Keeping Up With The Cobb's

Midnight Jump

2010-01-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

Well, it wasn't exactly midnight but it was night time and we had to have a jump or two to break it in! Andrew had to crack Sara the egg then......

Sara had to crack Andrew the egg!

And it was cold!!! But what the fun if there's not a little risk of frost bite or something! I know it's hard to see Andrew since he has his new camo Under Armour on! But look hard, he's there, in his small fortune of clothing! LOL
Dusty and I got the trampoline put together Christmas afternoon but didn't get the new enclosure on until the other day. We were frozen enough that day putting it together so Dusty had to thaw out and weather the weekend to get the net on! Maybe that will help Sara not break her neck! We've already had one broken bone on a trampoline!

Christmas Day

2010-01-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

All were snug in their beds waiting for Santa to come. And that he did! He brought Andrew jeans from The Buckle, Razorback houseshoes, a Zhu Zhu pet(I'll have to tell you the story later) and Yahtzee. He brought Sara a new pink coat from Justice, a Mr. NumNums, the Zhu Zhu pet, with a carrier, blanket and ball to play in. And of course, he filled their stockings!

Wonder what that is!!!

A laptop from Dusty and I! He didn't have a clue! It was double wrapped and Sara wanted to help! She knew all this time and didn't say a word!

Sara wanted a new tv for her room! Her's was "too small".

And yes, she got a trampoline! Yes, it's in the box! Why?......how dare you ask! It poured for 20 days and 20 nights! Dusty and I put it together Christmas afternoon! It was COLD!!!

We opened presents here EARLY Christmas morning then we made our way to mom and dad's around 10:00 a.m. after a little nap. I got all wrapped up in presents at their house that I forgot to take pictures. It was a sight to see and so so fun with 6 kids opening presents in one room plus Jess, Dallas, Dusty and I. Oh, yeah, and mom and dad.
We had a very blessed Christmas! I hope you all did as well! This time of year is joyous! It makes me very thankful for all I have! It makes me very happy to think of Christmas memories growing up! Those memories I hold dear to my heart!

2010-01-01T17:36:00.000-08:00

PHS Homecoming 2009

2009-12-05T05:03:00.000-08:00

My final homecoming post......
Shelbi

One of my favorite pictures of the night.....
Morgan Q., Morgan D. and Shelbi C.

Shelbi and the Brandon's being announced at homecoming before the ballgame.

And of course we can't leave out my little homecoming queen! She was the prettiest little one there!

The entire court!

All the homecoming events were done with good grace and excellent taste! Kudos to all those involved in making it a successful event!
I hope you all are being patient with me! Even though I have stood you up so long! LOL I am going to get up to date on all my posting. I told you I have lots of pictures and things to post just not enough time in the day to get it done! I'm slowly getting up to December! I did get my background changed just not sure how the beach picture fits in! Until tomorrow.......

Homecoming Pep Rally

2009-11-29T11:25:00.000-08:00

Shelbi Grace Cottingham - 2009 Senior Homecoming Maid
Beautiful dress, beautiful girl, inside and out!

Shelbi and her escorts, Brandon Honea and Brandon Wiley.

Sara + Shelbi = my favorite girls!

Plus one more!!!!

I LOVE this!!! Prayer for a safe game!

Homecoming Parade 2009

2009-11-28T06:28:00.000-08:00

Shelbi was choosen to be a homecoming maid! And so the fun begins......
Sara and I spent one whole night glittering silver pawprints and making the pink letters shiny for the parade. I'm not crafty but I was actually proud of how they turned out. We had pink letters strewn all over the place at my house. With a little help from co-workers, we got the letters glued into place. Bow expert, Lori, made beautiful pink bows! And I'm not gonna brag but it was the prettiest ride there! And of course, the prettiest girl! I'm not partial about that either!
Here's the finished product!

I know it's just the ride but I drove her in the parade so Kim got the only pictures of Shelbo during the parade!
But I did get my co-pilot, Sara in one!

PHS HoMeCoMiNg CoUrT 2009

And last but never least--Shelbi Grace after the parade!

Isn't she pretty in pink?!?! (not a question, a statement)

2009-11-26T10:21:00.000-08:00

I hope this special time of year finds you happy and healthy and looking forward to all the wonderful things of the season.
And I just want to say "thanks..." warmly, wonderfully, and very grateful. For being the special kind of person who makes my heart happy in ways that there will never be enough words for. ~R.L. Keith
Let's give thanks for all we have! Happy Thanksgiving!

Responsibility

2009-11-25T12:13:00.000-08:00

The PES word of the month for October was "Responsibility". Yes, I said October! Yes, I'm way behind but if you are a follower, you know this already! So, word of the month was RESPONSIBILITY! Students are chosen by their teachers and recognized as portraying the word of the month. Sara was recognized at the October school board meeting because she is a responsible student. Here she is after the board meeting with her certificate.

A bulletin board displaying the "STUDENTS OF THE MONTH" is in the lobby at PES. Here is the second grade picture that Sara is in

and here is the entire board!

Remember the Time

2009-11-19T15:37:00.000-08:00

It was last year when Andrew and Pop came roaring up our driveway on the opening day deer season with Andrew's first deer. Remember this picture I posted.....

Well, here he is now, a short year later.....

Andrew, Dusty and daddy went to pick him up at M & T's Taxidermy last week. The scenary on the side was a first for Mike but he had to get creative because there was a bald spot on his shoulder. He did a few more after this one and people coming in wanted theirs like. TC told Andrew she wanted her first kill of the year mounted like it! It turned out pretty nice actually!
Andrew is proud of it! Maggie stalked and barked at it! Sara wouldn't touch it! Dusty hung it! And I sat and admired it in Andrew's room!
And even though he doesn't have a name yet, he had to support those HOGS!!!!! He's probably thinking, "WOOOOOO PIG SOOIE!!!", while sporting his Razorback red!

HOLA!!!

2009-11-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

It's me again, Margaret! Remember me my faithful followers......it's me, your non-blogging friend, Valarie! Some people, who will remain nameless, want to know where I been, which is apparently Farmville!!! LOL
I downloaded lots of pictures on my computer tonight. We have had lots of things going on. And I know, nameless person(shhhh, it's KimJim), that I have not blogged in forever. But I have loads of good stuff to tell you, my friends. So stay tuned, check us out in days to come and keep up (or catch up) with the Cobbs! (I just typed "tha", can you tell I text a few teenagers?)
So, c me on tha flip side! Check my blog 2morra!!!!

CRRRAZYYY!

2009-10-12T21:03:00.000-07:00

Crrrazyyy! You know like the Patsy Cline song! I am sure that's what you all will think of me after I haven't posted forever and then come up with something as important as this.......
So here's the hizzle....Daddy called and told me that a friend of a friend of a friend called him and told him that because the magnetic fields of the earth were perfectly alligned (or something to that affect) that I could go get my broom and it would stand by itself in the middle of the kitchen floor. He said his was doing it right now all by itself. SOOOOO, I tried and tried and couldn't get it to work. Andrew took the unlevel bristol broom from me and straight up stood it in the middle of our kitchen just like that! See for yourself!

Tadaaaaa! It worked!

He can even hold Sara level too! Well, kinda!

Yes, we are easily entertained! Good "clean" entertainment if I do say so myself!

DOUBLE Shout Out

2009-09-28T04:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday my dearest Kristi!!!!! Happy Birthday to you!!!!!!
She's been ??????? (I'll never tell!) a week today! So she deserves a DOUBLE shout out!!!!!! And another t-rific Monday!!!
Happy late Birthday, Kris!!! I love YA!

Crabs for Supper

2009-09-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

Andrew had snow crab legs for supper the other night that we brought home from our Gulf Shores trip in an ice chest. He tried and loved them one night at Red Lobster. Sooooo, we had to bring some fresh ones home from the coast. And of course there has to be a story behind it.......Dusty went to buy crab legs. He went to a little shop down from our house. He picked up a few handfuls thinking they were $9.99 a bundleand that he was spending around $40.00. When he went to check out, the lady rang him up and told him his total was like $200. Needless to say, they were $9.99 a pound so he put half of them up. Must have been some heavy crab! The lady was very nice. She helped him pack them in our ice chest and they stayed overnight and came home a solid block of ice because they didn't need to get wet or they would ruin. Anyway, Andrew loved them! He had to crack them with the pecan cracker but he ate them up!

Bet You Can't Guess......

2009-09-13T19:27:00.001-07:00

I know! Who would have thought it! Who absolutely LOVES pink? Who would have picked the pink camo background? Could it be the little girl who I bought pink camo capris for in Dillards a couple of years ago and she wore them until they were too little, falling apart and faded but she LOVED them! Yep, that would be Sara! She told me this border was "AWESOME!!!" Sooooooo, until fall is here this shall be it........pink camo!

It's Only Been A Few!

2009-09-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

Andrew did well at district. He had a better score this year and has improved tremendously since the same 18 holes last year. He will be off to regionals next week! He was pretty pleased with himself. But he was worn out when he got home. I think he was out cold pretty quick after he got home. Maggie joined him for a nap.

And He's Off!

2009-09-09T19:47:00.000-07:00

Andrew and the Prescott High School golf team left for the district tournament in El Dorado this afternoon. They left right after school today with bags packed. They went up early to practice on the course. District starts tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. sharp!
I did get him to let me take a picture as he was getting his stuff out of the car. I had to do it quick though as I dont' want to embarrass anyone!
He is getting so tall. Taller than me! And growing so fast before my very eyes! I am so proud of him. He is a smart, charismatic, handsome young man who handles life who ease and tact! He's my baby!

I hope he does well tomorrow. When I talked to him after they got to the hotel he said he did "ok", which is a typical answer for Andrew if you know him. Can't wait to see how he does tomorrow! He gets better every day and year! I am very proud of him!

A Great, Long Weekend!

2009-09-08T19:45:00.000-07:00

Who loves 3 day weekends? The Cobb's do!!! We had good time too! To start our weekend off, Firday night the Wolves won our first ballgame and then it was fun from there on out.
We went to the river Saturday. We rode our four wheelers and the Cub Cadet to our little spot on the river around the corner, or a few corners, from our house. We played in the cold water and enjoyed the Jester's company.
Riding is one of Andrew's all time favorite things to do!! He can never get enough!

Sara and Reed were packed up and ready to roll. But where were the big boys......not where they were supposed to be!

Tim and Reed ready to ride!

Dusty and Sara. Dusty gets to sit back and let Sara ride him around.

My sweet little river rat in pink!

And that's only the middle of the weekend......there's plenty more where that came from! Stay tuned!

Curley Wolf Football Is In Tha HOUSE!

2009-09-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

I took this picture before the first ballgame last season. I didn't get one this year so we are bringing in the new with the old! And what a great start it was! The Curley Wolves beat the Hermitage Hermits, 56-19! It was very hot and very humid and a very long drive but they didn't let us down! GO WOLVES GO!

Remember the Time

2009-08-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

Remember the time when I blogged about us going to Little Missouri Falls.......well this is the trip home....
Sara was worn out from playing hard all weekend. She fell asleep on the way home listening to her Ipod with her sunglasses on. I looked back and her head band had fallen over her eyes with the music blaring!
PRICELESS!!!

Party + Pizza + Presents = Perfect Fun

2009-08-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

How crazy am I? As I mentioned in my last post, the first Friday of the first week of school I let Sara have a sleepover. It went well and the girls seemed to all have fun! They swam and played on teh slip n slide! We had pizza, Bratz/Barbie cake and ice cream and then opened presents. And we had them in that order!
pizza....

cake....

presents....

and more presents!!

And what's a party without a little goofy fun!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

2009-08-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

My favorite picture of the birthday girl with a little icing on that sweet face!

My baby girl is 7 years old today. It is hard to believe! I have ending the first week of school seven years ago with a major back ache and at 11:00 on the dot Sara Lynn Cobb was born. 8 pounds even and healthy as could be! Time flies when you are having fun! We celebrated almost all weekend long! Friday after school five girls came home from school with us and spent the night. And today we went to the movies with Gran and Pop to see Shorts (Daddy, Dusty and Andrew saw Indeginous Basterds) and shopped at Target and ate supper at The Olive Garden.
Great weekend! Great fun! I love my baby girl! I hope and pray for many more glorious birthday celebrations!

Think She Stays Like This Til We Get Home?

2009-08-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

Maggie doesn't like to be left. When shoes go on, she heads to the door. She's usually there before we are. Sometimes she gets to go, sometimes she doesn't. This is what she does when she doesn't.....

and she stays this way, still as a statue, waiting for Dusty to come back inside. Or we wish she was as still as a statue. When we don't all go, those left behind with her get to hear her whine, whimper, pace and bark until she knows whoever left is really gone or just outside for a minute and she didn't get to go. On this particular day, I was home and she stayed very still looking at the door for a good 5 minutes. So the question remains, think she stays this way when we all leave til we get home?????

Back To School!

2009-08-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school. Andrew was just calling it another year. No excitement, ready to see friends he hasn't seen but other that......he's a teenager! He enjoy his classes today and gettign back in the groove of things. He has a load this year. He is taking Algebra II and Chemistry along with English, Sociology/Psychology, Oral Comm./Personal Finance (those are split 1 per semester), World History, Art II and Desktop Publishing. He didn't sign up for every one of those but was happy with his schedule after going to class today. Can't believe he is in the 10th grade!
Sara was excited. Not necessarily about class but about seeing friends she hasn't seen all summer. Don't get me wrong, she loves writing and reading much more than Andrew but don't we go to school to socialize! I mean come on people! LOL She has Mrs. Silliman and Mrs. Henderson and is in the 2nd grade. And can you believe on the tiring first day, Mrs. Silliman let them lay their heads down to rest for a minute while she went over the rules and that mean Mrs. Henderson wouldn't let them do that! The nerve of her! LOL
We are all tired! We got home later than normal because I couldn't leave me desk a mess, cooked and eat supper and Andrew has been asleep since about 8:00. My little night bug is still flittering around doing anything she can not to hit the sheets. What will I do with her when she is a teenager!

WOW!!! Do I Even Know My Name!

2009-08-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

I know, I've been slackin in the blogging department as of late but I'm not sure I even know my name. It's that time of year......crunch time for school to start and I'm trying to get ready as a mom and a school employee!
Andrew's open house is tonight at 7:00. Yes, that's PM! (I have answered that question about PES open house tomorrow night but at 6:00. Who wouldn't have orientation at 6 AM) I am hoping his schedule is ok. But somehow doubt it is.
I haven't gotten the kids to bed like I said I was going too. Haven't made Sara read like I was going to. But Gran did buy school supplies for Sara and we do have the most important things....new shoes and clothes. Sara's backpack hasn't come yet but we have two more days. I'm keepin my fingers crossed!
By the time this week is over I will probably need my name taped to my forehead. But this too shall pass!

Always Havin' A Little Fun

2009-08-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

Here is the crew.....some mighty excitement going on there!

The calm part of the falls....

Andrew, Sara and Reed

Sara loved the pretty green moss. She said was a carpet of green.

Sara and Reed threw rocks while Andrew and Dusty explored.

Andrew at the Falls

2009-08-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

Andrew and Dusty climbed over rocks and thru the rapids at Little Missouri Falls. They trekked their way to the top of the little water fall that we were closest too.

They found them a little hole to cool off in. It was hot!

And here they are at the top!

The water was running pretty fast. Some people there said it was from all the rain we had. I was a little nervous watching but he had fun and told me to lighten up!

A Little Road Trip

2009-08-08T06:23:00.000-07:00

We went to Little Missouri Falls last weekend. Isnt' it beautiful!!

Sara isn't too fond of rolling water....can't say I blame her. She stayed pretty close to her daddy when they climbed up on a big boulder to look at the sights.

Andrew and Sara got in a calm spot where Sara played a little bit and felt better about the water.

And she got brave enought to let me take her picture by herself on the big rocks.

Stayed tuned to see what Andrew in the water.....and I'll have to say, it made me a little nervous! Brought out the mother hen in me! LOL

I Know! I'm A Little Behind!

2009-08-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

Sara, Gran and I went to the closing of the summer reading program at the Nevada County Library. Mrs. Gibson read a book about balloons(sorry, I can't remember the name of it), had a balloon lift off, gave out certificates, bags of goodies and books to the kids, had face painting and snacks and Sonic gift cards for the parents. Kudos to Mrs. Gibson! Even though I am partial, she is the BEST of the best! Sara and Gran and the boys enjoyed the program all summer! What's better than good books, crafts and snacks on a warm summer day!
This is Sara and Emily during the balloon lift off.

Sara in the middle waiting for lift-off!

There they go!!!!

Pictures are courtesy of David Henderson. Hope he didn't have a copy right on them!

Reed's First Tea Party

2009-07-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

Sara served Reed tea at his first tea party. Doesn't he look like he is having a blast! They really had a great time playing together and "fighting" with Andrew later in the night.
Note: Look at Sara's bookshelf in the background. She is SOOOO organized!!! LOL Only a mama would see that!

Lil Mo Fun

2009-07-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

We rode 4 wheelers and our Cub Cadet to the river Saturday afternoon and swam and played in a spot on the Little Missouri that I haven't been to since I was a little girl. It was a FUN afternoon!!! Andrew and Dusty rode their own 4 wheelers and Sara and I took the Cub Cadet with our stuff in the back. Tim, Stacy and Reed went on their wheelers.
We got home about dark. Can't ya tell we were a little dusty? But the kids had a blast! Andrew was ready for a night ride!

They were ready for more but us old people were ready for a shower!

Dusty had to break out the broom to sweep out the back of the Cubbie then he hosed everything down while I showered and got things ready to grill hot dogs and smoked sausage.

A fun time was had by all!!!

200th Post

2009-07-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

Doesn't seem like I have been blogging that long but guess I have, it's my 200th post! Valarie has lots to say.....whoever woulda thought it! LOL
Movies That Don't Suck! That is what the movie marathon on G4 (never heard if it before)is called that Andrew and I have watched today. And we watched one if my all time favs.....The Lost Boys! And for all my friends that haven't seen it, I can't believe you. It has all the populars of MY time! Jason Patric, Corey Feldman, Cory Haim, Keifer Sutherland and Jami Gertz and more! And it is awesome!!!!
So that is what Andrew and I did on our day by ourselves, watched tv and ate waffles. Friday is my day off, Dusty had to work and Sara was at a sleepover. It's been a good lazy, 200 post day!

Who Says Cleaning Can't Be Fun?

2009-07-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

Andrew helped me with housework Sunday afternoon. Everyone pitched in but Andrew is always a big help! But who says it can't be fun!!! Andrew does!!! Can't you tell?

Lucy

2009-07-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

Lucy is getting a little bigger. She is eating up a storm. She gives it to Maggie as good as Maggie gives! And she is a smart little booger. She is doing pretty good on her potty training if when Dusty and I are home but I don't know if the kids are doing as they should during the day. And you'll never guess whose arm she is on.....the one who wasn't keen on another dog, the one who talks the talk but cuddles with Maggie and Lucy on the couch every night....of course, it's Dusty!

So MUCH To Do

2009-07-11T12:03:00.000-07:00

Well, it's 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon.....I have accomplished none of the goals I set for my family and I today. I'm obviously on the computer, Dusty is napping on the couch, Andrew is playing his Playstation 2 and Sara is watching Scooby-Doo and doing beads. This is not the scene I had pictured for us today. We need to do some deep cleaning on this house of ours. I have a list in my head and that is where it has stayed!
Here are some of the things I want done today:
1. top of refrigerator cleaned (hate to look up there)
2. clean out china cabinet, dust it and wash crystal and china
3. dust whole house
4. move treadmill to my bedroom
5. clean out my closet
6. get the pile of scrapbook stuff out of the corner in my room and organize it
7. make Dusty clean off his pile on the kitchen table
8. MOP!!!!
That is my list......that doesn't count all the other things in between. So I guess in order to get it done before we go to bed tonight, I better get off here and get my team motivated! I know they are excited!

Driver's Beware

2009-07-07T15:54:00.000-07:00

Andrew took and passed his driving part of the drivers test. He was pretty nervous but did a great job! He drove us to and from mom and dad's to Dusty's birthday party.
Check it out!

He's so proud!!!! So are we!

Any kidding aside, he is a good driver, very cautious and aware. Let's hope he stays and way! And if ya see him without his seat belt on, you better let me know!!!!

Happy Birthday, Dusty

2009-07-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

Today is Dusty's 39th birthday. He was off since it was his birthday so he got to sleep a little late. I worked until noon then we went to Texarkana to the movies and out to eat. We saw Transformers and loved it! We went to Lowe's to pick up his present but they were out of it. He wanted a new grill! We are going to check Lowe's in Hot Springs for it this weekend.
But before we went, we had to sing Happy Birthday and have cake. The kids made and decorated the cake and cupcakes all by themselves. I just put them in the oven and made sure they didn't burn. They got a little colorful and cute! They made them while he was at work yesterday and hid them in Andrew's room so Dusty was completely surprised!
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Dusty, happy birthday to you!!! And many more........

He blew so hard he blew some of the sprinkles off.......

Andrew did the cake and Sara did most of the cupcakes. Sara even put a "D" in the middle of all the cupcakes. Didn't they do a good job?

A cake and miniature cupcakes to boot!

Happy Birthday, Dust!!! We love you!!!!

Happy 4th

2009-07-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

Hope you have a safe and happy 4th of July! Remember our men and women in the military, then and now!

Tooth Fairy Is On Her Way

2009-07-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

Know what that is........nope, it's not a shark tooth, it's a Sara tooth. Her third on to loose to be exact. She lost it last night while spending the night at Gran and Pop's but the tooth fairy is looking for her at home tonight. And I know she will come!

Poor Maggie

2009-07-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

Sara carries her around, puts bows in her hair, puts her in her little shopping cart, covers her in doll bed and Maggie tolerates it all. Can't you tell she enjoys it?

One is Silver and The Others Gold

2009-07-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

Ya know a couple posts ago I spoke of great friends. Friends you have had forever. Friends that you love and will never stop loving. Friends that will be there always. Well, one of mine stopped by the see me today. I haven't seen Buffie since Thanksgiving break when she and Shannon stopped by. But I pulled up in my driveway and my old friend (and by old I mean friend a long time cause I don't think Buffie will ever get old) was standing there in the driveway talking to Dusty. We fell right back to where we were the last time we talked. The most comfortable feeling you can feel. Laughing about old and new times, sharing secrets and feeling the love of a best friend! One that you know is always just a shout away! Buffie is true gold!
"Meet new friends but keep the old
One is silver but the others gold."

This Is The Life

2009-06-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

Or it was the life after Sara realized that Shelbi was not gonna let her drown when she took her to the deep end.
No, all kidding aside, we have had a great time swimming at Kim's this summer. The kids have gone with and without me so I thought I would share pictures of them in the nice clear, cool, blue pool.

Too bad I didn't get one of Andrew in his sunglasses floating on the mat. Kim said he looked like a model!

One of THOSE Moods

2009-06-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, my friends, I am in one of those moods. Maybe because I didn't sleep good last night and I am tired. That would have nothing to do with the fact that I slept in my bed with Dusty on his side, Sara and Maggie sprawled in between us with me hanging on to my edge! lol That's not new but......
I miss my granny! Everyday but some days more. She was my best friend! She loved me for who I am, set me straight when I needed to be straightened (and that wasn't very often if ya know me LOL) and was just there, all the time, anytime! I know she is still here. She is in my heart, my mind and my core.
I have been thinking of my Shelbi Grace being a SR. and graduating. I know that's a school year from now. And yes, I know, she's really not MINE, but I think of her as mine. Would get her like I get my own! That baby girl was just in 2nd grade when I came to know her and love her and her mama as much as I do.
And then that brings me to her mama! She is missing that girl this week while she is on vacation with her friend. It's been quiet in the house! Maybe that's why I am thinking of her being a senior. Because Kim and I have been talking about it, getting pictures of Shel-bo for her page in the football program. Or maybe because I looked at that little cheerleader picture on my desk of her before I left work that Kim left behind. But I love Kim, will be there for her when she needs me! Keeping her busy, not that she needs help with that and I'll leave Sara with her if she needs company! lol
Sooooo, if she is a senior that means my baby will be a sophomore! And that means he is not far behind her! Now that is a heartbreaker! He is driving, wants a car, doesn't need me like he used to! But I will always be his mama and he will always be my baby boy!
So I'm puttin the breaks on now! I am done with my little pity party. My glass is half empty day! I've dwelled enough! My makeup is burning my eyes and I can't see what I am doing! So I'll say to all of you! YOU being my friends and family that read my blog. I love you all! I am grateful to you all for your friendship! You all make up the pieces of my heart and I have a big filled heart! God has blessed me with many great people, past and present, and I feel very lucky!

VBS

2009-06-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

Sara attended vacation bible school at Shady Grove Baptist Church this week. She had a blast as she always does. The week was packed with learning, scripture, crafts and fun!
We went to the closing program tonight. The kids sang songs they learned during the week and got their certificates.

As usual, I went with my batteries as low as low can get. I know she has her head turned in this one but it was all I could get. Luckily, Stacy was there and she took some for me.

The little cutie in the front of Sara is Reed Jester, Stacy's little munchkin!

A great big shout out to all those who made vbs such a big success. I know a lot of hard work was put in by all! Everyone did a great job!

The Three Musketeers

2009-06-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

Maggie, Sara and Emily, better known as the three musketeers by some at school. I hope as they get older that they remain close. Some of my best friends were made in kindergarten. I still depend on some of those people today. Some live far away and I only get to speak to them every once in a while. But when we do, things just fall right back into place. They are my most trustworthy and true blue friends and I hope my children made and will make friends like I have.

1958-2009

2009-06-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

Known as the "King of Pop", Michael Jackson is one of the greatest musicians and dancers of all time. He is one of few artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He had set multiple Guninness World Records, received 13 Grammy Awards, had 13 number one songs in his solo career and has sold over 750 million records worldwide. He is one of the few to have had three songs in the Top 5 at the same time. His "Thriller" album is the world's best-selling record of all time and four of his other albums were among the world's best-selling records. He has been popular for four decades. In 1984 he got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
I don't normally post about things other than my family but I have always been a huge Michael Jackson fan. Mom and dad got me his greatest hits 4-disc cd set for Christmas a couple of years ago. I listen to it regularly in my car and my kids enjoy it also. Andrew and I watched his videos on MTV most of the day.
Dusty and I had a conversation with Andrew tonight about some of the negative publicity in the last few years, whether you agree with me or not, he was a great musician. You can like someone and not what they do. I don't condon his actions but he was the "King of Pop" to me and many others my age who listened and danced to his music every minute of the day that we could. His children deserve to mourn their father in a positive light. To remember him as they do. May God comfort them in their time of sorrow and watch over them in the days and months to come.

Our New Addition

2009-06-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

After much thought and deliberation, Sara has decided to name the newest addition to our family, Lucy. It has taken her since Monday to do so, but she finally made the decision after tossing many names around.
So.........heeeerrrrre's, Lucy!!!!!

Here is Sara and Lucy, a miniature "weenie dog" as Sara would say. Aren't they adorable!

Maggie is the only one that hasn't welcomed her with open arms (or paws) but a few more days and I hope they are the best of friends.

The Group

2009-06-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

The Grand Finale - The Big Group Picture - The ONE -
Here we are getting ready to take the big shot.

And here it is. Our whole family (minus one, plus two)!

I'm not done though.....I have a few more pictures I want to share! But this one is one of the best!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

The Grands

2009-06-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Do you know hard it is to get 6 kids to all look at the camera, be still and smile? You would also think that the big ones could be ready when the little ones decide they are ready. Nope, that is not the case! Jessica and I just stood ready with our cameras up while Dusty and mom and dad tried to get everyone looking and just snapped pictures in hopes that we would get a good one. And we did! Here are some I would like to share with you....
Andrew, Clay, Sara, Sebastian, Labe & Nash - the Johnson grandkids.
Notice Andrew is a total baby person. lol Clay kept slipping down, down, down.

While the others were arguing about why Andrew got to hold Clay, I just zoomed in on these 3 cuties.

I really like this one! The lighting is good and the subjects are great!

And the oldest and the youngest aren't in this one but it turned out really cute! Look at those silly boys at the top!

I took this at Fort Morgan on a big anchor.
Andrew, Brady, Sara & Sebastian -

So this is the whole gang! There is never a dull moment when we are all together but we wouldn't have it any other way!

Thanks Mom and Dad

2009-06-19T12:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you mom and dad for taking us on vacation! Our first big family one! I know we all had great fun! We all love you very much!

Daddy had to have a Corona picture! Discussions should be taking place with the company to have this picture be their next ad campaign!

A Post About Us

2009-06-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

I don't ever post about Dusty and I. I am always posting about my favorite subject, my kiddos! We both enjoyed being totally relaxed at the beach. We were able to enjoy each others company without worrying about bills, money, work and all the stressing things everyday life sometimes brings. Dusty is also one of my favorite subjects. I sometimes take him for granted, fuss at him too much or just plain get irritated at him for no reason but I am very grateful for him, for the life he gives us, for his dedication to us and the sacrifices he makes for us. He is a great father and husband and I am very proud he is mine!
And look, he can be really sweet......he wrote this in the sand with no prompting....

I can't honestly tell you when we had a picture of the two of us by ourselves. We usually have a little monkey inbetween. lol I was tickled our beach pictures turned out so good. (even though I hate having mine made) Sara and daddy took these.

One of my dear friends told me I shouldn't be putting porn on facebook. Or maybe that came from her better half. I don't know! (you know who you are!! lol) But Sara took this one and told us to kiss. That it soooo looked cute! Gosh, get your mind out of the gutters people! lol

I did this sometime during our stay so mine just had to be posted, too!

Just a Little Scenary

2009-06-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

Nash is so cute! Thought he was stylin' in big brothers sunglasses! He loved catching tiny fish in pool of water on the beach. It was more his style-no waves and nice and warm.

Pretty palms....

A perched seagull....

Some more cute kids on the beach at Fort Morgan....

Sar-O

2009-06-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

Look--she DID get in the water! I think this was on our first day at the beach. She looks like she was having fun!

I took this picture at the naval museum when the kids were all on the big anchor. It is one of my favorites of Sara from the trip.

Jess took this one. I like it! I love her little feeties and her cute painted toes in the sand!

Tank tops, shorts and flip flops could be Sara's life. Those are some of her favorite things. She LOVES summer! As we all do!

I like this one of her, too! Can you tell I like her at all? She is sooooo sweet! (When she's not being sassy!)

I know I have said it a million times and I will say it again - Andrew is very photgenic! But this child, the one I'm posting about, the one who did not like me taking her picture, the one I took to Sears and didn't get one and I mean one good picture of, is liking the camera now. She is becomig a poser! Who woulda thought it?

The Neighbors

2009-06-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

Remember the cute neighbors I blogged about earlier----well, here they are.
Brady, Shelby, Andrew and Jordan. I was glad the boys meet people to do things went. The girls went to eat with us on night and played cards with the boys and Shelby's brother and his friends every night.
Here they are doing what they do best--being silly!

Fort Morgan

2009-06-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

I hope you are not getting bored with my vacation posts. Can you tell we haven't been somewhere in a couple of years? lol No, we just had a lot of fun and I want to share. We went to Fort Morgan. We were told it was a great place to find sea shells. It was no better than finding them at our beach in front of our house because we went the day after the storm. We found lots of debri, dead fish and a few shells. It was a more natural beach with lots of pretty flowers that grew in the sand. Sara took this picture. She liked the flowers.

Brady and Andrew had fun poking and digging with the dead fish. Didn't know dead fish made for such good entertainment!

Dusty was the most patient when it came to looking for shells. He came up with a few good finds. We brought lots of pretty ones home.

Daddy found this neat stick with critters growing on it. He brought it home on top of his Suburban. Hope it was some protected thing. lol Andrew and dad could both go to jail over their sticks!

Here are Sara and Sebastian above us all at Fort Morgan. They couldn't wait to get to the top. I let her, wasn't a big fan of it, I'm afraid of heights, ya know?

Stay tuned for more vacation pictures.....I took about 300. If I already told you that, sorry! I sometimes don't remember what happened yesterday. My Granny used to say her age my her forget things and I would tell her if it was age, when I got hers I wouldn't know my name!

Fun, Fun!!

2009-06-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

We did do a couple of this at Gulf Shores besides lay on the beach. We went on a glass bottom boat dolphin cruise. I don't think anyone of us got any good pictures of the dolphins jumping. We saw several though. At one point, about 7 or 8 were jumping and coming up for air close to the front of the boat. There was a 3 week old baby that stayed in between her mother and her nanny that jumped up quite a bit one time. All the kids really enjoyed the trip! And I think the adults did just as much!
Sara was really looking hard for them.

Here are some of the kids with gran and pop at the front of the boat.

Some of us also went to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. The little kids stayed with mom and Hollie.
Andrew, Sara, Labe, Sebastian and Brady posed on a huge anchor outside the museum. It turned out to be a cute picture and Labe ended up almost at the top of it before it was over. We enjoyed a IMAX show and the entire musuem all afternoon.

We represented very well! Dusty and I took our new Razorback tent we bought on sale at Wally-world. And believe it or not, our neighbors were from Elkins. They also had a Razoback tent, two 15 year old girls and four 17 year old boys with them and we made quite good friends with them. As we were walking up the stairs our first day there, Denny(the father) said, "I like you guys already!" Dusty had on his Razoback hat and shirt and I was carrying my Razorback camera bag. We exchanged phone numbers as we both left Saturday morning and we will trying to go at the same time as them next year.

This is a picture of our house from the beach. Isn't mom's stripped beach umbrella cute?

Andrew's Sand Box

2009-06-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

Andrew is probably just about my favorite subject to take pictures of. He has always been and is very photogenic. I know, I'm his mom but he is, you have to admit it. Sara has become a poser but only the last couple of years.

He and Brady got one of those wave skimmer boards thingys from Pop to play on. They had a great time. It was kinda funny watching them learn how to do it. The both took a few good tumbles before they got actually ok at it. Here is my our surfer dude. I thought I downloaded one of him in action but I didn't and it took FOREVER to get these on here so.....maybe next time.

I love this picture! One of my favs of the trip. We were sitting waiting to go on the dolphin cruise. My sister-in-law, after much persuasion, taught me just to snap. Some of the best ones are just that, snap shots. No ones paying attention, not looking at the camera just doing what he does best - being himself. And he's good at it. lol

So, with him being all photogenic, handsome, being himself and all, it was only natural that a house be named after him, too. (is that good run on sentence or what)Here is Andrew's Sand Box!

Just beautiful beach picture!

Sara's Beach Baby

2009-06-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

Look! That's what a beach house was called....although Sara was a little ticked because they "SPELLED it WRONG! WHY would it have a H on it!". I mean, how dare they, there's only one way! But it was a cute purple house right up her alley.

I was a little shocked when I found a picture on my camera of her in the surf by herself. But the water was clear and waves weren't so big when we first got there so that has to be when I took this one.

And look at those cute little tootsie prints!

Posing by her heart she drew.....

And we had to write everyone's name in the sand and get a picture of it.

Life's A Beach

2009-06-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

We played in the sand a lot. Even Andrew played in it a little. He dug Sara a big hole that she could get down in. Isn't he handsome in his pink cowgirl hat?

Sara buried her legs but she wouldn't lay down and let me completely bury her. She said wouldn't be able to breathe. Do you actually think I would suffocate her? I'm sure her answer would be "Yes!". When she is scared to do something I always say, "Do you think I would let you do something that would hurt you?" and yes is always her answer. She can be such a drama queen!

We saw this church on one of our journeys. I made them stop on the way back to our beach house so I could take a picture of Andrew. The church had a beautiful front door. Andrew is a saint, a treasure, my treasure!

Guess who the pink cowgirl hat really belonged to? Sara Lynn.....

Stay tuned for more Gulf Shores adventures.......

P.S. Notice Andrew's socks in the picture of him. He hated how the sand felt on the tile in our beach house. If he was out in it, he had on socks!

We're Baaaack!

2009-06-08T16:20:00.000-07:00

We slowly drove back to the real world on Saturday. We had a great vacation at our house on the beach at Gulf Shores with my daddy, mom, sister and her boys. After being there a week, we were relaxed and spoiled from doing only what we wanted to do. We spent our days in the sand, searching for seashells, going on a dolphin watch, exploring Fort Morgan, shopping for souvenirs, looking at the old and new at the naval musuem and taking lots of pictures.
When I say lots of pictures, I mean LOTS of pictures. I took over 300 of the kids, landscape and just stuff I liked. I won't force all of them on you. I'll only show you a few jillion of them in my next few posts. So sit back and enjoy, it was awesome fun and relaxation.......enjoy it with us!

This is my first picture of the beach! Wasn't it beautiful!

Sara was checking out the waves on our first night. She enjoyed the playing in the sand but wasn't a big fan of the surf without Dusty or I.

Our first day on the beach brought beautiful sights. The water was blue, clear and sparkling! The prettiest beach I have ever been on. White sand and the bluest water....hmmmmm! Delicious!

As you'll see, this handsome boy did nothing but get a golden dark tan. His hair lightens from the sun and I must say he is the best looking kid I know.

Sassy took her tube out with her for a dip but came back to the tent with me pretty quick. She spent most of her time hunting for sea shells and burying my feet. She's a sweetie!

Can't wait to show you more.......stay tuned.....

Last Day of School

2009-05-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of school. Andrew told me he is officially a Sophomore. That is unbelievable! He didn't have to go to school the last two days. He took the last of his finals on Tuesday so he was done. He has enjoyed days sleeping late and hanging out with his friends.
Sara had awards assemblies the last few days so she has been at school until the bitter end. She got an honor roll medal and award, a National Physical Fitness Award and patch, a medal for being a Super Reader with 43 AR points and a Math award. She also got a couple of classroom awards. Here are few pictures.

Here is Sara at her honor roll assembly with her medal.

Sara with her Math award.

Getting her AR medal.....

More reading awards....

National Physical Fitness Award-

I am so proud of both of them. They have both worked really hard this year. I can't believe how much they have both grown and matured.
Here's to tbe beginning of summer!!!!

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

It turned out to be a beautiful Monday! Sara asked me this afternoon while we were outside why we skipped school today. I told her we didn't. She said, "Well, it's Monday and we are not there." She also told me yesterday when I was telling Dusty that Janet didn't like my driving in the rain to Hot Springs and I told her to sit back, close her eyes and hush up that I "really did not say that to JANET because I would get fired." "And you know what happens when that happens? NO MONEY!!"
Ok, so that got a little off topic (lol), but it did turn out to be a great day! We went to the country club to swim with Wendy and Rylee and then came home to check on Dusty's chicken he was smoking. We broke out the slip n slide that was intended for Saturday, but you know what that day brought....rain! As you can see, Andrew and Sara had a great time!

Guess What?.........

2009-05-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

You'll never guess.......it's RAINING! I haven't gotten any yard work done but I don't have to water my flowers.
I did go see Tammy this afternoon with Kimberly, Janet and Robert. She looked good. She is in a lot of pain though. God was definitely looking after her yesterday. For those of you that don't know, she had a wreck yesterday. She was hit by a dump truck. She was airlifted to Hot Springs to National Park, a top trama unit. She has a long road of recovery ahead of her. She and her family need our continuous prayer. Please remember them in your daily prayers.
On a lighter note, we are getting Andrew's bathroom painted. When I say we and it's a building, painting, making project, etc., you know in the Cobb house that means Mr. Particular, Dusty. I just step out of the way and let him have it. When WE are done Andrew will have a Razorback bathroom to go with his grey monogrammed "C" towels.
I am trying to get clothes washed and get things in order because we only have 6 more days until VACATION!
Have fun playing in the rain! If it doesn't quit, get your boat back out!

AHHH, THE WEEKEND!!!!

2009-05-23T06:15:00.001-07:00

Well, Sara did not like the previous background. "Mom, WHY do you have Hawaii (? spelling) flip flops on your screen?" Soooooo, Sassy got to pick the background. She did the font colors and all. You like?
It's been a busy week at school! Wendy M. and I have been running around like crazy mad! But we did get a break Wednesday night. We went eating and shopping with the boss lady and Penny. It's always good to get away!
Things are winding down for us.......3 more days of school, programs galore, gymnastics coming to an end for the season.
But some things are coming up........daily golf practice and VACATION!!!!! The Johnson's, Cobb's and Hartley's are off to our big beach house the day after school gets out. Can't wait! Laying on the beach, dolphin watching, deep sea fishing, shopping, maybe a little golf but a lot of doing nothing!

AWANAS

2009-05-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

I think I mentioned that Sara had her ending AWANAS program a week or so ago. She got her ribbon for finishing her book and a certificate for attending. She enjoyed going on Wednesday nights with Shannon and Emily to Central Baptist Church. She learned lots and Shannon is a great teacher (at school and church). I knew it was a great program and I was so glad Sara loved it so much the first year that she went back this year. At the ending program, I got to see how much fun everyone, teachers, leaders and kiddos had teaching and learning. They have and are a great church family and that definitely shows.
Thanks CBC and Shannon for helping us make Sara's introduction to the Lord a great experience!
P.S. That's Sara, Emily and Shannon in the picture! I had to post her Dave!

Sorry, I have to update you again.....

2009-05-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

I know, I said I wouldn't wait so long to update again, but this time I have good reason. I woke up Mother's Day morning early feeling the worst I have ever felt. The kids woke up to give me my presents and I did get them opened before getting sick. They were great and took care of me all day or should I say week. I opened a cute pink "MOM" shirt and the beginning of my set of clear red, silver lid canisters for the kitchen. AND two of the best cards ever, one from Dusty and the other from Andrew and Sara.
I went to the doctor Monday with fever, terribly awful horribly sore throat and my adnoids swollen the size of an apple(or so it felt) and no make up (that means I'm SICK). Mike asked me if I had to swine flu (he wore his pig nose to work that morning) and if I had been to Mexico. I told him sure, just there on vacation last week. (I'm so rich, that's what I do with my time.) Anyway, I was tested for flu.....no flu, no strep throat, ONLY a very infected throat. He gave me drugs to take twice a day and here I am among the living again!
When I say among the living, that's what I really mean. I can honestly say I have never been that sick in my 34 years of life. I think it runs a close race in pain with having my babies (or Sara, natural birth). I didn't get out of bed, eat or barely drink until Wednesday afternoon.
I went back to work on Thursday. It was good to feel better and be back in the swing of things. I have taken it pretty easy this weekend because my throat still sore. It is good to know that my family took and can take such good care of me. I think Dusty kinda freaked because he kept saying "you are never sick" but he cooked and cleaned and washed clothes.
God is good!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T17:25:00.000-07:00

Hello.......Remember Me......Valarie

2009-05-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

I know.....it's been a long time! I have good intentions but everyday life keeps me from it! My computer, that is! But school, ending programs and gymnastics are winding down for the summer so hopefully I will be able to relax a little.
So, what have the Cobb's been up to.....in a nut shell I will try to update you.
Here are a million, jillion things we have been doing:

1. planting flowers in hanging baskets and beds
2. mowing and weed eating the yard
3. Sara learning round offs in gymanstics
4. Andrew playing a little golf
5. Firestone having another smaller lay-off that, thank the good Lord, didn't affect Dusty
6. awards/parent night to close AWANAS for the summer
7. Andrew off his Topamax for his migraines and so far having none
8. Private Practice season finale....WOW! That's all I can say!
9. Dusty getting the garden started
10. Sara helping plant tomatoes and cayenne peppers
11. Andrew waiting for watermelon
12. Maggie getting a much needed hair cut since it's getting hot
13. Valarie and Sara getting their first pedicure together
14. Dusty, Valarie & Andrew getting new Blackberry Curves
15. Dusty flipping over the $988.00 cell phone bill
16. Andrew texting "OMG" to me after going to ALLTEL with Dusty to get it straight
17. family game night of Uno and Skip-Bo
18. Sara going to Maggie G.'s sleepover
19. Dusty, Valarie and Andrew pigging out at Red Lobster while Sara's gone and going to see Andrew's fave movie Fast & Furious 3.
20. Andrew deciding crab legs is one of his new fave foods
21. Dusty and Valarie feeling very old when we don't get home until 1:30 a.m.
22. Andrew having another seizure this past Saturday morning
23. Andrew is ok.....back on meds and not too pleased
24. Valarie telling Andrew he is still the same great Andrew he always is just on meds again
25. Andrew realizing meds are ok
26. Valarie feeling very blessed to have such great support from family and friends
27. Andrew aceing (? Spelling) his Geometry test and keeping a B
28. Andrew going to have physical to play golf next year on bus with all other athletes and stupid doctor telling him he had a heart murmur
29. Valarie being nothing but,sorry for the term, PISSED because some idiot coach and doctor would tell a kid that and he not know what the heck it is
30. Valarie and Andrew going doctor today to get him cleared to play golf and of course everything is fine
31. and to get us down the last few minutes of today, my sister-in-law calling on the way here from Mississippi to eat supper with us in Hope and move my neice away.

So there you there you have it, some things we've been up to since I last posted a month ago. In between we have been eating, working, schooling and watching our favorite tv shows. Sara said all I liked was killin' shows and cop shows. Andrew likes'em just like me. Dusty is working and going to Walmart for me on Tuesday while we are at gymnastifcs. As for me, I am tired. Tired of not sleeping because of worrying about my baby. Tired of the school week seeming so dern long. Tired of not sleeping. Tired of this humidity. Tired of not sleeping. But tomorrow is another day and hopefully I have to good Lord on my side. Promise I'll never take this long to post again. Love to all!

Pictures to Share

2009-04-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

Just a few Easter pictures to share of my handsome, Andrew and beautiful, Sara....

I know, it's hard to tell I'm a proud mama!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

2009-04-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

No, really it's Z, the black and white bunny. But he's still cute, furry and cuddley! Yes, his name is Z, short for zebra. And its got to get warm so he can go outside in the cage!

The Easter bunny came! Yes, he came to see Andrew, too! Yes, Andrew got an Easter basket, too! Yes, Andrew's was as full as goodies as Sara's was! He may be 15 and have a learners permit but the Easter bunny still comes to see him. After all, he's still my baby and I'm sure he loves that I HAVE to bring all this up! He's a good sport though and would never leave him out. He even egg hunted inside with Sara since the weather was so bad. He and Sara also hid for me and Dusty. Dusty does a little pushing and shoving and dare I say CHEATS! I know, you can't believe it! Sara is always there to give me some help so I can beat him. No, I wouldn't cheat either!

Maggie was and is not too sure about Z. She's not a big fan! Here is Sara holding her back.....

And last but not least, here is Z! He's a cute little feller!

No, he doesn't have evil red eyes! I guess I didn't have my red eye reduction on!

The Egg Hunts Have Begun

2009-04-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

We went to our first egg hunt for this Easter. The annual hunt at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Sara had a good time with her friends. She didn't find as many eggs as she would have liked but I told her that's only half the fun.
Here she is looking....

Three little ducks in a row - Olivia Ellis, Maggie Grimes & Sara.

Sara and her friends, Garrett Avery, Maggie and Olivia after the hunt.

Sara found a couple of prize eggs but they were little pink ones so she wanted to keep the egg instead of the prize.
Afterwards, Andrew, Sara and I went to Hot Springs to pick up our pottery and get Easter church clothes. Now we are home dying eggs and having a good ole time!

Toboggans, Hoodies & Gloves

2009-04-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

What....hold it......look again....wait for it......is that what I'm seeing......

yep, it's mid-April and Andrew and Sara are playing outside in toboggans and gloves. The wind is extra chilly and record breaking temperatures are supposed to be hitting good ole Arkansas tonight. That didn't stop us from riding around in the Cub Cadet with our teeth chattering, eyes watering and heads covered with our hoodies and having a heck of a time. The deer stand in the pasture was the perfect place to sit, ya know, since it was such a blustery day.

Sara and I finally got smart and put on our sunglasses so our eyes would stop watering. We had good time goofing off and after we were almost popcicles we came inside and ate chili, steaks and macaroni & cheese. Good combination, huh? Well, since mom was in such a good mood.....I knew Dusty was grilling t-bones that I had been marinating and it's not the kids favorite so Andrew asked for homemade chili and I cooked that for him and Sara wanted mac & cheese.

Now we are off to bed. Andrew has SAT 10 testing today. And Sara has it tomorrow. So we are doing what we are supposed to.....bed early, good breakfast and cheery attitudes. Isnt' that how it always is?

Saturday

2009-04-04T18:37:00.000-07:00

I love Saturdays......we get to sleep late and most of the time do exactly what we want to do. Today was a Saturday we got to do nothing. We made a quick trip to Walmart but other than that we have played outside and layed around on the couch. Tonight Dusty grilled hamburgers, I played on the computer and Andrew and Sara played outside and rode around in the Cub Cadet. Now we are watching movies in our jammies. It's been my favorite kind of day.....a good Saturday!

Stellan

2009-04-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

I have become a blog-aholic. One of my favorite blogs I read daily is "My Charming Kids". You may have read it if you saw it on my favorites. It's funny how I read some blogs everyday and feel like I know these people, am a part of their life somehow when in all actuality I don't know them at all. I read her daily blogs, I laugh with them, cry with them and enjoy McMama's whit and charm. I am a loyal visitor of the MCKid family. I have been following their blog before baby Stellan was born. Their family is in need our prayers right now more than ever. Baby Stellan needs them the most. If you intend to keep a dry eye, please just say a prayer for the McKinney family in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area. If you want your heart to be heavy but very touched, your mind opened to God's word and share the faith this family has and yes, your eyes to be clouded by tears, please click on the photo of Stellan that links to "My Charming Kids" blog and read his story.
Please be praying for Stellan!

Pooped

2009-03-31T19:12:00.001-07:00

I'm just plain ole' pooped today. Tuesday is usually my Monday! I know, I'm backwards!
Sara and I are home from gymnastics. Sara normally loves gymnastics but tonight in the first 20 minutes she landed flat on her back while trying to do a handstand so that was about it for the night. She was brave, tried to tear up but went back and participated maybe a little bit. She told me on the way home that she "basically loved the uneven bars and doesn't want to do floor". Basically, I told her she had to try everything even if it wasn't her thing. She said she would try to "give it a go".
She is a pooped, too. We brought pizza home for the boys, bathed and are off to bed early.

New Addition To The Cobb Family

2009-03-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

Meet Joe.....

And Lulu.....

For now, we got Sara to settle for a betta (and she had to have a girl even though I told her they are not as pretty) instead of a guniea pig (?spelling). Andrew has had blue bettas before so he got one for the heck of it.

A Great Way To End A Blissful Spring Break

2009-03-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

Dusty, Andrew, Sara and I decided we would take mini vacation to Hot Springs. We got a late start on Thursday because we slept late and leasurely got ready to go. The kids were packed and prodding Dusty and I out the door. On the way, we stopped at DeGray and had a picnic and walked the beaches and trails. We got some good pictures of the sun setting. Andrew took a really good one with his phone. He talked me into letting him take mine and Dusty's picture. FYI - I don't like to have my picture made! But I think it turned out pretty good and I wanted a picture of us together.

Then we took some of the kids.....

Sara likes to pose now. She had her hair braided. She has been letting me practice. It was coming out a bit with the wind and all but it looked pretty when we started the day. I'm her mama so I think she looks pretty cute anyway!

Andrew always takes a good picture....what can I say.

And Maggie even got to go. She loved our stop at the lake. Sara took the only picture taken in the motel room and it was of Maggie curled up in a little ball because she doesn't like being cold.

I should have taken one of Sara jumping from bed to bed and up and down but we were too busy laughing at her. And I should have taken a picture of Andrew freaking when he saw what type of blanket was underneath the quilt but we were too busy laughing at him and his OCD like qualities. Those blankets that are kinda velour....he hates those....he can't stand how they feel! Gives him the hibbie-jibbies!
FYI - He also can't stand the sit on our micro-fiber or micro-suade(I think it's called) couch. He sits on a quilt if he sit on it all. Sara calls the couch I had recovered from Granny's house, "Andrew's couch". That's usally where you will find him!

Strolling Around In Downtown Hot Springs

2009-03-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

After we got up Friday morning, we went downtown and ate lunch at Dusty's favorite spot, The Brickhouse Grill, then we went to Picasso's Cupboard to paint and get crafty. Sara had a blast and it looks like Dusty did, too. Andrew did a project for me and enjoyed himself, too. I just had fun watching and pitching in when I was needed. It was a very neat place and we spent quite a bit of time there. I am sure we will be back. (More stuff mama wants the kids to do.)

Then we walked around, in and out of the stores, bought a few trinkets and took a few pictures. The azaleas were beautiful in one of the pocket parks. Andrew and Sara are pretty good on the eyes, too!

And To End The Day.....

2009-03-28T21:51:00.000-07:00

We played a game of putt-putt golf in the cold, windy air with grey clouds looming...but we promised the kids and we keep out promises. The girl that gave us our clubs did make sure that we knew we wouldn't get our money back if it started raining. Turns out it didn't even started raining until we were on our own Hwy 24. But back to the game....Sara and I wanted to lock the boys up 'cause they thought they would beat us!

But we let them go so Dusty could fish balls out of the little pond because the balls were cool colors that we didn't have. And he did....with Sara's naviagation.

Dusty was the scorekeeper. He did a good job, I guess. He and Andrew were ahead.

But that didn't stop my baby girl from making the ONLY hole in one on the course!! Look at her face when she realized she had done it! And by the looks of her hair, you can tell the wind was really blowing!

So, the girls HAD to rub it in! HOLE IN ONE, BABY!!! GO SARA!!

And the game kept going......

More Golf To Share

2009-03-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

Here are more pictures of putt-putt....
Andrew and Sara...ships AHOY!

Time for some concentration...

Andrew meant serious business.....he wanted to beat us all!!!

But in the end I won......I had them both put in lock down!

No, Andrew really won! Dusty and I tied but you saw who was keeping score! HAHA
We had a great little vacation. It is good to get away, if for just a couple of days! It was a great way to end the week.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

2009-03-27T20:22:00.001-07:00

My granny used to say that......that nursey rhyme.....funny how those things just pop into your head.....a lifetime of good memories.....
We just got home from our mini vacation in Hot Springs. We had a great time! Did a little shopping, played some miniature golf, walked around at the lake during sunset and ate good food. But....I'm gonna keep you waiting for pictures......'cause my camera batteries are dead and they are charging so until tomorrow.....

Black Stallion Literacy Project - Day 2

2009-03-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

The week before spring break was a busy week for P.E.S. first graders. I posted a week or so ago about them getting a book, meeting a horse and kicking off the Black Stallion Project. Well, day 2 of the project was even more exciting.....
They got to take a field trip to the fairgrounds and enjoy several equine activities and boy did they have fun!
Sara's first stop with her class was watching how a horse gets new shoes and how to take care of their feet. Each student got a horseshoe to hang over their bedroom door for good luck! Here her class is reaching in the basket to choose a shoe.

Next her class sat and listened intently to Mr. Todd, the horse dentist, talk about how to keep a horses teeth clean. That file made an awful noise in Katie's mouth.....

But it was the one station you could have heard a pin drop....they thought it was awesome! Sara and Sophie thought looking in her mouth was cool, too!

Then off to learn about the different grass and food horses eat. But not just horses can eat the food, the kids got to take a taste too. Sara and Sophie didn't think it was as delicious as Mrs. Hillery's horses do.

Students also got to ride saddles on hay bales while waiting for their snack. That was pretty interesting. Lots of bucking broncos! Sara and Bralayzia did stop and pose for a quick picture though.

I took so many pictures, I couldn't post them all. It was a really fun morning. The kids had a blast and learned while they were having fun!
There were some other stations I didn't mention......the post where you could read your favorite part of Little Black, A Pony to a horse, learning how to groom as horse (brushing, braiding mane and tail, etc.) and Mrs. Blevins (my first grade teacher that retired a couple of years ago) read a horse book to each class and last but not least, a sack lunch before coming back to school on the bus.
Each student also got their second book, Little Black Goes To The Circus.
Now, I am sure you are asking yourself, did Sara read to the horse? No, she did not, she wouldn't think of it. Wouldn't even let me take her picture with Mr. Poole and the horse!
And yes, I will answer your second question, is Sara's horseshoe hanging above her door for good luck? No, it is not. "It needs to be cleaned first, too dirty to hang on her clean walls."
It was a great day. I am very thankful for Mrs. Ingram, who started this project a couple of years ago. To Mrs. Hillery for helping make everything come together with the use of all her stuff, horses and all. To all the volunterrs who helped make the day a success. To PTP and Mrs. Plunkett for getting the finances and making the t-shirts all the students and teachers wore and got to bring home. It's nice to work in such a great school and community!

A Little School Business

2009-03-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

Sara made the honor roll again the 3rd nine weeks. P.E.S. had their honor roll assembly before we left school for spring break.
Sara got her honor roll award for the nine weeks -- a Curley Wolf water bottle and a certificate.

She also got a top AR point award. That is a bracelet and a pencil. Here she is looking as excited as she did in the first picture with her dear friend, Sophie.

Andrew also made the honor roll. I am VERY proud of him! If he had an honor roll assembly, I would have pictures of him but since he is too old for that, I can only brag!

It's Here!!!

2009-03-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

Our Cub Cadet utility vehicle is here. And believe it or not, it got here right on time! Our luck is changing! LOL They unloaded it and we got in a little play time before the rain began.

Boy, is it cute!!!!! And the folks in it are pretty cute, too!!!!

Daddy Gets A New Toy

2009-03-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

Dusty is getting a new toy. If all goes as planned, it will be delivered tomorrow. But with the Cobb luck lately on large purchases, it could be Wednesday, Thursday or even Friday.......NO, I should think more positively!!
If ya know my husband, he's picky. When he finds something he likes, that is it, can't be a better one found. He found this cute Cub Cadet Limited Edition yellow and blue utlity vechicle. He's been looking at it for a month, and again, if ya know my husband, he can't just MAKE a large purchase, he has to shop. (Oh, and he can out shop any woman and not spend a dime!) Soooo, while he has been shopping, Valarie just bought it for him on Sunday. It is being shipped to us from Illinois. He is waiting patiently but he is excited! It is cute, isn't it? A little dump truck!! Don't think he would want me calling it "cute" though?

P.S. He just asked what I am posting and told me laughing that I may want to hold off.....something could happen....knowing us........

Relaxation.......or Laziness....or Whatever You Want To Call It

2009-03-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

This is about what we have been doing since Friday. So after a few days of doing nothing, we decided we needed to get some work done so we could play for a few days the rest of this week. We got the flower beds weeded, the yard mowed, did our weed eating and got most of the leaves raked up. Leaves keep appearing out of no where and I hate to rake! We almost got all the shrubs pruned. We have a few left. We bought awful pruning shear things. They are not worth a flip so we cut two shrubs, charge for 30 minutes or so and then cut maybe 2 more shrubs. So we will finish that in the morning. We are going to watch tv and eat supper. Hope my fellow spring breakers are enjoying their time off as much as we are!

Thursday

2009-03-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

Woohoo!!! It's time for celebration!!! Andrew and Sara brought report cards home. They both made the honor roll! We are so pleased and proud!!! Go Cobb kids!

On the way home today Sara looks behind us to see if Dusty is still there, he's not but guess what is?????
Sara: What did you and daddy order?
Me: Nothing.
Sara: K
Me: Why?
Sara: Well, the package bus is behind us.
The UPS "bus" was behind us.

Only 1 more day........then spring break has sprung!

Little Black, A Pony

2009-03-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

Well, she's not black and she's not a pony but she came to P.E.S. to see each first grade class to kick-off the Black Stallion Literacy Program a couple of weeks ago. Each first grade student got to pet the horse, have their picture made and had a little question and answer time. Sara loved seeing the meeting Mrs. Hillery's horse and petting her.

Then each class went inside and got a very nice hardback edition of Little Black, A Pony. Here is Sara's class sitting nice and quietly to get their book from Mrs. Ingram.

The students have read their book and can take AR tests on it. They will have a field trip tomorrow to the fairgrounds to read their favorite part of the book to a horse of their choice. They will also learn more about horses and their care.

Andrew is 15!!!!!

2009-03-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

Andrew's birthday is today. We slept late because we were tired from the night before. Then he got up and opened his presents.

We were lazy throughout the day. Then tonight we had Razorback cake with Gran and Pop. The cake was awesome! A great big thanks to Valerie Sunberg!

I can't believe my baby is 15. As I write this at 11:02 p.m., 15 years ago he was not even born yet. He came 35 minutes later at 11:38 p.m. Until I was a parent, I never knew how much one human being could mean to you, fill your life and make things so complete. Andrew is a great child, I mean teenager! He is kind, considerate, patient, loving, smart, compassionate and friendly. That is who he is and I love him for all her is. I just can't believe he is already 15!!
Happy Birthday, Andrew!! I love you very much!!

Celebrate Good Times! Come On!

2009-03-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

This is what you would look like if you partied all weekend for your brother's birthday......

You guessed it.....we had Andrew's favorite....pizza at Rod's Pizza Cellar in Hot Springs.

Sara got a little camera happy.....

She took her own picture.......

And everyone else's.....against their wishes!

After we ate, we went to the mall, Books A Million, Petco and Hibbett Sports. A good time was had by all.

I Love Ya, Kris

2009-03-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

I'm really not scared of her.......I really like her alot, love her actually. We had babies very near each other. She, Carter; Me, Sara. We both had mild break-downs when we found out we were pregnant but it was only for an itty-bitty minute. Then we went shopping for maternity clothes in Texarkana every weekend, gained and lost weight together and had beautiful babies two months apart. Now we each have two great kids who we love unconditionally and don't know what we would do without them!
We don't get to do much together because now we have a caravan to haul around. We are both busy with everyday life, worn out after a hard days work and have to come home and take care of our families and ready for rest on the weekends but I know she is always there. I feel like I can count on her for anything and I hope she feels the same way towards me. The love of and for friends is something I cherish very much! Don't know what I would do without them. Being surrounded by friends you love is one of God's greatest treasures, I hope I mean as much to mine as they mean to me! Good times have been had by all and many more to come!

P.S. I love this picture! Was she wondering what she is going to cook for supper, thinking very hard about the worlds politics or was she thinking what the hec-a-ba-gigers is that woman wearing? Who knows what was going through her pretty head? But I do know now she is wondering......."Where did Valarie get that picture?"

Yes, It's Me Again Margaret!

2009-03-12T18:34:00.000-07:00

It's me again! Kristi chided me into updating. She told me she was going to quit checking everyday and wasting her time if I didn't blog. I'm scared of her so here I am, after a long, tired day of work, kiddos and birthdaying again at mom and dad's, at my computer blogging.
It's been a busy March for us already. We have what seems like a jillion birthdays but really have only four, Dallas, Jessica, Sebastian and Andrew. (in that order) Sebastian was 8 today and had Spiderman cake. I wish you could have seen Nash, Jessica's third boy. He looked like he had bright red clown lipstick from nose to chin because that is all he would eat. We had the usual pizza. Here is the conversation Sara and I had this morning on the way to school:
Sara: What are we eating?
Me: Pizza
Sara: (Huff) Why do we always have to have that? I'm tired of having pizza at gran's.
Me: It's easy since there are so many of us.
Sara: Whatever! It's getting old!

FYI--It's cold here!! I have frozen for the last two days! Had to break out the hoodie again today after wearing my shorts and flip flops around the house for the last week! Rainy and cold is not good!!

Happy Birthday, Sis

2009-03-04T19:14:00.000-08:00

JESSICA IS 31 TODAY!!!!

Happy Birthday, Shannon C.!

2009-03-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

What???? Mama's Cooking Supper?

2009-02-23T18:15:00.003-08:00

Yep, that's me. The mama that is cooking supper. Sad, huh? Dusty fried fish last night and lots of times on the weekends I don't cook supper but last week in the middle of the week my sassy little girl and I were going to bed early to read (her to me and me to her) and on the way there she stopped, looked up at me with those gorgeous blue flecked eyes and said, (and I quote) "Since we don't have supper anymore, what can I eat?" Dusty got a big kick out of this. Andrew had already gone to bed with a headache. From starvation, I'm sure! This made me feel like the best mom in the world. Doesn't matter that last week we were gone almost every night or that when we were home I just wanted to sit down, I guess that I still have to feed my family! Bummer, huh? But tonight I am scoring BIG points with the fam! I'm cooking!

P.S. I wasn't really starving them! Easy mac (the best thing in the world), grilled cheeses and cereal count as something!

Maggie Gets A Haircut

2009-02-19T16:10:00.000-08:00

Maggie got a haircut this afternoon. She looks beautiful! Vickie does such a great job! She is wonderful with the dogs, too. Mag is our baby! Never thought I would be one to say that but she is part of our family. She's definitely a keeper!

Great Way To End A Good Weekend

2009-02-16T18:10:00.000-08:00

We all went to mom and dad's this afternoon for a weinie roast. We did the real thing outside in the fire pit. My sister and her family came over. We made old fashioned smores. All the kids had a blast! I intended to bring my camera but guess what.....I forgot it....twice! The kids and I went down and then I came back to get Dusty and forget it both times. It was a great way to end a good long weekend. Tomorrow it is back to the grindstone until spring break.

Updates

2009-02-15T20:21:00.000-08:00

I haven't done that great in February in keeping up with my posts. In one post, I mentioned that my Grandma Strickland was here since she was without electricity. Well, mama took her back Friday. She was home sick but did not get lights until that day. That was almost 3 weeks that she was without power and she lives in a city of about 25,000 people.
I took her to get her stitches out of her thumb this past Tuesday. Dr. Young told her it looked good and to keep doing what she was doing to it. That was good news because I thought it looked bad and he asked me what I thought a broke thumb with stitches should look like. Smart alec!
It was good to have her here even though it wasn't under the best of circumstances. We were happy to have her since it's been maybe 10 years since she has been here. She spent the night with us last weekend and stayed home with Sara when she was home sick on Monday. The kids enjoyed having her.
Maggie is doing great after her surgery. She perked right back up after the first week. We took her back for her check up and had her stitches out the next week with no trouble at all. Now she is ready to go see Mrs. Vickie, have a bath and get a hair cut.
Sara has been sick. She had about 102 degree fever all last weekend. She felt awful until the Motrin kicked in and then she was ok. Then it would wear off and the fever would come back. I took her to the bus on Monday. She had what they said it seemed everyone in this area had.....something viral that would just have to run its course. So she felt pretty crummy last week and really tired everyday after school. I am glad she is feeling back to her old self.
Andrew, thank the Lord, hasn't been sick. He had a pretty great week. He aced his Biology and Geometry tests. It stresses him a little! He tends to worry! Wonder where he got that?
Dusty and I have been doing the same ole, same ole. Work, sleep and kids! But it's fun (most of the time) and we only complain a bit. HAHA
I think that covers everything.........

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T18:15:00.000-08:00

Sara & Cara

2009-02-13T19:01:00.000-08:00

I think I've told you before that Sara got an American Girl doll for Christmas. She named her Cara. They both also got matching pj's for Christmas. Aren't they cute?