Game Farm

Today we went to the Olympic Game Farm, a drive-through "zoo" as we told Emma. She had such a great time feeding the animals!

Emma loved being able to sit on both of our laps, or on the console. She especially loved DRIVING!!

Emma loves bears, so it was fun seeing the Kodiaks and Grizzlies. Don't you just want to snuggle with them? I liked this one guy stretching out :)

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Elk! Ed had to make sure this guy didn't get his horns stuck in the car! Emma fed one on my side.

Yaks, elks... they all like getting up close and personal! We had to clean slobber off the outside of the windows later.

We got a loaf of wheat bread to feed the animals there. Even though Emma had her own snacks, she'd take a nibble now and then of the week-old bread!

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Emma feeding a deer!

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Saturday pics

Today we had a lot of fun at a family get together (and lots of yummy food too!).

On the drive up, Emma whined "Oh no, we forgot my trike!" I told her that we didn't have room to pack her tricycle, but maybe Grammy and Papa would have something for her to ride.

Hmm, these bikes are too big for Emma.


This one is JUST right!! Emma can pedal it on the cement, but it's not quite so easy on the grass/gravel and she needs a push!

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Good thing she had her helmet, wheelbarrowing can be a dangerous sport!

The girls found a little frog hopping around in the grass.

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Zoe and Emma go for a ride in the trailer. Maybe they are practicing for a parade? Nice waves!

Cousing Miranda got this "jeep" (as she dubbed it!) when she was 2. With the help of some new batteries Emma can now drive it! She has to work on her steering though...

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Vroom vroom!

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Little bed

When we arrived at Grammy and Papa's house on Friday night, Emma found her own little bed set up! We have not converted her crib to a toddler bed at home yet, as we haven't been in a hurry to do so. This was the first time Emma has slept in her own bed!

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The bed wasn't fully made yet but Emma had to try it out. She fits!!

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She decided that she likes being able to get in and out of her bed. That's what I was afraid of!! :)

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It's like thunder, lightning!

Tonight we had a tremendous downpour. There was a lot of water in a very short time! I saw some lightning in the sky, then braced Zoe for some thunder (which scares her). Emma and I went to the window, and I said "watch for lightning!" She said she didn't see Lightning McQueen... So I filmed her and asked her what she was looking for outside?!

Look, there he is!!

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Veggie Tales

Yesterday I got an e-mail that Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato were going to be at the new LifeWay Christian store, and I asked Emma if she wanted to go meet them? She said yes! She noted that "Those guys are best friends."

On the (rainy) drive there, Emma told me that she was going to hug the Veggie Tales! Well, once it was our turn to get a picture with Larry and Bob she wouldn't let go of me and was totally shy! I got in the picture with her and their helper took our photo :)


Emma hadn't actually seen a Veggie Tales movie before today, but she knew who they were. I got one movie today, and we watched some of it when we got home. She was a bit upset that they didn't have hands OR feet, but she remembered the veggies in the store had big hands and feet! Must have been confusing for her!
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Emma the performer

Today at our bible study Emma and the young kids sang a few songs for us. Emma had been really excited about this for a couple of weeks because she told me she would get to "sing with the big kids!" (She loves big kids!!) Now the last time the kids performed back in December, Emma was very quiet. I hoped that this time she would show her stuff!

They put Emma front and center on the stage. I was so excited because this time I could get a very good view of her performing! Until.... the teacher came to lead the singing and blocked my entire view of Emma!! I moved to the side of the sanctuary and got a few videos. Though, this time I didn't bring the tripod so my hands were a little shaky, so bear with me!

I can't stop laughing at this one. She continues marching throughout the song and then it looks as if she gets a talking to by a teacher!! Perhaps she was told to "Simmer down now!"?

Here she keeps on marching, but seems to get distracted once she found where I relocated to!

A little more focused...

Hallelu-hallelu-hallelu-hallelujah, praise ye the Lord! Emma and her friends really get into the swing of things on this last song of the show!

This, my friends, was good stuff :)

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Choo Choo!

Videos of Emma's first train ride on Sunday!

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She was very calm and relaxed here, I thought she'd be bouncing off the seats!

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I had to hold the camera at a funny angle to capture her face and hold my hand steady!

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The ride lasted around 15 minutes. We'll have to do it again sometime!

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All aboard!

This morning we headed straight to the zoo after church for one reason: to ride the zoo railway! She's talked about riding a train for a lonnng time.

When we first arrived we stopped to operate this dinosaur robot! Their dinosaur exhibit opens next weekend.


Choo Choo!! We caught the train a few minutes before it left the station!


We got to see elephants and a few sneak peeks of the dinosaurs!


[Train videos to come later!]

Then we stopped in at Lorikeet Landing. At first Emma was a little timid of feeding the birds nectar, but after watching Daddy do it she worked up the courage to try!


So brave!


It's a little bit startling when they suddenly flap their wings or fly away!


Daddy even had three birds land on him at one time, and they were fighting over the food!


Emma was getting some tips on how to hang with (or hang like?) the monkeys!

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Hoop dreams

We happened to be strolling near the toy aisle today, and they had a children's basketball hoop on sale... so, we had to get it! Daddy's been wanting to get Emma her own little hoop to play with at home!

You can raise the net up and down, but when I had it up as high as it went Emma made me lower it! I guess she wants to dunk it. Slamma jamma!


Happy girl!.

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Sa-wing!

Me? Oh, I'm just hanging out.


Here's a video of Emma going across the "monkey swings" at the park. (At the end she's pointing out the "garbage truck." She loves the garbage trucks!!)

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Dirt diggin'

Our little garden helper(s)!


Here I come!

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I play basketball

Emma has a love of basketball. I'm not sure where it came from, as I personally have an aversion to basketball! Which is probably due to being asked if I played basketball 100 times! (The answer is no, I am quite terrible at basketball, thank-you-very-much!)

Today when we were going to the park she said "I play basketball," so we brought two of her bouncy balls along. She would shoot the ball, and then get frustrated - "I miss"! I kept trying to reassure her to try, try again!

Then of course we played and she climbed like the little monkey girl she is!

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The wheels on the bus...

We were stuck with a dead car battery today, so Emma and I took the bus to our bible study! When she woke up and I told her that we had to get ready to take the bus, she was SO excited. She immediately started to sing The Wheels on the Bus song - one of her favorites!!

This was her first official bus ride!! She brought her pink tiger along.


She sat on the aisle seat and wouldn't move over to make room for me!! I thought for sure she'd want to sit by the window!

After class while we were waiting for the bus again it began to hail. We were very fortunate to not have to stand out in the rain today! We had some heavy rain/hail showers and then bright sun. Though I did have her raincoat and umbrella in my bag!

Emma even wanted to show the busdriver the craft she made at class today! She had a great time :)

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Mickey D's

Today we went to McDonalds (with a play structure!) with Dacia to play. Emma loves the climbing and slides!

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The girls each got a mermaid toy in their happy meals. They change color in water!

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Day at the farm

Yesterday we headed to Papa John's farm for a picnic lunch and a spin around the property to see the new baby cows. Emma really likes to go for a ride in the golf cart!!

Three generations!


Emma got to see seven new baby calves! This was the smallest of them all.


We also saw four deer. We seem to see the deer family each time we go out there!


After going for a spin in the golf cart we hung out around a burn pile and even roasted marshmallows! Emma pulled up a stump chair.

Hanging with Papa John.

We also got to see Emma's Great Aunt JoAn!! She joined in the happy campers circle!

The best part about Emma's day was... getting to drive the "tractor"!!!

A few tractor videos. Emma has already watched them repeatedly!!

She's in good form for a tractor parade!

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