Camp Collins

Ski Trip 2010

2010-01-31T16:33:00.001-08:00

The Collins family headed up to Sierra Summit (just outside Fresno California) one Sunday afternoon in January, spent the night at the lodge and then had a day on the slopes.

Andrew had the biggest challenge, giving snow boarding a try. After a few tries on the bunny hill, he made it down the big hills in one piece. It was an adjustment for him after years of flying down on skies, but he mastered the challenge and lived to tell about it! We'll see if he's brave enough to try it again next snow season.

Amy and Timmy, their second time on a snow board, tried the slopes with only a few spills on the way day down. Amy had a great idea of riding the snow board down as a sled. It worked pretty awesome! This year, we actually have pictures of Timmy standing up so I must say his snowboarding abilities have improved!

Sarah had her best year yet! She mastered those skies and did her best at keeping up with Dad. She only did a few short trips down the bunny hill and then she was off to the big slopes with Dad. Bob enjoy the day on skies too. He had no regrets and no sore knees the next day. That's a thumbs up for him. The weather, as you can see, was warm, sunny and bright. Beautiful day on the slopes!

Graham Cracker House Building

2009-12-27T22:47:00.000-08:00

Graham Cracker House Time! It's our favorite time of the year!

It is an annual tradition to head to the Duerr's home each Christmas break to build and decorate Graham Cracker Houses. First the battle is to use the frosting and crackers to build the most unique house one can design. Then the challenge is on to find the fun decorations to make your creation one of style and pizazz! Everyone succeeded this year once again to build their own fun creation with graham crackers--and they even survived the trip home!

Another afternoon was spent decorating our own Ginger Bread House and decorating it with icing and candy goodies to make a lively and festive house ready for the winter holiday. Timmy the creator enjoys this challenge along with Amy the designer and Sarah the eater--oops, I mean decorator!

A Collins Christmas

2009-12-27T22:33:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Collins!

We celebrated Christ's birth with a beautiful Christmas Eve Service and supper with cousins followed by a time of prayer and worship to God for sending us His son.

Christmas morning came and the girls quickly woke up Mom and Dad so they could open their stockings and presents from one another.

Dad's highlight was receiving TWO Patriotic Bronco T-shirts!
Andrew's highlight was a Razor to zip around the college campus and another Magic Mountain season pass!
Timmy was thrilled with Wrangler jeans and a western shirt and pocket knife while Sarah delighted in a Polly Pocket snowboarding/skiing set and her own MP3 player!

Grandma was blessed with a one cup coffee maker, pierced earrings, the Julie and Julia movie and a gift for house cleaning. Can't beat that one!

Sylvia received her dream--a working kitchen light and new frying pans! I guess this will be another year of cooking in the kitchen!

Wise Guys and Starry Skies

2009-12-27T22:08:00.001-08:00

Grace Bible performed a delightful performance of Wise Guys and Starry Skies portraying and excellent version of the wise men seeking baby Jesus.
This musical was directed by the best, Tricia Harriger, and after months of practice came off spectacular! Sarah was a "wise guy" entertaining the audience with a few solos and trios and singing loudly about our Savior's birth.

Even Amy and Timmy participated with a few speaking parts which added to the story line. Everyone enjoyed the three kings following the star to find baby Jesus. And yes, we had a real baby Jesus and mother Mary who delighted the audience with a beautiful song.

Grace Bible church never ceases to amaze us with the talents and gifts God has given. This year's Christmas program was one of our favorites!

2009-12-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas Melodrama

Amy acted in her school's Christmas Melodrama titled The Santa Clause Conspiracy. It was a cute little play actually written by one of the students. She starred as a reporter trying to find information about the mad professor and his new machine. After the show, the kids entertained everyone with Christmas carols with a little twist. A fun night was had by all.

2009-12-27T21:46:00.001-08:00

Christmas Parade

The Bakersfield Christmas Parade was a big event for the Collins family again! We joined a friend from church, Twinkie Winkie the Christian Clown, as she paraded through downtown Bakersfield.

Sarah had the opportunity to play Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the parade while Amy walked behind Twinky Winky the Clown. Timmy and Sylvia drove Twinkie's car and followed the nativity scene. The saddest part of the event was that we forgot baby Jesus (Sarah's doll) on the kitchen table. We rolled up a blanket and Sarah carried an empty blanket through the parade--no one even noticed!

The weather was a little cool but not bad for a Bakersfield December evening. There were over 100 entries in the parade this year so it was fun being in the middle of one of Bakersfield's best holiday events.

Merry Christmas from Sarah and Twinkie Winkie!

Fair Time

2009-09-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

We exhibited items in the Kern County Fair once again. Our last minute decision to enter an outdoor garden scene was successful due to the creativity of Timmy, Amy, & Sarah. With only one day's time and efforts (and a lot of items found in the back yard) the kids created a remarkable outdoor scene that fit in with the fair's theme, "Best in the West." They improvised a bit by using an old outhouse door with a cowboy touch titling the exhibit "Best 'Rest' in the West" and it earned them a 1st place ribbon! With some rocks from the back yard, Grandpa's milk can and cream can, a few pumpkins grown in our garden, some wheat and a hand made fence by Timmy, it appeared as country as one can get. A trip to Home Depot added the necessary color and Amy finished it off by designing a map labeling all the planted greenery by name. A success story for the Collins Kids.

Bob's 50th Birthday

2009-08-30T23:06:00.001-07:00

Bob celebrated his big "50" birthday at El Portal Mexican Restaurant with friends and family. He enjoyed a delicious Mexican dinner followed by Spanish singers treating him to a "Happy Birthday" song in Spanish and a traditional Mexican dessert.

Bob enjoyed opening his 50 birthday cards from friends and family around the country. It took him more than 50 minutes to open and read his collection of cards. He was surprised to receive so many birthday cards from so many friends. A delightful surprise I must add.

The kids all got together and wrote out 50 things they learned from Dad so that was a special treat to read as well.

The night ended with Bob opening his own "Bob the Builder" Scrapbook showcasing all the remodeling projects Bob has mastered in his wood working career! It was over 20 years of work all in one photo album. It was a pleasant surprise and will be cherished for years to come.

A fun evening was had by all.

Quail Valley

2009-08-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

We're always up to exploring new territory and this summer we found out about a great little camping place only one hour away--Quail Valley Resort! It's nestled away only 60 miles NE of Bakersfield. Some new friends and their three little girls joined us for a weekend of camping up at Quail Valley. A beautiful little creek circled the campground and was found to be hours of entertainment. Even some delicious blackberries were picked near the flowing creek.

A short drive found us to the giant redwoods where we took the Trail of 100 Giants and explored the forest and saw many of the big, or shall I say huge, redwood trees. Our creator is amazing in making such humongous trees--His beauty never ceases to amaze us!

Fishing in the pond provided an opportunity to get out the fishing poles and bait the hooks. Almost everyone had a tug on their line and pulled in a fish before the weekend was over!

Hume Lake Camping

2009-08-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

Our summer would never be complete with out a camping trip with our friends from church. As often in the past, Hume Lake was chosen as our destination for this summer camping. We had some new families join us which was a blast!

A week in the mountains is a vacation that everyone needs now and then. The smell of pine, the warmth of the fire, the splash in the lake as the canoe tips are all part of life at Hume.

Campfires, canoeing, walks around the lake, and fishing where enjoyed by everyone. Some even ventured into paintball and the zip line--which was a treat almost everyone enjoyed.

Mike & Liz Bussell and their two girls joined our group so stories of life in Africa and music from Mike filled our evening campfire. What a joy to have the Bussell family share in our camping experience. Sarah loved outdoor time with Lily and Abby--exploring, canoeing, running, playing.

Amy & Timmy's biggest challenge was to "get up" on the floating log--it's a lot harder than it looks! After much trial and error they both succeeded--well at least for a few seconds. Timmy enjoyed canoeing and exploring up the river and Sarah was the lucky one to catch the only fish--a beautiful rainbow trout while out canoeing.

Summer memories of the Collins kids will always include Hume Lake--a beautiful mountain vacation--and fortunately there were no bears seen this year!

South Dakota

2009-08-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

Our family vacation continued after Little Rock, Branson, Wisconsin, Minnesota with a wonderful few days at Rapid City, South Dakota. Beautiful country! Rolling hills--all green--of course, rivers, creeks, lakes, and so many, many family fun activities.

As you probably know from history, South Dakota is know for being Indian country! Indeed it is. We encountered our first Indian at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. Amy & Sarah were a little shocked but relaxed a little until seeing buffalo cross the road--not quite an every day experience. We actually had to wait for part of the herd to slooooowly cross the road. There were hundreds of them near Custer State Park.

Mt. Rushmore was one of our favorites! It was not only magnificent during the day as you gazed at the beauty of the monuments, but awesome in the evening lit up in the night sky. Everyone ought to see it. Their evening program was patriotic expressing tribute to the four faithful men of our country's past. Every American can be thankful for our freedom and what these brave men stood for in our nation's past.

The Circle R Dinner Show was our next favorite activity. We enjoyed an exciting horse back ride during the afternoon and then a shoot-out and cowboy dinner show with the most delicious beef and chicken you've ever had served on a tin plate. Old cowboy songs filled the evening with guitar, bass, and that good old country singing (and yes, they did catch the Biscuit Bandit).

A huge maze entertained the kids for quite some time one afternoon--they're goal was to find their way to all four corner posts before returning to their starting post--a true challenge it was!

Bear Country USA was one of those "I can't believe it" places where bears roamed the hills and you drove your car right past them. I think we counted 50 bears! All easily seen from our vehicle. The most precious sight was at the end where there were 14 baby bears playing together--it looked like a scene from a fairy tale. Sarah was convinced she now NEEDS a pet bear to add to her collection.

We continued on our journey through Wyoming where we visited Thermopolis and enjoyed an evening swim in the natural hot spring fed pool. They had two large pools, one extremely hot for the brave, and one moderately hot for people like me. A buffalo at the local park was also a fun climbing adventure before we moved on our trip.

Grandma & Grandpa's Farm

2009-08-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

The highlight of our road trip east is always a trip to Grandma & Grandpa Dean's farm in Minnesota and this summer that was no exception. We all enjoyed baling hay on the farm and going on an old fashioned hay ride down the road! It was so much fun!

Our trip began with a drive through Branson, Missouri, after leaving Arkansas. A '57 Heaven Museum was unbelievable with everything from the year 1957. You've got to see it! Pretty awesome as it was all in perfect condition. Amy's highlight was the $1 jewelry store. . . or was it finding a Krispy Kream donut store for breakfast! Both were pretty exciting.

We enjoyed the new windmills we found everywhere when finally arriving in southern Minnesota. The weather was cool and so refreshing after being in the south. We spend a couple days in Wisconsin visiting cousins Lance and Marcia--pretty entertaining people--at Cindy & Dan's before returning to Minnesota for a family picnic and catch up with all of Sylvia's brothers and sisters. You'll all be happy to know that Carmon does have the "Dexter" cream can now and is treasuring every minute with it.

The 4th of July was spent going to a parade in Austin (one of our family's favorite traditions) and hitting a city celebration at the park and "free" ice cream cones at a local church. The fireworks that evening in Grand Meadow were awesome! A true spectacular view of our country's independence that we celebrate.

Farmer Timmy loved every minute on Grandpa's farm. The girls loved it as well and got a game of croquet going most every day. We celebrated Grandma's 77th birthday with family and put together beautiful glider chairs for Grandma and Grandpa to enjoy the summer together in.

No visit to Grandma & Grandpa's farm is complete without a wiener roast and picnic outside. The weather was plesant, the pop delicious and the marshmallow a golden brown. The evening ended with Amy winning her new card game 500!

Cowboy Tim, Cowgirl Amy, and Tractor driver Sarah could live months on the farm if given a chance. But for now, it's just wonderful memories of time spent with Grandma and Grandpa in Minnesota.

Grand Canyon & Arkansas

2009-08-03T11:48:00.001-07:00

Family vacation at the Collins home is not a real vacation without a road trip east. This summer (09) Bob yielded to popular demand and planned a road trip to Little Rock Arkansas. Despite leaving our eldest son, Andrew, at home it was another great family adventure.

We started with a drive to the Grand Canyon and arrived after dark. Setting up camp in the black of night is always a challenge but it allowed us to rise early the next morning and enjoy some breathtaking view of the Grand Canyon. We've often heard that the Grand Canyon is one of the most visited National Parks and we now understand why. The awesomeness of it is unbelievable. Only a great God could create such wonder! We were amazed at the depth and attribute it's making to the worldwide flood of the Bible.

We not only had the opportunity to walk along the edge for some distance absorbed in it's view, but then we traveled by bus to see more breath-taking views of the Colorado River below and the beautiful redrock below. It definitely is a view everyone should take in at some point in their lives.

We had a slight slow down when passing through Hollbrook, Arizona, and finding a putrid odor to the town. To our amazement, the odor was our own van--oil burning on the engine and when we saw smoke bellowing out of our van, we took to the shoulder and had an emergency exit. God was gracious in having us break down just a short mile out of a town that had a KOA campround and restaurants within walking distance. We spent the night in hurricane winds and rain and with the van back running the next morning, heading on to our destination of Little Rock, Arkansas.

We arrived Sunday night at the Scheideman's and enjoyed a wonderful welcome from our friends. We had the opportunity during our week visit to hike up Pinnacle Mountain and enjoy a beautiful view of the Arkansas River and the Little Rock area--it was gorgeous! We also enjoy a stroll over the world's longest pedistrian bridge, Big Dam Bridge, viewing a beautiful summer sunset.

A visit to downtown Little Rock included a ride on the city trolley car pointing out city sites and viewing the Peabody ducks as they splashed into their hotel pond. Along with trips to swim meets, swimming pools, a water park, and church activities, we most enjoyed visiting with our friends and catching up on each other's lives from the past year.

We will try not to mention the heat--but yes it was hot in Little Rock. High 90's and then add the humidity--fun at the water park and swimming pool was enjoyed by all.

The children all enjoyed a week of playtime with their best friend from years past. Practical jokes were the hit of the week with the boys silly-stringing the girls at breakfast to the girls stringing the boys bedroom to look like a spider web. Orange milk was disguised to be orange juice, sour spray to wake up others at night. The fun never ended!

The guys played some pool in the game room and Bob showed off his skills from many years at the fire station. We ladies just enjoyed chatting with Kelly's new friends and a lunch out together.

Our week ended with a trip to Kelly's parents in Bellevista and a weekend on the lake. Amy enjoyed taking a try at water skiing and Sarah and Cade enjoyed kyaking. The beauty and green of Arkansas is awesome--a creation of our maker we'll all enjoy in the new earth.

There's nothing better than a comfortable chair and a visit with old friends. The Scheideman's are doing well and enjoying their new life in Little Rock and were wonderful hosts for our family visiting the new town.

Beach Camping

2009-08-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

Carpinteria State Beach turned out to be our favorite beach camping place yet! The campground was right on the beach and the kids could just walk over the sand dune and find themselves immediately enjoying the ocean waves.

Our days were filled with sand castle building (Timmy's favorite), frisbee (Andrew's favorite), volleyball (Amy's favorite), and collecting sea treasurers (Sarah's favorite). Sylvia and Bob enjoyed visiting with friends and the walks along the beach. We found a nice hike down the coast along the water where the kids collected wood, starfish, sea shells, and crabs. We viewed a seal rookery along the way and the beautiful California coastline. (This is why we live in California!)

The Laybourns, Singletons, and Medinas joined us on the three day adventure and added much fun to our castle building, frisbee, and volleyball. Timmy was not only excited to have school over, but to enjoy the sandy beach and have opportunity to build more exciting sand formations. It was great having Andrew join us for our first 09 family vacation as he's a great game player around the campfire and on the beach. Amy and Sarah enjoyed just being with friends all day and enticing a little gopher with various size treats watching them disappear into his whole.

The beach--cool, relaxing, and beautiful. A great get-away from the Bakersfield heat. Friends and family made it the perfect vacation spot.

Calfiornia History in Columbia State Park

2009-04-29T23:21:00.001-07:00

California History was lived for a couple days up at Columbia State Park. Sarah's history group which has studied California History for the past 9 months spent some time living in the past as they visit Columbia State Park near Sonora California.

Our adventure began by looking for the largest flake of gold ever found. It was displayed at this beautiful vineyard. The Vineyard was huge and covered with green lawns, flowers, trees, and more flowers. A paradise of beauty.

The next day we had a tour of Columbia, an old gold town still portrayed in the 1850s. We had a docent led tour of the store, fire station, and school house. The school house teacher actually taught a lesson as she would have in the 1850s with the girls sitting on one side of the room and the boys on the other, using chalk slates and standing when addressed by the teacher before answering. It was a good practical look at what it was like to be a student in the 1850s in California.

We also had the opportunity to search the town looking for trivia answers to what it was like living in a gold town. The students explored the bank, black smith, barber shop, and various other parts of a gold town with their little red book in hand. After lunch it was time to pan for gold! We had a lesson on how to pan for gold and then took our time looking for those precious little flakes of gold to remain in our gold pan. We even got to keep what we found--hurray!

Columbia was a fun experience for kids and adults--the history so rich and the friendships so wonderful. If you haven't been there, it's a great little vacation spot we think you'd enjoy.

Drama Production

2009-04-29T23:20:00.001-07:00

Valley Oaks performed two plays, Adventures in Neverland, and Without the Book. Both plays were written by Valley Oaks home schooled boys. Adventures in Neverland was one of those plays you just had to laugh. It was based on Peter Pan and his adventures in Neverland with a little twist as it was Patty Pan (a girl) and the lost girls (not boys) who had the adventures avoiding pirates.

The second play, Without the Book, was it's own story about how an evil sorcerer wanted to have control of all the fair tales and make sure there were no more happily ever after endings. It was a hodge podge of characters ranging from the Big Bad Wolf, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and of course Prince Charming--although two characters were battling for this title.

Directed by Gerri Woessner, Valley Oaks Drama Director, the plays were a huge success and loved by everyone who came.

The most exciting part for our family was seeing Amy starring as one of the lost girls in Adventures in Neverland. Never shy to the stage, she did outstanding acting and speaking her part with confidence and poise. It's a play you'll have to get a video copy to enjoy yourself.

Easter at the Collins

2009-04-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

Resurrection Day! Easter is probably the most exciting day in our family because it solidifies our faith. Without Christ's resurrection from the dead, our Christian faith means nothing. But Christ did rise, He has risen indeed! Christ has power over death and over our sin. Jesus Christ was indeed the sacrificial lamb that died for our sins. He is the ONLY way to God and that is what we celebrated this Easter Sunday.

We colored Easter eggs the old fashion way with vinegar, water, and dye. Everyone in the family had the opportunity to color the hard boiled eggs (and then enjoy deviled eggs on Sunday!)

We celebrated with a beautiful worship service at Grace Bible Church followed by a delicious brunch with an opportunity to fellowship with our fellow believers. Later in the day we had cousins over for another big dinner followed by an Easter Egg hunt in the back yard. It was only Amy, Sarah, and Jesse looking for the hidden eggs. Lucky Sarah found both the silver and gold egg this year!

Timmy's 15th Birthday!

2009-04-19T22:49:00.000-07:00

Timmy turned 15 on the 14th of this month. What a shocker! He celebrated his day with friends playing some of his favorite games: Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball, and Dodgeball. A pizza dinner followed by cake and homemade ice cream which made this day a special one!
Timmy's favorite gift: Colored Duct Tape!!!!!!
Timmy's favorite food: Pizza, Burritos, Hotdogs, anything but sandwiches or meatloaf
Timmy's Favorite Restaurant: Dell Taco and HomeTown Buffet
Timmy's favorite outdoor game: Dodgeball
Timmy's favorite indoor game: Smash Brothers on the Wii
Timmy's favorite leisure time: Making Hot Wheel towns or building Mainstreet Disneyland Lego buildings--they're awesome!

My Baby is Ten!

2009-04-07T21:30:00.001-07:00

Sarah celebrated her 10th birthday on April 5. Double Digits! It's sad as a mother to see your little one encounter double digits knowing that half their life living with you is now over. When the video camera was running and Sarah was asked, "How old are you today?" Sarah proudly replied, "I'm 20!" "Not quite," I said. "You're moving a little too fast." Kids always want to be older and Sarah is no exception. But as Sarah turned ten, she wanted a Build-A-Bear Monkey more than anything else. She not only received one build-a-bear monkey, but TWO monkeys--TWINS. A brown and a pink monkey were given to her along with a monkey birthday party. As you can see, she is still is a little girl loving stuffed animals. The afternoon was spent with games, games, and more games with friends. Monkey Tic-Tac-Toe, Monkey Basket Upset, and a beautiful Monkey cake made by Amy and Bob. Yes, Sarah is ten and enjoying life. Her favorite Bible verse we're working on is Phil 2:3 "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, regard one another as more important than yourself." Yes, that's our goal for our little one!

At 10 Sarah loves: Build-A-Bears, Polly Pockets, My Little Pet Shop
At 10 Sarah's favorite food: Acorn Squash, French Toast
At 10 Sarah's favorite place to go: Friends' houses
At 10 Sarah's favorite school subject: Vocabulary Cartoons
At 10 Sarah's favorite sport: Soccer
At 10 Sarah's favorite things to do: Bike Ride; Rollerblade, Badminton

Christian Youth Film Festival

2009-03-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

"Seeds!" A short movie with a big meaning. One thing that can really make a mother proud is seeing her son live on the big movie screen! That's what we enjoyed earlier this month when Andrew's movie named "Seeds" won big at the Christian Youth Film Festival at the Fox Theater. Seven movies where shown depicting a Christian message and "Seeds" came out number one. If you ever lived in the 60s and 70s during the hippie generation, you'd really love this one. Andrew played a college student hoping to spend his summer vacation spreading the gospel. After having his car stolen he ended up with a bunch of hippies and sharing the Gospel message with an unresponsive group. Although disappointed at their lack of interest in something so important to him, he realizes that it is his job to plant the seeds and let God do the rest. It was a great comedy with a real Biblical message filmed in the Mojave desert in the heat of summer. A movie I was really proud to see win the "People's Choice" award. Way to go guys!

Raising Kids

2009-03-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

I always thought being a mother would be easy. Boy was I mistaken! I think the hardest part is the struggle with the will and holding fast to the example I am to be to my children. I recently read a quote by John Barnett, "God has assigned us parents the role of standing in His place to show our children what He is like." That's a pretty big assignment! We are to imitate Christ to our children. I fail often.

I love the analogy of a tree. A tree is no stronger than its roots--neither are we. We must have a healthy root system to stand firm when we are tested. A defective root system leads to the death of a tree, and we too will fail and die if we are not grounded in God's Word. We must be reading God's Word and in constant fellowship with Him. When those temptations come into our day, we must choose to do what Christ would have us do, rather than responding by our present "feelings". Every day each of us repeatedly faces this choice; serve self, or God--follow Satan's way, or the Lord's. "There are only two choices on the shelf, pleasing God or pleasing self."

My goal this month is to be a "Christ-like" example to my children. I want my kids to see the true Savior, Jesus Christ, in me, not only in my words but in my actions and in all aspects of my life.

Skiing

2009-02-14T20:37:00.001-08:00

The Collins' Kids love snow! We traveled to Sierra Summit and hit the slopes. Timmy and Amy tried snowboarding for their first time. It was a little trying at first, but by the end of the day they were both enjoying it. (They were a little sore the next day......but thought it was still worth it.) Andrew, Sarah, and Bob stayed on the slopes with their skies and enjoyed the downhill adventures. Snow....yes, there was snow! It snowed all morning and throughout the day on and off. Bob even survived the tense drive down the mountain on the snow covered roads. The Lord was with us keeping us safe once again.

Valentines

2009-02-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

Love is patient, Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, It is not proud, it is not rude, It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered. Loves keeps no record of wrongs. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

We shared our love with others by hosting a Valentines Party and sharing our cookies with some elderly neighbors. The girls made Valentines Baskets, played games, exchanged Valentines, and decorated cookies. During the games I was amazed at the love these little ones showed to one another and the kindness in exchanging gifts and prizes. They were so helpful and thoughtful thinking of others before themselves! What a blessing it was to have them in our home.

Build-A-Bears Enjoy Valentines Day too!

Spurgeon Spurs Thoughts

2009-02-05T21:47:00.000-08:00

"He who grows in grace remember that he is but dust, and he therefore does not expect his fellow Christians to be anything more. He overlooks ten thousand of their faults, because he knows his God overlooks twenty thousand in his own case. He does not expect perfection in the creature, and therefore, he is not disappointed when he does not find it."

Why do I expect perfection from my family? I shouldn't. I must remember I am but dust, I am chief of sinners, filled with my own faults. God overlooks all my mistakes....I must overlook the mistakes of others.

"Man may talk of self-control, as if the reins were in his own hands. But he who has been "born of the Spirit," and taught "to know the plague of his own heart," is made to feel that effective self-control is divine grace, not his own native power...Have not repeated defeats taught us the need of calling in better strength than our own?"

Why do I continue to struggle with self-control? Because so often I try to control my thoughts and emotions on my own, without reaching out to the one who created me for help. I have no power on my own....but must rely on the strength of His Spirit to change.

Christmas at the Collins' Home

2009-01-08T16:17:00.000-08:00

Christmas at the Collins is an exciting time, we’ll try to tell you all about it in this little rhyme.

Outside hundreds of lights go up and around,To the tree, on the roof, the lawn, and the ground

Then the tree is bought and delightfully trimmed

The lights around are slowly dimmed.

Gingerbread houses and cookies are the fun

little treats

That delight the children as they

desire the eats.

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care
With hopes that Saint Nicholas would soon be there.

When morning arrived goodies were tucked in
The children awoke to find their secrets within

As gifts were unwrapped they tore off the bows,
Boots were the new gifts and excitement arose!

Grandma gets a watch to now know the time
Soup mixes, and cookies, help to save every dime.

Amy loves games and she opens one gift
To find the new LIFE is really a lift

Timmy, our farm boy, loves tractors and toys
John Deere is a favorite of every young boy.

Andrew, a college student, looks for useful things too,

A jacket, some pants, and even plaid shoes!

The best gift yet, goes to Bob, the Dad
His favorite movie, Hoodwinked, and a Coke poster make him glad.

A Christmas dinner of turkey and ham were enjoyed by each one,
Potatoes and gravy, dressing and even a bun.

So a Merry Christmas was had, yes it was had by each one.
Games followed the dinner and we had lots of fun!

The Girls' Christmas Musical

2009-01-08T15:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas Around the World

Amy and Sarah learned songs from around the world in their Christmas musical at Valley Oaks. Amy's favorite song was from Germany called Cling Gluken Cling and Sarah's favorite was from Africa Seyahumba. Many of the songs point to Christ as the Savior of the World and are praises to God for sending His son into the world. They had two performances which were beatiful and so praiseworthy to Christ our Redeemer. Amy was from Italy and dressed Italian Sarah was from Portugal singing in her little portugese tongue. Forty-eight countries were represented and taught about during the show. Each student represented a different country and told a little about how Christmas is celebrated in that country. Jennifer Piccolotti produced and directed the production. It was a delightful show!

Christmas Parade

2008-12-08T20:20:00.001-08:00

It's that Christmas Season and Amy and Sarah represented Valley Oaks Charter School in the annual Bakersfield Christmas parade. Sarah and her friend Jordyn carried the Valley Oaks banner while Amy and her clogging friends clogged the night away. With their new teacher, Kacey, they performed Country Christmas, Jingle Bells, and an old Elvis song, Santa Bring My Baby Back. It was an exciting day as their picture was featured in the Bakersfield Californian and the parade televised. Even the following morning on local news stations, coverage of them dancing appeared on TV.

Along with the holiday season, Amy participated in the Valley Oaks Oral Language Competition and placed first for humorous solo. She will compete in a regional contest next! Her winning piece was called, "Help, Send Candy Bars" It fits Amy pretty well!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T15:45:00.000-08:00

More Than A Day As Thanksgiving Day rolls around,
It brings up some facts, quite profound.
We may think that we're poor,
Feel like bums, insecure,
But in truth, our riches astound. We have friends and family we love;
We have guidance from heaven above.
We have so much more
Than they sell in a store,
We're wealthy, when push comes to shove. So add up your blessings, I say;
Make Thanksgiving last more than a day.
Enjoy what you've got;
Realize it's a lot,
And you'll make all your cares go away. By Karl Fuchs

Thanksgiving is a time to count our spiritual blessings. As we were reading Psalms 100 and 103 recently we were amazed at the characteristics of our heavenly family. God is Good! That's my favorite verse. No matter what trial comes our way, we can be assured of those precious words in Scripture that God is good! We are also reminded that He pardons our iniquities, heals all our diseases, redeems us from the life in the pit, and satisfies our years with good things. Another of my favorite verses is Ps 103: 8 "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness." One blessing I am overwhelming thankful for this Thanksgiving is found in vs. 10 "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. " What more can we be thankful for than to have our sins washed away by the blood of Jesus! Praise God this holiday season that He is merciful and forgiving!

New Family Member!

2008-11-26T15:32:00.001-08:00

The Collins family is growing! We've added another family member--a hairy one! Snickerdoodle has joined our family. He's a cute little doggy who loves his new family. Amy and Sarah have been pleading for a dog for months and this little guy just "appeared" at the SPCA the day we were there looking at dogs. "Snickers" for short, loves walks and couches. He already knows how to sit, shake and stand on his back legs and beg like a squirrel. He's pretty mellow in the house, only lifting his head from a nap to bark when hearing a knock on the door. This well mannered little guy is a a Lhasa Apso/Terrier mix who is about three years old. He joined our family on October 30 and is certainly "Man's Best Friend" in this house. He's an adorable addition to our family!

Country Hoe Down

2008-11-25T20:47:00.001-08:00

Fall is Harvest Time. At the Collins House that means celebrating the Harvest Season with a Country Hoe-Down! Live music was part of our celebration this year with guitar and fiddle. New games were introduced and the traditional doughnut on a string and square dance were part of our evening with Grace Bible. Macie challenged the women in the 18 & older age group and continued her traditional win--even with a chocolate coating on the doughnut. The guys, too, were serious in their challenge to win cheered on by everyone. Bryce Hammond came on strong to take the lead of the kids' contest and hold on to the Hammond status. Many familiar faces from the past reappeared for the night which was a true delight! One of the biggest blessings of a small church family is the opportunity for ALL to gather together for a fun night of fellowship with a potluck dinner, games and a campfire.

Autumn

Charlotte L. Riser

When the trees their summer splendor
Change to raiment red and gold,
When the summer moon turns mellow,
And the nights are getting cold;
When the squirrels hide their acorns,
And the woodchucks disappear;
Then we know that it is autumn,
Loveliest season of the year.

Amy's Birthday

2008-11-25T19:50:00.000-08:00

Amy turned 13th on October 5! We now have three teens in this house! Although they eat nonstop, they are each a joy to have. Amy had ten friends over for a sleepover to celebrate her 13th birthday. Their biggest goal for the evening was not to devour three Costco pizzas, but to solve the riddles and search the town in a Scavenger hunt. Clues were given and they not only had to solve the clue and drive to the store, but when they arrived at the store they had to something specific and have their photo taken. For example, Clue: Fly like an arrow straight and true
to the red and white without the blue. Then when they got to Target (that's the answer to the clue) they had to take a vote of their favorite chips. Take a photo of your group with the bag. Buy them and eat the whole bag before opening your next clue. It was a race through town that proved to be a fun adventure.

As Amy turns 13 and is a teenager, she is also becoming a young lady. She is growing in grace and kindness. Amy is one who is a hard worker, loves to serve and help when needed. She's the best big sister in the world to her younger sibling, Sarah. Amy's creativeness and eagerness is sure to be used by the Lord in the years ahead. I'm so proud she's my daughter!

Soccer Season

2008-10-29T22:57:00.001-07:00

September and October are soccer months at the Collins home. With practices four days a week and Saturday games played by both Amy and Sarah, that occupies much of our time. Amy's team, The Jokers, has been a wonderful experience for her. She has enjoyed meeting new friends and guarding that goal as "keeper" at least some part of every game. After a trying tournament winning the first three games, the Jokers came in second in the U14 girls league. Sarah's team, the Shooting Stars, started slow but they have advanced to winning with a number of different girls scoring goals--including our little kicker, Sarah, scoring three goals in the last game.

Kern County Fair

2008-09-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

It's fair time at the Collins home! "Best of the West" was this year's theme at the Kern County Fair. We've been busy, busy, busy preparing projects for the county fair. Cooking, sewing, and building has kept us working hard. Bob was our big winner for the year winning 1st place and "Best of Show" for his license plate bird houses! Sylvia also won 1st place on her Sheriff Taylor scarecrow and delicious pumpkin bread. Sarah also got a first on her Polly Pocket collection which she delicately set up. Crafty Amy also received 1st place ribbons on her creative greeting cards and scrap book pages. Planting flowers is always fun and Amy received a 1st place on her western dish garden and Sarah received 2nd place on her cactus garden. There were many 2nd place winnings as well including Timmy's design of a floraculture exhibit (with friends Max & ALex) where they were given a plot of dirt to design and plant. Other 2nd place winnings were a dress sewn by Sarah and a matching purse, Amy's Missouri cookies, Timmy's fudge, and Sarah's snickerdoodles. Sylvia received a 2nd on her peanut butter cookies in a jar and her snowman collection. Our sewer Amy received a 2nd place on her crocheted shawl and a 3rd on her knitted scarf. Prizes were won by everyone. While at the fair we enjoyed the high diving show, an amazing BMX bike show, a great magician, and the Calico Kids Cloggers! They were awesome! Dancing a variety of tunes from bluegrass to country, their performance included a Disney theme song and a Beatles hit. They were enjoyed by all who stopped to watch.

Ayako Visits from Japan

2008-09-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

We were blessed this month with a visitor from Japan. Ayako Obata is a college student in Toyama, Japan, and came to America for one week during her college break. Ayako is studying to be a kindergarten teacher and loves children. While staying with us she especially enjoyed jumping on the trampoline and playing catch with our dog, Lindsey. She also enjoyed learning American games and petting the cat and rabbit. Our weekend was filled with soccer games and a day at the Kern County Fair. Once again, we learned so much about the Japanese culture from her photos and stories, and she learned much about the American family from us. She was a joy to have in our home and we will pray that she may someday return to American and we can share with her more about our Lord Jesus Christ.

2008-08-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

Summer is Gone. . . .
As quickly as the weather warmed up here in Bakersfield, the days of summer vacation are gone. We enjoyed our summer with camping, vacationing, boating, and . . . . building --as usually ends up on the Collins' agenda.

We began our vacation with a trip to Morro Bay where we enjoyed fellowship with friends from Grace Bible and a surprise birthday cake for me! Campfire tales, games, and antique shopping filled our days. Later in June our family explored San Diego with a visit to the awesome San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, and of course, Sea World! The beaches were fun (Coranado Island) and the coast explored. Later in July we trucked up to the Sierra Nevadas for a camping trip with home school friends at Sequoia National Park and enjoyed trails through the giant trees and campfire stories once again. While spending time at home, we often took a day off for boating which Amy especially loved tubing behind the boat with a friend. Bob's big project for the summer was expanding the girls' room by punching out the wall and building an addition in which to place bunkbeds. Now there is actually room to play in their room--they are loving it!! A new jungle theme will replace their sweet little teddy bears as we see the girls get older and their interest change.

One highlight of my summer was attending the Women's Discipling Conference sponsored by the Master's College and being challenged to live out my faith. I see failures every day, but am striving to be who God wants me to be and glorify Him in all I do. It's so easy to depend on myself to accomplish my goals, but the Lord desires for me to rely on Him and seek His will, not my own--even in the little day-to-day activities of life. "Abide in Me" is what Christ said in John 15. That is my goal for this next school year--to abide in Christ in all I do and say.

How can I practically "Abide in Christ"? By seeking His desires for me, by praying over all my decisions, by giving up my will, and by abiding in His word and getting to know Him better. It is through the study of His word that I am convicted of my sinful state and my selfishness and long to put Him first in my priorities. What a challenge it is to live like Christ! But to God be the glory when we do.

Summer. . . it is a great time of reflection. A great book I've read entitled Faithful Women and their Extraordinary God is a must read. It contains stories of five ordinary women who trusted in their extraordinary God to do great things. Lessons we learn from the past can be so valuable to us today. What we learn through these women and their faith and trust in our God challenges us to reach out and live daily for our Lord. Let me know if you want to borrow this book--you won't be disappointed.

We've Graduated One!

2008-06-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy spring, but yes, we've graduated one from our home school! God is to be praised!! Andrew graduated May 29 after 12 years of home schooling. It is hard to believe I have a high school graduate and soon a son in college. He has worked hard and accomplished much. In his high school years he has written articles for our school newsletter, written a play performed by his Drama Club, and even written a movie produced and shown for the Kern Youth Christian Filmmakers Asso. He not only loves writing, but he also starred in both the play and movie as a great actor. In looking through many old photographs, we discovered Andrew's love for pirateering began at an early age and has given him the experience to be an outstanding "Captain Jack" in his recent play "Pirates of Parody". God has blessed him with many talents and given him with a heart that yearns to love and serve Him and all he does. He will head to The Master's College in the fall with an emphasis on communications and possibly apologetics. We pray God's continued guidance for Andrew's life and for growth in Andrew's walk as he continues studying God's Word. May God be glorified in all we do!

This is the Beginning!

2008-02-24T20:38:00.001-08:00

I've been checking out blogs for some time and decided that if my 17 year old could begin his own blog, it was time for me to get with the times. Life is busy with four children and I'm hoping to squeeze in a few minutes here and there to write down what's happening here at the Collins home. When we're not on vacation (and I hope to have vacation pictures posted eventually) we're busy with the typical church activities, music lessons, drama practices, and gymnastic classes and other sports activities. Some days I feel I'm really more of a taxi-driver than anything else!

I have found through the busyness of life, it is important to stop and cherish the days spent with our children. They really are blessings from the Lord. I'm hoping to share on this blog some lessons that my children have taught me and even greater lessons the Lord has taught me as I grow closer to Christ.