Cook Family Reunion

Last weekend we had the Cook Family Reunion. My grandfather (my dad's dad), Glenn Cook, and his family are from Wewoka, and since three out of the six Cook children still live in Wewoka this was where the reunion was held. Grandma Lucy decided that we would have all of the events for the weekend out at Wewoka lake since her and grandpa live there and there's plenty of room. My dad's sister, Glenda, and her husband Terry live at the lake and my parents and Steve and Kristi (dad's cousin) have lake houses on Wewoka Lake as well. We have three "Cook" houses on our 40 acres at the lake and I've started calling it "The Cook Compound." 

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My grandfather and his five brothers and sisters and their spouses attended the reunion along with several of their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. My grandpa's Aunt Mut (Flora - sister to my great-grandfather William 'Bill' Marion Cook), who is 93 years old even stopped by for the festivities. About 90 people attended the reunion and it was a great weekend of conversation, laughter, boating, swimming - and of course, GOOD FOOD. There definitely wasn't a shortage of delicious food - hence the family name "Cook." Grandma wanted the reunion to last the entire weekend since family was flying in from Ohio and Kansas. Friday night we cooked hot dogs on a campfire down by the lake at the Cook pavillion, Saturday we had sandwiches, wraps, hot wings, and fruit for lunch, then had smoked chicken, brisket, ribs, homemade macaroni and cheese, baked potato casserole, and lots of different salads for dinner, and Sunday we had a brunch of breakfast casseroles, biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, and fruit - not to mention the tables filled with Granny Cook's chocolate cookies, brownies, cakes, pies, and Aunt Wanda's blackberry cobbler. 

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Saturday's Lunch

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Aren't these the cutest summer cookies?

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Me & the newest addition to the Cook family

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LilliAnn and her great-great Aunt Wanda Hensley, of Wewoka

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Everyone wanted to hold LilliAnn and she enjoyed all of the admiration as well!

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My grandfather, William Glenn Cook - Always laughing or telling a joke! While we were all introducing ourselves and telling who we belonged to, Papa said, "someone was looking for their boyfriend earlier and I said, you might be a redneck if you're looking for your boyfriend at a family reunion!" He always cracks himself up and then everyone around him ends up laughing too. He gave himself the award for the "Most Hen Pecked." Grandma didn't think it was as funny as he did!

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Papa Glenn and his sister Shirley 'Cook' Clark, of Cleveland, OK

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My dad, Kelly Lynn Cook 

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Grandpa Glenn's brother-in-law Preston Clark, of Cleveland, OK and his brother, Doyle Cook, of Wewoka (my dad is in the oil business with Uncle Doyle)

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My grandpa's sister, Hilda 'Cook' Schmidt, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Aunt Flora, 'Mut', of Clinton, OK

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The Hensley bunch - my grandpa's brother-in-law, Robert Hensley, of Wewoka, and his son and daughter-in-law Tommy and Pam Hensley, of Wewoka

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Preston and Shirley's daughter Terry Matzdorf & her daughter

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My cousin-in-law, Karen, holding my second cousin, Eli and my cousin, Lacee, following behind

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Granny Cook's (Thelma 'Thomas' Cook) sister, Ruth 'Thomas' Johnson, Papa Glenn, and Aunt Hilda

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Aunt Hilda's daughter and son-in-law, Pam and Bob Coleman, of Cleveland, Ohio - They got the award for "Farthest Traveler"

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Setting up the "shoes" - Colton Johnson, Josh Rollins, Jeb Rollins, and Reid Rollins. Papa told my dad the week before that he thought we should have some form of entertainment at the reunion. Dad said, "well we've got a pontoon boat, a Mastercraft wakeboard boat, a ski boat, 3 waverunners, a Gator, and a Ranger - were you thinking of hiring a band?" Papa said, "no - I was thinking horseshoes!" haha!

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Reid and Audri playing on the porch of the playhouse

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Audri kept filling this bowl up with sand and telling Reid it was his birthday cake.

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The three would sing Happy Birthday to You and then pretend to blow out the candles and then eat the cake. 

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Reid didn't quite understand the "pretend" part yet, and ate the sand like it was real cake!

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Inside the playhouse

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Miss LilliAnn - all dressed up and ready for dinner

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Nana Karen holding LilliAnn - All ready for bed

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It was a wonderful weekend and I'm so glad that my children were able to meet some of their extended family that we don't get to see very often. We have a very close family and it's such a blessing to see all of the different generations get together to enjoy each other's company and share family stories and traditions.