Great Saturday

After sleeping in until 7:30 (haha!), I woke up refreshed and with a determination to make it a good day! So, we left the chores and yard work for another time and headed out to La Loma Park in Modesto to take some family pictures, or so was the plan...

When we got to this park that Aaron had so vividly remembered being beautiful and green when he was last there, we were completely disappointed to find everything dry and dead! A park should always be beautiful and green, but this area doesn't always guarantee that, especially during the summer months. You could tell where the sprinklers reached because those were the only green areas. So, because of the condition of the park, Aaron only took pictures of Ella and we decided to wait on the family pictures.

Oh, and on a HORRIBLE side note, Aaron and I saw a dad holding, I would guess, a 9-month old baby boy while SMOKING A CIGARETTE!!! I seriously wanted to walk over there and kick his butt, but his wife who was busy yelling at their 3-year old son (again, guessing on age), could probably break me in half with one swing. Why does God bless a couple like this, who seemingly doesn't care about their kids to the extent they should (after seeing the smoking and constant yelling), but a couple like Aaron and I have to wait? I don't think I'll ever understand that.

When I get to Heaven, I'm going to sit down with God and have a serious talk about this. Until then, I live faithfully knowing God is in control and His reasons of the world are beyond my understanding, and that is okay! Just as my Bible verse in my blog header says, "lean not on your own understanding." I can't question God's authority, even though in my eyes, some things just don't make sense...like cancer spreading within my father-in-law. But, I just gotta keep the faith because a life without faith is empty.

Okay, that was a long side note...let me get back to my post. :)

Here are some pictures Aaron got of our beautiful daughter. These will go in our album as her 4-year old pictures. I can't believe I'm a mom of a soon-to-be 4-year old. Where's the Kleenex? Better yet, where's the magic stop watch that stops time?

Collecting rocks, acorns, sticks...you name it, she collected it. Like her binoculars? When we told her we were taking her to a new park, she said she had to bring them so she could see (explore).

We found some beautiful sunflowers, which made for the perfect prop. :)

Whenever she poses like this, she knows she looks cute!

This outfit totally personifies our girly tomboy. :)

Some of Aaron's best pictures of Ella are the candid shots.

Fun with Mommy!

Gotta love those chubby baby cheeks she hasn't outgrown.

"I love you this much!"

Starting to get bored with all the picture-taking.

After a couple hours at the park, we ate lunch at The Olive Garden. Yummy! Then, we headed off to Toys "R" Us to do some not-so-discreet shopping for Ella. Luckily, she gets SO DISTRACTED while there, that she hardly pays any attention to what we put in the cart. We didn't get much, though, because Aaron had the great idea of getting her fish for her birthday! So, after Toys "R" Us we headed over to PetSmart.

Every time we'd go to a pet store, Ella would show a ton of interest in the fish. I'm sure that if we didn't shoo her along, she'd be content staying there all day (with some juice and gummies, of course). And, being that she's only going to be 4, we figured this would be the perfect pet for this age, seeing as how it's pretty much the only pet she can't hold! HAHA!

Aaron comes from an animal-loving home, where hamsters, a rabbit, rats, lizards, snakes, salamanders, a turtle, a bird, cats and dogs roamed free. Well, not free, but you get the idea...his heart swells with a love of animals! So much so, that when we walked into PetSmart and saw half a dozen crates with animals of adoptable animals longing for an owner, he got teary-eyed, especially after meeting Frank, a 2-1/2 year old Pug. If we didn't already have two dogs, I'm confident we would've brought Frank home. So, with animals being a big part of Aaron's life, we both knew we'd want to introduce Ella to having a pet of her own at a young age, and with her fascination with fish, it just felt right. :)

Here's the tank all set up on the bookshelf next to Ella's bed.

I was tempted to have the tank set up in our family room because it looks so cool, but Aaron and I decided that it'd be exciting for Ella to have it in her room.

And excited she is! (Look at those long legs. Goodness!).

We have to wait 24 to 48 hours to introduce fish to tank. The water's pH, ammonia, nitrate, etc. levels have to equalize/stabilize. I wish the fish could've been a surprise, but I think having her pick out her new pets is important. After all, they are going to be her responsibility (with Daddy's help, of course).