Farewell 2011

Taking a look back at 2011....

This time last year, I was getting ready for a New Year's Party.. This year I am doing the same

This time last year, Chris was getting ready to take his final seminary class... This year he is writing curriculum

This time last year, Chris was an associate student minister. This year he is the Youth Pastor

This time last year, the children were running and playing.. This year, they are doing the same, only taller

This time last year, I was wondering what adventures the new year would bring.. This year, I am doing the same

Waking up during Christmas Break

Waking up around the house of W'ham has a definite routine, but Christmas Break always changes things up.  It currently goes something like this:

5:00 - trip to the RR to pee and back to bed
7:30 - The Hubby's alarm goes off and he hits snooze
7:40 - The Hubby gets up and so do I.
7:42 - I get downstairs and find The Youngling watching Power Rangers. I start the coffee for me and try to wipe the sleepy from my eyes.

At this point Time does that wiggly dreamlike thing  for an unknown time while I check email, facebook, blogger, twitter, and pinterest and make some breakfast and drink more coffee

8:37 - the coffee kicks in and I wake up realizing the husband has left for work and the Oldest Child has joined the blanket pile on the couch.
9:00 - I realize I need to get started on the day soon or it will all be gone.
9:15 - I realize I need toget started on the day soon or it will all be gone.
9:30 - I unplug myself from the computer and get dressed to start the day.

I really like this. It's not efficient or effective for much of anything, but for once I don't feel pressure to be-do-see-make anything. My blood pressure thanks the makers of Christmas Break!

Sung to the 12 Days of Christmas

On the day of our "Winter Party" my students gave to me...
1 Santa cookie jar
1 vanilla candle
3 holiday bookmarks
2 retail gift cards

2 bright pink fluffy socks

3 special coffee cups

3 CVS personal hygene items

5 Glit-ter-y FLOWERS!

4 office products

3 sacks of candy

2 awesome snow globes

and

a Tootsie Roll in an Altoids mint tin!

What, wait! December already?

    I've had my head down pushing through the days, determined to find something to love about each of my students. My children continue to make me laugh and grow in appreciation for them each and every day. I even got to go on a real date with my husband last night. We mall crawled and just talked and chatted uninterrupted for almost 3 hours. It was not nearly enough time.
     And it was then that I noticed the fancy trappings of the holidays which have engulfed every place I travel. Last night I walked the whole mall and several other stores and bought not one thing. I passed millions of dollars worth of merchandise and did not pull out my money once. The few things that caught my eye were out of my price range and the rest, blah.
     Don't worry, I'm not in a "Bah Humbug" mood. I just don't feel the need to buy junk disguised as gifts. I'm excited about putting up the Christmas tree today for the earliest time in YEARS. Almost a full 3 weeks before Christmas is a huge accomplishment. I just can't believe the year is winding up and it will be 2012 in a few short weeks. I am awed by how quickly time moves as I get older.

A few things

1. Turkey burger for dinner= WIN!
2. I hate it when people are mad at me. It dominates my thoughts and makes me all anxious and worried until things get resolved.
3. My children can make the MOST IRRITATING noises. And for no reason at all.
4.  morning duty + grade level program on Thursday + anticipation of Thanksgiving week off + someone mad at me + late bus duty all week + field trip on Friday = A long week
5. Wednesday night church can be a blessing and a curse.

My face for today. Thank you dear boy!

Where'd it go?

My my, time flies!  I can't believe it has been so long since I blogged. Saying that it has been a busy month would be the understatement of the year. Busy ministry season, cruise, report card season, time change, birthdays... and so it goes.

I think this month I have been struggling to keep my feet under me. I feel like I am being drug along on this ride of life and have had no time to just stop and look around and enjoy the view.  I am trying to remedy it. Today has been a nice quiet day. I didn't even leave the house. I hope I feel refreshed at the end of this day. If I don't, it is no one's fault but mine.I purposefully didn't schedule anything. I did some light cleaning and read some books and laughed at my kids. I studied my Sunday School lesson (God bless those 9th grade boys). A good day. A lazy day. A needed day.

So how will you catch up on the Willingham tales if I don't write them? You could call and say hi. Or you'll just wait until I get around to putting fingers to keys and get it done. Back to rereading a favorite book.(** a little commercial... I totally recommend Karen Kingsbury for an easy, God affirming fiction read. She writes great characters with compelling problems. And she fuses her work with her life in a very fan friendly way.)

I'm glad I figured out where this day went.

I came across this quote today while reading a zombie blog. Don't ask why. And it made me think about other areas of my life where this might apply.

"The hungry swarm always wins. They inherit the Earth, and no amount of tools or human intelligence can hope to stop them. Because, in the end, when you only have one goal, and that goal is eating brains, a goal which turns others into zombies like you...there’s just nothing that beats that level of persistence, dedication, and single-minded fixation. "


The author of this statement is discussing the battle of new fangled vs. old fangled zombies and who would win in a battle between the two. I am thinking about my job. Either way, the concept of single minded focus being the key to winning and losing helps me focus today on what the really important stuff is. Am I as focused on Christ and his message as zombies are focused on brains??? Zombie for Jesus just doesn't sound right though.

Blucky Day

The internet is a fickle bit...er... beast... See, I have all this stuff about which I would like to vent.(So much so I am requiring proper grammar of myself. Or not.) It is stuff about work and kids and school and family. But I can't vent here. Not in a public venue. While I know my loyal 2 readers wouldn't think less of me, for they know what I am thinking before I say it, it's the random internet search that I fear. The one that a future boss, friend, coworker, student might run. It's not because I think I am that important. I am not. But I understand that lives are interconnected in a complex web of  information these days. In the words of famous song "It's a small world after all." So true Mr. Disney, or whoever penned that. So, for that very reason. I will leave you with this bit of cuteness instead.

Thank you for understanding my unwillingness to share.

Welcome to the Roller Coaster I Call Life

Up and down.. in and out... happy and sad.. It's been a week of opposites.

To start with, My Favorite Guy was announced as the head Student Pastor for our church. It has been coming for a while, and the waiting was killing us, but God is good even when we think He is taking too long. Yay! From jobless to Dream Job in less than 3 years.

I got a new car. I have NEVER owned a new car for me. I have had several previously owned new to me cars, 2 new cars bought for the Husband, but this is my first new car just for me. I am still in a sense of shock. It is awesome and amazing.

3 days after getting a new car, the truck got vandalized and robbed. They got a laptop and bag full of techy goodied and left about $1200 worth of damage to the truck. Sigh. Greedy, mean people make me cranky.

They really wanted in.

Chris is off in San Diego for a Youth Convention. This was his view today from his meeting venue. I love how he suffers for Jesus.

This was my view this afternoon. Biggest rainstorm since June. Lots of wind, lightning, rain.

So, it has been a really full and tiring week. I can't wait to relax a little this weekend! Who's with me?

When it rains, It pours... God's blessings

New job.. Yay!
New car...Yay!
Old car accepted as a trade in .... Yay!
Truck demolished by greedy thief... Boo!
Hubby's laptop stolen...Boo!
USAA insurance... Yay!
Husband leaving for 5 days to go to San Diego... Boo!
Class from Hades in a particulary onery mood... Boo!

All a part of God's plan, no doubt. Just part of the crazy ride of life with the Willinghams. More details when time permits, but that's the short version.

Overheard from the sick bed

I woke up and wasn't able to get out of bed, so the boys and I stayed home from church. Sick doesn't look good on me when it comes with snot, headache, and bone weary exhaustion. At least it isn't messy.

So, I heard this gem while in my Nyquil induced stupor.

Purple: When you toot you should say excuse me
Boy Wonder: Excuse me, but I didn't toot, I farted
Purple: Toots and farts are the same thing.
Boy Wonder: Really, cuz I always thought toots were soft and quiet and farts were loud and harsh. That was definitely a fart. Excuse me.

He has a point. The boy has a point.

Heard from the Backseat

Uh.uhh, you can't be Batman. The health insurance alone would ruin you.

Public Education stats you can believe in

This is why teachers are tired:

46 students in my classes
8 English as a Second Language Learners
5 students reading below a 2nd grade level
5 students reading below 3rd grade level
3 major discipline issues
5 languages other than English spoken by my students
27 boys in my classes
19 girls in my classes
10 students who wear glasses
7 identified gifted and talented students
9 economically disadvantaged students
6 SEE ME notes from last years' teachers
5 parent emails questioning a student's conduct mark received since school started Monday
3 students receiving speech services
1 student receiving special education support
30 minutes per day I have an aide available to help students
2 students receiving in school tutorials
1 student identified with dyslexia
3 students exhibiting signs of dyslexia
4 students exhibiting signs of ADHD
2 parents who assure me herbal supplements are helping their child control themselves
8 students with medical issues (asthma/ADD/seizures) noted
2 alcoholic beverages I have consumed this week
2 times I have laughed until I cried
2 times I have cried until I laughed
17, 392 (approximate) times I have asked students to sit down and raise their hand to get my attention this week
611 forms I have processed
722 sheets of paper I have photocopied this week
2 hours spent trying to remember how to do online lesson plans
3 hours spent trying to make a sheet of labels from Open Office
59 days until I leave on my cruise

Summer Days

Here's a picture salute to the highlights of a great summer, one of the best in memory... not in chronological order.

Glorieta for camp was a great chance to start the summer with a great focus.

This was a wicked game of duck-duck-goose!

 We met Meg Riser, our newest friend!

Girls' Weekend accomplished adding to the national economy and some really pretty toes!

Time on the farm provided a lot of entertainment. Mom and Dad got to burn the lien on their farm because it is PAID OFF!

 And the cousins got to practice their mean faces.

 Ryan went to Preteen camp.

The family trip to NASA was fun. Future astronauts in the making.

The World Changers cleaned up our backyard and helped rebuild our fence.

Mommy and Josh got to explore the Woodlands and eat gourmet cupcakes.

 The boys took me to see the final Harry Potter movie.

See ya next summer!

Deep thoughts from Labyrinth

As we were eating lunch today, I was looking for TV alternatives to SpongeBob and Avatar and ran across a modern classic.. Labyrinth. It was the age of muppet technology and weird thoughts, but is a truly delightful/slightly creepy fairy tale.   So the boys had some thought throughtout that need to be shared.

J - He looks like a girl

As David Bowie twirls the bubble balls..
R - Fushigi balls, really? How lame. Oh, bubbles, I guess that's better.

For reference.. these are real fushigi balls

During the dance hallucination scene:
J - That's really awkward
R - Don't forget distubing.
J - Yeah, that too.

When Sara is walking through the castle trying to get to her brother......

J - That's a hard puzzle. Hope she figures it out. And how does he walk on the ceiling?

 J - So wait, he was an owl the whole time?

After the movie Josh and I had a little talk about all the how's and why's of the movie. I don't think he understood, but at least he was thinking. I love sharing classics with my kids!

Grumpy morning

I haven't posted in a while. And I will share more tales of fun and joy from our Summer Adventures. But this morning, I just can't make it to the Happy Place. Here is my morning:

6:30 - alarm starts going off for The Man to get up
7:00 - I gently remind The Man that it is, indeed, 7 am and ask if he is getting up.
7:05 - The Man gets up to shower and I sink back into dreaming twilight
7:10 - The Man needs my eyes to find out where the shower is leaking because the floor is nothin but a puddle
7:15 - I discern that the shower is leaking from hitting the back wall and trickling down the outside of the tub. At this point I decide to get up, but realize the children are still asleep in bed. Not one to waste an opportunity, I get back in bed with optimistic hope of a few more minutes of rest.
7:30 - The Man gets out of the shower and gets dressed, and "wakes" me to kiss me goodbye.
7:40 - The Man drives off, the dog starts scratching outside my door
7:42 - I give up and push the dog downstairs to go out and run into Purple. "I thought ya'll had all left. Sorry about not getting the dog."

"No problem. None at all. I was up anyway."

Best FB status ever

I withheld for the masses.. images and reputations to keep up and all that. But I do need an outlet. Pls don't tell on me!

The status reads:
Mime team is at a rehab center...some sorting snacks for VBS. Making much of Jesus in Mexico!


My initial response was outrageous laughter and a desire to type:
Glad to hear our students are giving snacks to the addicts with munchies! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
 
Maybe it's just me, but that's funny stuff.
 

Tackling IT

Have you ever had a huge job looming that you didn't want to start? Where there isn't a deadline? A job the needing doing, has needed to be done for a while, but you just can't bring yourself to start it? Because once you start it, there is no turning back? And it's going to be messy? And probably make you unpopular with the family because they might not like your choices, but I notice they aren't stepping up to help? A task that has scared stronger women than me and sent full grown men running in terror?

No, I'm not talking about shaving my legs or washing the dishes. This is bigger than both and messier by far. This mountain that must be tackled is awkward and huge and will take many days and cost money and I might even need a backhoe at some point. It will take all my resolve and intelligence and skills. It will require commitment and pain and sweat and. most likely, a dumpster.

I think longingly about a wayward match that would take care of it. I daydream about reality shows that could come and do it for me. I pine away for that phone call saying "I won!" and I can just walk away and never think of it.

Do you have an IT? An unsurmountable task that is most likely beyond what you can bring to it? I've heard rumors that prayer helps in places like this. Although when I pray about it I hear mostly silence and a little snickering.

So perhaps tomorrow I will start the process. Maybe the morning will bring the desire to do what must be done. Some restful sleep, relaxing evening, and hearty breakfast will make that mountain seem climbable. Until then, the garage will stay the way it is and I will not give in to the temptation to cry at the inhumanity of having to clean it out.

Play that Funky music, White Girl!

With all my summer free time, I'm playing with music. By playing, I mean that I am creating some awesome playlists. This is like when I'd make those mixed tapes in Jr High, but without the DJ talking over the start and finish of the best song of the week. Playlists for work, for moods, for fun, for memories when the Old Timer's disease kicks in.. that kind of stuff.

Digital music makes me happy because it's so EASY. Drag and drop and save. That's it. After the music has been legally downloaded of course. And when it is artfully arranged into genre, style, and purpose I have a soundtrack for my day. Here is what I am currently working on..

Instrumental soundtrack list (for when I want to be inspired, because John Williams is a GENIUS)
Disney/Kid list safe for school (gonna be using music therapy a lot this year I hear)
Hard Core Cleaning for the Suburban Housewife ( a mix of rock and 80's hits that make me happy and make me forget that I am doing chores)
Country Fun (to bring back happy college memories of when I was in my country phase from East Texas)
Creepers (for all those songs that make you sure you are being followed by someone declaring their undying love whether you want them or not)

Just another fun day in Willingham's World!

Revenge of the Drunken Monkeys

Home repair is for the birds. It's expensive. And it's not fixing the problem.

Our master shower leaks. And we don't know why. Because our house was apparently built by drunken monkeys, nothing is standard or works like it should. We have a leak into the kitchen from the bathtub/shower directly above. We have had 2 plumbers try to find the source. And so far, they have failed. You'd think the problem was pipes or connections or even old/missing grout/sealant. It doesn't act like a hole in the drain pan, either. And it occurs seemingly randomly. We thought we had fixed it. Stuff has been great for 2 days. We even have a guy coming to fill in the hole in the kitchen ceiling today. But, thank God who loves us, it started leaking worse than ever this morning. At least we hadn't had the sheetrock done yet.

Now I am depressed and irritated and just plain old cranky about it. Why can't anything work right??? I'm willing to make the sacrifices to pay for it when it is past my ability to fix. I just want a house that works! And doesn't leak! Because leaks are sneaky and unreliable and leave a lot of damage behind. I'm not fond of sneak, unreliable, damaging stuff.

Sigh.. Here's to hoping the day gets better.. cheers!

An observation

Things are coming together. Stuff needing fixing is getting fixed. Stuff needing sorting is getting sorted. Things that are no longer wanted are getting Goodwilled (4 boxes today alone). Children are going to bed tired. And Momma can't wait for tomorrow (bathroom tile demo/replacing starts!) Sniff, sniff, it smells like accomplishment! (Or maybe that's just cheesecake)

The invasion

Getting ready to be invaded by the World Changers! Yes, today we get our new fence put up. Hopefully it will go smoothly. I'll take before/after pics and share later. Having the World Changers come is like being invaded by youth camp escapees. They are happy, everywhere, and loud. My poor poor neighbors. I guess it's getting even for that time I wanted to nap but they were practicing their dance routine at high volume.

Summer To Do List

It's not summer until I get a list of things I want to accomplish worked out. Let's see what it looks like...

1. clean out master closet (oh snap!) - I can't even get into the closet and it's the size of a small bedroom
2. get a new car - yes please!
3. clean out garage (oh double snap!) - it's scary.. there's stuff living in there.. Stuff larger than me
4. get storage unit - this list is not in chronological order, btw
5. retile master and upstairs bathroom - woo hoo, oh contractor, why aren't you returning my e-mails??
6. make pool passes a financially responsible decision - we have to go 7 times to make it worth our money, I think we can make that happen
7. read a lot of fun books
8. work on/finish the uber puzzle - it's time - I've had it for 3 years

That's what comes to mind right now.. let's see how it goes!

This is the Wall

This is the wall, and I have hit it. The long week(s) has(have) finally caught up with me and I am exhausted. I want nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for a day. I want to speak with no one unless their express job is to make me happy. I am ready for the hamster wheel to stop spinning and the demands of home, ministry, family, and friends to diminish. I am weary of being pulled in 37 directions and needing to smile as I am yanked. I want to feel like being gracious instead of wanting to strangle the next person who shares their opinion. I want to have a train of thought make it to the station. I want to have no one needing me to do something. I don't want to wait on you or him or her to finish their 95 things before I can go do what I had planned to do. I want my life back. MY life. Not someone else's crisis dressed up like my ministry opportunity. This is my wall, and I have hit it. I think I hit it with a really large battering ram. And I feel better for venting. I think that wall needed a door anyway.

Return of Summer Wife

Summer has come. I am forbidden from going to the school until August. The blessings of major renovations. Yay! And for my first full day of summer.... youth group working on our house! AHHHH!

Well, they are being helped by the tool man ministry. And they have devolved into being Mighty Wasp Hunters and wood workers. God Bless teens and power tools. So far they have demolished our sad sad rotting fence and taken down some of the rotted boards on the house. The tool man team has started sinking posts for the new fence and is making a list of supplies for Chris to get at Home Depot. Gotta love free labor.

VBS starts tomorrow night for The Big One and Monday AM for the Little One. That goes all week. One in the am and one in the pm. Then next Sat we are meeting up to send them to their g-parents for a week plus. Then it's off to youth camp for  a week. I think I'll be home to relax in  Mid June some time. :)

So, that's the life of Summer Wife. Oh yeah, I have big plans for the house and garage... More on that later.. Pizza is arriving for the workers soon, so I'll tell more when I get a few minutes.

We're not in Kansas anymore Toto!

Whew! What a whirlwind of a week. (Like that alliteration??) We had something happening every night this week. On Wednesday Chris's boss announced his resignation. Josh had a grade level program. There was a fun catch up meeting with a friend. So we took Friday off. Yep. Willingham Family Fun Day was ennacted. Ryan decided to go on his field trip, so the 3 of us who were left went to a movie, had some ChickFilA, boys got toys, Mama got her toes done (it's been a lonnnnng time) professionally. A nice nice day. And then we woke up today in the bliss that is Saturday with nothing planned. It's the last one for a while.

I am ready for the summer, except for that crazy job of mine that assures me I have 2 weeks left. The students are certainly ready for a break, but there are projects to create and boxes to be packed and books to read. Ooops! I think I packed them. Note to self: find books for children to read.

And Chris has gotten busier in his day to day work. See, the resignation of his boss means he got a huge promotion. Of course, it's interim for now, but the work is still the same as if he were the head guy, because he is. A lot more responsibility. A lot more decisions. A lot more people time. A lot more meetings. And he is loving every minute of it. It is so good to see the man thrive in his work.

So, our summer plans are firming up. It looks like this: Kids and I play at the pool. Chris works very very hard and comes home to a happy family. God's blessings continue to astound me. Yes, yes, I know, that's rather simplistic and we'll have some things to do around the house and other activities to do, but I really like the sound of that.

And that is the lesson I am learning. God's blessings are significant and larger than I can imagine and reflect His joy and are humbling and make me stop and praise Him. I think I understand King David more and more the older I get. Perhaps I'll muse on that a while and write it up. :) Happy day to all!

5 years in 5 days

Whew! So much is happening in life right now. Years of work and planning and hoping and hurting and dreaming and maintaining seem to be coming to fruition.

It starts with Chris's graduation. OH, how happy I am. So proud of his accomplishment because I know what a journey it was. I lived it with him. Under the same roof. Day in and day out. For 14 years. Of course, he wasn't in school all that time, but when he wasn't he was wanting to be. He completed his coursework in January, but the ceremony was a true culmination. To see him in cap and gown, walking the stage, receiving the congratulations he deserves is a  beautiful thing.

Then there's the cruise. Yeah, we've wanted to go on a cruise for about 5 years. Relaxing time away doing something different, away from our normal life. With buffet included. Tee Hee. Getting to surprise him was a great thing too. He didn't see it coming. A surprise gift is my favorite kind to give. Especially when it has been longed for.

 There's more to tell. I'll write about it when I can. But timing is everything. Right?

In case you missed it..

It's teacher appreciation week! Ryan wrote this to his Language Arts teacher. That is definitely a keeper. I know she will love it. I just wish my kids could spell. Just a little bit would be nice.

Just sailing through..

I've got a whopping 5 minutes before I am off to another "event". My mother just IM'd me and I'm looking grand in my spring "IT" outfit. This is what I wear to most look nice events this spring. School is hopping and church is full of busyness. The good kind, all. But it would be a lie to say I could wait a long time til summer. I am actually ready for it NOW.

This weekend is Chris's graduation from Seminary! Amen and Amen! It's also Mother's Day. I think I've got it all under control. Right.... believe that? If so, I've got some lovely oceanfront property you should purchase. But, I'm hanging in there. And I really have to go now.

Good Friday

I find myself all confuzzled today.

It's Good Friday, solemn Holy Day recognizing the death of my Savior. Death isn't supposed to be a time for rejoicing, especially when it is unjust, brutal, and just plain sad. However, without this sacrificial death, I would be lost in sin with no hope of reconciliation to Father God. So, I should recognize the cost of this sacrifice and be called to a more holy and sacrificial life. And I can't ignore the joy that comes from the sacrifice. At this point, my logic intersects my emotion and I am confuzzled. Joy over pain? Solemn contemplation about the act that blazes the way of salvation? The paradox is painful and I'm struggling to process it.

But there are several other things at work here too. The Commercial Easter is in full force: Easter Bunny's baskets to be made, deviled eggs, fancy dress up clothes to plan and purchase, and crazy Wal Mart shoppers. And the daily life of family is pressing. Children need disciplining and correcting, house needs sprucing up for the upcoming poker night set up for the 12th gd. boys, food needs purchasing, and the yard needs attention. I really need to have a little chat with the husband, too.  And it's the one day off of work from Spring Break until Memorial Day.

So, I am spiritually sensitive, emotionally exhausted, and physically spinning in many directions. I should probably give myself a time out and get some proper perspective. And I should take my vitamins. But I do have to wonder why things can't be just a tad bit simpler.

Blessed Good Friday to all, May you find the balance in life and strength to maintain it!

Phrases that resonate with me.. for today anyway

Oreo therapy

jackwagon

Noodlehead

I need you like I need a doughnut and a swiss cake roll!

You want a what with your huh?

Seriously now people.. that's the best you've got?

So how do you plan on explaining that?

You cannot eat out of the trash can, even if you think it hasn't touched anything.

Wednesday Haiku

April is poetry month in public schools. Funny that I can't do much poetry because it is TAKS season here in Texas. TAKS is our state standardized test. It follows several other forms of tests: TABS, TAAS, TEAMS... All an attempt to track the performance of our students. Next year, we will have the STAAR test. 5th verse, same as the first. Now, we'll have a generation of students who can't spell star. Thanks Pearson (the company who makes the test).

So, in honor of all the poetry I'm not teaching, here is my contribution to the month.

Standardized testing
I see the point, but hate it
stupid, stupid tests

Yes, I really did this

Here is an email I sent to my Book Buddy teacher friend.

Hey friend. i am out on Friday. Do you want to buddy on Thursday instead?



Love,


your protoge'


(I don't know if that's how you spell it and I couldn't figure out the accent mark, but it rhymes with Fabrege' the guy who made eggs famous, ya know? And I know I didn't spell that right, but who really cares because we don't grade spelling much these days anyway, right? yes, i am having one of those days.)
 
This is the kind of day I am having. Pray for my family! :)

The Zoo - Lions, and Tigers, and a Bear, and a lot of Others!

We saw some great animals and really enjoyed a day together!

This is Jonathan. He was sleepy. Silly lion.

This Grizzly was digging for something! Perhaps the last zookeeper he snacked on?

This Lady Lion was majestic as she cooled in the shade.

Some natives banging a drum.

Riding a Rhino - Ryan's favorite!

The elephants were awesome. Mama even put on a hat of hay for the visit. Very proper lady.

Coolin' in the aquarium with some really big fish!

Escaping on a raging Rhino!

Tony the tiger was just too cool to bother with pretending he cared that we were there.

The menfolk planning our way around the zoo.

Patient boys indulging Mom by the lovely azaleas.

Hanging in a hut! Boy time!

Can you guess who is hiding behind the masks? We are SO tricky! LOL!

We had fun at the zoo last week. Any questions?