Spring Break 2013

StayCATION 2013!

Easter 2013 - only the girls wanted to pose! We had a grand Easter Egg hunt at our house on Saturday and then enjoyed Sacraments talks at the Ence's ward and a light lunch after. We then visited Great Grandma Chappell and played the harp for her in her HealthCare Center. Very sweet day.

Monday: We put our house in order and then enjoyed a FAB visit from our wonderful Maple Valley neighbors.

Tuesday: To Kneaders for french toast madness - we ordered 5 and really should have only ordered 3!

Thanksgiving Point Museum. Poor Tucker outlasted everyone - he could have stayed all day.
While we were out enjoying the museum and a movie, dad was back home setting up the trampoline.

Day 3 brought the FLU --- yuck, yuck! Day 4 jumping, jumping, jumping!
Day 5 we took the kids to Temple Square and visited the Church History Museum. A first and very delightful experience for all.

 The BEST part about being around the "Square" at conference time is running into people you haven't seen in ages. Love and miss these guys:(!

 Eliza making a wish before throwing her money into the fountain!

 

 No better way to end a good week than with a wonderful conference session. We spend our conferences in our pajamas eating sweet rolls making crafts wrapped up in warm, fuzzy blankets!

 

 

 

 

 



Welcome To Alpine

Home

We packed everything we own into this garage, and then shut the door on it for one week. I wish I had a better shot of all the furniture stacked on top of each other. 

What do I love the most about being in Utah? THE SUN. We have been outside non stop. 7 Peaks water park, bike rides, running, hiking, swimming. We can't get enough - it is wonderful!

This is the view from the parking lot of our church. It doesn't do this cute little town justice. We are tucked into the far northeast corner of Utah county. Even though I grew up with these mountains, I am still in awe of their beauty. 

There are still boxes lingering, but here are a few pics to get you started.

Family Room

Entry way

Eden's room

Kitchen

Living Room (music area)

Who knows what led us to this area, but I am in love. This little town is just about the cutest thing ever. We live about one block from City Hall and every day, during day light hours the town bell rings on the hour. People and children flood the streets with bikes, roller blades and wagons. Our children haven't made a lot of friends yet (except Eden, our social butterfly) and so Dave and I have become the main source of entertainment. It has actually been a blessing in disguise. We don't have any real commitments right now and have really enjoyed board games, basketball, bike rides, trips to the local shaved ice stand, parks and more with the kids. I've been craving an organized home for sometime and had no idea that it would take move across the states to make it happen. We dejunked and only brought the essentials into the home.

Life is good. HOWEVER, I think my son Luke said it best. "Utah is just about the best place on earth, only one thing would make it better - if all of our friends from Maple Valley were here with us." Amen Luke.

After 6 LONG months of anticipation, moving day finally arrived. You'd think that with that much time to prepare that I would have had a grip on my emotions. Not so. Just as we were about to drive away, the heavens opened and cried with us. I clung to my best friend until the very moment I had to drive away in the car. I felt so very hollow leaving that neighborhood - we have amazing friends,a wonderful home and neighborhood. We had so much help with our move. Countless men packing the truck, friends and family cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, wonderful meals and so much love. 

HOWEVER, that hollow feeling was quickly replaced with panic as we found out that our truck had mechanical issues. We had to haul the entire family along with 2 moving vans to a city that was 15 miles away. Fortunately it was a quick fix but it did set us back about 3 hours. Approximately 1 hour into the drive, my van mirror on the passenger side door fell off - OK, didn't completely fall off, but it was hanging by a thread, which by the way caused the mirror to smack into the window every time I went over a bump. I am sure the drivers behind me got quick a kick out of us! Dave met me just before Yakima to duck(t) taped it back together. After two LONG days, we made it safely to Alpine and our sweet family was waiting there to help us unload our trucks. The house we were moving into wasn't going to be ready for another week and so we had to try and attempt to get 2, 26' trucks full of our life and pack them into a small, 2 car garage. No words can describe the craft that went into this effort. Pictures coming...
No move is complete without an injury (or two) I took a chunk out my achilles with a table, but my dad patched it up with some alcohol (not to drink, but that would have been nice...) and some cool yellow band-aids. #2 Tucker was sitting on Eden's lap and got thrown off a tire swing after he had been twisted and turned several times. He went into the house (that we are not supposed to occupy until next week) and threw up ALL over the bathroom. Last but not least,  it only took Liza 10 minutes in the new yard to get a reprimand from our 92 year old neighbor. See, no matter where we live, the Collings will always be the same!


Stay tuned for more of our adventures from Utah.


PS - you know you are in Utah when the local grocery store is selling CTR and Articles Of Faith stickers at the checkout stand...

Last minute trip

Alpine wins!

After 4 months of research, much prayer and constant KSL surfing, we found a house. We are headed to Alpine at the beginning of June. Not sure what we are doing from now until then, but it will all work out. Pictures to follow...

We're moving

17 years and 7 months ago I left my home and moved to the great Northwest.  There have been so many opportunities to move back as a single adult, married and then with children, but it never quite felt right.  For whatever reason, Dave and I feel very strong that this is our time.  Dave has been working from home for the past two years and we don't know how much longer that will last.

So where to next?  We don't really know. One of the reasons we felt so inspired to leave at this time is Tucker's eligibility to get into the dual immersion chinese program.  About the program:

Utah Chinese Dual Immersion

In the Utah Chinese Elementary Immersion Programs, instruction is divided between two high quality, creative classrooms: one English and one Chinese. Students enjoy the advantage of two caring, qualified teachers. The English-speaking teacher uses half of the instruction day to teach English language arts and other elements of the curriculum; the Chinese-speaking teacher uses the other half of the day to teach Chinese language arts and portions of the math, social studies, science, and other topics from the grade-appropriate level of the Utah State Core Curriculum. You’ll be delighted how quickly your child becomes a comfortable and competent Chinese speaker.

I heard about this program two years ago and had sweet visions of my children being involved.  At that time, it seemed like an impossible dream.  I started filling out applications January 1st for every school that I thought we'd like to live by.  It is a lottery and we've been fortunate to receive an acceptance to a school in Cottonwood Heights and another in Alpine.  I just sent in two applications for South Jordan as well.  I have been looking at homes online 2-3x a day for the past three months and have yet to find something that sticks.  My daughter keeps reminding me that our house will be ready for us, when it is time for us to move.  We are heading to Utah in two weeks to start the search --- so anxious to see what turns up!

SOOOO, what will it be?

Cottonwood Heights

Or, Alpine????

Or, South Jordan ???

Today we had our annual Christmas card photo shoot with our trusty Nikon and a timer. Next time, I really need to get my act together in October and hire someone!

bye bye Sassy Mei

All of my Sassy Mei peeps decided to up and move out of the beautiful state of Washington. They all claim it was "job related" but I secretly know it was the RAIN that drove them away! After months of deliberation, Cadie and I decided to ship Sassy Mei off to Utah with her. I have desperately missed my music and am already thrilled to use whatever spare time I have to practice - the question is, for what am I practicing? hmmm...still trying to decide;)Anyway, Sassy Mei was my first little start up company and I will miss working with the most amazing women in the world. I will NOT miss the endless hours spent marketing, managing and reconciling though...So, for all of you in Utah, Sassy Mei will be making a debut next November somewhere in SLC.

Next subject - PINTEREST. I've heard this site was addicting and thus decided to not go there. Last week I took a peek and that was the end of that. Makes me want to do all sorts of things that I just don't have time to do. Like THIS:

My brain totally thinks like this, so why have my thoughts not become my actions?

I have also been dying to do this THIS:

Black stair case with white trim...ooh la la, it would totally go with my harp and piano :()