tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41751575591409690192012-01-20T03:22:18.027-06:00Ashley C.noreply@blogger.comBlogger3571100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-57383149849030257842011-12-19T20:31:00.004-06:002011-12-19T21:19:30.773-06:00

I have tried really hard to keep this Christmas season calm and focused on the Lord. We have been so busy in recent years that we were having to just shove in our traditions and family time. Not this year!Coop was a big help to Papa as he put up his Christmas lights.Caroline participated in another TABC first grade tradition- the Nativity play.Coop had his first school Christmas play. He didn't

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-84556561552495404142011-12-19T19:58:00.011-06:002011-12-19T21:15:56.705-06:00

Travis Avenue Baptist Church celebrated its 100th Anniversary this November. This church has been one of the most powerful blessings of my life. I am so privileged to be a part of it!We took a trip with some friends to Santa Fe, NM to celebrate Chris's 30th birthday! We stayed in a beautiful house, the guys golfed, the girls shopped (and saw two showing of Breaking Dawn) and we all ate a ton. It

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-5083027015018529442011-12-19T19:57:00.003-06:002011-12-19T21:08:14.118-06:00

It was another magical October for the Rangers. We were blessed to get to go to several ALCS and World Series games. We screamed and jumped and made a ton of memories!In October, we also added a new member to our family. Bella is a six month old tea cup Yorkie. She weighs 3 and a half pounds and shouldn't get any bigger!Another fun Halloween!

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-48474694422429315872011-12-19T19:50:00.003-06:002011-12-19T21:05:55.637-06:00

By September, the fall was in full swing. It was soccer time again! Caroline made a lot of progress this year. Caroline was finally old enough for the TABC first grade tradition of visiting the pastor's office to get a special Bible. It's extra special when the pastor happens to be your Papa!Caroline and I went on our first Mother Daughter Retreat. It was full of lots of squealing and not a lot

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-29323933181625648032011-12-19T19:36:00.005-06:002011-12-19T21:02:28.995-06:00

To talk about August without mentioning the heat would be impossible. It was something we will bore our children talking about for years to come. We were the crazy (stupid) people that made a trip out to Six Flags in that ridiculous heat. Caroline had a free ticket to use and we just couldn't tell her no! She conquered the Texas Giant, Titan and several other "big people" rides.This year she is

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-79332173678182040122011-12-19T19:28:00.003-06:002011-12-19T20:58:09.923-06:00

We intentionally kept our July relaxed this year. We spent a lot of time on the lake. Caroline and Cooper have become quite the tubers!It was time for Cooper's first haircut. He LOVED every second!We were able to make quick trip up to Wichita Falls to visit Grandma and Grandpa. The kids did a lot of playing and Allison and I spent the weekend picking Grandma's brain about genealogy. We have made

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-39315586787466717072011-12-19T19:10:00.008-06:002011-12-19T20:54:27.413-06:00

The beginning of June was mainly consumed with wrapping up the school year. Caroline's class had a special program and she "graduated" on the first grade.She loved her teacher, Miss Laughlin!The week after school started, we dove into swim lessons. Mrs. Paige is a great teacher and Caroline made wonderful progress. Now that we have a pool in our backyard, it's very important that she be a good

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-93287952477023532011-12-19T19:08:00.001-06:002011-12-19T19:10:45.498-06:00

I have no good excuse, aside from the general craziness that is my life, for why I have fallen so behind on my blog posting. I've been hearing complaints from family and friends, so I promised that I'd be up to date by year's end. So here we go. It won't be as detailed as normal, but you should get the idea of what we've been up since the summer.

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-24009404025805194642011-06-07T21:04:00.003-05:002011-12-19T20:45:41.786-06:00

Caroline's kindergarten field trip was to the Fort Worth Zoo. I was assigned to follow after Caroline and her sweet friend, Lily. She is just precious and the girls had a great time!

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-76772309769645109192011-06-07T20:58:00.005-05:002011-12-19T20:44:32.158-06:00

My first grade class went to the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington for our field trip. The team was out of town for a series, so we were given great access to every corner of the park. There is definitely an electricity in the stadium due to their recent success.My class just happened to hit the jackpot. AL MVP Josh Hamilton was standing on first base when we made our way into the dugout. He had

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-81051594716909644442011-06-07T20:39:00.006-05:002011-12-19T20:41:02.075-06:00

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-88303340077593567842011-06-07T20:22:00.003-05:002011-12-19T20:40:40.546-06:00

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-92207840883267173902011-06-07T20:16:00.003-05:002011-06-07T20:22:22.686-05:00

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-89640231907708922372011-04-02T21:25:00.003-05:002011-04-12T17:36:56.418-05:00

Caroline has started her first season of t-ball, and it is shaping up to be a memorable one! Here she is before the first game. She sure is a cutey!Coach Chris and his two All Stars!Caroline and one of her favorite guy pals, Kie. They are two peas in a pod for sure.Coop had, shall we say, a small breakdown when Caroline's team took the field. He spent several minutes screaming "Daddy" and "Bball.

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-20339516423871635582011-04-02T21:14:00.002-05:002011-04-12T17:32:31.786-05:00

New Mexico is such a special place to our family. I have made more precious memories there than I can count over my lifetime. This trip was extra special because we were joined by the Kirchners! They have lived in Virginia for these past few years, so they haven't been able to make it. This trip was very relaxed and calm. The weather was cool, but not cold. We were able to keep the windows open

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-24101708799109183452011-04-02T21:00:00.005-05:002011-04-10T20:34:52.530-05:00

My baby boy is 2. He is very 2. He is RED HEADED and 2. I refuse to use any words like terrible to describe him, but let's just say- he's 2... He is very active and strong willed. He is such a ham and loves to be the center of attention. He is refuses to eat any meat except bacon. He hits his sister and she gives him the reaction of his dream every time. He loves cars and trains. He lives to play

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-13730500952254680632011-04-02T20:50:00.004-05:002011-04-10T20:20:27.774-05:00

During our crazy week off of school because of the snow and ice, we made our annual trip to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. It was freezing and low key. Perfect! Coop could finally fill out his cowboy hat that Dad bought him last year.We bought him his first pair of boots and they have left his feet only for bath time since then!

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-52862777576814183342011-04-02T20:40:00.003-05:002011-04-10T20:17:16.861-05:00

The very first morning of our crazy snow break, we were brave (stupid) and headed to Downtown Fort Worth. Super Bowl week was just kicking off and being the ESPN fans that we are, we obviously wanted to get a look at their headquarters and the Omni Hotel (where the Steelers were staying). The Kirchners and Deanes were brave (stupid) enough to join us!On Sunday morning, we were so excited to get

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-53479485932576958932011-04-02T19:37:00.004-05:002011-04-10T20:13:31.573-05:00

To say these posts are overdue would be an understatement, so I am not going to dwell on it! Let's just hit the road!The first week in February will be one of the sweetest memories in my mind forever. We'd moved into the Crowley house (post on that coming later) two days before the big ice storm hit. We knew we'd get a day, maybe two off, but we never expected to get 5 days in 2 weeks out of

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-50756594348127413142011-02-08T22:29:00.006-06:002011-02-21T21:59:09.664-06:00

Our final day... we took the fairy instead of the Monorail. The last character- Rapunzel!This is what Coop did the ENTIRE trip!We saved hundred of dollars eating PB&J all week!I love that you can see what that Cooper has his fleece footy PJ's under his jeans. Notice the socks on his hands. Let's just say we were unprepared!He finally got to ride the "shoo shoo" and it did not disappoint!We ended

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-59964887480077608202011-02-08T22:12:00.006-06:002011-02-21T21:54:12.601-06:00

We got up at the crack of dawn on Sunday to beat the crowd. We were one of the first there, but somehow it had turned cold! We froze, but got in everything we wanted because everyone else was sane enough to stay in. We saw Mary Poppins again and fell in love all over again.We got in to see the remainder of the princesses on this chilly day. Coop would not have been devastated to be out running

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-67418372847941024392011-02-08T21:49:00.010-06:002011-02-21T21:43:29.631-06:00

We took it easy Christmas morning and then headed to Animal Kingdom. None of us had ever been there before, so we were anxious to see what it was all about. The Mount Everest ride was awesome and a beautiful landmark in the park. The safari ride was great but almost impossible to get clear pictures from. They really should work on making those African roads a little smoother!This made me laugh.We

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-6962095281906820152011-02-08T21:40:00.005-06:002011-02-21T21:33:23.453-06:00

Believe it or not, Santa can find you even when you are out of town!Coop was attached to his play phone from the start.He also spent most of his time climbing on the gifts. Nana and Papa got Caroline an Elizabeth to go with the Felicity they got her for her birthday. She also got her first big girl Bible with her name on it. When I went to pick it out, there were dozens to choose from. I settled

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-31926008047258174602011-02-08T21:17:00.010-06:002011-02-21T21:43:46.040-06:00

Christmas Eve was another beautiful day. We went to Epcot because we had reservations for a special event that evening. Our family loves Epcot!We were sure to ride the Test Track and Soarin' (which was amazing!). We also made a stop at the Nemo ride where Caroline got picked out of the crowd to talk to the animated turtle, Crush. I cannot begin to fathom how this technology works, but he is

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-66422303071351619932011-02-08T20:25:00.010-06:002011-02-20T22:26:18.080-06:00

Thursday, our first day, we piled into the Suburban and headed off to Hollywood Studios. We had high hopes that it wouldn't be as crowded as some of the other parks. We wanted to ease into it. It was a beautiful day with highs in the 60's. We couldn't have asked for better weather.We knew that the Toy Story Mania ride was the busiest ride in any of the parks, so we headed right over there to get

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-35602998262624414272011-02-08T20:16:00.010-06:002011-02-20T22:05:36.537-06:00

This set of posts is, well..., 2 months late. But frankly just getting through the pictures and digesting all of the memories was a very large job. I get weepy every time I see the Disney commercials now and honestly cannot quit reliving the experience with anyone that will listen. So here goes. We took off on Tuesday morning, Dec. 21st, and our goal for the day was to make it to Mobile, AL. The

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-25741125923381353892010-12-18T20:49:00.007-06:002010-12-18T21:42:56.542-06:00

As always, we spent our Thanksgiving in Glen Rose at the lodge. The weather was perfect, and it was a very relaxing time. The day we got there, we spent some time with the kids out at the great playground they have.Nana and her BabiesNow, why do little boys turn EVERYTHING into guns? We don't teach him this stuff, it's like he just knows!I love that my kids love each other. I pray it is always

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-23774134173927040272010-11-15T21:58:00.003-06:002010-11-15T22:09:53.194-06:00

This is a very small picture. It's also kind of blurry, but forever it will make me think of my little 18 month old Coop.Last week, while Chris was working out of town, Cooper threw my iPhone in the parking lot at the mall. GREAT! Thankfully I was able to get into my car and use the bluetooth inside to call my Hubby. The screen was nothing but multicolored static. Because we don't have a home

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-55831853888058296032010-11-15T21:44:00.004-06:002010-11-16T18:53:52.970-06:00

In honor of Chris' birthday, we decided to make a trek out to his deer lease for the weekend. Caroline has been aching to go for years, so we figured she was old enough to handle it. I, on the other hand, could have be overheard repeatedly saying, "I don't love this, but I do love you."We go out of town Friday evening at about dinnertime. We stopped down the road in Jacksboro to eat at the Green

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-85228308801438954792010-11-15T21:38:00.002-06:002010-11-15T22:16:30.214-06:00

Caroline finished up her first soccer season at the end of October. It was a huge success. Caroline had a great time and learned a lot about being a team. I got the chance to see some behavior by other kids on the field that I would have to uhhh, "discipline" out of them it they were mine, but it was always entertaining. Lots of laughs and memories.

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-31815286609409285662010-11-15T21:24:00.004-06:002010-11-15T22:14:14.057-06:00

We had a great, and busy, Halloween this year. Lots of candy and lots of memories.As usual, my mother took over the costume making (Thanks Nana!) and as usual, they were amazing!This is the best picture of Coop's costume. He's always running!On Friday night, we went to the church's fall festival. As always, it was a pleasure. It's a great chance to see all of our friends and participate in the

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-14804079536752083552010-11-15T21:19:00.001-06:002010-11-15T22:20:37.539-06:00

This baseball season was no doubt one of the most memorable times of my life. We were so blessed to be able to attend one game out of every series. We actually went to the only World Series game that the Rangers won. It could not compare to the night the won the ALCS, but the mood was still electric. It had a feeling of history.Laura and Me (we did accidentally get into a car full of strange men

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-91346787044982549762010-11-15T21:05:00.002-06:002010-11-15T21:19:13.576-06:00

Caroline has always loved her Papa, and considering he's a runner, she wants to be one too! Since I am one of the sponsors of our school's running club, she gets to run with us. We did our first 5K a few weeks ago and she did a great job! She got to run with her teacher, Miss Laughlin. What a treat!We even ran into Papa after his long run that morning. We also got to see the Brantleys. Caden was

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-48147876932124581782010-11-14T21:17:00.009-06:002010-11-15T21:05:31.613-06:00

Last Wednesday, Caroline called me from my mom's cell phone. Mom started the conversation with "Your daughter has something to tell you..." I had no idea what that could mean, but I prepared myself for anything! Caroline got on the phone and I heard her sweet little voice say, "Mommy, I have a loose tooth." I wasn't sure exactly how loose it was, but when I wiggled it that night I realized it

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-66149732387998830352010-10-29T16:06:00.002-05:002010-10-29T16:16:11.272-05:00

Last week Caroline had her very first school program. It was all about the fall, and it was super cute! She had a small crowd there cheering her on, so she was really excited (internally).As usual in these situations, she was pretty stoic. When I asked her later why she was so serious, she said, "Mommy, I'm working hard up there." So I just said, "Ok..."She had a part where she and a few other

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-91804493515911831892010-10-24T22:22:00.006-05:002010-10-24T22:49:35.584-05:00

Our sweet friends, the Deanes, have been so sweet to take us to some of the recent playoff Ranger games. It has been such a treat! This past Friday night was the ALCS game 6 against the NY Yankees (boo!!).As soon as we got there, we could feel the electricity in the air. People were just on edge! We got there early and spent some time taking in the atmosphere.TBS was there broadcasting and I was

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-8267054315970263732010-10-02T22:21:00.003-05:002010-10-10T21:03:38.177-05:00

Mom made it possible for Caroline and me to go with her to see Snow White. We have really enjoyed going to the shows at Casa Manana. Nana always makes it possible for Caroline to look super cute as well!

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-16299867240884869232010-10-02T22:04:00.004-05:002010-10-10T21:01:09.295-05:00

We continued our yearly tradition of attending the State Fair of Texas as a family. As the kids gets older, it becomes less about us and more about seeing it through their eyes. We started the day with a Ferris wheel ride. Cooper didn't really get it last year, but this year he and Caroline both really enjoyed it! If only I could translate his little baby language to know what he was talking

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-79504827490103813702010-09-25T21:56:00.003-05:002010-09-25T22:07:52.796-05:00

A good friend of ours offered us tickets to the Rangers game a few weeks ago. We were excited to take this kids. Cooper hasn't been to a game since he was a month old, so we knew it would be a blast for him. We took some time to look around the top before we went to our seats.Coop couldn't get enough. He spent most of the time just taking it all in.Caroline mainly enjoyed easting snacks.I think

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-24291931030549709872010-09-25T21:44:00.004-05:002010-09-25T21:56:55.243-05:00

Along with all of the other new experiences in Caroline's life is her first team sport! We are on a team coached by our friends, Drew, and it has several of our other friends on the team as well. Caroline is a little, shall we say, distracted at times, but she is having a great time. I'm trying my hardest to not get onto her for not being into it because I know it's about fun. Smokey, Drew and

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-24874085774902004312010-09-25T21:31:00.002-05:002010-09-25T21:35:02.225-05:00

Well..... Caroline's original kindergarten teacher ended up being moved to fourth grade, so the students in her class had to be split up among the other classes. I was a little sad because I love Stacey so much. In the end, it has been a great move. Caroline was not stressed about it in the least. She actually thought that she would get to go to a different teacher every week! She is so happy

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-90194009432011416172010-08-24T20:37:00.003-05:002010-08-24T20:48:23.402-05:00

Today was the day I've been anticipating and dreading at the same time. My baby girl joined me at school for the first time. The idea of having her with me on campus has been something I've been looking forward to since she was born. I haven't been very emotional, but it has hit me a few random times. Like when I was talking about her pick up routine. The idea of her walking off into the carpool

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-65089034206255950602010-08-24T20:28:00.002-05:002010-08-24T20:36:52.134-05:00

Caroline was lucky enough to be the recipient of a second birthday party this past weekend. Chris' mom threw party for his family to celebrate Caroline turning 5. It was a great time!She took the blowing out of the candles very seriouslyThe boysShe got several new dress up outfits!I call this picture the paparazzi!Of course Cooper could not be left out! Papa Charlie gave Cooper his first set of

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-80860499003006275182010-08-24T20:23:00.002-05:002010-08-24T20:28:56.027-05:00

My big girl started kindergarten this week *tear* and it has been such a busy time! Last week we went to meet her teacher. Her teacher's name is Stacey Collier, and she is a sweet friend of mine. I cannot wait to see how Caroline does in her classroom! I know she will learn so much under Mrs. Collier!

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-80581985739175868852010-08-08T23:55:00.003-05:002010-08-10T16:28:04.434-05:00

My Sweet Caroline is starting kindergarten in two weeks *tear* so Chris and I decided we would take her to Six Flags for the first time as a big kid. We left Coop with my mom and headed out. It was H-O-T, but luckily it wasn't super crowded. She could hardly sleep the night before!Don't we all have this sun-in-the-face picture at the Six Flags entrance??She warmed up when she saw "The Three

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-50627435236897877582010-08-08T23:44:00.003-05:002010-08-08T23:55:16.737-05:00

This past week, we headed out to west Texas to see my uncle in Big Spring. Uncle Reg is a dentist and it was past time for Caroline's first check up. She was very brave and everything looked great! He did say that her teeth were pretty close together, so he thinks she and our local orthodontist will become really good friends in the coming years. After the checkup, we headed out to the Cranford

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-71920022729984400792010-07-24T21:46:00.003-05:002010-07-24T22:15:05.255-05:00

Chris and I were thrilled to get the chance to help host an Engagement Dinner for our friends Erin and Brandon. I've known Erin since I was a little girl and Brandon was Chris' college roommate. They ended up meeting through mutual friends after college and we were thrilled to see two people we loved meet and get together. The Happy CoupleHere we are at the "kid table"These ladies know how to

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-68938832978943989542010-07-24T20:38:00.004-05:002010-07-24T22:20:07.252-05:00

My cousin Jeff married a great girl named Laura in June. The family traveled out to Kansas to be a part of the festivities. Dad, Allison and I all flew into Wichita, so we got the chance to spend some good time together on the drive out to Great Bend. My Aunt Judy and Uncle Bryan planned a wonderful rehearsal dinner. It was a great time of fellowship!The grandkids and GrandmotherPapa and TaterKU

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-5283502030458051262010-07-24T20:35:00.002-05:002010-07-24T22:08:49.545-05:00

My sweet Little Man has had problems with his ears since birth. After a trip to the ENT, we were told that he may have had some birth defects in the placement of his eardrums or there was so much fluid in his ears that it had moved them to where the doctor couldn't even see them. We decided it was necessary to put tubes in and allow the doctor to get in there and see what was going on. Coop was

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-65148583536445251382010-07-24T20:21:00.013-05:002010-07-24T22:41:01.571-05:00

We just returned this week from our annual trip to New Mexico. We ended up staying in a different area called the Upper Canyon. We were right on the river! We tried to sleep with the door open to enjoy the sound but we were so close to the river that it was too loud!Mom gave into me again this year and agreed to do some fun cooking!This is how Dad spent the majority of his week! This is how I

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-75485967064414608252010-07-24T19:56:00.006-05:002010-07-24T22:27:10.999-05:00

Chris and I had the immense privilege of going to Camp Travis with the youth this summer. We have loved working in the student ministry this year and this was a wonderful time! We both commented on how we liked going as counselors as much, if not more, as when we were kids! We both had so many great memories from going to camp that we were excited to make some new ones as adults. We went to Camp

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-8285129805895376572010-06-07T20:02:00.005-05:002010-06-07T20:27:24.631-05:00

Today in an early celebration of my firstborn's "one hand" birthday, we made a trip over to the American Girl store. Mom and I have been planning for a while to get her a "big" American Girl for her fifth birthday. I have a feeling she will still end up getting put in the toilet to swim or something, but we are hoping she'll be old enough to value it. When we visited Colonial Williamsburg last

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-40419591373095842132010-06-07T19:34:00.007-05:002010-06-07T19:59:29.248-05:00

We had a wonderful day today celebrating Caroline's fifth birthday. My mom was sweet enough to host the party at her house. We invited all of Caroline's little friends to wear makeup and get all dressed up.Caroline and KarisLo, Caroline and NatalieDecorating her flower potFour Sisters and their Beautiful MomLolitaMom and my Aunts made some fabulous food!Natalie and Caroline

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-20211055541722408312010-06-01T20:15:00.004-05:002010-06-01T20:23:42.587-05:00

It's finally hot enough (I mean HOT enough) to break out the sprinkler. The wind of the past month had died down and it was a beautiful night! Caroline had a blast and Cooper was, well, a little less than excited.Coop would rather just sit and look at the bird dogs.

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-81349593936000508192010-05-30T16:17:00.005-05:002010-06-01T20:10:08.543-05:00

Caroline did a fabulous job at her first ballet recital. She is so very serious, but she hit every mark and step. I was so proud of her! No crazy antics- she just did her very best! We were so proud!Natalie and Caroline

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-76708245599374846422010-05-29T23:28:00.005-05:002010-05-29T23:48:59.938-05:00

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-51376415786902703892010-05-11T10:21:00.005-05:002010-05-11T10:32:26.579-05:00

This was a very relaxing Mothers Day for me. We enjoyed the Fort Worth Club's Mothers Day brunch after church. It is so special for me to get to take my kids there. Caroline loved hearing about how Aunt Allie and I used to get dressed up and eat there when we were little. The food was amazing, of course, and it was so enjoyable to spend that time with the family.Poor Dad is still suffering from

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-28834674683920409442010-05-11T10:11:00.003-05:002010-05-11T10:20:58.349-05:00

Friday night Mom, Caroline and I celebrated Mothers Day a little early. We went out to a restaurant that Chris refuses to eat at, and then we took in Peter Pan at Casa Manana. I'd already seen it with my class but didn't mind sitting through it again to spend the time with Caroline. She is now on a pirate kick- lovely Getting autographs Caroline's choir teacher played Peter! This guy was

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-11041484545499550542010-05-11T09:31:00.003-05:002010-05-11T09:43:15.660-05:00

Caroline is completing her second year of ballet. We thought that ballet would be the perfect activity for her because she is very girly and wasn't very competitive. This process has taught me so much about how Caroline is still growing and changing. Getting her to go has become like pulling teeth! She never wants to! I think I have narrowed it down to the fact that you spend much of your time

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-28265958538611418692010-05-11T09:28:00.002-05:002010-05-11T09:30:59.371-05:00

My favorite thing about spring, next to Easter dresses and bluebonnets, is the start of baseball season. Between Chris' softball, TCU baseball and the Ranger games, we hit 6 ballgames in 5 days! I couldn't be happier!

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-37216032752590262082010-04-23T08:08:00.004-05:002010-04-23T08:25:27.448-05:00

This is mainly for Aunt Allie and Uncle Anthony. We wish you were here and could see it in person!

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-36012376108974150122010-04-15T08:56:00.007-05:002010-04-15T09:34:28.877-05:00

The Cranford Clan came down to Fort Worth this past weekend to celebrate a wedding shower and Grandmother's 85th birthday. Grandmother chose for us to go eat at the new Cooper's BBQ in the stockyards. I was thrilled because I love BBQ (NOT!). The idea of a place where you order your meal by the pound did not at all peak my interest, but I love spending time with my family, so it was worth it.

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-9438103377424003982010-04-15T08:46:00.002-05:002010-04-15T09:21:46.151-05:00

Some of our best times at Crowley High School were spent at the baseball field. My fondest memories are seeing Chris out on the field. We were very close to Chris' coach, Mark Jones. He was such a great example to the boys in everything he did. He worked hard to share his faith in any possible. Coach Jones is retiring this year after about 30 years at CHS.One of the many funny memories I have of

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-50767234353428129132010-04-15T08:19:00.004-05:002010-04-15T09:04:40.561-05:00

Caroline completed another successful choir performance on Sunday morning. We all held our breath considering our first experience. She did a fabulous job. She makes me laugh because she is so exact and serious. This girl doesn't clown around. She wants to do it RIGHT! Can't wait to see how she does in kindergarten next year... Fake smile. Of course.Kendall and CarolineAfter we got finished

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-1053068676692318412010-04-09T09:54:00.005-05:002010-04-09T10:10:39.433-05:00

Even though it was a little cloudy, I felt like we had a sunny Easter! The service at TABC was wonderful and we had a great time with the youth that morning in SS also.After church, Chris ran home to get the food I forgot (Oops...) and then we enjoyed a lovely time at Mom and Dad's. Several of our friends weren't able to make it because of sick kiddos and we were lucky enough to be joined by the

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-81800148603724537962010-04-01T08:37:00.003-05:002010-04-01T09:01:35.241-05:00

I hope that this post makes some sort of sense. I apologize if it doesn't! I got about 3 hours of sleep last night because Emily and I went to see TAYLOR SWIFT last night! We left out in the afternoon and headed up to Oklahoma City. We grabbed a quick dinner, then headed to the Ford Center. The concert was great, even though it was a little hokey. After it was over, we flew out to the car and

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-82296901347332803572010-03-09T21:40:00.004-06:002010-03-09T21:58:34.400-06:00

This has been the fastest and most wonderful year! As Cooper's first birthday approached last Friday, I found myself becoming so sentimental. I even made the very dangerous mistake of holding a newborn at school that day. I have had such an amazing time with this little guy, and I am so very sad that I won't ever get to live this year again. I think because I see how fast it has gone with

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-81728312703393594332010-03-09T21:15:00.006-06:002010-03-09T21:40:32.553-06:00

On Saturday afternoon, we met up to celebrate Cooper. It's always special to have friends and family around! The banner Emily made for his baby shower The Guys The Gals Two Little Monkeys CC, Paul and Lo He loved the singing Good luck getting Coop to look at the camera with food around Love my Little ManCheck out his nose. There was a really nasty sneeze that followed this.

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-1645623206416347112010-03-02T21:37:00.003-06:002010-03-02T21:45:27.290-06:00

Saturday was another race day! Dad and Laura both completed the marathon! I could not be more proud, and jealous...Chad running with Dad for a bit Stinky Laura at the finish

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-90204912557816546512010-03-02T21:31:00.003-06:002010-03-02T21:37:28.860-06:00

One of the most memorable parts of Disciple Now this past weekend was the Derby Car Race!! My precious 9th grade girls made a "Patty Wagon" and dressed up as ketchup and mustard. We put the kids in the back of the car to watch Crazy Maddie Run! 11th grade "Princesses"

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-24929791730968858382010-03-02T21:05:00.007-06:002010-03-02T21:31:13.496-06:00

I'll let the pictures do the talking this time

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-57973739258418392632010-03-02T20:32:00.005-06:002010-03-02T21:05:04.037-06:00

I took advantage of the snow day a few weeks ago to try out a recipe by my favorite blogger/cook, the Pioneer Woman. Everything she makes is Y-U-M. I've been wanting to try her donuts, so without school, I had the perfect chance!I started the night before by making a dough and letting it rise in the refrigerator overnight.The next morning, I used a biscuit cutter to cut out the donuts and then

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-39846554663447907642010-02-23T20:06:00.008-06:002010-02-23T20:46:45.376-06:00

We were so blessed this past week to take a trip up to Colorado with some dear friends for a quick skit trip. We were all over the spectrum as far as skiing experience goes, but it was a blast none the less!First run down! Have you ever seen such a thing?? "Gnar Pow" Slow and steady wins the race, right B?Olivia was all smiles!The W'sCutie Mrs. EmBig B was the fastest man on the slopesScott and

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-470395021555780472010-02-01T11:40:00.010-06:002010-02-01T12:36:50.876-06:00

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-78827868612828946242010-02-01T10:51:00.002-06:002010-02-01T10:55:57.696-06:00

We continued out tradition of hand printing our wrapping paper. It is so special to us and to those that receive the gifts. It was fun to have some little bitty hands and feet to use again!!

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-6721787144872863152010-01-27T16:48:00.007-06:002010-02-01T10:47:14.604-06:00

After we returned home from celebrating Jennifer's wedding, we parked it at my folks' house for a few days. The K's were in town, so we tried to get in as much face time with them as possible!!!Caroline and her favorite person on earth!Coop and Papa! Little ManThe K'sSweet grandmotherAllison and her Pioneer Woman lootAll of the people I love most

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-9706114936989210292010-01-25T20:17:00.005-06:002010-01-25T20:47:36.906-06:00

Cooper-Sorry this is so late, but Boy, you and your sister keep me busy!! Between the follow up to Christmas and getting back into the swing of things, I haven't had the chance to sit down and think about your last month or two. Man it has been fun! Christmas was a blast. Of course the boxes were a hit, and we spent the majority of the time fishing wrapping paper out of the slobbery abyss that is

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-44605663417464023692010-01-25T20:06:00.002-06:002010-01-25T20:17:12.318-06:00

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-18588472908164126402010-01-25T19:55:00.003-06:002010-01-25T20:06:16.824-06:00

The first week of December, Mom was kind enough to hostess a cookie exchange for Caroline's friends, their mothers and some of their grandmothers. It was a blast and we ate a ton! We made photo ornaments.Thanks Mom for hosting. Maybe Laura and I will grow up enough to put it together like we said we would!!

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-13061373451259978202010-01-22T10:43:00.006-06:002010-01-22T12:22:48.831-06:00

Yesterday was our yearly excursion to the great Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. We decided to opt out of the rodeo this year because there is no way Coop would sit through it. The only pic of me, as usual Papa took Coop in to see the animals. Caroline screamed and climbed Chris to get away from them. Boy vs. girls...She will however ride the horse. Is it an order/control thing? She is my

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-73798178370074450042010-01-21T12:38:00.009-06:002010-01-21T13:28:11.802-06:00

Right before New Years, we packed the family up and headed down to Glen Rose, to watch my cousin Jennifer get married. It was snowing (for the second time in one week- WHAT?), so the drive was really delightful. Thank you 4 wheel drive. We met in Granbury to partake in some home cooking at Babes before heading into Glen Rose. Allison and Anthony caught up with us there! We were so glad they were

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-82524944234436318382010-01-21T12:28:00.002-06:002010-01-21T12:38:55.096-06:00

We continued our tradition of heading down to Glen Rose for New Years Eve. It is becoming one of our favorite events of the year! No kids, no fuss. We eat and play and eat.We started the evening by playing Rock Band. This phenomenon in our household deserves a post all to itself. Just know that there was lots of singing and laughing. It was a jam session!After we peeled ourselves away from the

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-29156186243700217742010-01-15T10:35:00.003-06:002010-01-15T10:47:46.259-06:00

I debated for a while what to name this post. None of them could fully encompass what this experience was and some were words that a lady should not say, so I settled on wow. Instead of rehashing the yuckiness that was this experience (drunkards, cigarette smoke, the Aggies choking, etc.), I have decided to celebrate the bright spots of the day.Anything with the G's is a blast! We are really

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-55853662091040483102010-01-12T10:37:00.006-06:002010-01-15T12:20:30.052-06:00

All of these were taken by my sweet friend, Hailey. Check out her website for more info on her!

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-55789404538666994562010-01-12T10:16:00.004-06:002010-01-12T10:35:43.122-06:00

Well, it came time for Caroline to sing in church again. Geez... She let us knwo the entire week before her performance that she would cry again if we laughed at her. Thankfully this time was better. She is still very stoic when she is in front of people, but ther was no picking and no tears!!Is that a hint of a smile? So serious"Asleep on the hay" Love this oneBest Buds She had to get a Papa

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-56823373078705086532010-01-12T10:04:00.003-06:002010-01-12T10:07:15.930-06:00

This past month has probably been the busiest in the lives of the Cook family. It has been BA-nanas!! Because of this fact, I have done exactly zero blog posts!! Over the next week, I will attempt to catch up! Please accept my apologizes for the majorly out of data events that I will be chronicling.Mrs. C

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-11659726791560706132009-12-15T13:21:00.002-06:002009-12-15T13:29:44.033-06:00

My Little Man is 9 months old. I don't know why this one is so shocking for me! I think some of it is because it's Christmas and I'm all gooey about everything. maybe it's because it feels so close to one year. Or that it's the same amount of time I got to carry him around with me all day. I'm not sure. I'm just crazy in love with him these days!He's been sick a lot this month. Double ear

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-66816528437123406202009-12-15T12:35:00.003-06:002009-12-15T13:21:04.788-06:00

Last week was a crazy week. I'm not talking about the packed schedule or the Christmas hubbub. Our dog Buddy ( aka Devil Dog) got out on Wednesday. It was pretty close to dusk, we only had a few minutes to look before it was pitch black. Chris was really bummed because miraculously, this crazy dog has turned out to be pretty sweet and one heck of a bird dog. We put in the hard 4 years and now we

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-6961523253540221022009-12-05T21:22:00.003-06:002009-12-05T21:29:39.597-06:00

I heart the Pioneer Woman. Our love story started with an amazing shrimp pasta and has continued for almost 2 years. Many of you know who I am talking about! Her name is Ree Drummond and she write a blog about her life on a ranch in Oklahoma. She talks about her everyday life mostly, but then she treats us with a recipe here and there.This past week she was signing her new cookbook in Dallas, so

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-32997602146010982132009-11-30T14:30:00.004-06:002009-12-02T10:46:58.844-06:00

We left out early the Sunday morning before Thanksgiving to go see Allison and Anthony in Virginia Beach. Mom and Dad joined us later that night. Man I needed some beach time!We were so blessed to have an extra seat next to me on the flight so Cooper had some space and I had some sanity! We went straight from the airport to SEAFOOD and SWEET TEA! Caroline loving on Coop at lunch on Monday,

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-20323571121530953172009-11-30T14:17:00.008-06:002009-12-02T10:23:00.979-06:00

We started off Tuesday heading down to Jamestown. The weather was just plain nasty, but none of us had been before, so we wanted to check it out. I think every child in Virginia under 10 was there, but we still enjoying seeing it. Chris and Coop Me and Coop Caroline on the ship Papa and Coop Dad preaching on the horrors of sin This is what we walked in all day After we left the reconstructed

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-68305144571335108002009-11-30T14:13:00.003-06:002009-12-02T10:36:04.374-06:00

After Jamestown, we took Chris over to Colonial Williamsburg. I was excited to show it to him because we've been talking about it for so long! The weather was really drizzly and cold, so we didn't spend as much time as we normally do, but we hit all of the high spots!They were just beginning to decorate for Christmas. They use all natural decorations and try to make them just as they would have

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-41730639152737216342009-11-30T14:06:00.002-06:002009-11-30T14:13:38.072-06:00

Wednesday we spent most of the day preparing for our big day on Thursday. We ate lunch with Eric and Edie Thomas- A blast!!- and then spent the day at home. Allison prepared a fabulous dinner and invited some friends over to join us. Here are a few shots from the day... Coconut cupcakes! We had to come up with a way to our this tables', uhh... anatomy.

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-33262060993071513692009-11-30T13:55:00.006-06:002009-12-02T10:47:25.772-06:00

It's not hard to be thankful when you are able to spend your Thanksgiving Day on the beach with the people you love most! The day was beautiful, the food was divine and the fellowship was sweet.Caroline found these huge leaves at Williamsburg and insisted that they be used as placematsAfter we finished the meal, we headed outside for a fire and walk on the beach.

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-37880450251343855942009-11-30T13:43:00.003-06:002009-11-30T13:55:09.240-06:00

We were able to spend our last 2 days really relaxing. We started Friday off with a yummy breakfast of homemade donuts. Mom used a recipe that she grew up making and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! The girls stayed home while the guys were taken on a tour of the Norfolk Naval Base by a friend. I think they were all ready to enlist by the end of it. What is it with men, guns and large

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-74087372759387694362009-11-30T13:01:00.004-06:002009-11-30T13:29:47.497-06:00

I think MSN described the recent Twilight: New Moon insanity best- Nerdageddon. I am beyond being embarrassed and am now waving my dork flag high.Emily and I braved the weirdos and went to see New Moon on Thursday night at 11:58 pm. We really couldn't resist getting into it. The excitement was too contagious. I will admit that as we watched the first and second movies in the series on the big

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-11650393415182304402009-11-19T07:54:00.003-06:002009-11-19T08:03:49.945-06:00

Being the time of year that it is, I am in an exceptionally thankful frame of mind. Everyday countless things come to my attention that I am so grateful to God for!Someone emailed my dad this picture today. This past Sunday, we went to the early service, so Caroline didn't to see my Dad. I guess that Chris let her run in to give him a hug as the service was starting. A friend of ours snapped

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-82852537081383600482009-11-18T09:59:00.005-06:002009-11-18T12:30:50.612-06:00

We just wrapped up a wonderful weekend of food, fun and FIRE! Actually the fire part is still with us... No matter how many times I wash my hair, I still smell smoke! Caroline actually told me the other day that my hair smelled like meat.We met 5 other families out at Lake Mineral Wells State Park after I got off of work. Chris went ahead and I had the pleasure of riding with my favorite two

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-16774632964230174862009-11-18T09:11:00.002-06:002009-11-18T09:26:31.175-06:00

Our Little (Big) Man is 8 months old! He is more precious every day! It has been a great month!The News of the Month-no doctor check up, so no new stats on weight or height-He has crawled some but prefers the army crawl. He can move!-FOUR!! new teeth came in all at once, so he now has the bottom two and the top four-pretty much wrapping up baby food-YEAH!- because he can eat pretty much anything

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175157559140969019.post-34554259472089056202009-11-18T09:05:00.003-06:002009-11-18T09:27:41.735-06:00

Last Thursday night, Caroline and I had a Girls Night. Our sweet friend, Caroline E., was performing in her school's play. The play just happened to be the Wizard of Oz, which is very big in our house right now and Caroline E. was playing Dorothy, I jumped at the chance to go see her and for my Caroline to have one last chance to wear her Halloween costume. The play was wonderful! I couldn't have

Ashley C.noreply@blogger.com1