Family Photos 2011

Trinity Lake Reunion Part 2

Casey and Aunt Julie

The Cottrell Family arrived by lunchtime on Tuesday.  Casey couldn't get to sleep Monday night so they packed the kids up and she drove her sleeping mom and brothers through the night.  Way to go CASEY!

Isaac, Rachel, Mallory, Natalie and Danny

We all brought play dough for the kids.   It was a great quiet activity to do when we had some down time.

Jules, Jaxson, Cody, Zac, Caesy and Ray

This is the audience for the zip line.  There was always a great cheering section!  

The inner tube on the tree in the background is the final "emergency" measure in case the break doesn't work.  Don't worry - no body even got close to hitting it!

What a GOOD LOOKING group of kids!  WOW - it was amazing how great everyone got along.  There weren't any fights or arguments with 17 grand kids there together.  That is REMARKABLE!

Caden had the not-so-great-idea of climbing up the steep dirt hill.  The boys all took to it too well.  They scaled up the top and then slid down on their bums.  They were all covered in dirt and marched directly to the showers.

Isaac, Jaxson, Dan and Caden all looking triumphant at the top of the dirt hill.

Mallory, Casey and Rachel

Beautiful cousins!

Legos are also a HUGE hit at grammy cabin.

Jules, Jaxson, Cody, Josh, Grams, Danny

The zip-line peanut gallery.

Sarah, Lori, Grams and Casey

Jaxson, Casey, Rachel, Sarah, Lori Grams and Copper the dog

Pops and Dave ran the zip line.  Pops was at the top of the tower hooking everyone up and sending them down.  He would yell, "Fire in the hole!" when they were off.  Dave ran the brake system and the ladder to help down the kids after the run.

Wednesday after the GRAND family pictures adventure we had Grammy's birthday party.  I made her the traditional German Chocolate Cake and ice cream. WOW - I can never get enough of that cake.  Trey, Lori and I fought over the last piece and came to a truce by each grabbing a fork and finishing it off together!  I don't know if I can wait until next year.

Don't get light-headed Grams!!!

 

 

Casey and Grams

Thursday morning Jules and family headed off for home.  The rest of us went into Weaverville, had a Mexican lunch and shopped on the Main Street.  Grandma Gayle arrived and met us there.  A bunch of the girls got themselves rings at the Weaverville Hotel and we found some books at the used book store.hung out at the cabin and relaxed.  Later that night we headed back to the site where we did family picture for another night of child torture.  We were able to get some great photos and it was worth it!

Friday we had another day on the lake.  The kids all took turns riding the tube and everyone had fun canoeing, relaxing and swimming.

Saturday morning we got up early and headed home.  It was a long, but uneventful drive.  We have MANY great memories of our time at the cabin.  Thanks, Grams and Pops!

Trinity Lake Cabin Reunion 2011

 Grammy turns 60 this year and for her birthday we decided to ALL 26 (that is 17 kids mostly under the age of 10) of us come out for a reunion of sorts and for a long-time needed family photo.

The Monsons were the first to arrive on Wednesday night for some alone time before the masses showed up.  The Wrights (minus Matt) came up Thursday afternoon and the par-tee began.

The boys (and girls) all had great fun shooting air soft guns at cans lined up on the stumps.  It was amazing how many "sharp-shooters" we ended up with!

Laurne, Jake, Bubba, Josh, Mallory and Jaxon in the back & Zac in the rocking chair

Sarah and Maddie

Thursday was Sarah's actual BIRTHDAY!  I made her a chocolate cake and we had a BBQ ribs dinner with Julie's rolls, corn on the cob and California fruit.  YUMMM!

Grams didn't have two cake rounds that were the same size so my cake was more a blob than anything.  Luckily frosting can hide many imperfetions and it tastes great no matter how it looks.

For her present, we went into Weaverville to the Hotel and she picked out an amethyst poison ring.  I picked out some matching earrings and snuck them in the box.  She also got some cold-hard cash from Grams and Pops and a iTunes gift card from the Wrights.

Josh - having a turn

A new addition to the cabin this year is the ZIP LINE.  Wow - what fun.  The brake was a little jolting, but otherwise the kids had a blast.  Even Bubba and Ray went down.  And of course ME!

Jakers

Bubba, Rach, Mallory and Lauren

On Friday we headed to the LAKE for a day of tubing, canoeing and lounging.  Grams had the perfect beach to park ourselves on.  Pops and Dave headed down to reserve our spot at 7 AM.  Coo coo!!!  The family all headed down closer to 9:30.  Still a little early for Monson's standard but we are working on being "flexible and fun-loving."

Dave is the MASTER canoe-er.  In fact most of the kids got quite good at manuvering around our cove.  The canoe didn't turn over, in fact, until Pops disembarked and sent David flying into the lake.

Ray, Dan, Jules, Pops and Jaxson

My crazy sister thought it was a good idea to egg Pops on when the "old ladies" were on the tube.  Jules and I had a successful first ride (that means that Julie didn't get her hair wet) but on the second go - she told Pops "BRING-IT OLD MAN."  Pops didn't disappoint.  He got us going so fast that as I leaned over to  brag to Jules that "It can NEVER happen," we flipped.  I came up for air with my swim skirt down at my ankles, my boob hanging out of my top, and my shoe floating away.  Poor Jules is still sore a week later.  That'll teach her!  Pops didn't stopped smiling all day!

Dave started a project of putting in stairs for the rope swing and zip line access.  They turned out FABULOUS!!!

MONDAY: This is our second day at the lake.  Pops and Grams headed to Redding so David and I manned the ski boat.

Bubs, Mallory, Jaxson and Jakers in the water.

Trey's family made it here Monday night.  We gave them the tour and had the fire pit all ready to roast marshmallows.

Mallory, Madisen, Ray, Pops, Lauren, Issac, Jodie, Jules, Sarah

Jules and I - I had just gotten back from a run.

TUESDAY:  We decided to have a DOWN-DAY to give Trey's family a break from the 3-day car ride from Minnesota.  The kids hung out, shot guns, 4-wheel and of course we ate.  

The Cottrells arrived around noon.  Caesy was so anxious to get here that they left at midnight and drove through the night.  Uncle Matt also arrived in time to have Crabby Patties, corn on the cob and chips and salsa.

Sarah and Casey

The night ended with the boys doing their traditional "movie night."  They headed into town to catch the latest "flick" Planet of the Apes.

Sweet 14 and NEVER been . . .

Jenny, Sarah, Shannon and Meagan

 Sarah's SUPER COOL mom took her and her BFF's to Lagoon for her birthday.  We lucked out because it was kind of a rainy, over cast day and so it wasn't very crowded.  In fact, we could just walk on all the rides.

I took my BFF with me too.  (Josh opted out because he doesn't like roller coasters.)  Jakers was a trooper and went on all the rides with me.  His favorite was the white water ride.  He begged the girls to go on again and get soaked!