BLASTBALL!!!

If you honestly need a good laugh, you should watch a Blastball game! It is a new league through our local city recreation center for 3 and 4 year olds. Now it boasts teaching "fundamentals" of T-ball, but that's stretching it quite a bit. But nonetheless it has to be the funniest 30 minutes of my life! Imagine 3 and 4 year olds trying to play T-ball, they are unorganized, short attention spanned, and just all around crazy! Collier's first game was this past Saturday and it was nothing short of a comedic sketch! All the kids want to bat...none of them want to field, all of them want the ball (once they decide to field) so it turns more into tackle football than baseball! None of them seem to remember that the base is to the left of home plate...they always run right?? And after about 10 minutes they are completely over the whole scenario! Collier himself did awesome...he hit well, we fielded well and we were rather impressed with his attention and listening skills, but it was only Game 1 of 7! We'll see!

Inning 1...looking focused! (Buddies Reece and Quenton)

Batting with fierce determination!

Inning 3...not so sure anymore!

Memorial Day Weekend

The official start of summer...for us at least is Memorial Day weekend! The weather was fairly good which meant we could be outside and that is always a plus in this family! We started out by going to the creek on Saturday, we had about an hour or so of good sun and then it started looking odd. Before we knew it a full on storm was in our midst...60mph winds, hail, and rain...lots of rain! Collier and I made it to the car relatively unscathed, although he was terrified of the sudden-ness of it all! Mark had to stay out in the storm and help our "brother in law" of sorts, hold done his tent! After about an hour of waiting it out in the car, we were able to get out and pack up camp! We really didn't think much of it until we started home and saw the damage from the storm...I'm glad I didn't know how bad it really was!

Sunday is cemetery day...DH, my MIL, and I (kids in tow) go around and place flowers on all the family graves. It's become a tradition that I thoroughly enjoy and I'm glad my children see the importance of remembering those that are so frequently forgotten.

And what would Memorial Day be without cooking out!? We did plenty of that with DH's mom and dad! It was a really great family weekend!

Collier's Big Boy Bed!

Collier is officially a big kid! Since we are moving soon we decided to 'upgrade' Collier from crib/toddler bed to a twin sized bed. I've been looking for sometime now, the bargain hunter I am, but DH (dear husband) and I went this weekend and found a great deal! Best of all Collier loves it and he really does look like a big kid! I won't lie, I cried a bit seeing him sleeping in that big ole bed the first night...but I know it's only the beginning of a long line of "big kid" things!

Mommy and Collier's Day Out!

Today is always a holiday for me at work, Thank you President Truman and your bday!, so I always use this day to spend with Collier instead of taking off on his actual birthday. We had a really nice day together...it stormed pretty bad this morning so we started the day off cuddling in bed together and watching cartoons! After the weather cleared up we both got dressed and ran errands together...because he was such a good boy and because he got some birthday money we then went to Walmart! I do believe Collier loves Walmart almost as much as me, we walked around looking at everything, I know we're weird! He spent his birthday money on a toy gun and "farmer" hat!(as seen in the picture!) He's so funny! The rest of the day we played outside, watched more cartoons, napped, and waited for Daddy to get home. It was a perfect day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLLIER!

On this day three years ago I gave birth to my son...there are not words to describe that experience. You can try to brand it with "wonderful", "magical", "life changing", but the truth is those simple words only diminish the true beauty of what was felt that day! In one single moment I felt the rush of joy of the millions of mothers before me...it's an experience in a category all of its own.

On this day three years ago Collier Andrew Hendricks was born weighing in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces, and 20.5 inches long. He was gorgeous, perfect really, and in an instant stole my heart! And in that instant while I was mesmerized by his presence...I never even realized how different my life would be because of him. Collier was a true blessing from God on so many levels and I thank my Lord for him every night.

Collier has grown so quickly it almost seems impossible that he is three years old. I remember sitting on my hospital bed holding him and looking at my husband as I asked, "they're really going to let us take him home?" My D.H. (dear husband) just laughed, "Yes Sugarpus, he's all yours"! Soon he was rolling over, babbling, sitting up, crawling, walking, running! Collier is so smart and quite intuitive, amazingly empathetic for his age as well as a maniac! I love him so much, so much more than I ever thought possible. I wasn't sure I'd be a good mother, I wasn't sure I would love a child the way you should...I didn't have a great role model, but now I can't imagine not loving him, not holding him, not being a better person for him!

So Happy Birthday Boo! Momma loves you!

Collier's Birthday Party!

Collier's birthday party was Saturday; we were hoping that the weather would be nice and the kids could run around in the yard with various options of activities, but as the week went on it became more and more apparent that Mother Nature had a completely different idea! So I had the pleasure of 13 children and approximately 15 adults crammed into my home for a fun filled party! It worked out okay...we were definitely in close quarters but the kids had fun and the party went great!

I learned a couple of things with this party! First off that children these days know absolutely nothing about "Pin the tail on the Donkey"; I had to get creative with the games considering our first choices were rained out. I must say that once the game was explained and started they all seemed to have a pretty good time with it! Secondly, that allowing basketball games, no matter how small the goal and balls are, is a terrible idea! Apparently even the smallest of children can become "wildmen" when basketball is involved! Third is that pull string pinatas are much more fun if the first person doesn't pull the right string! Who could have imagined that the first kid to pull would rip the thing right open! Made all that "stuffing work" seem so pointless!

Collier had a great time; everyone else seemed to enjoy themselves and therefore I'm calling it a success! Enjoy my fabulous D.H.'s photography!

Awesome Cake courtesy "Main Sweets"!

The set up!

He loved the "Birthday Song"!

Blowing out the Candles!

Checking out the gifts!