To Gnome Me Is To Love Me

Mitchell wasn't in it for the candy. He was just happy to be on the loose!

Happy Halloween! --- two months ago

Canadays of Fun --- Way Back When The Weather Was Warm

Cameron Falls

(Waterton Lakes Park in Alberta...uh, in Canada)

Mitchell has some pretty nice, fun cousins...

...and his new favorite word after this was --- "BIKE!!!"

Throwing Rocks Into Waterton Lake

(The water was a tad beyond chilly; however, Mitchell had no problem wading in and splashing around.)

Here's the regular ol' view of Waterton Lake from behind the Prince of Wales Hotel

Cameron Lake

We camped just outside Waterton for a few days. The motorhome was cozy and full of entertaining features.

(One fun feature in particular was the adorable chubby-legged baby.)

Normally Mitch would be excited to look at a deer, but his mama finally let him get his hands on that surrey steering wheel. Best ride EVER!

Akamina Falls

We hiked all the way to British Columbia to get this picture, so I hope you think it's swell.

The ZOO in Calgary --- with cousins --- and Grandma Porter!!!

Ever since this encounter, Mitch has become enamored with horses. He remembers certain pages in certain books with pictures or drawings of horses. Parades do little to hold his interest, until the horses arrive, and then he yells, "Horse! Horse! Horse!" for the 20 minutes that follow. If we drive past a field, whether he sees one or not, he points and says, "Horse! Horse! Horse!" Luckily, at his current age, he doesn't know enough to insist that I buy a horse for him. (Well, I have bought him a few horses --- small and plastic.)

Zion

Earlier this summer, our friends from Las Vegas, the Fosters, came up to visit us and we all spent a day hiking and picnicking at Zion NP. It was a nice escape from the heat of our respective home cities.

Emerald Pools Hike

The Fosters --- and 2/3 of The Porters

BFFs

The Wiggles

Mitchell gets the wiggles when he watches "The Wiggles":





He dances to any music, any beat!

Camping...With Girls

A few weeks ago, I went to girls' camp. For a few hours on the first day, Preston and Mitch accompanied me. Just look what it did to them!

(They are sleeping in our truck tent.)

The day before, Mitchell came with me to help load up. He was pretty good at backing the trailer up to the shed at the church.

Roos 'N' More...Definitely More

At the end of May, we took a little trip to a place called Roos 'N' More. As the name would suggest, they had kangaroos and...MORE!

G'day mate!

Day 12: Sandringham Estate

Sandringham, the Queen's winter cottage

Mitchell is just enjoying the ducks

This is how the queen rolls.

The queen uses that door...by herself!

Beautiful Sandringham!

Day 11: Another Bath

Roman Baths

These stacked tiles were under the floor, and they would push hot air through, thereby producing "in-floor heating"

Another bath

These steps are all that remain of the Temple of Minerva Sulis

This is the pool where brave little bathers would take a cold dip after

spending time in the steam room

The Roundys were fun to Bath with

Here's where the steamy spring water comes out

Jane Austen lived at this address while in Bath

Here's proof that Mitchell toured the Jane Austen Centre

(He'll appreciate it when he's a teenager.)

The Royal Crescent

Day 10: Stone Henge & Bath

It's Stone Henge!

Stone Henge --- It's more famous than Angela Lansbury, Justin Bieber, and Bill Clinton...combined! It was way rad!

I shared my gelato with Mitch by dipping his "suckifier" in it, and every time he wanted more, he would pop it out and hold it up to my cone to reload.

Cute little house boats on the Avon River

The Abbey in Bath, known as Bath Abbey

That's one of the entrances to the Roman Baths in...Bath