Early November

For some reason we had never gone to this park before – Flying J Ranch.  It was a nice easy hike through tall pines with a smattering of boulders to play on.

Elizabeth is beginning to take after Daddy’s love of scrambling on rocks.  Whenever he climbs a big boulder she always attempts to follow.

The flat trails were great for mountain biking or trail running.  It was a relatively short loop trail so several bikers were doing laps.

Hiking with a small child changes the definition of hiking.  There are lots of stops – picking up rocks and sticks or close-up examinations of flowers and ants.  This time, however, Elizabeth wanted, to Andy’s frustration, incorporate a hide-and-seek game.  Which was pretty hysterical considering the diameter of the pine trees in this forest.

Even she could be found easily!

Elizabeth is acquiring my taste for chocolate-covered pretzels, so when MomMom sent us a box of treats she wanted them all for herself!

Children do imitate.  No doubt about it.  Every once in awhile, she’ll ask for the paper to read while we all eat our breakfast.  Usually she’ll ask for the comics so she can look at the pictures, but on this day she just looked at the page that was left at this seat!

She’s such a helper!  She wanted to help Daddy build the new bed for the guest bedroom.  He helped her hold the drill and everything.

Of course, it took a little longer to get the project done, but she loved it!

She is always eager to help anyone with blowing out their candles and opening their presents, no matter whose birthday it is.  Thankfully Stephanie didn’t mind having help blowing out all of those candles Andy loaded on her cake.

Elizabeth wanted to write a personal note to her new (second) cousin Aidan when we mailed him a card.  She spoke out loud as she wrote to him how much she loved and was looking forward to seeing him at Thanksgiving.  It was such a touching moment.

Leaves!  Leaves! and more Leaves!  But they weren’t enough.  Elizabeth wanted us to gather leaves from the neighbors to make her pile bigger.  She rode her bike through the big pile and then threw herself into it as well.

It’s so much fun playing in leaf piles, and just as much watching a child do it.

Lots more pictures on November’s WebAlbum.