The Relatives Came...

Anyone know that book... the Relatives Came? A classic. And one we mentioned a few times during my family's visit this past weekend. (Warning... combining photos from my, Marice and my mom's cameras, this is a LONG post!)

My parents took my younger siblings, Marcie and David to NYC for couple days, then drove to Harmony, PA to see the Sesquahanna River and then to Palmyra where we met them after Megan's Walk-a-thon. They were eating lunch at our favorite place, Mark's Pizza, when we pulled up. Marcie was so sweet and ran out to meet us. Although it may have been more for Collin than us. He had just woken up and was being extra snuggly.

Playing with Marcie's "bling". He kept saying "Wow" with big eyes.

We headed across the street to start at the Book of Mormon publishing house and got swallowed up with buses of old people on church history tours. I felt bad because all the other times we've had personal tours, but I guess they got the gist of it.

Then on to the Joseph Smith farm. This time we were mostly by ourselves, but the tour guide wasn't much into details or information. When we were in the upper level of the log cabin she said frankly, "Well, this is where the Angel Moroni appeared. Your thoughts?" {Crickets chirping}

Walking from the log cabin to the frame home, you can see the temple, so we stopped for a photo shoot.

Entering the Sacred Grove.... we were laughing and joking, walking up, then decided we should probably act more reverent. :)

Love my parents!

While my parents took full advantage of their time in the grove, I was freezing my tush off, so we went back to car to wait. Collin was having fun turning on the windshield wipers and touching all the buttons... AND showing us some skin.

A quick walk around the temple...

And then on to the Hill Cumorah as the sun set. I was enthralled with all the pretty colors. We've never been to Palmyra in October and it was breathtakingly gorgeous!

It was late when we pulled into Duff's, so Trav took Collin home and sweet Rach came over on zero notice, to put him to bed while we had dinner. We have the best friends!

I tried two new things this night.... vinegar on my french fries (yum) and Loganberry soda (is it soda or just juice?). It was a bit too syrupy on its own, but mixed with DP, it was great. I ate entirely too many wings, then we got pints of Ben and Jerry's at Wegmans afterward and I'm surprised I didn't die of heart attack right then and there. I looked at the nutrition label at there were 80 grams of fat in my pint!!!! And I ate half. I woke up the next morning wanting to throw up.

This guy had a few phot sessions with Marcie. She was just eating him up. And vice versa.

You'd almost think it was HIM who had chicken wings on top on Ben and Jerrys!

They came to church with us the next morning and I was petrified because I had to give the lesson in Gospel Doctrine. I was even more nervous than when I had to give my first lesson. And it's not over yet, because when Shelley and Casey come to visit next week, they'll be here for my next lesson! Sheesh. (PS. the first thing I thought when I looked at this picture was, um, hello flower child? I've seen myself in pictures in this dress before so how is it that it just occured to me that I'm totally rockin' the hippy vibe? I wonder sometimes...)

In our third year of living here, I JUST learned that this building used to be a business supple store before they remodeled it. Makes so much more sense now!

After church we drove straight to Canada to visit Niagra Falls and go on Maid of the Mist.... or as my dad puts it... desecrate the Sabbath. I felt like it was crazy busy... much more so than when we've gone before. Probably best not to go on a weekend.

Collin was having fun with the ponchos.

Right before the boat started going, Collin threw his pacifer overboard, but it landed on a little ledge under us. After it was over, Trav jumped over the railing to retrieve it, then jumped back before I saw him. Good thing too, or else I probably would have screamed or my heart would have failed. I am going to be so outnumbered with 3 crazy boys.

It happened to be fast Sunday and I think everyone started out with good intentions, but only Travis and my parents could truly "break their fast" with Cafe Rio dinner that night.

And then I attempted a Raspberry Torte Cake recipe that I got from a friend out here. Thanks Melissa! It was divine. 

Monday morning we got a quick tour of the dental school with the 1/2 hour that Trav had between class and starting clinic for the day.

Here is his operatory.

Right after that, we went home and they packed up and left for Kirtland before flying home the next morning. It was too short a trip!! Collin and I waved goodbye on the driveway and the second the car disappeared, my eyes filled with tears. Buffalo and Mesa are just too darn far apart! Waaaa, it's not fair. All I had to console myself with, were a half a dozen, half eaten cartons of Ben and Jerrys in the freezer. You'd think I'd have learned. They numbed the pain a bit :) Collin enjoyed it too. Even after it was gone, he'd stick his face in it, hoping to lap up even a drop more. Like mother, like son. Atta boy Collin!

We sure love when the Relatives Come.

Stayin' Busy

A couple of weeks ago, our friend, Tiffany, invited us to go to the Strong Museum in Rochester. It's a stinkin' amazing museum. Best I've been to. I could spend hours there myself and stay occupied! The upper level is cases and cases of toys and dolls from the decades. I don't know if Collin truly appreciated it. I think he's still a bit young to take advantage of it all, but he did find some things to keep busy on.

 This room threw your balance all off. So weird how they do that. Collin was tripping out a bit. He preferred to stay on all fours.

 He enjoyed the "sand room". And may have given it a taster, as seen here.

 Just couldn't hold still for the obligatory {dental} shot. This was part of the Berenstein Bears room. Loved it. Reminded me of the good old days!

 Last week I hosted Bunco at my house and was thrilled to be in charge of October! Here's a sample of my tasty treats. So fun to host and even more fun to be done. :)

 Also, a couple of weeks ago, we started a babysitting swap group for Friday nights. My, I hope this lasts, because we are LOVIN' IT! Life changes dramatically when you have a couple of hours, free of the screamer, and able to go to dinner, run errands, or simply grocery shop. Last Friday I thought it would be so romantical to have a picnic dinner, watching the airplanes land, while the sun set. It was a nice day that turned into a crazy windy, cold evening. We scarfed down our subs as fast as we could just to get the heck out of there. My body literally shook from cold as I tried to inhale my dinner. Not so romantical.

Last Saturday was the Miles4Megan Walk-a-thon. Gorgeous weather. It was great to see so many people there. Megan is going through another rough patch and was in a coma while all this was going on. I hope she could still feel the love that everyone had for her. I was impressed with all the work that went into this. Glad we could be a part of it.

   We walked about 3 miles, but Collin was tired of his stroller, so he bunked up with Gavin and was having a ball. I don't think Gavin enjoyed his hugs quite as much as Collin did.

They had a DJ at the event and the kids were rockin' out. It reminded me of the night before, when we may or may not have been driving down our street with Collin in my lap and the first thing he did was lunge for the radio dial to turn up the volume. After cranking it super loud, he raised both arms up, hands in fists, and pumped the air... face totally serious. We were dying. Who is this kid? The Situation? :)

The very end of this video shows it a little bit.

18 MoNThS BaBy!

Except, he's not a baby anymore! :( When this happened... I do not know. Trav and I like to peek on him before we go to bed, and without fail, every week we have to comment, "When did he get so big?!" I remember him being a tiny newborn and thinking he'd never grow out of his 0-3 month clothes. He didn't even fit INTO them to start with!

These past couple weeks with him haven't transformed into a piece of cake, but they have been better. Maybe those teeth came in, or maybe I'm just learning to manage him better, or maybe he's watching more TV... I don't know. But what a difference it makes! He seems to understand what I'm saying and I'm getting more adept at reading him. He doesn't say much, but he does say momma, dadda, ball (working on football and basketball... he has them on his jammies and he loves to point to them and attempt saying them), uh oh, wooof wooof wooof (doggie noises).... and once he said Eggo. Seriously. Every once in a while, we'll ask him to say a harder word and it really comes out sounding just like it on the first try, then never again. More often than not it goes like this:

Mom or Dad: "Say (insert one syllable word)"

Collin: (mustering all his strength and breath) "Baaaah!"

Mom or Dad: "Say (insert two syllable word)"

Collin: (again... deep, meaningful breath) "Baah baah!" 

It makes us laugh. We appreciate the genuine effort.

At his 18 month appointment his stats were:

Weight: 23lbs 3oz- 28%

Height: 30 1/2 inches- 15%

 Head Circum. 19inches - 89%

So proportionate :)

Some pictures that illustrate Collin at 18 months....

He loves shoes. He's always finding our shoes or his own and trying to put them on, or bringing them to us and putting them in our face.  

 Just a boy and his beads... :)

Despite the way this has started, this kid is in fact, all BoY. He loves balls, rocks, throwing both, and cars. He's now noticed airplanes and always points to the sky and ooohs and ahhhs as they fly by. However, we do own a pink toy that he just couldn't leave behind at a garage sale. It's one of the pull toys where the balls pop up in the dome thing as you drag it on the floor. Trav was annoyed when he saw it, but I don't see what the big deal is. He likes to try on my necklaces and is intrigued with my headbands or bows. It's all in good balance. :)

 Checking out the belly.

Some think that Collin is a good eater, but I think he's picky. For a while he wouldn't eat hardly anything, so I started feeding him whenever he'd eat, which led to a snacking/grazing habit. This week I've finally started being stricter about mealtimes and its helped quite a bit. I took this picture after he'd had a really big meal and so his belly stuck out. Right after he got out of his high chair, he suddenly noticed this obtrusive thing sticking out, and stopped, lifted his shirt, and started poking at it. So funny.

He's a typical kid, loving mac and cheese, hot dogs, and pizza. He also likes bananas, mandarin oranges, and grapes. He'll have nothing to do with sandwiches. He'll do anything for a gogurt.

 Learning to use utensils! It's an adventure!

 He wants to be wherever we are around the house (outside the house, he couldn't care less where we are- he's on the run!) He follows me from room to room and wants to be held. Last Saturday he wanted to be with his daddy.

 Still getting the hang of coloring. When I'm at my computer, he wants to be in my lap, scribbling with his pick of pencils or markers..... always taking a chunk out of an eraser before I can stop him. The belly thing is new too. He likes to switch to his belly in the bath tub and slurp up the water. That reminds me, when he's thirsty, he'll come to us and just make a slurping noise. Very effective.

 He gets his fair share of bumps and bruises. Yesterday he bonked his head and up popped a pretty good goose egg. They always seem to be on his head near the hair line.

 Harry Potter in training!

He likes books, but I can't actually read the book or he gets bored. I have to keep up a pretty steady pace of turning the pages, only pointing out objects and saying one or two word phrases.

 Watching TV with Dad! He may enjoy TV more than the average kid. He's usually addicted to a movie for a couple weeks, then moves on to a new one. A month ago it was this 3-D Peter Cottontail movie with pretty rockin' music and lately its been this really weird one called Baby Huey's Easter Adventure. It is super weird.... including a giant baby duck that interacts with real humans. It was given to us.



A few other things:

*He's suddenly hit a shy streak. He used to beam at strangers and do anything for attention, but lately if anyone says something to him, he ducks his head and burrows into whatever body part of mine he can get close to.

* He loves to dance. He can find a beat in a cell phone tune or commercial jingle. When I hear a good song on the radio in the car and start dancing, I'll look back and tell him to dance and the next time I look back, he's obediently got his hands raised motionless in the air, staring at me. (I usually dance with my hands up in the air)

* He HATES getting soaped up in the tub. He cries like he's being beaten. He doesn't mind getting undressed, but don't dare try to put a shirt on over his head.... that will get you more shrieking.

* He gives the best hugs and kisses. It's my favorite thing in the world.

This boy keeps me busy but I love watching him grow up and learn new things. He's my little buddy. It's so fun to watch his personality in action. What would we do without our sweet Towaga?!