Monday, January 5, 2009

Christmas with Mimi and Poppy










Megan and Chloe










Uncle Jason and the kids!










Jim and big brother Chuck










Jacob snuggling with Mimi










Megan helps make candy cane cookies!


Our trip ended over in Jackson with Jim's folks. Megan loves to visit their Chloe (long hair daschund). Jim's brother and one step brother were able to come as well. Megan got to help Mimi with the batch of candy cane cookies this year! What a big helper! Jim is excited--this is one of his favorite traditional goodies each year.

You know when you're just going to have a rough day? Many of you know I have a very messed up stomach so when I woke up sick the day we were driving home I knew it would be a very long day! Little did I know I was in for a rough 24 hour stomach bug. I'll try not to be graphic, but as we were stuck in Georgia traffic Jacob starts laughing at my unfortunate sickness. How silly that my being sick made him laugh, but hey....a little comic relief did us all some good. I think it took us about 14 hours to get home (plus we lost an hour....). We were ever grateful for our beds that night and a restful Sunday afternoon : ) We're all rested and fortunately noone else caught the stomach bug!

Christmas with Nana











Alana and Meg in their cow pjs










Jacob's new hat and football










John, Janna and Jim










Alana and Meg fishing










the annual picture in nana's chair



This was a special Christmas with my mom (Nana). After the year she's had I think we all were more appreciative of each other and the time together. We began our day at Opryland having pictures taken of the kids (so we thought). Jim and I didn't really dress for a photo shoot, but needless to say we all jumped in to help wrangle the kids. I'll add some of these pictures once I get them (hint hint nana.....)

Here are some fun pictures with my brother, his wife Janna and their daughter Alana.

Our first stop










Janna and Katie








Papa and Gan Gan










Calen and Eli










Jacob the reindeer










Megan with her antlers

Alana and Megan

So, when you're preparing for a 10+ hour trip what's the last thing you want to break? Oh yeah, the DVD player in the car!!!!! We had wonderfully gracious friends who allowed us to take their portable player with us to help entertain the kids on the long trip. Thank you so much Maria!!!! The kids were fantastic and we drove all day to reach my dad's that evening. The kids were so excited to see Papa and Gan Gan. We got to see my step sister and her family, my step brother and my brother and his family. Since arriving home we've learned that my step sister Katie and her hubby Randall are expecting their first child together! Congratulations again you guys. We're so excited to meet this new little one. We have 5 grandkids on this side so excitement was in the air. Here are a few pics from our time there.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Collins family Christmas















Since we were traveling to Tennessee this year for Christmas we decided to have our family Christmas before we left. We wanted the kids to open their presents and be able to play a while before we loaded up for the long trip since their presents weren't easily transported this year. Jacob got his first train table and Megan got a new stroller. She also got a ClickStart First Computer which she is quickly learning to master. I'm amazed at how she's figured out so much on her own so quickly. We let them play with the big things that weren't wrapped then we stopped for a yummy homemade breakfast complete with the reading of the Christmas story from Meg's Bible. We then let them open the rest of their gifts and play for the day while we packed and got ready for our journey..... Here are pics from The Collins family Christmas.

December Fun
















So, it's taken me some time to get caught up with all the technological stuff I got for Christmas, but I figured it all out today, so here comes some catch up on the blogging!!!!! Woo hoo! Thank you mama and Kelly for my new computer and Jim for my new camera! I'm in hog heaven with all these gadgets that work and are fun to use!










I'll start this blog with a couple pictures from early in the month. Megan got a bag of hand-me-downs that included a peter pan costume. Then my mom aka nana came to visit with new toothbrushes.....they light up and blink for a minute so you know how long they've been brushing. The kids LOVE their new toothbrushes. The last pics are of gingerbread houses we made at the Y with our sweet friend Bo before the Couchs moved to GA. Megan and Bo were born about a month apart and have been the sweetest of friends their whole young lives. (Meg wasn't really in a picture mood, but they did have fun making and eating their houses.)

Saturday, December 13, 2008

December happenings

So, I've been bad about keeping up with the blog lately and I do apologize. Some of you may know that the week of Thanksgiving I spent the week almost entirely in bed. I've never experienced a back injury like this and was so grateful to my fantabulous hubby for keeping the house running, the kids fed, clothed and clean. My fantastic friends brought food, kept my kids so my hubby could actually get some work done and prayed for my healing. I'm always so prompt getting into the Christmas season and this year......well, it just didn't happen. I couldn't pull out the decorations. I didn't get the Christmas card picture taken as early as I wanted and I sure didn't stand in my kitchen making goodies. So, Jim helped with decorating (and we too Janna went very simple this year). I just received the Christmas cards in the mail and have gotten them ready to go out early next week. Megan helped me last night to make simple treats--I still can't stand in the kitchen all day.



This Christmas is meaning more to me this year. As I look at my kids and where God has taken us this year I'm grateful to be together as a family. We have sweet friends who are moving, some about to have a baby anyday, others truly hurting over lost jobs, health issues and family brokenness. It makes you think. What is truly important this season? Our church family has really adopted the Advent Conspiracy this season and is working to support Living Water International. Jim is helping lead a toy drive at the school where we worship. Megan is hearing about these things and truly getting it. Last night she decided her footie pajamas are too hot for her in Florida and then informed me she'd like to give them to a kid that doesn't have any pajamas!



We've really only been doing normal life things. We haven't been able to do many really festive things/programs. We were able to go to light up Winter Garden, have visited Downtown Disney (for 1 of the Christmas card attempts) and driven around to look at lights some. We're trying to plan a trip to Sea World.....Miss Pattycake was in town, but that was the first day I was down with my back, so Meg had to miss that. We're trying not to overdo it this year. You know how sometimes you get so busy and just don't have time to stop and enjoy who Christ is and what God did for us by sending His Son? Maybe my back is God's way of slowing me down, maybe the fact that Jacob still goes to bed at 6:30 is helping us remain calm....whatever it is, we're grateful!



Just wanted to share a funny story with you. Some of you are seeing the depth of Megan's 3 year old dramatic side........a couple of days ago she seemed to be having a pretty bad day and was sent to her room to cool off on several occasions. On I think her final trip Jim and I were in the kitchen and hear her proclaim "I've been in here for years and years!" We both just crack up! Oh that the 2 minute timer would go off faster for her!



We pray that you are able to take time to enjoy this Christmas! We're loving doing small things this season as a family. May God bless you and your family!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Christmas card rejects





We think our kids are cute .... and much more photogenic than we are which is why we choose to make them the object of our Christmas cards each year. When it was just Megan it wasn't so hard, but getting two kids to look at the camera and both have an un-goofy look, dare say a smile, is getting really hard to do. So I had to share a few of the funniest "reject" pictures. Hope you get some laughs.....I know Jim and I did!