Hello Collins

I want to say rather loudly... "make them stop growing up!"  Clay says... "I can't wait to see what they become or do" And I'm like...maybe?  Sometimes I miss them cuddling up to me on the couch. Sometimes I miss that immediate gratification of motherhood. Motherhood for me has been my greatest calling on earth.  Full stop.  The challenges involved and the joys involved have built my confidence and self esteem like no other experience. And I've had to tear down and rebuild a lot of the time :) I never went into this thinking somehow I knew all the things I should do or all the things I would be as a mother. For instance, as a designer I thought I would care a whole lot about what they wore or how they looked (especially at church when they were little)!  Turns out I valued their individuality, creativity and independence way more than styling them. I have come to find out there was no set path for all of them to follow but if there was a recipe that I ha...

When Henry texted me  that he got into UC Berkeley,  I said, in this order: WHAT ARE YOU JOKING? SEND ME PROOF PROOF! The email had confetti when he opened it up! 128,000 freshman applicants. This was not the plan.  The plan went from BYU(rejected/unexpected), UCLA(rejected/expected). Okay, he planned on doing community college over the hill and reapplying to UCLA. And Cal was unlikely. My eyes burst when I threw my phone down in shock after his text. We attended Cal Day last week. It was pretty amazing! He was so excited. walking on campus The music building! We attended a Baroque Ensemble performance which was fabulous. His major is undeclared. the famous clock tower The room of requirements, uh, I mean one of the libraries on campus:) it all looked like a real life Harry Potter set...speaking of harry potter, the school has a quidditch club :) stained glass in the music building :) Finding his people...Jazz Ensemble booth! I told him to do the band, or the rally crew o...

April in Golden Gate Park is pretty perfect! I've been wishing to write my blog more but to be honest...what do I say? haha My kids are growing and changing... (do I exist to them?) we aren't building the house yet... (can that please happen soon God?) there is a lot of waiting... a lot of holding on around here:) so here are some details of life around here Still life above my sink  Audrey decided to make a "conference cake"  and it was to die for. some unusual April warm weather felt like a socal day I mean, I wore shorts.  That's saying something! We have a future athletic event face painter Teachers versus 8th grade bball game :) *took several soaked cottonballs of make up remover to remove haha Our Easter table unfortunately, the daffodils died before Easter Sunday arrived Spring Break was spent doing local things with these 3! Gardens, Japantown, Golden Gate Park, long walks,  I made them read, and we ate out almost everyday! (the last one was my idea haha) ...

  pre talk puzzling With the omicron surge, Stake Conference was once again on youtube :) Post Saturday night session Stake Conference talk via zoom  and quick change into a hoodie :) Good Evening brothers and sisters. I’m so happy to be with you tonight. My name is Jennifer Collins and I live coastside with my family in the Half Moon Bay Ward.  We have moved back after 12 years of being gone from the area and the only downside is I wanted to see familiar faces in the crowd. So, I’m just going to have to imagine that part. As 2021 closed I kept feeling like it was a year that really didn’t feel like a year. I don’t know if that makes sense to you but for me, it was made up of a lot of highs and lows. More than any other January in my life, I really did reflect on what I learned as I wanted to build on these life lessons. There is no specific order of importance but these life lessons were the ones that stood out the most to me to be able to share with you tonight. Lesson ...

March all summed up here. In a very low key way. Embracing turning 51.  When you turn the age you met your mother in law at...suddenly things get real. haha It's been a wild month of my own personal turmoil. I'm not even sure I should be writing this...it's late, I could royally say all the wrong things. But if this is supposed to show my life with its ups and downs, then what I say can't be wrong.  I'm just scared of letting it out.  First things first, I chopped the remaining pandemic off my hair. I just wanted it off me.  I had been patient through it all and then right as the mask mandates were about to lift I joked inside that now I was an anti masker.  I am so tired of everyone saying what's right and what's wrong but it's clear to me it was estimating guesswork all along. I'm glad to have them off. To see people again. And the way people smile at things.  Well, now I sound weird. :) I would rather potty train than teach another child to drive....