Day at the Fair

Two Saturdays ago the fair was in town. We went with P&G to spend the evening enjoying the sights. We stopped by the petting zoo first. There were dwarf goats, a donkey, a camel, some ducks, a calf, lots of sheep and goats and a turtle. After M, C and I went in to pet them all I had to show G them also. The fan was spraying some water so the animals wouldn't get too warm, so I cooled off also.C loved watching the animals also.

Once we got our tickets, M took me on the big slide. It was lots of fun and I immediately wanted to do it again. But we had limited tickets, so I only got to ride it one more time with D.

There were lots of other rides that I was able to go on by myself. The motorcycles were fun, but my favorite was probably the ski doo ride (which M didn't get a picture of).

D even helped me play one of the games and I won a little stuffed monkey that I added to my collection of toys I sleep with.

We took some time to go through the animal barns and even watched a few barrel racers. Before heading home we enjoyed a treat. M and I shared a Raspberry Orangade, C just enjoyed the orange part of it!!

Update on allergies....

Last week I went to see an allergist to see exactly what I am allergic to. I haven't really been coughing since I did the nebulizer treatment at the end of May, but M has noticed that I still itch my nose a lot. And when we all recently had the flu/cold I had issues with chocolate milk again (several instances in the past year and a half at restaurants of throwing up chocolate milk and/or mac&cheese immediately after eating). M was pretty sure all my issues were hay fever related and that the milk issue is more a mucus/thickness of milk issue vs. true allergy but she wanted to be sure. So off to the allergist I went.
As M&D told my story--symptoms, when/where, how often, etc. the doctor took notes and came up with possible combinations of things I could be allergic too. The usuals--grasses, weeds, trees, dog/cat, dust, mold....and then because M asked Maple, Oak and Pine trees (Maple and Oak in our yard and Pine because that's what M suspected was the source of it all), and horse because I ride horses every week at DC, milk because of the slight issues I was having. Although the doctor warned M that Pine was probably not the cause--since very few are truly allergic to pine, but rather grasses that also spread at the same time. The doctor told M&D to be prepared for unclear results, since kids my age don't always react to the scratch test.
The nurse then came in and gave me "tattoos" all over my back and then by each dot did one scratch. The nurse was so impressed with how well I did--she said I did better than some adults she has. I barely flinched at all. I sat very still on M's lap and just tightened up a little and said, "Owie" after most of the scratches. Here's what my back looked like after the nurse was done with me.
Here I am waiting for the doctor to bring back the results. I colored with blue and yellow, a color by letter sheet. I did pretty well but mixed up my B and Y's. Halfway through I told M I was coloring B for Brileigh--but was using the yellow crayon. At least I was consistent!!
So the results are as follows: I definitely have hay fever! The surprise for the Doctor was that Pine triggered some results...the surprise for M was that the big responses came from mold (outdoor varieties) and dustmites. Maple and sagebrush also triggered results. SO M's pretty maple tree in the front yard is one of the culprits to my allergies. Absolutely no response from grasses, animals or milk. I also am histamine positive--which I think is a good thing since anti-histamine medicines will work for me. So we're trying a chewable pill that is an anti-histamine, but also help with my respiratory issues (since cough is my main symptom) and I will go back in 2 weeks for a follow-up appointment.
At least it's nice to know what I have allergies to and have a plan for fighting them when they flare up.

Year of the Moose....

This has been the year of the moose for my family. Of course M hasn't gotten ANY pictures of them, but we've seen quite a few. One of the most exciting sighting was Wednesday night on our way down the mountain from work/day camp. We were almost to the last turn (just on the edge of town) when M starts screaming, "there's a moose, there's a moose!!" There was a big bull moose running down the road. We have to turn right at that road, and it was to the left running down the private gravel farm road and then down into the freshly harvested grain fields. The thing is moose don't usually frequent our side of the mountains. So even though I've seen a few moose, having one in our town was very exciting.

The other five moose have all been in there natural habitats. We've seen them when we go up into the mountains to camp. Although the bull moose who came to visit us in our campsite a couple weeks ago was also pretty exciting.

D's started calling this the year of the moose, since we've been so lucky to see so many.

Where's the camera??

We went up camping this weekend and M packed her camera in with the clothes in the back of the pickup, which made it a little more inaccessible to her. And there were a few times over the weekend when M thought to herself..."I wish I had my camera right about now."
The first time was on the way up when M looked back at C after she had been crying for a while. She had found her barefeet and was using her big toe as a pacifier and was almost asleep. As M watched the toe started slipping from her mouth and C just grabbed her foot with her hands and stuffed it back in.
The second instance was just after we got to the campsite. We hadn't even unhooked the camper yet when who should happen by but a bull moose. Just out for an evening stroll. Of course M's camera was still in the back of the pickup.
And the third instance was just after we got home. The ice cream truck was coming up the street, so I went with M to buy a Popsicle. It wasn't until M was paying that she realized this was my very first time purchasing ice cream from an ice cream truck. And of course, the camera was still in the back end of the truck.
So you will just have to use your imaginations to join us on these recent adventures of ours. But trust me, we always have fun....with or without M's camera!!

Silliness

After a recent rainstorm, I went singing in the rain while M watched from the shelter of the garage.C loves cups, so M decided she needed her own cup. She's only drunk from the sippy cup a few times, but is getting a little better at it.

D was giving C a piggy back ride, but she was more interested in eating his hair then in the ride she was on!

Trying on one of G's wigs. C is not a fan of things on her head, so this didn't stay on very long.

D and his girls!

I am an expert at making C laugh. Just the simplest things, like throwing a block at her will make her giggle.

C has found she can do motor mouth. D loves it, but M doesn't like it when she is trying to feed her.

Fun-filled Saturday

Two weeks ago, D had a company picnic that we went to. There was lots of fun things to do there. We ate first--hot dogs, hamburgers, pulled pork, BBQ chicken, brisket. Yum, yum. Then we started doing all the activities. I visited with Buster the Bus. He even knew my name!I then played in some bouncy gyms and slides.

It was the hottest day of the year that day. I think it got up to 100 degrees by that afternoon.

So D bought us some sno cones. C loved hers. She pretty much ate it all gone.

Here's the aftermath, with the blue tongue.

After spending most of the hot afternoon indoors (in our nice cool basement) we headed to the park for a picnic supper. Ever since we tried to ride the train on my birthday and it being closed due to maintenance issues, I have been asking M to go to the "choo, choo train park." I went twice on the train. The first time D and I went while C slept.

Then when C woke up I went with M and C.

We also played on the usual playground equipment. C loves the swing.

She is also a huge fan of the sand. (M finally got a picture of her playing in it--this is something like her 5th or 6th time at the playground playing in sand).

Since it was still pretty warm when we got home, D turned on the sprinklers for me and I went running all over the backyard.

To say the least, we had a busy fun filled Saturday. I guess you could call it a celebration even (it being C's seven month birthday and all). But mostly it was just a day together as a family!!

C going "sand" wild!!

Fourth of July camping trip

G&G came out to visit us over the Fourth of July, so we took them camping with us. It was absolutely beautiful weather. It only rained twice on us--the first night just after bed (left puddles for the rest of the weekend) and next evening during suppertime. Otherwise it was sunny and warm the rest of the weekend. M&D had a little bit of trouble the first night--the winch went out on the pop-up, so D had to manually crank (he didn't have the right size for his socket set); then the propane tanks leaked so we didn't have have heat the first night. For the heat, D just turned on the generator for a little bit and M plugged in the heated mattresses and we stayed warm enough (it helped that it didn't get below 40 overnight!!). Of course this all happened when it was just M&D, C and I by ourselves up at the site. No one else joined us until the next afternoon.
Once everyone else came up, we built up the campfire and had a very enjoyable time riding around on the ATV's.
G and C are checking out the dog.....or is the dog checking out C?
I found a perfect seat for myself around the campfire.

P helped perfect it a little bit! It even came with a footstool. I called it my princess chair.

G&G on the ATV's. G drove most of the trails, but G was content to just be a passenger. So D&G would go on long rides, and M&G and I would just go on the shorter rides on the blue bike. Over this weekend we learned that I can't be a passenger on the yellow bike at all--it gets too hot by my legs, so I have to stay on the blue bike for all rides.

Camping is tiring work!! As soon as we left on Sunday afternoon, I fell fast asleep in the truck!

Fun with G&G

When G&G were here visiting us, I took time off from Y DC and C stayed home from Miss L's house so that we could play all day with G&G. For some reason, G thinks I have a lot of energy and I think I wore her out most days. But we had fun playing outside in the pool, going for walks and taking naps. Aren't we cute together?G played horsey with me in the backyard and watched me as I ran all over the backyard.

I sometimes let them sit down and just hold C.

While they were here, C learned to sit up all by herself. She's been practicing for about 2 months with pillows for support, but when M came home from work last Tuesday evening C was sitting in the middle of the living room with no pillows in sight. G said she had been sitting all day in the swimming pool also, but M was so excited because even up camping 2 days prior she was still using pillows as support.

I took some time to be goofy and the night we took G&G to visit P&G, I took a wig of G's and her cane and started singing my little heart out.

M and C had a little cuddle time also, since G was helping M do her chores around the house. M sometimes thinks she just doesn't do that enough, so she immensely enjoyed the extra minutes she got with C and me.

Family pictures

I have a wonderful family and I just wanted to share some of my recent pictures of all my family members. For the 4th of July, M bought us shirts that said, "Daddy's my hero!" He is indeed our hero and M always reminds him of that on Veteran's Day also.What a wonderful family!

P and G and C and me.

G and G and us girls.

TWO Papa's and TWO Grandma's. I was so excited when G&G were here recently to visit us. I kept going around and telling everyone that I had 2 P's and 2 G's.

60th Birthday

G turned sixty in July. But M and my aunts wanted to surprise her so 3 weeks ago we had a Surprise Birthday party for her.G and her boys!

Probably the biggest surprise was G's nephew that drove up from Santa Fe with his wife for the surprise party. G hadn't seen him for about 8 years and D hadn't seen him since before he went into the Navy--so at least 20 years ago. It was a wonderful surprise and since they were there already, we started the party an hour before the other guests arrive, just so they would have some quiet time to talk.

G's nieces and her nephew!

The nieces and P&G.

SURPRISE!!!

G was very surprised and was very happy so many people came to help her celebrate. Thanks to everyone who made it such a special day for her!

Dirty Thirty

Two week ago, M and I celebrated our birthdays together. D came up with the theme and then went to G for her help in thinking of desserts, games, etc. So for our Dirty Thirty and Dirty Three party we had sloppy joes for dinner, dirt cake in the dump truck, chocolate cupcakes with chocolate pudding inside, Oreo Blizzard ice cream cake and brownies with caramel and marshmallows. The only downfall was that M has given up chocolate (since Easter and for at least the next few months due to the fact that it doesn't agree with C). But M tried a little of every dessert...and even with only about 6 bites felt somewhat sick. So according to M that makes it even easier to stay away from chocolate for the duration of her "ban". Anyhow, D said dirty was the only word he could think of that rhymed with thirty (other than flirty and he didn't think that fit very well!!!!)Aren't we just the cutest birthday girls? G even put dirt on our faces so that we fit in with our theme!! The handprints on the signs are mine!!

My present from P&G--in accordance with the theme--was a Mud Pie Maker. I've had hours of fun with it already, even if I am just using water and grass!

I also got some golf clubs that I just had to try out right away. I even took them camping with us so that lots of people could enjoy them with me.

D and I in our silly party hats!!

Look how much I (and the tree) have grown.

I almost reach the lowest branch!