Slip, Sledding Away!

Dave took Makana out in the backyard to play in the snow at Grandpa and GiGi's house. Makana is not used to wearing so much gear, but she did stay warm from the ski pants and snow boots she was able to borrow from Dominic. After wobbling for a while, she got the hang of waddling through the white stuff and started having fun.

Makana enjoyed kicking/pushing/pulling the sled more than actually riding in it. :) Her face filled with glee as she approached the hill to shove the orange sled down the incline. Dave said she was able to work her way out of a precarious situation when she was stuck in the fluffy stuff.

Even after being back in Arizona for a few days, Makana still tells me before leaving the house, "Jacket! So COLD!" :)

We want Shamu!

We went to San Diego a little over a month ago, and Makana was enthralled by all the animals. Because we are currently ahead of California by one hour, we ended up getting to Sea World an hour before it opened. As we waited to get into the parking lot, Dave started chanting, "We want Shamu, Shamu, Shamu!" Naturally, Makana followed suit. She chanted it again when we waited in Shamu's stadium for the star to arrive.

Makana also loved the Beluga whale and the penguins. The polar bear put on a spectacular show for all as it played with a half sphere. He'd plunge into the water right next to the glass to give an ominously wonderful performance.

Since Makana's into escalators and elevators now, she loved riding on the moving sidewalks that the park offered. :)

An interesting thing we saw: Flamingos being herded to a new destination on the sidewalk with us humans.

We arrived at the dolphin stadium just in time for their feeding. We got our tray of fish and were told to pet the dolphin and then toss the fish into its mouth. Because we feed the giraffes at our zoo, Makana thought it was quite normal to feed the dolphins at this marine zoo and wasn't afraid of the mammals at all. :) I was thrilled to have had the experience. :)

AJDominic!

What an incredibly fun time it was to see the three cousins reunited (and it wasn't at 3:00 in the morning like last year)! :) As with many people who come in pairs, Makana merged their two names together as though they were one. Makana would wake up and ask immediately for her two cousins.

AJ loves to tell knock-knock jokes, and his younger brother tries to follow suit. They crack up at each other's comedial qualities, and Dominic often rolls on the floor at his own humor:
Dominic: "Knock-knock!"
Donna: "Who's there?"
Dominic: ROFL

Their family also has cats, and Makana was on the hunt for them. She even showed the boys how to crawl after Chloe as the "titty-tat" hid under a bed.

Sammie!

It was fun for Makana to meet Karen and Rob's son Sammie, another cousin. :)

Found this one in the archives

I found this draft hidden in our blog; it was from August, when GiGi came to visit. Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Neal also visited, and everyone had a great time. :)