FLOAT TRIP HISTORY

Labor Day 1989
Shady Beach, Noel, MO. Thompsons and Terry Mitchell were the only ones to bring campers. Donna was introduced to the family.
1990
NRO, Niangua River. Jeanne & Wayne both had campers and the HILL astounded everyone. Jeanne arrived first with kids from church camp. When the rain hit, all the tent people piled in campers and Ruth unintentionally made the headlights.
1991
Corkery Campground, Niangua River. Ruth set up the float. Albert brought Marjorie & Roy’s camper. We hated being charged for showers. And some of us went to NRO to the store anyway and dealt with The Hill.
1992
Shady Beach, Noel, MO. Lightning hit the well house with us camped next to the well house. Thompson’s attended church where Steve preached in West Fork. Kathy cleaned closets and she shared her clothes with any who wanted an item. The float lasted forever and ever.
1993
NRO, Niangua River. Mother & Dad and Linda and David rented campers. Roy and Marjorie came, too and we camped near the branch. A teenaged frog practiced his song most of the night.
1994
NRO, Niangua River. We had more campers with Vic and Julie joining us and Aunt Cleora to watch baby Sam. Adam got a splinter that his mother removed.
1995
NRO, Niangua River. Rather than going south from the store, this year we went north. We camped on the point of the north campground along the river and enjoyed walking to flush bathrooms. Before we had been too far to walk to the shower house. Jay brought an RV with air conditioning and ran the generator to help Mother cope with the heat.
1996
NRO, Niangua River. This was Garret’s debut. And it was also the year of the mud. We couldn’t get the “point” campground so we took a grassy one further south. Big rain, big mistake.
1997
NRO, Niangua River. Linda Punch planned the float trip and she requested and got the pavilion! Wow! We were right downtown now and directly across from the flushes! Punch’s rented an RV that had ventilation problems. Mother and Dad now had the Land Yacht.
1998
NRO, Niangua River. We were back in the pavilion and worked over the electricity to run the air conditioner.
1999
NRO, Niangua River. The pavilion was taken so we camped just south of the bathrooms. We had tarps up on both sides of the road. This was the first float for Tess, Jalen and Garret. Uncle Roy was very ill. It was hard to “play” since he was so sick back in Bolivar.
2000
NRO, Niangua River. This was the year Judy and Randy’s son brought his army buddies and Judy had to go to ER to get one of them sewed up after a fight on the river.
2001
NRO, Niangua River. We barbequed a deer that Steve had killed with the hay bind. Andy was walking among us after his spring jeep wreck.
2002
NRO, Niangua River. This was the first mid week float. All Jeanne’s kids were there. Grandpa started doing the cooking due to Mother’s health. It was Anna Grace’s first trip and the electric service to the pavilion had been upgraded and ran both air conditioners. Thompson’s had borrowed a large 5th wheel.
2003
NRO, Niangua River. Grandma and Grandpa resumed actually floating again! Her health improved with the reduction of medicine after the ablation of her heart. Nita was a new bride. Allen, Adam and Terry missed. Allen was installing storm cellars, Adam was en route to Afghanistan, Terry in nursing school.
2004
NRO, Niangua River. The year of the children. We had 20 less than 10 years old. The river was dry, but the day was rainy. We had to float down from NRO to the Rendezvous Point.
2005
The year Jeanne rolled the pick up and wrecked their camper and the year Kathy lost a wheel. Adam was home from Afghanistan one of the first to arrive.
2006
Trip to Citizens Memorial for Wyatt’s arrival. Allen’s family, Kathy and kids and Matt and Jessica were the early arrivals. Due to heavy rain more of us tried out the rafts and found them pleasantly comfortable. Mo and Ruth had their own RV this year.
2007
Wyatt made the whole float one day before his first birthday. Jeanne & Rick, Joe & Nita, Ruth & Mo, Becca & Anna, and Matt & Jessica all stayed on top of the hill. The golfers golfed 2 days. Mo & Ruth had a huge motor home. The water and the weather was perfect!
2008
Haden Thompson made his first trip down the river. Bonny & Adam were the newlyweds. We were awaiting word on the success of little Leah Punch’s successful surgery and we were celebrating her arrival and that of little Emma in Tennessee. We also teased Melissa as her ultrasound had indicated that she was 39 weeks and back at NRO! We probably had our greatest number of dogs (Echo, the cocker spaniel with Allison; Jada, the chocolate lab with Jessica; Buddy, the chocolate lab with Nancy; and Cricket returned again with her family, the Moshers. And we also had a huge contingent of the Tygarts! Al & Trish filled 6 canoes for us!
2009
Allen pioneered the 3rd generation Pooh Bah. The big storm at the end of the float was the excitement of the year. We put in at Bennett and no one floated past NRO. The big syringe-type squirters were fun for all ages. Jenni’s arm was in a “waterproof cast” and Mo was nursing his foot following surgery. We enjoyed his delicious taco recipe again this year! Our youngest attending was Kacee and she stayed at camp crawling in the rocks and dirt. Great grandma got her bathed and cleaned up before her mommy got back.
2010
Elle made her first float 26 days before her first birthday. Adam was greatly missed as he was in Afghanistan but most of the rest of the Thompsons were there. Most continued the float on to Rendezvous Point. We had 78 attending and 69 floating. The weather was perfectly hot and the water perfectly cold. Kathy was the grand pooh bah and oops! forgot the hat.
2011
Grandpa and Grandma Sweetie decided to make the float this year! They went in a raft with Allen from Bennett to NRO. Wayne was the oldest to do the NRO to Rendezvous Point and he celebrated his 60th. His kids made it memorable! All Rick & Jeanne’s kids and grandkids were there and all but one in-law. Bonny impressed everyone with dunking Randy Campbell–even Randy!
2012
The year of the flies–cover up the food, grab the swatters, turn on the fans, spray. Tygarts had the youngest present with 8 day old JR and Grandpa Sweetie was the oldest at 81. Wayne turned 61 on the float day. Nita brought both brownies and lemon bars…and Jeanne dropped a cream pie as she cleaned the cover. The Thompson girls housed their families at Sand Springs, two cabins were used at NRO and all the rest commuted or camped “down the hill.” Ruth crowned Becca Cusher Grand Pooh Bah after hearing of her organizational skills and witnessing the results of her confiscation of the Taco shopping list.
2013
We had a baptism as Jenni Shipley had pre-arranged with Kevin to confirm her faith in Jesus Christ and to live her life for Jesus. Linda, Wayne, and Steve were unable to attend but Jeanne’s family was there in full force missing only Adam in Afghanistan and Curtis who stayed in Mississippi–all other were present. Kathy’s family was there; and Allen and Michelle and Joe attended with their children. Special guests cousin Bill & Laura Gile from California both camped and floated.

2014

We had our youngest ever attend the 25th Annual Family Float with Kate Louise Thompson entering the pavilion on her mother’s arms 5 hours before she was 4 days old.  In addition we had Adam and Nancy safe and back home from  military service  in Afghanistan and we also had Michael, Christine, Aiden and Aubree with us from the Carolinas.  We celebrated Annie Blu’s second birthday.  And Grandpa Sweetie said as he did last year, “This is probably the last year,” just as he had told us last year.

2015

The Year of the Flood!  The Niangua was 4 feet above flood stage the entire week we were to float.  There were 32 of us brave ones who also had a confirmed, reserved, secure dry bed whether we went to NRO or not and we went!  We found the fellowship, visiting and catching up; as well as the fun teasing and laughing with one another to be just a great as ever.  The I-Phone folks kept us to date on the storms and the massive flood of Roaring River (“At least we aren’t there!”) and Bob and Barbara Burns made sure we are on their books for July 12 to 16 next year!

2016

It is very good that floating isn’t necessary for a wonderful time together at NRO.  This year we were again flooded out.  Fortunately, we had all camped and stayed on top of the hill (Allen Tygart and crew did not, so they headed home early).  The Thompsons had most of their children there staying in the cabins.  Some shopped in Osage Beach and others saw a movie in Lebanon.  There was a fierce volleyball game in between rains and we put a canopy over the fire to keep it burning.

2017

There was more confusion checking in this year as both John and Missy were away caring for Barbara and Bob.  Bob was having medical treatments every other day.  On Thursday when John and Missy were there everything was fine.  Barbara and Bob came Friday morning to visit with Mother and Dad.  Barbara asked us to keep Bob in our prayers.

2018 to 2020 – no floats

2021 – Linda and Jeanne’s families went back to NRO.  We were visited by Michelle and Addie; Stephanie and children.  Kevin spent one night with his boys and Jon was able to be there one night with his girls.  Adam was still deployed to Kuwait but Bonny came with the children and stayed in a house with Becca, Anna Cusher and with Deborha, Esther, Abigail and with Nancy, James, and Christopher.  Matt and children & Rick and Jeanne had campers and we ate suppers together under the trees.  Thompsons had breakfast in the big house.  Punch’s gathered at the motel with Linda & David.   Janet Simmons as well as Tess, Colton, Jessica, Billy and Brandon joined us as well.  Ruth Mosher and John & Kathy also stopped by.

2022- Check out the page Float Trip 2022    It was brutally, dangerously Hot!  David brought a commercial shop fan and we kept the ice water cooler filled; but it was hot!  We learned how where oak got the adjective, “sturdy.”  And it was another great year of memories!  It was Lucy and Piper’s first float.