Field trip to the Zoo! With our "saweet" babysitter and Johnny's buddy Josh

The Zoo was a promised treat to our kids but also to our babysitter, Alyssa, a 29 year old pastors daughter from Louisburg, N.C who has faithfully supported her Dad and still stayed sweet in the ministry, she's been a blessing to our family as well. She's one of those, hate to say it, few Pastors kids that grows up and you see she really has it in her heart to follow Jesus like her parents do and continually looks for new ways to do so. I was a preachers kid so I get it, the judgement and the almost "superhuman" expectations put on you and all that but keeping your eyes fixed upon Him will do wonders during that chapter of your life or any chapter really.  And if you fall, here's what you do, it's real deep..... get up!! Fall seven times, stand up eight. Take it from the just man in Proverbs.  Alright, just a little pep talk. Sorry, I chased that rabbit didn't I? That's a different blog for a different day. 

 Anyhow,  God brought out all the animals for us, for which we are so thankful (because we've had times of few viewings before) It was a sunny, beautiful 70 degrees and we just had an amazing time. Our kids are still at that age where the zoo is cool and they get excited about seeing all the different, exotic animals and enjoy learning about them. Like how the flamingoes are pink because of the beta-carotene found in the food they eat, and how the lions like team work, a team of females do most of the hunting but sometimes the extra strength of the males are needed to take down larger prey. 

Pictured below....The one with the blue feeder is named'"Ruthie" she actually goes to the water spicket every morning and "styles" her hair. They say she's a real fancy one. 

And there's a little baby in the back there with his mother. 

And we brought home these 2 monkeys. Sweet on the inside, tough on the outside :) they were actually really well-behaved all day and they still had fun. See!  it is possible!