2007: A Look Back

I took my 2007 calendar down today and reminisced with Austin and Audrey on all the "good times". It's crazy how clearly I can remember stuff that happened way back in January and February like it was just a couple of days ago. Here's a look back on the highlights of our past year in Hosmerville:

• January: We welcomed 2 new cousins- Joy and Reyna- into the ever- expanding Collins Family. We had Lexi's baby dedication at church. We celebrated Tom's 27th bday with Papa John's pizza and cake. Austin had an idea for the "perfect" birthday gift- a ginormous gumball machine for Tom's man room. 5 hours later, Austin was throwing up; but when no one else got sick, we blamed it on some old dressing he was using as dip. We were wrong, 5 days later all 5 of us were sooo sick. To this day, Austin still cannot chew a gumball without getting nauseous.


• February: I planned a surprise day trip to Chicago in celebration of my mom's 50th bday. Tom, me, the kids, and my mom all took the train over. My bro and his girlfriend Lindsey surprised my mom by taking another train and meeting us in Chicago. We planned to do lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and shop on Michigan Ave. before taking the 6pm train home. Yeah, that was the plan but let's just say that EVERYTHING that could go wrong did, including all 8 of us missing our train back and being "stranded" in Chicago for the nite. I felt completely horrible as all of the planning and preparation for the trip had been my responsibility. I guess I just wasn't cut out for a career as a travel agent. We also celebrated Austin's 4th bday.


• March: Austin took his first step toward a career in the NBA, playing b-ball at the Y. We purchased our "new" van- yay! No more cramming 3 kids into the back of our Equinox. Audrey turned 2 and received a half dozen purses and pairs of shoes. What more could a girl want?


• April: Track season was in full swing. JTV came to the school to interview me and our record breaking 3200 meter relay team. (Thankfully my athletic director called to give me a heads up so that I didn't arrive at practice in sweats, a pony tail, and no make up.) I turned 27 and started to panic about getting old before being calmed by the fact that Shannon will always be a whole year older than me;)


• May: I was diagnosed with pregnancy induced hypothyroidism. My doctor put it in very simple terms when he explained to me that sometime during my pregnancy when my body was busy making a baby, it attacked and killed my thyroid gland- yikes! (and, yes, he actually used the phrase "attacked and killed" though his accent made it sound much more dramatic.) After putting me on a hormone replacement he is pleased with my current levels; I, however, am not. At the rate that I am STILL losing my hair, I will be asking for a wig for my 28th bday; and I won't have to worry about looking too old as my face looks like a pubescent teenager's. Anyone have any insight or suggestions?


• June: Tom and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. He was in Jackson with the kids; I was in GR with my track team at the state track finals... for the second year in a row. Lexi's first tooth appeared. Tom flew down to South Carolina for a guys' weekend with his brother Paul. While he was gone I, along with my mom, brother, and Lindsey, took the kids to Binder Park Zoo.

• July: Tom and I were able to go to Chicago again and this time we actually enjoyed the trip. We had lunch at Giordano's and cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. My mom went to GR with me and the kids for the Collins family reunion. We met up with Jade and Leslie and shared a hotel room with them. We went swimming, Jade and Leslie treated us to dinner at Max and Erma's and we went to John Ball Zoo the next day. The kids loved watching the penguins and the grizzly bear. Surprisingly, after living with my family for more than 24 hours straight, Leslie still talks to me and I think she and Jade are still even planning on having more kids;)

• August: Happy 1st Birthday, Alexis! My baby turned one. We celebrated the big day by getting her ears pierced. She totally flipped, I totally felt like a bad, horrible mommy. We had dinner and ice cream at The Parlour. Later that nite I nursed her for the last time. I congratulated myself on breastfeeding for a whole entire year and celebrated having my body be 100% all mine for the first time in over 3 years. The following Sunday, we had family and friends over to celebrate (her birthday, not my smaller and much saggier chest) with ice cream sundaes and cupcakes in our backyard.

• September: The family and Tom's mom went to Greenfield Village for an old car festival. The kids rode the carousel at least 6 or 7 times. We stayed overnite and went swimming at the hotel before heading back for fireworks. My oldest baby started preschool- sniff. He only goes 2 days a week for a couple hours each day, but he LOVES it. Austin and Audrey both started Cubbies.

• October: Audrey had her first haircut. She did really well sitting still and couldn't wait to get her sucker afterwards. Her little 'do was super cute and she actually lets me blow it dry. We headed to GR for Bailey's Doggie Dash, a 5K run for dogs and their owners. This was the 5th year we have participated, Tom and I taking turns being dragged by Eddy. Tom ran it this year, he was joined for the first time by Jade and Nellie, and Leslie and I cheered from the sidelines with the kids. Unfortunately his owner held him back and Ed finished a dismal 4th (or was it 5th?) in his age group. Kudos to Jade for going out strong and finishing 2nd is his age group=) After the run, we all headed to Chili's and then to a local apple orchard for cider and donuts. We finished the day at RiverTown Crossings, a ginormous shopping mall. We went to the Zoo Boo at Binder Park and we took a Lightning McQueen pit crew chief, a ladybug, and a mermaid trick-or-treating on a windy, freezing cold Halloween nite.

• November: We welcomed Christmas before Thanksgiving with the Christmas parade downtown. We sat in the very middle of the intersection at Jackson and Michigan. Now every time we drive past, Audrey reminds me of how much she liked the parade and wants to go again. Tom and I took my mom and the kids to Birch Run and Bronner's. We were hoping that because we were going before Thanksgiving, the stores wouldn't be quite so busy. We were wrong. For the first time ever, I hosted Thanksgiving dinner for both my and Tom's families. I almost forgot to put the ham in the oven but other than that I think everything else went smoothly.

• December: Tom and I took the train to Chicago and got away, just the 2 of us, for the first time in over 3 years. We had an amazing time dining, exploring, and shopping. We both love Chicago and I really hope we can turn this into an annual tradition. We celebrated Christmas non-stop for almost 2 weeks: Austin's school party, the cheerleaders' party I have at my house every year, Tom's work party, Hosmer family Christmas, our own Hosmerville Christmas and various other lunches and dinners with family and friends. I love this time of year and I love that Austin is getting old enough to start catching on to all of the excitement Christmas brings.

Wow!!! So many fun memories to remember 2007 by. Good times, good times... Here's to an even more memorable, wondrous, adventure filled 2008! Happy New Year!!!