Happy Birthday to Me!

When I woke up this morning, I found these gifts waiting for me on the counter!! Chip went all out this year and got a bag that lights up: Since Lily couldn't wait another second to open "Mommy's presents", we opened them first thing!
I really didn't ask for a single thing. There is really nothing I need or even want. But I am always amazed by the great gifts Chip finds for me -- they are always perfect! First I got a frame for Lily and I to create! How cute is that? Chip thought it would be a fun project for us!

I also got some books and CD's

Thanks Chip! You are the best!

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Also, as my present, Chip took the day off work today so we could go out as a family and celebrate my birthday! Since we went to the zoo in LA, I thought it would be fun to check out the Dallas World Aquarium. I had done some research on it and it seemed super cool -- kinda a aquarium and zoo in one, which it totally was!

It is awesome there. It once was an old warehouse in downtown Dallas and they totally transformed it into a 3 story rain forest habitat! There are all kinds of different animals from all over the world -- birds, reptiles, monkeys! I even got pooped on by a bird flying overhead.

Looking at the turtles and monkeys.

The main 3 levels are open to the bottom with a waterfall that goes all the way down. There is a trail that slowly curves around and leads you down. You don't even realize that you are covering 3 floors since it is so gradual and there is stuff to see all along the way.

Look, Otters!!

Checking out a bird.

Walking through a cave in the rain forest!

The waterfall from the 2nd level

Ooh, a snake! Chip didn't stay there very long since he hates snakes!

Waterfall at the bottom.
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After the rain forest portion, you take stairs (or an elevator in our case since we had the stroller) down to the aquarium level where they had lots of tanks and displays of fish by regions (Fiji, Great Barrier Reef, etc. . .)

I love jelly fish!! Apparently, Lily thought they were pretty neat too!

Lily was getting tired the first time we went through the tunnel of fish, but after we gave her some "fish crackers" as she requested (guess all the fish made her crave her crackers) she was re-energized. When we walked back through she was all excited and screaming "there are fish in the sky!! Way up high - fish!" It was cute.

Another water tunnel -- but this one was filled with different types of sharks and sting rays (and a few scuba divers cleaning the glass). Chip and Lily are sitting in the middle on the right.

Thankfully, Lily didn't discover all the touchscreen information things until near the end! Once she did realize what they were she had to stop and play with them all. They were pretty cool and informative -- you could get a lot more information then you ever could on a plaque nearby!

Looking at Owls

A leopard!

Flamingos!

There were lots of other animals there that I didn't get photos of (or I got photos that were not worth blogging), penguins, all different types of monkeys, sloths, crocodiles, so many different types of birds and fish (obviously), otters, manatees, insects, frogs, and many more that I can't recall right now! It was a neat place, I'd like to go back again someday!

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On the way home we stopped at Chuy's for lunch! It was yummy and Mexican restaurants are usually very Lily friendly since she loves quesadillas and can snack on chips while we wait for our food!

She even got a push pop for dessert!!

She was really excited about her ice cream!

Sometimes when she is eating, she closes her eyes and makes a weird face, like she is really enjoying her food. She was doing that with the push pop!

When we got home and were getting Lily ready for her nap, the doorbell rang and I was surprised by this beautiful teacup arrangement that my Aunt Pam, Uncle Ashely and cousin Shaun sent to me!! Thanks guys -- I love it!!

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Nothing big planned for tonight -- Chip has school until 7pm. Although I did send a lot of not very subtle hints that Cold Stone Creamery now has cupcakes . . . so we'll see if he picked up on that! But it has already been a perfect day and Lily has been so sweet singing Happy Birthday to me over and over all day long! It's great!