decided to come together and get a good win because I was going to be quite evil if we had lost all of our hard work from before Christmas!  So lucky them, I guess I will be nice tomorrow, at least at the first of practice! Ha ha!  

Brian will start methods tomorrow, which is the last set of classes that he takes before student teaching and graduation!! So we are so excited to get this last semester out of the way!  

I am so sad that the Christmas vacation is already over!  We are so blessed to have such great family surrounding us, we just ran and ran all through the holiday trying to get around to see everybody!  First we spent Christmas with my family in Shallowater, then a few days later went to Lovington, then a few days later went to Snyder, and then just a few days after that we were coasting along in sunny California with Brian's family.  We always have so much fun spending time with our families, especially when presents are involved!!  Not really....it just was an added perk!  We really did have a great holiday, it was just too fast!!!

Well, that was just a little snippet of what has been going on in "Cole Land" (that is what Brian's sister's boyfriend Garrett calls the Cole family gatherings) we have so many more stories and pictures to share, but maybe another day when it is not after my bedtime!!  

Tiny Dog Free!!

Brian and I (and I guess Riley) are free of little dogs taking over our house!  And that is what they did, we have made jokes about them coming between Brian and I because last night I slept on the couch with the little dogs, and Brian and Riley took the bedroom (they just need lots of lovin)!  We had a great time keeping the dogs, but I think that Riley is glad to have the full attention of his parents again, and I know the little dogs are glad to be back with their parents!!

  He got camera shy!!

Tomorrow is a big game against Mackenzi, so around 6:00 if you happen to be thinking about me, say a prayer for my sanity, patience...and maybe a miracle!  Haha!    I hope you have a great week, and hopefully we will be back with more stories soon!!  Lots of love, Brooke and Brian...and Riley!

I have missed you!!

Well hello blogger friends, it has been way too long since we have been together, but this year has turned out to be quite busy!!  So much has happened since October I don't even know where to begin, but I guess I will just update you on what is going on at the Cole household.

This weekend we are dog-sitting for my parents and my sister as they are off partying in Vegas (well not so much partying as they are watching the NFR and shopping, and more shopping, and more shopping) and it has turned out to be a bigger job than expected, and I don't think big ol' Riley likes being stuck outside while the little dogs get to snuggle inside where it is warm.  We bought a baby gate to keep the small dogs in while we are gone to school and thought it was the greatest idea to keep them contained...not so much!  Courtney's dog Angel probably weighs 3 pounds and is quite sneaky.  Thursday night we put the dogs in the kitchen and said goodnight and went to bed, well Angel decided she did not like to be trapped in the kitchen with Taz, so she hopped up on a chair and jumped over the baby gate and was barking at our door.  So lesson learned we moved all chairs away from the gate, put the dog back and went to bed.  Tonight we went to supper, put the dogs in the kitchen, and came home to find Angel, who is normally clothed (ask her mother) undressed and out of the kitchen.  The clothes that she was wearing apparently came off as she was squeezing herself though the baby gate!  Poor Taz is a little bit rounder than Angel and well, he did not get out of the baby gate!  Haha!

Angel's shirt is the teal colered thing inthe corner that is standing on its own!!

As many of you know already, but for those of you who don't, my volleyball team won the Consolation bracket for the City Tournament.  We had to really fight to win, and I was so proud of my team.  It was so exciting for them to win a trophy, and it was so exciting for me to accomplish this with my first volleyball team.  Now that we are on to basketball I thought it was going to be pretty laid back and easy, I have been told of how great this group of girls would be for me and that they were so talented in basketball, boy was I wrong.  Not that they aren't talented, because they could easily win all their games this season and go on to win the city tournament, but the girls have developed this attitude (I know who would have thought junior high girls with attitude) and are not listening or trusting me.  I have given this team a motto and it is "I do what I want" (you have to say it with a little ghetto in ya) and they hate it when I point it out to them.  But just as junior high girls will do, some days we have great practices and everybody is in a good mood, and most days we have some sort of drama...oh the life of a junior high girl!!!  Needless to say we are working hard and hopefully we can get it together and start playing to our potential!!  

Brian has also been working at Atkins with our Choir teacher and he absolutely loves it.  I knew that we had made the right choice in staying in Lubbock when he was offered to be employed by LISD and work with an amazing choir teacher, and get some good experience before he heads into student teaching.  It is so cool to see God's plan unfold, especially when you have to make a choice and you start feel that you made the wrong one, and God steps in and shows you why he put you where you are.  So Brian is really having a good time.  The kids love to come in and tell me that they saw Mr. Coach Cole (yes, not Mr. Cole, he is Mr. Coach Cole).  I also had a student come to PE the other day after Choir and she was so worried because Mr. Coach Cole wasnt wearing his wedding ring and she thought we werent married anymore. After explaining to them that he just left it at home they were very releived, but it is so sad that they automatically assume things like that.  I have been told over and over that we work with damaged kids, but it is hard to understand until you hear their stories and work firsthand with them.  I know that Brian and I were put at Atkins for a reason and I think that just seeing us together is help to them.  I know that Brian has definitely helped some of the boys at that school, and I love to hear them talk about how cool Mr. Cole is!!

Well I am not sure how much more I have to say right now, there are thousands of stories, funny and sad, that I have to share about our jobs and dogs, so stay tuned and hopefully it wont take me 3 months to post again!!  Have a great weekend!!

I hope you didnt forget about us!!

Well hello! Sorry we have not been on in so long, but I feel like we have been going and going so much that when I get a second to myself I just want to sit!!! But Brian is having a guys night, and I am procrastinating on grades, so here we are!

I feel like there is so much I need to catch you all up on, but I don't even know where to begin! My job is going good, it is tough, especially since we are getting into the silly "junior high girl drama", but I really enjoy my new school. It is also so fun since Brian is working there as a supplemental teacher with our choir teacher. I get to see him in the halls every once in a while and then after school most days. It is nice to see someone who you know is on your side and thinks you are doing a good job, especially when you are surrounded by junior high kids all day! I will admit, being a head coach at this age is tough!! And it is extremely hard be over people who are older than you and think they know more than you do, but I am learning and I do feel that I am getting a little thicker skin, and stronger back bone....that could be why my back hurts at the end of the day....or it could be from all the backstabbing...who knows!!! Ha, not really! One thing I can say, I have grown more in this first six weeks than I have through all college and my first year of teaching! Volleyball is so much fun!! I knew that I loved to play volleyball, but I LOVE to coach it. I look forward to practice everyday, and I am sad that we are almost done with our season!!

Riley Update - We still do not know what type of dog lives in our backyard, but he is quite possibly the cutest thing ever!! But this cute dog is also very accident prone!! We have come to know our vet very well, and I have the number on speed dial....well maybe that is a little exaggeration, but we have been to see them multiple times. So the other day we went out to see Riley and his poor little tail was just hanging between his legs, and it is normally wagging uncontrollably. So of course we were worried and took him to see his friend. On our way to the vet we were feeling like terrible parents who couldn't take care of our dog, and that we couldn't afford to take him in as often as we have, so we asked the vet about adoption, and once the words left our mouth the tears started flowing. It was like once we said it out loud we realized how bad of an idea that would be! The vet assured us that we were not bad parents, and as Brian and I sat there crying we decided to get him fixed and see if that would help calm him down. So the next Monday we took him in and we do feel that he is better now....and a little more cuddly!! So our $20 dog who has cost us ..... well way more than $20 is still at home, and snoring on his bed as we speak!! Gotta love him!!!

So, sorry this is so long, but I haven't blogged in forever! Hopefully I can stay a little more updated, but we shall see! Have a great weekend!

Brian's Birthday (Not Really)

Courtney's friend Kimberly has a little girl named Kambree, and she decided that she wanted birthday cake.  She also decided that today would be Brian's birthday.  Kambree then told us that he was turning 42 tonight!!  We had alot of fun playing "pretend birthday" so here are some pics for you!!  Happy Birthday Brian!!

Brian cutting his birthday cake.

Courtney with her "cake lips"!  Kambree kept saying "don't kiss her, don't kiss her".

Kambree wanted all the balloons that were on the cake, so Brian gave her ALL the balloons!  She had a plate full of cake...and a mouthful!!