Summer Fun

Summer Fun

Just some fun pictures of our summer. Besides the mission's trip, our summer was ordinary. Nothing major happened except for my little sister delivering her first baby. Kevin Isaiah Lepley was born Sunday morning, June 28th, weighing 7lbs 4 oz and 21 inches.

Missions Trip

PNG

Yes, I am FINALLY getting this update posted. Sorry about the wait. Overall, the trip was a huge success. All our flights went very well with no hassles. There was a group of 24 of us, 14 went to a nearby NTM facility called Interface (ITF) and 10 of us went to Numonohi.(Throughout this post I may interchange Lapilo and Numomohi. Its the same place. I have always know it as Numonohi. A few years ago they changed the name to Lapilo.) Interface has missionaries living there that run the center and students come over to PNG and learn and earn college credits.

When we arrived in Lapilo/Numonohi, the concrete foundation for the duplex was already prepared and waiting for us. Our team of ten people worked very well together, and by day three, we were a very close-knit family. We could see God’s hand in putting our team together. Originally, I was not going to be doing any dental work at the dental clinic there, because it was closed, due to the current dentist being State-side. However, in the last week before leaving to PNG, through some emails to specific people and the dentist, the Lord worked it out that I would be able to work in the clinic, cleaning teeth of the missionaries and their families. I worked in the clinic three days a week, and on the other days I worked with the team on the house.

We took side trips to a few different villages (the Kafe tribe and Kainantu), and were blessed to be able to worship in a lotu (church) with the national believers at Yagaria. After church the villagers had a mumu prepared for us. A mumu is kind of like a pot roast cooked in the ground by steam. One day we toured NTMA (New Tribes Mission Aviation), the children’s ward of the haus sik (hospital), and the coffee plant and bought a lot of coffee to bring home. We visited Goroka (the nearest town) twice on our days off. At the end of three weeks, the framing on the duplex was completed, and the tin was on the roof, and the siding was started. The project went incredibly fast.

One time when we were going out to the other facility, ITF, we had so much fun on the roads. It is an about a 45 min drive but it is not far. It just takes longer because of the road. You have to drive slow. The ruts are about a foot deep and there are holes all over. And while we were out there it rained so it was all mud coming back out!!! It was awesome! Better than anything back here in the States. I have been trying to think of something to associate it with and I cant think of anything. There were 2 vehicles and I tried to get pictures and videos of the van in front of us to show how they bounced around and we were bouncing so bad too that you couldnt see. Literally bouncing from one side of the road to the other side! And then with the mud on the way out, was better than playing on the snowy roads!! At times we were sliding sideways down the road facing the right side and then flip around and slide sideways facing the left side. And then sometimes the tires would get stuck in those ruts and it didnt matter how the driver turned the wheel because there was no getting out. It was like that ride at the amusement park with the antique cars and the track in the middle. We has such a blast!

In the dental clinic, 51 adults and children got their teeth cleaned. While preparing for this trip, several people and churches donated an abundance of dental supplies, which I took with me. Everyone who came to the dental clinic, left with a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. These were also delivered to the national people on the center and in a few tribes. I also handed out a toothbrush to the children and their mothers at the haus sik.

This trip was a huge impact on me! The moment the wheels of the balus (airplane) touched the ground, tears sprang to my eyes, and as I stepped off the balus I felt as if I had finally come home! After ten years of being in the States, I had not realized how deeply I missed Papua New Guinea. In the weeks that followed, I was filled with such a peace and contentment I can not explain. I can only pray that someday I will be able to return.

Papua New Guinea

Just a head's up: I am headed out on a mission's trip to Papua New Guinea (PNG) for 3 weeks. I will definately be writing about it and posting pictures when I come back, so stay tuned. I am very excited about going! For those of you who dont know, PNG is where I grew up for 7 years.

Texas

Texas

Zeb's mother, Laurie and I went down to Texas, on April 17th, to visit Lydia while she had a week off of schooling in between courses. We had a blast! On the trip down, we flew from Baltimore to Houston, Houston to San Antonio; well that was how it was supposed to go. That's not how it went. We left Houston and ended up circling above San Antonio for about a half hour and then flew on to Corpus Christi to refuel. We couldn't land in San Antonio because they were having a bad rainstorm. We sat in the airplane at Corpus Christi for about an hour till we were granted permission to fly back to San Antonio. We werent allowed to get off the plane. So finally we landed where we wanted to be and Lydia picked us up and we went to Panera Bread for lunch. Then we went back to her apartment and just hung out. We ordered pizza and stayed in that first night, watched a movie and ate Snickers ice cream with added chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, chopped snickers bars, and reese cups.

On the 18th we went shopping, walked along the riverwalk, and walked around parts of San Antonio. We visited the Alamo, spent about 10 min in front of fun mirrors that distorts our image, and went shopping for groceries; that was a big shopping list! The next day was Sunday. Church wasn't until 11:00 so we went to the Botanical Gardens. It was very pretty and fun to see all sorts of different kinds of plants. From there we went to church and then drove up to Austin to see that capitol building. The building was very ornate and all the different designs in marble on the floor was absolutely gorgeous. We learned a few things by talking to one of the guards/cops (whoever they were). #1. We are not allowed to go past the 5th floor even though there are no signs. #2. We are not allowed to climb the awesome spiral staircase, even though it is up there for all to see, tempting and taunting us; unless we have permission by the state representative. #3. Ignorance is no excuse in the state of Texas. #4. It is illegal to rollerblade in the capitol building or on its grounds. That night we went to the Magic Time Machine restaurant, where the waiters and waitresses dress up like movie characters. Our waiter was Zorro. I also saw Minnie Mouse, Lara Croft from Tumbraider, and Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean (with whom I got my picture taken).

Monday morning, after an incredibly early morning exercise, we drove 2 hours down to Corpus Christi to see the USS Lexington. When this ship was docked permanently after its nautical life, it was used in the movie Pearl Harbor, and is now a tourist attraction. This ship has 19 floors and lots of stairs. It has everything from beds and sleeping areas, cafeteria, to sick bay, to barber shop and dental clinic. Sailors need to be able to live on ships for a year or more, so they have to have everything. I really enjoyed touring this ship. After a few hours on the ship we drove to the beach and spent the afternoon there. It was fun, we walked the beach, took a nap, built a sandcastle, and played in the water with the boogie board.

Tuesday we visited some military sites around San Antonio, including the Quadrangle where they held Geronimo captive, the old BAMC (Brooke Army Medical Center) where Laurie's dad used to work, and the Army Medical Museum. From there we rode a small train, which I really liked, and visited the Japanese Tea Garden. The Garden was beautiful! Lots of stone work, plants, water and fish. For dinner we were invited to the house of some friends of mine from Papua New Guinea who were home on furlough. It was nice to catch up with them. Wednesday morning was spent at the apartment relaxing, and doing laundry, and getting ready to leave the next morning. The afternoon was more shopping, and staying at the riverwalk until dark to see the lights. Our flights home were non-eventful. I think we had plenty of adventures that we didn't need one on the way home.

Moving to Pine Grove

Pine Grove

In the very beginning of April, we moved to the beautiful country in Pine Grove, PA. This is much closer to Zeb's job. We really like it here! It is quiet for the most part. We rent from our neighbors who run the farm we live on. There are cows and horses, and many acres of land; and its breathtaking!

Trip to the Everglades

Everglades

Zeb and a friend of his, went to Florida in January to kayak the everglades. I did not go along so I cant tell you much. I posted pictures. I will try to get Zeb to write a piece on it; so check back.

New Years Eve Ball

New Years 08-09

This year's New Years Eve ball was very small. Of our family, only Zeb and I and his parents went. Again the pictures explain themselves.

Christmas 08

Christmas 08

We had Christmas 3 times this year, like always. Christmas Eve was at Zeb's parents house, with the whole family there; being silly, having fun with each other, playing games. The pictures speak for themselves, but it is so nice to have everyone together! It wont be that way again for a long time.

Christmas day was at my parents house, and everyone was there for that too, which was crazy, chaotic, noisy, but fun. Baking Christmas cookies with the kids, opening gifts, letting the kids go play with their gifts while the adults have their time of gift exchanging. Stacey and Cody gave my parents a card with a cute little poem in it and ultrasound pictures of their child, my parents 7th grandchild. Took everyone by surprise!

Christmas at Gramma Burrows's house happened the following Saturday. All of my mom's siblings came for Christmas this year. The last time they were all together was at a family reunion in 04. One of my uncles lives in California, and another one lives in North Carolina. This year was a great year for Christmas because all the families were all together which doesnt happen all the time.

Chincoteague Beach

Chincoteague Beach 2008

Levi, Janessa, Zeb, and I went to Chincoteague in mid December for a few days. It was a nice getaway. Although the weather was a little chilly, it was nice to walk along the empty beach and look at the different wildlife and seashells. There were lots of jellyfish, and even a dead, half-eaten dolphin. We really enjoyed it, but then it was time to drive home. It is a 7 hour drive, which turned out to be more like 12 hours. We had just crossed over the border from Virgina into Maryland on the coast side, when the jeep broke down. We sat there for about an hour waiting for the tow truck, and the tow truck towed us all the way to Lancaster, PA. Levi and Janessa left their Jeep at a shop, and Janessa borrowed her parents van (they live in Lititz) and we drove home very slowly because we were having a snowstorm. What an unforgettable trip! :)

Summer

Summer

I did no traveling this summer, except to my sister's in Rochester NY, but I dont really consider that traveling. Summer consisted of kayaking, until about mid August when the creek got too low that we ended up walking and dragging the boats behind us most of the way. Motorcycling was probably my most favorite summer activity. I mostly rode my big bike (the Suzuki V-Strom 650). In fact I took it on a 3 hour trip to NY to visit my sister, Rachel. That was fun!

We had a Hale Family get together on July 4th, except that my parents were in Romania at the time. So us kids got together and had alot of food---too much food. So about mid August we had a belated July 4th picnic at Rachel's house, with the parents this time. The kids had fun playing on the swingset and in the pool. Stacey and I wanted to chicken fight so we chose Wilmer and Cody to be "on the bottom". We fought for quite a long time trying to knock or pull the other one over (Im not sure if that's because we are good or both really bad). Finally Wilmer and Cody got tired and dumped us off. Eventually some got out and layed out in the sun (Wilmer and Cody in their swim trunks and Stacey in her jeans and sweatshirt). Rachel, Emily, and I layed on the rafts in the pool. The sun felt really nice. Emily fell asleep and rolled off the raft. This was quite a rude awakening for her but pretty funny for us.

I had a great summer, considering Zeb not being home. We kept in contact through emails and phone calls. For awhile I could use my land line to call him using an 800 number. This was really nice because it was free for me and he didnt have to use a calling card. Finally he came home on October 28, 8 years to the day after our first date. Thanks for all your prayers.

San Francisco

San Francisco

The day after I came home from Florida, I met a friend of mine in Philadelphia, and she and I flew to San Francisco to sightsee. During our 3 hour layover in Chicago, we met an 87 year old man named Joseph B Scott. If anyone knows baseball from the 30's, you may know Mr. Scott. He played for the New York Black Yankees from 1936-1956. He talked to us for about 30-45 minutes until we had to go catch our plane. He told us stories of his childhood, teenage years, and playing against famous baseball players. I asked for his autograph and a picture with him. He readily agreed. He is a wonderful and friendly man, and in his words, "Noone is a stranger to him." This was an awesome experience, unfortunately cut too short.

We arrived in San Francisco at about 9 PM California time, which was about midnight for us. We were exhausted. After receiving our luggage, we went to the rental car booths to pick up the car we were supposed to have reserved, but they didnt have it. So we ended up with a 2008 Jeep Liberty. I loved it!!! Luckily Sarah had brought a GPS with us so our entire visit in San Francisco was stress free from trying to find our way around. I highly recommend having a GPS on vacation. Our hotel was 15-20 minutes from the airport.

The next day, after getting up late, we hit the beach. It was cold!!! I wore my jeans and sweatshirt the whole time. We didnt stay very long, because we had tickets for a Giants game. (That's baseball; for those of you who dont know) After the game (Giants lost), we drove around the city and looked at the crazy streets. Lots of them were so very steep it was just amazing! I'd never seen anything like it. We saw Chinatown and the Bay Bridge. We went across the Golden Gate bridge and couldnt see much because it was really foggy. The fog in San Francisco(SF) is strange. It will be really foggy in one area of the city and completely clear in another. We were in a cute little town called Sausalito, which is next to SF. There we watched the fog literally rolling down the mountain side and out across the bay. That was cool!

The next few days included driving part of the Pacific Coast Highway, seeing many lookouts and beaches. I remember this one beach that had a trail going down to it and the trail was so steep that there was a rope to hold on to and shimmy down the dirt path. The beaches on that part on California are small because the land juts out into the ocean and cuts off the beach. Then the land just drops off. There are many of these cliffs along the Pacific Coast Highway. Lombard St is known as the "crookedest street in the world". It is one way, steep and made of brick, and has 8 hairpin turns in the space of one block. It was really fun to drive on it--going 10 mph.

Muir Woods was on our list to see. The giant redwoods were....big! :) I think they speak for themselves. The trees you hear about where you can drive a car through it; those were not the ones we saw at Muir Woods. They're somewhere else. While driving around we happened upon Fort Barry; Battery Mendell, a war fort from around 1900. It was foggy and getting dark, so it was a little scary. But we went back during the day and explored it. In fact we found many other war forts that we explored. They were really cool to walk through and try to imagine it back in its prime. We wanted to see the lighthouse but it was closed. We at least got pictures of it. We drove the San Mateo Bridge which we first saw from the air as we were landing. It is 7 miles long and has a $4 toll.

Golden Gate Bridge was one of the biggest highlights for me on this trip. It was impressive and really pretty to see. Everyday we went across it, it was less foggy than the day before so we could see more of it. Then the last day we were there the sun was shining, blue skies, no clouds or fog. It was gorgeous! Needless to say we took many more pictures than necessary. Digital cameras are wonderful, arent they? Combined we came home with 1200 pictures; after going through them I now have about 850 (from our entire trip).

A few things I will always remember about San Francisco in general that I will pass on to anyone who goes... Its always very windy, so its kinda chilly, especially on the beach. The fog rolls in across the bay at times you would not expect (like morning) and it stays the rest of the day. It makes it hard to get good pictures. The landscapes are unusual, and impressive at the same time. There is so much to see; we didnt see nearly everything in the 5 days we were out there. We really wanted to see Alcatraz Island and tour the prison but it didnt work out this time. But needless to say, I really enjoyed this trip and seeing San Francisco. I recommend it to everyone!

Florida

Florida

May 12 I flew down to visit my friend Diana in Cape Coral, Florida, for 5 days. I was a nice time away. Beautiful weather. We relaxed at home and played with Zaiah. One day we went sailing. That is the first time I went on a sail boat and it was a blast. The salty ocean air blowing in my face and through my hair; The warm sun shining down; ahhhh it was glorious!

Home on Leave

Home on Leave

Zeb came home for 15 days in April. It was so nice to have him home, even if it was for a little while. We didn't do anything big, just hung out around home and spent time with family and friends. The pictures show some of the things we did... including of course buying another bike. I still have the smaller one, the Boulevard S40 to ride around all summer and get more comfortable. We bought me a VStrom 650 to match Zeb's bike. Zeb enjoyed some time with his friend, Jeremy, and Levi going night fishing for carp. Zeb snagged a turtle instead, but they had a great time. We went hiking with Levi and Janessa, and hung out with family. It was a really nice 15 days.

California

California

March 5th, I arrived in Los Angelos. My aunt picked me up at the airport. We walked along the beach for a ways and looked at the beach front shops. Then drove up to Malibu and looked around. I saw MacGuyver in person, but I didn't talk to him. I ate the best pulled pork sandwich I have ever tasted in my life! It had shredded cabbage in it! We decided to leave and drive to Temecula where my aunt and uncle live. We wanted to miss the rush hour traffic... We somehow ended up getting lost in LA, so with traffic (which we didn't miss) and getting lost, the one and half hour trip ended up being 4 hours.

The next day while my cousins were in school, my aunt and I ran errands around town, did some window shopping, stopped at a nursery and looked at pretty flowers. That evening we went out to a pottery shop and painted pottery. In the morning of the third day, my uncle took me on a 3 hour motorcycle ride. That was alot of fun. Obviously I couldn't ride in PA in the winter time, so it was great to ride on a bike again. That afternoon we tried to go to an amusement park but by the time we got there they were only open for another 2 hours and then closed to private parties after 6 pm. So we ended up going to a Dinner Theater instead, which was really cool. Saturday we went out to the desert to ride quads. We were driving along and had been in the desert for a good 30+ min already when my Uncle said we had another 20 miles to go!!! We got to where we were going to ride and got all set up and my Aunt, Jennifer, and I set off on the quads. My Uncle doesn't ride. We rode all morning. We could ride for hours and not cross the same path twice. The desert is huge! We rode over sand dunes and marked paths. It was so much fun. I just don't know how to explain it. We went to a place called the Playground. It has really tall and steep sand dunes. Here you can just ride wherever. I posted some pictures but the pictures don't really show how steep it is. People ride 4-wheelers, motorbikes, dune buggies, and even their own personal vehicles out here. We watched some guys jump their pick up truck. Sunday was a relaxing day. Early Monday morning, my Uncle took me to the airport. Left CA at 9 am, got to PA at 10:30 PM. I lost the whole day! But I really enjoyed my vacation. But as much fun as I had, I was nice to be home again.

Montana

Montana

March 1st I left PA after 2 hours of sleep and headed to Montana. My friend Michi picked me up from the airport and went out to dinner at a really good pizza place called MacKenzie River. Best restaurant in all of Montana. The landscape in Montana is so different than Pennsylvania with the Rocky Mountains and just the rock formations and rocky landscape around Billings. It was really neat to see, even though it was all brown in color due to winter. I would love to see it in the summer when there is color on the mountains. Even with my lack of sleep we still stayed up late. The next day we met up with a friend of hers, Nizhoni, and the three of us headed off to see Yellowstone National Park. After 3 hours of driving we entered Yellowstone. It was really neat to see the buffalo (I guess they call them bison, so forgive me if I say buffalo) It was so strange to have these massive creatures walking next to your car (larger than your car) We saw one running towards us and that was scary; we couldn't drive away because we were on ice and the tires were spinning. Luckily he kept on running right by us. They are sometimes inconsiderate because they will walk in the road and hog it and no cars can get around. We sat still and turned the car off for literally 10 min at least because the bison were in the road and we couldnt get around. Other times we would drive next to them as the walked and were no farther away from them then 3-4 feet. They just minded their own business. They were kinda cute. It was a neat experience. There was elk and wolves also. I posted pictures of them. We stayed the night in a hotel there. The next day, scoped out more of Yellowstone, but there was not much to see. There was only one road open through the north part of the Park. The rest of the roads and park was closed for the winter. We were bummed that we couldn't see Old Faithful. We'll have to go back sometime. We did get to see the hot springs though. We left Yellowstone and drove to Bozeman, MT; did some window shopping, played dress up in the stores. :) Found a cool restaurant called the Naked Noodle. Interesting place. It's not just a one culture place, they have food from all kinds of cuisines. It is all pasta though. We could make our own pasta dish. I got the 4 cheese macaroni and cheese, and added 2 more cheeses on top so it was overall 6 cheese macaroni and cheese. We then drove back to Billings. The three of us hung out and relaxed the next day and I left on Wednesday. On to California....

News

Overseas, Zeb is currently doing alright. He is safe. He has access to internet and phones, so whenever he has time, he calls or emails. He doesnt have any real news, so I guess that is good. On the homefront, I am keeping busy. Doing what? I have no idea but I am always on the go. I am going away for 10 days. Visiting a really good friend in Montana. She is on Spring Break. We will visit Yellowstone. Then I will go to southern California to see my Uncle and his family. We will ride 4 wheelers on the sand dunes and have all sorts of fun. They have plans for me that I dont even know about. It appeals to my mysterious and adventurous side! :) Stay tuned for posts and pictures from this excursion.

The Last Zellers Wedding

Dave and Lydia's Wedding

My sister-in-law, Lydia, got married February 16, to David Brose. It was a very beautiful wedding. They were married in Memorial Baptist Church in Williamsport at 10:30am. Maid of Honor, April Frye (adopted sister) and Flower Girl, Allison Bennett were Lydia's attendants. Best Man, Jeremy Brose (brother of Groom) and Ring bearer, Garrett Hagaman were Dave's attendants. Reception was downstairs in the basement of the church. Brownie cake was delicious. We all had a good time, but most of all the day was special for Dave and Lydia.

Grace Heidi Hale

Grace Heidi Hale

My 3rd niece was born on February 7th. Her name as you can see in the title is Grace. She is appropriately named; for God's Grace. I was blessed to be able to be there and see Grace be brought into this world. When she was born she wasn't breathing for about 15 minutes. She was getting oxygen because the doctors were using a CPR mask on her but she didn't want to breathe on her own. In those 15 minutes, prayers were going up on her behalf. Through our tears, we texted family to pray as well as praying ourselves in the delivery room. It was an intensely, scary 15 minutes. Grace is doing very well now. I praise the Lord for another beautiful addition to the family.

Fun

Fun

Sometimes you just need to do something fun and crazy. I have alot of those times. And someone usually always has a camera nearby.

Ladybug Experiment

April and I were up late last night experimenting on ladybugs. After studying one ladybug for the longest time, we discovered with complete surprise and amazement that the bug could free itself from duct tape if it had something to hold on to. (Mom was there taking pictures.) Using a twistie tie, duct tape, a timer, and 10 ladybugs we conducted this uncontrolled experiment. Here are the results:

Ladybug A- succeeded in freeing itself in 49 seconds and 62 milliseconds. Was one of the 2 smallest ladybugs.

Ladybug B- succeeded in freeing itself in 49 seconds and 72 milliseconds. Was the biggest bug and the laziest.

Ladybug C- failed to free itself. It just hung on to the twistie tie and seemed to expect the twistie to pull it off. the other smallest bug of the 10.

Ladybug D- failed to free itself. (this time) This was the first bug we studied before the experiment and it had freed itself several times before. We concluded that it was tired. It gave up at 5 min 55 secs.

Ladybug E- failed to free itself. tried half-heartedly but quit after 32 secs

Ladybug F- failed to free itself. tried for 7 min and 16 secs, but lost its grip twice.

Ladybug G- succeeded in freeing itself in 28 seconds. it was stuck on its side.

Ladybug H- succeeded in freeing itself in 1 min and 3 seconds.

Ladybug I- succeeded in freeing itself in 5 min and 3 seconds. It was super stuck.

Ladybug J- succeeded in freeing itself in 1 min and 4 seconds. it also was stuck on its side.

This was not a controlled experiment. The ladybugs were not all stuck on with the same PSI. Some were stuck more than others. Some had been stuck longer than others. One was more tired out than the others because it was studied prior to the experiment. They were not all stuck to the duct tape at the same place on their bodies, most were stuck on their back, others were on their head or side.

Conclusion: Ladybugs are similar to people. Some are fighters and wont give up until they succeed. Some are lazy. Some are quitters. Some dont care. Some try for a short time and then give up. Some were very strong. Others were weak. Others were dumb and didnt get the concept of freeing themselves. Some try and never succeed. Others expect someone else to do the work for them.

Which Ladybug are you?

Lydia's Bridal Shower

Lydia's Bridal Shower

On Monday, January 21, 2008, we held a bridal shower for my sister-in-law, Lydia. April did an excellent job planning it. One game we played was Toilet Paper Brides. The object was that each group had to dress up someone in their group as a bride using only toilet paper and tape. Then Lydia got to choose which one she liked the best. One can do alot with toilet paper. The next game was pictionary using of course wedding terms. We had some interesting artists. Then everyone played Gift Bingo as Lydia opened her gifts. We had a great time and Lydia enjoyed it.

New Years Eve Ball

New Years Eve

December 31, 2007, Zeb and I attended the second annual New Year's Eve Ball at our church. Beforehand, Dave, Lydia, Jeremy, April, Zeb and I went out for dinner. After attempting 3 restaurant, we finally went to Aungst's Family Restaurant. We first tried Restless Oaks and that was closed. Then we went to OIP (Original Italian Pizza--which serves more than pizza, by the way), which an extremely casual place. After walking past all the customers who were staring at us because we were dressed up fancy, we sat down in a private room. The waitress came back and told us that this room was closed and the restaurant was closing in 10 min. So we left. Ruby Tuesday's had a 45 min to hour wait. So we finally decided to try Aungst's. Success! We all managed NOT to spill any food on our clothing! After eating a nice meal, we stopped by Walmart on our way to the church, to buy me a warm fuzzy shawl. Because it was a little chilly that night, in December. The Walmart greeter was a very friendly, upper aged woman and she was so funny. She asked why we were all dressed up. When we told her that we were going to a ball she saw Zeb dressed in his Army Dress Greens and asked him to dance with her. Then she danced with Jeremy and then Dave. She said she wished she could go with us but, in her words, "Walmart REALLY needs me", and wished us well.

At church we got individual and family pictures, then proceeded upstairs to the "ballroom" aka: sanctuary and gym. We played Musical Chairs with couples. Instead of walking around the chairs we had to dance around the chairs. When the music stops, the couple had to occupy one chair. It was very crowded with twice as many people as chairs. Jeremy and April won that game. We danced some. Mostly the girls danced, and the guys sat at the table and chatted. But Zeb danced with me once. I liked it! Unlike last year, we stayed til midnight. We had a blast and I am looking forward to next year's New Year Eve Ball. (Mostly because Zeb will be home again by that time)

Christmas

Christmas

Zeb came home for Christmas and was home till after the New Year. It was so nice to have him home. He got alot of hunting in--goose and duck. He really enjoyed that. Our Christmases with both sides of the family was quiet but nice and relaxing (for the most part). We spent Christmas Eve up at Mom and Dad Zellers house. Had a large delicious meal, read the Christmas Story from the Bible, opened presents, played Apples to Apples, then went outside and blew up a gingerbread house. That was fun. Christmas morning Zeb went Goose/Duck hunting since we weren't doing "Christmas" till that evening due to work schedules. At about 4:30 we had another large delicious meal, had the kids open their presents, then the adults opened ours, played Apples to Apples and UNO. Then we called it a night. Zeb and I had a nice Christmas and it was great to have him home for 10 days.

My new bike!

Bikes

In the beginning of October, Zeb and I bought me a motorcycle. I love my new bike and I enjoy riding. It's a 2007 Suzuki Boulevard S40, 650 cc. I have nearly 200 miles on it so far. We like riding together. I took the motorcycle course on a 250 cc bike. So we thought that this is a good starter bike. I will ride this next summer and get more experience and then when Zeb comes home from overseas in the end of 2008, we will upgrade to the 650 version of his V-Strom and have matching bikes. I love to show it off, so if anyone wants to see it, come on over. Or you can just come to visit.

The last Hale wedding

Stacey and Cody's Wedding

The last of the Hale kids, my little sister, got married on October 13. She is a beautiful bride. The wedding was gorgeous and the weather--perfect. Her wedding colors for her fall wedding was persimmons (similar to burnt orange) and chocolate. Many things about the wedding are meaningful to Stacey: The gym they married in was at New Tribes Mission. For you who dont know, we, the Hale family grew up as missionaries to Papua New Guinea and were with the New Tribes Mission. Stacey remembers my dad and I singing at churches and such, so she asked us to sing in her ceremony. My older sister, Rachel, plays the piano. The flower girls, Nieces Emily and Hannah, carried a basket of leaves to drop on the aisle. The ring-bearer, Nephew Aaron, carried a wrestling championship belt, since both Cody and Stacey are wrestlers. The "stage" they married on was a wrestling ring, creatively decorated. I am happy that their special day went well.

Moving

Moving

October 2, 2007, Zeb got the call that he is getting deployed overseas and has to be ready to leave October 21, less than 3 weeks away. That didn't give us much time to amend the orders he has been on for the summer, finish up paperwork for the last job, find an apartment/house for us up in the Jersey Shore/Lock Haven area (so I will be close to family), pack up the old house, move and unpack again, get settled, etc. This past month has been so crazy. In the midst of all this, my little sister got married. We did find a place in Antes Fort, which is right next to Jersey Shore. After 3 trailor loads, 3 Blazer loads, 2 pick-up truck loads, and 1 Subaru load we were finally moved. It has got a huge kitchen which I really like, even if it does look like the 70's era, and more closet space than we had in the last house in Millersburg, but there is no basement in this new house which hid alot of our stuff. We really miss our old place, but one must move on. It is a pretty area, where we are now. We have a donkey that lives across the street from us. I have never heard such strange noises as what comes out of that donkey, and he has strange behaviors, but he always brings a smile to your face and makes you laugh.

Rickett's Glen

Ricketts Glen

Zeb has been working alot all summer, so we rarely see each other. He had three days off, September 17-19. It was great to be able to spend time together again. It was also my birthday so that was extra special. Zeb took me to Rickett's Glen State Park. We boated around the lake, cooked and ate dinner on a rock out in the water, and watched the sunset. We camped the night and in the early morning (6:00) we went out on the water. The fog was thick and just made the sunrise even more beautiful. It was so peaceful. Then we went and hiked the 3.2 mile loop of Falls Trail and saw most of the waterfalls and pretty scenery. The leaves are just starting to turn colors. We had a special time together doing things we love; boating, camping, and hiking. This will be a special memory for years to come.

Jersey Shore Beach Family Vacation

Jersey Shore Vacation 07

This is the second year we have chosen the Jersey shore to be our family vacation spot. We went down September 4th, for 4 days. Rachel has a friend who's parents own a summer home in Tom's River, NJ. They offered us their home while we were there. We are so grateful to them. It was so nice to come back from the beach and have a nice place. There were even enough rooms and beds for all of us. Unfortunately Zeb, Stacey and Cody had to work and couldn't come. We missed them. The house was situated on a man-made canal for boats to come in off the bay and dock at the house. Emily, Aaron, and Hannah enjoyed feeding the ducks from the dock. Tyler just wanted to catch one. Occasionally the ducks would come up onto the "yard" looking for hand-outs.

There was a 20 minute drive to the beach. We had fun playing in the waves, boogie-boarding, and playing in the sand with the children. Tyler, the youngest (9 months) just loved the water splashing into him. On the way home the exhausted kids would sleep the whole way. That was nice! :) On the last day, we didn't go in the water. We rented two paddleboats. The wind was blowing so strong that we couldn't go anywhere other than the way the wind wanted us to go, but we had fun anyways. Then the kids played on the playground for awhile before we headed home.

Millersburg Bicentennial

Millersburg Bicentennial

Residents of Millersburg and its surrounding friends celebrated Millersburg's 200th Birthday, starting Tuesday, August 28th and continued until Monday Septemeber 3rd. Each day and evening was filled with events, including concerts, church services, parades, a Grand Parade, auctions, children's theater, Pony Express, Youth Day, Millersburg Pageant, carnival, quilt auction, bench auction, dedication of the Ned Smith Center bridge, tours of local factories and businesses, time capsule ceremony, Alumni Day, restored railroad station open house football game, car show, fireworks, and many more exciting events. The Millersburg Ferry (the last paddleboat vehicle-carrying ferry in the states) was open for rides across the Susquehanna River to the Ferryboat Campgrounds on the other side. The Millersburg Historical Museum had extended hours. Millersburg was graced by the presence of Abraham Lincoln and Benjamn Franklin. Years went into the planning of the bicentennial week, making it a huge success.

Because of being out of town, I was only here to experience the end of the Fireman's Parade, Football Game, Carnival, Pony Express, Grand Parade, Car Show, viewing of the benches for the Bench auction, and Millersburg Pageant. It was a great time.

Chincoteague Beach

Chincoteague, Virginia

August 10-12, I had the opportunity to go to the beach with my father-in-law, Mark and my friend, Jamie. I had never been to Chincoteague, Virginia before and Jamie had never been to the beach before. We stayed in a nice little cabin that Levi and Janessa had stayed in for their honeymoon. The three of us spent most of the days we were there, on the beach. We had an ocean kayak with us and that was so much fun. I taught Jamie how to boogie board. I also learned how to surf, which was awesome! We started to dig a cave, but the sand wasn't solid enough, so our cave turned into a hot tub, fully epuipped with seats, back rests, arm rests, and a small water fall. The only problem was that when the water came in, the floor filled up with sand. The dolphin sighting was neat, course I wanted to swim with them. We witnessed a wedding on the beach that lasted about 5 minutes, if that; pretty sunsets, and the Assateague wild ponies. We got up at 5:30 to see the sunrise on the beach. To our disappointment, it was cloudy, but the time was still very peaceful in the early morning. Oh, and we chatted with some Amish girls who were from Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. They were taking pictures of themselves, and we asked if they would get a picture with us. This visit reconfirmed the fact that I love the beach.

Another Zellers' Wedding

Levi & Janessa's Wedding

August 4, 2007, my brother-in-law, Levi and his girl Janessa said "I do". It was a beautiful wedding starting at 8 AM. After a short and sweet ceremony preformed by Pastor Ted Justice in Millport Mennonite Church where Janessa grew up, the breakfast reception held in the fellowship hall consisted of egg and cheese muffins, breakfast sausages, cubed potatoes, a variety of fruit, and sticky buns. After all, one shouldn't have cake for breakfast! Visiting with wedding guests took place during the reception and we were all on our way home long before noon. They have a home in Lock Haven, PA. Janessa is teaching Biology for high school students and Levi is attending the Physician's Assistant program at Lock Haven College for his Master's degree. It has been great for Zeb and I to be able to hang out with them. They are the cutest couple!

Mumu

Mumu

A mumu is a meal that is steamed in the ground. This is a tradition of Papua New Guinea. At the Numonohi Bung, the mumu was the highlight of the reunion. Or should I say, the mumu that wasn't. I say this because when it came time to eat--the meat was not cooked and only some of the vegetables were done. The problem was this: In PNG, the nationals would begin the process in the early morning and the food would steam all day long. Here in the US, the nationals (us) didnt start until noon, and the food didnt go in until 3:30ish. And we were expecting to eat at 6. So out came the grills to finish cooking the meat (pork and chicken), and the uncooked veges went to the kitchen. Our mumu flopped. But it was fun to watch the guys prepare it and to smell the burning grass and banana leaves. These smells took us back to New Guinea. This was definately an event to remember.

If you click on the picture above and read the captions under the pictures, they will tell you how a mumu is prepared.

Numonohi Bung

Numonohi Bung

Thursday, June 7th, 2007 at 10:00 pm, my mom, sister Rachel, her 2 boys Aaron and Tyler, and I set out for Wisconsin. Earlier that day I had left my house in Millersburg, drove 1 1/2 hours to pick up my mom in Jersey Shore, drove another 3 1/2 hours to Rochester, NY to pick up Rachel, Aaron, and Tyler. So the 5 of us were squeezed into my Subaru Forester (and I mean squeezed!) and were headed to a Numonohi Reunion. For those of you who dont know: Numonohi is where my parents and siblings and I lived in Papua New Guinea for 7 years. We had decided to drive through the night because that would be best for the boys (ages 6 months and 2 1/2 years). This way they would sleep most of the trip. The other intention was for the adults to sleep as well when we weren't the one driving. Ya well--it was a nice idea--too bad it didnt work. It is hard to sleep when one is cramped up.

12 hours later, we arrived at Camp Awana in Fredonia, WI. We ate lunch, then set up the tent (and realized we forgot a hammer to pound in the stakes--so we used a tire iron :) ) Finally we could hang out, relax, and visit with people, some of whom we haven't seen in 17 years. We had a great time. A concert was put on by Mayriver, a band that originated in PNG. Its band members are brothers and grew up in a tribe on the May River, hence the name.

After a mumu on Saturday night, the 5 of us climbed back into the car to begin the 12 hour drive back to NY.

Stats: Millersburg, PA to Jersey Shore, PA- 75 miles, 1 1/2 hours
Jersey Shore, PA to Rochester, NY- 308 miles, 3 1/2 hours
Rochester, NY to Fredonia, WI- 683 miles, 12 hours
Round Trip- 2132 miles, 34 hours

Our 2nd Anniversary

2nd Anniversary

Click on the first picture to see more.

Our anniversary is on May 28th, which happened to be Memorial Day this year. It's already been 2 years. In a way it went fast and in another way it feels like a long time. Probably because we have been together for 7 years now and alot has happened.

Zeb and I planned a kayak/camping trip on the Susquehanna River from Renovo to just before Lock Haven, PA (about a 18 mile trip). We planned on 2 days; we'd stop halfway and camp on an island in the river and then finish the trip the next day. It didnt happen that way. That's the second time we planned a 2 day trip and it all happened in one day; the other trip was 25 miles on Pine Creek. Anyways, Zeb's family came along and that was nice. We didnt find an island that was nice enough to camp on, so we kept paddling on until we realized that we were 3 miles from the truck (ending point) so we just decided to go all the way. We were tired, sunburnt, and hungry. Not a pleasant combination. Hopefully next time we plan a 2 day trip, it will actually be 2 days. Third time is the charm, right?

At the end of the weekend (which was Monday and Tuesday), we saw this motorcycle and side car in the parking lot of the Woolrich Store. We were looking it over and couldnt figure out what kind of bike it is. It has the horizontal engine that BMW has, but the logos on the bike are not BMW. We dont know what the logos are. There are YPAN tires and mudflaps on it. It may even be an English bike. Obviously the owner was not around to ask. Does anyone know what kind of bike this is?

New Favorite Hobby

New Favorite Hobby

We just bought this new bike. We had a '97 Honda CBR 600. A friend of Zeb's wants to buy it. This new bike is a '07 Suzuki V-Strom 1000. We like it much better for its comfort and travel ability. Now we take weekend trips with it. Our longest trip so far was to Rochester NY to see my sister Rachel. From our house that was 5 hours straight. It was pretty cold in NY also. (40 degrees) But we had fun! We probably wont travel any farther than that--it's quite a drive on the bike. Of course, my niece and nephew also like the bike! :)

We just bought me a kayak so I don't have to borrow a boat. Now we can go out on the water whenever. Click on the picture to see more.

Our Favorite Hobbies

Our Favorite Hobbies

Zeb and I enjoy many outdoor activities; including hiking, backpacking, camping, rock climbing, boating, and just being in God’s Creation! Zeb enjoys hunting deer and birds (geese and ducks). I enjoy being with my nieces and nephews, Emily, Hannah, Aaron and Tyler. Emily and Hannah belong to my brother, David and his wife Melisa. Aaron and Tyler belong to my sister, Rachel and her husband, Wilmer. You can view their blog at www.wrcaballero.blogspot.com

Our Wedding

Our Wedding

Zeb and I were married on May 28, 2005 at our church in Castanea, PA. We dated for about 3 1/2 years; were engaged for a year while Zeb was overseas in Iraq with the National Guard. Then when he got home we planned the wedding and were married 5 months later. Click on the picture for more photos of our wedding.