Southern Cal Trip

What I failed to explain to explain in my last post was that we are currently in SoCal for a nearly week-long trip to visit family and get some vacation/family time. We drove down last Friday and we are staying with Amy's sister Lisa and her family... thanks Scott family!

Saturday - We attended a wedding... scroll down and read the previous post.

Sunday - We went to church at West Cypress Church where Amy's former youth pastor, Steve Baeder, is the lead pastor. Then, we had a family birthday party to celebrate several recent or upcoming birthdays. It was a fun evening and a great photo opportunity since all TEN Massey grandchildren were present! One birthday being celebrated was the upcoming 3rd birthday of Kaylin Grace Olson! She received many nice gifts including dress-up clothes from Grammy & Grampa.

Jenna, Garrett holding Luke, Dylan, Clara, Laura,

Josh holding Danny, Kaylin holding T.J. (L-R)

Kaylin all dressed up!

Monday - All of us "kids" (Amy's siblings and spouses) suprised Amy's parents for their 30th anniversary with a nice dinner at Ti Amo Ristorante in Laguna Beach. You can read Mom & Dad's account of the evening here.

Mindy, Jill, Steve M., Lisa (Mike had to work), DeeDee, Amy.

Derek, Steve N., Mom, Dad, Jason (L-R)

Tuesday - We visited with Amy's Aunt Judy, our friends Brent & Lynelle and their boys, and with Steve, Jill and Luke.

Wednesday - Disneyland here we come... check back soon!

Beautiful Day... Beautiful Wedding!

Today we had the privilege of attending Peter & Paola's wedding! It was a good time... Some typical Peter "Chupesmyth" Gothold humor and enthusiasm during the ceremony and a reception at a spectacular ocean-front home in Rancho Palos Verdes. For those that don't know, Peter is my best friend Chris' younger brother. Plus, I was blessed to get to know Peter when he served at Frontier Ranch in the summer of '05. We're excited for this great couple as they begin the adventure of marriage! While hanging out at the wedding and reception we got to visit with several people. Chris served as Best Man so we got to hang out with he and Kirsten (see picture). Anna "Trapt" Swanson, Heather "Samsonite" Hjelmvervik, and Matt "Grey Poupon" Brady were also there.

Kirsten, Chris, Derek & Amy (L-R)

Big Boy!

Trevor will be 4 months old in a week. He's holding his head up really well these days and he's quite the drooler (see pic). He's also quite the giggler, especially when Mommy tickles him on the tummy. What a big boy!

Speaking of Big Boy and in case you've somehow missed it, here's a favorite commercial of ours.

Citibank Commercial

End-O-Summer Celebration

To celebrate the end of summer, we decided to get away from our house and get some good family time!

We traveled just "over the hill" to San Jose where we first stopped for a brief visit with Jaron, Jenni and Avery. Avery seemed to really enjoy watching Kaylin's every move in order to do the same things as her older cousin...

Then, the four of us went over and checked-in to the 4-star Double Tree hotel (also in San Jose). Amy got a spectacular last minute deal on Priceline! We enjoyed a dip in the hotel pool and then dinner at one of Derek's favorite places to eat, Chevy's.

On Monday we went over to Raging Waters for a day of waterpark fun! Kaylin wasn't much for the waterslides but she sure liked walking up and down the waterfall stairs...

Amy pulled a rope and got doused...

Trevor seemed to enjoy his water-free day at Raging Waters...

We got such a great deal on late-season tickets to the waterpark that we decided to ask Clara, one of our regular babysitters, to come and join us for the day. It was super helpful to have her there with us for the day... she got a free day at the waterpark and we got some help with the little ones! That way Amy and I were able to enjoy some serious waterslidin' together. :)

Summer Camp Season is Over! 2 sighs!

My mom called a couple days ago 'cuz she wondered if the huge sigh that she heard all the way in Colorado was me. I told her that it definitely was me! There were two reasons for my sigh though...

Sigh #1 - A "that's a bummer" sigh because the summer camp season is my favorite part of the camp ministry calendar.

Sigh #2 - Yes, a sigh of relief... because the summer camp season is also the most grueling part of my year.

I had a great staff and it was a great summer! And most importantly, God worked in amazing ways in the lives of both staff and campers... as He always does!

Me and some FR staff workin' hard during the last week of camp...


Mom and kids during the last "Beach Day."
The last week of camp was approx. 200 jr. highers and we take them all down to the beach!


That's me inmy "gulchie" costume. It's a long story... =)


Summer staffers LumberJill, Snowflake, Quito and Figure8 (L-R) and
honorary summer staffer Kaylin "Nugget" Olson on stage leading the singing of a camp song.


Even Trevor "Simba" Olson made his stage debut last week!

Whoa!

I (Derek) was getting Kaylin ready for bed tonight and I took the rubber band out of her hair and noticed that it was a bit more out of control than normal. So I couldn't help but contine to pull it out with my fingers. Then, Kaylin started shaking her head while looking at herself in the mirror and was amused at her hair flowing all about! Then, I took things a bit further by getting out a comb to complete the "fro" process and voila... the picture above! Hope you enjoy it as much as she and I did!

More Fun at the Boardwalk!

We're excited to have Mindy, Jason, Clara and Laura here to visit for a few days! Last night we went to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk... our third trip this summer! The girls had fun going on a few rides (see pictures below). Then later, it was the the dads' turn for some fun... they climbed aboard "Double Shot," Santa Cruz's tallest structure!

Frontier Ranch Staff Banquet

Summer is winding down at Frontier Ranch... the last week of camp ends on August 19th. So the 2006 Frontier Ranch staff took some time this past Saturday night to celebrate their summer of ministry together. In the midst of camp, it's an excuse to get dressed up, have a nice dinner together, take lots of pictures and reflect on what God's been doing. Also, each staff member is given a personalized staff award that highlights their funny attributes and spiritual giftedness.

The Olson family just before the banquet

The picture above is of the group of staff that I work most closely with during the summer. This group assists me in providing leadership to various areas of the camp. The two year-round Interns served as Assistant Director and Staff Coordinator this summer. The rest of the group are summer staffers. My best friend Chris "Chops" Gothold (far right) was here again this summer in a staff pastor and worship leader role. The Servant Team also includes Team Counselors (counselors for the rest of the summer staff), LIT Coordinators (who direct our high school volunteers), and the Program Team (who oversee programming, skits, and other camper activities).

The 2006 FR "Servant Team"

Story Time

Kaylin has continued her efforts to win the "Big Sister of the Year" award lately by helping to entertain T.J. by "reading" to him. She shows him the pictures in her books and does a lot of "reading" (talking) while doing so. Although this picture doesn't totally capture it, T.J. watching and listening to his big sis.

3 months old!

Trevor is 3 months old today...and cute as ever. I asked Kaylin this morning, "What's your favorite thing about Trevor?" She thought hard for about 10 seconds and then replied, "His eyes. Just his eyes."

Lisa & Kids Visit- Thursday

Lisa and the kids left today. We had such a wonderful time with them; we were sad to see them go! It was so fun for them to finally meet Trevor!! Now we look forward to next month after camp's over when we'll take a drive down to So. Cal. and stay with them for a few days.

Lisa & Kids Visit - Wednesday

Wednesday, July 26th - Today was the day for the three "P's." Pool, Pizza and Playground. First, more heat meant more hanging out at the pool! For dinner it was make your own mini-pizzas. Then, Uncle D took all the kids except T.J. to the Mission Springs playground. Being 3 months old must be a bit of a bummer when all your cousins get to do all the cool stuff...

Lisa & Kids Visit - Tuesday

Tuesday, July 25th - Today we took the kids back to camp to try a few of the many cool Frontier Ranch activities! Josh and Garrett both climbed our rock wall, Josh zipped down the zip line, and everyone went down the 150-foot slip and slide... even Lisa and Amy!

DON'T FORGET! - You can click on any of these pictures to view the full-size version!












Garrett climbing!













Kaylin & Jenna watching!


Amy getting ready to slide!


Derek's friend Chris (aka Kaylin's "Uncle Chops")
took Josh for a slip and slide!


Then, all eight of us loaded up in Lisa's super cool Astro van to go spend the evening at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk... the west coast's only oceanside amusement park!




Rides at the Boardwalk!

Lisa & Kids Visit - Monday

Monday, July 24th - Amy's sister Lisa and her 3 kids are here to visit! Lisa's husband Mike had to stay home and work... we missed you Mike! On Monday afternoon Amy, Lisa and all the kids went to the pool... we've been experiencing extremely unusual high temps of 100+. That night we all went down to camp to see a Frontier Ranch campfire program... including songs, skits, etc. Jenna and Kaylin were dancing to the music!

Jaron, Jenni & Avery's Visit

Sunday, July 23rd

Jaron, Jenni and Avery came over for the day to see us! Kaylin and Avery are really having fun playing together these days. Plus, I just had to post this picture of Kaylin...

Kaylin recently began to show off for anyone who comes over by climbing up to the top of her slide and jumping off. Picking up on something I said to her when she started doing this, she now declares, "I'm a daredevil!"

Grammy and Grandpa Visit!

My (Amy) parents were just here for a few days. We were their first stop on their "retirement adventure." They just retired this past week (my brother Steve and his wife Jill have taken over the garage door business). They moved out of their house in Yorba Linda, put most of their stuff in storage and are now planning to travel in their new motorhome for at least a few months. Next month when camp is over we'll be driving down to So. Cal. (Trevor's first trip!). My parents are planning to fly down for the weekend to see us all at once, so at least we won't have to go several months without seeing them. Way to go, Mom and Dad!!!

Sibling Smiles

Amy mentioned in the previous post that T.J. has begun to smile a lot... including when his older sister talks to him. What a pair!

11 weeks!!!

Trevor John is 11 weeks old today!! We can't believe how fast time is FLYING by. He's such a happy boy most of the time. He now loves to give lots of big smiles (especially to his mommy :) and just started smiling at Kaylin...which she of course loves! Also, just this week he did his first belly laugh. It was very fun. He really is a joy!

Wow... Kaylin Sure Is Getting Taller!

Is Kaylin getting too big for her tent?
Or is Daddy in there with her?

Happy 4th of July!

Today we celebrated 4th of July by enjoying the festivities of the family camp that Mission Springs hosts every year. The whole family enjoyed a nice lunch, carnival games and some carnival treats (ice cream, snow cones, cotton candy). Plus, we were all part of the traditional mini-parade that circles the conference center. We joined with a bunch of other staff and local kids to be part of the parade. Kaylin and Trevor (2 mo. old) rode in a red, white and blue wagon (thanks DeeDee and Steve=). Kaylin was a true parade princess... smiling, waving her hand and waving a flag she was holding!

A 21st-Century Girl...

I was hanging out with Kaylin recently and she asked me to move a couple of chairs into position for her. After doing as she asked, I went back to surfing the web. Meanwhile, as she often does, she began to situate her dolls on the chairs. However, instead of just lining up various dolls on the two chairs, she took a seat on a chair herself. Then, she put another doll on her lap and hollered to me, "Daddy, take a picture and put it on the blog." Just as before, I did what I was told! =) Here it is...

Brutha & Sista!

Kaylin & T.J.

Kiss from Big Sis

Trevor - 8 weeks old

What a big boy!

Camp Has Begun!

The first week of camp is winding down at Frontier Ranch. I spent May 28 through June 10 training the summer staff... it was a wild, long couple of weeks... but it's always great to have the staff arrive for training! There will be 6 weeks of elementary (4-6 grade) camp and 4 weeks of jr. high (7th-9th grade) camp at Frontier Ranch this summer. Here's a picture from week #1 and below is a glimpse into this summer's theme.

2006 Theme: Frontier Safari
Welcome explorers! Are you ready to go on safari? The Frontier Tour Company has planned an exciting trip just for you! This week’s tour will be an action-packed expedition through the African savannah. We’ll take in some amazing scenery and encounter many exotic animals! It should be a great time… but if the going gets rough, we’ll be searching for an oasis where we can take refuge. So grab your canteens and your safari hats, and get ready for the best adventure on both sides of the equator! “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.” - Psalm 18:30

A visit from Grams

Grams was the next to join the parade of visitors, staying with us during the week of June 5th. I was still in the midst of my 2nd staff training week so it was very helpful to have her here.

Trevor - 6 weeks

Lots of Visitors!

"Grammy" & the kids

We've been blessed to have lots of help from Kaylin and Trevor's grandmas. My mom came a couple weeks ago, Amy's mom just left and Earlene is coming tomorrow! We are so thankful to have the extra help... since camp season is starting up right now.

"Gramma" & the kids

Trevor is now 5 weeks old... He's beginning to smile and make cute, little sounds. Kaylin is enamored with her baby "brudder." She gives him kisses, talks to him, helps mommy change his diaper, etc.


Trevor - 5 weeks old


We also enjoyed a visit a few weeks ago from Amy's sister DeeDee and her family (see pic below of the cousins).

Kaylin, Trevor, Danny & Dylan (L-R)