The votes are in...

Although the blog poll is over, the disagreement will continue in our home! Our faithful blog voters chose Mary Poppins over The Sound of Music by one vote. Judd has long claimed this as truth, but I will continue to object!

My love affair with The Sound of Music started when I was very young and watched it on television with my parents. They recorded it on a VHS tape for me and I watched over and over (complete with great commercials from the 80s!) I was also given a cassette tape of the soundtrack which helped me learn the words to every song. Since then I have owned other copies. First came the VHS version that was actually two tapes! Then when DVDs took over, The Sound of Music was one of the first that I owned. A few years ago, the movie celebrated its 40th anniversary with a two disc special edition. Of course, I own that too!

In my early teen years, my grandparents took me to see The Sound of Music on stage at the Garland Civic Theater. It was amazing to see the songs I knew so well sung in person! Then for my seventeenth birthday (I think) Judd took me to see it at Fair Park as part of the Dallas Summer Musicals. Our seats were six rows from the stage and it was a wonderful experience. That is still one of my favorite gifts he's ever given me, especially because I know he doesn't love it the way I do!

I don't watch it near as much as I used to, but I do try to sit down and watch it at least twice a year. I put it on for Bailey a couple of weeks ago. Let's just say she's not ready to appreciate it yet!

Until next time...So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye!

Merry Christmas

From our family to yours...


"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

It's a BOY!

We found out today that Bailey is going to have a little brother! Little man was lying on his stomach for the ultrasound so we didn't get any good pictures of his face or body. He did, however, show his manhood. We do have that picture, but it's not quite appropriate for this family blog!

Our little boy will be named Campbell Clark Cochran. We just really like the name Campbell and Clark is Judd's dad and grandfather's name. Yes, his initials will be CCC, but we like it.

Humor Us

Judd and I have a long standing disagreement over which is better: The Sound of Music or Mary Poppins. Over the years we have surveyed many of our friends (and strangers) with their opinions. So humor us and cast your vote in our poll on the right side of the blog. I won't tell you who likes what so as to not sway your vote, but if you know us very well at all it's not hard to figure it out!

children's museum

On Friday Julie and I took the kids to the Children's Museum. Bailey and Jacob had a great time exploring. Hannah took it all in from her stroller!

Jacob and Bailey learn about Christmas in Mexico. Feliz Navidad!


Hannah worked so hard to get her shoe off!


on the phone...


It's for you!


Going shopping


Bailey driving an old Mustang.


Silly Jacob


Bailey driving the VW bus.


Milking the cow

cousins

My mother in law sent me these pictures of the girls from Thanksgiving. Notice the pictures on the piano - they were sitting on the correct side!

Questionnaire

This has been going around so I thought I'd play along.

Questionaire
1. Name: Jennifer Nicole
2. Birthday: June 21
3. Birthplace: Big D
4. Eye Color: Green
5. Hair Color: Brown
6. Height: 5'6
7. Ethnicity: Caucasian
8. Weakness: food, Starbucks, stationary, children's books, books for me
9. Most missed memory: memories with my grandparents back in the day...and college
10. Thoughts first waking up: Do I have enough time to hit snooze?
11. Last time you cried: don't remember - I guess it's been awhile
12. Song title that currently says how you feel: "It's the most wonderful time of the year!"
13. What is the perfect day for you: I would sleep late then go to La Madeline for brunch with Judd and Bailey. Then we would go to the mall to shop and let Bailey play at the play area. At some point we would have coffee at Starbucks! We would go home and take a nap then the babysitter would come over so Judd and I could go out for dinner (Cheesecake Factory) and a movie.
14. Ever been asked for an autograph? do third graders count?
15. How do you vent anger? silence then eventually talking it out
16. Who do you talk to most on the phone? my mom and Julie
17. As a kid, were you a lego builder? No - I played with Barbies and my brother's Hot Wheels
18. Do you chew on your straws? Nope
19. Do you sing in the shower? No - I'm usually too tired that early in the morning to sing!
20. Who's the last person you stayed up late talking to on the phone to? Linz, but it was only 10:00 - I'm old!
21. The last place you went to in a plane? Puerto Vallerta
22. Do you cry at weddings? I get teary
23. Are you afraid of the dark? No
24. What are you addicted to? Coke, Grey's Anatomy, Karen Kingsbury and Francine Rivers books, blogs, myspace
25. Crunchy or creamy peanut butter? Creamy
26. Who do you fight with the most? probably Judd but it never lasts long
27. Who can you tell anything to? Judd
28. Who can't you get enough of? Judd and Bailey
29. Who makes you laugh the most? Bailey Kaye - she does and says the funniest things!
30. What is the worst feeling ever? disappointing someone
31. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two under my head and one to hold onto, but I'll have to add more as I get bigger. When I was pregnant with Bailey, I was sleeping with five!
32. How many rings before you answer your phone? however many it takes for me to get to the phone
33. How many times do you press the "snooze" button? it depends on if I have time, but usually two!
34. How do you sleep? used to sleep on my back, now it's my left side!
35. Last time you laughed: I'm sure I've laughed today but I can't think of why! I laughed A LOT this weekend during our trip to Canton!
36. Ever looked at someone ugly and said "EWWW"? unfortunately, I'm sure I have
37. What is your favorite color? pink, green, brown
38. What is your favorite state? seriously? TEXAS!!!

weekend update

This past weekend three ladies from my church and I headed to east Texas for a shopping trip to First Monday. We left the men in charge of the kids and hoped for the best! My wonderful in-laws hosted us for the weekend and my mother-in-law acted as our tour guide at First Monday - she knows that place like the back of her hand! We found some great stuff, great deals, and ate a great corny dog! We even got to go to my home church, FBC Kaufman, on Sunday morning. What a treat! The dads survived the weekend without a hitch. Judd and one of the other guys took the kids to Chuck E Cheese on Friday night. We think it was more for them to play than the kids. Then on Saturday night, they all gathered to watch the annual Festival of Lights parade. We've already decided we'll have to do it again in the spring!

On a different note, I am now 16 weeks pregnant. I went to the doctor last week and everything looks good. I can even hold Bailey again! Thank you for your prayers - it means so much to us. Our ultrasound has been scheduled for December 20. Hopefully the little one will cooperate and reveal their gender. So what do you think...boy or girl?

Thanksgiving Recap

We had a great holiday weekend. We headed to Kaufman on Wednesday afternoon. It was 85 degrees when we left here and 44 when we arrived in K-town! Brrr! Needless to say, we were not dressed for the weather! We got to meet our brand new niece for the first time. Bailey is in love! She held and helped feed Charlie all weekend. We ate a wonderful Thanksgiving spread at Judd's grandparent's house on Thursday and stayed in the rest of the weekend. It was nice and relaxing. My parents, brother, and sister-in-law went to Colorado this year to spend Thanksgiving with my aunt and her family. We missed them. Somehow I didn't get my camera out much so these are literally the only pictures I have from the weekend. I have vowed to do better at Christmas!

Cousins


Beau and Bailey

I love Thanksgiving!

Reasons I love this holiday:
1. Spending time with family, especially those we haven't seen in a while
2. My father in law's dressing - it's AMAZING!
3. Judd's grandmother's homemade macaroni and cheese
4. It happens during FALL - my favorite season
5. Pumpkin Bread
6. The now annual "Get Together O Friends"
7. Going home
8. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - I love NY!
9. Dallas Cowboys
10. Leftovers

Thanksgiving

"Give thanks to the LORD for He is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the LORD of lords:
His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the eart upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights -
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
and brought Isreal out from among them
His love endures forever.
with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.
to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures forever.
and brought Isreal through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.
to him who led his people through the desert,
His love endures forever.
who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
and killed mighty kings -
His love endures forever.
Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
and Og king of Bashan -
His love endures forever.
and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
an inheritance to his servant Isreal;
His love endures forever.
to the One who remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies,
His love endures forever.
and who gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever."
PSALM 136

Ode to SA

Judd and I lived in San Antonio for 4 years. (Judd actually lived there 5 1/2 years.) San Antonio is a great place to live and since we moved, I haven't thought much about good ole SA until recently. I've been reflecting on how much fun it was to live there and start our married life in such a fun city. Here are a few of my favorite things about the Alamo city. (Notice how many have to do with food!)
In no particular order:
1. Our first apartment and our first house!
2. Alamo Cafe - the best tortillas and queso ever...and enchiladas verdes...yummmm
3. Sea World - we had season tickets before Bailey was born!
4. BARNES AND NOBLE - we went to read and drink coffee at least once a week even after Bailey came along. Now the closest one is probably 45 miles away...bummer
5. La Cantera - swanky outdoor shopping center
6. Clear Springs Cafe - a rugged seafood place that has amazing onion rings
7. Clear Spring Elementary -my first teaching job and where I spent four years investing in kids' lives and making amazing friends that I miss dearly.
8. The Riverwalk - we only went when we had friends or family in town, but it's beautiful and home to some good Mexican food
9. San Antonio Spurs - it took me a while to buy into the Spurs, but now I'm a fan. Who are the Rockets anyway?
10. Fiesta - I was just starting to understand what this is and why we got a day off of school for it
11. The fact that there was a Wal-Mart, Target, mall, and every other convienance within 10 minutes of my house
12. Bailey's baby-sitter - Mrs. Kim was awesome and she lived in our neighborhood...until she moved 20 minutes away
13. North Star Mall - we would go walk around the mall often having no intention of actually shopping
14. HEB - they are everywhere in SA, not so much here
15. Breakfast tacos - it's a breakfast staple in SA

the newest addition

Bailey has a new cousin! Charlie Lorraine was born on November 8 at 12:37 pm weighing 6 pounds 14 ounces and is 19 inches long. Big sister Beau is so proud!

#2

Many of you have already heard the news, but for those who haven't...Bailey's going to be a big sister! I am 13 weeks pregnant and due May 15. I have already had two appointments with my new doctor (who I love) and two ultrasounds. Here are the baby's first two pictures. The first one was at 8 weeks and you can't really see much more than a blob. The second one was at 12 weeks and you can clearly see the head, arms, and legs. It's amazing how much the baby grew in only 4 weeks!


Please keep us in your prayers as I've had some trouble with bleeding (sorry for the details.) The doc said "light duty only" for the next several weeks which means I can't do any heavy lifing - including Bailey. She has learned how to climb in and out of her carseat herself, but is confused about why mommy can't hold her.

Baylor Homecoming

We had a great weekend in Waco with some great friends! We headed to Baylor on Friday afternoon and in keeping tradition, we ate dinner at Olive Garden with our dear friends David and Joanne (aka Dave and Jo-Jo.) Then we made our way to campus for the pep rally and bonfire. We also got to see the new Immortal Ten statue. If you're unfamiliar with Baylor and the Immortal Ten, you can read about it here. Then Saturday morning we got to campus early for curb side seats with my brother Kenny and his wife Meike to watch the oldest and largest homecoming parade in the nation! Afterward we took some pictures in front of Pat Neff (my favorite building on campus and where Judd proposed) and met my college roommates for coffee at Common Grounds. Then we headed to Ninfa's for lunch before we made the trip home. No, we did not attend the football game. Sitting through a game with a two year old did not sound like a good time! And the most important part...pictures!

Joanne, Judd, Dave, and Bailey at the Immortal Ten statue

Bailey was scared of the bear!

Bailey at the bonfire

Joanne and Jenn at the bonfire

Jenn, Judd, and Bailey at the parade

the family picture in front of Pat Neff - we do this every year!

Roomies - Ash, Linz, Jenn, and SA

the whole gang

our little lady bug

Bailey went trick or treating in our neighborhood with her friends Bob the Builder, Dorothy, and the kitty cat. Bailey was a lady bug, or as she says, a "wady gug." They had a great time!

Happy Birthday Judd

Today is Judd's 29th birthday. We have seen each other through eleven birthdays. That's crazy! I am so thankful for my husband for so many reasons. Here are just a few:
-Judd is an amazing husband. He takes care of me and loves me well.
-He is an AWESOME Daddy. There isn’t ANYTHING he won’t do – seriously. It’s amazing to watch him interact with Bailey. She lights up in his presence.
-He is generous. When we go out to dinner with friends, he likes to pick up the tab.
-He is AWESOME at his job. Although this road in the ministry has not always been smooth, Judd has been obedient to God. He is GREAT with teenagers and connects with them as if he were still 16. Is that a good thing?
-He likes things clean, more than I do. He has been known to clean the WHOLE house by himself. How many men can you say that about?
There are many many more reasons I am thankful for this man but there's not enough room on a blog to list them all. I hope Judd feels celebrated today. He certainly deserves it!

fun on the farm

We went to Dewberry Farm this weekend and as soon as we drove up we knew it was a big deal. It was PACKED! We parked about a mile from the entrance! There was so much to do and we all had a great time.

Here is Bailey in the pumpkins. I guess she must like eating the pumpkins because she did the same thing last year.
2007

2006


They have a great playground for kids under seven called Little Farmersville. It had a "track" with little tricycles and tractors for the little ones to drive and a slide made out of pvc pipes. The pipes roll as the kid slides down. So fun!

Bailey and Paisley



Our next stop was the duck races. You have to pump water into a trough to push the rubber duckie to the end.


This is the corn train. I think they should call it the DUST train. Judd rode this with Bailey while I manned the camera. (Jaime and Paisley were in the barrel in front of Judd and Bailey.)



Our last adventure was a hay ride to the pumpkin patch. We took some pictures and found the perfect pumpkin to take home.