Little Copy Cat

This past week I have been rather under the weather... sick with a nasty flu. This morning Melissa claimed the couch, blanket & pillow where I have been spending hours resting. I'm hoping she isn't really sick too (she keeps saying "Missa's sick too") and that she is just imitating me.




Just a little update: Melissa was only being a copycat, she never did end up catching my flu - thankfully!

Clayburn Village's Heritage Day

Today we enjoyed spending some time with Kiera & family at
Clayburn Village's Heritage Day.

The girls shared a desk in a heritage classroom...

where Melissa was eager with all the answers!

The little trouble makers were quick to pick on the girl ahead of them...

but soon enough the excitement of school wore off.

For lunch we were serenaded by a group of fiddlers...

which received rave reviews from Melissa...

and her best-friend Kiera :)

Two girls in a Toybox

Today Kiera came over to play which overjoyed Melissa. She had pre-planned everything she wanted to show Kiera, right down to her Dora dress from Nana. When Kiera got here Melissa couldn't contain her glee and was running in circles and jumping up and down.
When the girls started playing in the toy box I had to capture the moment...




The upcoming generation... my they learn so young! (I'm thinking it won't be long and she will be begging for a cellphone)

First Band-aid

Believe it or not, Melissa wore her first band-aid this week. With all this warm weather and wearing shorts that don't protect her knees she was bound to skin them. At first she was really concerned about putting something on her owie... but then once I brought out the Dora band-aids (which were from her Christmas stocking) she was more interested in telling me the character's names.

Here she is after her nap, very fascinated by it...

Little Red Trike

Last weekend we got Melissa her first tricycle. She has been busy trying to master the art of pedaling it, and has been having a blast!



Shooing away the paparazzi!

Around the Cabin

Here are some random pictures of us just hanging around at the cabin...

This is the cabin. We stayed in the second building (in progress)
which is in the back right corner.

Searching for tiny wild strawberries.


Melissa learned how to blow the seeds off of a dandelion
(we had been avoiding teaching her here at home!)

Bath-time in the kitchen sink.

Searching for more strawberries & pine-cones.

At first Melissa was quite intimidated by Papa's tractor.
After a bit of coaxing she braved getting on the tractor with me...

and seemed to enjoy playing with the steering wheel & honking the horn.

She was a big helper to daddy as they smoothed the gravel foundation
for a new pergola they set up over the fire pit.

(believe it or not this is my father's way of relaxing!!!)

Throwing Rocks in the Lake

I think Melissa's favorite memory of our trip to the cabin was throwing rocks into the lake. Green lake is a little fuller thanks to her (& Ken)!


Practicing good technique.


Ken found humor in throwing rocks at the same time to trick her into thinking her rocks were making this big splash...

it never really did phase her though.

We made our lunch and had a picnic lake-side

Papa & Nani's dog Annie... who patiently waited for food scraps.

Buffalo Ranch

Just down the road from the family cabin is a large buffalo ranch which offers tours. We had hoped to go on a tour, but it didn't coincide with Melissa's nap schedule. So we walked around and took in the sites that were accessible by foot.

Some calm free-range chickens and their protective rooster.

A lone buffalo (we were told July started mating season, so the tour could have been rather exciting!)

Melissa looking in awe at the buffalo.

Melissa feeling a little extra affectionate as Papa just bought her a little keychain buffalo from the gift shop... and Papa soaking it all in!!!

Looking at more buffalo with Papa.

A close up with some free-range horses.

Flower Child

Being around a little one gives great excuse to be young again... here Melissa was picking flowers for us to put behind our ears. Ken had forgotten about the ones he was wearing by the time I came to take his picture!

Cabin Frog

When we first arrived at the cabin, Melissa spotted a little camouflaged frog. I was very impressed because she has never seen one in person before... and to find this one would have been hard as he mixed right in with the rocks. She had a great time trying to catch it, touching it and watching it hop away.