The Collins

A month of Thanks

2011-11-08T11:42:00.002-05:00

Even though it is already 8 days into the month of November I would like to start listing things in my life I am grateful to have. I know this is such a cliche blog topic for this month, but I think it is a great thing to write out what you are grateful for because sometimes we can get caught up in life and not realize just how lucky we really are. There has been something the past few months that I have just felt so amazingly grateful for and it is something in life that I feel people take for granted until the time comes. I am so grateful to be able to bare children ( or at least one so far). I hear so many situations today about women having such a hard time conceiving or that they can't at all and it breaks my heart. A lot of these women are such wonderful people and would make great mothers. I don't know what I would do if I found out I was unable to have children. Liam has definitely been such a blessing to our lives. I couldn't imagine life without him. I thank Heavenly Father everyday for him and for the gift of being able to have children. For those of you out there trying and not having any luck, keep trying it just might not be the right time yet. For those of you out there who can't have children, we are so lucky to have other options in society today to make it possible to still have a family. My heart goes out to everyone and I hope that if having children is no problem for you that you are so grateful for that wonderful gift in life that the Lord has given to you.

My 23rd birthday!

2011-09-09T15:52:00.003-04:00

So this past weekend we celebrated my 23rd birthday! My birthday was on Sunday and I ended up having a good time! Keith woke up Sunday morning and made me breakfast and let me stay in bed while he went and changed and fed Liam. We went to church that afternoon and then to Keith's family's for dinner. Keith's brother Sam and I have the same birthday so it was fun to be able to celebrate with everyone. I have to say my birthday cake was to DIE FOR! I told Keith I wanted a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. He found a recipe and made it for me and went the extra mile with this cake. He grated reeses cups and covered the cake in the shavings and also put some in the middle of the cake! Since I love peanut butter and chocolate together this was the best cake! Here are some pics below of the me and Liam and my cake on my birthday!

Now my photography skills do not do justice for this cake. It was delicious AND beautiful. Keith put actual reeses cups at the base of the cake to show the slice sizes. My kind of slice of cake:)

Now for my bday present I had asked Keith to get me the high intensity interval training workout from Beachbody called Turbofire! P90X just wasn't giving me enough cardio to burn off this extra baby fat and I needed to amp up my workout and this definately did the trick! I love it! It is a little tricky to pick up at first, but it gets easier and Chalene Johnson who is the fitness instructor has such positive energy and picks GREAT music to keep you going. I love it! If you're looking for a great cardio workout Turbo Fire is the way to go! If you want something a little less hard she also has her Turbo Jam workouts out there too which are also great (So I hear)!

Go to beachbody.com to see what it's all about!:)

My two loves

2011-09-01T10:08:00.001-04:00

Aren't these the most precious pictures ever?!

Free?!

2011-09-01T09:14:00.003-04:00

So I have played piano since I was about 8 years old and when I moved to Greensboro for school 4 years ago I didn't have access to a piano like I did living at home. The past four years I have played hit and miss and it really started to bother me that I could lose this talent of mine. I kept telling Keith we need to get a piano, not new but a hand me down type one! A REAL one not a keyboard. For those who play you know that there IS a difference. Well about 2 weeks ago my mother in law tells me " Look I don't know for sure, but I may be able to get you a piano for free. My friend is moving and doesn't want to take it with her." Immediately I was SOOO excited! Since it wasn't a definite I tried to keep my excitement under wraps. Well the next day I find out that I am for sure getting this free piano! FREE! Pianos can be super expensive and I felt such an abundance of gratitude at that moment! So we now have a piano! It still needs to be tuned and needs a little cosmetic work, but its not so off tune I can't play it and the looks don't bother me at this point in time!I have been playing it and it feels so good to be able to pick this talent back up. I am pretty rusty, but I think with enough practice I will be back where I left off.

Liam

2011-09-01T08:57:00.010-04:00

So my sweet baby boy is 7 months today! I cannot believe it! Where has the time gone? He is growing and developing right before our very eyes. He can now sit up ( he is still a little wobbly though), roll over both ways, he laughs, holds his own bottle and sippy cup, eats his grains and veggies, and he pulls his feet to his mouth! We went for his 6 month shots last month and he weighed 20 lbs 15 oz and was 27 inches long. He is a big boy. He is even wearing 12 month clothes now! I am so excited for what is going to come with him! It's kind of bitter sweet. I'm ready for him to walk and talk and grow, but at the same time I want him to stay my sweet baby forever! Here are some recent pics of my little man.

Yumm-o!

2011-08-23T16:23:00.004-04:00

I love it when my bananas look like this...

because then I have an excuse to make this...

Banana Walnut Bread!!! YUMM-O! Did I mention it makes your house smell delicious while it is baking. For the recipe here is the link:

http://www.food.com/recipe/starbucks-banana-walnut-bread-384181

Florida

2011-08-09T08:41:00.002-04:00

Hey all! Well this past week Keith, Liam, and I packed up and went to Orlando Florida with my family! I must say it was very nice to get away and to take Liam on yet another vaycay before the age of one! We were able to stay in a nice home for the week and were able to go to Sea World, Epcot, and Disney Hollywood Studios (formally MGM). It was real hot, but a lot of fun! We also got to go to Medieval Times, Dave and Busters, Keith and my brother got to ride a helicopter, AND Keith and I were able to do a session at the Orlando Temple. Let me just say the Orlando Temple is BEAUTIFUL. Then again what temple isn't beautiful?! It makes me sad that we won't have another vacation until next summer more than likely, but it was fun while it lasted:)!

OH! Liam also turned 6 months old a week ago! Where has the time gone?!

Sorry for slacking on pictures...I'm waiting for my dad to send me a cd full of them from Florida...!

Officially Freaked Out!

2011-07-20T11:57:00.004-04:00

So you know when we were all little kids and our parents would tell us "Good Night, Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite!"? Well I used to take that with a grain of salt thinking that there is no such thing as bed bugs. Boy was I wrong. Yesterday I went shopping with my brother in law Kris's fiance Emily for her wedding shoes. On our way she asked if I had heard about the bed bug epidemic going on. I was like "NO!". Apparently bed bugs are a lot more prevalent in the US this year than they ever used to be. Ever since I had this little convo with her I am so freaked out. I think I've checked my bed like 20 times. The scary thing is that the eggs and larvae cannot be seen. The actual adult bugs can, but they are one of the hardest pests to get rid of! AHH! I know we don't have them, but there is always a what if? So i've been driving myself crazy thinking about it. I've read a lot online which is probably not a good idea, but I tend to resort to internet sources when I want to find out info about something. Check out this video I found....

Gross huh?

Michigan

2011-07-20T11:50:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! Well the past few weeks have been a little busy. We went on a trip to Michigan the week of the 4th with Keith's family to visit Keith's dad's side of the family. It was definitely an interesting ride to and from. Keith's mom was able to borrow this 15 passenger van from a friend and we were able to fit everyone and our luggage! It was amazing. A little cramped, but we all made it in one piece. While we were there we all stayed at Keith's aunt and uncles house which was so nice of them. We were able to visit the Detroit Zoo, Greenfield Village, The Henry Ford Museum, and we got to see the Detroit temple. We even made a trip to White Castle even though I have to say I was a little disappointed. I had never eaten there before and was so excited, but the burger buns were soaked in the grease from the burger....ugh....anywho the trip was definitely a good trip! I'm so glad I can add Michigan to the list of states I've visited now. In about a week we are leaving to go to Orlando with my family! Love family vacations (some of the time haha).

OH and Liam went into the pool for the first time while we were here too!!

I was tagged in pictures on Facebook from Michigan! My camera is dead at the moment so I can't upload my pics!

Rice Cereal

2011-06-30T13:30:00.002-04:00

So Liam's pediatrician went ahead and gave us to okay on starting to give Liam rice cereal once a day. It has been interesting. How babies enjoy formula and rice cereal I will never know. They both smell horrible. I can only imagine that they taste just as bad. I can't wait to introduce Liam to the world of tasty foods! Until then rice cereal will do! He has actually been a champ and hasn't put up too much of a fight at all...heres a cute pic:)

Fathers Day

2011-06-20T14:32:00.003-04:00

Well lets just say for both Mother's and Father's Day this year it was a little surreal to Keith and me. I mean we are both parents now! For our whole lives we have been showering our moms and dads with homeade cards, noodle necklaces, potted plants, and even colored mock certificates stating that they were the greatest! Now we have entered a new era in our lives and pretty soon we will be showered with these gifts! Since Liam is only 4 1/2 months old Keith and I had to each take these days into our own hands. Well yesterday for Fathers Day I made Keith breakfast in bed and bought him this book from Deseret Book called Family Ties by L.Tom Perry. It's supposed to be an inspirational book on being a father. I hope he enjoys it and really takes in all the blessings you can and will receive from being a father. Keith is such a great dad to Liam and I couldn't imagine feeling blessed any more than I already do. Thank you Keith for being the wonderful man, husabnd, and father that you are! We love you!

New Ride:)

2011-06-20T14:28:00.002-04:00

Keith and I finally purchased our first vehicle together! We bought a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. We needed a family car and since I'm going to be the one driving it most of the time I decided that this was what I wanted. Keith liked the Pathfinder also. We were so excited to experience this "first" together! I love how the Pathfinder drives and I just love having more room in general!!

This isn't my exact one, but this is exactly what mine looks like:)!

Graduation(s)!

2011-06-20T14:23:00.003-04:00

So is turns out that my brother Michael and Keith's little brother Koury both graduated from high school this year. Michael graduated on June 10 and Koury graduated on June 11. Lets just say it was a busy weekend! I'm so proud of them both!!!

Where has the time gone?!

2011-06-08T10:47:00.008-04:00

Hey all! Yes I realize it has been about four months since I have blogged and considering I had a baby you would think I would have blogged his every move! Well no such luck. I felt I couldn't condense all that Liam has done into a blog! Well my friend Jenifer and her husband moved today and I told her that if she promised to keep up with her blog I would do the same so we can still know what is going on in each other's lives. I'm going to miss her and Colby. We have all been friends for about 3 1/2 years now. I wish them luck in their future and that nothing but great things come their way! Love u guys!

So, Liam turned four months last Wednesday and he is just growing soo fast I can't believe it! He is able to hold his head up now and is smiling like crazy. He is also babbling and cooing all the time. Every now and then he makes these real high pitched sounds that are soo funny! I love talking with him and having him interact right back. It makes me soo happy! Liam goes to get his four month shots this coming Monday and at his last appointment he weighed a little over 14 pounds. I'm thinking he will be at least 16 pounds when we go Monday! He is definitely becoming a little chunk and has the most cute delicious cheeks and those chubby dimply thighs that I just love!! I swear I kiss this boy a million times a day! He is probably already saying "Mooomm stoooppp!" hahaha. I need to enjoy these moments now before he gets old enough to be embarrassed by his parents. Keith is such a good dad to Liam and Liam is practically his mini me. I love watching them together. I have some of his monthly pictures that I am going to post below to see his progress and some others just because he is soo cute and it has been forever since I have blogged:)! Enjoy!

Some others:)

Little Stud! ^

Liam Matthew Collins

2011-02-13T17:43:00.002-05:00

Soo it turns out that my due date definitely did not mean much to my little man. I was due February 23 and Liam decided to grace us with his awesome presence on February 1 at 2:53 pm. I thought I would blog about my labor experience since I am even more awful with keeping up with a journal.

On the night of January 31 Keith was at work and I just had this urge to keep cleaning and straightening things up in the house. The week before that I had been making sure everything was ready because I just knew Liam was coming before his due date I just didn't know when. I guess you could say the nesting had settled in. Well, when I went to bed on January 31 I was feeling fine nothing out of the ordinary just the routine heartburn I had been experiencing for the last 4 or so weeks. Well as the night went on I woke up every 2 hours having to use the restroom as usual because the baby was probably using my bladder as a pillow or squeeze toy. At around 4 am I got up again to use the restroom and came back to bed and within 20 minutes it felt like I had peed in my pants. Gross I know, BUT my eyes popped wide open and I was just HOPING I had peed my pants because I knew if it wasn't that then this baby was coming! HOLY CRAP! I did not even have ONE contraction before hand. Well I went to the restroom again to check and sure enough my water had broke. For a moment or two I was questioning what I should do. Keith was asleep and I wasn't sure what to do. I think I was in denial that I was actually going into labor. So I ended up waking Keith up and saying "My water broke we need to go to the hospital!" He of course got right up, but as he was getting into different clothes he looked at me and said, "Are you sure this it it?!". Well of course it is, my water doesn't break just to break. hahahaha. I got changed too and we got everything ready and were off to the hospital. Once we got there Keith ran in to get someone to bring a wheel chair to me because by then my contractions were kicking in. Before I knew it we were in our room and I was getting my IV hooked up and my contractions were coming faster and more intense. While I have it fresh in my mind they feel just like really strong menstrual cramps.I know women never know how to describe it when they are asked so I wanted to make a note of how they felt. Well anywho they checked to see how dilated I was and I was already at 5 cm so I was able to have the epidural within 2 hours of getting to the hospital! It really wasn't that bad! Well then I was able to just enjoy laying around waiting to be fully dilated. Keith's mom and sister got to the hospital about 6 am and waited til I got my epidural to come in to see us. My sister had shown up by then so by about 7 730 they were all in there visiting while I just sat and saw my contractions on the monitor and didn't feel a thing:). My mom ended up showing up around 8 830ish. Well it turns out my body was preparing pretty fast for this baby and by around 1030 11 I was fully dilated. I was suddenly scared because I knew this was it! No turning back now! lol. Well by 11:45 they had me start pushing. It really wasn't a bad experience at all. Well little did I know I would be pushing for the next 2 1/2 - 3 hours! I had made no progress! The baby's head would not pass the pelvic bone. So my doctor said we would need to proceed with a c-section. I was pretty upset at first because this wasn't in my plans at all considering how fast I had dilated and everything. Well by 2:30 ish we were getting ready and heading down to the OR. By 2:53 Liam Matthew Collins was born weighing in at 8 lbs 3 oz and 21 inches long and it was one of the most amazing experiences I had ever had in my life. Keith and I were so emotional and I couldn't stop crying. He was so beautiful and I will never forget the moment that this beautiful baby boy entered our lives.

Life since Liam got here has been great. My recovery has been pretty fast and Liam is changing everyday. He is such a joy and I am so grateful that Heavenly Father would send this special spirit into Keith and my life.

Baby Showers!

2011-01-23T18:52:00.013-05:00

I cannot believe how close we are to meeting our little boy:)! I will be 36 weeks this week and could not be anymore anxious/excited/scared! The past two weekends I have had two baby showers! I had one back in Roanoke Rapids that a few wonderful women through for me from my old ward. Then yesterday I had one here in Greensboro! I had so much fun at both and got some really great stuff for Liam! Here are some pics below from both weekends!!

It was so great to see these girls!!

One of the coolest gifts that day! A diaper wreath!!! Thanks Holly and Caitlyn!:)

My mother and sister in law:)!

So I don't know if you can tell but I was sweating the whole time I opened gifts! Kirsten had to fan me with one of my cards the whole time to keep me from over heating! Oh the joys of pregnancy!

My little Liam is so lucky to be able to have these great ladies as his aunts:)!

Leslie! It was so great to see her! Leslie and I go way back!:)

And of course my wonderful sister Stephanie:)

Christmas! ( Late of course)

2011-01-23T18:33:00.010-05:00

Hey!! So I know I'm posting about a month too late, but I wanted to take the time to blog about Christmas and New Years! This past year for Christmas (2010) Keith and I got to go to Roanoke Rapids and visit my family! My wonderful dad and brother came down a few days early to pick me up so that I could visit for a little bit more time than Keith since Keith had to work. It was fun being able to spend time with my family and was even better when Keith got off work on the 23rd and came up to be able to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas with everyone. While we were there we got some great gifts and ate some really good food! My dad cooked duck as well as some other wonderful dishes for Christmas! I love the food my parents cook for the holidays! We ended up having to leave the day after Christmas and we were almost stuck in Roanoke Rapids because on Christmas night they got a huge snow storm! That didn't stop us from heading back and we did and made it to Greensboro that Sunday and were able to celebrate Christmas with Keith's family also which was really nice! For New Years Eve Keith's fam came over and we ate good food watched movies and played games until the ball drop! It was good to have everyone over:)! Here are some pics from our Christmas holiday!

What will he look like? HMMMM....

2010-12-20T22:11:00.003-05:00

What kind of mix between the two of us will Liam look like?? Hmmm...can't wait to see!

Pregnancy experiences thus far...

2010-12-20T20:32:00.002-05:00

Since I'm horrible at blogging and keeping an actual journal I thought I'd list the things i've gone through during my pregnancy as a record for myself....lets see

June 24 I asked my sister to meet me on my lunch break with a pregnancy test and found out I was pregnant! (June 25 I confirmed this:) )

I remember finding out and feeling so excited yet overwhelmed and scared that this was really happening at the same time. Immediately I wanted a baby bump! hahahaha!

Throughout my first trimester I had such bad morning, day, and night sickness and couldn't wait for my body to be able to eat normal food again.

As I transitioned into my second trimester it was like day and night as far as my nausea went. It went away completely and I started to feel good and my belly started to grow...I started feeling our little boy move around 20 weeks or so and ever since he has been non stop. I have loved every minute of his movements!

During my 2nd trimester I grew a lot (my belly did) lol and the whole idea of being pregnany sunk in and became more real! Towards the end of my second trimester I found out about my dynamic cervix which has now been a cause for concern ever since I went in at 26 weeks. I am now 30 almost 31 weeks and as I entered my third trimester was put on bedrest.

Bedrest really hasn't been too awful. It's taught me so far not to throw pity parties for myself because it doesn't get you anywhere. I need to have my eye on the prize which in this case is a full term healthy baby. This isn't all about me and I need to remember this situation is only temporary.

I'm so excited to meet our little boy. I feel so blessed that Heavenly Father has trusted Keith and I enough to send us a special spirit here on earth to raise. :)

Dynamic Cervix?!

2010-12-03T13:39:00.004-05:00

So, how many of you have ever heard of a dynamic cervix? Sounds kind of sketch right? I mean what does that even mean?! Well apparently I have one. A couple of weeks ago I went to see my OB bc I had a certain concern. Well they brought me in and did an ultra sound so I got to see my little man and they measured my cervix. Well they tell me to go home and come back a couple of hours later when the on call doctor comes back from a delivery so I can be examined. So I go back and have the exam and then go into this particular doctor's office after all the awkward looking and examining is done. She then looks at me and says "Well, your cervix measured to be about 1.8 cm and it is supposed to be 2.5. I am a little concerned." She proceeds to pull out her handy doctor anatomy book to show me a cervix haha...thank goodness it was a drawing thats all I'm saying. I'm sitting there thinking," Well what is the big deal?" She then says, "You could possibly have this baby in two weeks." WHAT?!!!!.....so ok ok she tells me to take it easy and come in the next day to have what they call an FFN test done which can tell you whether or not you will go into labor within the next week or two....Oh how I love modern medicine/testing/knowledge. So I goto my car crying and called my mom because HELLO there are due dates for a reason and I'm def not ready yet! I know the baby can come anytime, but you are always awaiting the due date. My mom calms me down and tells me just to take it easy and go back the next day. So I went the next day and had the FFN done and another ultra sound of my cervix. So you might be wondering when the whole "dynamic cervix" comes into play. My cervix had grown or whatever back to 2.5 cm where it was supposed to be! PHEW! I thought...no bed rest! So now I am a patient that they need to watch to make sure I don't go into preterm labor. Luckily my FFN came back negative which means I won't be going into labor as of two weeks from two weeks ago. I was given strict instructions to be on pelvic rest....no heavy lifting, exercise, ect....not bed rest thank goodness, but I just need to not over exert myself. Well today I go for another check up and they proceed to do another cervical ultra sound....1.8 cm AGAIN! Well my OB is a little concerned and he said (yeah I am now seeing different OB's each time I go) he wanted to do another FFN and that I should get steroid shots to help with the baby's lung development just in case I have him early. So I got my first one today and am going tomorrow to get the second. Talk about stressful?! I mean I would love to see my baby earlier, but he needs to cook! Thank goodness he is doing well and is moving like crazy. They told me he was 2 lbs at 26 weeks so I'm thinking he might be a little chunk, which I would love! All I can think about now is when is he going to come? I need to be mindful of what activities I do and I need to rest a lot which sucks because I'm not a person that can just lay around all day. All I can say is I hope I can have both of my baby showers in January before he comes! Please keep Liam and me in your thoughts and prayers that everything turns out for the best and that he can be as healthy as possible.

Update!

2010-11-14T18:56:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone! I can't believe that I am 6 months along already and that our little man will be here before we know it! I'm getting so impatient and just ready to see our babe:) Yesterday I went with my mom and my friend Jenifer to register at Baby's R Us. There is definitely a lot I still don't know and I was so grateful to have my mom and Jenifer there for advice! Thanks guys:)! I still need to register at Target, but that definitely won't take long hahaha. My mom took a belly shot of me yesterday and I know some of you have been asking for a picture update. I will warn you, I'm not fond of this picture and in my opinion it's one of those pictures that when you look you think "What is she thinking?"...Please know I am aware. LOL

I wish I was one of those people that could take good pictures no matter what angle it was...or that I was less critical...Either one!

Here are some 25 week pics I took myself one night...

My babies are all grown up:(!

2010-11-04T08:37:00.005-04:00

So I was looking at the pictures Keith and I have uploaded on our desktop and found pictures we took of Tobey and Tyson when we first got them a year ago. They were sooo tiny! The time goes by so fast and before you know it they are not little at all anymore!

Tobey:)

Tyson:)

They are now grown and best buddies:) I love them!:)

New Hair and Halfway There:)!

2010-10-11T08:43:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone! So I had decided this year to grow my hair out long again, but when I went to get my hair cut friday I just decided, "Eh, I want it shorter again!". Now short for me is only a little above my shoulders. I have never been so daring to get it cut like short short where you pull out the pomade and spike it in the back and do something pretty in the front. I know that would never work for me and my husband wouldn't be too thrilled if I did that either. Some women look great like that, but not me lol. So here is a pic!:)

Oh and here is a belly pic at 20 weeks:)!! Halfway there! Whoo hoo!

Preparations:)

2010-09-26T14:04:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! So on Sept 14 Keith and I found out that we will be welcoming a beautiful little boy into our family in February! We couldn't be more excited and are slowly but steadily making preparations. We have both decided that we would like to do a trains planes and automobile theme in the nursery for our little man:). Keith loved trains growing up so we thought this would be perfect! After finding out the gender of our little man I was able to catch my first set of consignment sales with Katie and Kirsten (mother and sister in law) and I found some awesome deals! I think I have his whole wardrobe for the first 3 months lol! It was fun being able to shop for my own baby stuff too;-)!I'll try and post some ultra sound pictures for my next blog and I'll try not to wait too long to blog again! lol Maybe by next time my tummy will be bigger so I can post some more tummy shots too?

Major Update:)

2010-08-30T08:53:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone! I am now probably the most slack blogger known to man considering a lot has happend this summer and I never blogged about any of it?! Well if you keep up with me on facebook or in "real life" you know that Keith and I are expecting our first little bundle of joy in February!!! Whoo hoo! Despite my nausea, irritability,lack of taste for anything healthy and raging hormones I am so excited! We find out the gender Oct.1. I would like to start keeping up and blogging throughout my pregnancy at least as a short term goal ( which I think I can handle as a blogger for now:) ) so that everyone can see my progress:)! I am now 15 weeks and am finally starting to develop a little bump!!

Keith graduated:)!

2010-05-21T22:15:00.007-04:00

WOW!!! It has been forever.....I guess I should do a recap of things that have happend since Keith's birthday. Well I got a new job at a contract screen printing business as a customer service representative and Keith and I finished school. Keith for good...Me until next semester lol. There is more that happend in the past two months, but I'm not really detail oriented when it comes to writing. Any who this past Saturday my mother in law Katie and I threw a surprise Graduation party for Keith and his sister Kirsten. They both got their degrees this year and we couldn't be more proud! I also got to see my family too:)!Here are some pictures below from their cookout/surprise graduation party!

Keith turns 25:)

2010-03-05T09:12:00.002-05:00

So tomorrow March 6 Keith will be officially a quarter of a century old! lol I love saying that...it makes 25 seem so old! lol....Anyways I thought in honor of Keiths birthday I would name 25 things that I love about him:) Sappy I know;-)

1) His Laugh...my all time favorite thing to do is to make him laugh:)!
2) His determination and confidence in himself
3) The fact that we can be brutally honest with each other
4) The way he serves and loves to help others
5) The ways he makes me laugh
6) The relationships he has with his little brothers....its so sweet because they all hang out as if there is no age difference
7) The way he is with our nephew:)
8) His kisses and hugs:)
9) The way he cuddles with me
10) The fact that he is good at about anything! It drives me nuts sometimes but I do like that about him
11) He is never afraid to take a chance
12) I love that he asks me about my day....thats rare for a guy to do that (at least in my experience) and I love it:)
13) The way we both sing together just for fun at the most random times hahaha
14) The way he will say he is sorry...i always say no you're not but its cute because he changes his voice hahaha
15) The fact that we can talk about the gospel together and we are both members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
16) The way he cares about me and puts me first
17) His honesty
18) His faith and encouragement towards me
19) The ways he is always there for me
20) His creative ideas in the kitchen on nights I make him cook haha
21) The fact that he is my best friend
22) The fact that we have fun together:)
23) The way he smiles at me
24) The fact that we will get to spend eternity together getting to know eachother even more!
25) Last but not least the fact that he loves me:)

Happy 25th Birthday babe:) I love you so much!

Sir Elton John

2010-02-17T13:25:00.002-05:00

So lately I have been listening to the greatest hit cd's of Elton John and just realized how much I absolutely love his music! He is so talented and I can't believe I never really realized it before. I always knew he was good, but I never sat and listened to his tone when he sings and his wonderful talent on the piano. Also, I think it was awesome that Lady Gaga and Elton John did a duet at the Grammy's! Two very talented people right there. He even said that she was the most talented pop singer at this time. I think I might have to agree!

Am I going Green?!

2010-02-04T10:46:00.002-05:00

So yesterday at work I was thinking of ways to save money on the little things I need around the house such as cleaning supplies, shampoo/conditioner, ya know things like that. I happend to come across a website that has "concoctions" of ingredients used to make homeade cleaning products. My mom made a homeade cleaning solution at home for the bathroom which worked well, but the vinegar smell was awful! hahaha BUT it worked and was cheap and didn't affect the environment by giving off chemicals. (Green?!) ahhaha. Here is the website! Once I start making them I will let you know how it works!

http://www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

Also, I was in need of some deep conditioner for my hair and I wanted to find something I could make at home from natural products. Heres the recipe I found!

1 small jar mayonaise
1/2 avacado

Mix the two together and put it in your hair, cover with a shower cap and leave for 20 minutes. Then wash it out and you will have shinier and softer hair!

I may try that too:)! We shall see!

Maternal Instinct

2010-02-02T11:17:00.003-05:00

It turns out lately, the past month, all I can think about is how I want to start a family. I've had dreams, warm fuzzy feelings, and just a strong urge! Keith graduates in May and I am going completely baby crazy. I've never felt more ready in my life than now. I hear its a phase women go through every now and then until they do start having kids. All I know is that I've always wanted to be a wife to a great man(done;-))! and have kids! I think that knowing that its possible for me to have a baby now has made the urge stronger. Who knows what the Lord has in store for Keith and I. Hopefully beautiful babies when the time is right:)!

Darn you maternal instinct! lol!

Get into the Zone!

2010-01-15T09:22:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited bc Keith and I are both going to try the Zone Diet and start tomorrow and I can hopefully lose those unwanted pounds and just feel better in general! I have been doing a lot of research on the website so I have a pretty good idea on how it works. My parents did this diet a long time ago and both of them had an increase in energy and lost weight! They still both follow the principles on the diet today. I am just looking for a way of eating in my life that is healthy and keeps me going. I'm glad Keith decided to do it with me bc you need all the help you can get when you're trying to change you eating habits! Wish us luck! We might slide here or there, but hopefully we will get into it soon enough!

the website is http://www.zonediet.com

I'm addicted....

2010-01-13T12:55:00.002-05:00

To Giant Chewy Nerds! I have been for awhile! Sometimes during my lunch break i'll go get a little individual pack. I even got one of my coworkers hooked on them!Next week when Keith and I start the Zone Diet I will have to give up this habit 100%!

Tag: I'm starting my own! lol (Look what boredom can bring you to!)

2010-01-12T16:26:00.002-05:00

**Name 3 things in each category!**

Favorite Restaurants:
-Chipotle
-Quadoba
-Macaroni Grill

Things that annoy you:
-When I'm tired and people won't leave me alone.
-(Some)Members at the credit union! lol
-People not washing their hands after touching raw meat

What makes you happy:
-Keith:)
-My puppies
-My nephew

Favorite Past Times:
-When my parents paid for everything
-Riding around with my friends in HS as if we were the stuff of the big RR lol
-Hanging out with my dad

Favorite things to do:
-Spend time with my Keith:)
-Exercise (when I can)
-Sing or do anything with music!

Jobs I've had or had:
-Hostess
-Teller
-Jeweler

Okay so now tag 3 people....I tag Leanne, Jenifer, and Claire!

(I totally made this up because there was nothing to do at work! Feel free to add to it!)

The Generic First Blog of the Year: New Years Resolutions!

2010-01-05T09:50:00.003-05:00

Okay so I absolutely love the beginning of a new year because it gives me a chance to become more optimistic and to improve myself or things in my life or others. I am so excited about this year because Keith is graduating in May and I get to go back to school full time in August. Now...onto the resolutions!

1) Exercise more and lose about 10 unwanted pounds. (isn't that everyones first goal for the new year?! lol
2) Really become more successful with Premier Designs and book atleast 3 shows a month.
3)Read the Book of Mormon all the way through again.
4) Try to give someone at least one compliment a day.
5) Become an even better wife and help my husband get through his last semester.
6) Keith and I are going on the Zone Diet together so hopefully we will succeed at that.
7) Try to find more ways of service
8) Spend time with Keith renovating our home and landscaping our yard:)!
9) Watch my beautiful puppies grow to their full size (BIG) lol
10) Learn to love more unconditionally and not be judgemental. (Doing better:) )

Okay so I have a whole year to try and atleast do these 10 things so wish me luck! Good luck to all of you and your new years resolutions:)!

I'm such a whiner...where did my exercise go?!:(

2009-12-09T08:56:00.005-05:00

Does anyone ever feel like there is not enough time in the day?! Especially to do the things that you want to do! I feel so slack lately...I haven't been able to keep a consistent work out schedule in about 2 years! It sucks! Keith bought me pilates for my birthday and I have been doing them, but not enough to be consistent. I love how they make me feel! I also haven't had time to really sit down and evaluate what I eat to make sure I'm eating healthy. It's always go go go go go.When you go from exercising and eating healthy everyday to not doing it so much you can tell. Anywho enough complaining I am really grateful for the job that I have and for the time I get to spend with Keith and our puppies:) Its just nice to have time to make you feel good about yourself...in my case working out dos the trick. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can fit it in somewhere in my crazy schedule?! Oh and some good eating habits?! lol....o and it also doesn't help that its the holiday season and I seem to not have very good discipline when it comes to desserts!! lol

Our new puppy Tyson!

2009-11-11T09:38:00.004-05:00

Keith and I both decided that Tobey needed a friend so we decided to adopt a yellow lab. In our case he is white right now, but none the less will more than likely be yellow as an adult! Here are some pics:)

Elizabeth Smart

2009-10-02T15:26:00.002-04:00

I remember I was on vacation with my family the summer that Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her home in Utah. I remember how much of my heart went out to that family when I heard the news and how happy I was to see that their daughter was finally found 9 months later. You may ask why am I bringing this up? Well today at work I was on people.com and was reading an article on her. It was heartbreaking to hear the horrible things that happend to her during the nine months she was kidnapped and away from her family. She was only 14 years old. She is now 21 and is planning on serving a mission next month in France. She is so lucky to have a loving and wonderful LDS family that cares so much about her spiritual,physical,and emotional well being.When I read that article it made me look up to her in a way. She went through all of that heartache,pain, and I'm sure psychological damage at such a young age and still drew nearer to her Heavenly Father. She is giving up her life and free time for 18 months to serve the Lord. I felt that even though we all go through hard times in our lives (not saying they are as bad as hers) we should look at her example and realize that we will get through it, especially if we draw nearer to the Lord. We shouldnt turn our backs on the Lord when times get tough.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20309630,00.html

Some pics of the new home:)

2009-09-20T12:54:00.012-04:00

Okay, I know they are long overdue, but here a few pics of our new home. I didn't take a ton of pictures, but I did take a few:).

Not every room in the house because we still need to do work to some...meaning add furniture hahahaha

Tobey's debut!

2009-09-20T12:49:00.003-04:00

Okay so i'm finally posting a couple of pictures of Keith and my new puppy Tobey. He is a golden retriever pup around 10 weeks old and we absolutely love him:)!

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE

2009-09-16T09:05:00.002-04:00

They're such a good snack and only 100 calories per cup. I have only tried the rasberry chocolate, but Keith has tried the lemon torte and said its really good!

Birthday Present:)

2009-09-08T10:24:00.002-04:00

So, last Friday (Sept.4) I turned 21. Keith had been asking me what I wanted for my birthday and about a couple of weeks before I told him that I wanted the Windsor Pilates complete set. Now that we have more space I can have room to do pilates. The testimonials seems legit and I was so excited when I found that Keith did in fact get me the pilates set and equipment (circle, streth band, and ball)! He got me 21 different dvd's to go along with the equipment off of Ebay! I started yesterday and am already sore. I hope I can stay consistent and reap the results possible!

Changes in the life of the Collins'

2009-09-08T10:15:00.003-04:00

Hey Everyone! It has been once again forever since I have blogged. So much has happend. I went full-time at the Credit Union, Keith and I bought our first home, we got a new puppy named Tobey,& we are all moved in now! It all happend so fast we didn't know what to do with ourselves! We absolutely love our new home and our new addition to our family, Tobey! He is so cute and sweet! He's a golden retriever which makes me happy because I love big dogs and they are very good family dogs as well. We currently don't have internet at home yet so I won't be able to upload pictures until the end of the week when we get it installed. I will as soon as I can though!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-07-07T07:49:00.004-04:00

On June 28 Keith and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary! I cannot believe it has been a year already! Time flies! We went to VA beach for 2 days and a night. We camped out at the KOA campground there which was a lot of fun!I'm not to keen on the outdoors and bugs and all, but I think I am warming up to it. Given that Keith and I went on the youth trek a week before helped my camping experience a lot at the beach haha. Here are a couple of pics from our anniversary!

Our cake tasted surprisingly good after one year of being in the freezer! The cake was still moist! hahaha!

Us on the beach! It was so nice that day!

Happy one year Babe:)!

My Husband's Peruvian Cake:)

2009-07-07T07:46:00.002-04:00

Sorry for not updating at all lately but, here is a picture of Keith's version of a peruvian dessert that he absolutely loved on his mission! I was proud!

I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

2009-04-20T08:04:00.001-04:00

Oh how I love that the church is using youtube to reach out to the rest of the world......

I know Easter has already passed, but I saw this link on facebook and absolutely loved it and how it showed what Easter is really all about.

Snag Remover!

2009-04-11T20:10:00.007-04:00

Hey you all! I know I have not blogged in forever again and I feel like this is becoming a pattern? hmmm...hahaha yeah. Well anyways a stumbled upon on a new invention(well new to me) and it is amazing! It removes snags without tearing any material! Keith and my comforter started snagging (or getting those white lint balls that stick) and I knew my sister had some sort of device that got rid of snags so when she came to visit a couple of weeks ago I had her bring it. Well I loved it, so when I met my mom in Raleigh yesterday she bought me and her one! I'm so excited for my new snag remover. It works on anything like pants, shirts, blankets, and whatever you can think of :)

BEFORE

AFTER

TADA

It's been forever!

2009-03-12T14:06:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone. Yes, I am officially the worst blogger there is. HA! It's been forever. It's real slow at work right now so I thought that I would at the least post a little something. Well, this week is Spring break and Keith and I were lucky enough to be able to spend a couple of days in DC together. We left this past Saturday to stay with my family in Roanoke Rapids and then headed to DC the next day. It was so nice to be away from the stresses of school and work. When we got to DC and were going to our hotel it turned out that their was a movie being filmed there! It was supposedly the new Angelina Jolie movie. We were a little excited because we heard that she was "supposedly" near the White house shooting a scene. So Keith and I decided to check in and head out to see the sights. Unfortunately we never saw Angelina, but it was still cool to know her film was being filmed at our hotel!

On Sunday we just spent a few hours looking at the sights like the White house, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, WWII memorial, and so on. It was nice:). On Monday we went to almost every museum it seemed like. I finally got to see the Holocaust museum! It was amazing, yet sad.(of course) We also went to see money made and printed, the air and space museum, natural history museum, american history museum, and Hard Rock for dinner! Afterwards we just walked around DC and went by the White house one more time.

Our last day there we went to the DC temple! It was also amazing! We went to the visitors center to see the new Joseph Smith movie(very good movie!) and then to do a session. Afterwards we went to the bookstore and bought a few things and then had to hit the road. It was only about 5 1/2 hours in all for the drive home. Needless to say I was sad to get back to reality yesterday.

I would post pictures and I may later on, but I am at work and have no access to my pictures:(. If I am your friend on facebook though, I posted them there!

Update

2009-01-17T18:22:00.002-05:00

So, I ended up going to the doctor this passed Tuesday and it turns out I did break my toe:(....

My poor foot:(

2009-01-12T22:29:00.002-05:00

So today was an eventful day. I woke up like I do any other Monday morning wishing that it was the weekend still and dreading going to work and of course school when we are not on a break. This morning Keith and Tyler were going to the gym and I decided I would go and get my workout in instead of going tonight. I get there and I go off and do my own thing. I decided to do legs today and everything was going well. When it was about time to go I saw that Keith and Tyler were still working on their last machine so I decided to go to another leg machine before we all left. I get there and I see that there is way to much weight to life and I can't do that! I was lifting the 45 pound weights off the side of the machine(There was like three 45 pound weights on each side) and I was about done. I went to go lift one of the other 45 pound weights and totally dropped it right on my foot! OUCH! It took me a second to realize what I had done. (you know when it takes a few seconds to realize you're in PAIN!) I hobbled over to Keith as fast as I could before the pain got too bad and burried my head in his chest and just cried! IT HURT! So needless to say we left. We dropped Tyler off and got home. I was still crying and couldn't believe how much of an idiot I was for not being that careful! LUCKILY my foot was not broken. As of now it's very bruised and I can't really walk on it. I'm so blessed to have a great husband who took care of me all day. He did everything for me today and really played the role of Dr.Keith:). I just hope I'm not out of work for much longer. I hope by tomorrow walking comes a little easier. BUT just a word from the wise(well now wise). Whenever you go to the gym and you are moving weights or lifting, please watch your feet and pay close attention to what you're doing!

2009 A New Year:)

2009-01-07T16:53:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! It amazes me how fast the year 2008 flew by! It was a very busy and amazing year! I love when the new year comes and we all get to make our "new years resolutions"! One of mine for this year is to keep up with my blog more! I hope everyone is having a good new year so far! Good luck to everyone and best wishes for the new year!

**I will try my best to keep Keith and my blog updated!

By the way whose ready for a little weather like this? I am! At least just for a day!:)

Keith and my Future Kids....supposedly?

2008-12-07T15:15:00.003-05:00

I know it has been forever since I've written, but this morning I went to a sight called make me babies and these are what Keith and my kids are supposed to look like? Supposedly?

Keith said we better have more girls than boys! hahahahaha

http://www.makemebabies.com

This week

2008-10-24T16:28:00.003-04:00

Wow, okay so recap of this week. Monday night for FHE Keith and I went and carved punpkins with Claire and Tyler at their place and they turned out pretty nice:). We got pretty good pumpkins at Wal-Mart for $3.88! I wish I had a picture. Also, on Wednesday night for Activity Days Claire and I threw a Halloween party for the girls. These girls are amazing! We let the girls decorate the room and enjoyed games and refreshments. I'm really enjoying my calling as Activity Day Leader! Now as for the end of my week it sucks. I have a cold:(. Keith and I were supposed to go to the temple tonight, but can't because I'm sick:(. Well anyways, I'm reading this book for my nutrition class for a book report and its a book I would recommend to any woman. (And NO I'm not trying to hint anything to anyone haha) It's call FRENCH WOMEN DON'T GET FAT. Definitely a good read:) Til next time:)!

Aww:)

2008-10-17T22:16:00.002-04:00

Did you ever feel like you were prepared for a test, midterm, final, or whatever and went in to take it and then found out you didn't do as well as you felt you could? WELL that happend to me today when I went to take my health midterm. I love this class and I feel like I get a lot from each lecture. It just doesn't seem fair. (At least I didn't fail it though.) Well then I started to get bummed out about school and complaining as usual because I am way to hard on myself and just want to do my best with school ya know? And as usual Keith listened to me because he is so great:) and then to make my day better he surpised me with my first bouquet of flowers as a married couple:)...oh yeah and he brought me a sucker from the bank too bc that was one of his stops this morning:) Keith is so great and supportive and really encourages me all the time.

Bush Gardens Weekend:)

2008-10-13T21:18:00.010-04:00

Hey Everyone! Well This past weekend was a great weekend with my family. On Saturday my mom,dad, brother, Keith, and I went to Williamsburg, VA to Bush Gardens for Howl-O-Scream! It was great!! I was kind of disappointed though because everyone and their grandma was there and waiting in line for rides which took like 40 minutes to an hour literally. We did get to see great Halloween shows though and were scared quite a few times. At night they had some of the employees jumping out in costumes scaring everyone hahaha. It was great! I recommend anyone go to Bush Gardens during Howl-O-Scream. But anyways, I'm not that great of a blog writer, or even writer for that matter so I hope you all like a few of the pics I put up:).

2008-10-11T07:22:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! My name is Chrisina Collins and my husband's name is Keith:). We were just recently married this past June:)! I would have never found out about this blog site if it wasn't for Jenifer (thanks girl!). All I say is that I hope I keep up with it! Well anyways...this weekend Keith and I are in Roanoke Rapids, NC visiting the fam and they're taking us to Busch Gardens today for the Halloween festivities! I'm so excited bc I have not been to Busch Gardens since I was in 6th grade! Haha! I wish I was more a roller coaster person though. I've been on them before, but I'm so scared of being so high in the air!...(and going so fast:-/ lol) I'm hoping I'll be able to post some pics on here IF i figure out how to do it. Well I better start go getting ready bc we're leaving soon! Til next time:)