trip to the zoo...

yesterday we made a trip down to the nashville zoo...our first one of the season, hopefully with many more to come...we met my college roommate, laura and her little boy, for a walk around the zoo and a picnic...we share such a special friendship, she's quite a genious and world traveler and i'm...uh..not...although we met in college, she ended up marrying a friend of mine from high school, so we really have no excuses to not be friends...and we wouldn't have it any other way..

a few highlights: the monkeys put on this incredible concert for us...not prompted by a zoo keeper or anything, they just began to talk, then 'sing' to each other..amazing...like 6 of them at once all echoing eachother, swinging, and jumping..awesome to watch...seriously they must have been performing because this one would literally hold onto the branch with one hand, then lift his leg and strike a pose. next the clouded leopard- when we first walked out there was no leopard in sight, then from nowhere it starts pacing with it's mouth opened, almost in a grimace... i was standing on one side with the kids, while laura chased after her little man...well as we go to leave, we put two and two together (with the help of other bystanders) that the leopard was actually pacing with the intentions of digesting lauras little boy...only funny if there's glass between the two...ugh.. creepy

i laugh when i see the pic of me and the kids...laura drags me into the lorikeet exhibit..i tell her i get crapped on enough at home...none the less, these beautiful primary colored birds fly around you and will even land on your hand...this one began to tweet as we snapped the pic and brax couldn't figure out where the noise was coming from...pretty funny watching him until he just got irritated at it.. :) i always forget how much i love this place until i'm actually there again...

planting tulips & washing cars...

since its so cold today, i think i'll honor our warm days around here...here's mia planting tulips...she had one that was just hers...and between you and me...it's the only one slumped over and turning brown right now...she checks on it just about everyday though...we'll see...brax helped trim the bushes..yes with hedge clippers...don't tell child services...

...and here's the first car wash of the season...i've decided that a bucket of soap & water is my new babysitter...

25 down, 80 to go....

here's the kids 'making' & enjoying brock's homemade carrot cake...yum!

so friday was my birthday & i received my first gift around 2 am when i heard mia coughing...so i went in to check on her and she couldn't catch her breath, so i yanked her up and hollered at brock as i took her outside...the cool air helped a bit as i told her to take 'big breaths'...finally, she calmed down and began to breath...well wheeze...so long story short, she ended up in bed with us for the night and for the next 3..which although it seems like an inconvenience, i secretly like it...she layed and talked-no joke- till at least 6am...it would get really quiet, then i'd hear "mama, on my next bday, i'm gonna be 4..." (me"uh-huh") "...when i'm 4, i'm gonna be really tall.." (me "uh-huh") "...and i'll be able to wear my new jeans" ("uh-huh") .......silence...."mama, when i get my ears pierced, i'm gonna be able to do a cartwheel" ...(duh..) the last thing i remember between my catnaps was "mama, it's getting light outside"...so even though the night was eventful, i just couldn't bring myself to tell to quiet down...i could just tell how special it was for her to be in there...

ok, so my gifts this year so pretty geeky & i thought twice about posting them but, you know, they really are what i wanted....so here is my glass door -complete with coordinating brushed nickle handles for our original wood door...brock & i started around 11 to install it (look, Lowe's only charges $100 to install it but i refused to give in once we started...) and i went upstairs for lunch around 4:30...around 6 uncle brynee & leelee got here to keep the kids while we went out...i, of course, was exhausted from the lack of sleep & simply being pregnant...but we had a blast...we went to melting pot...i simply can't bring myself to choose another place...seriously, what is better than melted cheese with bread & melted chocolate with strawberries...not much! of course brock got his share of steak bc i was so full from the cheese course! back here at home, they played 'dollhouse', made cookies, watched lion king, & read TWO books... brax & mia always get so excited when brian & leanne come...they're still asking "unc. brynee go?" "leelee outside?"...we're grateful for people who enjoy our children, & vise versa...

so the door is on...our neighboor must have pitied us, because for the past 2 days he's been over here trying to help us finish the job(the drip plate, hydraulic close, & who knows what else...) here pictured is my super cute mailbox cover that brock's mom sent down, and my tulip mix that i intend to plant around the mailbox (ehhhh..i'm little nervous on this one...hope they live...) so 25 i am. and glad to be living...

*oh, & maybe the best gift....was starting to feel the baby move... :)