After a great week with our family in Cochrane, we’re headed back to the Okanagan for a couple of weeks before heading out to California.

Gracen is fast. Especially when she’s trying to get away from a diaper change or a face wash. Silly little monkey.

Gracen seems to be learning things at warp speed right now… This is her latest trick:

Gracen is very intrigued by Magnum. This morning she spent a long while at the window talking to him and patting the screen while babbling at him. Perhaps they understand each other?

Today Gracen got to go to her first ever Calgary Stampede. Unfortunately, Bradley is away right now and my hands were full, so I wasn’t able to take many pictures, but Gracen enjoyed a day filled with people watching and live music. She even did well at the 4 hour rodeo finals, despite the crammed seating, blaring speakers, and screaming fans…

Gracen and her Uncle Gary.

Gracen and her cousin Kinslee would seem to be perfect little playmates… But here’s the thing. My precious little girl is sensitive. Sensitive about her surroundings, sensitive about her routine, and sensitive about noise. On the other hand, my beautiful little niece is a shrieker. And that may be putting it a little lightly. Imagine the highest pitch scream you’ve ever heard on repeat throughout the day. It’s enough to leave your ears ringing. But for Grae, it’s down right frightening and leaves her crying and searching for her Mama each time. This combo made for a very interesting morning while Grae, Kins, and I were on our own. I eventually had to put them in different rooms and run back and forth like a crazy person. Oh dear.

Gracen and her almost five year old cousin, Korbin Jack.

Gracen loves her cousins. Today Korbin had a couple of friends over during the girls’ nap time and one of his little buddies went to shoot a noisy Green Lantern gun. Korbin immediately put his hand on the gun and said, “No Noah. Don’t shoot that. My babies are sleeping. Auntie Jen’s baby and my baby. And that’s too loud.” Now that’s a good big cousin.

Does it get any sweeter than this?

Today we headed into Calgary with just the girls (the boys stayed with Grandma Luella) and took advantage of the end of summer sales. Lucky little Grae got all kinds of pretty things for next summer. Spoiled girl.

Just waiting for her cousins and Auntie Rozi to get home…

Auntie Rozi came home and brought these two cool cloth balloon covers for the girls.

Tonight Grandma Charlotte gave Gracen a very old Dennis the Menace doll. Despite the fact that he’s pant-less and has has eyebrows growing out of his hair, Gracen loves him. So much in fact, that she couldn’t get to sleep!

One of our favourite things about being back in Canada is being able to just sit in the backyard.

Today Gracen and I met up with Laura, Hayley, and Sloan at Davison Orchards. We ate lunch, looked through Laura’s beautiful wedding album, and the girls played. Here Grae is riding her first tractor. :)