Zoo trip!

My family just loves to go to the zoo. We love it so much that we travel 2.5 hours west to Omaha to go to the Henry Doorly Zoo. It's awesome & the best time to go is in the winter. All the zoo keepers are walking around with less to do since there aren't as many people so they will just sit and talk with you. Yesterday we even got a sneak peak into the inside of the Cat Complex where a lovely man let us view that male lion who was not on display. It was so awesome, he growled & swiped at the keeper and made that low sound in his throat that just makes you go all tingly inside.











We got to see our special butterfly with our name engraved on it outside the brand new butterfly building that opened last year. **Note** Julia & I WILL NOT be heading back to the insect part of the butterfly building as they let some spiders just go where ever and we DO NOT appreciate silver dollar size spiders in webs so close without glass separating us. I tried not to have a heart attack while running with my head down out of the building! (Hazards of being bitten by a poisonous spider) The zoo helper outside the door had the nerve to say that the mama spider had just had babies & they wouldn't hurt anyone so they let them go wherever they want! WHAT! If you have a heart attack from the sheer terror of seeing a spider that big with the ability to drop on you at any second...I'd call that hurting people.

Corbin had issues with the goats in the petting zoo- they were a little too curious for his liking. He kept saying "Dote" meaning "don't touch my stuff, don't chew on my snow suit, don't lick my water bottle". Good thing he had older siblings to practice that line on for just such an occasion.
Corbin loved the aquarium & the penguins! He wanted to watch the penguins all day! Some were having races & I let him crawl under the posts right up to the window to see them up close. But if the animals aren't moving he's not interested. We did see a couple of the cutest monkeys in the jungle I have ever seen. (See pictures)

Look at our growing Gorilla family!

Every year I want to take a picture of this water fall outside the Gorilla Canyon & I finally have some. Isn't this gorgeous!

Sage does a pretty good job taking pictures!

Allergies

I am feeling rather frustrated today. Allergies are actually the bane of my existence. Last Saturday I ended up in the ER because after my weekly allergy shots because my tongue began to get itchy, then swell. Of course by then the clinic was already closed. Then I got some great lips, hives on my eye lids, & then the hives slowly crept down my body. It's rather hard to breathe after all that. Well, I had to get some shots & a breathing treatment followed by a nap. This all adds to the fact that for the past 18+ months we've been a dairy free home trying to figure out if the kids are lactose intolerant or actually allergic to milk. (You would not believe all the foods with milk in them...my favorite Lime flavored Tostitos tortilla chips...seriously) Corbin seems to react to the most things. So my frustration comes from Corbin's rash covering his entire body that began yesterday after lunch. I think that to add to his peanuts, milk, citrus, & some weird spice in beef jerky we can now add GRAPES. Raisins & now grape juice haven't been good. We're talking rash & blisters on the bum. AARGH! The good that has come out of all this is that we are the healthiest eating family with practically no processed foods to speak of. I've learned many new cooking skills & my kids are eating a much more varied diet than most kids their age. There's my vent if you've survived this long.

 So, enjoy some real ice cream, pizza, & chocolate for me!

Snow forts

December 25th, Jeremy, Sage, Brody & Christian built a huge snow fort in the front yard and here are the pictures! Jeremy stayed outside an hour longer than the littles; probably reliving his childhood.