Football Camp

The Ashland varsity team attended football camp in Gold Beach this last week. Jared said the experience was great fun, and loved doing it. He is already looking forward to the next time they go. There were 17 teams there from California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Monte is so jealous, and can't wait for his camp coming up in a couple of weeks.

Officially Summer

Finally summer has come, better late than never. We got our boat out, and the boys spent their first summer afternoon on the lake. It was a good first run, and we are looking forward to many more.

Monte on the wake board

Jared getting up on the surf board.

Scuba Monte

With Sean and Jared off to football camp this week, and Heather gone to Utah, Monte and I have some quality time together, so we started off the week with scuba diving, it was great fun, and Monte did great. He perfected the one finger push-up in the deep end of the pool, and did the slow motion run, bouncing with every step. He caught on fast, and now it is one of his favorite hobbies. I could tell that he was trying, in try Monte fashion, to talk about the whole experience, but of course he couldn't talk, so he became very proficient with the hand motions.

Monica's Love, Hate Relationship With Grandma Abel's Trailer.

Bonnie has a single wide trailer situated in the most beautiful spot on her property. Right where Gloria, and Rene had their house. It over looks the lake, and you can see the trees, and wildlife, and you really are isolated from the rest of the world out there. It is great.

I have recently started doing my laundry out there. It is actually relaxing to do laundry out there by myself. Just turn on a movie, and take a few things I need to get done. But since I work full time, the only time I have to do laundry is at night, and that creates a problem.

Before you get to the trailer, there is a gate, that you have to get out of the car and open, then close after you so the horses and cows don't get out. That's easy, right? Not really at 1:00 in the morning it's not. It freaks me out so bad to get out of the car and open that gate in the middle of the night, I'm always afraid of some "Indian Ghost", a cow, or even the ghost of Rene Bounds jumping out at me. And to make it even worse, there is a huge pipe that runs right under the gate, sending the water from Emigrant Lake to Abel lake, and it makes scary noises in the middle of the night. I have confessed my fears to Sean, and Greg, and they think I'm crazy, but Julee agrees with me. So I have decided that the best thing to do is jump out of the car real quick, run to the gate, run back to the car, drive trough the gate, run back, close it, then run back to the car again, shut the door, put the car in drive (which automatically locks the doors), and leave as fast as I can. One night after I calmed down a mouse ran across my dash, and I just floored it to get home as fast as I could. Uncle Pat told me that if I wrecked that would have been a hilarious claim. But anyway, if there are any suggestions on how to remedy the fears, please let me know.

Jared's A Driver!

Jared successfully passed his permit test yesterday! After the test, he drove me to his baseball game. I was trying hard not to be the annoying mom who bugs the kids about their driving all the time, but I realized after a few brake checks, and some jerky turns, that he does not know how to drive at all, so I have to teach him, dang it. But he did do a good job for his first time, actually very good. And as a reward for doing good, anyone who would like Jared to drive them around, just call. He will make sure your brakes work.

Another Year Of Little League Done!

Well another year of Little League is over and done with. Monte finished off an up and down season with a loss to the Cards. But despite the loss, Monte played well, and is back on a roll with his batting. After the game he said he was pleased with his game today, but only felt OK about his season as a whole. But I do have to say Monte is a good sport, and was very happy for his good friend Riley for getting a win ( the Cards haven't had very many). Congrats to Monte for a good season, we are looking forward to a better one next year.

Success!

I finally got a picture of Sean's face! He has been in a worse than usual "Sean" mood lately, and he has been refusing to cooperate with anything, but I caught he and Tanner coming back from lunch, and I snapped this after Tanner teased it out of Sean, and I convinced him that his Grandma needed a picture of them at work together. After all the trouble that they got into as kids (as cousins do, except for Daisha and I , we were angels), she needs to see them as adults, working hard, and not causing problems. But this will probably be the last you will see of Sean for a while, so I made it extra big so everyone could enjoy! Ha, ha, ha. Got ya!

Sean Caught Sleeping.

Do you ever wonder what Sean does at work? Well here is your answer. He was caught sleeping under the wing of an airplane today, just kidding! He was on a break, and I couldn't quite get the camera out in time to get the whole effect, but he keeps ducking out of pictures. So my mission this week is to get a picture of Sean at work. What a turkey.

So Long to 5th Grade, Mr. Kitchell, and Bellview

Last night Monte had his 5th grade graduation, and it seems ironic that I was in the first 5th grade class to graduate from Bellview (before that it was a K-6 school), and now Monte is in the last to graduate from the old school. Yes the old Bellview is getting torn down to make way for a brand new Bellview opening in Sep 2009. The poor students left are being displaced for a year. But it was very sentimental looking around the school last night, it is going to be missed. Then the night of sentiments continued as the kids said their final good buys to their teacher Mr. Kitchell. It was hard enough watching a film of the football team brought to their knees 5 days after his death at the state semi finals weeping as teams around the state paid tribute to their coach, who was missing his first game in 25 years. They should have waited until after the game, the boys could never pull themselves together. But last night the 5th grade read a poem they had written about him. It was wonderful. So off with the old, and on with the new. Look out AMS here comes Monte!

Baseball Birthday

Jared has had a baseball game on his birthday for ever since he can remember, but there is nothing else he would rather do for his birthday than play ball! So the Ashland White pulled off a squeaker against the Phoenix team, and won at the last minute 10-9. Good game, and Jared hit a beauty, but it went foul. He caught a great game, and went all 7 again. In the mean while Monte and the Yankees got put down by the Rex Sox in Monday, but came back last night against the Cards, and won 9-6. Monte put down a beauty of a bunt, and played a nice clean game. Way to go Yanks!

Happy 15th Jared!

Today Jared turns 15! Wow! His first big life milestone came when he passed up Aunt Summer, because she is the tallest of all the girls in our family, now he is working on his Uncles, and he is close at a tall skinny even six foot. Look out Uncle Ty. But now he is working on the driver's permit, and that will be the next milestone. So Happy Birthday, and good luck on your game, we will all be watching you.