Independence Day

Excitement is in the air! I think even this tomato knew it was Independence day and decided to dress in red!

 

 

 Actually, since I started my new job, my holidays are not what they used to be. I had to work on July 3rd and 4th. I work graves, so I was home during the day on the 4th, but I do have to sleep... so, it was kind of a weird holiday. Kaylea is working in Alaska, Steve is working in New Jersey, and Conner likes spending his time with friends, so Steve and I were alone for most of the morning. I slept right through the parade, which was a first.

Jessica and Chris came over in the afternoon and we all went to the city park for festivities. There was a car show and a lot of booths.

 We got Avery's face painted, and tried to get a picture of her with a professional photographer. That was NOT easy. She has way too much energy to be expected to sit down, or stand still for a picture!!

After lunch at the park, we decided it was way too hot, so we came back to the house and put Avery down for a nap, then Jessica and I went to Walmart to buy a swimming pool, because our community pool did not open this year... the county can't afford it... don't get me started...

Avery LOVED the pool!! She had so much fun splashing around and playing with the floaty toys we got for her. The adults actually sat around the pool soaking our feet too. It did help to cool us all off!

 I had to go to work by 7:30, which doesn't work for fireworks. We actually have an amazing view from our front yard, but after I left for work, Steve went to bed, and Conner was still out with friends. Jessica and Chris decided it would be better to drive closer to their home in Provo to watch fireworks, then they would get home more quickly when it was over.

I got to see fireworks from my patient's front window. I could see them going off all over the Tooele valley. It was beautiful, but not nearly as nice as watching them with my family.

Ready to leave

Conner has been very excited to try life away from Grantsville for a year. He is going to live in Massachusetts with my brother and his family. Before he leaves us, he had a few things to accomplish.

 

After 3 years in braces....

 

...they're off!

 

It's amazing how much Conner has changed in just 3 years!! Pretty handsome if I do say so myself!!

 

The next accomplishment is kind of funny. Conner has been 16 for 3 months now, and has had his learner's permit since he turned 15. We had him all signed up for Driver's Ed at the high school, but after the first day he said he knew everything, and this was just a class to help them get a learner's permit. I told him that wasn't the case, he needed Driver's Ed if he wanted to get his license. He didn't believe me, and just went to the Counseling office and dropped out of that class.  I didn't know about it until a few weeks later, I wasn't happy, but thought maybe he needs to deal with the consequences of his actions. When he turned 16, he said he wanted to get his license. I call the Driver's license division and asked what was required, surprise, surprise, you have to have so many hours of in class education!

 

Once school got out, we signed him up for a private driver's ed, and on July 2nd, Conner is finally a licensed driver!!!! A great day!!!

I do have to say, I have gone through the driving process with all 4 of my kids. I let them drive as much as possible with their learner's permit. It has caused me to have a few grey hairs. It is truly SCARY!! But, of all my kids, Conner has been the safest driver. I never worried while I was in the car with him. He has always been very competent, and careful. He is the only one of my kids who did not hit into something, or break or dent my car. I'm so proud of him.

We have accomplished all we need to do to send him away for a year. The only thing left is for mom to shed a few tears.... I'm not ready for him to leave us! Hopefully it will be a really good experience!

Wright family camp out

I was in charge of the Collings family camp out this summer, and as I was looking into places to go with Steve's family, I started to think how fun it would be to get my family together. They are scattered all over the world, but I just thought I'd reserve a group site at a camp ground, and invite whoever wanted to come. I was really surprised! Jamie's family came from Nauvoo, and mom and dad came from Washington state to camp with us!! David tried, but their kids didn't get out of school until late, and it just wouldn't work with their schedule. Tera's family is still in Germany, and Thad's family is in Massachusetts, which is definitely a long way to travel with the family for a camping trip.

 

We camped in the mountains above the town of Ephriam, Utah. Which was only a few miles away from Manti. During June, there is a pageant in Manti, on the temple grounds. Our first night, all of the family members who wanted to, went to the Manti Pageant. It's been many years since most of us have seen the pageant, and they have changed things up a bit. It was really nice.

 

Lee's family didn't get there until a few days later, so he took his family to the Pageant on Tuesday.

We spent our days just enjoying each other.

 Playing horse shoes.

Playing badminton.

 Going on hikes with the cousins.

 And the men practiced their hatchet throwing skills!

 The kids enjoyed the first hike so much, they wanted to take their cousins who just arrived on the same hike. So Conner and I hiked the mountain twice with the younger cousins.

 Even Maizey enjoyed the great outdoors.

 Conner spent quality time learning the art of splitting logs. He was tentative at first, but ended up getting pretty good at it.

 This is my buddy Ed. We got along pretty well!

On the last day we had a treasure hunt for the kids. The girls got a special fairy treasure hunt, and the boys got a stinky, dragon treasure hunt. All of them ended up with a treasure chest full of sweet treats. Conner was the only one of my own kids that were able to make it. Jessica was traveling to Oregon with her little family, Steve is working back East doing sales, and Kaylea is in Alaska working at a fish plant to save money for her mission.  It was really fun to spend time with my brothers and sisters and their families. I really missed those who were unable to attend, but it was fun to hang out, and play games with those who were able to make it. It was sad to see it end.

Changes for Kaylea

June 5, 2013 was a very exciting day for Kaylea. After 8 months of working, saving, and preparing, she finally got her mission call!!

 

We posted this picture on Facebook, and invited any friends or family who wanted to come see her open it that night.

 

We ended up having quite a houseful of guests, along with a few who joined us via Face-time and Skype.

 

 Sister Collings, you are hereby called to serve in the California, Ventura mission. Entering the MTC in Provo, Utah on October 9, 2013.

 

That was definitely a surprise to all of us. We all had tried to guess where she would serve, and California had not been chosen by anyone! She's very excited, especially to know she'll have electricity, and pretty normal food, etc.

 

After Kaylea received her mission call, she had to leave the next week to go to Alaska. She will be working there at a fish plant to save money for her mission. It should be interesting. They will not have any phone or internet service, except for a pay phone. So we bought a calling card for her, and told her to call us every Sunday.

 

Before she left for this new adventure, I took her and Conner out to lunch at Casa Del Rey here in Grantsville. Just a small goodbye lunch.

It's pretty weird, my kids are leaving one by one. Kaylea now, and Conner next month. I know this is going to be hard work for Kaylea, she says they work 16 hour days, but it should help her to earn the money she needs for her mission in just a few short months.

Wyoming surprises

Steve and I traded in our old camper trailer for a new one. We have such a hard time getting our kids to go camping with us anymore, so we found one that fits the two of us perfectly. Not too big, not too small. Now that we have a new camper, we really wanted to use every opportunity we could to get out into the great outdoors!!

 

I had a few free days on my work schedule, and Steve had work in Wyoming, so we decided to go on a work, play trip.

 

Steve reserved a camp spot at Fort Bridger, Wyoming.

 

About 5 years ago, Steve and I purchased 38 acres of land outside of Evanston Wyoming. When the realtor took us to the property, he said the dirt road we were on continues to Fort Bridger. In the 5 years that we have camped on our property, we never took the road to the East, but while we were camping, we decided to find the road to our property.

 

What we found was such a surprise to us!!

 

 These are old charcoal kilns that were used in the 1860's. These kilns are walking distance from our property, just to the East. They are just over a small hill, so they can't be seen from our property. I can't believe we had no idea they were there.

 

Right next to the road, a small distance from the kilns is a ghost town!! The town of Piedmont, Wyoming! Again, we were so surprised that we had never seen this place, it was so close to our property!!

 

Piedmont was once a stop on the railroad, and in fact, had some significant history right about the same time as the joining of the rails at Promontory point in Utah.

 The railroad had just finished, and the big wigs of the railroad were taking a train to Promontory Point for the joining of the rails. But railroad workers had not been paid for their work. They were concerned that they would never be paid if they didn't make a stand now.

 So the train was stopped in Piedmont, and the railroad owners were held there for a couple of days, until they paid the railroad workers. Once paid, they were allowed to go on their way. The dirt road that we were driving on, was actually where the railroad used to be, but has since been moved.

 There are still about 20 cabins there today, and people are allowed, with permission, to walk through this ghost town. It's really amazing to see! And, again, such a surprise that we have been so close all these years!! It was so fun to find out the history of the area. This land is also where the Mormon Pioneers walked when they were travelling to the Salt Lake Valley. There is definitely an amazing feeling in this part of Wyoming. And, although I'm surprised to find a ghost town so close to our property, I have always loved it there because of the feelings I have when I'm there. It's an amazing place.

 Camping there at Fort Bridger was really a treat. We were able to walk all around the grounds, and learn all about the history here as well.

 Below is a replica of how Fort Bridger looked when the Mormon pioneers traveled to the Salt Lake Valley. It was just a small fort with a store and blacksmith area. They could get some supplies, and repair their wagons, and rest their animals.

We were only gone a couple of days, but thoroughly enjoyed our stay in the Bridger valley of Wyoming.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day was spent in West Valley City, UT at the cemetery. Both sets of Steve's grandparents, and his younger brother, Douglas are buried there. We visited the gravesites, and then went to lunch with Conner and Kaylea.

 

In the car on the way home, Kaylea and Conner were listening to the radio, and singing along at the top of their lungs, while video taping themselves. I don't think I've ever heard Conner sing so loud. It was so fun. They were dancing along to the music, and just being goofy. It's so nice when they get along, and have fun together. I love days spent together as a family.

Last day at Rocky Mountain Retina

These are some of the girls I've gotten to know, and worked with over the past year. These are the ladies I travel with, and work side by side with. They have been my friends, and my mentors. I had the opportunity to start a new job doing Pediatric Home Health care. I took it, because I was afraid I was forgetting some of the nursing skills I learned while in nursing school, and just couldn't see myself in eyes for many years to come.

 

 Pictured here are from left to right, back row: Donna, Kristen, and me. Front row: Heather, Krista, Jodie, and Becca.

My last day with the company ended up being a travel day. We went to Lander Wyoming. I had to get a picture in front of the van that we drive from the airport to the clinic. It's so old, you can see the road in a crack between the door and the floor. I always stay far away from that sliding door!

 And a view from the airplane as we were flying home. Definitely will miss the flying!

 I had a patient who needed emergency surgery. He was traveling to Salt Lake from Wyoming, and was extremely distraught about the procedure, and just what to expect throughout the process. I spent about an hour on the phone with him as he was traveling to Salt Lake, just explaining everything. He called me several times that day, and then I was able to take care of him on his post-op visit. When I introduced myself at the clinic, he just said "Tracy!! Thank you so much!". It was really rewarding.

Well after I quit, I received a text with these pictures attached. It was from that patient. He had sent this bouquet of flowers with the card that said to Dr. Goff, Nurse Tracy, and staff.

I was really touched. I will miss working here. It has really been rewarding, and I have learned so much!!