Play Structure Project

Maylee loves "swings and slides," but the closest playground with those features would be in a neighboring town.  We decided to get Maylee a play structure for the backyard.  We wanted to build it in our upper yard, which the ground is really wet until August due to natural springs in the wooded area behind our house.  My parents came up to help us with this project the first weekend we started in on it because Dad has a Skid-steer which we used to level the upper yard and dig a trench.  We thought the weekend would be only devoted to our first mission of leveling the ground and attacking the water issue with drain tile.  However, we completed that mission in one day so the next day we put Dad's handy-dandy building skills to work on framing up the playstructure. 

When we brought all the materials from the garage up to the upper yard, Maylee studied the picture on the box showing kids playing on the play structure.  She looked at Papa and said "Just do it!"  Papa still laughs about that.

 She had a great time using the slide against the hillside between the upper and lower backyards.

Good idea Papa!  It kept her busy while we were building.

 

Pictures of our Progress

Climbing wall and picnic table installed...

 Swings, slide, steering wheel, and drums are installed...

 Planting and rock path installed...

 Rocks around plant installed and working on wood chips...

Until spring comes and the snow melts, we have completed what we can.

Maylee is showing off her "Swing and Slide" to Ammie and Papa.



Hunting Camp 2011

Once again, Maylee had a great time camping with family and friends.  Unfortunately, only one hunter in our hunting party filled his elk tag.  On the bright side, we all had fun and ate great food!

 4-Wheeler Ride with Dada

 Loving Smores! (Like Mother, Like Daughter)

 Smiles Around the Campfire

 Loves for Jackie on Cindy's Lap

Imagination Time

Maylee picked up a Y shaped stick and used it like a stethescope on Cinder. 

It surprised us because 1) it had been awhile since she had seen a doctor use one on her, 2) she found a thin, flexible stick that reminded her of a stethescope, and 3) she knew how to use a stethescope.  Her memory is very sharp!  She then proceed to check other things and people.  At one point, she put it on her bottom and said, "I check my bum!"  She had us all laughing and Papa surprised her a few weeks later with her own toy stethescope.

Cutie Pie on a Rainy Day

Side Note: Four months later, we were driving and Maylee asked, "Mom, I go camping?"  It was a cold winter day, so I told her that the snow means it is too cold to go camping.  She said, "I go camping with Ammie, Papa, Emma, and Sarah in Ammie's camper."  I said, "Oh really, who else is going camping?" "She said, "Wes and Cindy and Jackie."  I was amazed that she remembered who was at hunting camp, especially Cindy and Jackie since we have not seen them since October.

Trampoline Time

Maylee's new babysitter, Carol, has a trampoline and Carol has taught the kids how to stay away from the edges.  When we stopped by Kathy's house on the way to hunting camp, Maylee saw Donata and Adam's old trampoline and had to jump.

Silly September Pictures

We were going through her winter clothes that were packed away in preparation for camping at hunting camp.  She found her hat from last year and insisted that she was cold and needed to wear it while eating dinner.  The other picture is her playing chef in her room.  She loves the felt food and uses it to make food for her baby dolls, herself, and us.  We have had a lot of pretend "Ummm" bites.

Frustrated with New Camera

After horrible, blurry pictures from Maylee's 2nd birthday party, we came home and tried new batteries, new memory card, and everything else we could think of that would be causing horrible pictures.  Eventually, we decided to mail it off to be repaired.  Luckily, I bought a warranty period for the camera, but it seems ridiculous for a camera to go bad that we have not even had for three months.  Until it returns, we only have our cell phones as cameras.

Maylee's 2nd Birthday

Like last year, we had Maylee's second birthday party at Ammie & Papa's house because it is closer to family members than our house.  Maylee loves ladybugs so that is the theme we went with.  Cousin Dominic's birthday fell a few days before Maylee's so we did a joint birthday and I made Dominic a caterpillar out of cupcakes.

Of course, my new camera started acting up this weekend and was not even taking "fair" pictures.  This was very frustrating since it was not even three months old!  Almost all the pictures from her birthday party are blurry except for ones taken outside with bright light.

Pre-Birthday Party Sprinkler Time

Birthday Party

We started the evening with Maylee's parachute (a baby shower gift). 

With Kev being an elementary p.e. teacher, he had us playing lots of parachute games.

The next day, Ammie asked her what her baby's name was. 

Maylee looked at the t.v. and said Baby Football and she has stuck with that name.

 Playing with cousins Lilly and Cooper...

Present from Uncle Kevin & Aunt Shelly

Reading new books with Mama...

This Little Bum-bum is proud to be in "big girl panties," especially because Dora is on them!



Post-Birthday Gift

Kathy, a good family friend, drove up on her day off to give Maylee a present.

Kathy is known for baking cookies so Maylee got Cookie Monster and cookies!

"Deer Walking in the Road"

After we stopped by the goat farm, we headed down to Moscow because Maylee's birthday party was the next day.  Outside of Princeton, we slammed on the breaks because a deer was in the middle of the road.  Maylee was awake and had BIG eyes.  Since, then she talks about the deer walking in the road.  Now, she alters the story and the deer is walking in the road in front of our house, or the deer is running, or she is going to hunt the deer walking in the road.  If she doesn't see a deer when we are driving then she usually says it is hiding in the bushes or trees.  Her funny deer stories have been going on for months now...that deer made a lasting impression.  :-)

Goat Time

One of our colleagues lives on a farm and her family raises goats.  Kev sometimes hunts on their property.  Maylee loves going there because they have many goats, dogs, and a horse.  She is awesome about hold her hand like a fist for animals to smell before she pets them.  She also likes their son's fort play structure.

Labor Day Weekend

We spent the first night at the cabin and enjoyed time around the campfire.  On Saturday, we drove to Kamiah for their annual BBQ Days.  Maylee loved hanging out with cousins and trying to get parade candy.  After the parade, we met up with our good friends, Kenzie and Josh, and Maylee got to play in the kiddie park with cousins.  Later, we took Kenzie and Josh back to the cabin with us.

 

Uncle Wes knows how to get to Maylee's heart...ice cream!

Kenzie loves photography and has started her own business called Fur Keeps Pet Photography.  She brought her camera down to the cabin's beach and we love the pictures she took.  We also had her take a family picture of us even though we didn't plan on that when we packed clothes for the weekend so we cordinated our clothes the best we could.

 

Pictures I took at the beach...



We took Kenzie & Josh to Kev's summer fire station.  Maylee always loves the horses and mules there, but at this time she doesn't know the difference so they are all horses to her.  Kenzie captured some pictures of the animals and around the station...

My pictures from the station that day...

 

 For kicks and giggles...here is Maylee by the same steps the previous year.

She has changed and grown a lot!