A Day at the Zoo

For Christmas, my mom gave us a year membership to the zoo. This means that our family can get in for FREE any time we want to during this year. So Exciting!! Going to the zoo, for our family of four, costs about $40. Holy cow!!! So, now it doesn't!! Unlimited visits to the zoo. Yes, please! :)

So, the kids were out of school today and I figured we needed to do something fun. So... the zoo!! I invited my sister and her family, my mom, and my mother and father in law. None could go. Paul was working so... it was just the kids and me but it was still fun!!! :)

Picnic lunch before we went in the zoo. We all started off bundled up because it was 52 degrees. It quickly warmed up to, according to the van when we were getting ready to leave, 70 degrees. Those layers came off! haha!

The kids wanted to go to the aquarium first -- eel!

This croc was freaky! He just stared at us with his nose pressed into the glass. Yikes! haha!

I didn't realize snakes lived UNDER the water. I mean, I knew they lived in the water but anytime I've seen a snake in the water they have been swimming on the top of the water. This one lived UNDER the water. There was no where in this tank for him to get out of the water. I found that interesting. I cannot remember what it was called though.

I just thought these frogs were so pretty! :)

Sharks!! Those shadows are my kids. :)

Jellyfish. OK, I am completely fascinated with jellyfish. I wanted to be a marine biologist because I am fascinated with sea life but jellyfish were where I wanted to study. I just think they are amazing!

Seahorses. There were several Mr.Moms in this tank too. :)

This kangaroo cracked me up. He was rolling around on his back. haha! The sun must have felt really nice. :)

Meerkat!! Cute, right? Can you find it?

I tried to get a pic of the turkey but then he started coming at me and I freaked a bit so the picture is blurry. I didn't want him to pluck out my eyeball.

Feeding the goat. Collin made me laugh because he did not like the feeling of goat saliva on his hand. LOL!

We had to go on the carousel. Collin is on the inside with the green shirt on the ostrich and Ryanne is on the row behind him, on the outside on the baboon with a brown shirt. 

As we walked across the bridge over the river we noticed turtles sunning on the rocks. We counted 6... not sure if you can see it on this pic or not.

Ryanne on the tram.

Collin on the tram.

At the gardens. 

koalas!!! I just want to snuggle up with one.

Penguins!!! Ryanne couldn't wait to get to these guys and then she only stayed there for a few seconds and was ready to move on.

Corrie the Corolla

This is going to seem silly to most of you but I form emotional connections with objects because of the sentimental value of it. So... hopefully you'll give me some slack knowing that.

This is Corrie. She was my first car. I bought her just before I turned 17. I went car shopping with my mom and my uncle. My mom let me choose the car. I prayed about it and prayed hard and even though the little Chevy we were looking at seemed like a better deal, Corrie is the one I felt was the car for me. I bought her in '99 and she is a 1997. She had 60,000 miles on her and I got her for $12,000. I made payments on her until shortly after I turned 20.

We used to think she was haunted. Sometimes we'd be riding in her and we'd hear whistling coming from the back seat. It wasn't the type that was the wind blowing through something but an actual tune. There were actually several people who heard it. We called it our friendly ghost.

I was everyone's carpool -- all of my friends and my sister's friends. I drove all the people in my town to seminary every morning. We lived 30 minutes from the church so the moms didn't want to drive to town, sit in the car and then drive back so they all came to my house and I drove everyone into town. I drove friends to school after seminary then I drove the homeschoolers back to their homes (including my sis and me).

This is the car we sped in to get to the hospital our son David was at after he had his first couple cardiac arrests. This is the same car that brought my son home from the hospital and my daughter back from signing the adoption papers. This is the car I rescued my sister from the deer that ruined her car and we managed to fit 3 car seats into the back seat to bring them home in. This is the car that survived my teenage years and my 20s.  There are so many memories in her.

Today, Ryanne asked me what the salvage yard will do with her. I started explaining that they'd take her apart and sell off all of her parts to people.... her tires, her radio, the headlights, the fluids.... then, I felt my heart break as I realized what was happening. The tears began and now I cannot stop them. I am so sad that she is gone. Like I said, I know that sounds ridiculous. I will miss Corrie, aka - the Scoob-Mobile or the Mystery Machine, (I was a bit of a Scooby-Doo nerd and had her decked out and Scooby Doo stuff  as a teen and in my early 20s) the gold car. When we got the van she became Paul's.

Good-bye Corrie. As ridiculous as it sounds... I sure miss her.

Family Pictures

Our family pictures are in! :) Thank you Traci Monson Photography!!

Paul's side of the family, in case anyone is unsure. His parents are in the front, his brother and sister in law are in the back and his sister and family are on the right.

Collin's Baptism

Collin is now an official baptized member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I look really short next to Collin all of a sudden. LOL!