Zoo Trip

At some point around the holidays we always go to the zoo.  I can't believe it's been a year already!  The best weather is in December.  This particular day was surprisingly chilly, even though the days leading up to it felt like summer. The weather doesn't know what it wants to do this year.  

This time we started and the birds.  We've never looked at them because the Zoo is pretty big and they are our least favorite thing to see, so they usually get left out.  This time I'm glad we did.  There were some pretty cool birds and amidst it all I got to see a blue jay walking around on the ground.  I've never seen one up so close.  It was beautiful. 

We also got to see a few more monkeys this time.  One of the babies had a lame foot and we had a good conversation with Audrey about disabilities. Although, it didn't seem much like a disability to me...he did let it stop him from climbing around just like all the others.     

After seeing a few more of our favorite things we headed out to take a ride on the train.  It was almost as good as the polar express.  I think we'll do it again.

Here's to another green Christmas in Texas.  

Poppy

I never thought it would happen.  I guess it took Audrey growing up and then constantly asking me for a baby sister.  The questions were endless.  The one that broke my heart the most is when she asked if one of our friends had prayed as long as we have for a baby.  I know it's hard for her to understand all the forces at play here.  I keep telling her that Heavenly Father is making her a really special baby and that's why it's taking so long.  

There's a life lesson in this experience for her too.  God always answers our prayers, sometimes it's not exactly how we imagined, or sometimes the answer comes after a lot of patience.  She's learning to be a very patient little girl.  

I'd talked with Paul off and on about getting a dog.  I knew that it was something that he didn't want, but I also knew that it would be a good thing for Audrey.  I knew it would help her to learn things that she had not yet learned because she has no siblings.  I knew that it would be a great source of friendship and comfort for her after loosing Giselle.  

In all honesty Paul agreed to get a dog a long time ago.   He told me that I could get one whenever I was ready.  I had been looking on and off but nothing had felt right and I wasn't in a hurry because I knew it was something that Paul wasn't that excited about. 

Then this girl and her sisters came across the facebook pet page, I jumped at the chance to meet them.  By the time we arrived there were only two little black ones left.  I had read a little about choosing a puppy and Poppy was exactly what I was looking for.  She is such a sweet puppy.  She loves people so much that sometimes that interferes with her reasoning skills but we love her.  She can always be found at our feet, she loves to beg with those puppy dog eyes, she loves to play and has a lot of energy.  I'm working like crazy to get her trained to be the perfect dog and so far she seems to be doing really well.  I won't say it has been without tears in clothing from jumping, war wounds from puppy nibbling, and holes in my back yard.  She's was determined to find China any time she found fresh dirt.  It's like it calls to her.  I finally found a way to rid her of the habit when I started mixing her poop with the dirt I put back in the hole.  :)  Now she doesn't want to go near the dirt.

All in all it has been so good for Audrey and I like having someone extra to love and hangout with in the middle of the night.  

Oh....and I can't leave out this little gem.  I have taught Poppy to do her business on a certain part of the lawn.  Audrey came in from the back yard screaming one day, "Poppy's playing in the poop sector Mom!"  I just about fell over because I was laughing so hard.  "The poop sector", where does she get this stuff.