Traveling the Smoky Hill Trail

I promise that my next post will address Ariel's first birthday that was 3 months ago (yikes, how did I get this far behind?). Speaking of our precious little one, she received a wagon for her birthday from Gma Pat & Gpa Leon. It started out as an ugly, green, utility wagon, but through the magic that only grandmas posses, has made a remarkable transformation.
Stage 1: ugly duckling

Stage 2: pretty panda cover and dissected swim noodles (for protection against bumps)

Stage 3: the panda express is ready to roll, complete with skin cancer fighting parasol

Stage 4: tripping back in time to the days of the covered wagon, all we need is a horse

Stage 5: 4th of july parade where the wagon was temporarily renamed "the sparkler express"

Ariel loves to ride in this thing! Seriously. I think it make her feels like a princess (which she is, just in case you were wondering). She is able to ride in style and wave to her subjects while maintaining complete protection from the sun. Some days I feel a little ridiculous hauling the wagon around, but then we get so many compliments, how can I not crack a smile? Maybe I should make her a pioneer dress so we can re-create the the game, "The Oregon Trail *." Wait . . . maybe not. I'm pretty sure all my peeps contracted the measles or malaria or the flu and died. So, the Smoky Hill Trail it is (it runs right behind our house). Yee haw!

* I know you remember this awful computer game we played back in middle school. I know I'm not the only one who lost everything. All but that one horse . . .