Weddings Bells

On June 9, 2007, my cousin Nathan was married in south Alabama. It was a beautiful ceremony. My favorite part was being able to assist in the decor that was applied to his vehicle.. hee hee...

Tennessee

Hi everyone! I am back!

I arrived safely in Tennessee on April 28th and have begun to get somewhat settled in.

On May 13th, along with celebrating Mother's Day, we also celebrated my 30th birthday. uuugghhh! I feel old!

The school where my mom and sister teach went on a field trip on May 14th to the Space Center in AL. I was able to go along as a guest. I have posted a photo below of me in the space shuttle simulator.... I crashed.... and burned.... it was awful!!!

I would post more but the pool is calling my name. Later!

Tomorrow will be my last day in Branson. It is sad to leave, but at the same time I am very excited about going back to TN. I probably won't be blogging for awhile. So....

Goodbye Branson.

See you soon blogger friends.

Kansas Visit

I went back to Kansas over the weekend to see friends and tell everyone bye. I stayed with my friends, Brad & Beth on Friday night and Saturday morning we woke up to find about 2" of snow on the ground. Saturday was moving day for them. Needless to say, the snow made it a very interesting day to move.

Sunday morning, Hobe Sound Bible College choir was at church. They did a wonderful job. My cousin, Joyce, was in the choir, and it was nice being able to see her as well.

Bye Bye Branson

I have made a decision to move back to Tennessee to be close to my mom and the rest of the family. My last day in Branson will be April 27. I will keep you guys posted...

I snapped this of Mom with her parents, brother and sister after the funeral. Please continue to pray for our family, especially for Mom.

Aunt Debbie snapped this photo of my cousin, LeeAnn, and me after the funeral. Just thought I would share.
LeeAnn will soon be graduating with her Masters Degree in Psychology. Congrats!

4 Wheelin' Fun

Last week, my brothers Wes & Tim, and our friend, Ryan got together had a blast in the mud!

Obituary

Rev. Smokey L. McDonald, age 54, of Ethridge, Tennessee , died Tuesday, March 13, 2007, at Maury Regional Hospital in Columbia, Tennessee as a result of a backhoe accident. He was a native of Decatur, Alabama, a pastor and member of Freedom Hill Bible Methodist Church. His mother was the late Agnes Pauline Hollis McDonald . He was also preceded in death by one sister: Margaret Massarelli. He is survived by his wife :Patricia Eldridge McDonald of Ethridge,TN Father: Maurice McDonald of Jasper , Arkansas One Daughter, Paula Stinebrickner (Tristan) of Ethridge, TN Three Sons, Wesley McDonald (Joy) of Ethridge, TN Daniel McDonald of Branson, MO Timothy McDonald of Ethridge, TN Three Sisters, Sherry Owens, Brenda Sue McDonald, Debbie Huff, Five Brothers, Edward McDonald, Robert McDonald, B.J. McDonald, Lamar McDonald, John McDonald Three Grandchildren: Darren McDonald Melissa McDonald Ethan McDonald Several nieces & nephews

Daily Herald News Article

Ethridge Preacher Killed In Backhoe AccidentPosted on March 15, 2007From the Daily HeraldAn Ethridge pastor, known as a compassionate man with a talent for listening, was killed about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in a backhoe accident on Old Highway 99.The Rev. Smokey Lamont McDonald, 54, pastor of the Freedom Hill Bible Methodist Church in Ethridge, was clearing land for the construction of a house, Maury County Sheriff Enoch George said.McDonald's backhoe loaders, the large shovel-like scoop on front of the backhoe was carrying a large tree limb that fell to the left, George said.“There are a couple of things that could have happened, but I believe the limb he was pushing rolled causing the tractor to fall over to the left,” George said. “When the backhoe fell over, Rev. McDonald was pinned under the cab’s roof.”McDonald’s torso appeared to have been crushed under the weight of the cab.“He was killed instantly,” George said.John Hilton, owner of Quality Contractors of Columbia, choked back tears as he talked about McDonald, who had worked for his company for about 10 years.“He was moving trash and digging a foundation for a house we were going to build out here,” Hilton said. “He was such a fine man.”That McDonald was a well-mannered and gentle man would be a sentiment amplified by other employees and friends.“He was always eager to help and was a respectful man,” Helen Ussery, another Quality Contractors employee said. “He was different than everyone else.”Ryan Matthews, owner of Custom Decking and one of McDonald’s parishioners said the pastor was one of his closest friends and possessed the talent of listening to young people.“He was a godly man,” Matthews said. “He was a friend to all.”Matthews said he was more than just a friend, he was “a good buddy.”“We hunted together, we had activities with the youth group,” Matthews said. “He had a knack of relating to young people. He was a great listener and understood youngsters.“He was our preacher for almost 20 years and also ran the Freedom Hill Bible Methodist Christian School,” Matthews said.“He was not just our preacher. He was my friend,” Matthews said.Maury County firefighters and EMS personnel worked for about an hour freeing McDonald from the heavy backhoe. His body was transported to Maury Regional Hospital.George said the man had two children who also work for Quality Contractors. His wife was in Kentucky at a religious conference.

As many of you already know, my dad was killed in a tragic accident yesterday. Please continue to pray for our family during this very difficult time. We appreciate all the prayers and phone calls. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful friends.
Funeral arrangements are as follows:
A viewing will be held Friday, March 16 from 5pm - 9pm at Neal Funeral Home, N. Military Ave, Lawrenceburg, TN.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30am on Saturday, March 17 at the Neal Funeral Home.

New Car?

I am trying to decide if I really need a new car or if I just have the fever? I have had the Grand Am way too long, and seriously need to update. Should I purchase this one? I think I'm in love, and it would be so much fun. Let me know what you guys think!

Hyundai Tiburon GT

V6, 6 Speed, Leather Seats, 6disc CD changer, etc....

Krispy Kreme

My co-workers and I went on a public relations tour this morning and decided we need to stop at Krispy Kreme on the way. They were making a fresh batch of doughnuts while we were there. yummy!

Church

In answer to a comment left on a previous post... I am currently attending the First Nazarene Church of Branson, where I am currently the pianist.

I hope Kelley will forgive me for this.... he he

Press Release

As some of you know, I work for a vacation company here in Branson which brings thousands of people to Branson every year and also does marketing for the Branson area. Here is a news release I received today from my friend, Ann, in the marketing department. This is exciting!

You will need to click on the press release to view a larger version.

"After months of work, Account Executive, Ann Reinke will bring this terrific exposure to our community. We are delighted about the opportunity to present Branson to this audience in an exciting new way!” said John Wallen. “We are confident that the people of Branson will welcome As the World Turns with open arms. Obviously we can’t disclose the story line, but we can say that people will be talking about Branson and As The World Turns.”

The cast members will be available for media interviews and autographs on Saturday, June 9 from 10 am until 2 pm at the Grand Country Square.

As The World Turns celebrated its 50th anniversary on April 2, 2006. The show received 12 Daytime Emmy Award nominations in 2006, including Outstanding Daytime Drama Series. Christopher Goutman is Executive Producer and Jean Passanante is Headwriter. A Procter & Gamble Production, As The World Turns is taped in Brooklyn, NY. The show can be seen weekdays on the CBS Television Network. (Check local listings). For photos please visit http://www.pgpphoto.com/.


-END-

Happy Birthday Jill!

My dearest friend, Jill, celebrates her birthday this Saturday. Hope it's the best, honey!

Happy Birthday!

It's so hard to believe that my nephew, Darren, will be 8yrs old this Friday. Happy Birthday buddy!

President's Day Excursion

There is really nothing spectacular about the photos below. I was enjoying the beautiful weather on Monday and decided to kick off my new exercise routine by going on a 3hr hike by Lake Taneycomo. It was a beautiful day, and the temperature was perfect for hiking. I even met a fox along the way. I tried to snap a pic of him, but he had things to do and no time to pose for me. He just continued to trot along his merry way with bushy tail swinging to and fro.