9th Birthday, Take 4...

9th Birthday, Take 3...

Picnic, Playtime, Presents!  The 3 P's of the perfect b-day extravaganza!

 

 

9th Birthday, Take 2...

At the Gem Mine!

My 9th Birthday!!

Wow, the coolest surprise B-Day party ever!!  Friends hid in a rental van and jumped out to squirt me with silly string...  We drove up to the gem mine in this super neat van that had a drop-down tv (and yes, we watched Scooby Doo videos!...)  Then we got to mine for lots and lots of treasures, have a picnic together, play, open presents, have cake and visit the gift shop.  WOW!!!

 

Late Summer at Home

 

Me being silly, my first day of 3rd grade!

 

We definitely had a few good campfires this summer, and I am perfecting my technique with roasted marshmallows!

 

Aunt Carol came to visit one weekend...  Would you believe she actually beat me at a game of Othello??

 

Having a great neighbor with a pool ROCKS!!!

 

This summer, my mom says we have had more wild ducks visit our homestead than ever before.  She has to fill up the chicken feeders several times every day!

 

 

Catching a few little fish with my Paul-Paul and cousin Lauren

 

Still a cutie when I sleep...

Bunker Hill, Little Italy, and the Boston Sites... August 2015

Most of the fun in Boston was staying at my great Aunt Gladys' house :)  We also saw Faneuil Hall, a quick look at the Naval Museum and Commander's House...  And we ate at the historic tavern where the patriots gathered and planned Paul Revere's ride.  We also saw the Old North Church, where the Boston Tea Party and Boston Massacre took place, and Mamma and I hiked up the 350+ steps at the monument at Bunker Hill, and we saw a re-enactor who showed us how to shoot a real musket.  And most important, we visited LITTLE ITALY and had yummy desserts, and bought me an ITALIA t-shirt!!!!

 

I'm beat!  Let's go home!!

 

 

And on to Boston!

Whew, seeing more sights!  ...And during the drive I ate this heart-shaped potato chip!  Should I call the Guinness Book of World Records??

 

 

At the Salty Dog Restaurant by Faneuil Hall...

 

Watching the street acrobats was one of my trip's highlights!  In fact, I told my mom I plan to consider it as one of my possible career choices!

 

 

The yellow chair at the marbleworks in Middlebury - Classic!

 

 

 

And yes, another great pool!  I also had a lot of fun swimming at Lake Dunmore with Mom.

 

 

 

 

 

More of our visit to Vermont

 

Here I am at my great-great-great grandparents' graves.  It's sad, but it's also neat to know that so many of my ancestors were right here in these little towns.

 

My grandma and grandpa's grave, along with their dog Max.  I still miss them very much.

 

 

Vermont, August 2015

We love Vermont!  It's been my mom's family's homestead for generations!

 

Hot dogs at the A&W, and root beer floats!

 

Tourists in Middlebury... 

 

The signature VT landscape!!

 

We saw quite a lot of rainbows during our visit :)

 

 

New England Trip!

We headed up to Rhode Island for the third year in a row.  I loved seeing my great aunt and uncle again, and all my extended family!  We had such a fun time playing in the hotel pool together, then having dinner.

 

We also got to see the famous Providence WaterFire celebration.  Awesome nighttime fun!

Drive thru Sedona, AZ

My moms oohed and ahhed a lot while we drove into Sedona. The rock formations are actually pretty amazing - they look like mighty castles!

Playing with my sunglasses reflection in the car...

In Sedona, in July... yup it's HOT!!  These misters  (along with an ice cream cone from the nearby shop)  were a brilliant idea!

Learning to rope & ride at the Cowboy Days fair!!

The pool at the hotel was really pretty neat, with lots of cabanas and pool toys :)  Great way for a girl to relax after lots of sightseeing.

Another neat thing about trips like this...  All the vehicles we get to ride!  This bus in Phoenix actually bends in the middle, can you believe it??