Fun with Family

We love when anyone gets to come and visit us, and we were lucky to have so much family come and visit for Alyssa's baptism.  While everyone was here we were able to take a trip to the Houston Zoo.  We had hoped to visit the Children's Museum, only to find when we arrived out it is closed on Mondays.  We took a quick detour to the zoo and had a great day. 

 The cousins hanging out!  Notice the kids that are sticking out their tongues. 

 Landry and Dan enjoying the snakes. Ugh. . .

 Everyone wanted to pose by the metal cobra statue. 

 The gang taking a break.  This is the one and only picture I have with my amazingly talented, fun, hilarious, and awesome sister-in-law Jill.  We get along great and I miss seeing her (and Dan and the kids).

 Dippin' Dots!

This is a critical picture.  There is one kid missing from this picture (other than the babies in the strollers). . . can you guess who?  We didn't notice. . .  for a while.  We passed through this part of the African Exhibit into the chimpanzee indoor and then outdoor viewing areas.  A few of us were talking about how crazy Mackenzie is and how she can kind of just wander off.  Then Judy asked, "Where is Mackenzie?"  We all looked around and she wasn't with us.  We went into the indoor chimpanzee viewing area and she wasn't there.  Then Dan and Steve continued back that direction and Ben went the other direction.  I stayed in the outdoor viewing area with the rest of the group and waited.  Then Ben came running back to see if Dan and Steve had found her and then went back the way he had came.  Then I knew she was really gone. Not just near us, but really gone.  We waited, and waited just sitting there for about 10 minutes.  Tori and Alyssa were really sweet and said a little prayer in their hearts and were starting to get really worried.  I just kept reassuring them that everything would be all right, but all those horrible thoughts started running through my mind as well.  Did someone take her? How long has she been gone?  Did she just wander off?  I couldn't stand it any more and decided I was going to start help looking or see what was going on.  I couldn't just sit there.  Jill was smart and started asking people that were walking by if they had seen a little girl in a pink skirt.  Some nice people that had been sitting by us when we took the snack break said yes they had seen her and she was with a zoo worker.  They told us where she was.  I called Ben on his cell and he had just found her.  She was standing back with a worker by where we had a snack.  Someone had seen her and took her to the worker.  She told the worker, "I know they love me and wouldn't leave me."  Talk about break your heart!  Ben said she went running into his arms and was just sobbing when she saw him.  By the time they reached the rest of our group she was just clinging to him and was pretty silent.  Most of that day and evening when we'd ask her what happened she'd just say she didn't remember.  We still don't know exactly when she walked off or when we walked off and left her.  Tori seems to remember her around us when we were by the African masks.  She might have been playing there and we moved on to the rest of the African exhibits and she just got disoriented and didn't see us and walked the wrong way!  Whatever happened, we were so relieved to have her back safe and sound.  Later we looked back at this drum picture and some video we took and realized Mackenzie wasn't with us.  Kind of scary we didn't notice for about 10-15 minutes.  

 The gang back together. 

 Mackenzie was having fun again by the time we reached the carousel. 

 Allie and Alyssa are such good friends.

 Alyssa and Mackenzie, Allie, and Ethan and Tori, the prairie dogs. 

 We can't forget that Grandma Christensen joined us too.

The kids conquered!  Dad was worn out.

 

We had a great time and can't wait until we can see our family again.