Zoolights!

Last night, we went to zoo lights and it was spectacular. We weren't able to make it prior to Christmas but I think I may even like it better after Christmas than before. There was a large crowd but not so large that you walked at a snail's pace everywhere. The night was quite frigid but refreshing- especially for those of us who know this weather passes quite quickly. I loved walking through the enchanted canopies of palm trees and other exotic trees lite up with purple, white, green, red, and other beautiful array of colors.

Austen moved and twirled and jumped from one foot to the next and smiled incessantly. That, to me, was probably the most precious part of the evening. The boy was wearing brand new stride rite shoes and his response when I came home from the store, with them, was almost heart breaking. " Did you get me new shoes?" " yes!"  " You are the most special mama in the world because you bought me new shoes and now my feet won't hurt."   Ummm, I had NO idea until like 2 days ago that his feet were even pinching the front of the shoes. I found out when we went on a 4 mile hike, and 2 miles into it he started sobbing uncontrollably that his feet were hurting and he couldn't walk. We finished the hike as quickly as possible and he removed his shoes in the van. When we came home, I tried on two pair of his dress shoes, a pair of Nikes and found that they ALL were TOO small including his hiking shoes :(

The majority of the time, he is wearing his GAP sandals so his poor little toes have lots of room to move and grow....I felt awful. So, after buying him new shoes, my sister in law asks him to go find socks and he didnt' want to put them on because he said, ' They will make my toes pinch"...... Poor, poor boy! Did I feel like a horrible parent, yes! Austen, who complains about some things doesn't complain about the one thing that I needed to know about :(

Anyways, he was on cloud nine with his new shoes, dancing, jumping to the beat of hte music. We walked over this bridge and there was a light show to " Carol of the Bells". It was beautiful. I get choked up every time I hear that song because of the words " Tell the whole world Jesus is here". What a dark and despairing world we would live in if it weren't for the hope of Christ. I just love that song!

The night was cold, my arm was numb from holding Hannah so close to me and the kids had a wonderful time. We have gone 5 times now, since living out here and I am amazed that our first trip out Jayden was 2.5 ( Riah's age) and Austen was 5 months ( Hannah's age). Where has the time gone???!

We ended the evening with Ben buying the absolute largest size of kettle corn possible, The Giraffe, and walking through the desert landscape, for me, reminiscing as to how far we have come in only 4 short years out here. Wow! We are blessed!