Zoo Love

    This past Saturday, April 21, 2012 Moma, Karen & I took Kason to our local Zoo in Gainesville, FL located called The Santa Fe Teaching Zoo which is located at our local community college. I remember taking Colby & Brandon there when they were around 6 & 4 1/2. Boy how time flies!

Check out this photo out...You can tell Kason does not want to have his pic taken. His little lip is pooching

out!! Priceless. He was ready to go see Zoo animals. :)

Awww, Karen is loving on Hootie Owl. I love the look on Kason's face. He sure loves his Moma...& Hootie Owl.

We absolutely enjoyed ourselves. I love spending time with my little 2 yr. old nephew, Mom & Sister. It honestly gets no better than having them for the whole day & just being able to take our time.

 Visiting a zoo with a little one makes you see things through a childs eye. It took us around an hour to go walk through the zoo. It's definitely not a big zoo & they didn't have a zebras, giraffes or elephants, but it was no big deal. They did have the cutest little monkeys! Kason L.O.V.E.D the monkeys. One of the three kept playing right there where we were standing. The little monkey would swing all around & then jump right on the front of the cage where we were standing! It was hilarious. The first time it happened, Kason wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing, but after we started laughing, Kason started laughing & appartenly the monkey thought we were funny because he jumped several more times right where we were standing. Awesome part of the day!!

"Look Moma!" Yes, he was still watching those monkeys play together!

Let's look at the beautiful bald eagles:

Seeing these big gophers brings back memories of visiting Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fl when I was a little girl. :)

Sun bathing turtles!

This little baby turtle makes me smile every single I look at this!!

Isn't it just too cute?

The zoo wasn't crowded which was very nice to have plenty of room to let Kason walk run.

This is the first tree kangaroo we've ever seen!

Some type of hogs...I can't recall the exact name!

Time to take a break & make a phone call. I just happened to snap this pic...I have no earthly idea

who he was "pretend talking too."

My Moma aka as Kason's Nanny. She is a pure nut....She makes all of us laugh, that's for sure!

Kason was handing out kisses & I made sure I got one!

It was hot & muggy. That's why my face is so red!!!

I just <3 Kason's shoes. His Daddy picked those out. :)

Kason & his Mommy taking a break...

Kason loves owls. (He got that from me!! He owns two stuffed animals which are owls gifted from yours truly.) This was his first time seeing a real live owl!! I am in love with owls. I've started collecting owls..I'm now the proud owner of four!

I just adore this pic!!!

Some type of deer. Karen asked Kason, "what would your Daddy do to this deer & he replied, "shoot". Yes, Jay is an avid hunter just like my three guys. :)

This tiger freaked me out! The glass / plexi glass was so crystal clear you could not tell there was anything

protecting us from it. Kason walked about 1/2 in the cubby hole & turned around & got out!! Then guess who had to crawl in there? Yep, Nanny!!! Kason still didn't want to go back in there.

After the zoo we headed to Michael's craft store and then to eat lunch @ Olive Garden. It was so so delicious! Kason was just a good little boy. He ate salad, breadstick & loved dipping it into the alfredo dipping sauce & then he ate lasagna. After lunch we went to Kohl's and shopped for a few minutes and then headed back home. It started raining on the way home and Kason fell asleep. He was a tired little boy.

We thoroughly enjoyed our day together. This is what memories are made of. :)

Karen bought Kason this lollipop at Michael's for a whole .39cents! What a deal. :) He dearly loved

it. :) While Karen & I were in line checking out, Kason wanted to walk outside with Nanny with his lollipop in hand, but Karen told he he had to wait until we paid for it. So he waited & asked us every 10 seconds, "paid?" So as soon as it as the cashier rang it up, he was out the door with Nanny & his lollipop. :)

Thank goodness for coloring pages at Olive Garden!

My beautiful sister!

Oh how thankful we were when it started raining. I'm sure all those local farmers who've planted watermelons were thankful too!!

Oh sleep little boy with his Hootie Owl.....I wander what you were dreaming of? Maybe monkeys, owls, deer or turtles?

This is pure preciousness!!!!!

To be totally honest, I was dog tired and that is tired. This stupid Fibro is such a pain to deal with. I got home around 4:15 and went straight to bed. I slept until 9pm! I was just exhausted. Then I was able to go back to bed and sleep until Sunday morning.

Life As It Was / Life As It Is Now

     Sunday night my cell hone rings, it's our oldest son Colby. He didn't call to talk to me aka his Mom. He said, "Hey Mom, Sarah (my daughter in law) wants to talk to you." I said, "okay", but was wandering what was up because it was around 9 or 9:30pm & they typically would have called earlier in the day. Sarah says, "Hi, Amee...we've been watching your home videos and I totally understand you more now than ever!" She said, "here you were trying to preserve family time / history by video taping family moments during vacation. You would ask Brandon a question and all he would do is shrug his shoulders, you asked Colby a question and all he did was walk away & then you'd ask Chuckie a question and he ignored you & time & time again you would ask them questions & they just ignored you." She said, "I feel like I know you so much better!!"  Then she ended with, "if I'd been there I would have answered your questions!!" I told Sarah she had made my night by calling me and telling me this!!!!! Living my life with three guys is over. Now I have a daughter. :)

Friends, Hunger Games, Dinner

     We started a new tradition at work. The girls as in Jean, Jenna & Tina & I are planning on going out to dinner once a month. We each contributed names of restaurants we would like to try. The first name we drew out of our list of names is Yamatos Japanese Restaurant. here in Gainesville. We planned for April 20th to be our first girls night out. We decided we would also see The Hunger Games! I first read the triliogy back in December. Then I convinced the girls they would really like it. So one by one they've read it. (Well Jean is almost finished with the third book).

Then the bad news came: Jean forgot she had a dentist appt. to have oral surgery! Oppsie. I thought Tina was going to have a melt down because she has talked about The Hunger Games book & movie every day since we planned this outing. So being the nice friend I am (haha) I suggested her and I would go see it and then we'd watch it again with the Jean & Jenna. Tina was up for that..she was smiling again! :)

Lauren another friend here at the hospital is going to join us & she may be bringing a friend too. I think we may eat at TGI Fridays for dinner then catch a 6:50 movie. I have heard good reviews of the movie. We are so excited to finally get to see it. The books were intense. I'm trying to imagine how they are going to bring this to life!

I'm hoping everyone has a blessed Friday & a wonderful weekend. :)

My Sweet Nephew

     A couple of weeks ago my little nephew was sick with strep throat then he caught pneumonia! Luckily his Mommy & Daddy were on top of it & had him at the doctors & he was able to start his medicines. He almost ended up in the hospital!! It was scary!! Poor little Kason would tell his Mommy, "hold me, rock me" then while they were rocking he would look up to her and say, "I love you". She was off work several days and was able to stay right there with him. She said there was no other place on earth she would rather be than taking care of him. Karen is definitely meant to be a Mommy. It hasn't been an easy road with Kason. From having severe milk allergies, severe colic, & severe acid reflux from day one. She has handled everything so gracefully. She totally amazes me!!!! She has the patience of a saint. Kason is so lucky to have her as his Mommy.

Back to my story..(it's funny how I always end up getting side tracked!) Since Kason had been so sick, I decided a little gift was in need. One of my favorite places to buy gifts is at Shands Hospital Gift Shop. They have unique items. Plus they payroll deduct!! (this does get me into trouble!) I went shopping & found Kason a baby owl! I've wrote before about how he's always loved owls ever since he was a little fella. He started liking owls because he would see my owl necklace and repeat "owl". So I thought he needed this little baby owl to go with his big owl I'd bought him a while back!

When I arrived at Karen's she met me at the door. Normally Kason is right there to greet me. Well not this time. This little fella was laid up on the couch with his pillow, blanket and his big owl!! He looked so cute laying there. It was a sure sign he wasn't feeling good. Otherwise he would have been on the floor playing with his tractors.
Here's a few pics from that afternoon:

See the little tiny cupcake he's eating in the last pic? His Nanny aka my sweet Moma thought he needed some little cupcakes of his own! It's so sweet because he has Nanny & Pa wrapped around his little finger. Just where Grandparents should be!!

By looking at these pics it looks like he wasn't sick but believe me he was! It just shows what a trooper he is!

Words cannot explain how much I love Kason. He's such a little character. He has his Mommy & Daddy's sense of humor and he's always happy unless he's sick. Then he's just even more loveable!!!

Please excuse the dust....trying to find a new blogger template. :)



Thanks!!!