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!

Joey Celebrates 4 with the Whole Arizona Clan!

Our Joey boy got TWO birthday parties this year since we live close to family now!  No one complains about that now will we? Joey decorated the cake himself! What a big boy! 

Fun Day!

Fun People! 

Fun Presents!

Yummy cake! 

Joey got to frost and decorate his own cake! And pick out the color of the frosting.  He did a great job! 

What??!!??  I can hear it now!  :) Love my Joey!

Vader Hat!! Woot woot!

It is such a treat that Grandma Betty gets to come to family events!  She just lights up when everyone is around.

Joey wanted Pizza for his birthday dinner.  I won't complain...Daddy makes the pizza! :) And can you say, Yu-uhm!

It was super fun having everyone over for the party!  Love my fam! (We always miss Pheob & Mom and Sadie!)

1st Omer Talent Show

So, we tried it out.  Our first Omer Talent Show. Man, we have a lot of talent!  I have a bunch of videos of everyone, but until I get time to edit them down a little, I won't post them yet.  It was super fun!

Jacob and bunch of Omer grandchildren played the piano.  They all did such a fantastic job!

We had a few skits here and there.

Matt sang a gorgeous song for us!

Heather saved the day and played the piano to accompany Dave on his Clarinet.  He had been SO busy with his first semester of teaching and being in school on top of that, that he didn't have much time to even think about his talent. But they both did a fantastic job! Thank you Heather!

Jenny...just look at her!  She is the definition of talent! :)  Really- she made our matching family t-shirt design and she face painted all the grandkids faces!! Abby chose flowers below. Huge talent!

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!