family vacation

We just got back from our first family vacation in years. The last time we all went on one I think mary was 4 or 5! We all met this past weekend for a long holiday weekend in the Shenandoah mountains. It was a beautiful weekend - the weather was perfect and sunny each day. The house we were staying at was very unique. It was called the historic round house and had so many stairs! I'll have to put a picture up later to show you. Colin loved all the stairs and was very independent on wanting to climb them himself. There was a stream near our cabin and once Colin discovered the joy of throwing boulder sized rocks into the stream he was out there every chance he could get. Colin loved all the attention and had so much fun each day. Mary taught him to burp on command and James taught him to make bodily function noises with his hands! Colin is so proud of himself but he does say excuse me after doing it - "eme me" He didn't nap for a few days and I was really worried especially the day we went on an all day hiking trip. He did wonderful. It amazing since when Brent and I take Colin for short little hikes at the park and he gets tired and wants out its hard to contain him in the pack and I was really worried he would want out when we're halfway to the waterfall or the peak -and then really what do you do with a screaming toddler when you're halfway up a mountain? But he was great. Brent and I went ahead and just got to the waterfall (Dark Hollow Falls) as fast as we could so he wouldn't get bored and the rest of the family met us down there. Colin loved putting his feet into the ice cold water and throwing rocks. I think we changed his clothes 3 times on that hike since he would get wet each time we stopped to play in the water on the way back up to the car. And then the family decided to do another short hike and Colin did that one too. (this all after only sleeping 6 hours the night before and getting a 20 minute nap in the car) That hike Colin walked up mostly by himself but did fall asleep in the pack on the way down. I was sure he wouldn't make it up but he did. He slept most of the way home Monday in the car and yesterday around 11 am he sat in his chair and fell asleep almost instantly and slept most of the afternoon.

We had a great time and are already looking forward to next years family vacation.... maybe this time we'll make matching tshirts.

Playing with water guns - Colin got really good towards the end

Throwing rocks with Grandpa Getting ready to hike Dark Hollow Falls

Telling Uncle Opie how to play putt-putt

Playing in the water on the hike The family
With aunt sarah at the top of the mountain

its finally over!

Well much to my surprise we actually closed on our house today! And in the words of Colin, YEA WOOO HOOOO! So now we can really get serious about looking for a home down here.

And one of the most ridiculous things we had to do so the couple buying our home could get their FHA loan was to take the garage doors off our garage so it could be turned into a car port! Which its still a garage but at least it passed their requirements. Makes me wonder on who gets paid to make these rules. I'm glad they bought our house and glad they could get a loan but wish they hadn't gotten and FHA loan. Good thing they don't do FHA loans down here. There was a whole long list of stuff like that which made no sense and made me pray that the couple wouldn't back out since we could have a hard time selling it to someone else after all the FHA requirements. But they didn't and its now their house and they are currently moving in and probably repainting our walls going "i can't believe they actually painted this room that color!" haha I'm so glad its over.

Tomorrow... tomorrow... I'll love you tomorrow....

Just a little update on our house. We still haven't closed. It keeps being pushed back. First it was Wednesday, then Friday, then this past Monday, then Tuesday and now Thursday at 11:00. So this is the first time we've had an actual time but I'm not holding my breath or banking on tomorrow. And every time it gets pushed back it seems like it costs us more money. So here's to hoping our house will close tomorrow.

Colin-isms

This weekend we made eee-aha's with a-ha-ha-ha (or cookies with chocolate) Colin is talking more and more and developing a big vocabulary but he also has come up with his own language for some things. And there are moments that are very frustrating for both of us since he tries to tell me something and I don't know what he was saying. But for the most part I can figure out his new language. He can say orange but eee-ah is cookie. Go figure. He has also started singing songs. Yesterday in the store he broke out with a pretty good version of head/shoulders/knees and toes. And his new favorite song is from book that plays Oh Little town of Bethlehem and he sings along. You can pick up the melody but not much else. But I'm sure by Christmas he'll be ready for caroling! But his secret language is really cute and here are some of my favorite Colin words.

eee-ah = cookies
a-ha-ha-ha = chocolate or sometimes candy
ba = stairs (if your upstairs it means he wants to go downstairs but if you're downstairs he wants to go back up stairs)
ba-ba = pacifier
heh-heh-heh = his blankie (not to be confused with the above chocolate)
eee-at or sometimes ah-eet = cereal (also not to be confused with cookies)
oh-woh-woah = peanut butter (this came from a song about peanut butter)

There are more but these are the ones I can remember at the moment. I'll post more as he says them throughout the day. Its become part of my language too now so they don't stand out as much since I know exactly what he is saying.

Happy Birthday Colin

Today my baby turns two (or dooo as Colin says) So hard to believe. Yesterday we celebrated his birthday with Aunt Mary (nana), Uncle Opie, Aunt Angela, Grandma, Grandpa, Rod, Debbie, AJ and Colin's mom and dad of course. We wrapped his presents while he was napping since some of them were big (a bike and a new lawnmower) and put them on the fireplace hearth since we didnt know where else to put them. Colin woke up, went downstairs, and I had forgotten about the presents by this time, but he squealed, jumped up and down and ran to open them. We told him he had to wait so he helped Brent make homemade spaghetti (Colin's favorite - pasta) It wasn't until I was in the dinning room putting up streamers, Brent was checking something on the computer and the family room was unguarded that Colin made his move. I heard paper ripping and Colin's YEA WOO HOOO that he does when he gets excited. He had opened one of his presents and it was so cute how excited he was that I grabbed the video camera to capture some of it. Colin had fun when everyone got here and ran around after AJ and entertained everyone. After dinner we opened presents only it was dark by this time and the poor boy was so excited about his bike and lawnmower that he got really upset when we wouldn't let him go outside to use them. He even opened up some rubber ducks and ran to the door to go put outside in his water table and was denied that one too! poor boy. AND then he opened up a soccer ball and was so excited he threw it - only for us to find out it was a ceramic bank. Super cute but not what Colin expected. But today he has been using all his toys and has had a great time.

But its amazing how fast two years can go. It seems like just yesterday he was born. Colin is such a blessing to us and brings us so much Joy. We have no idea what the future holds and know that in what will seem like a blink of an eye he will be all grown up. So for now we are trying to enjoy every day and every moment.

strawberry picking

Saturday we took Colin strawberry picking with his Aunt Angela and Uncle Opie (or as Colin call his Peee-ta-peee) It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed getting to know a little more of va beach and where we might potentially live. Angela showed us neighborhoods that are good to live in and James took us around to some houses that were for sell near their house. Too bad they are moving to CA probably when we move to the beach! But it was a great day and perfect for strawberry picking. Colin got out of the car, ran to the strawberries, picked a few and then told me he wanted to go "home - AJ" (back to James and Angela's house to play with their dog AJ - and also Angela's dad was getting the pool ready and had some great tools. Colin was all about helping) But the rest of us weren't ready yet and Colin eventually made it back to the patch for some more strawberries. He was more excited about the old rust lawnmower we passed walking back from the berry patch. Brent had to take his time and pick only perfect ones and while it took a while I must say it was worth it.Nothing compares to fresh strawberries.