Slacker!
It has been way too long since I put anything on this poor neglected blog, and now I am overwhelmed by all that has happened it a month. So, I'm just emptying my camera out on to the blog and let's hope it makes some kind of sense. Plus, I have to get something new up so that last post that I published isn't staring me in the face and laughing at me anymore (I've had relatively few of those "life couldn't be sweeter" days since then - but it has made me very grateful for all your suggestions, so thanks!).
We'll start off with the biggest highlight which was visiting my brother Corey ("Cowey") in Albuquerque. By the way, Labor Day weekend was not NEARLY long enough, but we made the most of it and had a great time. My favorite part was just the fact that Brynn got to bond with her uncle. She loved him from the minute we got there, until three days after we got home, and was still asking, "Whus Cowey? Whus Cowey?" Then I'd say, "Aw, Brynn, he's gone." To which Brynn would sadly reply, "Buh-bye, Cowey."
Corey works for the city of Albuquerque, mostly at the wildlife refugium...at least that's how it sounds!...doing things like creating environments in which the silvery minnow can spawn because it's currently an endangered fish. Right Corey, stuff like that? He also puts in time at the city's really cool aquarium where he does tons of stuff, but the coolest to me is that he goes down into the big tank in scuba gear and feeds the SHARKS! We weren't here long enough this time to get the show, but I was able to see it a few years ago. It's fun to go through the aquarium, but I especially love the private tour from above looking down on all the fish.
Above...
Below.
We ate at the coolest restaurant where a couple of the walls are the actual aquarium, so you feel like you are eating under water or something!
Old Town Albuquerque
The Zoo
I've been wanting to take Brynn to the zoo for so long because she knows so many animal sounds, and I just thought it would be fun for her to see them in person. But I'm a big wimp, and I say Phoenix is still way too hot, so I was really glad we could go with Corey who is such a huge animal expert, fun uncle, and...it was free. :)
Cool gibbons monkeys singing a duet.
And here are some random pics of the light of my life. 
Looking way too old
Ride 'em, cowgirl
Lovin Daddy
We've been doing a lot of bubble baths lately.
And here's my little Cookie Crook. Remember that guy from the 90s?
The culprit:
A 21-month old baby, known for being curious, crumpling up money from various family member's wallets and putting it down her shirt, and for her extreme sweet tooth.
The tip-off:
We were downstairs when we heard a door slam upstairs. We shrugged it off, since we hear it all the time. The suspicion started when it wasn't followed by a shocked cry, as was usually the case. The longer we waited, the more suspicious we became. So we went up stairs to find...
The crime scene:
Brynn, not upset at having accidentally locked herself in an upstairs room, but rather looking quite satisfied (and guilty, as the picture shows) at mischievously (and I am almost positive purposely) locking us out in order to dump out a whole box of cookie crisp cereal and eat it like a mad woman until she was inevitably caught.
Usually I am the one to get Brynn out of her crib, so when Daddy does it Brynn goes crazy with excitement and it looks a little like this.
Whew. This monster post could have been way worse. But then again, I guess I could have added way more, too....
Sorry things aren't aligned well. I don't know what happened, but every time I try to fix it, it ends up posted like this again.
And by the way Sparks fam, I am waiting for some pics from you guys so that I can put them on here! :)
