Walk for Life

The pro-life citizens of the state of Nebraska have a Walk for Life each January near the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. We have the walk down in our Capitol City of Lincoln. Today the weather cooperated and we had record highs--it was about 45 degrees at a time when it is normally in the 20s. Because of this we had a record turnout. There were more than 4500 people there......Our pro-life governor, Dave Heineman......Our pro-life Attorney General Jon Bruning, and many other pro-life state senators and other politicians. Below: hundreds of balloons were released which represented the life lost in our state to abortion last year. This is our state capitol building in the background.It's always reassuring for me to see our family physician--the person who takes care of Jeremy and me, monitors our pregnancies, and cares for our children--at the Walk for Life with Physicians for Life. I've said it before and I'll say it again. There's not a value that can be placed on having a health care provider who is pro-life, and especially one who is NFP only as ours is. Although these pro-life, NFP health care providers are common where we live, apparently they are hard to find in other states.

Other than making a statement about our beliefs in the value of life at all stages, attending the Walk has its perks. We run into priests and nuns that we know, fellow Catholics, friends from all cities, and family, such as my mom and my father-in-law. The crowds were encouraging! In 30 years, this is the biggest crowd that I remember. We are proud to be pro-life!

7 Quick Takes Friday Volume 5

Visit Jennifer over at Conversion Diary for her Quick Takes and those of other bloggers!

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1. My thanks go out to all of you who prayed for my Grandpa Dean. He's not out of the woods yet, but he was off of his ventilator yesterday and breathing with the help of a CPAP machine. Your prayers must have been strong because it is amazing that he came through the difficulties that he did. He's a tough cookie; maybe it's that he was the youngest of six raised on a farm, maybe that he was raised during the depression or that he is a World War II veteran and a cancer survivor. Truly, I believe it's the prayers!

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2. Our basement could be an advertisement for Rubbermaid. We have blue totes EVERYWHERE. I just counted 47 in the basement alone; there are more in the garage. What's in them? If you're a mom, you'll laugh...0-3M girl, 0-3M boy, 3-6M girl, 3-6M boy, 6-9M girl, 6-9M boy, 12M girl, 12M boy, 2T girl, 2T boy, 3T girl, 3T boy, 4T girl, 4T boy, 5T girl, 5T boy, 6 girl, 7 girl. There are boxes for baby shoes, baby blankets, maternity clothes, college textbooks, trinkets that have meaning but aren't out on display, Christmas decorations, Easter and Halloween, and one box for each of my children in which I put their memories. Whew!

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3. When did people stop replying to Thank You with You're Welcome? There are members of my family and some friends who accept the Thank You but do not reply. I stand there wondering if they heard me or if I need to repeat myself. In a dressing room the other day, I called out, "does anyone have a watch on?" Someone promptly replied with, "it's 1:15." I called out, "thank you," and was met with silence. Did I need to repeat myself? Did she hear me? Maybe they don't say You're Welcome because they don't feel that whatever they did is worthy of thanks? It always is! The smallest favors are worthy of thanks. Let's all remember to say, "You're welcome!"

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4. Treat carving knives with respect. If you do cut lettuce with a carving knife and it fights back, a good finger to damage is the left thumb. You'd be surprised how easy it is to make do without it and to keep it out of the way. Your uncle might tell you to close it up with super glue but he's crazy. Just put pressure on it.

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5. I love reading comments left on my blog. It's a little ray of sunshine during the day, a quick note from a friend, an acquaintance, or even a stranger to say, "Hello, I was here!" When I visit a blog I almost always leave a comment, even if it's just, "Thanks for sharing your Quick Takes," or "What a neat post!" I leave them because I enjoy and appreciate getting them. I'd keep this blog regardless of whether I receive comments but it is nice to see them. Thanks to all of you who leave them!

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6. Is there etiquette for blog comment replies? I leave comments with no expectation of a reply (unless I ask a question) but I feel that I must reply to comments left on my blog. I usually return the favor of a stranger's comment with a visit to their blog. Some of my blogger friends reply within the comments section itself, some e-mail a reply. I do a mixture of all three things that I mentioned--visits to the commenter, replies in the comments section, and e-mail if I know the person's address. I just wondered what you all think.

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7. Who knew that one could makes friends in the blogosphere? I think of this as 21st century penpal correspondence. It's fun and it's interesting. It's also a small world. Many blogger friends with whom I correspond have ties to Nebraska or to my hometown. The blogs I read regularly are on my sidebar. Blogs are also a neat way to keep up with friends who have moved far away. When we are able to get together, we can talk about many things and save the time we'd normally use to find out about what's new and what's changed because we've kept up via internet! Facebook has become another tool that I use to keep up with family and friends. We've had high speed internet for almost a year, which is what made all of this possible, and I think I would be lost without it!

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Cheers!

Clabber Boy

Who knew that an empty Clabber Girl (baking powder) can could be so much fun? Isaiah is about 21 months old now. Try not to notice the ketchup on his PJs. The video is less than a minute--turn your sound on!

Prayers, please!

Please pray for my Grandpa (Dean) who is in intensive care at a local hospital following an emergency surgery. Thank you!

For the Love of Nebraska

Inspired by Melissa at Almost Catholic Momma, who knows she's from California, I must now post the following:

You know you're from Nebraska if...

1. You know what Knee-high by the Fourth of July means.

2. You know that Combine is a noun...a very large noun.

3. The football schedule must be taken into account when planning a fall wedding or you may not have guests.

4. You know how to pronounce Kearney, Beatrice, and Norfolk. (Okay--I couldn't resist explaining this one: Kearney rhymes with Barney, Beatrice sounds like Bee-AT-riss, and the pronunciation of Norfolk depends...some say Nor-fork, some say Nor-foke.)

5. Your vocabulary still includes Yes Ma'am and No Sir.

6. You understand the true meaning of snipe hunting.

7. As the American flag passes, you are on your feet, cap in hand, and hand over heart, or someone behind you gives you a slap-on-the-head reminder to do so!

8. The local Dairy Queen is closed from November until March.

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9. 15 degrees isn't too bad...it's just a little chilly.

10. You measure distance in hours.

11. You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.

12. You often switch from heat to A/C in the same day and back again.

13. You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow in a raging blizzard without flinching.

14. A mountain lion in city limits is simply cornered and captured.

15. You use your life savings to go to the Nebraska-Colorado game and know that it is the same day every year.

16. There's a tornado warning and everyone is outdoors watching the sky.

17. You know what the Sea of Red really is.

18. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.

19. Your grandparents walked to and from school in six feet of snow uphill both ways.

20. You carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them.

21. You know that driving in the winter is better because the potholes are filled with snow.

22. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

23. You have petitioned the Vatican for sainthood for Tom Osborne.

24. You know what Runza is.

25. You are proud of your unicameral and have no idea what goes on in a bicameral legislature.

26. You know that the statue on the dome of the state capital is actually sowing seed, not bowling.

27. You can drive from Grand Island to North Platte without falling asleep.

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28. You can drive through towns named Wahoo with a straight face.

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29. Your daughter learned the words to the University's fight song in kindergarten music class.

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30. You know that there is no place like Nebraska...

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I promise that if you are from out of state (or Australia) and don't know what any of these mean, I will be glad to elaborate! I wrote only #29 and #30 by myself. If you'd like to add to this, please do so!

Overheard: Where did THAT come from?

Maddie: ....and they married each other's faces off!

Mom: Maddie, I've heard that coming out of your mouth a lot lately. It's not nice and I'd like you to stop saying it. Where did you learn to say that?

Maddie: --10 second silence--

Noah: Mex-ee-co?

Now imagine a brief silence and then lots of giggling. No, I don't get it either.

Geology Corner 1: Let it Snow!

It takes just the right temperature to form and keep these beautiful snowflakes. Did you know that frozen water is technically a mineral? What makes it a mineral? Glad you asked. According to the Dictionary of Geological Terms Third Edition a mineral is, "a naturally occurring inorganic element or compound having an orderly internal structure and characteristic chemical composition, crystal form, and physical properties." Simply put, it has to occur by itself in nature, be solid, and have a crystal form which means that its atoms are geometrically arranged. The kids and I are definitely getting out magnifying glasses today, as snow like this doesn't stick around for very long. Enjoy!

Manic Monday?

Far from it! Monday was full of mess and full of fun. It started in the morning when I allowed the boys to play with cornmeal in cookie sheets. The stuff is easier to clean up than Moonsand but harder than real sand. I think that next time I'll let them have real sand, as mice are not attracted to sand that's crammed beneath the woodwork and in corners that I'll never find. For those of you wondering about Moonsand, if given to someone younger than 20, it takes twice as long to clean up as it did to play. It is a nightmare!

At 11:00, we went to the school to sit with Madeleine for lunch. She and Morgan have the same lunch period, so we also saw Morgan. Isaiah went over to sit on Morgan's lap. We will go again on Thursday to have lunch with Morgan.

After school, I filled up four little spray bottles with blue, red, yellow, and green water (made with food coloring). We put on snow pants, scarves, mittens, gloves, hats, boots, and coats, and went out on a mission. We spraypainted the backyard. It is 14 degrees outside, so the kids didn't last too long. Afterward, we treated ourselves to hot cocoa with marshmallows and candy canes.

Beware: Politics and Math

You have been warned. I do not usually touch politics on this blog and probably won't do it very often in the future. Remember that you are here voluntarily and if you are pro-choice, liberal, or democrat, you probably won't like what's coming next, so if you think you'll be offended, stop reading now and go look at my Daybook or 7 Quick Takes. I think those posts are not offensive.

Oh, Nancy Pelosi, a Renegade Roman Catholic senator, mother and grandmother, has put her toe across the line. Now I can't resist.

Ms. Pelosi said the following in an interview:

STEPHANOPOULOS: Hundreds of millions of dollars to expand family planning services. How is that stimulus?
PELOSI: Well, the family planning services reduce cost. They reduce cost. The states are in terrible fiscal budget crises now and part of what we do for children's health, education and some of those elements are to help the states meet their financial needs. One of those - one of the initiatives you mentioned, the contraception, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government.

My interpretation of what she's saying is that if there are less children, particularly less children born into impoverished families, there will be less cost to the government for their care. Let's say her plan works and we end up with significantly less children in 9 months and then in five years (when this contracepted/aborted group would be starting kindergarten). Here's the flaw in Ms. Pelosi's plan: 20 years from this point, there would be less workers to pay social security, taxes, and to put money into the economy.

The year that I was born, there were approximately 1.5 million babies lost to abortion. The way I figure, that means that there are 1.5 million less taxpayers and the children that they would have had will not be paying taxes either. If my peers had been born and each of them paid only $1000 in Federal taxes last year, the government would have received $1,500,000,000 from them. What if my peers had been born and each of them had purchased a home by now. Now let's divide the number in half to account for the people who paired off to buy a home together: that's 750,000 couples paying property taxes, which fund schools. Let's say they each pay a low $1000 per year in property tax. That's another $1,500,000,000. (I won't even touch on social security because the amount that we pay out is more than we're putting in our actual real private retirement plan, which makes me weep.) That's a lot of money and accounts only for people who were aborted in the single year that I was born. Now imagine if everyone who was aborted had been born, all the way back to 1972. How does that math work for Pelosi again?

I have a new proposal to save the government money. Right now, I'm in favor of eliminating the 57 Democratic (read: pro-abortion) senate positions to save money. In 2006, a US senator was paid $165K. If we eliminate 57 positions, we save America over $9,405,000 in the first year alone! We won't have to pay them to take up space, produce hot air and accomplish nothing. We won't have to pay their retirement benefits for the next 100 years. With 57 members of the senate eliminated, the rest of congress might actually get something positive accomplished.

You may comment anonymously but you must leave your name. If you do not or if you leave a pro-choice comment, I'll delete it. Welcome to my blog.

The Simple Woman's Daybook Volume 10

Visit Peggy at the Simple Woman's Daybook for her entry and the entries of other bloggers.

For Today, January 26th, 2009

Outside my window...It is 9 degrees (-13 C) but it's pretty; I can see pink in the northeastern sky but snow is falling very slowly; it's almost floating in the air. The fire's reflection is dancing in the window and it adds to the feel of a winter day in Nebraska. It's very cold outside but we are nice and toasty warm indoors.

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I am thinking about September 11, 2001. I don't know why. We had just found out that we were expecting Morgan, our oldest. We had been married for about 3 months and were planning a trip to California for which we were to depart that Friday. I was on my first 15 minute break at work. I went out to the car and turned on the radio while I sat. I heard about planes crashing into buildings and thought that maybe there was an accident at the nearest large airport. I was wrong. When I figured out what was wrong, I ran back indoors and told the other women on my team to turn their radios on. We were in a Federal building, so when the Pentagon was hit, we were told to put our things away and go home. I went home and watched everything on the news and then called my friend Amy to see if she knew what was going on. She caught me up. I sat there in horror, feeling a little scared and very, very sad. Although we did not live in New York, D.C., or Pennsylvania and did not lose anyone that we loved, our lives changed that day. America changed that day. The first day that flights resumed, we did go to California to stay with Jeremy's sister but it was more somber than I anticipated. We felt guilty for enjoying ourselves. For months, the world seemed so quiet. Where were you?

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I am thankful for...8 safe years since the aforementioned terrorist attack.

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Learning at school and at home...I bought four spray bottles this weekend, one for each pair of little hands, and we are going to put colored water in them and paint the snow after school. What happens when we mix red with blue? Blue with yellow? See? Snow comes in handy once in awhile!

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From the kitchen...I bought lots of groceries this weekend. I'm planning on Chef's Salad, pork chops, fish, and hamburgers. My husband and kids say that I don't make hamburgers often enough (read: never). I'm making them tonight because I'll be gone. I don't care for beef. I know, it's weird. I don't care for chocolate either...or ice cream or beer. I'm sure that I'm American in spite of these things.

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I am wearing...jeans, a long sleeved T-shirt and a fleece sweatshirt, socks, and all weather mocs.

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I am going...to take the boys and join my daughter Madeleine at school for lunch today. It is Catholic Schools Week and parents get to join their children for lunch throughout the week. Today is kindergarten's turn. (Really, the school will let us join them anytime but this week it's special.)

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I am reading...I am in between books! John Grisham's new novel will be released on Thursday and so I'm waiting for it.

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I am hoping...that our children have bright futures. When 9/11 happened, many people wondered out loud whether they should bring children into a world like this. We are not so pessimistic. We think that bringing our children into the world will make it a better place.

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I am hearing...the white noise of the fireplace and the boys squealing downstairs.

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Around the house...Laundry. Always laundry. This is my greatest obstacle and it's all in my head.

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One of my favorite things...e-mails from my husband. They are few and far between. I love it when I do get them and when they're just to say that he was thinking about me.

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A few plans for the rest of the week: Lunch this afternoon with Madeleine, Bible Study tonight, a play date tomorrow, Lunch with Morgan on Thursday and the release of the new John Grisham novel, the local Walk for Life this Saturday.

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Here is picture thought I am sharing...

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Phonetics = Funetiks 4: Polar Bears

Polar Bear...I learned that Polar Bears have a lot of blubber. I learned that Polar Bears are very playful.

hav = have. Why not? If you stick an e on the end of it, it should sound like a long a!
lrnd = learned. Why not? She's Czech. Our Czech ancestors didn't waste time with vowels.

7 Quick Takes Friday Volume 4

Visit Jennifer over at Conversion Diary to read her Quick Takes and the Quick Takes of other bloggers!

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There will be no deep thoughts here in this entry today, as I exercised my brain earlier today in this entry.

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My sister just called to see if she could come over and stay with my sleeping boys while I go to pick up the girls so that I didn't have to take extra kids out in this kind of weather:Yesterday, another sister came for Noah at lunchtime and took him along on a trip to a car show. So Noah spent the day with his aunt, uncle, and two cousins, celebrating the birthday of my nephew Tre'mon. They had lunch at McDonalds and supper at Chuck E. Cheese, so he was pretty sure that he had a great day!

My sisters rock!

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Speaking of winter weather, yesterday it was SIXTY DEGREES here. That's right--60 degrees in January in Nebraska. Today it's snowing and it's 17 degrees outside and falling. What gives?

This is what we did yesterday:
As you can see, the girls were wearing sweatshirts and riding their bikes on a snow free driveway. Isaiah took his first ride in the Cozy Coupe.

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Speaking of Isaiah, you saw his picture above. This is what he looked like a year ago today:

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Speaking of a year ago today, what were we doing? We hadn't even considered buying a house. Today we live in our own home about a mile and a half away from where we were renting. We couldn't be happier or more grateful.


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The snow makes me want to go climb into my hot tub (no--we're not hifalutin' people...the hot tub came with the house...lucky us!). Then I remember how cold it is. But the cold feels good when you're sitting in 103 degree water. Have you ever sat in a hot springs pool in the rain or snow? Mmmm...


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Speaking of hot springs, you should go. This is my favorite spot in the corner, the hottest pool:
Cottonwood Hot Springs near Buena Vista, Colorado. Go!

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Thanks for stopping by today. Hope I haven't bored you to death! If you leave a message, I will return the favor! :)

The Noachian Flood

Amanda over at Priceless Pearls asked her readers what their beliefs were about Noah and the great flood. I gave a brief answer and then another reader, a woman who believes in a literal interpretation of the Old Testament, followed up with polite dissent. I thought about how to answer this question all morning. There's no short explanation! Is it reasonable to believe in a literal translation of the Old Testament? While it's not my belief, I will not disagree with those who do believe.

These are her thoughts:

Aubrey, I am not one of those vigilant, high blood pressure, must have people agree with me types, but never the less, I am compelled to defend the inerrancy of scripture. (so relax Mrs Pearls of Truth, I’m not putting the gloves on, on your blog) I would only ask if you have considered that all of science, just as any subject which forces us to deal with the reality of God, must be taught from personal bias? I put it to you that those who are determined to find evidence of evolution will view everything through a filter of that bias, as those who believe in Creation will similarly look for things to support theirs. As such, we find the same with the incidence the parting of the sea which the children of Israel crossed, the flood, etc. While the information presented to you at uni was against the flood as described int he Biblical account, if you should choose to seek the views of literal creationist Christian scientists (John Mackay springs to mind) you will find evidence contrary to what is presented by secular, or not-wanting-to-appear-foolish Christian scientists. While it is never cool or intellectual to question man’s wisdom (“established” scientific opinion), bearing shame for the gospel is something we are called to do. Still, a little laughing from our intellectual peers here, and then paradise with Him…it’s an unbeatable deal, in my view. ;)

Here's my response.

I do agree with the statement, "all of science, just as any subject which forces us to deal with the reality of God, must be taught from personal bias? I put it to you that those who are determined to find evidence of evolution will view everything through a filter of that bias, as those who believe in Creation will similarly look for things to support theirs." We have to be so careful in our study of science (or in our study of anything!). Still, math and science are fact based: 2+2 equals 4 no matter what you believe. But all scientific exploration starts out with a hypothesis. Whether the hypothesis proves to be true or false is a matter of interpretation. Can we just take any author's word for it? No. We must examine the work and come to our own conclusion. I would choose to remain ignorant before I would allow science to lead me away from God.

First, I will state that I do not pretend to know or understand the mysteries that are God. I believe that God is almighty and powerful and could very well have created the world in seven days if He wanted to. I believe that God is not subject to time as we are. He exists outside of the boundaries of space and time. There are no limits to God's power--scientific or otherwise--and as our Creator, He deserves my worship and obedience. My life is a constant search for truth. My beliefs evolve over time as I come to understand things differently or with more clarity.

I believe the Old Testament to be a simplistic explanation from God to his children. When our children ask how our home is built, I don't give them a nail by nail explanation. I give them a general explanation. I know that my children would be bored by the time I got to the part about sealing the basement walls, much less drywall, woodwork, and carpet. Could this be what God has done for us? rather than give us a completely accurate account of creation, could He have given us a story appropriate to our intellect (at the time) and allowed us to discover the details later? My children are beginning to notice nails in the walls and cracks in the ceiling but I didn't specify those details when they asked about our house being built. The joists are still hidden in the walls where we can't see them, as they were placed by the builder before we were born. The cracks came later, sometime in the last 53 years. Those details aren't pertinent to my children's overall understanding of how our house was built and would be a little over their heads at this age. They will understand the technical details when they are older. Also, my children have no concept of the 53 years that have passed since our home was built, as they've been alive for 6 years or less.

So as for Noah and the Noachian flood, I choose to believe that there was indeed a Noah. I believe that he built an ark and survived a great flood. I do not believe that the flood covered the entire Earth--geologic evidence suggests otherwise--but that it could have covered the area in which Noah lived. This would have been an ocean that covered the world as he knew it. Ancient people also believed that the world was flat. The bible does not tell us what shape the Earth is but we know, undeniably, that it is round. I do not believe that literal interpretation of the Old Testament is necessary to my salvation as I believe that Jesus was the sacrificial lamb whose death sealed a new covenant and abolished the old. My salvation lies in His act of supreme mercy.

The interpretation of scripture has divided Christians into denominations. Each denomination has its own interpretation of scripture. All denominations choose to interpret some of scripture figuratively and some of it literally. As a Roman Catholic, I have also been taught to interpret some parts literally. The first thing that comes to my mind is the Last Supper as it relates to the Catholic Sacrament of the Eucharist. While I believe this to be true, we also believe that even Jesus spoke figuratively. For example, he said that we must forgive our brothers 70 times past 7. I don't believe that he meant that we should forgive a brother only 77 times. I think he meant that we should forgive infinitely. Seven is a number which appears throughout the bible and was a special number which did not necessarily represent seven items.

While God has no limits, I do believe that science does. Science teaches a gradual evolution of the Earth from the big bang to the present. Even science cannot say why or exactly how the big bang happened. Is it random? No. Did humans evolve randomly from primordial soup? No. God created us from this primordial soup, this dust, into exactly what we are today, with deliberation! I believe that this is the work of the greatest scientist--the perfect plan of God. I do not believe that God would deceive us with scientific record although I will concede that science is flawed and very much capable of error. I think that our constant searching in science pleases God. I believe that He wants us to be a curious exploring race. I imagine that He is displeased when people subtract Him from the equation. That is why I choose to believe that God gave us an explanation appropriate to our primitive intellect and has since allowed us to discover some of the ways in which His hand created our world and then...I stand back in awe of His majesty and genius.

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What are your thoughts?

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Lions and Tigers and Fish, Oh My!

On Monday, we visited the Henry Doorly Zoo. Readers' Digest stated a few years ago that it is a world class zoo. What does that mean? Good old Wikipedia had my answers:

The Henry Doorly Zoo is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). Its mission is conservation, research, recreation, and education.

Henry Doorly Zoo is nationally renowned for its leadership in animal conservation and research. Evolving from the public Riverview Park Zoo established in 1894, today the Zoo includes several notable exhibits. It features the largest cat complex in North America, "Kingdoms of the Night" is the world's largest nocturnal exhibit and indoor swamp; the Lied Jungle is the world's largest indoor rainforest, and the "Desert Dome" is the world's largest indoor desert, as well as the largest geodesic dome in the world. The Zoo is Nebraska’s number one paid attendance attraction and has welcomed more than 25 million visitors over the past 40 years. As of October 2004, the zoo had 130 acres (0.53 km²), more than 17,000 animals; 962 species; 276 species of birds and 1626 specimens; 184 species of mammals and 2025 specimens; 181 species of fish and 7600 specimens; 176 species of reptiles and 598 specimens; 103 species of invertebrates and 5000 specimens; 42 species of amphibians and 487 specimens; 44 endangered species (listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Animals), and; 7 threatened species.

Needless to say, we didn't get through it all. We did visit many of the things on Wikipedia's list and I'll tell you about them as I post the pictures. I love digital photography. I took 444 pictures this day and didn't spend a dime on film or developing!

This is a picture that I took as we entered the Lied Jungle (sounds like Leed Jungle). At the beginning of an outing in a large place, I always take a picture of the children. This way, if one of them is lost and the police or an employee asks what they look like and what they were wearing, I can simply show them the picture!

Madeleine rummages in her purse for her lipstick.

Noah, Morgan, and Madeleine cross the rope bridge in the upper level of the jungle.

This is one view of the jungle from the upper level. It's amazing! It's warm and humid and is nice to be in during the winter. When everything outdoors is dead, the jungle is still green and lush.

This is another view of the jungle from a cave on the upper level.

Isaiah was amazed by everything that he was seeing. He's been here before but he was much smaller at the time and slept for most of that first visit.

Noah looks through the glass railing at the animals below.

Morgan and Madeleine are just a year apart in age, so they've become best buds over the last five years.

There is at least one waterfall in the jungle, maybe two.

The parrots are colorful and pleasing to the eye!

This picture does not accurately convey the size of these fish! I bet that they're easily five feet long, if not six!

We are entering the lower level of the jungle.

The kids and Jeremy stopped to watch minnows at a pond. It was muddy!

Isaiah did well today.

Morgan and Noah pose for me; Madeleine got cropped out because she turned her head and was pouting.

The children wander along a (muddy) path on the lower level of the jungle.

Madeleine (5 1/2) and Morgan (6 1/2)

We went to the aquarium next. This penguin display can be viewed live online via webcam.

This is a tide pool display.

Noah watches a humongous fish swim over him in the tunnel. In the aquarium, the sharks, rays, and other fish swim over and around the tunnel.

There is a beautiful, hypnotizing display of jellyfish. There aren't many now; their population was killed off in an accident when their water was unbalanced. They are making a comeback!

Every single child that walked by the reef display said, "Dory!"

Isaiah watches the anemones.

This is the most amazing seahorse that I've ever seen!

Just outside of the tunnel, the kids watch a shark swim past them.

There is a new Butterfly Pavilion. No strollers allowed, so Jeremy stayed at the aquarium with Isaiah while I took Morgan, Madeleine, and Noah through the display.

Here, Morgan is looking at insects on display in the Butterfly Pavilion.

Noah sits on a butterfly bench. "Take my picture!"

Madeleine says, "Take my picture too!"

Morgan wanted her picture taken as well. There were 3 benches. Perfect!

Beneath the Desert lies The Kingdoms of the Night. It is dark and is centered around nocturnal creatures and it is mostly cave but includes a bayou. This is the waterfall in one of the caves.

As you look up the wall of this cave, you see two lines of light. This juts into the Desert Dome above.

These two beavers were working in the swamp. I'm not sure they appreciated my flash but it was too dark to go without.

I'm not sure that the albino alligator appreciated my flash either, but I couldn't resist! This is one of only 13 known white alligators in the world.

These crocodiles were the last display before we left the Kingdoms of the Night. They were floating such that their eyes and nostrils were above water but their bodies were submerged. The reflections you see are on the bottom of the water's surface.

The frozen waterfall pictured here is outside of the Gorilla Sanctuary.

This is the first Tiger that Isaiah has ever seen. Right when we entered the Cat Complex, his jaw dropped and he pointed and said, "Tiger!" Then he looked at me like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He kept pointing and saying Tiger over and over and squealed when it walked and roared. This is where I remember that he has no way of knowing that the pictures he sees in books are real and not pretend!

There were two young Lionesses which had recently been brought to the zoo.

Here, you can see the building of the Desert Dome on the left. We are getting ready to leave.

But first we had to go into Wild Kingdom. "Nemo! Nemo! Nemo! Nemo!"

We weren't even out of Omaha yet when everyone fell asleep! What a day!

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