Standing on the corner one more time...

(Hate pictures of myself, but needed some proof that I still exist.)

Zoo Redo

Our year long zoo pass expires in March, so Jeff and I are trying to get all we can out of it before then. (It's great exercise. If my schedule allowed, I think I could go every day to climb the hills and not get tired of seeing and hearing everything!) While Brandon and Taylor were at a scouting event in the adjacent Papago Park, Jeff and I went back to the zoo. This time, we brought $3 so we could experience the new giraffe encounter.  The giraffes were wonderful! We ran up the hill and arrived just as the exhibit was opening. The keepers rang the bell and pretty soon, all four giraffes came bobbing up over the hill. It was so fun to watch them come. Their black tongues-18 inches long-snaked out to grab the food we had. I think it was a little intimidating to Jeff at first, But our guide, Mike, made everything right. Check out Their eyes-HUGE!

We saw some of the same animals (The lions & Rhinos were still sleeping-it doesn't matter what time of day we go!) and skipped a few others. This time, the otters were up and playful, and we stopped by the flamingos-STINKY!

Isn't this picture perfect for Valentine's Day?

Jeffrey was almost as fascinated with some prairie dogs (I think?) that were out roaming around. He feed them some popcorn someone had spilled. We also stopped for a snack by the lake to watch 4 brand new lemurs arrive at their new island enclosure. 4 of them are brand new to the zoo. The peacocks sharing the island got feed up and flew over the water right to where we were. The mean one just keep staring at me. Just as I thought we was going to jump on me, he flew over my head and chased two boys Jeffrey was talking to from school.

Click on it to see the full size. Creepy, huh? It was a great trip. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

It's Spring!

Just Friday I posted some pictures that whispered winter, and here it is two days later with me posting Spring in Scottsdale. But yesterday at the zoo with Jeffrey, the signs were unmistakable.

I thought it was just the difference in climates of the two areas that caused the drastic change in climate, but not so. We were back in Payson this morning for a stake conference, and most of the snow was already gone. I was so surprised!

And I know in just 6 weeks when we're driving back, the highway will be covered with tall sunny-yellow wild flowers.

We really do have all 4 seasons here; some just come and go a little faster than others.

Good Morning!

Who needs roosters when you have buff cheeked Gibbons hanging around? We could hear them from the entrance! At first, I thought it was a sound track when Jeff asked, but it didn't take us long to find them...or for Jeff to call back. What a great way to start the day.

Until we met their neighbors breakfasting on 'meat product'. (That's what the keeper called it, anyway. Just what is 'meat product'? Gross. King vultures, not my favorite, but I can't help stopping to stare.

Our morning was in for more ugly when we stopped to watch a little community hygiene going on. Social grooming at its best and breakfast to boot!

I don't know what was going on here-but when Jeff sat along the wall, several of these guys came to join him. Sorry girls, no lice on this boy. (Whew!)

Not everyone was enthusiastic about starting the day.

Others hadn't even started yet.

I felt bad for waking this guy up. He was just so cute curled up under the tree. 

 Jeff ran for the telescope, but there was no need. Both cheetahs were up and roaming, then came and posed for the camera.

Can you see the other cheetah back against the fence waiting for his turn at breakfast?

The cheetahs were inspiring, so we decided to pick up our game and race against the clock.

Let's just say I'm glad I don't have to outrun any four legged critters to save my neck.

And there's nothing I do that's this fast.

Or, fortunately, this ugly. 

Or this cute.

and back to... ugly? Or exotic? Or angry? Or creepy or what are these guys? I don't know, but they weren't exactly thrilled with us. We didn't stay too long here, they were making me feel guilty.

But my favorite of the day...

...watching these two staring at each other? I just wish I knew what was going on in their minds. (This was right about the point Jeff tried to climb as high as he could on the fence. Really, what was he thinking?)

For an even better pic of this beautiful cat sneak over to this post.

The Zoo

Up close and personal with the zoo's welcoming committee.

Jeff and I went first to see the new Geico Gecko exhibit.

It's was actually better than I expected. We found all five geckos and had fun with the trivia blocks around the enclosure.

This guy left breakfast and came to down to peek right back at us.

 

Creepy, eh? But not as bad as this.

We went to play on the tree house (we never stop when someone else is with us.) 

Jeff was having fun climbing around-had it all to himself.

Then he called me in to show me something cool. Cool until...

 I'm a believer in letting kids develop the skill of figuring out things for themselves. With a little prompting, he was able to deduce that this nifty little contraption wasn't the 'stocks' he'd heard about from pilgrim's day, but something else entirely... Never saw the kids move so fast!

Be Beautiful

Finished putting on my mascara, took a brief once over in the mirror and knew I was beautiful. I also knew it wasn’t the make-up, the hair style or the clothes. It wasn’t cheekbones or eyes or lips or skin. In fact, I knew if I looked a little closer, I’d be able to see the wrinkles starting to creep up around my eyes and the three or four gray hairs that were hiding out ready for their turn. My face is certainly rounder than it was a few years ago, and my figure is headed in a ‘matronly’ direction. No, what makes me beautiful isn’t merely how I look; it’s who I am. Being a mom taught me that.

It’s quite a remarkable feeling to be sitting on the floor playing ‘blocks’ then suddenly have two little hands stretch up to cradle your cheeks and hear those words, “*Mother, you’re beautiful.” You glance over at a nearby mirror, see the sweats, the messy hair, the sleep deprived features then turn back to see yourself in the mirror of your little boys eyes. Then awe! You can see it. Right there in front of you; in that face gazing up at you, honest and sincere and true. You ARE beautiful. And you get a glimpse of what real beauty is and what it isn’t. It’s kindness and love and purity and joy. Not happiness; joy. From the inside out.

Beauty without those things is lacking, hollow. That’s the difference between looking beautiful and being beautiful. And there is a difference. Merely looking beautiful, beautiful the way the world defines it, is never enough. That kind of beauty will never satisfy, because it is empty. There will always be a need to supplement with more. More clothes, a better hair cut, trendy make-up, a new stomach or thighs, jewelry…more. More what? More things. And things don’t satisfy. They deflect.

Maybe you're asking, “Am I beautiful?” Maybe there’s no little child handy for a similar litmus test; (and if there are they’re quite possibly cranky or sleeping or preoccupied or just not feeling angelic. Mine are grown.) That’s OK. If I want to know, if I want to be beautiful, not just look beautiful, where do I go? Yesterday. How did I treat the people around me? Today. What will I do differently, today? It’s how I feel about others and how I treat them. That’s something everyone has control over. We may not immediately be able to change our body type, financial situation, or facial features, but we can be choose to be nicer, now. We can choose to like people. We can choose to forgive. We can smile and mean it.
It starts with understanding who we are-children of God, and who all the others around us are, children of God.

“Mark 12: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

And that, ability, talent, gift comes from God.

“Moroni 10:48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.”

“Doctrine and Covenants 88: 63 Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

So, no matter what the world says. You can be beautiful.

*“Mother” When Taylor was 2, he saw Bambi. For a long time after that, he called me “Mother” instead of “Mommy.” It’s one of my favorite memories!

Thank You!

This is the puzzle the Livingstons gave us for Christmas. Puzzles are one of my favorite Christmas/New Year's traditions, but I might be the only one. Still, several of the family stopped in and put a piece in here and there. And I even had a shoulder rub or two while I hunched over the pieces. Very fun, thank you!