The Cincinnati Zoo

Today Matt and I did the one thing we've been planning to do since we got to Cincinnati...we went to the zoo!! I loved it!

The first thing in the zoo was the giraffes!

Giraffes are by far my favorite animal, so I was so excited!

Next we stopped to see the wolves

The otter kept slipping in and out of the water

Matt and the exotic birds

Spectacled Bear

Polar Bear

The Gibbon family

The orangutan

Lion tailed macaque

White Lion

The manatees got fed while we were there

Black Rhino

Zebras

Honeypot ants. They store sweetened dew in their stomachs and feed the other ants through their mouths when food is scarce

Emperor Tamarin

Bullet ants are the most poisonous insect in the world. They are however mostly peaceful and only attack when they feel threatened

The gorilla hiding back by the waterfall

The tiger was right up next to the glass.

The snow leopards were sleeping out in the back

The 5 year old Galapagos Tortoises. I was fascinated by them. They can't tell what gender they are until they are 20 years old, and then only by a blood test.

Alligator Snapping Turtle

Pancake Tortoise

Emerald Tree Boa

Stellar's Sea Eagle

This cockatoo was relaxing on this tree

This statue was an example of a full-sized Galapagos Tortoise

The emu

African Elephant

These little guys were all cuddled up on top of the structure built for them

This gibbon was just chilling out. This is one of my favorite positions to sit too.

These little penguins were so cute!

The patto was one of my favorite little creatures! He had the biggest eyes and was so cute to watch climbing through his exhibit.

My best friends the giraffes!

I had such a great day out with Matt at the zoo. We had so much fun going around and seeing the animals and exhibits. It was nice to get out and enjoy the nice weather and to have an adventure.

Wedding Dress completion

I had plans to make my own dress for my wedding. Not the big poofy white one, but the one for the luncheon and for traveling. It turned out to be way too big, and the summer ended, so I put it away, and just now got back to it 2 years later.

I am pleased with how it turned out given how bad it looked before I started working on it this morning. I do apologize for how bad my hair looks in these pictures. I didn't do it since I spent the day pinning and sewing.

Ohio--Week 1

As of today, Matt and I have officially lived in Ohio for 1 week. Matt has been working as an intern at Kroger doing data analysis, and I have been working on making a home out of our apartment and trying to keep busy.
Last Monday I got us all moved in and set up our apartment, and we went shopping at Kroger. Tuesday I worked on making a little girl's dress that I'm making progress on. I just started an online class through coursera, and I've been working on that.
This weekend, we tried Skyline chili. It's a huge thing in Ohio, and I was actually kind of disappointed. It really just tasted like a meat sauce, especially because it is served over spaghetti. It wasn't bad, but it had been built up so much.
We also went out to Ikea...I have never seen an IKEA that was so busy. It was really crowded, but still fun to go through. I always enjoy Ikea.
We were going to go to the Cincinnati Zoo, but because of a marathon and the Kentucky Derby over the weekend, we decided to wait until next week.

So far, I enjoy living in Ohio. It's beautiful outside, the workers of the complex have been really nice, and I haven't had any big problems.

Heart on my sleeves

I have always worn my heart on my sleeves. I am very in touch with my emotions, and very emotionally driven. However, lately, that has come up to a new degree.

At the dollar theater just a couple of weeks ago, Matt and I watched Wreck it Ralph. I highly highly recommend it. I think it's my favorite movie ever. Ask me in a month because I have a tendency to change favorite movies fairly quickly.

Anyway...This movie makes me cry like you wouldn't believe. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but every time I've watched it, I've teared up at two different parts. Sometimes a third pops in, but not always. I usually cry the first time I watch movies with tender heart touching moments, but this one has just really gone straight to my heart, and today I even got emotional and started tearing up just discussing it with Matt. I couldn't believe how emotionally invested I am in these characters that even knowing that it all works out in the end (Not a spoiler because, hey, it's Disney. It always works out) I just tear up thinking about it all.

High School Never Ends

Unlike most people out there, I loved high school. I had such a great time. That doesn't mean that I would go back as a student by any means, but I met people who are still some of my very best friends, and learned a lot about myself.

Enjoying my seminary graduation with many of my high school friends

It's really great news that I loved high school because I am going back. I am starting out my fall semester this year at a high school, then half way through the year I'm going even further back to jr high. That's right. I'm doing my student teaching. After which I can only hope that I will continue spending much of the rest of my life in a high school or a junior high. Only this time I will be the teacher. I can't wait to mentor students and spend that time in the school. I will be going to Kearns High School AND Spanish Fork Junior High. I am so excited that I can hardly stand myself. I can't wait to write lesson plans and teach the students. I also can hardly wait to break out my teacher wardrobe.

The most comfortable red dress known to womankind

And my favorite, my purple pencil skirt with a black blouse

My blue knit vest with a black skirt

A purple sweater and my home-made circle skirt

Finally, and possibly most excitingly, it's justification for me to go buy more teacher clothes. After all, one can't work with only 4-5 outfits right?

Also insert here anything from banana republic or shabby apple...or since I'm poor...I'll just make some!

Where would you live?

If you were forced to spend the rest of your life at a zoo, museum, or library, which would you choose and why?

I was torn when I first read this. I love animals...especially giraffes...and living at the zoo near them would be awesome. Then again, I have watched Night at the Museum, and if everything really came to life, the museum would be a pretty rockin' place to live. But the truth is, my deepest entertainment loyalties have always been with books. So I would absolutely pick the books. As a child, I was the one who brought books out to recess. I never really minded being sent to my room, because there were books there. I love to read. I was once challenged to go a whole day without reading...I couldn't do it.

I've had some of my best friends through reading. I will never forget the hours I've spent at Hogwarts, Narnia, Stoneybrook, Sweet Valley, traveling with the Steeds, traveling the universe with Ender, and more. I know that through reading I can go anywhere and be anything. So as much as I would love the experiences in the museum and zoo, they would be limited. In the library, in books, I am truly unlimited in what I can do and be.