Well, we just got back from another great camping trip . . . but I MUST get my Missouri pictures up - since it has been requested of me several times now (not to mention anyone's name!)  Well, actually is was "Lebanon picts" that was requested so I'll start here I guess.  So here we go!

My mom, Dough Hawkins, his wife's aunt Jean Stephens and her daughter Carla Brown

Ainsley over a vent!

As you will soon see... most of my pictures at Lebanon are of Ainsley and all of her new friends! 

Lydia Massey (sp?), Hannah Bunner & Ainsley

Ainsley & Granna (doesn't she look pretty and so skinny?!)

Rachel ? and Ainsley

She made friends with her before Lebanon when we went to services at Ozark . . . they had locked up the building and the 2 of them were no where around!!  I finally went back inside to find them both in the bathroom without a care!!

Michael McKinney & Ainsley - Michael is from CA but moved to Lebanon, MO a year ago with his parents Lynn & Myron : (

Monte & Ainsley out on Michael's big swing that she loved!!

Monte & Myron next to Lynn & Myron's nice garden!

Kenny Fields, Ainsley & Monte eating at the McKinney's

Lynn M. & Peggy Batty (sp?) fixing lunch (I think I'm going backwards!)

Lunch was so yum!  THANKS SO MUCH for your hospitality LYNN!!  (FYI: Lynn is a LURKER!!) 

 
Brie McKinney, Robin Maudlin, Richelle Nelson, Mom, Peggy B

After the nice day at the McKinney's we got ready for the last night of the meeting

Julie & Cullen Smith  (it was good to see you Julie!)  What a cute couple, huh?!

Ainsley & Halley Stephens (Kelly & Brandon's little girl)

Ainsley & hmmmm I forgot ... some help please??? 

Monte's Aunt Yvonne, ? (Ronny Wade's grand daughter), Andy, Cheri & Roger Gardner (Cheri is Monte's cousin)& Uncle John
FYI:  Yvonne & John are Cheri's parents - Yvonne & Monte's mom Judy are sisters

Ainsley & Abigail Presley - is that right Gina?  Her mom said she is/was good friends with you!

Mary Connley, Aunt Gina Costa & Mallory Connley

Landon Shaw (my cousin Jessica's son) & Ainsley at Shoney's
Jessica was only able to come ONE night of the meeting since she had to be back to help her sister Lydia through the whole birthing process thing the next day!!
Thanks so much for coming Jessica! I know it was a pain but we were glad to see you, if it was for just a bit!

Gavin Harris & Ainsley

 
Uncle John, Aunt Yvonne, my mom Barbara Cole, Monte's parents, Judy & Ron Wood
Look Dana!  Your dad kind of has a smile on his face!!  YEAH!!   

 
OK - this is back at Monte's parents house
Monte and his sweet Grandma Wood

 
Granna & Ainsley trying to catch fire flies!

 
Monte's whole family: his mom and dad, his dad's mom, his sister Dana and her hubby Brent Courter, his brother Rodney and his wife
Stephanie and their 2 boys Markus and Scotty!

  
 
4 generations  . . . any way you look at it!  HA!


Yes, that's ME mowing the lawn there at Monte's parents house. I think I only stalled it one time when it
started smoking and I thought some belt had burnt through - but really I had just filled it too full of grass
and it was getting all backed up!  OOPS!

 
Ainsley swimming in Granna and Papa's back yard

 
BRANSON LANDING!!!!!!  YEAH!!!! 


 

 
One of the horses that was going to be in the "Stampede"!

Dana was SUPER brave and took a pic of us - even though they just announced "NO PICTURES!!"
Ha! What a rebel!  I think that's why it is blurry - she was in such a hurry to get OUT of there! ha!

 
Waiting to eat at Lambert's!

 
My dinner selection: Fried shrimp, cucumber salad, & green beans

 
Ainsley TRYING to catch a THROWED ROLL!!  The best part is Auntie Dana's FACE!!  LOL!!

YES!  I caught this one!!

Auntie Dana and Ainsley eating the fresh rolls!  YUMMMMMIE!!

"I don't know if I can eat ALL of this!!"
Who else has been to Lambert's and what did YOU think of it!!?!?!?!  What did you have to eat?

July 4th!!!
Snacks and fireworks at Monte's parents house after services at the Fieldstone congregation

 
Ainsley & Auntie Dana - (I think Ainsley is afraid to take her eyes off the FIRE!) ha!

 Monte got LOTS of explosives!! ha!

 
Having fun watching the show!

 Ainsley & Papa's dog, Ginger - out on the Gator just waiting for someone to take them for a ride!

I just saw that this picture I did of Seth and Lyndsay is NOW showing up for me so I will try to post it again, since I think it is so pretty!

I'll have to print one for you and send it to you Lyndsay, if you want.  : )  I need to put all of my wedding pics on CD for your mom and sister to have too.  We miss you guys! 

 
Melones Lake

#2 Camping/Fishing Adventure for Summer 2007


Cole & my mom helping put up my tent                                                 

"Hey!  Where'd everyone go?" - Ainsley checking out the back door!

2 Burger King Princesses and a Prince Daddy


CAN YOU SAY MUD!?!?!?!
The lake was dropping close to a foot every day so what was left at the shore line? 
Here is Ainsley with her nice clean swim clothes on . . . and her RUBBER BOOTS?  Oh yah, my sister, Rachel was afraid of there being rattle snakes around so thought rubber boots would be good -- well, not IN the water Ainsley!

Of course her feet get stuck and she loses her balance!  I almost lost my balance so I barley got her head in this pic plus I was laughing so hard!

What does my weirdest nephew Wade do?  ROLLS in it!!  I knew I had to get a picture fast since his mom would soon be telling him
"GET OUT OF THERE!!!!"

Doesn't this boat seem a LITTLE small for this trailer???


Monte took us for a boat ride and we jumped in and swam while he fished ... low and behold he DID catch one with us swimming around!

Don't we need to cook that first, Lane?!

Ainsley checking out the little "doggy" door?

The whole gnarly crew! (Notice Rachel has the nice trailer and I have the "3-man" tent!!!)  ha!

Ainsley showing off the dirt in her mouth after one of her MANY falls!
We would ask her, "HOW many times have you fallen?!"  And she would always reply "Five" - ha!


We spent LOTS of time in the water - like 3 days worth!  Never enough sunscreen on trips like this!  3 - 4 weeks later my legs started to peel!



Cole running into the water. For some reason they all thought this was just thrilling to do.
I must admit - I did NOT try it so I really don't know what I was missing . . . ??


Nephew Wade on the slip n slide


I was kickin' back with my neice Kendra while the boys and Ainsley had water fights


Monte's "Boat Hair"!                                                                          
 
Some of the smaller fish we cleaned and ate! My dad caught a 13 lb large mouth one night - but of course, he threw it back - I'll have to get a pic of that from my mom .  This is my hubby and Daddy for those of you who don't know.
 

The guys playing cards                                                                          

Lane and Cole practicing their swing, since they both had tournaments soon!


Ainsley & I in our tent we borrowed from G'ma Barbara - we now have an 8-person tent - since we found out a 3-man tent doesn't REALLY mean it fits 3 people!!!  So hopefully the 8-person tent will fit the 3 of us and our stuff!  Monte slept out on a cot by our door when he would get in @ 1 - 2 am from night fishing.

Wade getting some "air" from Uncle Monte

Eating some good grub!  Fresh fish, fried potatoes, .....   wait - maybe this was burrito night?

Auntie Rachel feeding the varmints cantaloupe!

Just trying out this new stuff - we'll see how it works.  I'm sure if you don't have HIGH speed, you will NEVER see it, or MOST of my page!

Click to play

OK - so RAISE YOUR HAND if you like to CAMP!!!   

If you don't know already - we are a  CAMPING FAMILY!!  Well, MY SIDE anyway!  ha!  Monte's dad says he has NO DESIRE to camp - unless he can come back to at least a 3 star hotel at night!  LOL! 

In June we went up to Jawbone Creek to camp.  It is about 5,000 ft elevation near the Northern border of Yosemite National Park.  My dad grew up hunting around this area all of his life so we've just always gone to there to camp since he knows it like the back of his hand . . . in contrast, Monte does not know it so well.  Now that's a whole other story but I will try to make it short.

My husband, Monte, is the girls cross country coach so he trains with them during the summer and thought it would be fun to bring them up to the mountains to give them a little diversity in where they run and the hills are great for conditioning!  UGgggh!    So I went up with my parents and Rachel and Greg's family and Tom & Daretia Frey's family (from the Lodi congregation) on Thursday and Monte and the girls met us after an early Friday morning run on the hills!  So everyone pitched in and fixed them a big breakfast!  YUM!  So after that, Monte was taking them on a "little hike" to Lake Eleanor, so we asked Daretia & Rachel if they wanted to go - "it should only take @ 1 1/2 hours".  Well, we turned off this way and that and asked a park ranger for some info on a shorter way to get back and . . . well, we never found that shorter way!  I forget now, how many miles we hiked - something like 12?  It took us SIX hours instead of the 1 1/2!!!  OOPS!  Sorry about that Daretia!  Poor thing!  She had blisters on her heels and was dehydrated and she kept saying, "You guys just go ahead and go, don't wait for me" -- yah right!!  When Monte finally found out how bad her feet were, he took of his socks for her to wear and she doubled them over her heels for extra protection.  Oh well, we're determined to figure out where it all went wrong since we're headed back up there next week!  Either way, it was a nice hike back into Lake Eleanor - the lake was so pretty and clear and soooo inviting, after just half of our hike!  We couldn't resist (well, most of us anyway).  The x-country girls, my nephew Lane and I just had to take a swim.   AHHHH!

The next week we went to Melones Lake to fish and camp - I will have to do those pictures another night.  It is 3 am - Monte is out fishing tonight - wonder when he'll be home. . . Ainsley is zonked in my bed with me - Monte will have to find other accommodations I guess.  : )  Good night all.  It's 3:08 and Monte is HOME!!  I'd better go!

1.  Raise your hand if you're going to see the special MIDNIGHT viewing of Harry Potter tonight!!!

2.  Raise both hands if you're taking your nephews and their friends too and having 5 boys spend the night at your house!

Oooo-ooooo!  Me!  Me!!  I am! I am!!

3.  Nod your head if you're on-call for work until 3 am and you're STILL going!

4.  Who has a husband who said that he would go ahead and pick up the boys at 2 am JUST IN CASE you get called into work!?

Me!  Me!  I do!  I do!

Who's NOT EVEN "into" Harry Potter - but is going anyway!! 

OK! I've been MEANING to get these pics up from Lyndsay DeGough and Seth Johnson's wedding!!  Esp. for the sister of the bride (CherryCarly)!  Sorry, some of the pics (like the one of YOU walking down the isle) will not download for some reason!  And the one I did of them in black and white with just the flowers is color - won't show up either!

It was a BEAUtiful wedding!  Most EVERYTHING was homemade and all the little details were great!  Brenda, Lyndsay and Carly - you did an awesome job!  We miss you Lyndsay!  You were a gorgeous bride! . . . so did you like your "Country Livn'" wedding gift!?!?  ha!  : )

I would comment on the pics and write a little more about it - but we leave for Missouri in just a few HOURS so I've GOT to get packed!!  YIKERS!  Oh well, if I forget to bring something, I'll just have to buy it NEW at Branson Landing!   Can't wait to shop at the Brighton store and this other little shop called Deb's (I think).  It is cheap and they have cute trendy clothes in not so JUNIOR sizes!  Hey that would be ME!  ha!

We'll take our laptop with us so I'll try to do some updates while we're gone but it just depends on if I can "borrow" someone else's highspeed i-net connection at the condo since the dial-up at his mom and dad's house in the country just does NOT get it!!  UGGGHH!

Lord willing, we'll see some of you at the Lebanon meeting - we're not sure when we're going yet.  Jess, when are you guys going?  Monte was thinking we might not go until Monday night but I was thinking you might be GONE by then??
 

We've also been camping TWICE in the last couple of weeks so LOTS of other FUN pics to post!!  Just not enough "spare" time! 

Until next time . . . Missouri here we come!  See you SOON Dananator!!  : )

I was asked to post some good news!

Tamra Turner from the Ceres, CA congregation was baptized!!! 
She is the daughter of Terry & Jennifer Turner.

 He's BALD!!!

I KNEW he'd look different - but never thought he'd look like THIS!!!!

Yah, so 11 years straight of the boys track team winning the league meet, and the ONE year that the coach (my hubby) decides to tell them that they can shave his head in front of everyone at the awards assembly IF they win . . . . they come in

2nd PLACE!!! 

At first I was shocked that they DIDN'T win 

Then I was sad 

Then I was GLAD . . .    my husband wasn't bald after all!

So on to other things. 

We went fishing!!

Ainsley and I caught all the fish!  Granted, they were small fish - but better than NO fish at all, like Monte was catching!!

Here's a little bit bigger one

An even BIGGER one!!

And the best part was that Ainsley caught her first fish all by herself!!  I'm pretty sure I was more excited than her but either way - she was excited!    I think she reeled in at least 2 by herself!

So now she has a little "BRATZ" fishing pole that she can handle a little better by herself.
Her and Monte went fishing again with her new pole but guess she didn't cast it much - just played in the bottom of the boat in the sleeping bag. 
She obviously needed mamma there to help her catch 'em!!  
 

This was our top-secret bait!  A crappy jig!! 
Monte was using a big ol' topwater or something that was actually bigger than SOME of our fish!  ha!

Well off to go and run - been trying to get in as many days as possible now that Monte is out of school.  I can run while pushing Ainsley in the stroller, and I do, but it's just not the SAME!  He leaves for track practice soon - so I'd better get!!  Oh yah, my new i-Pod is coming in very handy!!  : )

 Riverbank High School's boys track team has won their league meet for 11 years in a row and the girls have won 6 years . . . so WHY does my husband feel like he NEEDS to give the kids EXTRA incentive to win this year?  I'm not too sure.  Well, actually, I do know why, but it's a long story so I'll spare you the details. 

As you read in my last post, Monte told the team that if the boys & girls both won their meet yesterday he would let them SHAVE his head in front of the whole awards assembly on Monday . . . and so I could go to Lebanon with a BALD husband!!  YIKES!!!

I know some of you are eagerly awaiting the "verdict", as I was this afternoon . . .

I'm getting tired - need to go to bed - will try to update you more tomorrow . . . .

(DON'T BE MAD Gina! ha!!!)