The Best Medicine

I just can't get enough of this belly laugh.

In the Life of a Little Person....

...there is a LOT of playing to be done.

 And playing is what we have been doing.

Christmas

We had a fabulous Christmas this year. It was crazy busy but crazy fun and I wouldn't change a thing about it. We spiced (or changed):) things up a bit this year and decided to celebrate with my family in Memphis the weekend before Christmas. It was nice being able to spend more time with them and also nice spending Christmas morning in our own home and playing with new toys on Christmas Day instead of traveling. We are obviously terrible at taking pictures and documenting our adventures with my family because we have not one picture to prove it. Too much fun was being had by all.

We came home the day before Christmas Eve and had supper with Hays' family and his Gran to open gifts and have a birthday party for Jesus. It was nice to celebrate with just us and continue with the tradition of a birthday party as well. We want the kids to know the true meaning of Christmas. 

Christmas Eve we went to an amazing service at church and then went to Hays' parents house for a celebration with the whole Collins clan.

(3 out of 4 looking at the camera and smiling is like winning the lottery these days)

The Collins Family

Can you tell it was creeping up on Ford's bedtime?

We tried to get a good picture in our jammies before bed...

and we tried some more....

                                      

FINALLY got one! Then tucked these two little monkeys in their bed.

And Santa came! He even drank all of his milk and ate all of his cookies. Surprise, surprise he was quite hungry after all the work he had to do.

Santa may have gone a tad over board. Olivia and Ford were very good this year.

(Santa was up until 1:30 putting this train table together and still couldn't get it to connect....oh goodness).

Someone was beside herself excited about a train table. Hopefully, she won't remember that she saw that in the back of mommy's car and then under mommy and daddy's bed. Santa better do better next year....

Someone else was pretty happy too.

He wasn't too impressed with presents this year though. He would rather play with a plastic bottle.

And the princesses.

She ALWAYS has to put on mommy's robe after bath time. Thankfully, Santa brought her her own. I think she likes it.

                                     

 That just about wraps up our Christmas. We had the best time and hated to see the holidays pass by. Until next year......

Some Firsts for the Little People

I don't know about your house but this NEVER happens in our house. A 2 year old falling asleep...on the couch...in the middle of the day??? I was convinced that she had come down with the flu. Guess there's a first time for everything. This one had to go down in the books because I doubt it will EVER happen again.

Poor Buddy Boo Boo, his one and only boy toy (and it was his dad's when he was younger). Good thing he has a birthday coming soon, maybe he'll have more than pink tea cups and babies to play with.:)

First time to take a trip to the library. We had so much fun, you can just see the excitement on Olivia's face. We checked out a book about dogs per Olivia's request just like Curious George did.

First powdered do-nut for this little one. Poor second child, we just let him have whatever will fill him up. I don't think Olivia had a do-nut until she turned 2.

First time having this sweet little pea as a bed partner. Will. Never. Happen. Again.

First piece of pizza. Like I said, poor second child.

First time to buy her own groceries. She was so excited she was beside herself. She only ran into my heals half a dozen times........

These are the days. They're growing too fast. 

The Birth of Our Savior

"Winter Snow"

You could've come like a mighty storm with all the strength of a hurricane

You could've come like a forest fire with the power of Heaven in Your flame

But You came like a winter snow quiet and soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night to the earth below

You could've swept in like a tidal wave or an ocean to ravish our hearts

You could have come through like a roaring flood

To wipe away the things we've scarred

But You came like a winter snow, yes, You did

You were quiet, You were soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night to the earth below

No, Your voice wasn't in a bush burning

No, Your voice wasn't in a rushing wind

It was still, it was small, it was hidden

Oh, You came like a winter snow quiet and soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night to the earth below

Falling to the earth below

You came falling from the sky in the night to the earth below

10 Months

This little guy is 10 months old! (this post is a little late but better late than never, right?)

He weighs 22 pounds and 11 ounces (just 2 pounds lighter than his big sister). He eats everything under the sun and has to be fed a meal, snack or bottle every 3-4 hours. He LOVES goldfish, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, applesauce, chocolate cheerios but his absolute favorite is yogurt and will eat 2-3 containers at one sitting. He takes 3 eight ounce bottles a day but rarely drinks all of them. I think he would eat a steak and baked potato if he could.:)

He is sleeping all night (knock on some hard wood). He goes to bed around 7 every night and wakes up chirping like a birdie around 6:30 in the morning. He also still naps for about an hour in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. He loves to be rocked before bedtime and to have his lovies nearby while falling asleep.

Although he is not moving yet (AT ALL), he is doing some new things. He now plays patty cake, says (or yells) mama, loves pestering his sister in any way that is possible, will take an hour long bath if we would let him splashing the entire time, loves riding in the car and looking out the window and his favorite toy is a metal kitchen spoon. This little boy has added so much spice to our lives and we can't see what the next 10 months hold.