sweet tweets part 2....

Well all I can say is the best part of the trip was not the boutique! There weren't many shoppers, and I was sorta stuck in the corner of the basement. It's all good because we had a very interesting trip: complete with a car accident*, drug test in West Valley in the middle of the night, a beautiful set of nails, and a wonderful spinal touch massage. Oh, and of course, shopping! Thanks Steph for my nails and putting us up, and Heidi for fixing my ankles, holy cow, I owe you!

And hey... check out my display...turned out pretty good I think. All I want to add is a cool folding screen behind to hang my AWESOME banner I made, and possibly use it to display as well.



*Here's the story about the accident (since I know you will ask me questions after my "cryptic" post):

We stopped for gas once we got up north, and as we were trying to change lanes to get on the freeway - we "glanced" off a big truck. No damage to him, just a little to our right front fender. Well, since we were in a company car, we had to wait for the police, and then Sara had to get a drug test. It's company policy that anyone driving a company car, and there is damage to the car (whether or not you are even in it!), you have to get a drug test. We headed over to set up for our show, while we were trying to get in touch with the company to find out where to get a drug test done. By the time that was all worked out, it was 9:30 pm and we had to go clear out to West Valley to meet someone that was coming in specifically to give her a drug test. She had 3 big chunks of hair cut out, and had to do a breathalizer (she passed, obviously!). It made for a very very long day.

sweet tweets...

I'm headed to Salt Lake to be a part of this boutique. If you are in the area, stop by and say Hi. (I can't guarantee I will be there the WHOLE time). Also the ad says it ends at 8 pm Friday - but really it's 7 pm!

in case you were wondering...

kraft american cheese slices + baby hair = not good

silly lily...

This week has been a busy one. I drove up and back to Salt Lake on Friday again to take a friend and her baby up to a doctors appointment. It actually was a lot of fun, and nice to get a "day off". We totally lucked out and were able to have my friend Stephanie do Glitter Toes for us while we were up there. Very nice of her, thanks Steph!

Lily has been making a really funny laugh lately. She makes a real gutteral sound, sort of like an evil laugh. Too cute. I have tried and tried to catch it on video - and this is the best I could do. Enjoy!

i have to admit, this is pretty cool...

baby #3...

I had another appt. yesterday, a little earlier than expected. The Dr. that I had with Lily changed offices, and at the time I found out I was pregnant, he was not taking any new pregnancies at the old office. And of course, the old office would not tell me where he was going or what was happening with him. (pretty snotty of them in my opinion!). So, I decided to just stick at the old office with a different Dr. Well, I got a postcard in the mail the other day from my original Dr. with his new office information and phone number and a note saying he was taking appointments. Yay! I called right up and they got me in the next day.

I was elated all day yesterday that I get to go to the same Dr. that knows my history and was so good with the pregnancy with Lily. He knew right away who I was and was glad I had found him at his new place. I'm so glad to not have to go back to that yucky old office too! (They were terrible there!)

So, the baby....I got another ultrasound and the baby looks great. I even saw the baby flip around (kinda weird when they are so tiny you can't feel it). The subchorionic hemmorages look to be pretty much gone. Yay! What a fabulous day!

halloween spirit...

This past Saturday, I woke up feeling like I wanted to go to Salt Lake. So I arranged with John to watch Zane and I packed Lily up in the car and headed up. I wanted to go up to see Sara's stuff at the Oh Sweet Sadie Boutique. I am doing the Sweet Tweets Boutique in Salt Lake in October which will be a similar type show, so I wanted to get a feel for what type of stuff is there and how it all works. I left at 10:30ish am, arrived in Salt Lake around 3, stopped by for a visit at (great) Grandma and Grandpa Cannon's house, and then over to the boutique. I was able to spend an hour at the boutique, help Sara pack up (I was very little help) and then a quick stop for dinner at Training Table (mmmm turkey bacon ranch and cheese fries). We made it home again around midnight. Lily was quite the trooper (with the help of a few lollipops).

So Zane and I made this candy clip-a-day today. He loves making stuff with me. He always tell me "Mom, isn't today a great day" whenever we do projects together. I must not do stuff with him enough! I stole this idea from a friends blog. What a fun idea huh!

Zane got his first "leveled" reading book from the school this week. It was level F. They start at Level A. From what I've heard they should be at Level F by the middle of first grade, mr. smarty pants. So far the books have been easy for him - and I don't know how long they stay at each level. But I'm not at all going to push it, because really - he's in Kindergarten.

it's time to come out of the closet...

We are expecting! Baby #3 will join the Collins family sometime around April 19th, 2009. I am almost over the sickies, still tired, but ok. We've already had one u/s and I have something called a subchorionic hemmorage (actually 2 of them). It sounds MUCH scarier than it is. Mostly the Dr. said he would keep an eye on it, but that I should expect to bleed. What???? That's not nervewracking. Sorry if that was too much information. At 10 1/2 weeks though, I'm feeling much safer to announce it to the world. Yay us!

What Zane has been saying lately:

Us: Zane, calm down, you sure are being hyper.

Zane: I can't help it. Heavenly Father put hyper into me.

Us: Why do you think he did that?

Zane: To trick you.

Niiiiiicccceeeee.......

bedroom re-do...

This weekend, we decided to re-do Zane's bedroom. It's needed to be painted since we moved in (ahem almost 3 years ago). He picked out a "car" theme, of course. We got these great wall decal stickers at Target, and it came with a LOT! We also moved the queen bed from the guest/craft room into his room. We don't really have guests visit us all that much - so it was really just taking up space in there. We are going to convert the guest/craft room into a play room/craft room - so I can be working in there, while the kids are playing. That room is still a work in progress.

Before: (this picture was taken at night with flash.
These were dark blue walls AND ceiling - it was actually really dark in there)








After: (ignore the wrinkled curtain, and the ceiling is white)






*Note: Zane put these stickers up. He lined them all up like they are on a highway. He said "They are going to Cedar City."




John and I got new glasses too. At my last eye appointment the Dr. said that blood vessels were starting to grow into my corneas, which is a result of lack of oxygen (i.e. wearing your contacts too long without taking them out). So, I decided that I would take a break from my contacts and stick with glasses for a little while. I'm going to miss my sunglasses though.

*my glasses have cool moons and stars on the sides and a bluish tint behind the tortoise shell frames (This is a terrible picture - in all my no makeup, no showered glory! It's actually quite embarrassing, why am I sharing this?)

in the mood for more video?

Lily's latest trick. Love the binky switch at the end. Classic.

2 years ago....

Here is what John was doing just 2 years ago:

Enjoy!

*edited to note: I didn't think about the fact that a lot of you don't know that John is a tenor. He is the high tenor in the quartet, so you can easily pick him out. He sings loud as it is... but to sing sooo high and not in falsetto - he had to up his volume even more. Also, so you know, I don't think this was their best performance of this song (to my music "snob" sisters - yes they go a little flat - and you know I mean "snob" in the nicest way because I am one too).

a nice start to september...

We spent Labor Day weekend shopping for a new bed. No, we aren't getting a new bed. Just shopping for one. Maybe one day in the not so distant future. We tried every kind out there, and our recommendation is an intelli-gel type bed in case you were interested. Then it was back to school and normal routine. All is well.

I had a WhichWatch boutique this weekend for my sister, and I also had a chance to try out my new display for my jewelry which I will be selling at a boutique in Salt Lake in October. Just wish more people actually came to see it. What can you do. But you should all check out my sister's watches because they are seriously awesome, and they are on sale only until the 15th! http://whichwatch.etsy.com/

Also, this past weekend - on Friday, John (well really it was Lily) managed to lose his keys at the store. Still haven't turned up. And this morning Lily managed to break his glasses. This is only funny (or not) because he just had his glasses replaced about a year ago. He lost his really nice pair in the lake. Ask John about that one some time. Even after that incident, he didn't learn that he needed to have a backup pair. So we spent the entire day shopping for glasses, and eye exams, etc. Of course I had to drive him everywhere, because he's totally blind. Yay for September!

And for random cuteness(to go with the completely random post): picture of me and the kids, and Lily in pigtails (that lasted about 20 seconds).

phoenix getaway...

Zane had this week off of school for assessments, so we decided to hop in the car and head to Phoenix for a few days. Just me (Abi) and the kids drove out and spent 5 days at grandma and grandpa's house doing a lot of swimming in the pool, shopping, and eating out. And we actually all survived the drive. Zane is a big help in the car. It was a lot of fun to spend time with family and take a break from the usual here. Although, August is not the best month to visit Phoenix, yikes! John took the time while we were away to finish up a little painting around the house too, what a great guy! Of course, I brought my camera, but somehow managed to not take a single picture - so here is a picture of Lily in her way super cute new nightgown.

Oh yeah and Happy Birthday to me! I just turned 29 again!

activity days...

Anyone have ideas for activity days? I'm one of the leaders in the ward - and we've got a few good ones, but thought I would throw this out for any suggestions. We have all the girls ages 8-11. Any good ones that your daughters have attended? Any great ones you have planned or heard about?

first (and second) day of school....

Zane is an official kindergartener! Yesterday was his first day but it wasn't a regular day - just a meet the teacher sort of thing with his mom. Doesn't count. Today he got to ride the bus all by himself and go through the real deal. He's so grown up now. He sat and waited for the bus for almost a half an hour, he was so excited. I think I will like this extra time to get stuff done around the house. It's sorta nice that Lily naps right at the same time he goes to school - so I'm pretty free. Yippeee! I really think that if it wasn't for school, moms would go insane. Go Zane!

makin' a splash...

We spent some time yesterday at the city plaza downtown. They have a big splash pad, and a small river type area with waterfalls and rocks all over to climb on. It is still so stinkin' hot here, and the kids loved it! We got a taste of Lily's first tantrums too. Haha! Anytime I would pick her up to try and get her to another area, she would go limp on the ground and scream....oh so fun! At least she loves the water, just like her brother. Super cute kiddos.

san diego with the girls....

It was sooo much fun! Really, so fun! Hehe. When we got there on Friday, we spent some time catching up and playing "jewelry and watches" and then we headed out for a little shopping and a movie. On Saturday we headed to Coronado Island and hung out at the famous Hotel Del Coronado. The beach was beautiful there. Soft fine sand. I did really love it - in case you couldn't tell. We ate at the little cafe right on the beach. Perfect.


That afternoon, we spent some time at the pool, then more shopping close by. The hotel we stayed at was in Del Mar, close to Torrey Hills and the Torrey Pines Golf Course (where the US Open is). I really liked the area, it was up in the hilly part of San Diego. You would have no idea that the beach is just a few miles away. Also, the San Diego Temple was just a couple miles south of where we were staying. We didn't realize that until we saw it right after getting on the freeway to Coronado. So, we had to stop and take pictures.
On Sunday, we wanted to visit the beach again, and decided on La Jolla. We spent some time picking up shells on Shell Beach by La Jolla Cove, and looked at Seal Rock, which had a "few" seals on it.

We stopped at a couple of shops, and got berated by a shop owner for picking up seashells from the beach - because somehow that is going to destroy the planet. Then we ate at the "soon to be closed" Hard Rock La Jolla. Very tourist-y thing to do. Fitting that the background says "Save The Planet".
Thanks girls for a fun time, and especially Mom for footing most of the bill! Love you, can't wait for next year (maybe?)!

swimming...

Zane just finished swimming lessons. He had a lot of fun. I was quite surprised at how comfortable he has gotten in the water. He was holding his breath under water for 5 seconds, jumping in by himself, trying to "swim" under water, trying to float on his stomach and back, and jumping off the diving board. He does need to work on his coordination though. He had a hard time trying to move his arms in a "back stroke" and definitely couldn't figure out how to do his arms and legs at the same time. Too cute. Any ideas to help with a 5 year olds coordination? Do you think Karate, Gymnastics, Soccer, Football? I would appreciate any thoughts...



On another note, I leave tomorrow bright and early for San Diego on the 2nd Annual Cannon Girls Go Wild in a so NOT wild sort of way Extravaganza! Yipppeeeee! We are so wild that we just MIGHT go ocean kayaking...oooooohhhhhh yeah!

Thank you John for watching the kids, I love you!

oh miss lily....

I really try to not be an overly freakout over everything kind of mom, even though I probably am a little bit of a hypochrondriac, I tend to keep it to myself. My kids have a fever, and I don't usually call the Dr. until around the 5 day mark, unless there is something else to make me worry. I don't know if waiting like that is a good thing or not, but I'm glad that our Dr.'s don't ever make me feel like an overly concerned hypochondriac kind of parent.

Lily had a fever last week for awhile, that seemed to go away for a few days, but then popped up again on Wednesday. She woke up last night and her right eye was droopy. It freaked me out quite a bit. It just did not look right - of course you do think the worst with stuff like that. Turns out she does have an ear infection on the other side that probably wouldn't have anything to do with the eye thing. She ended up having a CT scan just to make sure it was nothing, and they had a really hard time trying to get an IV to inject dye for the CT scan. She got poked quite a bit. The Dr. and nurses were all so sweet. One girl just sat there and blew bubbles over Lily practically the whole time were were there. Lily just sat there saying "wow" "wow" haha. They didn't end up getting the IV in, but they did the first CT without it, which the Dr. decided was probably enough since the eye seemed better this morning. I sort of wish I got a picture of her there, she was so sweet and asleep for the whole scan. It ended up that she has some sinus infection in one of her sinuses that probably just caused a little swelling. She is on antibiotics that will hopefully take care of it all. Still fevering and sleepy, but I'm sure she will be better soon!

We are so blessed to have such great neighbors and doctors, thank you thank you thank you!

les miserables...

John and I went to Les Miserables at Tuacahn last night. For those non-St. Georgians (ites?), Tuacahn is an outdoor ampitheatre surrounded by beautiful towering red rocks. John has always been a big fan of Les Mis, but has never seen it. I had only heard it one time before I got John the CD's a few years ago. Thanks John for planning it!

They really did a great job. They had real horses bring the prisoners in during the first scene. The fight scenes had the other side shooting at them from the red rocks in the background, complete with a cannon that scared me every time it went off. There were even fireworks! I admit, I even bawled (not surprising) during "Bring Him Home" and when Eponine died. What is it about unrequited love that just gets ya? I really enjoyed Jean Valjean's upper range, much more than his lower. Javert was amazing, and John and I both commented on how much we liked the Bishop. He has a small solo towards the beginning and it was amazing. And in case anyone remembers...John Preator (known as JP) from American Idol a few years ago was Marius, and he was great too.

It was so fun to get away for awhile and do something "cultural". We didn't get home until almost 12:30.....much too late for us old fogies. But, it was worth how tired we are going to be today.