Minelolly is Now Live!

Click on the logo to visit my new store! (Sherry and Laurel, you can purchase your dollies, in the store, click the box with your name.) Thanks everyone. Your encouragement has been awesome. When I have sales, you'll be the first ones to know.

Home: Mini Vacation

Back to the Blue House

I jetted home last week. Mom had the whole week off so Natalie and Mo showed up on the doorstep as well. We had fun, making food, watching Olympics, playing with Zuki, and swimming. Oh the swimming—the only way to cool off on a hot summer day.

Sly Park

About 30 minutes from our house is Sly Park Lake. For me, lots of memories are associated with this place. Do any of you have a place that brings back a lot of memories?
The water is warm this time of year and there are plenty of picnic and camping areas with shade. We spent the afternoon swimming (distance, whew!) and had a sandwich making party after.

(Michael and Hayden couldn't make it)

Grandpa and Dad determining the EXACT size and shape of the lake.

Oh Pooh

Adventures with the septic tank. If you think you need more details, email me. :)

First

Zuki gets dressed up in one of Mom's cute bibs, tries baby food for the first time . . .

and isn't sure what to think.


Platter Party
Pick your favorite platter from any room in the house and eat off of it. Mom has a cake plate, Dad has a platter, restaurant style.

Mo's was the biggest. Natalie decides to drink out of a little pitcher.

Michael picks the "You Are Special" plate, and Dwynne grabs a cake stand, turns it upside down and drinks out of the center with a straw.

Cupcake Lollipops

Natalie is making cupcake lollipops, and then making you jealous by eating them.

Mom's Favorite Room

If you need to fill your craving for purple, give my mom a call. She's got the perfect spot for you. It's a place called "Used to be Anna's Bedroom".

Fun Portraits
I got a lot of Zuki, but I'll let Natalie be in charge of the naked baby pictures etc!

Yes. Micheal has wiskers on his chinny chin chin, and they're red.



And what did Adam do the whole time back in Texas? Netflix is a lonely husband's best friend.

Letterpress

Some of you have been asking me, "What is letterpress?" Well, it's just the old fashioned way of printing—like the Gutenburg Press. CLICK HERE to watch a short introductory video.

Arbuckle Wilderness

We visited Arbuckle Wilderness yesterday, in Oklahoma (about an hour and a half away from home.) It was fantastic. It's a drive-through open range where several different animals roam. They aren't fed during the day by park rangers because the public gets to feed them. So here goes, fasten your seat belts, and don't get out of the car. There's some pretty wild animals on the loose. . . .

Texas long horn

Llama, which I have nicknamed Poodle Llama.

5 bucks for three cups of feed, totally worth it. Yum, Pepsi.

A camel takes thing into his own hands . . . er, mouth.

The camels go from car to car and
stick their head inside looking for food.

Jamie and her Dad ahead of us. I'm not sure what many of the animals are. The park didn't post much information—bummer. Don't worry about the horns, the animals seemed pretty aware of them so no one got scratches on their cars.

Larissa and Dayne . . . is that a Yak?

Bison

Much of the time we had to pour the feed into the animal's mouths because the cups are so small.

Tiny, beautiful, and white, this creature was too afraid to eat out of the cups. The antlers are fuzzy.

If I remember right, this cow is from India and is known for its long ears—biggest ears in the cow family.

Here he is up close. He had just eaten Adam's feed cup, all in one bite.

"Ayechawawa!" Adam screams, "Dive bombing Ostrich!" We stopped feeding them pretty fast. They're violent eaters! Adam's sister tried to roll up the window yelling "don't squish his head". (Meanwhile her son was getting his leg drooled on by another animal. Gross.)

The range was divided up by cow guards to keep the animals spaced out. They waited at the gates ready to be fed.

Adam's sister Heidi.

Incoming from the sky!

These are my favorite. We were out of food by the time we reached them. Look at those horns! Amazing. I really must find out what these animals are.

Adam, his Dad, Travis, and Tyler feeding the turtles. They come up to you just like all the other animals.

I really need to do some research on these. I have no idea what breed we're talking about here. (Corny photos call for corny captions. Sorry.)