A Zooful of Praises

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too!
We're going to the zoo, zoo zoo!

This afternoon I took the kids to the Oregon Zoo. As always, it was a hit. And as always, we hit a few bumps along the way. But what are a few bumps, if not to make us that much more grateful for the blessings in our lives?

A zooful of praises today . . .

*busy hands helping make to-go lunches

*finding a parking spot . . . right away!

*turning off the ignition, but only after finishing the song on the radio

*lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my! (even though the lions were in hiding)



*bathrooms (even if we didn't quite make it in time . . .)

*taking their picture in the same little cave every time we go to the zoo (even if it proves that they're growing too quickly)



*walking through the Pacific Northwest exhibit and feeling right at home (oh, the way that merry stream trips and gurgles over the smooth rocks!)

*two beautiful bald eagles right in front of us (even though the lady standing next to me was convinced they'd snatch up my children)



*assuring her that the eagles were perfectly harmless

*watching her enjoy the eagles, after all

*four happy kids climbing over rocks (even though another lady was convinced they would fall and break their necks and proceeded to haughtily whisk her own children away while emphasizing the word dangerous several times)

*four happy kids surviving the rocks just fine



*finally reaching the van

*driving home (even if it took over an hour instead of 20 minutes)

*knowing that we had plenty of gas, chocolate chip cookies and water for the trip home

*not being a part of the fender-bender that caused the delay

*watching the kids get a kick out of being stuck on the bridge

*turning off the engine, opening the sunroof and letting the kids take a peek while we waited

*then laughing over the little sailboat that caused the bridge to go up in the first place

*coming home

*ringing the dinner bell (even if it was almost 8:00)

*all four kids liking their dinner (even if this meant threading mostaccioli on the tines of their forks)

*and four drowsy heads finally hitting soft pillows (even if they didn't fall asleep right away)

Here's to the "even if's" in our lives . . . and to the One who makes everything glorious.