Zoo's: A Comparison

When I lived in Urumqi, China, my friends (the circle) and I decided it would be great fun to go to the zoo. And it was. Then several years later while visiting my brother in Phoenix we went to the Wildlife zoo. It was also great fun.

Why am I chatting about this? Well, while at the Wildlife park my mind started thinking back to the Urumqi zoo and the comparison of the two parks. I hope you enjoy!

Feeding the animals:

Urumqi: I was able to get close to the ostrich and feed him/her some pellets. We were able to get the Ostrich's level and really connect.

Phoenix: The zoo provided pellets to feed the Giraffes. We were able to get the to Giraffe's level here. You could have even felt the Giraffe's tongue.

Petting Area's:

Urumqi: This zoo provided a unique opportunity to feel like you were amongst the animals in their natural habitat. We were able to again feed the animals and have them come right up to us. I felt like a movie star...or like I should have been in the Hitchcock movie "The Birds".

Phoenix: The wildlife park also had a petting area. They had goats, chickens, and variety of other animals. We were able to feed the animals to encourage them to come up close. As you can see not everyone enjoyed the closeness of the animals. What I really liked was the hand washing station right outside the petting area...

Featured Attraction:

Urumqi: The BIG reason for us going to the zoo was being able to hold a baby bear. As you can see from the way I am holding the bear I thought he was going to bite my face off. We were charged 10 Yuan to hold the bear and get our picture taken (just over a $1.00). We then got to play with TWO bear cubs they had. Super cute! The only sad thing is they pulled the teeth out so they wouldn't bite the customers.

Phoenix: At the Phoenix zoo I was also able to hold a wild animal...a MONKEY! That's right a cute cuddly monkey. There was no charge to hold the monkey and he was extremely playful. The scary part was that this monkey had teeth and little fingers and knows how to use them. But I came away from the experience unscathed. I was also able to play with the monkey for awhile and capture some pictures of the monkey enjoying the zoo. (see several examples below).


I love the above picture. What crazy MONKEY likes to play in a LION's mouth?
Every Monkey has a family. I think this Monkey's family is pretty darn CUTE!


On a side note: While I was looking through my pictures from China I came across one of my absolute favorites. My friends aka THE CIRCLE and I sitting on the Great Wall of China. This was the morning after we slept on the Great Wall. (Sleeping on the Great Wall is illegal...so don't tell anyone we did this.) These amazing women, and several others (FAB FOUR), accepted me, loved me, made me laugh, and laugh, and laugh. But most importantly they let me be me. They let me be the person I wanted to become.

I like the symbolism in the picture with the Great Wall. It can either be the journey I am about to take, or the journey I have just undertaken. It changes for me every time I look at the picture. Either way, China, was an extremely important stop on my journey through life.

CERT's - Prepared For All Occasion's

This last weekend was our RS Retreat...and what a treat it was. We had a lot people come, great food, great fun, and a great devotional. Simply great. I am a little biased however, because my favorite part was the CERT skit. Yes, of course the CERT's did a little number. I mean, really, what better use of our training then advertising to others what being a CERT means. (AND we rented a FOG machine! Yes, a FOG machine...it was AWESOME! And all the pictures look "Foggy" because of the FOG...)

Here is the outline (thanks Heather for typing it up so we could stay organized!)

Scene ONE
Act 1
Start Music: “Chariots of Fire”

Heather (in slow motion) will dance, skip, etc. Earthquake will begin – Cindy throws pillow at Heather and she falls down.

----Music stops & lights go out and the FOG rolls in----

Scene TWO
Act 2
Start Music: “Mission Impossible”

2 CERTS (on each side of stage) enter waving flashlights

D’Nell – walkie talkie "Eagle Eye to the Big Kahuna. We have entered the building, it's in shambles and we don't see any survivors"
Cindy– walkie talkie
Cheri- "Wait I've found someone"

-------Music Stops-------

CERTS find victim (Heather), Cheri (speaks) checks vitals "Checking head: Twitching, checking arm's grooving, checking legs...I think she is DANCING!"

D’Nell helps Heather up off the floor. Music starts: “I’m a Survivor”

Scene THREE
Act 3

CERTS make a line – backs facing audience (Music continues: “I’m a Survivor”)

Line Dance begins: CERTS (one by one) turn around facing audience, CERTS sway back and forth, CERTS stomach roll – one by one (both ways)

Cindy yells FIRE!!!

-----Music keeps playing, but gets softer MORE FOG-----

D’Nell picks up fire extinguisher and passes it down the line

CERTS get in FIRE FORMATION

First CERT in line takes extinguisher and shouts “Going in”- this is repeated by every CERT
First CERT shouts “Fighting Fire” – this is repeated by every CERT
First CERT shouts “Fire Out” – this is repeated by every CERT
Last CERT shouts “Backing Out” – this is repeated by every CERT

CERTS give each other high fives!!

--------Music stops-----------

Scene FOUR
Act 4

Start Music: “Soul Sister, CERT Sister, CERTS Freestyle dance to “Soul Sister” (about 45 seconds), CERTS get in Line Dance formation and do the UP and Down dance move (both ways)

--------Music stops-------

CERTS sing YMCA – replace w/ CERT

Sisters, there's no need to feel down
I said, sisters, we'll pick you off the ground
I said, sisters, cause you feel burnt down
There's no need to be unhappy

Cuz we are CERT
That's right we're CERT
We've got everything to keep you safe
There's no need to worry
Cuz we are CERT
That's right we're CERT


CERTS do cheer

You've got CERT's
Ya Ya
You've got CERT's
Ya Ya
You've got what what what whatwhatwhatwhatwhat
YOU'VE GOT CERT's!

Cindygets on walkie talkie & shouts “There’s an emergency!! Someone is trapped under a dumpster!!

Start Music: Mission Impossible

A CERT shouts “Our work here is never done”

Lights go off and CERTS exit stage w/ flashlights on & searching. THE END

I've had so much fun in the class and becoming better friends with the CERT's. I never knew learning about emergency preparedness could be so much fun, or that I would ever have occasion to use a FOG machine. LOVE THE CERTS!



**So this is kind of long...but I really wanted to remember the SKIT. It was hilarious! Thanks for indulging me!**
***I heard a rumor that the skit was video taped...maybe you can see it on You Tube soon!***
****And I am showing my muscles in the above picture...but I really just look like an idiot****

King of the HILL...ummm Lazy Boy

Big Dave the Korean is a tricky tricky boy. He likes to steal people's chair. This is Grandma's chair in the front room, David has now claimed it as his. He will try and sit in it before Grandma can get in it and then will cry when he has to move. It is a tall chair to get into, but he has learned to climb in anyway. He will rock and rock and be content thinking to himself "I am so sneaky and am the KING of this chair and this house."

Pretty much, I have the cutest, sneakiest, trickiest, cuddliest nephew. EVER. (Well really, all of my nieces and nephews are the best. Probably because they have the best AUNT ever.)

You Are Going to Want Me Around...

I am officially CERT certified. I can triage, stop spurting blood, open airways, treat shock, put out small fires, CRIB (lift heavy HEAVY objects), and organize volunteers in a disaster situation. BASICALLY...WonDer WoMan. Face it. You want me around in an emergency...really any of my fellow CERT certified sisters.

This is the CERTS in our humble beginnings, aren't we adorable!

Action shots of the CERTS at work putting out a fire. (yes the nice firemen let us do it over and over to get cute pictures!)


Here we are at the end of the final, yes we did have to take a final to become certified. Let's be honest it was hard and during the medical portion I think some of us wanted to CRY (yes, it was me). Disasters are no laughing matter. Like I said...we are WONDER WOMEN.



P.S. This was one of the most fun and rewarding things I have done. The final really showed me that I could handle it. I heart my CERTS!

Memorial Day

"Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness." (from the tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier in Philadelphia PA).

My thoughts have been focused for the last two weeks on FREEDOM, and my gratitude for everyone who has made sacrifices for the freedom I enjoy.

Sitting on Ellis Island and looking at the Statue of Liberty made me contemplate what they have meant to many immigrants coming to America for hundreds of years. But mostly what they mean to me. Love, pain, happiness, not waking up scared everyday, stability, the opportunity to grow and progress with out restraint. Freedom to have an opinion. Loss, sacrifice, understanding. Compassion.

My thoughts again were turned to the blessing of living in the United States of America when we were at Independence Hall and subsequently reading the inscription at the tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier in Philedelphia.

Along with all the men and women who have died in darkness for the freedom I enjoy, I thought of all the Mothers, Fathers, Children Husbands, Wives, Sisters, Brothers, Grandparents and countless others who have lost someone while they were defending our county. Those who have given and currently give up having their spouse, son, daughter, father, or mother at home with them everyday. For those go and come back, either whole or injured. Everyone who has served, whether they see any action or not, just the fact that they chose to face the possibility. Thank you for your sacrifice.

POP QUIZ

Statue of Liberty:

Question 1: Which picture is the REAL Statue of Liberty?
Question 2: Which picture is the cutest Statue of Liberty?
Question 3: Which picture is just Liberty?
Question 4: Who thinks D'Nell should move closer to the Statue of Liberty?


Picture A
Picture B
Picture C
Picture 4
Picture 7

Tomorrow

Tomorrow, tomorrow,
New York City tomorrow
It's only a day a way...

TOMORROW! TOMORROW
I WILL BE THERE, tomorrow
It's only A DAY A WAY!

I am singing this to the tune of "Tomorrow" from the musical Annie.

Reason #103

My Mom is Awesome: Reason #103:

Last year she made 50 quilts, 30 for her family and 20 for other people. This was also the year she had 2 hip replacements.

We received our quilts at our family Christmas party, anyone 8 or older received a quilt.

This year, she feels bad that the little kids didn't get a quilt, so she is making them one for their birthday. Oh! Did I mention their are over 15 kiddies getting a made to order quilt?

Each grandchild or great-grandchild tells her what kind of quilt they want and and she sets out to make it.

This is Lacey and Grandma posing with Lacey's "Dog" quilt. She was so excited!

Work In Progress

Above is my painting in progress. No worries, I don't plan on painting a landscape in all blue hues. Prof Saiki assures us this is the base coat. By they way, I love my professor. He is awesome and funny!

Since I started painting the mountains blue last week, I started looking at the world around me a little differently. I caught myself staring at the mountain trying to figure out the different colors we would be using to paint them. And then I realized...

You can look at a person and see the surface or you can look deeper and see that there are many layers of "color" that make up an individual. Isn't it great that we as humans have many different aspects and characteristics? I love it. This is something I find myself continually working on, seeing all the layers, sorting out the nice and not so nice, looking to see the good over the frustrating. Trying to like/love/accept individuals as a wonderful, messy, complete packages. Most importantly, learning about my many colors, to brighten the good aspects and blur the bad ones and to be okay with both.

Below, is my painting palette from my last class AND my attempt at an artistic photo.

I enhanced some of the colors using Photoshop Elements. I will learn how to use the program, I will, I will, I will. I think I like the opportunity to take great photos as much as I like learning to paint!

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Twilight in HD