White Rock

All summer I have been saying that I want to take Melissa to a real beach. Taking hint from the cooler fall-like weather we have been having lately, we seized the opportunity today to go and play on the beach at White Rock. This was Melissa's first real ocean/beach experience.

When we arrived, I was pleased to find the tide was out, and on its way back in...

Melissa was kept busy announcing every time she saw a shell, on our walk to our 'site'. She wasted no time in starting her collection.

Ken & Melissa dug for clams, and were highly successful, finding about 8 a hole. (Ken really wanted me to take them home and make them for dinner!)

The beach was littered with (un-mobile) crabs. Melissa had no fear, and wanted to hold them...

While searching for shells, I heard some seagulls quarreling. I turned to look and they were eating my banana muffin (which was in saran wrap). They were dive-bombing it, and trying to get it out of the plastic while taking chunks out of it.

Not too pleased with sharing my lunch with these scoundrels, we decided to chase them away! Well... they knew exactly the distance to go from us, and never ever really left our area, hoping to get another peck at my muffin. 

Melissa loving the warm water on her feet!

digging in the sand...

running...

and endless shell collecting!

The big White Rock. We didn't even have to write our name on it, as it was already there! (they must have known we were coming)

We took a walk down the pier. Melissa used utmost caution with her foot placement, for fear of falling through the cracks!

A family picture. This is the exact bench that Ken proposed to me on, just over 9 years ago. We had planned to return sooner, but sadly this was the first time we have been back since! 

A very long walk back to our car. Melissa's legs were too sore to walk any further. Lucky for her, Daddy was willing to give her a piggy-back ride!

Hole-In-One

Just going through all the photos I have dumped into a folder over the summer, and came across these photos of Melissa mini-golfing for the first time! She was rather awkward with the golf club, but enjoyed the concept!

Outdoor Cinema

Last night went to the 'Outdoor Family Movie Night' at the Exhibition Park. I didn't know exactly what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by how much fun we had! We enjoyed free popcorn and great seats! We arrived a little early as time wasn't given, just 'dusk'. So we sat and waited an hour, until it was dark enough for the movie to be displayed clearly. The movie started at 9 pm and went until just before 11 pm... so a very late night for Missy, but it certainly was a treat!

Melissa posing with the large (3 story high) inflatable screen...

From the far end of the track... there was a decent turn out. (I'm thinking next year there will be even more people, as word will get out!)

Waiting for the sun to go down!

Burning off some energy while waiting...

Finally playing... 'Bee Movie', which was quite enjoyable for both of us!

Beating the heat...

We have this daisy sprinkler which can be a great, unpredictable way to cool down on these hot summer days. Ken suggested it the other day, and set it up. She has had fun with it in the past, I did a post on it two years ago in this post. 

Well this time Melissa wasn't too receptive. We tried different methods of getting her in it. Then Ken suggested her umbrella... I know kinda defeats the purpose! 

Overall, it was too much... maybe next year. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Another way to beat the heat is to have a sleep over at Nana & Pop's house! Yipee... they have air-conditioning. Here is Melissa packed up and very excited about her over-nighter!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lastly, (perhaps stretching my theme of beating the heat) playing indoors with water! Dawson and Melissa did a great job of bathing these very clean My Little Ponies...

Aldergrove Lake

Yesterday we went on a playdate to Aldergrove Lake, for some beach-like fun in the sand & water. I still must take her to the real beach to collect shells and sand-dollars and watch the tide go in & out. How fast the summer is slipping by. 

Shortly after arriving Missy got busy making sandcastles... 

Together we created a little sand-village...

Melissa played with my camera for a bit... and took a self-portrait that turned out!

Her shot of the lake... it was a fairly busy day with the sun out in full force!

Melissa was very proud of how nice she was being with Riley... 

(petting him on the head, kinda symptoms of her siblings being cats!)

The girls playing a different version of 'pass'...

Agrifair Weekend

Seeing we live within walking distance of the Agrifair, we made it a weekend event. This year we went three days of the five days it was open. The first day we went, we went the three of us. Unfortunately my camera's batteries died very early on, so I didn't capture a few key moments. But that won't stop me from writing about it!

When we first arrived on Saturday, it was 10 am, and not much had started up as the official gates open at 12 am (we didn't figure this out till we got there!). So we went and saw all the animals in the barns first. The whole time, Melissa kept saying, "I want to go to the Agrifair!". Looking at farm animals wasn't what she had in mind! She had been seeing all the fair rides when we would drive by and that was what she was wanting to see.

Once the rides opened up, we went to watch them. Melissa was really into one particular ride, a dragon which went around on an oval track. She kept saying she really wanted to ride it. So we kept watching it, until I thought she really understood it and that she would be going without a parent. So we got her tickets and lined up. Came time to board, and the second the carnival worker tried to direct her to her seat, she changed her mind! I tried all my coaxing, but then let the rest of the kids go on with their ride. So we watched a few more times, and then she said she wanted to go again... but once again chickened out (but this time made it into the seat with the seatbelt on!) We'll try again next year!

Making friends with the chicks...

Sitting watching a fair favorite, Richard's Racers...

Richard & his pet "dog"...

The ducks slide in the pool...

Visit two we went with Papa & Xander. 

Here they are watching Richard's Racers with us... 

Enjoying the show for a second time... (for the record Richard says the exact same things, jokes & all each time!)

The pigs racing! Our piggy won... yay... must have been all our cheering!

Brave cousin Xander showed us how much fun riding a fair ride is. No amount of coaxing would get Melissa to join him. 

In the Kool-Aid tent Melissa & Xander had great fun "Whacking-A-Mole"...

Missy's first corn-dog... which was a hit!

Melissa and Xander feeding the chickies sawdust... they could have stayed here for a LONG time!