We Did Not Buy a Zoo

This past Saturday we went to the San Antonio Zoo with our friends the Ence's!
  It was so much fun, and we were really impressed with all the cool animals!  We saw hippos, lions, a huge turtle, and some impressive snakes.  And of course we posed with a bunch of bronze animal statues (because you can't go to the zoo without posing with bronze animal statues).
  We love zoos!  Both of us for different reasons, Justin loves to see the animals and try to mimic their noises, and I love to watch Justin try to mimic their noises!
Anyways here are few pictures from the day.

Trace and his friend Austin posing in front of a pair of large hippo bums!
Austin is 1 day younger than Trace, but 5 pounds larger than him!
(And for  little babies, 5 pounds goes a long way!)

Bears!

OK, this snapping turtle was HUGE!
I thought that putting trace up would help show how big the turtle really was, but that was an epic fail of an idea... So you'll just have to imagine!  But in this picture trace is 3 feet away from the glass... it was the biggest thing I've ever seen and I'm pretty sure it could eat me, whole!

Trace posing on a Komodo Dragon!
I am already impressed with Trace's ability to really become one with the bronze animals.
He's a zoo picture posing master in the making!

Anyways, it was fun to take a brake from school, and teaching, and do something fun in this awesome city!  Thanks to the Ence's for inviting us to come!  

Life Life Life

Wow!  Have things picked up around our little apartment lately!  Approximately 1 month ago I was offered a job to teach 7th Grade Science at Harris Middle School!  After a lot of prayer and soul searching I decided to take the job.  Without going into all the details I will just say that the decision to  work outside of the home was a hard one, but it is the best decision for us right now as a family.  Anyways, Last week was my first week and I absolutely LOVE the students I get to work with this year!  I can already tell that they will be a fun group!
Ever since getting this job however, our lives have become quite a bit crazier!  Since I am working we have put Trace in a local day care (which I am pretty sure is the same day care I attended till I was 4 years old!).  Putting Trace in daycare is probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do...  and the first day we dropped him off I was (as my sister-in-law Kindra likes to say) "a hot mess!"  I was crying when we dropped him off, and crying when I thought about him there, and then I was crying again when we picked him up!  And there have been some tears since as well.  But I am so pleased with how well he is doing!  And a lot of the ladies there that watch him have expressed to me how much they love him, and that is very reassuring to hear!
Anyways, today I came across this poem that kind of sums up our lives right now!  Even though our apartment might be a little messier than normal, and our lives are so busy, I truly feel like I am able to appreciate the time I have with Trace so much more!  The few hours we get to spend with him each day are by far the highlights of our lives right now.  Those moments are what get me through from one day to the next, and I am so grateful for him and for Justin, and the true joy and happiness they bring to my life!

Mother, oh mother, come shake out your cloth!

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

Hang out the washing and butter the bread,

Sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking!

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue

(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

(Pat- a- cake, darling and peek, peekaboo).

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew

And out in the yard and there’s a hullabaloo

But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look!  Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?

(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

Oh, cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

But children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down, cobwebs.  Dust go to sleep.

I’m rocking my baby.  Babies don’t keep.

1958   Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Trace at 8 months old!