Summer 2012

This is so long over due it's crazy.  Where does the time go?  Before I can even get to Summer,  I had to add a few Spring pictures.  We had our first Easter Egg hunt in our yard and the kids loved it. Collin had his 4th trip to the ER (he tripped, hit a wood post and got 6 stitches in on his forehead). And we are finally getting to enjoy our yard and make it how we like it (this is before all the Summer blooms, but it was still beautiful).

Summer is here and we are loving it.  We're trying to grab it with both hands and run.  Last summer I was training for my first 1/2 marathon and we just stuck around on the weekends so I could get my training in.  This Summer we have tried to do everything and stay busy.  In May the kids and I went to California to enjoy our special time with Grandma and Grandpa Valenza, along with a weekend visit from Uncle Jeff.  Then Marissa turned 2, Collin turned 4, we went to visit Grandpa Michael and Jennifer, a weekend of camping, some hiking, gardening, our church's Girl's Camp for a week, and hopefully a few more things before summer is over.  It takes a while for the sun to really shine here, but once it does, oh is it gorgeous.  Life is good and busy and we're sure enjoying our sweet little family.  We look at the kids and think how precious they are and we're not sure we can let them grow up.  And then Marissa throws a tantrum, Collin torments Marissa and Toby and we think no we can let them grow up.  It's all a learning process and although there are ups and downs and great days, and not so great days, life is good and there is a lot of love, laughs, messes, and crying here.

Callin' the shots (Jan and Feb Collinisms)

• We went bowling tonight and on the way home Collin was talking about how cool his shoes were. I said, "those shoes were cute." He responded, "cute is like Marissa, cool is like me." oops who knew our 3 year old was already wanting to be cool.
• I told Collin we were going to visit his friend Lucy later today. He ran into his room saying "I want to wear my handsome church socks." He quickly changed his socks and said, "I want to look handsome so I'll wear my handsome church socks." We're in trouble, already worried what the ladies will think of him.
• We were talking about bowling and that it might be hard with Marissa, because it was hard with him at her age. He said, "yeah, I didn't know things too well then (at the age of 2). But now that I'm 3 I know things well enough now."
• Collin asked me to build a tall train track. I said I don't think I can do it, Daddy is better than I am. He said, "Yes you can. I know you can do it!" I said, "So should I try?" he said, "Yeah!" Then he said, "I know you can do it because you are a big smart mommy." When I successfully built it to his liking he said, "See, I knew you could!"
• When I kiss Collin goodnight he always says, "I will you miss you when I go to school and get married, but I will use your phone and call you"
• Today Collin was asking where babies come from and once I told them a baby would be in my stomach he asked how it will get out. YIKES! I didn't think my 3 year old would be asking these kinds of questions.
• Collin informed me today that he would like to have a little Collin (or a real baby). And he should be named Collin. Adam said, "Don't you think it would be hard to know which Collin we would be talking to and he said, "No I'll know which one is the right one."
• Collin had gel in his hair. Someone came up to him and said, "Collin do you have gel in your hair?" And he said "Yeah, it's jell-o."

Valentine's Day

Just a month late, but I had to post these fun pictures. For Valentine's Day we didn't do a whole lot except have a delicious trifle and go bowling. It was so fun and Collin LOVED his shoes. It was an adventure with our independent Marissa, but it was worth it.

Life around here

Here is a whole slew of pictures. Life is good. Thse two little munchkins are keeping us busy. Marissa is going through a pretty tough defiant stage right now and I'm sure hoping it's just a phase. Every once in a while we have glimpses of our sweet little doll baby, but most of the time she's kind of an emotional and punky bomb just waiting to go off. We still love her and I just have to pray every day for patience. She has many faces and these are a few of our favorites. She is such a sweetie.


I love this one, they fight like the dickens, but they also love and kiss, hug, and play. They LOVE each other, even when Collin is practicing some crazy wrestling moves on her.


The day I took this picture I had told Collin he would be able to watch a movie that night. During quiet time he snuck downstairs lined up his favorite "Cars" cars and got them in position for his favorite movie, either Cars 1 or Cars 2. I just adore this one! He is getting so cute and creative. I love watching his little mind working.

Here is our handsome little boy all ready for church. Isn't he handsome.



And I can not take any credit for this crazy messy peanut butter and jelly face. I was out of the room and Adam thought, why not just let her make as much of a mess as she'd like, what a good idea. bah. She loved it, I didn't, but I guess it's ok to make a mess sometimes.


This is our punky brewster picture. She loves wearing other people's clothes and dressing herself into the most creative and fashionable outfits.


And here is our little Cinderella. Although she actually chooses to do hard labor :) She loves to help. She's practicing her mother skills, she's even wearing one of my shirts. We like to start them early.


Look at that sad, but stinking cute face. Couldn't resist.


My little sweetie.


Cute little pair.


This is one of their favorite places. Love the backwards hat and the snow in the back round.


Well we're busy, happy, and learning a lot about patience, love, and sharing. It's a wonderful life. We've also been busy furiously working on redoing our cabinets and our counters are next. I'll definitely have to post when finished!

Collin' the shots (Sept-Dec)

I love the stage that Collin is at right now. I love having a little buddy that can carry on real conversations and ask questions. He's pretty much past the "why" stage (now he just does it to be silly/annoying), and he's starting to think for himself. We're also getting some arguing/back talk, not so fun, but with every stage there is good and then there is frustrating so I just have to deal with it. Here are some of the silly things he's said the last few months...

Collin-" We need to be careful with the animals because they can scare, because they're very very big."

Collin-" Where's Mommy?"
Daddy- "She's out running."
Collin- "Oh, she needs to get energy out."

A toy wasn't working, Collin was trying to figure out how to fix it like Daddy. Collin switched the on switch and said, "look mom, I pushed this and it works. I am a fixer."

Collin said this multiple times a week, "First it's Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and then Christmas."

Collin- "I like Christmas. Santa comes and I get lots and lots of presents."

I was eating a lindt truffle. Collin caught me and said, "Can I have that."
Me- "No."
Collin- "Can I share it?"
Me- "No, it's a mommy candy, but you can have something else."
He then chose a tootsie roll and looks at me and says, "You can't have this. This is a Collin candy."
Collin and I were sitting on the porch swing. Collin pauses, looks at me very seriously and says, "So... how are you doing."

While Adam was giving the kids a bath he said, "Collin we need to wash your face. You don't want a dirty face do you?"
Collin- "Yes."
Adam- "Why do you want a dirty face?"
Collin - "Because it's part of my life."

We were playing memory and I told Collin to mix up the cards super fast. He said, "No! We don't want to freak out!"

Me- "Collin, when we have another baby would you like a brother or a sister?"
Collin- 'I want little Collins and Marissas."

Me-"Collin, I miss my Grandma."
Collin; "I have a Grandma you can go to."
Me- "You will share your Grandma with me?"
Collin- "Yep"

Me- "Collin what should we do now?"
Collin- " hmmmm. Let's do something different.
Me- "Like what?"
Collin-"Let's go to the Pizza store (Costco).
Me- "No."
Collin- "Yeah! Let's Shop."

While singing farmer and the Dell he said, "the farmer takes a wife, the farmer takes a wife" then he stopped and very thoughtfully said, "it's not nice to take things."

We just love this silly little boy!!!

And Marissa is starting to use all kinds of words. She is constantly surprising us with a new word. Some of the words in her vocabulary include; stop it, jump, amen, cracker, bubbles, tank tu (thank you), mommy, daddy, up please, more, milk, Grandma, Grandpa, Toby (our cat), night night, teeth, eyes, book, goak (coat), yuck (sock), hi, bye bye, popcorn, ip (zip). She's such a cutie! She can also point to all her body parts and LOVES to sing "Popcorn Popping" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". Although the house is rarely quiet and most of dinner times consists of screaming and fighting. We just love, love, love our little family. Hopefully we can add a few more crazies in the future :).

We are a happy family

These pictures are old, but I uploaded them and then never posted them, Enjoy!

Callin' the shots (May-Jul Collinisms)

May 2011

• One of our favorites, when talking about something that happened yesterday or last week he refers to it as last year.
• I asked him what he wanted for his birthday at the beginning of the month and he told me- A pink cake and blue balloons.
• Mommy- "How old are you?" Collin- "2" Mommy- "And how old will you be on your birthday?" Collin- "5"
• We were reading in the Scriptures about the olive trees in Jacob. He must have been listening because after talking about living fruit Collin says, "Living fruit... that sounds yummy".
• "That's a great idea!"

June 2011

• He often uses the words cuddly, cozy, and cute (he must spend a lot of time with me :))
• Collin finally started saying I love you without any promptings and he says it often. He also asks for hugs and kisses. I just love it!

July 2011

• While getting ready to go to the park he sang, "Ring around the rosies, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all go to the park". I laughed and said that was creative and he said, "It's ok to change the song." ha ha what a little grown-up
• Collin was chewing on his stuffed cougars tail. When I told him to stop that it's yucky he says, "it's not yucky, I'm giving him raspberries."
• While we were outside waiting for the fireworks to start Collin says, "the sun is sleeping and the moon is awake. Shhhhhh the sun is sleeping."
• While we were outside waiting for the fireworks to start Collin says, "the sun is sleeping and the moon is awake. Shhhhhh the sun is sleeping."
• At our 4th of July breakfast he got a small flag. On the way home he said, "I love this flag it is so flaggy." boy is he creative :)