Peder, Sarah, Aurelia, and Felix

Circle of love

Nels keeping sleeping Aurelia company

This afternoon Peder, Sarah, and Felix brought Aurelia over to spend the rest of the day and tomorrow with me. She arrived in her Minnesota Vikings cheerleader dress and ballet slippers. I love the outfits she puts together! I got to see Felix take his steps - walking around furniture, and letting go to walk 4, 5, 6 steps to his daddy. It was very cute! They stayed long enough to listen to a Winnie the Pooh 45 rmp record Sarah found at a shop.

After the family left, Aurelia and I did a little shopping - mainly at two pet stores where we looked at fish, birds, cats, cat furniture, and dogs. At one of the shops, we watched a male Saint Bernard being groomed. It took 2 handlers to manage him, but let me say, he was gorgeous! It brought back memories of the couple of years or so that we had a female St. Bernard named Happy Dog. She was given to us by a fellow seminary student whom we have known for years. They lived in the city and couldn't keep her. Since we lived in the country, there was plenty of room for her and her dog house, which was built on a skid. She pulled it around to where ever she wanted to be - in the shade, or under the church bus. In the winter, we tied a sled to her collar and she pulled Hans and Peder around on the snow.

At Costco we wandered past the outdoor play equipment and Aurelia saw a few things that she really liked. I picked out a few things and we got in one of the long lines to check out. During that time Aurelia entertained the women standing behnd us. They couldn't believe she was 3 years old! "My! She's so intellegent! Are you sure she's only 3?!" Then she showed the check out clerk how well she could wink. He winked back and told her she had the best wink he'd ever seen! When she handed the checker at the door our receipt, he drew a smiley face on it and told her she had earned an "A." All in all, our shopping trip was fun.

I read a few stories to her at bedtime. Nels joined us, curling up on my pillow. I looked in on her a few minutes ago, and there was Nels, all snuggled up next to sleeping Aurelia. How cozy!