What a fun family day - our first trip to the Houston Zoo! Analie stayed in the stroller for all of about 15 minutes and Miss Priss insisted..."I walk". We all had a blast, but made it only 1/4 of the way through the zoo.
She really enjoyed the lions. I just happened to capture her making a lion roar...my fave pose of the day!
Then, I was coerced into the fish tunnel by a sweet little innocent princess...dun, dun, duhhhh - Ani had a blast, but I wanted to get out of there! In this picture it looks like I am having fun, but it's just an illusion - for Ani's sake. A 10 foot long, 3 foot diameter tube - with hot sweaty kids inside - no fresh air, and dangerous poisonous vicious fish just waiting to bust the glass and eat me or Analie at any minute...ok, well maybe not poisonous :) I felt like I was suffocating. She was holding up the whole line because she wouldn't move forward and we had just a little tantrum trying to get her out. LOL :) 
Now for the meat here....I know, I know, I always have to tie all this together, but for real, from the most inner parts of me, these words and thoughts flow. I do not front or fake what you read in these pages - it's a 100% account from my heart AND soul, and anything less wouldn't be a true reflection of me.
So here it goes - most may think of going to the zoo for the first time just a perfect picture opportunity. Another check-off-the-list of things to do with your kid, another time of fun, but now on to the next. Not for me. I relish in moments like this and think of the time when I would dream about moments like this. After we indulged in our fat-free, wheat-bunned polish sausage hot dogs we sat down on a shady bench to enjoy our sugar-free, low-calorie dippin' dots (ok, so the previous wishful thinking about the food is a fabrication :) . As we were dripping in melted ice cream courtesy of Analie spoon feeding us, Phil said "this is a family moment I used to only just dream about." Wow, how he said exactly what I was thinking.
See, the irony of the matter is that as we were praying over our baby boy's hospital bed three-and-one-half years ago, we envied the zoo-goers from 8+ floors above, out the window of the tiny sterile dimly lit room. The monitors created almost a trans-like state as I gazed out the window and wondered what it would be like to venture out someday...as the family we'd always dreamed of having. From his hospital room turned alter, we talked about & fantasized about so much... the day Marshall would get better and we'd take him out to ride the train and see the animals was one of our topics. So the thought of even driving down the street where the zoo or hospital was in my sight was terrifying to me after we lost him. I could let alone see a street sign for "Texas Medical Center" much less think of crossing paths with a memory so painful. Praise God for healing because in December, on Christmas eve, I was able to make the trek back to Children's Memorial Hospital...and not only a drive-by, but we parked the car, unloaded all of our gracious donations from friends and family and made our ant-trail path back up to the 8th floor. And with heads held high, Phil and I felt a sense of relief that we were able to cross that barrier.
And all of that ties back into our visit with Ani as we wrapped up our first visit to the zoo with the customary choo-choo train ride around Hermann Park. It was a great ride, the breeze felt nice drying out my sweaty khaki shorts, and many children were having birthday parties in the park, Analie enjoyed waving to them all. Just as we rounded the corner to turn back to the train station, I caught an eyefull of the cream-stucco clad, clay tile roof hospital...I knew exactly where our room had been. And although silent tears streamed from behind my darkened faux-Dior shades, they were the most bittersweet tears I've ever tasted.
I love my children so very much. Please enjoy & love yours too. What precious gifts from God that breathe amongst us...
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