The cochran five

Vacation

2010-07-27T07:36:00.001-07:00

Steve has spent and will continue to spend weeks out of town for work. This has made his time home precious. His last visit home we decided to take some time to do family stuff on Port Aransas . Our family loves the beach and it was so nice to be together.

18

2010-02-05T18:35:00.001-08:00

Stephy turned 18 today. I may be prejudiced but my she is confident, beautiful and smart. She is also a little bit ditzy but that what makes her funny. I can't believe 18 years have passed since I first held that quiet child taking it all in, of course she hasn't been quite since.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T18:38:00.001-08:00

Gingerbread House

2009-12-23T17:30:00.000-08:00

I bought this kit to make a gingerbread house because it looked fun and fairly simple. I opened the box and thought why are the directions a booklet? After we finally figured out the basics we started to mix the concrete, oh I mean icing. Putting it in the bag to spread was not easy but it was still easier than trying to spread it from the bag. Assembling the house while using the icing as glue sounded so much easier than it was, I finally left the room for my sanity. The children eventually got a tub of frosting from the cupboard to use instead of the concrete. The final product turned out well but it was quite the path to get there.

Snow

2009-12-13T16:54:00.001-08:00

Today was a very nice 70 degree day but it has been cold here for about 10 days. At the start of this cold snap we had some surprise snow. The weather man said that we would not get any rain or snow but we woke up to big fluffy flakes. Since this is about a once a year happening the kids went outside to check it out before school. I was nervous about Stephany driving but it didn't stick to the roads so we were okay. It was all gone by the afternoon but it was pretty to see for a little bit. My favorite kind of snow it leaves quickly.

Homecoming

2009-09-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

This was homecoming week for Saginaw Highschool and it has kept us busy. This was Stephany's last homecoming so she participated in all the festivities. Monday was the parade and she carried a banner with the Posse. Friday she wore her mum, which if you are not from Texas it is a huge flower and ribbon creation that is personalized to them. She was part of the pep rally that day. The big game was that night and Steph was cheering on the sidelines. I worked the stands doing the 50/50 raffle as a fundraiser for class of 2010. We won the game by a good margin. Saturday night was the homecoming dance and she looked beautiful all dressed up. My baby is a Senior so I want to enjoy every minute of this year.

Twelve

2009-09-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it my babies are 12 years old. It seems like just last week that they we were wondering when they were going to walk. Now Ally is an independent, beautiful and tenacious young lady. Matthew is a sweet, mature boy who is slightly addicted to video games. Now that they are in middle school all I think is they are growing too fast and will soon be like Stephy looking at colleges. I am so not ready for that but I also have no desire to start over again. :)

Back to school

2009-08-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

So this week was back to school with all the craziness that comes with it. I started back 2 weeks ago so at least I was already in the routine. This year is our last year of highschool for Stephany and the first year of middle school for Matthew and Allyson. They are getting so grown up and I am feeling a little sad about that. It is also exciting with all the changes going on and it will be a big year for all the kids especially Stephy.

Saturday exploring

2009-07-26T09:47:00.001-07:00

We spent the Saturday checking out things we haven't seen before. We picked up my nephew Caleb to go along with us. Our plan was to start at the Dinosaur Park in Glen Rose but on the way we saw this outdoor museum. We stopped and listened to a gentleman talk about local history, we also explored the tipis, stage coach and other things from the Chisholm Trail.

We got back on the road to Glen Rose and soon made it to the Dinosaur Park. You can walk the riverbed and see the fossilised dinosaur tracks. There are 2 distinct set of tracks and you really get a feel for the size of these animals. We explored for awhile but it was hot so we headed out.

We went into the town of Glen Rose and checked out the historic downtown. Stephany loves old architecture so she really liked this. At this point we were hungry so we had dinner in the nearby town of Granbury. We then checked out Granbury Lake for a little while and it was very pretty.

It was then time to go to the drive in, Granbury has one of the only drive ins left around here. We watched the movie G Force first and it was awful it got no stars from me. The second movie was UP and it was great, 5 stars from me. We finally headed home about 1am, it was a fun day.

other

New wall portraits

2009-07-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

We went to the Ft Worth Botanical Gardens today to take some new pictures for the photo wall in the house. It was a 105 degrees so the kids didn't last long despite all the shady areas but we still got some great pics.

Independence Day Celebrations

2009-07-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend we celebrated all weekend. On July 3rd we went to Lone Star Park for horse racing and fireworks. Dorothy, Jason and Stephany really loved betting on the horses. Steve and I placed 2 small bets and won on the second and stopped. Steve is switching jobs right now so we were being frugal. The other 3 were hilarious to watch planning their next move and the good news is they broke even or came out ahead by the end of the night. The fireworks after the races were fabulous and coordinated great with the music.

The 4th of July we started with brisket at our house and then a big group headed out to an area on the Trinity River. The set up was not quite as good but they did have yummy free watermelon. The fireworks did not start until the minor league baseball game ended, we didn't go into the game but still had to wait for 13 innings before the fireworks started. It was about midnight when that happened and it was an okay show but not as good as the night before. We still had a good time hanging out with everyone. Now today is all about rest.

Joey, Caleb, Matt, Stephy and Ally enjoying snowcones.

Donna, Dorothy and me just hanging at the races.

Ally and Dad waiting for the fireworks

Chris and Stephy just goofing around.

Father's Day

2009-06-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

Today we had a pretty good Father's Day. Steve spent the morning just relaxing and then the whole family came over for a barbeque. Steve did the grilling because he does it best. After we ate we took out the slip and slide Grandma had bought for the kids. They had a blast playing on it and I even gave it a try. Overall it was a nice easygoing day.

Graduation

2009-06-07T14:57:00.001-07:00

This has been one crazy busy week. It has been the last week of school and we have been trying to get that all wrapped up. The kids headed off to New Mexico on Saturday so they had to be packed up. The biggest part of this week has been preparing for my nephew Chris' graduation. We had a scrapbook to finish and various other details to help my sister with.

Graduation night was wonderful. Chris was so handsome and he was a Texas Scholar. We were a very large and proud family cheering him on. We were very happy and looking forward to doing it again next year with Stephy.

Rangers Game

2009-05-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

Today we went to a Rangers game. It was a beautiful day and a perfect day to be outside. The Rangers beat the Angels so that made it even better. The girls and I should have worn some sunscreen but we really thought we would get seats in the shade like last year. We will recover and remember next time. Steve took the kids swimming at my sisters this afternoon so it was a fun rounded out day.

Casual family evening

2009-04-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight we spent some time just hanging out in the backyard. It was a beautiful evening in the low 80's and the only day we have had no rain this week. We were suppossed to have a baseball game tonight but the swine flu scare has shut down all extra curricular activities in the town. We grilled some turkey burgers and just relaxed. Steve even got on the trampoline with the kids but not mom she is on day 5 of a headache. It was a good night and a great way to avoid all the hysteria that the swine flu is causing.

Prom

2009-04-19T09:40:00.001-07:00

Last night was senior prom for Saginaw Highschool. Stephany is not a senior but a friend of hers who is a senior asked her to go. They are not dating but went together as friends. We had so much fun dress shopping and it really hit home that my baby girl is growing up. The day of prom Stephy had hair issues. It was really humid outside and her hair wouldn't hold a curl so at the last minute we had to change styles. My nephew Chris came with his date, his friend Justin and his date along with Stephany and Brandon to get pictures taken. They all looked great and had a fun time.

Spring has sprung

2009-03-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

The bluebonnets are blooming again in Texas. I really needed some new pictures of the twins for our wall so we headed out today. I managed to get some pretty decent shots of them even though they were acting pretty goofy.

San Antonio day 3

2009-03-19T20:02:00.000-07:00

Steve was supposed to work today, so the two of us got up early to drive him to the San Antonio shop. He went inside but told me to wait a minute so he knew where to put his stuff and after about 5 minutes came out and announced he had the day off. We went back to the hotel and they were happy and surprised to see daddy. After eating breakfast we began the packing up of the room. I have gotten better about delegating so all the kids managed to pack their own bags. Yea!

After we packed up we made a last minute decision to try and go see at least one of the many missions in San Antonio. We ended up at Mission Concepion which is over 250 years old and took some time to explore the grounds. The chapel is still in use and it was very beautiful. Stephy loved the old architecture but the twins were kinda bored. We figure though they still absorbed some of it.

We then headed to Sea World again, it was finally in the 80's and it was crowded. We went on the water log ride and I finally joined them. The girls rode together and Steve, Matt, and I were together. The girls did not get real wet but you can pay to squirt people so somebody soaked our log. We then went to see the sea lion show again because the animals were not cooperating the day before and we wanted to see if it was part of the act. We found out that the show was longer and better when the animals do cooperate. We headed over to see the Viva dolphin show and Steve stood in line for drinks while we found a seat. After 30 plus minutes in line for a soda Steve discovered they wouldn't let you in the show even if they are just 1 minute into it. Poor Steve missed the whole thing. Sea World was now wall to wall people so we decided to leave.

We went to eat an early dinner and then it was time to head home. First we had to drop Steve off at the hotel where his crew was staying. It was sad because we won't see him for 2 weeks. After battling horrible traffic in San Antonio we actually blazed through Austin which is a miracle. We were finally home at about 10pm. We had a great time and I am glad we went.

San Antonio day 2

2009-03-18T12:48:00.001-07:00

We are on day 2 of San Antonio and it is time for Sea World. Steve is having to work a lot in San Antonio this year and Sea World is having a promotion of pay for one day then get the whole year free. We are hoping to make it down there at least one more time this year.

We arrive at Sea World right as it opens and of course my family wants to go straight to the roller coasters. Unfortunately for them we have to wait 40 minutes for it to open so we go check out the penguins for awhile. They ride the Steel Eel and then the Great White twice and I then declare it is time to see the animals. It is finally starting to warm up as we head off to see Shamu. We then watch the sea lion show and the kids feed the sea lions. We head over to the dolphins and run into our neighbors. We didn't know they would be there so it was a nice surprise. We hung out for a few minutes with them and enjoyed an adult beverage. After we left them we headed over to check out the shark reef. We spent a lot of time just watching the fish in the aquariums. At this point we decided we would go to the Riverwalk.

After some time at the hotel to get refreshed we went over to the Riverwalk. The river was dyed green for St Patricks Day. We walked over to Hemisfaire Park and hung out a bit. We then made our way to the Alamo but it was closed. We have been inside a few times before so weren't too upset. We just wandered around the Riverwalk before we headed to Spagetti Wharehouse for dinner. By the time we made it back to the hotel we were exhausted.

San Antonio day1

2009-03-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

So much happened in 3 short days in San Antonio that I am going to break them down to each day. We got up and left early on Saturday, then made our usual stop in West to get kolaches. We were making good time in fact a little too good. Steve received a ticket for speeding in Austin.

After Austin we ventured off the highway to go by the Guadalupe River. It was a beautiful place and we saw the coolest house, it was built narrow with 8 stories and looked like a treehouse on the river. We then went on a hike on a trail near Canyon Lake. It was a great experience even though it was only 50 degrees and a little drizzly. We were going to picnic by the lake but decided it was too cold so we just folded down the seats and ate in the car.

We made it to San Antonio just in time to check into our hotel. I was outvoted on activity choice so we went to Six Flags. It was cold but the gang had a great time riding the rollercoasters. I sat out most of them which is fine usually but it was a cold wait. After 6 coasters I declared the day over so we went to dinner then crashed into bed so we could rest for day two.

Letter jacket

2009-02-27T16:17:00.000-08:00

Today was the day that Stephy finally got her letter jacket. They were ordered before Thanksgiving and were due by Christmas but it took till now for them to actually arrive. Don't ask why everyone in charge has a different excuse. She was hoping they would be here soon and her cousin came in to 6th period wearing his so she went off to locate hers. The school buys the jackets but they must pay for all the upgrades which she did with her own money. She received the jacket because of the "Posse" which is the spirit team. She also has a debate patch and will order a National Honor Society patch. She looks so cute in her jacket and we are proud of her.

Crazy twin thing

2009-02-19T18:47:00.001-08:00

There are some days when these two drive me absolutely batty. They can be each others best friend and ready to rip each other apart all in the same day They are alike in that they are both well behaved at school and good students. Their teachers also say they are both creative and amazing writers. At home they can be so different though. Ally gets her stuff done but she can really argue a point. Matthew needs to be prodded and he is quite the comedian.

The danger is when they are on the same wavelength. It must be a twin thing but sometimes the games they play only they understand even after they explain the rules to us. They still rely on each other during thunderstorms and like to bunk down in the gameroom together on the weekends. This picture is from their strong person contest the other day. They took turns carrying each other around and then compared their muscles. It was such fun to watch them be silly together that I will be so sad if they outgrow this.

Steph's birthday

2009-02-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

Wow, she is 17 already. Wasn't it just yesterday she was learning to walk and eventually talk. She has always been a very outgoing child. Her quiet parents wonder where we got this very animated and completely open girl. We love that she is so secure in who she is, definitely no self esteem issues here. This morning she took 4 large balloons to carry around and a tiara to wear. I pointed out that she would be very noticeable all day and she said of course that is what I want.

We have been talking a lot about colleges here lately. This coming school year she will be a senior and it is so hard to picture her moving on. She is an amazing student and we are very proud of her. She is a little flakey too but no one is perfect. Happy birthday baby girl.

Ice Storm

2009-01-28T07:56:00.000-08:00

It started about 5pm yesterday, the sleet and freezing rain. I made it home from work just in time before the roads got bad. It is now a complete sheet of ice outside. We got the call about 6am that school was closed for the day. Yea, it means I get to stay home too. Steve has to work for a few hours this afternoon but the roads should be fine by then. Ally came bounding down the stairs really early excited that there was no school. We still don't know where this happy, cheerful morning person comes from. Stephy and Matt choose to take advantage and sleep in. They are not morning people and we know where that comes from. Once all were awake the twins went outside and skated on the ice.

New laundry room

2009-01-25T14:33:00.000-08:00

This weekend we redid the laundry room. I really needed some more storage in the house and the laundry room had the best available space. It also was a very boring and almost dungeon like space. It did not make me too inspired to do the laundry. We took out the old shelving and painted it a sunny yellow. We then added some shelves and a cabinet we stained ourselves. It is such a nice space now. My only wish is laundry would come out of that room all done by itself.

BEFORE

AFTER

Six Flags

2009-01-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

Afterwards at Steak and Shake

Steve and I getting ready to ride.

The kids on Superman.

Today we went to Six Flags to hang out for a few hours. Santa left season passes in all of our stockings and they are good till the end of 2009. This makes it easy to run there for just a few hours. It was a beautiful day here in Texas, well into the 80's. We had a lot of fun and hope to make many trips there this year.

Christmas

2008-12-26T15:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone. It was a very good Christmas this year. We were fairly low key and just celebrated with family. Christmas Eve was just the 5 of us and on Christmas day all my family came to our house. The kids were surprised by our gifts and they loved everything they got. Steve got me a GPS system because it is common knowledge I get lost fairly easy. My mom had to go to work that evening but we still had time for her to open her gifts and have dinner with us. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and has a very happy new year.

Crazy busy

2008-12-23T09:22:00.000-08:00

Around here it has been insanely busy, probably like most households this time of year. I haven't updated in awhile but 2 weeks off from work should remedy that. First off Heather and Jimmy had the new baby and his name is Patrick. We don't have any pictures yet but we hope soon. Next up is an update on my mom and it is good, she is really doing better. Alot of little things have been happening too but my mind is blank right now.

Steve went on the DFW toy run this weekend. It benefits many charities with toys for kids and is pretty big with about 80,000 bikes. Unfortunately it was a whopping 39 degrees that day and not the beautiful 76 degrees it was earlier in the week. Steve probably put on 20 pounds of clothing to get ready for the ride. The neighborhood group went to downtown Ft Worth to meet up with the other riders. It was cold but for a good cause and the guys had a great time.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T16:37:00.001-08:00

Happy day after Thanksgiving to everybody! We had a get together yesterday at Donna and Mom's and took some family pictures. Steve's daughter and family are visiting from Missouri this weekend and baby James is getting big. We got our Christmas card photo done but I will keep it secret till we mail it out. We also managed to get a group shot of the families and you wouldn't think it would be that difficult but men and teenagers are not that easy of subjects. I hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving.

60th birthday

2008-11-17T18:42:00.000-08:00

My mom just had her 60th birthday and we celebrated on Sunday. For anyone who doesn't know my mom she has had a rough time lately. She spent months trying to get a diagnoses on a skin disease that was really hard for her to deal with. The good news is she finally found out what it was and is getting proper treatment. This birthday was an important day. We also took the opportunity to get a picture of the grandkids together. They are not easy to catch all in one place.

Honor Society

2008-11-13T04:22:00.001-08:00

Stephany had a big night on Tuesday, she was inducted into National Honor Society. We are very proud of her because this is not an easy task. They must have and maintain a 93 average in all their classes and of course never had been in detention. She does all this while taking advanced placement classes, being a posse member, debate club and 2010 club plus she works 10 hours a week. This kid stays busy but the good news is that leaves little time for boys. Great job Steph!

Halloween

2008-11-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Halloween a little different this year. We did a very short trick or treat stint and then off to the football game. The game was great until the second half then it just went downhill but we are still glad we went. Chris only has one more game as a highschooler so we really don't want to miss any.

The twins dressed up for TOT and Steph did for school. Matt was an ancient wise man, Ally was a pirate and Steph was a rockstar.

2008-10-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin carving time in our house tonight. The kids love it but they still don't have as much fun as their dad does. He takes special pride in making his Jack Skeleton each year. We have some great pumpkins to display this year.

Colorado Wedding

2008-10-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was in Colorado for a wedding. My cousin Heather was getting married. The wedding took place in a beautiful location in the mountains and with the fall colors it was a very pretty sight. This was the first time I met her new husband Brett and I was very impressed, he was a really nice guy. There was lots of visiting with aunts I haven't seen in a long while. We had a great time catching up and hanging out. I went on this trip with my mom and it was great for her to get a little vacation. The only downside of this trip was the long drive but I did manage to read at least one book on the road.

Here are pictures of the happy couple, my Aunt Terry giving the bride away and the extended family.

Texas

2008-09-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has seen the news knows about Hurrican Ike and that has been the focus here for the last few days. Steve was in Houston working until Thursday morning when they decided it was time for him to come home. We watched the weather carefully because they were unsure how much of a storm we would get here. We were spared though and only got some rain. I was very saddened to see the pictures from Galveston and Houston. We visited just a few weeks ago and to see so much destruction breaks my heart. Our prayers are with those on the Texas coast.

Friday Night Lights

2008-09-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

The stadium was packed on the home side and excitement was in the air. It was our football opener against Eastern Hills. Chris was on the field, he is #86 and Stephy was cheering on the sidelines. The sense of community is amazing and you run into friends all night long. The best part is we won 38 to 14.

Back to School

2008-09-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

This last Monday was back to school. Getting up early was the challenge since we had been sleeping in all summer. This is the last year of elementary school for the twins and I am a little sad about that. Stephy is going to be extremely busy this year. She has a full load of advanced placement classes, Rough Rider Posse, and Debate Club. She also is working at the church nursery on Sundays and Wednesday nights. Our goal as her parents is to help her keep a good balance. We are looking forward to a good school year for all.

RoughRider roundup

2008-08-24T16:33:00.000-07:00

Last night was the introduction for the fall sports including the dance team and cheerleaders. Stephy is part of the spirit team who are associated with the cheerleaders. Our nephew Chris plays varsity football this year. It was a blast and a great way to get everybody excited for school.

A short vacation with some slightly crazy people

2008-08-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

Steve was working in Houston this week and talked us into coming down and visiting Galveston for the day. Friday morning we got on our way to meet Steve and it only took a couple of hours to get kids in the shower (finally) and then load the car. We played the alphabet game in the car but the rules got too complicated so Mom begged for some silence. We arrived about 20 minutes after Steve got done working, he started to ask what took so long but got smart and didn't when he saw how mom looked after the trip.

After a little rest and a quick swim we decided to go for a drive. We didn't have a particular destination in mind but decided to wing it. Steve decided to have me drive and he totally forgot I am directionally challenged. We eventually ended up at Kemah boardwalk and only went 50 miles out of our way. They have lots of fun rides that dad and the kids wanted to ride. They were spun around , flown threw the air and turned upside down, while mom had a nice drink on the patio.

The next day we spent several hours on the beach in Galveston and we had a great time. Unfortunately when we went to leave our battery was dead but some very nice people gave us a jump. After another no start we had to go buy a new battery but all was good then. It was getting late so we decided to head for home since it was a 4 hour drive. There is a huge (several hundred feet tall) statue of Sam Houston in Huntsville which was on the way home. We had a fun time exploring the grounds of the statue but our children couldn't resist acting kinda of crazy with a smaller face statue of Houston.

We did have a great time and nothing is ever boring in this family.

Growing up

2008-07-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

Ally has been wanting to get her haircut for a few months, she wanted more of a "style". Sunday morning Great Clips was having a special on haircuts so I finally gave in and got it cut. Then something happened my baby grew up. I know it was not just because of the haircut but it transformed the way she looked and suddenly she was older. She has been changing for awhile and she is already 5 feet tall but this just hit me in the gut that she was no longer a little kid. Matt is changing some too but he is a boy and they take longer (thank goodness). I am already missing the little girl aspect of Ally, the time went so fast.

2008-07-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Nancy is in town to do some training for her new job and we got to visit with her this evening. Our family hasn't seen her in 5 years and while it has been less than that for my mom and sisters it has still been awhile. We went to dinner at Olive Garden and then took some group pictures afterward. Poor Chris has an eye patch because of a bad case of pinkeye but he was a good sport and took pictures anyway. We had a nice time and it was great to see Aunt Nancy.

It's raining baby

2008-07-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

It has been hot lately here in Texas and we have had very little rain. Till this afternoon that is, we had rain and lots of it. The girls went out to play and have some fun. They ran around, danced and hammed it up for the camera. They had a blast, unfortunately it is still hot and now real muggy outside. I loved the rain though and the heat is hot but I love it in January.

Rangers Game

2008-07-13T16:41:00.001-07:00

Our nephew Josh played on a baseball select team this summer and his fundraiser was to sell discounted baseball tickets, so we bought a packet to go to some Rangers games. Today the Rangers were playing the White Sox and yea they won 12 to 11. We had never been to this ballpark before and were excited to check it out. Lucky for us we had seats in the shade since today was in the high 90's. We had a great time and hope to go again later this summer.

July 4th

2008-07-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the 4th of July and the day turned out pretty good but it started out a little interesting. We decided to try the fireworks at Lake Grapevine this year but we had never been there before. There was a seemingly easy viewing map online that we printed out. We met up with Dorothy and John then swung by so Michelle and Chad could follow us also. After a few wrong turns which made all the people in the respective cars disagree with their significant others we finally found the first viewing spot. It was super crowded and we decided let's go to the next spot on the map which was nearby. It was nearby alright but it took several wrong turns to actually find it. Yeah, this isn't crowded at all but there is a reason because it is about a 1/2 mile hike in which would be no big deal if we didn't have stuff. So much stuff that needed to be brought in but we did it.

Once we were finally at the spot we had a great time. The kids swam in the lake and the adults sat back and relaxed. We had a pretty good view of the fireworks and we were pretty mellow by the time it was time to hike back.

Out and About

2008-06-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

We are not taking a vacation this summer because right now it seems like the time to save money and not spend it. We are not necessarily staying home though but trying to go see nearby sites and events. The conditions we have set is that it must take less than a tank of gas and be free or inexpensive. This weekend we went to a balloon festival which was a totally new experience. Unfortunately because of the wind we were only able to see 3 balloons take off but that was pretty cool to see. We were near the town of Waxachie (don't even try to pronounce it) which has an historic courthouse so we went by for a visit. Stephy loves old buildings and wants to be an architect that designs buildings that look old. It was a fun Saturday and hopefully we will get many more adventures this summer.

They're Back

2008-06-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

The kids are back. They returned yesterday and Mama was so glad. They had a great time with their grandparents and came back pretty tan from playing on the water. After they settled in we went for a walk in the park and played around some. Just one more day and daddy will be back too then we will all be together again.

Home Alone

2008-06-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

For the last week I have been home alone. It was kinda of nice the first couple of days but now I am bored and lonely. I know the kids are having a great time with their grandparents, these are special memories they are making. Steve is stuck in Arkansas working and it is just bad timing. I have accomplished quite a bit while they are all gone. Bedrooms have been decluttered and laundry caught up on. This time just reminds me of how much I really love being a mommy and I can't wait till everybody is home again.

Baby in the house

2008-06-06T19:46:00.001-07:00

For the last 2 weeks we have had baby James here visiting. He talks to us all the time and smiles a lot. He is not so fond of naps though. Grandpa and Nana have had so much fun playing with him plus if he gets too fussy we just hand him back to mom and dad. I took a ton of pictures of him. I got a lot of great shots and we will be mailing out pictures soon. He is going to go home soon and will miss him.

Busy, busy weekend

2008-05-26T19:45:00.000-07:00

This has been one busy weekend. We packed a lot in the three days we had off. We bought a gazebo and a shed. Steve and Matthew spent the weekend getting those projects done. We now have a nice shaded area on the patio to relax. We also have a nice big shed to help with all the clutter in the garage. All that is left to do is paint it and add the roof shingles. Matthew and Steve did a great job with just a few hammered thumbs.

The best part of this weekend though was visitors. Grandma and Grandpa from New Mexico came by on Saturday and then again today. At about 5 pm this evening Heather, Jimmy and baby James arrived. Great Grandma had the baby out of the car and in her arms in less than 3 minutes. I made sure to get a 4 generation picture because this just does not happen that often. The grandparents go back home tomorrow to get ready for the grandkids who are headed there in 2 weeks. Heather and family will be here for about 2 weeks.

Mothers Day

2008-05-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

Today, mom isn't posting this, Ally is. Since it is mothers day, she wants to relax. So I get to write something instead of her. Anyway, today we had tons of fun, even though mom wouldn't stop cleaning! My aunt ,uncle, and two cousins came over and we ate lots of food! Matthew, me, and my cousin even got to go to the park and ride our bikes, while we were there we picked out my mom flowers. Earlier that day, Dad took mom shopping. I even got to get a pair of flip flops! I made mom a book and I made her a website, but since I made the site all about mothers day, I'll have to make something new of it tommorrow! So happy mothers day everyone who is reading this! I hoped you had fun!

Ally's Joke:
♥ Why did the man freeze his money?♥
♥ Because He wanted cold, hard cash!♥

Rough Rider Posse

2008-04-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

Stephany has made it she is part of the Rough Rider Posse. Tryouts were last week and she found out officially today. For those that do not know what that it is they are associated with the cheerleaders. They are on the sidelines during varsity football and basketball games and their job is to get the crowd going. She is very excited and already has ordered her uniforms .

This was very important to her because she didn't make the dance team this year. A few days before tryouts she dislocated her knee again but she went ahead and tried. Unfortunately she fell during her final tryouts and didn't make what was so very important to her.

We feel her personality meshes really well with the RR Posse because it requires her to be out in the crowd. Anyone who knows Stephy knows she is very outgoing and doesn't have a problem getting loud. We believe the reason she didn't make the dance team is because that is not where she was meant to be.

Archery

2008-04-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend the girl scouts got to do some archery. I felt it was more of a dad kind of thing so he was the one who took Ally. They had a great day and hit the target almost every time.

Anniversary

2008-04-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

Today was our 17th wedding anniversary. We had a very low key day mainly just hanging out at home. We had a no gift rule but Steve did buy me some very nice flowers and he even remembered that I didn't like roses. We went to dinner at Pappadeuxes and then brought icecream home for the kids. We have had our up and down times and right now we are just enjoying what is day to day.

Bluebonnets

2008-04-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

It is spring time in Texas and that means bluebonnets. They grow wild in fields and on the side of the road all over the area and on south down to Austin. It is absolutely beautiful and every year I have the kids pose in them. The girls are so much more cooperative than Matthew but we still managed to get some nice pictures.

Spring ball

2008-03-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

Spring is the season of baseball and softball which is in full swing in this house. Matthew is playing for the Indians again this year and Ally decided she wanted to try softball and her team is the Crush. They both enjoy it but unfortunately this puts us out of the house 4 nights a week and of course daddy had to leave town again. We are still waiting on his bosses promise that he will travel less. He did get a promotion so we are really hoping that will make a difference. Anyway back to spring ball. Monday the twins had their first game at the same time, lucky for mom the fields are only about 1/4 mile apart so I walked back and forth to keep an eye on the action. Both of them had close games and both of them won so it was a good night all around. If you can't find me for the next 8 weeks I will be somewhere there is a baseball or softball.
Ally's first at bat.

Matt warming up for his game.

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

We had a very nice and fun Easter day. It started at 9am with baskets of goodies, we told Ally not to wake us up before then. We then got ready to go to Donna and Jason's for brunch. The food was yummy and we had mimosas for fun. After we ate it was time for the egg hunt which was made especially difficult for some. The kids as a whole received kites and water guns to play with for the day. Soon a water fight broke out and the only winners were the moms who threatened anyone who tried to spray them. There was a breeze so out came the kites and that was the most fun of the day. Who knew that kites that only cost a $1 could keep teenagers occupied for 2 hours. I was ready for a nap at this point so we decided to head home where we have been lazy for the rest of the day. What a great way to spend Easter.

Coloring eggs

2008-03-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again, SPRING. Yesterday we colored eggs for Easter and it was a lot of fun. I keep hoping every year that they don't start complaining about being too old to color eggs. The good news is they never complain and genuinely enjoy doing it. Our beautiful eggs will become the deviled variety on Easter but for now they are pretty to look at.

St Patricks Day

2008-03-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

A happy St Patricks day from the Cochran family.

Ally's joke:

What do you call a fake stone in Ireland?

A shamrock

Tire Swing

2008-03-16T14:51:00.001-07:00

The kids have been wanting a tire swing for awhile so Steve made it happen this weekend. It actually was pretty easy. The only cost was the rope because the local tire place let us have an old tire for free. Steve had to trim back one branch, tie the rope, and then attach the tire and it was done in 30 minutes. The kids loved playing on it and just sitting in the tire hanging out. They thanked daddy and then started on him for the next project they want done but in all fairness it sometimes takes him awhile to get to things (too much work).

Snow

2008-03-08T20:42:00.000-08:00

On Thursday we got a lot of snow at least for Texas. It was about 3 inches and the kids loved playing in it. They made a snowman and threw snowballs. The kids and I were really hoping for no school on Friday unfortunately all we got was a 2 hour delay. The snow is all gone now but it was a nice little twist to have. Of course I am happy it only comes about once a year because I really hate to be cold.

Destination Austin

2008-03-04T14:28:00.000-08:00

This past weekend Steve had to work in Austin and then go to San Antonio on Monday. He was supposed to be off by 5 pm on Saturday and have all of Sunday off. Since the hotel room was paid for he suggested we come down on Saturday and spend Sunday at the Riverwalk in San Antonio! It sounded like fun so off we went. We arrived about 4pm on Saturday but Steve said he would probably be running a little late so we decided to go ahead and swim in the hotel pool for awhile. Steve called and said it would probably be a late night so he could have the next day off, so we went to dinner without him.

The next day Steve still had to work in fact he slept at the hotel for only about 6 hours. I didn't want to drive to San Antonio without him so the kids and I decided to visit Wonder World in San Marcos. It is a dry form cave which means instead of being formed by water it was made by an earthquake. We had a great time and were hoping to see Steve before we went home. He was about 3 blocks from the Capitol so we went there first. It just so happened to be Texas Independence Day and Ally thought it was awesome that we were at the Capitol on that day. She gave us a lot of facts about Texas independence that she had learned that week in school. Unfortunately though we never did get to see Steve in fact he worked 36 hours over the weekend. I am still glad we went though because we had so much fun.

Wonder World Cave

The Hotel Pool

Concert

2008-03-01T18:50:00.001-08:00

Last night Steve and I got to go to see Alanis Morrisette and Matchbox 20 in concert. Steve won the tickets from a radio station, he was the 20th caller. We had a great time and were really close. Usually when we are paying for a concert we end up in the nosebleed section but this time we were only 11 rows from the stage. Did you know that singers had actual faces and are not just blurry shadows? : ) The kids wanted to go but we only had 2 free tickets but we did call them several times in fact so much that they asked us to stop so they could go to sleep. Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures because I must have been the only one that followed the rules and didn't bring a camera.

She is 16

2008-02-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

Today is the big day Stephany turned sweet sixteen. Wow, how did she go from that little high spirited child to an almost grown woman. She amazes us everyday with her confidence, Steve and I are kinda of shy people so we are unsure how we ended up with such an outgoing child. She is also very smart with a bit of ditz thrown in. She is a social butterfly but gets really good grades. Her favorite activity is dance and she is really good at it. Mom and Dad both love that while she definitely likes boys she does not need to have one around all the time. She is just fine being her own person. She can be the best big sister reading to her brother but she can also have some yelling matches with her sister. We love our unique and fun daughter.

The sweet sixteen Stephany.

The other side of sweet.

Ally's picture

2008-02-04T16:26:00.001-08:00

Ally received a camera as one of her Christmas gifts this year. She has been taking lots of pictures of many different things. She has a pretty good eye and has taken some nice pictures. On Sunday she had daddy pull over on the side of the road so she could take this picture of the Trinity River. She did a great job and her mommy loves that she is a photographer.

Baby James

2008-01-30T16:57:00.000-08:00

Here he is James Warren Riley.

New baby

2008-01-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

Heather and Jimmy called with the news that baby James arrived this morning. After about 7 hours of labor he made his appearance very healthy. He is 7 pounds 6 ounces and was born at 9:45 am. Steve is a very proud new grandpa and I am excited to be a MiMi. Ally can 't wait to be called Auntie Ally. We do not have any pictures yet but we will post when we do.

Visiting Colorado

2008-01-21T18:43:00.001-08:00

This week Steve had to go to Colorado to pick up some equipment from the office they are closing there. It was a quick trip and he wasn't even there 24 hours but he was able to have dinner with his sisters. They had a nice dinner at La Casa Del Rey and they saw their mailman from when they were growing up. He talked to them and said "you guys were 5740 E 67th Ave." They were amazed he remembered them and their address. Steve was sad it was such a short visit but it was great to spend at least some time with his sisters. Ally was surprised that Daddy complained about the cold because he hates to be too warm. He said he doesn't like to be too cold either but somewhere in between.

The week before that my mom took a quick trip to Denver also. Unfortunately my Aunt Barbara has been seriously ill and all the siblings came to town to visit her. My mom did enjoy getting together with her family even though it was a sad situation.

Steve, Jean, and Kathy

My mom and grandma

Snow

2008-01-04T17:23:00.000-08:00

Look at all that cold white stuff. Could this actually happen in Texas? No it did not and most likely could not. Steve had to drive a vehicle to Michigan for work and then fly home. He had never seen the Great Lakes so on the way he stopped and took a few photos. This is Lake Michigan, Steve was very impressed with the size of it. He did say it was an extremely cold trip, he has adjusted to our warmer weather here in Texas.

Ally's snowy joke:

What did the snowmen eat for breakfast?

Frosted Flakes

Christmas Day

2007-12-27T08:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day is always fun but a little crazy around here. We get up early and see what Santa has brought us then open the rest of the presents. While mom makes breakfast, dad starts messing with all things electronic. He was real happy this year because he got no clothes just electronic gadgets. After breakfast we have some downtime and just laze around for awhile.

In the afternoon it is time to go to Dorothy and John's for the big family get together. That is where it gets kinda of crazy. My sisters and I are not the quiet soft spoken types and neither are our children. We ate insane amounts of food, played games and opened presents. The kids loved everything they got and someday when I am brave I will tell the story of how Donna, Dorothy and I got potato chips for Christmas.

We had a great day and lots of fun. Here are a pic of all the cousins and I only had to threaten them once to get them all to smile.

Christmas eve

2007-12-25T08:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve in our family is reserved for just the five of us. Steve had to go to work for a little in the morning but had the afternoon off. We decided to go see a movie in downtown Fort Worth. A big thanks to the parents of all the children in my classroom who were very generous and gave me gift certificates to different places including the theater and restaurants. This was a fabulous gift for people who love to go out but hate the expense. Anyways, we went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks which was a great family movie.

While in downtown we went to see the big tree and it was beautiful. We also went to visit the Water Gardens which we had never seen before. It is a very cool feature of downtown and we intend to visit it again in the future.

When we got home we cooked king crab legs. This whole family loves seafood and the legs we got were over a pound each. Ally, Matt and I were only able to finish one but Steve and Steph ate two and were very stuffed.

It was then time to open the traditional one gift and then we all watched Dr Suess's grinch cartoon. It was a wonderful day and I am so glad we spend the day with just the five of us it is our special time.

Ally's Christmas joke:

What does a cat on the beach have in common with Christmas?

Sandy claws : )

House lights

2007-12-22T19:08:00.000-08:00

Decorating the outside at Christmas time is a big deal at our house. This year Steve took it a step beyond. He created along with the help of the kids five snowflakes to go on our roof. Two of them our over 6 feet tall and the other three are over 4 feet tall. It took a complete weekend to just make the snowflakes and another weekend to put up the other lights. Ally says our house is the brightest in the neighborhood.

A closeup of a snowflake

Jingle Bell Jog

2007-12-08T12:23:00.001-08:00

This morning we did the first annual Jingle Bell Jog for our school district. It benefits the scholarship foundation in our area. Ally calls it the "fun run" because she enjoys running. Mom is not as fond of running but the twins wanted me to do it so I walked it. The course is just one mile so it went fairly quick. Steve and Stephany were cheering us on the sidelines they are not joggers or walkers. There were lots of people there and it was a good way to start the morning. The finishers in order were Matt, Ally, and then mom but I did walk and talk with a friend from work so maybe that slowed me down.

Matthew came in 190

Ally came in 203

Mom came in 315

I love these kids

2007-11-29T16:02:00.000-08:00

This is the week for school conferences and Mommy has been busy attending them because Daddy had to spend the week in east Texas. I am glad to report that all the kids are doing great in school. The teachers only had good things to say and while of course we think they are wonderful it is nice to hear other people say it too. I do wish though that those very well behaved kids at school would be less argumentative at home but hey at least it is just at home.

I have another reason to crazy love these kids they let their mother dress them up and take the cutest pictures. They only whine a little and I consider that amazing since they all are in the double digits age wise. This picture is one I took to hang on the wall for Christmas time, let's hope they still like me when they are 30 and I am still hanging it.

Lost items

2007-11-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

Our family has a gremlin and he seems to be hiding things. We have lost many things in the last few weeks including a pair of glasses and a knee brace. There has been many hours of searching and while we have found many things they were not what we were looking for. Mommy has decided that during the week she has off for Thanksgiving she is going to purge the gremlin or at least the clutter that is helping him. The kids hope some of their stuff is still around afterward.

P.S. Ally has named the gremlin the Greenie Meanie

Halloween

2007-10-31T19:36:00.001-07:00

It's Halloween night and the children are running from house to house frightening all in sight.
They remember trick or treat and their moms hope thank you also. As they come home she checks the candy and reminds them before bed "brush your teeth please" as the dentist bill dances in her head. Here are the ghouls and goblins that left our house tonight and all came back with the treats of the night.

Steve's treat was not so sweet a friend took pity on him and gave him a beer.

Fall festivities

2007-10-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

Halloween is one of the favorite times of year at the Cochran household. Steve decorates the yard and house and we love all the fun activities during this time of year. This weekend we went to a corn maze about an hour away in Gainesville. We did fairly well and only had to backtrack a few times.

Later that day it was time to attend an adults only costume party. Steve and I were pretty basic a pirate and a vampiress. My sister Donna and her husband Jason were also pirates along with my sister Dorothy. The must see of the night though was my brother in law Johnny or as the kids now call him Aunt Jenny, he was a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. He went all out even shaving legs, stomach and chest. We now have images in our head that we may never get rid of.

Ally's Halloween jokes : )

What's a vampires favorite holiday?

Fangs-giving

Where do baby ghosts go during the day?

dayscare centers

Grandparents

2007-10-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

Recently Grandma and Grandpa Robinson came for a visit. Grandpa has many, many relatives in Texas and we always get to meet someone new. This time it was his cousin Roberta and her family. They have a little place ( a few hundred acres) about an hour from us. It was a beautiful place to visit and everyone was so nice. One of the kids favorite things to do with Grandpa is fish and since Roberta's had a pond they gave it a try. Ally is usually the champion fishergirl but this time her brother came out on top. None of the fish went home with us they all went back in the pond but the kids had a great time. The count was Matthew 3, Ally 1, and Stephany a lot of lake weed.

Grandpa and Matthew, the champion

You can't win with these genes

2007-10-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

Last week it became time for the annual eye checkups for a few members of our family, the ones out of disposable contacts. Ally had said she was having trouble seeing at school so we decided she needed an exam. The doctor made it official everybody in the house now needs glasses or contacts. We told the kids when both sets of parents can't see more than 10 feet in front of them it is in your genes you are destined for glasses.

Ally does say her glasses are the coolest pink color and it is amazing to see everything so much better. We think she looks adorable.

How this blog thing started.

2007-10-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

Lots of my friends have blogs and while I thought it was a great idea I just didn't think I had the time. Recently my daughter Ally has been making a daily family newspaper but she really wanted to be able to share our family news with all of our various scattered friends and family. So attempting to be the good mom I have started this blog for Ally and I to share our family news.

my fellow blogger Ally