Collin’s First Airplane

I have no idea where the time goes. Apparently it is going by just as fast as it did when I was in elementary school, but at the same time, it SO-DOES-NOT (said in the Ross voice). I can’t believe that Collin’s birthday has come and gone, our New Jersey trip has come and gone, Thanksgiving has come and gone, and Christmas is just around the corner. Goodness… 

So at the beginning of the month Mom, Bradley, Collin and I packed up and went to New Jersey for a few days. It was my first time going on a trip without Devin. If I have to go without him, I’m glad it was with my mom and Brudder. Three adults,one one year old and stroller, four carry-ons, two large tote bags, one backpack, and one car seat made for a fun time. It sounds bad. I was dreading it in the weeks leading up to it, but overall, it wasn’t bad at all. Collin did really well. Much better than I thought he was going to do actually.

Collin didn’t sleep much Thursday when we left. It was a VERY long day. But we made it to Newark alive. We even made it to the car rental place and to my aunts house alive and in once piece too. The fact that we (Mom) drove ourselves was a success in itself. Thursday night my aunt made dinner and my dad came over and we all had a nice night relaxing.

Friday was fun. My old youth pastor and his family live in New Jersey now, a little more than an hour south of where my Dad and aunt are. We couldn’t travel all the way up the coast and not go visit them. Poor Missy had just had knee surgery but still came out to dinner with us. I felt so bad for her but was really happy she did. We had dinner at Red Robin. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen one here in Florida (not that I have been to all of Florida or anything) so it was nice to go someplace we don’t go to everyday. After dinner Mike took us to see their church. It was awesome, they had just redone their youth room. I had a cool youth room and hang out when I was in high school, but this place was so amazingly awesome. Their children’s church is the old main auditorium, and was so much fun. They only live a few minutes from the church so we got to go back to their house and hand out for a few hours. It was definitely a high point of our trip. The little girls I babysat have grown up into beautiful teenagers. I miss them.

Saturday was my cousins daughters birthday, and since Collin’s birthday was just a couple weeks earlier we had a big birthday party Jersey Style! It was so much fun. All my cousins kids playing and running around with Collin, was so cute. They all had a great time. I’m sure my grandmother loved seeing them all together too. My ant it a fantastic cake decorator, so I was really looking forward to what she was going to make. Autumn (my cousins daughter) wanted Tinkerbell and Collin got a train. They were ADORABLE!

Sunday morning we got up and went to my grandma’s house for breakfast, church, and a big lunch. While everyone went to church, I was the heathen that stayed home with Collin. It was naptime and it would not have been good for him to be at their little church missing a nap. So I stayed back and put him down, and maybe took a nap myself :) Sunday night Bradley and I left Collin with my mom and aunt and we went to dinner with my dad before we left Monday morning.

Monday was another long day, but thankfully we made it home alive. I felt really bad for Brudder. We landed in Jacksonville at 5 something. He went to get the car, changed suitcases, and walked back in the airport to catch a flight to Atlanta at 7 something for work. I know he had to be exhausted by the time he got back home the following Friday night about 8:00.

I was annoyed with myself when I realized that I wasn’t taking any pictures, so I have minimal pictures to show of our trip. But, here they are!

On the plane, looking out the window, then passed out

Collin with Morgan and Maddie

 

I love these girls!

 

Collin’s Train Cake!

Autumn’s Tinkerbell Cake

 

NOM! NOM! NOM!

 

Ready to go home

He slept MUCH better on the way home

 

Shutterfly.com SWAG!

While I was on vacation in New Jersey this past week (once the pictures are loaded and I can gather my thoughts, I’ll post about it) I saw my friend Michelle post something about 50 Free Christmas cards. After reading her post about it, I was in. So here’s my plug to get the SWAG!

A year or so ago, I signed up and made a photo book using Shutterfly.com. I don’t remember who it was for or what was in the book off hand, but I enjoyed doing it. It was fun, easy, and the quality was really good. I’ve printed pictures from them really cheap. Devin even made me a calendar for Christmas one year. I loved it! They always have some sort of promotion going on, it’s awesome. Basically it’s a great site all the way around.  Anyway, A few weeks ago, I began thinking and planning my Christmas cards, so this came at the PERCEFT time! Shutterfly is offering 50 FREE 5x7 folded or flat stationary Christmas Cards when you register and blog about the promotion. It’s a pretty genius idea, I think. Think of all the FREE advertising they are getting for this. Everyone loves FREE stuff, especially at Christmas time. Everyone has a blog, or knows someone who has a blog. So basically the promotion was a no brainer. And since I’m all about the free stuff (especially since I stopped working to say home with Collin… BEST decision Devin and I EVER made, btw!) I had to get in. I was looking around at the cards and fell in love with a bunch. The picture(s) we end up with will ultimately decided what card everyone will be getting this year :) There are so many great ones to choose from, it’s going to be tough to decide. (You might notice a commonality among my choices) :)

 

 

 

 

So, my fellow bloggers, bargain shoppers, and coupon clippers go to http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/ at shutterfly.com and get your free stuff too!

A FIRST Birthday Party –BASEBALL Style!

So every girl I know is obsessed with or at least loves the color pink. Not sure if you know this about me or not, but I don’t like pink. I didn’t own anything pink until a few weeks ago when I bought a plain ole T-shirt from Wal-Mart for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. Anyway, thankfully I have a little boy and was able to throw an anti-pink party, in a baseball theme :)

I had such a fun time planning it! I made the invitations a month or so ago, and made thank you notes to match. (Now I just have to print the thank you cards, write, address, and send them. Two weeks. Tops. haha) We had classic baseball game food, hotdogs and hamburgers, Coke and Sprite, (and what’s a party in the South without sweet tea?) baked beans, deviled eggs, chips and of course Craker Jacks! I made Collin a baseball cake and cupcakes (not that a ball is hard to do, just time consuming and I will NEVER use icing in a spray bottle again. It’s too unpredictable!)

We had thirty plus people at the house, both Devin and my families and a few close friends, plus the eight small children. We had ages ranging from 5 months old to our grandparents in their 80s.

Collin LOVES the balloons that are still floating around and is very much enjoying his new toys. He’s so cute exploring what the new things do. Now, the fun part, PICTURES!

Drink Table

Favor Cups by the front door

Collin’s Birthday Chair with his name pennant I made ;)

 

My rendition of a baseball

 

The presents and a little chaos

Me and Papa

Daddy and Mommy with the Birthday Boy

Singing with Aunt Lynne

Cousins

Random Birthday Fun

The hours before the party I did start to stress a little, ok a lot. But once things go underway, I started having a really good time. I am very happy with the way the decorations and food turned out. And I’m so glad that most everyone was able to make it. It make me happy to know that Collin is so loved by all of our friends and family that they were willing to come to a first birthday party that Collin won’t even remember. It is definitely a day that I will remember and cherish for years to come.