Hope's Summit

The Collard Family in Bell Buckle, Tennessee

Home

2016-17

Death Valley 2013

Tybee Island 2011

2011 Photos

Kaylyn Rose Video

2008 All year

Jan-Feb 2008

Tybee Island 2007

Photo Gallery

BarnRaising

Christmas 2006

St. Louis 2006

Halloween 2006

Twins Arrive

Fall 2007

August 2017
Well, I don't get around to this very often but I have added a few new pics in the 2016-17 pages found in the top header. The pic above is from the 2015 Collard Family Reunion in Mountain Home, Arkansas.  Emma just turned 13, Eli and Grayci are now 10 and Kaylyn (KK) is 6.  Grandma Nez just turned 95 and is at the Glen Oaks Nursing Home in Shelbyville, TN.  Our Summer vacation was great.  3 days in Hot Springs, NC to float the French Broad River, then 5 days in Wilmington, NC for Carolina Beach, the Cape Fear Riverfront.  Grandpa Ivan and Grandma Nez lived there in WW2 when Ivan was a welder in the shipyards.  School has started back, so we are all busy learning......ha!
October 12, 2014 Update
As usual, it has been a while since I updated our website.  Lots of things have happened.  We returned this year Tybee Island, GA for our vacation and had a great time.  Our God son Ryan is serving our nation overseas and we continue to pray for his safety while being very proud of him.  As you can see and read in the pic, Eli and Grayci Mae having confessed their faith in our Lord were both baptized on September 7, 2014 at the river.  Pastor David baptized Eli at the same time I was baptizing Grayci......it's a TWIN THING you know.  We finally pulled the trigger and decided to put a swimming pool in the back yard.  Still not finished, but will be all set for Spring 2015.  Kim's father had a sheep that abandoned one of twin lambs.....Kim brought LAMBIE home and we raised her as a pet......she is now fully grown and certainly adds a "touch" to our Tennessee country lifestyle.  Emma, Eli and Grayci have all been Home Schooled until this fall when Emma started attending Cedar Hall School.  Cedar Hall is located on a 180 acre family farm and has only about 50 students.  Emma is doing great and the learning environment is simply outstanding.  Eli and Grayci will continue to learn at home with Kim.  Kaylyn Rose continues to grow up......3 years old headed straight to 16.  In October (fall break) we spent 5 days in Gatlinburg TN with the usual experiences of hiking in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park as well as seeing the Dixie Stampede (again) and so much more.  Life is good because God is Good.....all the time.  We remain thankful for his blessings.
Elijah
June 3, 2013
Wow...been a while since I updated the family site here.  The kids are all doing great....growing like crazy and keeping Kim and I running wide open it seems.  In 1992, I went out West to Death Valley to shoot the footage for a documentary on the "Death Valley Escape Trail".  My father (Leonard) and I along with my uncle Kenny and others hiked the first 60 miles of this epic trail for the film.  I am excited to announce that I have finally finished the project and the film will soon be available on Amazon.com.  Kim and I took Emma, Eli and Grayci out to Death Valley for the premiere in February of this year.  After the showing in Death Valley we spent several days in the Las Vegas area and had a blast.  The header has a link to those pics.  Kim and I are no longer on Facebook.....but we are both easy to communicate with through our email addressess.
Kim Collard: kimcollard@blomand.net
Elijah Collard: eli@rfe.net
Elijah Cell Phone: 615-478-9663

June 23, 2011

So this is different.....updating this site again less than a month from the last update....ha!  Well, we just got back from our annual trip to Tybee Island, GA and there is a new link in the header bar that says "Tybee Island 2011"....that page has about 100 pics from vacation.  Enjoy!

June 2011

Well, if you look at the date of my last post you will know that a lot has probably changed since September of 2009....and you would be right.  Emma is a young lady getting ready to turn 7 and Eli and Grayci Mae just celebrated their 4th birthday.  The big news is the addition of Kaylyn Rose back in January.  Kim and I had considered adopting a child but did not know that God would open the door so quickly.  We were at the hospital on January 28th when she was born and brought her home two days later.  The kids adore her and we are so very thankful to have her in our family.  I have added a gallery of photos in the header under "2011 Photos".  To watch our video to welcome Kaylyn Rose to the family click on the "KayLyn Rose Video" in the header.

Elijah 

September 30, 2009

Great Summer for the Collard Clan.  Tybee Island, GA for a week of "sun and fun" playing on the beach and all the kids loving sea food.  Elijah and Ryan went deep sea fishing.......first time for Elijah......Black Sea Bass and Shark...yes!  Kim and I spent a week-end alone at Monteagle, TN and enjoyed dining at the High Point restaurant twice.  Camping to Fall Creek Fall State Park was perfect for the kids.....hiking, swimming, hotdogs and roasted marshmellows.  Emma's 5th birthday party was a big hit.  Kim was the perfect Queen and party organizer (for the record that is several notches ahead of a "community organizer") with little Princess girls everywhere.  Camping again to Tim's Ford State Park and a great time with all of Kim's family.  Getting ready for "Disney on Ice" and a day with "Curious George" at TPAC and one night in the beautiful and historic Hermitage Hotel. 

April 2, 2009

We have had a great last few months.  Check out pics by going to PHOTO GALLERY in the header.  We got a great 8" snow in March....spent the morning sledding HOPE SUMMIT.  It was totally awesome.  Eli and Grayci Mae turn 2 in a few days.....and unfortunately I celebrated my 6th anniversary of my 49th birthday (special thanks to Bill Cromwell for my anniversary congrats).  We have big plans for the spring and are looking forward to our annual week long trip to Tybee Island off the coast from Savannah, GA.  Give us a shout when you can....emails below.

eli@rfe.net

kimcollard@blomand.net

January 2009

Gatlinburg was a complete BLAST.  Just me, Kim and the kids and we had a wonderful time.  Emma sick with a cold and throwing up in the Seafood Restaurant......Eli crying til 2:30 in the morning......Grayci crying the night before.  Kim sick at her stomach one whole night.  THE TRIP WAS PERFECT!  We did have fun.  Rode the Tram up to Ober Gatlinburg for Emma to Ice Skate for the first time.  Toured the Aquarium......totally awesome.  Walked the Strip and ate 25 pounds of candy.  Went shopping of course.  Drove around to see all the Christmas lights one night.  Em and Me walked to the SKY LIFT on our last night and rode to the top.  Like I said.....we had a BLAST....can't wait to go back.

December 2008

Merry Christmas!

Wow, what a wonderful year.  We are having so much fun raising these kids.  Emma is now 4 going on 16....Eli and Grayci Mae are 20 months old and getting into everything.  I hear that Lily Grace (new grand daughter) Rachel and Jason's cutie is now trying to walk....she is a doll.  Jensen has now joined Nate, Falin and Phoenix's family to give them two boys.....they are all doing well and I am so thankful and blessed. I survived foot surgery last January and a week in the hospital in September......trying now to get in a little better physical shape.....holidays do not help much.  Kim and I are doing great. Enjoy all the kids.......watching them learn, fall, walk, run, talk, cry, sleep, scream, love and listen is a blast.  Will try to do a better job of updating the site.

March 3, 2008
The picture in the left hand corner is of Jason, Rachel and my new granddaughter Lily Grace. We are so proud of all the new kids and grandkids.  We have Emma, Grayci Mae and Eli and the grandkids are Phoenix, Jensen and Lily.  It sure is a roit when any come to visit.  We are all doing well and looking forward to Spring.  There a new pics under Jan-Feb '08.  
Email me at eli@rfe.net
December 6, 2007
Well it is getting closer and closer to Christmas and Emma is getting more excited everyday.  She did finally get within 10 feet of Santa yesterday.....she really is still somewhat frightened of him......not really a bad thing.  We are going to tour Nashville tomorrow night in a Limo to see the Christmas lights.  Going with family and friends.....it will be a blast.  We are traveling to mom's house the week-end before Christmas and then some of Kim's family will be here around Christmas and the week following.  The twins, Eli and Grayci are getting so big....rolling over and trying to crawl.  There are new pictures under "Fall 2007".  There are several good pictures of the entire family. 
God Bless You All,
Merry Christmas!
The Collard's @ Hope Summit
931-394-4217
November 8, 2007
Hello everyone.  The Collards are all doing fine.  Emma is going to Gymnastics class on Mondays and to pre-school at our church on Tuesday.  That keeps Kim running all the time and keeps all the kids having a cold about once a month....ha!  Grayci Mae and Eli are now 7 months old and doing fine.  Laughing and grinning all the time....learning to eat .......trying to sit up.......and trying to crawl a bit.  A new set of pictures are under "Fall 2007" and include pics from the following:
Emma's 3rd Birthday
Emma's Birthday Trip to Chattanooga
Grayci and Eli learning to eat
Emma's first day at school
Emma at Gymnastics class
Sean and Hala's visit
Baptizing the Babies 
Camping in the Applachians
...and Halloween Fun
Hope you enjoy and maybe we will see you over the holidays.
God Bless you everyone.
The Collards
Elijah, Kimberly, Emma, Grayson Mae and Eli

The Collards - 3450 Hwy 82 E - Beechgrove, Tennessee - 931-394-4217