Collins Family Christmas

The Collins Zoo (as we are called by our extended families) started arriving at our house Christmas night and continued through Saturday afternoon. Over the years, we have discovered that with so many of us, it's easier to do our Christmas not on Christmas day. This year we also decided to do Christmas in Winston-Salem instead of Wilmington. Sarah and I are already up here and Jeff's girlfriend's family is here. Greg and Michelle flew in to Raleigh from their honeymoon Saturday afternoon and drove west on I-40 instead of east. So, my parents were the only ones that really had to travel the full distance (and after the wedding weekend, I'm sure they were eager to escape for a few days). Plus, my mom was really excited about fixing the big Christmas meal in a roomier kitchen!

Anna and Pawpaw goofing around

Johnna, Nia, and Jeffro

All of us enjoying Anna's new playset. Mimi and Pawpaw even got up in the playhouse (and tried to get Miller to get up there, too).

Mom bought Anna and Mommy matching aprons!

So, Anna had to cook in her kitchen while we were cooking in ours!

All the Collins women in the kitchen

Anna LOVES the big Christmas seek-and-find that Mimi brought her.

Stylin in her new hat and scarf...with a poor little red nose from all the wiping.

Anna helped Aunt Sarah celebrate her gift of footie PJs!

All the kids got together and gave Mom a new futon mattress for her "nest" at home since her previous one was as flat as a piece of paper. She was shocked, to say the least.

A year or so ago, I had talked to my brother, Jeff, about building us a toy box since he is a master woodworker and does custom woodwork inside yachts. I knew it would mean so much to have something that he had made--a Jeffro original. Well, when the kids drew names this year for gifts, Jeff just "ironically" ended up with my name and surprised me with a beautiful toy box. I was excited to tears! Anna and Nia had so much fun playing in it--even Miller had to peak.

It's even spacious enough for the whole family to fit inside!

Jeff's dog, Kaia, was worn out from all the excitement.

My sweet brother and me with the beautiful toy box!

We had a great Christmas and enjoyed having EVERYONE there together. It only happens a couple of times a year, so we really treasure when it does. I am sad to report that we forgot to take a family photo!!!!:( Oh, well. It was a Merry Christmas anyway!

Christmas 2009

I feel like Christmas definitely snuck up on us this year! On Christmas Eve, we had a relaxing day getting everything ready for the next few to come. We went to the service at our church at 5 pm and then over to the Heges for a Christmas Eve dinner.

On Christmas morning, Will and I were up and showered early. Anna woke up around 8:30 since everyone had gone to bed a little late the night before. It was so fun watching her see all that Santa had brought her.

Santa remembered about the orange blocks...

...and brought her an airplane like the one we traveled on to see our Texas friends!

Anna was super excited about Dora and Boots beanie babies!

Reaching into the stocking....

and VERY excited about all the M&Ms inside!

Ready to go with helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, and new doll in the new wagon.

Anna and Daddy in the wagon

Proof that Santa really did come...

Later in the morning, Erin came over and we hopped in the van to head over to the Heges for presents and lunch. Anna was loving the role of elf as she took everyone's gift to them.

Santa came to Nannie and Pops' house, too, and even left her a stocking! Notice the Carolina headband--so cute!

Taking a present to Aunt Judi...

and to Nana...

and to Aunt E.

Anna got a Wo-wo!! (Hege family inside info needed to understand this)

Anna and Daddy opening a new room for her dollhouse...thanks Aunt Judi and Uncle Bren!

We came back to the house loaded down with goodies and gifts. After putting Anna down for her nap, Will and I exchanged gifts and waited for my family to arrive. Collins Family Christmas was next...

Coming Home to Snow

It had rained all day long Friday in Wilmington while we were setting everything up for the wedding. However, back at home, they were getting 6+ inches of snow!! We were a little bummed that we were missing it, but luckily the temperatures stayed cold enough that we were welcomed home to much of it still intact. I was glad to have captured Anna's first snow of the winter!

Unfortunately, we were also welcomed home by sickness. Anna and I both brought home a horrible cold and the next few days were a blur. I'm sure the lack of sleep and crazy schedule of the weekend hadn't helped. Will just tried to stay away so he didn't get sick. After a couple of bad days, Dayquil saved the day and I was feeling better by the time Christmas Eve rolled around. And Anna had started to get used to the continuous draining from her nose;).

Greg and Michelle's Wedding Weekend

Here comes the bride...

We got to Wilmington Thursday evening and preparations commenced. Since this was the second wedding for my parents this calendar year, a lot was done ourselves (mostly on my mom's part) to help save some moolah. We were also lucky to have use of the Hege condo at Wrightsville Beach since there were quite a few people at my parent's house all weekend. Sarah and I stayed at the house Thursday night with Anna so that we could get up and help mom first thing Friday morning and sent the boys (Will and Jason) to the beach to stay with his sister, Erin, and her boyfriend, Aaron (who have quickly become known as A & E).

Friday was go, go, go all day long. First, about 8 people descended upon the banquet hall at our home church's Activities Center, where the reception was going to take place. We were super speedy and had that set up in about 3 hours. It looked amazing! Then we swung by the house for another car load and headed down to the church to set up for the rehearsal dinner in the fellowship hall. We then rushed back for showers and it was back to the church for the rehearsal.

Anna sitting with her cousin Oren.

They had a blast climbing the stairs during the rehearsal.

Oren's dad (our uncle) had written a special poem for Greg and Michelle and read it during the ceremony.

The excited couple!

After the rehearsal dinner, we all went out downtown to a piano bar called Rum Runners. We had so much fun! Here are Sarah and her man Jason keepin' it real.

The piano guys were hysterical! I'm not sure if this was when they decided to play "Like a Virgin" or not, but much of their banter was pretty funny. It was also fun getting to know Michelle's sister, Jessie, over the weekend festivities.

The foursome--Will and me with Erin and Aaron

The gorgeous wedding cake

The happily married couple

Jason doing the deed to the back of Greg's car.

After the wedding, we all met back at my parent's house. The older adults (including my aunt and grandmother) agreed to stay and watch the grandchildren so the younger adults could go out on the town together. Check out my cousin Claire's blog to see some cute pics of Anna with her cousin Katelyn. We all had dinner at Wild Wing Cafe and then several of us went back down to Rum Runners for the remainder of the night. We had so much fun!! I wish I had a video of Sarah and the "dance party" that took place that night--hilarious!

On Sunday, Will and Jason and A&E headed back to Winston, but Sarah and I stayed to help mom and dad unclutter their home from the remnants of the festivities. It was a great idea since Sarah wasn't feeling too hot for some reason ;). We had a relaxing Sunday and then the girls headed back Monday morning. Whew! I was exhausted! But Christmas was only 4 days away...

Mother's Morning Out Christmas Party

OK, so I have A LOT of catching up to do!!!

The last day of school for Anna was her class Christmas Party which I had signed up to help with. Since the kids are a little younger, the teachers usually prefer that parents drop stuff off and don't hang around so as not to upset some of them. So, I was super excited when Miss Linda emailed me and asked me to stay and help. I was eager to see what Anna's normal school day was like. I was amazed--Anna is the oldest and the youngest just turned one and started walking, so there's quite a range of abilities. Basically it's just controlled chaos (and there were only 6 there that day instead of the usual 8!). I don't know how the teachers do it.

The kids are precious and being a part of it was a true treat. They had story time where they put together the manger scene and then sang songs--so cute! Here is a picture of all the kids after they finished decorating their reindeer antlers. I'm not sure why Anna isn't too thrilled, but at least we got a picture with all the kids in it (miraculous). I feel so lucky to have been a part of that special day!

After Anna and I got home from school, ate lunch, and she took a nap, we all hopped in the car to head to Wilmington for Greg and Michelle's big wedding weekend...

Was it a waste of money?

We took Anna to see the Tanglewood Festival of Lights tonight. Will and I were so excited because we just knew this was the year that Anna would appreciate the lights. For those of you who don't know (and were too lazy to click on the link for more info), the FOL is about 1/2 mile from our neighborhood and is pretty impressive. It claims to be the biggest in the southeast, for whatever that's worth. Anyway, we took her last year, but a one-year-old can only be amused for so long.

So, we pull into the park and I turn around to get Anna out of her car seat. You go approximately 5 mph through the lights, so children sitting in the front seat is quite common. Anna was shocked that the car was moving and she was not in her seat. She was loving life! She was really excited about the first couple of scenes we came to. I would point to, say, the teddy bear waving next to a wrapped present, and then she would say, "Look, Datty, you see the teddy bear?" as if he was not in the car when I said it the first time. Or, "Look at the horses, Datty! I love horses." It was pretty cute.

Then she decided that she wanted the window down so she could "see better". I rolled the window down with this miraculous thing called the automatic window control. Well, that was the end of it. For the entire rest of the trip, we were having to distract her from the window control to make her look at the lights. I cannot tell you how many times that window went up and down! When we finally reached the end, we pulled over and I got out to put her back in her car seat. A meltdown ensued. Go figure.

So, lesson learned. We payed $10 for Anna to sit in my lap in the front seat and play with the window control while we drove through the lights. We probably could have sat in the driveway at home for free and she would have been equally as entertained. Oh, well. At least Will and I can say we've seen the lights this year!

Weekend O' Christmas Parties!

This weekend, Will and I set a record with 5, count them, FIVE Christmas party invites. Craziness!

On Friday night, the Heges hosted the annual Hege Financial Group Christmas Party at their home. It was a lovely evening, as always, with Anna being the belle of the ball. It was hard to believe that this was her third HFG Christmas Party. I could kick myself for not getting any pictures of Anna in her pretty Christmas dress! (Help, Blaire!) Anna was a trooper and stayed up until 11:30 pm!!! I took her PJs and her Bobo, thinking she might crash early, but she was not having it. She stayed up partying with the big people! Our friend, Mary Beth, taught her how to cock her head to the side and smile big for her "asking Daddy for money" face. Now she can do it on command! Ha!!

The Heges were sweet to keep Anna for us Saturday night so we could go to our multiple parties. First, we headed to our Sunday School party at Steven and Anna's brand new home in Ardmore. It is gorgeous!! We had a great meal and the "Dirty Santa" exchange was hysterical, as usual. We came home with a book titled The History of Farting. I can't wait to give it to my brother for Christmas--he will love it!

We decided that three parties in one night was too much, so we skipped the PICU Christmas party (sorry, guys) and headed over to Sarah and Jason's for the big Smith Family and Friends Christmas Party. We had a little too much of a blast playing flip cup and having dance party into the wee hours. Needless to say, Will and I did not make it to church Sunday morning and took advantage of the rare chance to sleep in.

Sunday night, the Heges all headed over to Judi and Bren's for a little Christmas get-together so that we could see their decorations and Anna could get her first dollhouse (see post). It was a crazy weekend, but definitely a fun one. Now on to Greg and Michelle's Wedding Weekend!

Anna's First Dollhouse

Anna got her very first dollhouse this weekend! Will's Aunt Judi told me a couple of months ago that she and Uncle Bren wanted to get Anna a dollhouse for Christmas. We looked at the different options and found a Fisher Price one that was suited perfectly for little girls. After a humorous battle in the Toys R Us, Judi and Bren came home with the beloved dollhouse, complete with updated rooms! They invited the family over for a Christmas get-together Sunday night so that Anna could get her dollhouse a little early. It is so precious!!

Anna checking out her new dollhouse just after it was "revealed". She immediately grabbed the babies in their cribs.

The proud great aunt and uncle watching Anna play.

Aunt Judi showed Anna all of the house's little "tricks".

The front of the dollhouse with the beautiful tree in the background. Anna was pretty enamored with Bren's train, too.

Anna loved that the toilet came with a brush for cleaning!

Mommy couldn't resist--I just had to have some close-up shots! Now who was having more fun with the dollhouse?:)

The bathroom was complete with sink, toilet (and scrub brush), shower and training potty! The stool slides out in front of the sink and the hamper opens for the "dirty clothes".

The big sister in the kitchen. Notice that there are dishes in the dishwasher!! The timer on the oven dings and the phone rings!

The parents' bedroom complete with robe for Mommy!

Anna's favorite part is the twin babies. The changing table plays a lullaby when you put the baby on it.

Mommy feeding the baby boy in the kitchen.

I love that all of the little pieces are attached with strings so that you can't lose them. Someone was thinking!! The dollhouse is at the end of Anna's bed and so far, every night, we have to give the babies a bath in the bathtub and change their diapers and put everyone to bed before Anna can get into bed. This morning, she had to get the babies up and feed them breakfast before she would go down and eat breakfast. I feel a lot of dollhouse playing coming on!

Thank you, Judi and Bren, for a very special Christmas present!!!