Memorial Day in Montana

We headed to Montana for Memorial Day weekend. We got a few hours' headstart Thursday night and stayed in our favorite motel in Cle Elum. Hazel had her doll Drowsy buckled into the seat next to her in the car and enjoyed reading her a bedtime story and putting her to bed.I think we've finally laid our pak'n'play to rest, as Hazel is 39" tall now. She still fits quite comfortably in her tent, though, which is 48" long. (She's got her knees all scrunched up in the picture). It came with a miniature tent for Drowsy as well, and we pitched both tents next to each other.
Memorial Day weekend always means delivering flowers to family gravesites in the area. Hazel was in charge of the watering can, and she proudly filled all the vases and then watered everything else in sight - plastic bouquets included.
A quick stop at our strip of lakefront at Hazel's great-great grandma's homesite. The rocks are always so pretty (and fun to throw). We picked out lots of favorites to bring home for our new fountain.
The house is gone, but the arch over the front steps still stands. We think the spot suits us too.
Hazel had fun walking up and running pell-mell down the hill.


Aunt Trudy played and played and played with Hazel, and Hazel was very sad to leave her. They had a birthday party for Drowsy and played lots of games with marbles. There's nothing funner than racing marbles around a round coffee table (with a nice high lip) like race cars. Well, maybe funneling the marbles down a cardboard tube, through a hole in the middle of a table and into a plastic cup. I think the latter was a dog food making machine of some sort. (Hazel quite often asks if there are factories that make all sorts of things). The possibilities were endless. There are also many Dr Seuss and Berenstein Bears books belonging to Aunt Trudy and Daddy, and Hazel came home with "The Cat in the Hat Comes Back" and "Old Hat, New Hat" (a Berenstein Bears book she memorized and loves to "read" to us). One final picture - not of Hazel, but a shot of the beautiful snow covered mountains visible from Grandma Kitty's house. So gorgeous! We'll look forward to visiting again for July 4th!