The Zoo

Yesterday Marcus, Olivia, and I went to the Dallas Zoo. We had a blast and livi loved looking at all the animals. We went on the monorail and she was looking and pointing at everything. When we first got on she just wanted to look back at me because I had to sit behind them. She waved at me and then she came to sit with me for like 2 mins, then back to Daddy. It was such a nice day, the temp didn't get above 90 and the wind was blowing. We got to see a Gorilla up close and he looked at livi and she waved at him. We saw a lot of different animals and it was the middle of a school day so there was hardly anyone there. She slept so good last night I had to go in and wake her up this morning. We have to get a Zoo membership.

Things didn't go as planned

On Wednesday Marcus, Olivia, and I went to Union Station to see the A Christmas Carol train. It has been traveling around the US to 40 cities to promote the movie. We left the house as soon as she got up from her nap. When we got there we drove around for 15 mins just looking for a parking spot. Once we found one we had to pay $5 to park about 3 blocks away. As we were walking to Union Station from our parking spot we meet this couple with a baby of their own. As we pass them they ask if we are going to see the train and we say yes, then they tell us that it is a 2 1/2 hour wait. There is no way I am going to sit in a long line in the hot sun with Olivia like that. So instead we went across the street to a little park area with a fountain. We did however go in to take a picture by the sign.

Olivia and I looking at the water fountain. She loves looking at water, she would just point and talk. I guess it was the next best thing to seeing the train, for her at least.

Plano Parks and Recreation

On Tuesday Olivia and I met Hudson, Madelyn, Carter, and their moms at the pool. We had so much fun, we will be going back there soon. The first picture is one of Lana holding Madelyn and Olivia, I always talk about Madelyn so I had to get a picture of her mom.
As you can see she has her hands full.

On Thursday livi and I went to story time at North Park Mall. We had not been in a few weeks so it was good to get a chance to go back. Olivia wanted to do what she does at home so she crawled over to the bookshelf and took a book off. I didn't want the library to look like my house so I only let her take one book down. This is her with that book, by the way it was in Spanish.

Today we went to the Mall.

I gave livi a map of the mall to play with.

We were lost she was trying to help us find our way back to the food court. She is such a big helper. :)

Daddy's game

On Wednesday we went to watch Marcus coach a basketball game for the 5th graders. It was fun to watch him, he loves doing it. He said he was in his Phil Jackson mode on this picture because he was coaching while sitting on the bench, which is very different from what the other teams coach was doing.

This is livi watching the game very intently. She loves all sports but I think she likes football the best. But I guess basketball will just have to do for now.

I thought this was too cute. I wanted to take a picture of her at the game and when I looked back from getting the camera this is what she was doing. I told Marcus that she was praying that they would win.

I guess it worked.

I had to hurry and take this picture because they had already started to reset the time, and I didn't want them to put the score back to 0-0 before I got a chance to take the picture. As you can see they had no mercy for the other team. Marcus' team won 43-12, they played another game right after that and won 33-12. I guess he is the next Phil Jackson :)

Livi and Mommy at the Mall

Yesterday Olivia and I went to the mall to window shop and so she could play. She had a good time crawling all around the play area. It is nice to have a place outside the house that she can be free and around other children. She was so amazed by the older children that could walk. She could not take her eyes off of them. This was the first time she wore her little capri jeans. I am glad I put them on her, I thought I had more time because they are 24 months. As you can see I didn't have as much time as I thought.

Olivia in the Pool

Olivia got in the pool on Saturday. She had so much fun and she stayed in there for about an hour. It was sooo hot outside but she did not care, She took her hat off and played with it in the pool.

Dallas Museum of Art

Today Olivia and I went to the Dallas Museum of Art. The first Tuesday of every month admission is free and they have a story time. We met some friends there but it was not at all what we expected. The story time was overcrowded and they had a lot of school aged kids there. Needless to say we didn't stay long, we had our fill after 1 hour. However we did get a chance to take some pictures. I think we will go back on a regular day and just pay the $10 to get in, who knows maybe Marcus will go with us.

This one was taken inside at the cafe.

Blessed

As I look at my child I can't help but to feel blessed, because GOD decided to give her to me to raise in the fear and admiration of him. Which makes me know that the job I have before me is a great one. Not just to get her to 18 so that she can graduate from high school, but to help her become a woman of GOD. A person that knows and loves him and who is a productive member of society. It is my responsibility to make the foundation for her relationship with him. I have to have a walk that she can look to as a representation of what it is to be a Christian woman. It is my duty to teach her to be knowledgeable as well as understanding, strong but still compassionate. This has all dawned on me at this particular time because last month she started crawling and already she is cruising. She is already showing me her personality and she is independent. She is no longer that infant that depended on me for everything, she is aware of the world around her and she wants to explore it. And though right now it is just the kitchen and backyard, I know that the desire will take her to places that I am not able to go with her. So I have realized that I have to get her ready for that day, weather it is the first day of kindergarten when she is afraid and unsure or the first day at college when she is truly on her on for the first time. All I can do is look to my savior and say: Lord Help Me...

In the Backyard

We didn't do much of anything this weekend. We hung out in the backyard on Saturday after the rain because it turned out to be such a nice day. I decided to put these pictures up because she had on two of her new dresses and she looked cute.