Phoenix Zoo Time

We decided it was time for a family adventure!  We had been planning on one for a while and finally got a chance!  Off to the Phoenix Zoo!  

This place is huge! And the kids were ecstatic to go explore!

The kids loved the squirrel monkeys where you could walk right into their abode and get some close up shots!

The two goofballs! :)  Love-love-love them!

Playing on the tractors sunk into the ground...who woulda thought...these got way more attention than I thought they would! The kids played on them for quite a while.

Mr. Joey the turtle! 

Rooooaaaarrrr!

The coolest picture posing statues ever!  

Oddly enough, this was a favorite! His back was pointed like a mountain range. Haha!

Our little Joey's.

Our real little Joey in a joey.  :)

One of the highlights of the day....a friend gave us some free tickets to the sting ray pool where you get to pet the sting rays as they swim around and around.  Way cooler than I thought it was going to be.

It was super cool and fun....until Ellie, Hannah and I got completely splashed and drenched by a few sting rays!  I mean- SOPPING-in the MOUTH wet!  It was disgusting! Yet in it's own way, super memorable!  That place was packed...and who are the THREE people that get drenched?  Me and my 2 very tired babies!  Haha!  Oh well!  Even though I was dry heaving for a while, we will never forget that experience! Here we are below- dripping wet! :)

Aren't they just adorable??  My kids could live at the zoo.  No, they really do fit right in! Haha!

I love this capture Dave got! Abby got a camera for Christmas and they love posing for each other! :) I love it when I see moments like these. Makes me completely forget the hard times. 

Such a cutie...wearing his carefully chosen- for the zoo- tiger shirt! :)

Waaaahahhaaaa??  

Here we all are!  What a nice elephant to let us pose on him.  We'll have to send him a thank you card! :)  What a great day!  We had so much fun!  We didn't quite cover EVERYTHING at this enormous zoo, but we got kinda close.  These family adventures bring us together and create memories that we will have for always!  I'm so grateful we could  go. I love my family!

Grandma Love

Grandma sent us a fun box of presents and treasures and the kids were ecstatic!  She made these adorable hats!  I mean- check out these smiles! It was so fun!  She also made Joey some eye masks (like super hero style)!  They are way cool!  I need to get some pictures.  

The girls just glow in them in the sun!

My little flapper girl!

My cuties!

My Mom also made a couple adorable headbands for Hannah!  Thank you Mom!! We love you! 

Smarty-Pants Abby!

Ta-da!  Abby was on the Principles List for all A's on her report card!  Go girl!!

These are a little blurry, but I thought I would post them anyhow.  A sneak peak at Abby waiting to get called to the stage. 

Mrs. Angeles (her teacher) standing and awarding the kids their achievement papers and Mrs. Poirier (the principal) sitting and giving the kids handshakes as well!

Yay Abby!  She is a wonderful student! Excels in everything she puts her mind to. :) Love that girl!

Abby and Annie...BFF!  

Ellie was such a patient little girl for the assembly!  And she was looking exceptionally pretty! :)

Random Outside Fun January 2013

Ellie LOVES the swing! 

We spent an hour on a random swing one day.

Just swinging away...

Looking adorable...

....until she got hungry! hahahaha!

Ice cream!  We may have been celebrating Joey's birthday again!! :)

I think we had gift cards and BOGO coupons...

Couldn't get much better than that! 

We love rainy days in the desert!

Although I think the kids just love playing with umbrellas! :) 

They were so cute all playing together in the rain!  Love these kids!

Christmas Bells are Ringing

Christmas morning!  Gotta be the best morning of the year right? Ellie was super excited, it being her first one ever!  She thought the presents tasted delicious! :)

And that popcorn decoration was SOOO tempting!  

Abby digging in!

Dave got some fun gifts too...from his awesome wifey! :)

Ding!  Isn't she adorable?!

But when it comes to opening presents...it's serious business!  

Abby loves to help me in the garden.  So she got some fun seeds packets and gardening tools!

The Joe-ster!

Dave got me an awesome game that has been on my wishlist for years!  Super excited!

GOT IT!!  She had her some breakfast! 

Yu--ums!!

Abby got her scooter this year!!  

My brother Sam stayed the night with us Christmas Eve.  So we got to have him with us Christmas morning! It was such a treat!

I was trying to get a good shot of Ellie for her Christmas ornament...that's why I have a million shots of her.  Helps that she's simply adorable eh?

Here's the doll I got for Christmas! ;)

Ta-da!  The End!