Hey Everyone!!  Remember how I said we went somewhere really super special on my birthday?  Well, you’ll never believe what it was!!…

When I got out of the car, Daddy told me I had to wear a hard hat–and he had one, too!!

Then we walked toward a house out in the country…

…  A house that had burned down and was being rebuilt.

…   A house that had AN EXCAVATOR!!!  Can you believe that??

Months and months ago, Daddy asked a friend at church if I could ride on his excavator and he said YES!!!

Holy toledo.  Check out the size of that BUCKET!!  I could fit inside that thing!!

“Mah-mah!!”

Oh man!  I was so excited!  I couldn’t believe I’d get to go inside a REAL EXCAVATOR!!

Daddy’s friend unlocked the cab…

…  And Daddy handed me inside!!

I was very careful and obedient.

Then it was time to WORK!!

Brother M. said the first thing we had to do was open the bucket…

…  And empty out the rain water.

Then, he LET ME DRIVE IT!!!!!

Can you BELIEVE THAT?!?   Mommy and Daddy sure couldn’t, but it’s the truth!!  Every time we needed to go forward or backward, Brother M. just told me and I’d do it all by myself!!!

Then he’d let me help him with the joy sticks to move the bucket!  We scooped lots and lots of dirt.

And then we’d SWING around…

…  Reach the bucket WAAAAAY out and then pour the dirt out!!

I loved swinging back and forth inside the cab!

“Hi, Mommy!!!!”

Mommy loved how calmly and completely I concentrated on the job.  I looked like a real driver up there, just working away at the site! :)

Daddy loved watching me, too, and he caught it all on video camera!!

Scooters was absolutely captivated!!

Maybe when he gets older, we can dig TOGETHER!!

“Mah-mah!!”

Then we picked up this big long scraper thing.

And we reached WAAAAAY out…

… And pulled it in.

Making the dirt nice and smooth!

**Munch, munch**

“Goldfish and an excavator.  What more could I possibly want?”

Boy!  It was so fun!  Daddy and Mommy just grinned ear-to-ear to see me in there!

And Mommy tried not to worry when this happened.

Any time the excavator rocked or tilted, Mommy tried REALLY hard not to worry.  And.  She was almost successful!

After lots and lots of work (Mommy and Daddy couldn’t believe how long Brother M. let me work with him!!), we finally put down the scraper.

And we set the bucket down to rest.

“Oh man!  Wasn’t that fun?…  Okay, now it’s time to get down!”

“I don’t want to get down,” I said, “I want to keep working.  Pwease may I keep working in the excavator?”

I was sad to get down, so Brother M. gave me five!

And Daddy fixed my hat.

And Brother M. gave me another five!

Then he let me go inside the house he built!

It was beautiful!

After that, we headed back to the car!

And Scooters zonked out.

And so did I.  :)

With Goldfish in one hand and Salty in the other! :)

Whew!  It’s hard work to drive an excavator!!

But, boy, was it fun!!

—–

Thank you so much for letting me drive your excavator, Brother M.!  I loved it!!

And thank you, Daddy, for getting the idea and asking him!  You’re so great and I love you!!