Blackberries & Bees

We made a spur of the moment trip to a farm just outside of Pittsburgh for a sour cherry pie...Daddy's favorite.  While we were there we decided to pick some blackberries.  Now if you recall, the last time we picked berries, Ella wasn't such a good helper...

July 2012

This year, she is just the right age to be a big girl helper.  She was plucking sweet juicy berries like crazy... 

until she got stung by her very first bee.  I heard screaming & Daddy yelling BEE!  I thought she would be traumatized for days the way she was screaming.  We ran for the wagon just in case.  Fortunately, her hand was just a little swollen and she assured us that she "still had fun even though that bee stunged her."

The mean old bee was soon forgotten and replaced by driving her truck & feeding the goats.

Ole Buck's Berry Patch

Daddy works with Ole Buck so we went to pick some berries at his berry patch this summer.

 MMMM, blueberries

As you can see, Ella was a super helper picking berries...in fact, she was so efficient she had time to take a nap while Mommy & Daddy finished picking.

 She decided to forgo picking blackberries to sit on the hill with her new friend Ole Buck.  They picked up sticks and made a "house".  I'm sure Ole Buck got quite an earful.

Circus

Remember way back in July when it was really really scorching hot?  We decided to take Ella to an outdoor tent circus.  You know, the old fashioned kind set up in a parking lot with no AC. It didn't bother Ella as much as it bothered Mommy.  Sigh, I miss the days of being young and having a snow cone to make the day better...

 Bouncing in the bounce house before the show

 Feeding the llamas

 Yes, that is a hippo

 Enjoying her snow cone

 Riding the train

The elephants!

 Riding the train again...I know she looks grumpy, but it was the highlight of her day!

A weekend in the 'Burgh

We spent a fabulous weekend in the 'Burgh with Aunt Jenn, Uncle Aaron, Caleb, Mimi and some of our friends.  Mimi got a special treat spent the weekend with us.  Friday was an especially fun day...we spent the morning shopping with Aunt Jenn & Caleb.  There's something about shopping that makes you believe it's going to be a fabulous day.  Then, we headed back to Wheeling to show off our new swing set.  (Photos here Swing Set)

Aunt Jenn and Caleb headed back and Mommy was off to New Stanton to pick up Mimi.  Now this is where the real fun begins!  As Mimi and Mommy get in the car to head home...the car won't start.  Fortunately, some nice guy jumped us, commented on how nice my jumper cables were and off we went.  We no sooner got back on the road and we got a call from Aunt Jenn..."It's not an emergency but we are headed to the emergency room."  Now you know it's not good when a phone call starts like that.  The poor boy fell into a vending machine, not literally into one but the side of one, and split open his eye.  Three stitches later and he's good as new...

We spent Saturday at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.  I love that place and so do the kids!

We spent the next day at the Zoo!

 Mimi, Mommy, Ella, Aunt Jenn, Uncle Aaron, & Caleb

 Tiger

 Flamingo

 Rhino

 Us!

 Mimi & Ella watching the lion

 Caleb, Abby, Ella, Belle

 That monkey really liked Uncle Aaron!

 Prime seating to gorilla watching

 Baby Gorilla

 Friends

 Getting a ride from Daddy...notice the cheek death grip

 Abby high-fiving the scrub lady

 Baby sea otter

 Sisters- Abby & Belle

 Ella, Caleb, Belle, & Abby

 The Thomas Family

 The Makowiecki's

 Jump Aunt Jenn, Jump!

 Scared to death on the merry-go-round

 Not so scared anymore

EXHAUSTED!!!

(Videos to follow sometime...hopefully before Christmas!)