What animals did you see at the zoo?

I spent most of today with Elizabeth and her class at the zoo.  I was the leader of a small group of 3 girls.  We traveled around the zoo on a scavenger hunt looking for different animals and then crossing them off the list.  Usually my favorite exhibit is the one with the brown bear and grizzly bear (whom we found out were named Boo Boo and Yogi).  However, today my favorite exhibit by far was the lion's den.  There were two lionesses very close to us and we got to watch one of them open and close its mouth several times.  I am amazed at how long the tongue is!  Overall the kids did great despite the VERY hot and humid weather. 

How was the graduation?

Elizabeth officially graduated from kindergarten today.  She dressed up in her "Class of 2023" shirt and wore a homemade cap complete with tassel.  The afternoon kindergartners from both classes sang 2 songs and then were awarded their certificate of completion.  Tim, his mom, Leah, and I were all able to watch the ceremony.  Afterwards there were refreshments available for all the graduates and their guests.  I am very proud of the progress Elizabeth has made this year.  Pretty soon she'll be in 1st grade and in school all day!

Did the balloons launch?

Leah, Elizabeth and I had a fun experience visiting my sister and her kids for Frontier Days.  We battled the heat and humidity by playing on inflatables, cooling off in the slip and slide, and shopping the local craft fair.  Thankfully the weather conditions were right so we were able to witness 16 balloons launch into the early evening sky. We left before the night parade, the balloon glow, and the fireworks, but those are events we are looking forward to attending next year. 

Why are you sad?

Yesterday was a day I had been dreading.  We got the news that Jazmin's health has deteriorated and it is estimated that she has 2-3 weeks left to live.  While we knew this day would eventually arrive, it still doesn't make it any easier to hear.  We feared something was amiss when Jazmin's breathing pattern changed significantly and her appetite decreased.  The vet was able to take some x-rays of Jazmin which indicated she has a large tumor in her lungs and another mass in her stomach.  She also has an enlarged heart.  Right now she isn't in any pain, but is growing fatigued since her body is working overtime to overcome what is inside.  She is still a happy, loving dog.  We're tyring to make the most out of the days we have left together... 

Pictures by Leah

Did you make it to the beach this weekend?

I drove past the entrance to the county park near us yesterday afternoon and the line to enter was super long.  It would have been the perfect beach day!  However, instead of going to the beach on a hot sunny 80 plus degree day our family went on a cold, windy 58 degree day.  Along with Leah's birthday we celebrated my mom's 60th birthday which is actually 3 days before Leah's.  My mom wanted our whole family in a photo for her birthday.  My neigbhor Heather took over 180 pictures of the family.  The ones above are 3 of my favorites. 

Why haven't you posted lately?

I wish that I could say I've been taking lots of pictures to post on this blog, but I haven't lately.  Last weekend Leah and Elizabeth had their end of the year gymnastics performance and I did bring my camera.  Unfortunately not many of the images turned out because of the lighting in the gym, but I did manage to get a few.

Then this weekend we celebrated Leah's 8th birthday.  She wanted a tie dye themed party so I bought bandanas and we had fun tie dying them.  It was a lot cheaper than shirts and I think they turned out really cute.

It is great to be 8!



Was your Easter "hoppy"?

Easter Sunday was a great day! Leah and Elizabeth woke up at the crack of dawn, like clockwork, and went on a scavenger hunt throughout the house in search of their Easter baskets. After an amazing church service we went home and the girls and I dyed eggs while Tim made a vegetable dish for lunch with his parents. We had a great meal and enjoyed the sunshine on the deck during dessert.