Summertime is here

Well, it sure has been some time since I last updated our blog, as life just continues to move along. The weather has been warming up nicely, and we have had some nice days at the beach recently. Last weekend, Brian, Collin and I went with my parents to a local farm to go blueberry picking, and that was a lot of fun too! Collin really seems to be getting taller, and his third tooth is finally coming in! It is one of his front teeth on top. He just keeps getting more and more of a personality. Recently, when he does not want to eat something or do something, he shakes his head no. I have no idea where he has learned this from. I don't think that I do it, but maybe I do. And he loves to answer the phone when it rings (even when it doesn't ring he acts like it is and he answers it). He answers with a really deep "Hello", or "Hiya". It cracks me up. He seems to be saying "da" for Brian, and "mama" for me sometimes... but it is hard to tell at times. He definitely says "hi" though. It is so amazing to watch him grow up. He is such a cutie pie. Well, here are some cute pictures of Collin taken recently, plus a really neat video of him doing a little dance that he has recently started doing. I hope you like them!

Brian and Collin had a lot of fun playing in the water at the beach yesterday. Collin loves to run into the waves and play in the sand. He also likes to pick up the rocks that he finds on the beach.

Collin and Grandpa (my dad) at the blueberry patch. We had a lot of fun together that day.

A group shot at the blueberry patch.

Collin has recently started wanting to climb around in the cars. If we get bored of all the toys inside, then we'll go out to the car and sit inside for like 15 or 20 minutes at at time, and he just has a blast climbing around. He is such a climber these days!

A little naked jaybird on the computer!

Collin's new Dance!!

Collin's First Haircut

Collin had his first haircut today. Brian kept saying how he had a mullet, so we just had to get it done. I do have to admit that he had started getting little cuffs of hair around his ears. I have just been so hesitant to do it. I guess I just have to admit that my little baby is getting older! He looks so much more grown up now! But he does look very handsome with his new haircut. He cried through the whole thing! I guess he was a little scared of the scissors. Once it was done, he was back to his smiley self again, though. Poor little guy!

Collin before the fun begins! The little salon where he got his hair cut had this really cute car chair for them to sit in. He didn't sit in it for too long. Once the haircut started, Collin started crying, so he got to sit on mommy's lap for the rest of the hair cut.

Collin crying as he gets his hair cut. Poor little guy!

My handsome little boy... even if his face is a little red from all the crying!

No more mullet!

Collin with his mom and dad after his first haircut!



Here is the video from Collin's haircut. It is a little long, and there is a lot of crying, but it is still adorable. :-)

Some Fun Pictures

Here are some fun pictures that I have taken of Collin recently. We had a fun day playing at Gymboree with some of his friends last Friday. And we also had a little visit to see Mormor (my mom) on Monday. Enjoy!

Collin was reaching for the camera this morning. He likes to put the cap back on the lens of the camera. You can see his only two teeth coming in on the bottom.

Collin and his friend Ella playing together at Gymboree. This picture is so adorable!

Collin having a blast on this orange slide at Gymboree!

Here he is climbing through a tunnel. He loves climbing into and onto everything these days.

And of course, getting some yummy goodies from his Mormor. It really was just a little piece of chocolate, but somehow he ended up with more of it on his face than in his mouth. You can't help but smile at a face like this!

Our Trip to Chicago

Collin and I traveled to Chicago last weekend to visit with my sister, Cindy, and her husband, Andy. It turned out that my whole family thought it was a great idea to go and visit as well, so my mom, dad, sister Melanie, and brother Daniel all came along too. The idea came to me to begin with because Brian was going to be in Vegas for the weekend for a bachelor party (one of his friends from high school is getting married, so Brian had to go along for the party!). So Brian was not with us in Chicago, and while Collin and I did miss him, we still had a great time with my family. Cindy planned a lot of fun things for us to do with Collin, like take him to Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo, and to the Kohl's Museum for Children. Collin had a blast! He loved checking out Chicago and seeing his aunts and uncles. I am glad we had such a fun time, even if it did get to be a little stressful at times!

Here is Cindy and Collin playing with some water things at the children's museum.

Collin loved Parker, Cindy and Andy's dog. Here he is wanting to take Parker for a walk.

Collin getting ready for a cool morning in Chicago. How cute is he in this beanie!!

Collin deciding to make his own path while at the Lincol park Zoo.

C0llin with his Aunties at the Zoo.

Collin Turns One!!

Collin had his first birthday yesterday, on April 21st. My little baby boy is now officially a toddler. It is amazing how much he has changed in a year. He practically runs around the house these days, and is into everything. Life does not slow down, it appears. He is as cute as ever, and I love all the new things he learns to do. Just watching him play is really interesting, because you can see his little mind taking it all in. What a special little guy he is. The past weekend we went to the beach, because the weather was so nice. Collin loves to go down to the water and splash in the waves. I'm just waiting for him to eat sand one of these days. Here are a few pictures from his birthday too. I made him my family's special applesauce cake, and we had a nice little breakfast together before Brian had to go to work. He really seemed pleased to have a special breakfast together.

Collin turns one year old!

Happy Birthday Collin!


Collin and Brian going down to the water to splash!

Collin at the beach. He had just climbed up into the beach chair all by himself. He doesn't like to have much help these days. Now that he is one, he is a big boy, it seems.

Collin goes to his first birthday party

Yesterday, Collin was invited to go to his first birthday party. The party was for his little girlfriend, Ella. She and Collin met at gymboree and have been friends for some time now. Here are some pictures from the party.

Collin and Ella taking a ride in Ella's new wagon.

Collin enjoying himself in a pool full of balls. Collin loves playing with the balls!

Collin and Ella playing together.

Collin and Ella on the parachute.

Collin in the balls again!

A few recent pictures

Here are some pictures we have recently taken of our family.

Collin with the Easter bunny. His first Easter!

Collin and his Mormor at the farmer's market. We go pretty much every Thursday and Collin loves to eat the oranges we get from there! What a mess! :-)

One day I was doing laundry with Collin. I had to take a quick restroom break, and when I came back to the living room, Collin had decided to climb into the laundry basket with the clean laundry. It really made me laugh!

Collin loves to play in the water, so we got him a little blow-up pool and let him go swimming. He has so much fun in it!