girls.

Alicia and Quinn...two cute.

just life.

Here are some photos from our little point and shoot that have been itching to get on this blog.

This is Asa "drinking" Ma's Starbucks drink.  He was holding it so strong Ma could not take it away.  She was lauging histerically!

So, Quinn has to get glasses.  This is one of the shops we went into to look.  Dru was not with us so we took some pictures of Quinn's two favorite to show daddy.  Turns out we are not going to get either one of these frames.

These red ones are "Snow White" so she loved them.  They are too big though.

Quinn took this picture at DSS (Department of Social Services).  We were in the waiting room waiting for the kids to get out of their visitation.  Adam's mom bought those shoes for Asa.

This is our case manager and Dru waiting...Quinn took this too!

photos from the last week.

Quinn's Tot Trot...they are backwards in sequence.  Woops!  

Above is Quinn at the finish line, of corse staring at her daddy!

Quinn is in the STAR...

Above: This is a random photograph Dru took while we were at the park last Sunday.  Quinn LOVES to ride her trike.

Introducing Adam.  He is 11 months old here.  Such a cutie with a HUGE smile!

Quinn with her prize from the race...not sure what kind of animal it is!

And, introducing, Alicia..she is on the far left.  On the right is her friend who spent the night and "ran" the 5K with us.  Actually, she was complaining the entire time.  It was good for her.  :)

Quinn taking a photo of us after the race.

Dru had to get to the park to set up Starbucks for the race at 5AM so it was still dark outside.  

Dru, taking a break outside resting on our stairway.  I saw this and said, freeze!  I have to take a photograph of you!

Above: Dru said Quinn thought this was SOO funny.  She was laughing so hard and said, "I have to take a picture of this!"

There I go- above on the left.  They don't make stars big enough to put around me!

This little girl was a clogger and Quinn thought she was SO cool!  She was trying to get on her little stage (see the girl sitting on it) so she could dance!

Asa fell asleep like this in Dru's arms on the way to the car.

Quinn and Dru camping

Notice the popcorn on Quinn's baby's lap.

This last week has flown buy!  Above are some photographs from today, at the 5K run for autism.  The other photographs are from Dru and Quinn's camping trip in our back yard last Saturday.  I went on a women's retreat with our church and so Quinn and Dru got to spend some quality time together.  They stayed up late and slept in a tent in sleeping bags.  

collie craze.

It has been so crazy busy around here that this blog has been sitting open all day-and I am just now getting to it.  This short blog will have taken me 10 tries before it is over.  

I keep starting and stopping.  So, the latest is, Quinn has to get glasses.  She is so excited and wants pink ones!  I am going to get her some from LaFont.  It is a French brand and the only kind I can find that make them extra small that don't make her look like a dork.  

Today was busy.  Alicia, the 14 year old living with us has a friend who is going to spend the weekend with us.  Her friend is so sweet and is full of energy just like Alicia...or should I say, just like any 14 year old girl!  All they talk about is boys, boys and boys.  

So, Alicia and I have been "training" for a 5K for Autism we are running tomorrow.  We are nervous cause we have only run one mile per exercise event and thought we were going to die!  I signed her up for her fist 5K EVER!  She is so excited.  When her friend came over we were talking about it and how she was going to have to wait at the finish line with Dru and the kids and when Dru got home he told us he got signed her up to run too!  This is a first for these girls-they had never even heard of a 5K!  THEN, after we run QUINN is going to run a Tot Trot!  We were practicing her "On your mark, get set, GO!" tonight.  We'll see how that goes.  She does love to run so it could be really cute.  

Oh, and last Tuesday Quinn had her first ballet class.  Her teacher was amazed at how well she did.  She LOVED class and was very attentive.  Not to mention, she looked OH SO CUTE in her ballet leotard and hair in a pony tail with her little ballet slippers.  

Adam, the now 11 month old is doing great!  He LOVES Quinn and she feels the same about him.  She makes him laugh harder than anyone else in the family can!  And, Quinn loves to feed him baby food.  She sits in front of the highchair for what seems like forever and feeds him.  So cute.  Well, I feel like I am coming down with something so I am going to go get ready for bed so I can get up two times tonight to take care of wee ones and then get up at the crack of dawn to RUN!  Oh, can't forget my roasted garlic in the oven...yum yum-go away sick feeling!  

(One of these days when I find time I will post pictures!)

make-up.

I just went upstairs to get Asa cause I heard him crying...we already put the kids to bed tonight...

I didn't think I saw Quinn in her bed so I did a man hunt around the house and this is what I found in my closet that I keep all of my make-up in! She had on every eye liner I own. She looked like one of the Incredibles (from the Disney movie) I told her we had to take it off and she said, "No mommy, I can just sleep with my head up and it won't get on my pillow!" While I was taking it off I said, "Do you want to be a make-up artist when you grow up?" And she said, "NO! I want to be a make-up artist NOW!" :) Silly girl!

so true.

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better. I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would. I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car. And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen. It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep. I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room,but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him. When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her. I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely. On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom. If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books. When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head. I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy\girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like. May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole. I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it.. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend. I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle. May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays. I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Hannukah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand. These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.
Written with a pen, sealed with a kiss. I'm here for you. And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you. -- Paul Harvey

Paul, you are a genius!

a few things i have learned...

LIFE.... a few things I have learned
Don't be so busy that you start to realize you have missed out on EVERYTHING!


Take time to play with your kids more. Silly play. Run around with them. They love it.

Sit and cuddle your kids as much as you can.

Make sure everyone knows how much you love them. Sometimes you never have the chance to tell them again.

Don't sweat the small stuff. Some things just don't matter. They mean something, but they really don't matter.

Hold yourself accountable.
Remember that everyone has a bad day once and a while. Just like you.

Don't get offended. Assume that whomever said it, just didn't get it out right.

Give others a break. We are all fighting our own battles.

Remember that people aren't always going to remember what you said, But they will always remember how you made them feel. Make them feel special.

There are too many people out there who need someone really bad. Be that someone.

Sometimes all someone needs is a shoulder to cry on. Give it to them and really listen.

Don't keep your distance. We are all supposed to be taking care of eachother. Life isn't about us, it's about everyone else.

Sometimes the simplest things to you, mean the world to someone else. Give it to them.

Live by example.

Have Faith.

Remember . . . Life is Good.

quinn's friends.

Above is Quinn and her friend Avenue.  They have been playing together since they were 6 months old. 

Quinn in her Colts jersey and "running" shoes.  

I took the kids to a friends house for a party and like in 7th grade, the guys ended up outside on the deck and the girls in the living room.  Dru happened to be at work so he couldn't be there to hang out with his friends.  I thought it was funny that Quinn hung out on the deck entertaining the guys with her silly stories and camera the WHOLE time!  Here she is with Dave (the guy who my parents bought land from) and John.  

kid world.

Asa and one of Ma's cucumbers.  :)  It weighed 5 lbs.

Asa thinks he is a cool dude...well, he is.

Below: Quinn LOVES to help her great grandma in the garden!  She got stung by a bee shortly after this.  :(

It is a kid world here at the Collie house.  Toys everywhere, food everywhere and kids everywhere!  It has been fun having these two kids live with us for a while.  Whew, does it make me think 2 is a breeze!  The kids might leave us today to be with a family placement.  Part of me is sad about that and part of me would love the "break" from being on 110% all the time!  Oddly enough, this placement has been harder on our marriage if you ask me than anything else.  We just have NO time for each other.  We are working on make that a priority.  I think I found a sitter for once a week...if it all works out I will be jumping with joy! (Literally)  

It is funny how many people this the baby we are keeping is Asa.  When you don't see them side by side I could see how that would be confusing.  Another funny thing is we all have "A" names.  Weird hu?  The teenager and I have really become close and I love her company and having her around.  Of course we have had to deal with teenager situations and that has been a struggle.  I feel like I was just a teenager myself and in some ways I think that is what has helped us to bond, and in other ways that has made it hard.  She and I got up at 6AM yesterday and ran 1.3 miles.  (Neither of us run...that was fun.)  I will be sad when they leave.  :(  

As far as work goes, I am several sessions behind in editing!  Today is my dad's birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!  If I have a second I will get Quinny to sing to you on a video.  Finding that minute may be hard though so don't hold your breath.  I have a couple pictures from our trip to Boone about 3 weeks ago.  More to come.  ENJOY!