Ha ha ha! Last Friday Rich and I met Colleen (my aunt) and her children at the local zoo. The cousins have loads of fun together and it was a challenge to keep up with them. Colleen has four girls. Grace and Madelynn pair off, and so do Jacob and Molly (they talk a lot, I noticed). Her younger two are Meghan and Marissa and they stick together *so sweet*.
(By the way, will you please say a prayer for Colleen? She had to have unexpected surgery this week to have her gall bladder removed. She is so so special to me and I’m praying that she recovers and feels good again soon. She’s my pal. We grew up together and share so many memories.)
Anyway, the zoo was small (which we liked) and it didn’t take long to walk through it. It’s a zoo that Rich and I have taken the children to a bunch of times through the years, and one that I went to as a young girl. It’s so fun to re-visit favorite spots, isn’t it?
My favorite creature was this
At the end of our visit we rode the carousel. I think the kids went around 4 times and would have gone more but *we had McDonald’s playplace to go to for lunch* so they had to settle for “just” 4 rides. . . . .
Caleb saw this picture and said, with a giggle, “There’s Cayub. . . I yuv my Pa-pa.”
So, yesterday I could not find time to blog. We were so busy. I took Grace to the doctor’s to get her throat checked. She’s been complaining of a sore throat all week and she had a swollen gland right under her chin that Rich and I didn’t like. She checked out fine but the doc still wanted me to treat her poison ivy so we went to Target to fill the prescription for the special cream. Of course I ended up shopping.
Then we went to Friendly’s for lunch. (because Wendy’s was PACKED).
Then Costco for more shopping.
Back home for a few hours and then back out to meet my friend Kathy for a girl’s night out.
It was pouring rain on and off yesterday and I fell asleep to the sound of loud thunder and heavy rain. I have my windows open this morning and I can hear the rushing stream, it’s so full. I took my bare feet, pj’s, and cup of coffee for a little walk this morning down the road for a dampish early morning walk. Everything is washed clean from the rain. My cat trotted over and I finished up my walk with him on my shoulder.
While I was gone with Kathy last night, Caleb got into my nail polish and polished his entire foot. It’s a dark shade of red and his foot is still discolored. I call it his ugly foot and I was so thankful that he did it when I was away. LOL I’ll have to see what I can do with fingernail polish remover to clean him up. It really does look ugly.
I bought the kids a couple of books last night. I get a 20% discount at Barnes and Noble as a homeschooler. I got these:
Ed Emberley’s Fingerprint Drawing book
The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
Marley, A Dog Like no Other, by John Grogan (I will read this one aloud to them)
I have a lot to do today because my brother Nathan, his wife Melissa, and their almost-2-yr-old daughter are coming this afternoon for a weekend visit.
Can you believe with all that shopping yesterday I still forgot to buy toilet paper???? LOL So back to the store I go this morning. **Update**I’m so happy! I was upstairs giving Caleb a soak in the tub and cleaning the bathroom at the same time and I found 6 rolls of toilet paper in the closet! I did a toilet paper cheer all over the house, as I restocked our three bathrooms. David was highly amused but said, “You don’t have you YELL IT, mom”.
I also want to bake cookies. muffins, and brownies.
Make some hummingbird sugar water to fill my feeders.
Clean the bedrooms that our company will be using.
Oh and by the way. . . . .wow. . . . .thanks for all the encouragement to our boys in the last post. They were so interested to read all the comments and I think you have convinced them that they sure did do a good thing for their mama.
It’s FRIDAY and here is a quote from my favorite magazine, Country Living:
“More than a span of days, the weekend is a time without limits. Let every hour take on its spirit. No need to save for later the solitude or adventure, repose or company you crave. The time is now”
Melissa and I plan to go antiquing. What are your plans for the weekend? What will you do to re-charge, slow down, and enjoy life’s moments? I hope you have a good one, full of beauty, lots of smiles, and simple pleasures!
Good to be Home 
I hope you do too Shan! Your home is so welcoming and so are you and your family!
You inspire me to really Live and enjoy each moment I am given here on earth. Thank you for your posts.
I’ve been blogging about taking our grandkids to the zoo ~ it never grows old, does it?
Very nice post. I enjoyed the pictures from the zoo. I liked the first two the best, very funny.
I have been praying for your Aunt Colleen. I received a message from Elisha about her when it happened. I will keep her in my prayer. Have you heard anything new about her condition? God bless :o)
Kelly
I love the tigers too! I am hoping we can get to the zoo in the fall sometime. Did you let Caleb read my posts on polishing my toes? lol.
Praying for Colleen.
Have a wonderful weekend.
The “cats” are my favorite at the zoo’s too. Mainly the lions, but the tigers are so majestic. We recently went to our local zoo and I have a couple of our tigers posted–a white bengal tiger and the orange too. Come on over and take a look. Our white lions were given to us by Sigred and Roy (I didn’t get any othe them on this recent trip but there are some in my photo’s of previous….)
I love all the kids in front of the “We May Bite” sign. LOL
I hope you have a wonderful day antiquing…..we are going to a huge yard sale tomorrow, then to the zoo (we go as much as possible as we LOVE the zoo and we’re members, LOL) It’s hard for me to re-charge with a rampant 3 year old (a good one, just so energized) but I do enjoy just sitting and watching her.
Have a great weekend!
your weekend sounds great! I’m busy playing hostess alll weekend. ( which I love). Some of my girlfriends are coming to town tonight and we’ll have dinner and then head to see The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants. Saturday’s a date with my husband and then Sunday, we’re having dinner for my husband’s family to celebrate his parent’s 30th anniversary. Busy busy but that’s how I like it! Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the time with your family!
Great pictures! I’m so sorry to hear that Colleen has to have her gallbladder removed….I went through that a few years back. It’s such a relief to not have to worry with it anymore! The pictures (as always) are great! I hope your weekend is good….and tell Grace I feel her pain…my legs are COVERED in poison oak….it’s awful. Bless her heart…I hope she gets better soon.
funny picture of the kiddos who bite…..=)
sounds like you have a fun weekend planned…..I’m looking forward to this weekend also. Have a ladies night out planned for tonight, and tomorrow need to get ready for company that I’ve invited for Sunday lunch, and little man also has a birthday party to attend tomorrow, so need to keep my ducks in a row, starting about now….=)
Be Blessed~
You sure are keeping yourself busy lately. Have a great weekend with even more family.
LOL – “We may bite…” Funny photo! Sounds like you will have a fun weekend, and I hope you find some interesting things in the antique shops! I’m planning to make brownies today as well. YUM!
I am going to relax this weekend and maybe go shopping at Old Navy if JJ isnt too fussy. It sounds like you are going to have a lot of fun! Love, Melissa
We’re letting the kids outside today. It has rained after a very dry month of NO rain. The temps are down to the 80s, and these kids are stir-crazy…almost as bad as winter. Brownies sound fun…can I come over??? Baby likes brownies…lol. I have my final physical therapy appt today as well as an OB appt…then, tonight, one of our friends is coming over to watch the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics. I’m making Lemon Couscous Chicken, Hummus with Cucumbers, and the yummy Chocolate Lava Cakes (I found a mix…and I couldn’t be more excited to see if it tastes as good as what I had at the restaurant).
I want to go shopping. I don’t foresee that in my near future. 🙂
Since I’m a cat lover, I always enjoy the “big pussy cats” at the zoo. It’s been waaaay too hot to go to the zoo. So hot, that even the animals aren’t coming out where they can be viewed!Red nail polish?????? Yuck! I bet nail polish remover should do the trick!Have a great time with your company!
The zoo is my favorite place to take the kids!! Love the quote at the end!
Good Morning Shanda…..Great pictures! I like what Caleb said too. We don’t have a zoo here in our city….too cold in the winters I guess. Polar bears would love it here though during the wintertime. LOL!
Have a great day today!!
The kids lined up under the sign….. good stuff! ~~ I was giggling about your toilet paper dance, and also sweet Caleb and his comment, “I yuv my pa-pa.” We went for a drive this afternoon and I took pictures. Hubby was feeling happy that he got a lot of work done on his book in the morning, so we had a nice time enjoying the countryside. Stopped for ice cream, too! Tomorrow will be a catch up day, and hubby will be studying for his Sunday sermon. Blessings!
I love Caleb’s comment…so endearing and sweet. Good photo of Caleb and Rich too. Fun times with the cousins. Prayed for Colleen. I relate to your TP dance….I would have too Enjoy your company!
Today I have some shopping to do…then we are doing outreach VBS in the park and finally ending up at a bonfire at the beach. Tomorrow we pick up David when he returns and are rounding up some camping gear for the next week…David and I are going camping the 18th with our church in Mammoth Mtn. , in the High Sierras, and we have to send gear the week ahead in the trailer. Sunday is my Birthday, we are going to a beautiful beach in Laguna with family and some friends from church. We will go in the afternoon after church and bring picnics and sit in the sun and go snorkling around the reef. I love the ocean as I grew up there. blessings, Jenny
That quote is great! This is our last weekend together, slow and simple so we are hanging around the house and riding bikes and maybe going to a park…just us alone being a family.
Jakes face still looks so painful! Ouch! I have been praying for C. It is a quick surgery I had it after Jeff was born, but I know it shakes everything up to have to go through it!
Where is the picture of the ugly foot?!!! LOL!
Very cute pictures. Hope you have an enjoyable weekend with your brother and family.
I’m visiting my mama and some friends from out of town. Have a great weekend!
I like the Tiger picture. Have a great weekend. It is time for us to slow down around here and veg.
Hi. Some how i stumbled upon your website and I love your blogs. They are very inspirational. We don’t have any kids yet, but I have to give you lots of props for having five. It seems like you have a very nice group of kids. Oh, by the way, I love your pictures. Are you a photographer? Oh, and the music is awesome too!
Jacob recently painted his hands up to the first knuckle on every finger with red nail polish. Why do they always go for the red?? It was the morning we were about to leave for Anchorage, and I only had a few drops of nail polish remover left (it was on my Walmart list to get some more). I somehow managed to get the majority of it off of his hands, but the bathroom (cupboard door and floor) had to wait until I got home with more remover. Praying for your aunt Colleen. Have fun with your family visiting. The antique shopping sounds great!
YAY for TP! Silly mommy
O, and your tiger photo is wonderful!
Zoos are wonderful places to take the children, no matter what the age! I loved going there as a child. I loved taking my children there, and now I love going with the grands.
This Coleen is praying for your A. Colleen!
Your TP cheer made me chuckle. TP is like gold around here so I can totally understand.
nifty! =D
I enjoy coming by and peeking into your life….your photos are fabulous, your kids are just beautiful, and your sparkling spirit shines through your words and photos. God bless you and your husband and all of your little ones tonight, my friend.
Your weekend sounds very nice! I love the recipe you posted about the crock pot brownies, they were so good! And the muffins to. The kids & my husband all loved them! Your trip sounds like a wonderful time spending with family. I hope you have a great day!
I Love the quote from “Cayub’…makes me realize even more that I am a daddy’s girl…I really am thankful in my life to have your posts to encourage me. You are a light when my day seems too dark…I can’t wait to read more about that new baby…(belly pics later?)