Sunday, January 18, 2009

the zoo and other fun

In late December, after we discovered we wouldn't be boarding a cruise ship, we decided to make our way back from south Texas to west Texas via our old stomping grounds of Ft. Worth. One of our favorite things to do during grad school days was to visit the zoo. Yes, back in the day we 2 grown adults (with no kids at the time) bought a one-year zoo membership. But, the FTW zoo is not just ANY zoo, it's now considered one of the top 5 zoos in the nation. It's spectacular. Our 4 years in Ft. Worth hold many special memories but were also bittersweet because it was during those years we were waiting and praying for a baby. I remember going to the FTW zoo on many occasions and having waves of sadness back then, because all I saw were mommies with their kiddos. Maybe that's one of the reasons Kevin and I had so much fun when we took Grace a few weeks ago...it was a reminder of God's faithfulness to answer our years of prayers. It also helped that Grace was on her best behavior that day, the weather was glorious, and we had no time crunches. It was just one of those fun family days. Grace loved the animals, but perhaps her favorite part was getting to ride in this stroller we rented. She insisted on buckling in every time she sat down!
Grace loved the giraffes, but later in the day she said her favorite animal was the "ham and cheese." It took me a while to realize she was trying to say "chimpanzees!"
Checking out the lions with Dad
Later that evening, we ventured to another of our favorite Ft. Worth stops: downtown! We used to go there on dates almost every weekend. Our favorite dessert at our favorite restaurant was Uno's pizzeria's peanut butter cup. It's so rich I don't think we've ever totally finished one between the 2 of us. But it's sooo good.
The Christmas decorations were still up and very beautiful.
And the best treat was getting to see our dear friends Daniel, Tiffany, and Claire the next day. This sweet family of 3 also lives overseas and happened to be in the US for a few weeks. Grace and Claire really hit it off, and I know they would be best buds if they didn't live on different continents!
D, T, and C--it was wonderful to see you!

4 comments:

kristen lewis said...

Ham and cheese! I love that girl.

Anonymous said...

We had a great time as well. It was so awsome to see all of you. Sorry about the cruise but it turned out good for us. I know that the girls will be best buds just transcontinental best buds.
daniel

KLee said...

We LOVE the Ft. Worth zoo. We too went on more than one occasion without children. Can't wait to take Emma. Like you said, not your ordinary zoo.

Michael Born said...

Those pics are so cute!!! Grace is adorable and you all look so wonderful!!!