Luke Goes To The Zoo

Well, after our fabulous Valentine's Day trip we took Luke to see his oncologists.  We got the news that Luke had relapsed, and we were heading back in for treatment that would ultimately lead to another bone marrow transplant.  This was our last treatment option.  So the weekend before Luke was due to admit to Primary Children's, Danny and I wanted to take the family to do something fun.  Even if the treatment is successful, it will be many, MANY months before Luke can be out doing normal things again.  After some thought, we realized that Luke had never been to the zoo!  We know he loves animals, and it would be great fun for the whole family.  We called Grandma and Papa, and they joined us along with Aunt Julie and Aunt Katie.  It was a little chillier than we had anticipated, but darn it, Luke was going to the zoo! :)  We packed our lunch and ate right as we got there so everyone would have the energy to walk around.  

  

The thing about it being cooler is that while it's a little less comfortable for us humans, it's perfect for the animals!  They were all so active...it was awesome.  The first animal the kids came across was this rooster, and they had fun with this guy!  We had to lure them away with the promise of seeing exotic animals, you know, the whole reason we come to the zoo! :)

The polar bear was definitely a highlight of the trip for all of us.  We made it in time to see the polar bear be fed.  He'd dive in and out of the water, and from our place underneath the enclosure, we were able to see him swim.  It was so neat!  Polar bears are so cool...

The seals are pretty neat, too!  They're one of Danny's favorite.  Admittedly, I think I could watch these guys swim all day.  

And the bears were so fun!  Claire loved them because we have called her "Claire Bear" since she was a fetus, really. :)  So she kind of thought of the bears as her animals.  They were so playful, and at one point Sophie said they were just like her, Claire, and Johnny!  Wrestling and having fun...

It was the funniest thing, but Johnny was all about the map.  Everywhere we walked, we were trying to direct Johnny away from any hazards on the path.  You know, like people and buildings and such. :)  His eyes were glued to the map!  He was ready to tell us where we needed to go next at a moment's notice.  He's such a boy!

And Luke was taking the whole thing in stride.  He was liking the animals, but he was pretty tired, too.  He mostly enjoyed the view from Daddy's shoulder...

Next up, according to Johnny, were the river otters. :)  Again, one of Danny's favorite.  He has a thing for water mammals.  The river otters were so cute and playful, too.  They swam together, doing what looked like tricks...just for our amusement!  Seriously adorable.

Almost as adorable as these guys!  Seriously, I'm pretty sure they could put my kids in a cage and pay admission and the people would come in droves.  Not that I'm advocating that my children should be caged.  That being said, it's not like I've never thought about it.  Hey, maybe I should cage them up and charge admission!  Just kidding...mostly... :)

We came across the bird nest, and it was an obvious photo op.  But I had to laugh thinking that once upon a time there was just Danny and I in our first little nest.  Somehow, we've ended up filling things out quite nicely!  I love this family of ours.  I never, not in a million years, would have thought we'd be where we are just 7 years after we got started.  But I wouldn't have it any other way.

According to Johnny's map (which you can see he was consulting in the nest, and it was a miracle we got him to look up and smile for the picture), our next stop was the elephants.  Who doesn't love the elephants?!  Lukey loved the elephants!  The smile on his face is exactly what we wanted out of his first trip to the zoo.  Parent payday. :)

After the elephants, Luke seemed to perk up and kind of get the idea of this whole zoo thing.  In his monster hat and monster boots, he was getting attention from everyone!  Not that he usually doesn't, but he was eating it up.  

After the elephants, Claire wanted to see the giraffes.  But on our way we happened upon the leopard, and he was out and looking right at us!  What an exquisitely beautiful creature.  You can't tell from the picture, but his eyes were the most amazing shade of green.  He was simply incredible.  

Finally we got to the giraffes.  For whatever reason, Claire has decided that the giraffe is her favorite animal.  She even chose it for the subject of her big animal report for first grade!  Seeing the leopard, and then getting up close with the giraffes, allowed me to appreciate how much beauty was created on this earth.  It really is incredible.

And that's beauty from animals and people, alike!  Look at these gorgeous girls...

It was such a fun experience to show the kids a little bit of the diverse animal life this world has to offer.  Even though I've been to zoos dozens of times in my life, it's still amazing to me.

After we enjoyed the small animals and reptiles, we found ourselves looping back toward the elephants.  The kids remembered the big elephant that sneezes water in the summer, and wanted their pictures taken.  I think I've made photo monsters out of these kids. :)  I'm a sucker for a good photo op...

You'll notice that Johnny still has his map. :)

This picture just cracks me up!  Each kids' face is priceless.  Claire was on the verge of freaking out, Sophie was having the time of her life, Johnny was making sure someone had his map, and Luke was NOT a fan of the group shot.  Awesome!

After the elephant photos, we had time for one more spot.  We knew we had to see the gorillas...they're Papa's favorite part!  Just like the other animals, the gorilla was just having a good time.  Again, so incredibly fun to watch!

You can see how much Luke was enjoying it.  That face is enough to make your heart burst!

After the gorilla, it was time to head home.  We had so much fun!  More importantly, Luke had so much fun.  It's hard to think of heading into treatment again.  We were just starting to feel like we were living a normal life.  But we know it's the right thing to do.  We're scared, but we're moving forward with faith that we can still see a miracle, and our precious boy's life will be preserved.  But if that's not the plan for Luke, we take comfort in the eternal nature of our family...and we have many precious memories like today.  

We love you, Lukey-Son!