Collings Family Reunion

The second weekend in June, we had our annual Collings Family Reunion at Skyline Mountain Resort in Fairview. My mom and Steve took Amelia and Ashley down with them on Thursday afternoon and then Guy and I came down with Elliot that night after Guy got off work. It was nice to be able to get things done without the girls, but Elliot was still really demanding so I didn't get as much done as I wanted to by the time that Guy got home. By the time we got to camp, it was just about time to go to bed so we got everything situated and then made it to bed by about 11:00. We decided to stay with my mom and Steve in their trailer instead of setting up our tent like we usually do and it worked out ok. So, we had 7 people in their tent trailer which made for some pretty cramped living but it was still fun.

On Friday, we had planned to go on a hike but we got a phone call that Jeff and Linda's motorhome had broken down and they were going to need some help. So, once Erin got to camp with the tent trailer, Tamara followed her back to the motorhome so they could unload it and then Jeff would see if he could get it running again. So, we never did make it hiking but the rain kind of prevented that too.

Saturday was our big day of activities. Guy wanted to take us out shooting but with all the preparations for dinner that night, we never got around to it. He started giving us a hard time that we are the "campers who don't do anything!" But really, I like vacations where you just sit around and relax. Activities started at 4:00 down at the cabin and we missed about half of them because we were still making the potato salad for dinner. Oh well. We made it in time for the dress-ups, which was the best part. Right after the parade of dress-ups, it started to rain just a little bit so we decided to move everything down to the pavilion. And it is a good thing that we did. Right after we got all the food set up, it started pouring! And to make it worse, the wind was blowing and it was so cold. Dinner was yummy and luckily Elliot slept in the car through it all so I didn't have to worry about him getting cold. Amelia and Ashley shivered all through dinner though. After dinner was over, the rain started to let up and the kids ran all around. Amelia was having a blast until one of her cousins broke her stick dragon. And Grandma was the only one who could make it all better. We headed back to camp for hot cocoa and popcorn and then it was off to bed.


Sunday morning we had our traditional breakfast, which we should really start calling brunch because we rarely eat before 11:00. We all enjoyed a wonderful breakfast and then...it started to rain. We hurried to get everything out of the rain and then did dishes in the trailer while we waited for it to stop. We were hoping to start packing up to go home, but at the same time, we didn't want to get soaked doing it. So, we packed everything that we could while we were in the trailer and then ventured outside to organize the Durango when the rain let up. Finally, Guy put on a ponch since it never really did stop raining. We finally left to come home at about 4:00 and we were able to get everything unloaded just before the rain started again.

What we were up to in May

The month of May has come and gone and we have been having a ton of fun.


For Mother's Day, we had a great vacation down to Snow Canyon in St. George. On the ride down, Amelia wanted to ride with Grandma and Grandpa so we only had Ashley and Elliot with us. It was a really quiet ride and we really missed having Amelia with us. Ashley, obviously, had to entertain herself. We camped for three nights and on the last night, our air mattress (that had been a wedding gift) got a hole in it and so we bunked with my mom and Steve in their trailer for the night. We also took a little hike to the sand dunes for the kids to play. The trick was getting everyone going early enough so that it wouldn't be too hot. Guy and I also took a little side trip with the kids to Mountain Meadow. It was a little spontaneous and I didn't realize that he was going to stop there or I would have invited everyone to come along. Mother's Day started off with a wonderful breakfast and then furious packing so we could get to Sterling for the second half of the day. Ashley was so tired that she fell asleep on my lap once we got there and slept for about an hour and a half which is really rare for her. Overall, it was a great trip but very hot so we will have to go earlier next year.

We got home late Sunday night so I waited until the next morning to get the girls all cleaned up. And Ashley got her first hair cut. Really it was just a trim so the before and after aren't that different.

before

after

Elliot started playing in the "circle of fun" but really I think that Amelia and Ashley play with it more than he does.

Elliot is doing a great job eating baby cereal. Here he is after a good meal...exhausted. It has made it nice though. Guy and I were able to go out for dinner and a movie and I didn't have to pump as many bottles or worry about him so much.

With the help of my mom and Steve, we pulled out the rose bushes that were in front of the house and planted new bushes and flowers. We have lived in this house for three years and this is the first time that I have planted flowers. I just hope that I don't kill them. I am so excited to see them bloom and thrive.

For Memorial Day, we picked up Tamara and made our annual trip to Ogden. We were supposed to meet the Cawley's there but we were running a little late and missed them by about 10 minutes. After putting flowers out, we drove to a little park and had a little picnic. Tamara and I felt so grown up planning it all by ourselves. Of course, after lunch we went to Farr's for some yummy ice cream. It was crowded (as usual) but definitely worth the wait. On our way out of town, we stopped by Union Station for just a minute. We are already thinking of going back to tour all the trains.

The following weekend, Guy's sister Susan was in town from Alaska so we took a trip down to Sterling to visit with her. Busy times but so much fun.

Elliot is also 5 months old now. He is still trying to roll over but only makes it to his side when he is on his back. He loves putting his toes in his mouth and just about everything else he can get his hands on. He smiles whenever he sees me which I just love. My favorite time of the day is holding him, especially if he is sleeping. He is such a good baby.