Josh, Jenn, Ashton, and Emmy…

This monkey loved Ashton.  We were here for a long time as Ashton would give him Kisses through the glass and they would play around.  It was really cute…well the interaction was really cute the monkey was really really ugly.

 The Leopard did not love Ashton.  I think it wanted to eat him.  Actually we didn’t get a picture of this but for a long time we waited by the wolves.  They have a large hillside pen with trees and lots of places to hide.  Eventually we gave up and all walked away…everyone but Ashton who was waiting by the fence.  Then as soon as we were about 30 yards away and Ashton was by himself the wolf came running down licking his chops ready to eat a two year old.  It was pretty scary.  I basically saved his life by taking him to the zoo where the animals are in cages instead of the wilderness where there are no cages.  I am a really good dad.

 Another Shot of Ashton’s angry Leopard.

This is an albino alligator “The Ghost of the Bayoo”  I have a feeling this guy has never actually been to the swamp.  He was probably born in Omaha.

Here is Ashton at the Highland Cat Exhibit Summer 2006

Here he is in November 2007.  We took these pictures because we are trying to keep up with the Call’s and their cute “Daddy’s Tie” pictures.

This is what has happened in a little over a year!!! 

I thought this was a cool picture this is actually one of those floating stone balls.  This one has the world map etched on it.   Ashton loved this one I think it made him feel powerful.

What can I say about this…It fit

Ashton working his way through a hollow log

the nice thing about going to the Zoo in November is that you basically have the whole place to yourself.  Other than this sissy kid who kept following Asthon around screaming like a girl.  They had a good time on the playground together but I was glad when we ditched him in the groundhog tunnel.  If that kid was in our neighborhood we would have to move.

A few weeks ago Eddie and Lindsey invited us to go to the zoo.  We hadn’t been since Ashton was tiny, he loved it then but didn’t really get what was going on.  This time he just didn’t care what was going on.  The whole time he just pretended he was the “Band Guy” (there has to be a post somewhere talking about his ‘Music Man’ addiction)

As soon as Aston sees the camera he immediately starts saying “Cheese!” Here he is mid cheese and unfortunately he closed his eyes.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, Eddie stole Josh away from me, luring him easily from his family with a ticket to the BYU v Utah game.  Oh man, I was pretty bummed out-happy for Josh but very depressed that my holiday weekend just turned into a regular weekday without Josh.  My sister called and told me about free helicopter rides happening in Mapleton until 2 PM that day.  I was all over that!  How fun for Ashton!!!  So I called a bunch of people (because I had to have someone watch Emmy while we were flying) but the only one cool enough to stop everything and come with me was Grammy (even though her bridal shop was open that day).  We had to wait in a pretty long line and it was freezing when that helicopter landed and took off.  I would have left if Grammy hadn’t been there to help (Emmy was screaming again, as usual).  Ashton made friends with all the kids in line, of course.  Finally, it was our turn and Grammy asked the people behind us in line to watch Emmy while she came with us.  I was so happy about that!  (I knew they wouldn’t kidnap her, after the nonstop crying ability she displayed).  I thought Ashton might get scared once we were in the helicopter, or going towards it, but he was the coolest kid I have ever seen.  He just put on his gigantic headphones, buckled his seatbelt, put his arm in the window sill and looked out the window, as if he had done it a million times.  The ride was fabulous, I am a helicopter fan (though the thought of us crashing and dying did enter my mind several times).