The Living Planet Aquarium

Lizzy loves fish! She gets excited when we go to Aunt Marian's house, or when we go to her pediatrician's office, because she loves to see the fish tanks. On Friday, February 11th, my sister-in-law, Marilyn called and asked if she and her husband could take Lizzy to see The Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy. I knew Lizzy would LOVE that! I told her Brad and I would love to go, too, so we arranged to go on Saturday.

Lizzy had a wonderful time viewing all the displays and exhibits of fish and other animals. I was surprised by her attention span. She never seemed to get tired of looking at the "fishies." It wasn't until we were at the very end of the exhibits that she began to show some signs of sleepiness (and grouchiness). Overall, she had a wonderful time, and I know she'll want to go again soon.

Lizzy loved seeing the fish with her Aunt Marilyn and Uncle James. Uncle James is a fish-nerd. He knows a lot about fish.

We had a wonderful time! We'll have to go again soon!

Puppy Love

We have spent so much time with Aunt Marian's adorable foster puppies this past month. It's amazing how fast puppies grow. Every time we went to visit they'd look a little older and acted a little more playful. Scott, Emma, and Lizzy loved playing with them, especially little Woody, who became our family favorite. A few days ago they all found loving homes and new families. We'll miss seeing them, but we enjoyed the time we spent with them while they were little, and we'll always have the memories. They are going to make their new families so happy!

1. Black Female with the pink collar: Raven
2. Black Female with the red collar: Ebony
3. Black Male with the yellow collar: Midnight
4. Light Brown Male with the blue collar: Moose
5. Light Brown Male with the green collar: Woody
6. Black Male with the green collar: Jet
7. Dark Brown Female with the yellow collar: Mocha

Emma's Science Fair Project

Emma won first place at her school's Science Fair tonight! YAY!!! All the hard work paid off!

Emma wanted to do a food project this year, so I suggested we do sugar verses sugar substitutes. She had a great time making lemonade and having her cousins and father try the different sweeteners to see which one was the sweetest. Here are some snapshots of her project:

Our whole family went to the Science Fair last night. Emma came home thrilled and excited that she was one of the finalists for her grade. I was thrilled beyond thrilled when the principal announced Emma won first place. Here are some snapshots of Emma at the Science Fair:




Today I'm grateful to be a significant part of Emma's life. I'm grateful that I can be there to help her when she needs help with school work and projects. I'm grateful that even though I am not her biological mother, Emma loves me and appreciates me for who I am in her life. I love her dearly.

Valentine Dates

Last night was our annual Valentine's Date Night with the kids. Brad took the girls out for a special night on the town, while Scott and I enjoyed Jamba Juice, pizza, and video games at home.

Here are a few snapshots of the girls having fun on their date to Iceberg:






Scott and I didn't take any pictures of our date, but we had fun, too. :) Scott always tries to get me to play video games, which I normally decline, so it was fun finally giving in and playing with him. He loves watching me play Tomb Raider more than playing it himself, so I did most of the playing. It was his idea to go to Jamba Juice, too. FUN! Looking forward to doing this again next year.

Horses and Ponies

I have always been an equestrian lover. Even at a young age, I loved horses and ponies. In fact, my very first childhood memory is of me sitting on a pony. I was only about two or three years old at the time. I remember the exact spot where my grandpa stuck me on a pony and put a vest, hat, and bandanna on me. It was in the parking lot at the Bixby Knolls Shopping Center in Long Beach, CA. I remember holding onto the saddle horn, expecting the pony to give me a ride at any moment. I was excited and thrilled to be on the back of a "horsey."

I would have loved to have taken riding lessons as a child. My best friend took riding lessons, and I always envied her and wished I could learn to ride, too. Instead I devoured horse books and watched horse movies by the dozens. I had my own stable of imaginary horses in my backyard, complete with names and personalities for each horse, and I would take them out for daily rides. My grandpa treated me to the real deal on a few occasions, and I thoroughly enjoyed those rare moments when I got to ride on the back of a real flesh and blood horse. My grandpa knew how much I loved horses and how much I wished I could have more exposure to them.

I love that my daughter, Lizzy shares my joy and enthusiasm for animals. She loves doggies, kitties, and horsies. We went to see the farm animals at Thanksgiving point a few days ago. Lizzy loved seeing all the animals, although I believe her favorite animals were the horses and ponies. She rode on her very first pony while we were there. She smiled, and pointed at the pony's ears, calling the pony,"Hissy." I couldn't help but think she looked a lot like me.

She rode on two ponies while were there. I'm sure she would have gone on again if we had let her. I'm thankful that my daughter will be raised in a more rural environment than I was, and she'll have more opportunities to ride horses and ponies, if that's what she wants. I love living in Utah.