The Collum Family

We were visiting Jason's parents and they have a Bullmastiff named Beau. Well, Beau was sitting there and Raleigh was just loving how she was telling him what to do, giving him treats, petting him, etc. While sitting there Beau's "little boy" parts became visible and Raleigh so innocently pointed and said "what's that?" We all started laughing so hard we couldn't even answer her. Jason finally got out an answer that quieted her down. Beau got up, moved around, then sat back down. Then Raleigh again innocently squats down and looks to see if it's still there. I guess we need to be ready with some answers for all situations as the question "what's that?" is probably said 50+ times a day with her!

Christmas day was another fun filled day of celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus, and gathering with family again! I'm so thankful for our family tradition that we began...reading the Christmas story every Christmas morning before opening any presents. One thing that Jason and I want is for our kids to know that Christmas is only about one gift...Jesus and not about how many presents are waiting under the tree. Raleigh was so excited to be reading about baby Jesus! This year was fun watching Raleigh open gifts though. She received a kitchen set with all the trimmings to go with it and a table and chairs. Of course a baby doll was there too! Although I would say that she may have a touch of ADD...she couldn't focus on one present for worrying about the others. If we wouldn't have helped her open the gifts we may still be opening the first one! Of course the grandparents and aunts and uncles spoiled her as well! I'm still not sure how many M&M's Raleigh had for breakfast from her uncles!! What a wonderful day! Merry Christmas!

So, if I went to the grocery store and piled 5 babies in the buggy and then proceeded to shop, would it be illegal? Or maybe just considered dangerous? Well, Raleigh managed to pile her 3 baby dolls, Elmo, and her little bear all in her buggy to cart around the house! It was quite funny to see her work to get them all in and then get frustrated when the buggy tipped over or one of the babies fell out. More babies arrived for Christmas and more babies are piled in the buggy now...we may need to invest in a bigger one! :)

We decided to take Raleigh to Lake Lanier's Magical Nights of Lights since we thought she would enjoy all the lights. She loved all the lights and we let her ride "illegally" in our laps while there. Although she was getting to sit in the front she wanted back in her seat! Crazy girl! When we got to Santa's workshop she wouldn't have her picture made with Santa...she said, "I don't ike him." So needless to say we won't have a picture with Santa this year. I just don't see the need in scaring her and it's really not that big of a deal to us. Even though we had no picture with Santa we got a cute one in front of a pretty tree!

While putting up Raleigh's little Christmas tree in her room we read the book that goes along with the ornaments. It's called A Gift for Jesus and simply tells about the gift that Jesus is to us. After I read it Raleigh insisted on reading it (and has every day since). She just kept saying "baby Jesus born in house." It melted my heart when she said it! I know we still have some work to do on learning that it was a stable instead of a house, but it was so sweet!

reading her book

While at the mall, Raleigh wanted to carry her bag. She wasn't happy to just carry it...it had to be on her shoulder! Too cute!

Why do I do this to myself??? While wanting a child for three years I envisioned myself as the "perfect" mother. Well, we all know that was never going to happen. I guess as part of this image I was always going to make Raleigh's birthday cakes. Last year I wanted to make her first cake, did and said I wouldn't do it again. This year I got another vision of the cake I wanted for her and decided it would be easier than last year so I'd make it. Well at 2:30 last night or should I say this morning Jason and I went to bed and the cake looked NOTHING like my vision. My vision was beautiful...a rectangle cake board with a piano base (pretzel rods dipped in white and dark chocolate), a drum cake, fondant drum sticks, and maracas (rice krispie treats shaped as maracas covered in fondant). I had the pretzels dipped on Thursday, cake made and "crumb coated" Friday, maracas shaped and iced (to hold the fondant)...no problem, Jason and I would work on the fondant Friday night and get this thing done. When I finished the final layer of icing on the cake I was already disappointed as the cake was leaning despite me putting skewers in it. Jason helped me to attempt to get it looking straight with icing. After coloring the fondant and rolling it, attempting to cut it, re-rolling it, attempting to cut it, and finally re-rolling it and cutting it we made the bands to go on the cake at the top and bottom of the "drum." The bottom band was fine, but the top was not...it started sliding so we used toothpicks to hold it up and ended up using those all around to make the cake look more like a drum. Ok, put the cake in the fridge to help the icing set without the fondant falling off completely...now onto the maracas. I can laugh about this now, but not last night. I made the maracas way too big to begin with. We put the fondant on them and I had no idea how to really seal it around the maraca or how to smooth it out. I thought I could just lay it down and not worry about the seam...we'd do better on the second one. Went to fondant the second one and the same thing...horrible! This morning I decided they looked more like an ice cream cone than a maraca. Not only did they look horrible, but they were almost bigger than the drum!! So since I didn't want to use those I would just use the pretzels I had dipped for the piano...put those on the cake board and again...did not look good at all! We made the drum sticks for the drum and left it. Not the cake I had planned, but it was still sort of cute...not as cute as the snowman from last year, but still cute. Jason has informed me that I watch too many cake shows and I'm not going to make cakes like them. I have since decided that I can still be a good mom and not make Raleigh's cake...until next year!

The finished cake

Wow! Two years have come and gone so quickly! I cannot believe that this time two years ago I was holding my newborn little girl...hard to believe how quickly she has grown and changed in the past two years. I think I have been more emotional this year about her turning two than I was last year when she turned one. I got a little teary eyed today when I got the email about my "preschooler" this week! That was after I had already had a cry! You would think her getting older would get easier, but I guess it's not for me...I just don't want to miss any of her cuteness!!

When I got Raleigh up this morning I sang Happy Birthday to her and she just sat there and smiled at me! Of course it was the most beautiful smile! Then we had a yummy breakfast...pancakes, eggs, and "special" milk (aka chocolate milk). Raleigh "helped" me make some of the things we needed for her birthday party. "Helped" meaning she sat in the chair and watched me. My favorite part of the day was getting her up from nap and her singing "Jesus Loves Me!" I almost started crying again!! After her nap we headed to Athens for dinner at Rafferty's with daddy, Grandma, Papa, Nana, and Granddaddy. She enjoyed her supper...yummy croissants, hamburger (that she wasn't interested in), fruit, ice cream with chocolate syrup (she inhaled this), and 1/2 a cupcake! Our child can eat! She even wanted a banana when we got home! After dinner she enjoyed a couple presents...she had waited patiently all day without even asking to open any! What a wonderful day celebrating a wonderful little girl!!!

Moments after birth

Breakfast...Thanks to some other wonderful moms for the idea!

Ready for a birthday breakfast

Rafferty's croissants...Delicious!!

Fruit...cantaloupe and strawberries!!

The best part...ICE CREAM!!! She wouldn't put the spoon down!

Couldn't resist this funny face!

Ready to blow out the candles!

Blow...

Blow! We had so much fun watching Raleigh blow out her candles that we lit them 3 times! She was a pro!

Time to chow down...Minnie Mouse ring on hand!!

Don't pick it up...just lean over and dig in!

Yummo!!

Reading her card

Elmo!!

Oooh, what's in here??

Minnie Mouse cup!!!

Drinking from her Minnie Mouse cup...with nothing in it!

Mr. Potato Head (actually 4 of them...Mr., Mrs., and two kids)...not so sure about it

Opening one more present to end the day!

Mommy and the birthday girl!

Oooh...doctor kit! Let's hope this makes the trip to the doctor a little more bearable tomorrow!

Two years ago from today we received a call around 7:00 or 8:00 pm that our bed was ready at the hospital. We got everything ready and headed out to Northside Hospital. I was being induced on December 3rd, but they wanted me there the night before. Since I was being induced I didn't get the royal treatment of being dropped off at the door. Instead Jason had me walk from the parking garage...maybe he wanted me to walk Raleigh out...he was a little anxious to have her here. I however was not so ready. I LOVED being pregnant and didn't want it to end, but I was ready to meet our little girl also. I had no idea what all to expect or how much my life would change (of course for the better!)

While on our date weekend, Jason and I looked in our favorite house plan. Of course there are some changes that we would like to make we love the layout. Hopefully we'll be able to make it work or find something that we like better before the time comes to build. It was very interesting that while we were there a guy was outside riding around on his dirt bike...made me think of how it will be with all the kids (and probably some adults) riding around on their dirt bikes over at The Cleft. Can't wait to be able to build and move over there!

Entry from Garage...this will have to be changed some how...I want cubbies!

Laundry Room

Kitchen

Breakfast Area

Office off of breakfast area

Keeping Room

Would love opinions on this room. Oddly shaped room that seems difficult to place furniture in.

Living Room

We could use opinions on this room. It seems really small when you begin to think about furniture in the room. Our thoughts are to either remove the fireplace all together or to move it to the middle of the wall with the windows. There is no place for TV placement in this room other than above the fireplace which I do not like. I want room for friends and family to gather and sit down together for lots of good memories!

Bottom of Stairs...view of living room, dining room, and foyer

Dining Room

Foyer

Study...we will probably not have the fireplace in this room

Master Bedroom and Bath

Buffet

Powder Room

View from top of stairs

Bedroom 3

Bonus Room/Bedroom 5...Probably the room upstairs that we would not finish. Instead we would make our bonus room/media room over the living room instead of having a 2-story living room.

Bedroom 4

The Princess Suite and Bath/Bedroom 2