Date!

Zach and I went to a movie today! In a theater! By ourselves! Pardon my excitement, but it had been two years since we did that. Our babysitting funds tend to get spent when we go to Care Group (church small group) or to IUP Women's Club functions. Not much left for enjoying ourselves alone. But today we got a free afternoon courtesy of Austin's doting grandparents, who were only too happy to have him to themselves! And it was wonderful. Lunch at P.F. Chang's (so yummy; don't have one of those in Indiana, PA) and then The Blind Side in a real, non-drive-in theater. So nice!

Home for the Holidays

I met a man who lived in Tennessee and he was headed for
Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie.
From Pennsylvania folks are travelin' down
to Dixie's sunny shores.
From Atlantic to Pacific, gee the traffic is terrific.

Oh there's no place like home for the holidays.
For no matter how far away you roam,
If you want to be happy in a million ways
For the holidays you can't beat home sweet home.

These classic lyrics by the Carpenters (written from memory, excuse any mistakes) have been on my mind a lot this week because we "traveled down" from Pennsylvania to visit our family in Texas. It is home sweet home indeed and we are so glad to be here. Dixie's sunny shores it is NOT, though. Although it was sunny and warm yesterday for the first day of our visit, today turned cold. Would you believe we are going to have a White Christmas in Texas?

NOT the Collins Family Christmas Picture

It is hard to take a family picture with a one year old, you know?

Mmm...chocolate chips make for quick smiles.

We tried to get a smile with food.

Thanks, Ashley, for all the cute pictures!