More zoo shots and stuff....

So I got to spend yet another day at the zoo today. Unfortunately the weather wasn't as wonderful, but it was still decent. It was hot, then cold, then hot, then cold...a few sprinkles, lots of wind, you know - typical Kansas stuff.

What's not typical is that although it was in the mid-80s for the past couple of days, it's going to be below freezing again tonight and tomorrow night. Blah.

So.....random zoo shots from today...

Excited to get there!

Excited to be there!

Are they..... SMILING at me?

I vant to.....oh, nevermind. Too cliche.

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Another red panda sighting!

Obligatory self-portrait - but he was getting tired.

This just makes me giggle.

If I had 1/10th of the energy that these three had....

Yeah. We were both pretty wiped on the way home.

In other news....

Came home to bloomin' irises.
Too bad they're going to FREEZE.

The Dude has been diligently working on a plan to get my van fixed - using his connections and whatnot to hopefully get it done for a fraction of the original quote, but we'll see what happens. Nothing is definite yet, so I'm still driving the chariot until we get the van done - and hoping and praying that his plan will work...

Winning the lottery would definitely help, but well, you know....

And last but not least...... if you haven't had a chance to donate yet, PLEASE DO. The walk is on Saturday and we need your help. Rumor has it that Ashley might be beating me in the donations, but I could have a few bucks stashed up my sleeve to throw in at the last minute - so if you want to see me strolling through the streets of Wichita in whatever ridiculous get-up she has me wearing - you'd better throw some more money in her direction. Or share the post. Whatever works to get the word out there and find a cure!

Please help if you can.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not the type of person to ask for help. I hate to do it.

But, there are some things that we can't do alone, and I'm reaching out in an effort to get some help.

There are two fundraising walks coming up, and I am now officially registered for both of them. These walks help to raise awareness and much-needed money for research into treatments and cures. I have friends and family members who have been affected by both of these diseases.

The first one is The JDRF Walk To Cure Diabetes. This walk is being held in Wichita on May 28, and the kids and I will be walking in it for the first time. Diabetes has affected so many of my friends and family - I can't even begin to list everyone, so this is very important to me. If you would like to make a donation, you can doing that by going to THIS PAGE - once you're there, you can either donate in my name, or if you click on "View My Team Page" you can donate to one of the kids. Either way works for me!

The second one is the Great Strides: Taking Steps to Cure Cystic Fibrosis walk that is also being held in Wichita and takes place on May 5. I have done this walk several times - I went to school with two sisters who lost their battle with this disease, and now my great-nephew Corban has it as well. Research has made massive strides to find a cure, but without fundraising, that research will not be able to continue. If you would like to make a donation to this one, please go to THIS PAGE to do so. Because CF is genetic, there is a very real chance that my kids could be carriers, and could pass the recessive gene on to the next generation - knowing that a cure has been found would ease my mind so much!

I understand that many people can not afford to make a financial donation. But, we all have the power to spread the word. Share this post on your facebook walls, email it to friends and family, post it on twitter - the more people who see it, the more chances we have to raise enough money to find cures for these diseases. So please, if you can't do anything else, just share this post!

Thank you so much!