International Wildlife Museum

Here's the overload of pictures from our visit to the museum. It was me, the kids, Aunt Jenn and Grandma and Grandpa. We all had a good time and one of the best things about it is that we all got in free. Great way to spend a Saturday morning.

This gives me an idea of some places I want to make sure to NEVER visit.

 Hippo skull.

 Some crazy, fluffy birds.

 This giant panda wasn't so giant looking.

 Unicorns. . .

 Cyclops. . .

 and Centaurs. . .oh my!

 A real, live monkey.

 The most awesome part of the museum. Pictures just couldn't do it justice.

 Nice kitty.

 Grandpa and his relatives.

 Mmmmm. I can't wait for Thanksgiving.

 Oldest to youngest.

When the rains starts to fall. . .

the kids start to play.

Probably not the best time to sweep.

This little dude is starting to cause trouble. He discovered the drawer and all the fun stuff in it. He is figuring out how to open stuff. We are in trouble.

Look what I found Mom!

 Must taste everything.

The kids dressed up for spirit week. I was totally horrible at remembering to take pictures but I managed to snap these in the 30 seconds I had before we had to leave for school. The final day was fashion disaster day and I think they looked pretty disastrous. They were super excited when they got home to tell me they were picked to walk in the fashion disaster show.

8 Months

Little mister was 8 months on September 17. His looks haven't changed too much in one month but he is learning to crawl and he has his first tooth and the second one coming in. Still a wonderful, lovable boy.

 Perfect representation of this boy. Giant smile, something in his mouth, and covered in drool.

Shuttle Flyover 9-20-2012

We had the awesome opportunity to witness the "final flight", if you want to call it that, of the space shuttle Endeavor. I must share at least the brief reasoning as to why we were lucky enough to even see it.

"The space shuttle Endeavour took off atop a modified transport plane from a Houston airport Thursday, beginning its journey to retirement in California, where it will be put on permanent display in a museum.

Along the way, the Endeavor will pass low over several cities and places, including Tucson, the home of the last person to fly a shuttle, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, and his wife, former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

The couple recently moved back to Tucson from Houston, where Giffords was recovering from serious injuries she suffered in a 2011 attack in which a gunman killed six people and wounded Giffords and 12 others. Thursday's flyover, which Kelly requested, gives NASA a chance to honor Giffords' legacy as a longtime advocate for American human space flight." (Houston AP)

I picked the kids up from school on their early out day so we could be sure to see it. I just drove down the road and stopped where I thought we had the most chance of getting a good look at it. I chose well because it flew almost right over us. We were all super excited. It certainly felt like an important, momentous event and I was thrilled to get to share it with my kids. The sweetest moment was when Zoey said "Mommy, I think I might cry." Even my 7 year old was able to feel the excitement and the emotion that came with such an awesome moment. Maybe I am making a bigger deal of it than it was to some but to us it was a pretty spectacular moment.

You can see the speck off in the distance.

 Getting closer.

 Just about overhead.

 Flying away.

 

Thank you Mark Kelly for making it possible for me to snap these pictures within just a mile or so of my house. It was truly amazing!

Snapped these real quick a few Sundays back. I just thought she looked so grown up and cute and wonderful all ready for church.

 I just wish I could freeze time. She is just so perfectly cute and funny and wonderful right now.

Doesn't he look comfy. Love the toes sticking out.

 Just adore him. Could you not?

I love that Aiden is big enough to sit in the cart at the store now. I am so tired of lugging around the infant carrier.

Just a couple weeks into the school year Zoey was home from school dealing with breathing problems. You know when Zoey is dealing with coughing and breathing issues because she sleeps like this.

I did manage to get her in to her new doctor so the doctor could have a good listen to her. After a couple years of dealing with it all Zoey has an official asthma diagnosis. Luckily for her though it's nothing that has to be dealt with on a daily basis, just something that flares up when she gets any bit sick.

Why sit on the floor or the bed to watch Blue's Clues when you can stand on the play kitchen?!

I wish our scanner worked because I have a picture of Zoey and Noah that's like this. They might even be about the same ages in the picture. When I saw this it reminded me of it right away. These kiddos are all so much alike.

Who Threw That?

Jay was taking out the trash one day and heard something hit the garage. When he came around the corner he saw a big rock on the ground and was shocked that someone threw it at the garage. Upon closer inspection he discovered it was not a rock.