Chez Stephens: Ainsley's first hike

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Ainsley's first hike

Ainsley had her first hike this weekend - a short one. During Member Weekend at the Ozark Natural Science Center, we packed her in the Baby Bjorn and took her to the King's River overlook.

What a great afternoon with fun families and plenty of kids ages 4 - 9 all on the hunt for bald eagles. It was a perfect, sunny, crisp November day.

Ainsley's first hike

The Boyer Clan + Stan

Naima Montacer

Sophie & Lily

Our fam

Taylor, Sophie & Lily

Ainsley snuggled up

Grant - LOVE this cute pic.

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About Our Family

Fred & I met in Magnolia, Arkansas at Southern Arkansas University in 1995 and were married in Texarkana in 1999. We have lived in northwest Arkansas since 1998 - first in Fayetteville, then Rogers since 2004. Sophie joined us in 2003, and Ainsley completed our family in 2010.

We live in a fantastic old (1905) house in historic downtown Rogers that is constantly in need of more attention. Its best assets are plenty of old trees and a great rope swing in the front yard.

We enjoy biking, hiking, camping, working around our yard and garden and frequenting the Rogers Farmers' Market and local farm stands to whip up different, healthy meals. We make a (sort of) annual bike trip along the Katy Trail, and can't wait to try some new Rails To Trails adventures as a family. We also enjoy hanging out in downtown Rogers, from "Chips & Salsa" (Las Palmas) to Brick Street Botanical.

Our girls' paternal grandparents (Robert & Maggie Stanford) as well as LOTS of aunts and uncles (Tinker & Karen, Jerry & Lesia, Kenneth, Ricky, Pam & Casey, Ann and Jackie) and cousins live in and around El Dorado, Arkansas. Their maternal grandparents (Bill & Glennis Mallett) live in Texarkana, Arkansas, right next to the Texas-Arkansas state line. Ultimately, they promise to move to their land on Beaver Lake just outside Rogers. Aunt Jo lives precisely 3 miles from our front door in Rogers with her dog/best friend Patches and recent addition Cheez-It the cat, and she works at Walmart world headquarters.

Sophie is a first grader and a Brownie Girl Scout and plays for a U7 soccer team. She likes playing outside barefoot, enjoying her upstairs playroom and spending time with our two ducks and two cats following her around the yard as though she is Dr. Doolittle. We love watching her grow up in a special home with neighborhood friends, firefly catching and a few friendly snakes in the yard. Her current notable habit is narrating her life with constant songs just like Frances.

Ainsley is proving to be an animated child who is very social - she likes to be right in the middle of the action. She has many fun years ahead of her with Sophie showing her the way - which she will no doubt follow and diverge from as she sees fit.

Thanks for keeping up with our part of the world.