Aquarium Day

Today my Mom and Dad offered to treat our family to a day at the Jenks Aquarium. We've been going a bit stir-crazy in the house, on these insanely oppressive summer days. I mean, really, it was 115 today. I have to hold a sprinkler over my head just to check the mail.

So, we invited Papaw to ride with us. I offered to give him the front seat, but he enjoys being back by the kids, talking to them, reading them stories... napping with them. ;-)
Such a cute, cute picture.
Papaw and Little Lad both fell fast asleep until we got there.

I think these boys enjoyed the statues outside almost as much as the real creature inside.

Dash, the Artist with Little Lad, me, NatureMan, Fred, Papaw. And Mom took the picture. Dad is still in India until next week.


Naturally, every kid's favorite things are the touch tanks. It was fairly crowded when we got there, but had just opened half an hour earlier, so we decided to start at the back and work our way forward. That made a huge difference. (** There's your field trip tip for the day!**)


Octopuses completely amaze me. Did you know that the largest Giant Pacific Octopus ever caught weighed about 600 pounds, about the same weight as a Brown bear??
Octopuses, like chameleons, are able to change their color and even their skin texture to blend into their surroundings so their enemies can’t see them. They can also squirt ink at an attacker, obscuring the predators vision AND interfering with its ability to smell. Because octopuses have no bones, they are able to squeeze their bodies through teeny tiny openings. All very neat stuff!

Ah, Jellyfish! Another of my favorite things. Besides being stunningly beautiful and "graceful," the study of jellyfish has also really advanced medical studies.

Did you know that jellyfish have no brain, no blood, and no nervous system?

And they are made up of more than 95% water?

Below, the shark tunnel, which is one of their best-known & unique exhibits.

Just stunning. Absolutely amazing to me that we have a God who would make such beauty, even in the darkness of the sea. He truly is a Creative Creator.

Stingray touch tanks:

They didn't exactly expect a feisty stingray to start splashing them.

Nemo, of course...

When we were sufficiently worn out and hungry, we rounded the troops and headed to Casa Bonita. I love the atmosphere in there.


After dinner and sopapillas, we spent just a few minutes in the game room. I love being married to an awesome man who truly enjoys spending time with his kids. :-) I used to gripe about dirty socks on the floor. Or the fact that he didn't actually wash the kids when he gave them a bath. All little, unimportant things, really. But then a friend, who is not so fortunate as I am, pointed out to me that my husband LOVES us. He loves to go places with us, play games with the kids, read them books. He loves to hike, camp, swim and raft with us. He also likes to relax at home, talking to us or watching family movies. And he tells us often that he loves us. "Focus on the important things."
Man, I'm thankful. I'm lucky. No, I'm blessed. This is just another of the amazing things in my life that I don't want to take for granted. I love that man.