We have been members of the Texas State Aquarium for an entire year (which includes annual passes) and we have only been once. Last January.  So before our passes expired at the end of the month…we decided we better go again. I am so glad that we chose to go on a weekday! There was hardly anyone there!

Jon is by the whale’s tail fountain… per my request.

…and by the entrance waterfall.

Isn’t it funny how girls like to take way more pictures than guys? haha… Hence, Jon having to pose by everything. He’s a good sport about it though.

Jon in front of the USS Lexington… which you can see from the aquarium.

And… spreading his wings.

Going to see the bird show.

Big ol’ hawk… coming right at me.

Then they brought out this big ol’ cat from Africa…

Look how high this cat can jump!

A better look at the hawk…

And I found a friend…

It kept staring at me and I could just hear ruffling feathers behind my back… I thought I was going to be attacked by a barn owl! haha It sure was pretty though.

The Bald Eagle!!

Talk about ruffled feathers! Look at this character!

Then off to see the alligators…trying to get a picture for my niece who loses her marbles for alligators.

He wasn’t shy… he swam right up to the glass to get a good look at me.

I was potentially his lunch.

…if only the glass wasn’t there.

Want to have nightmares for the rest of the week? Look at this.

A bird eating spider. Yes. BIRD. EATING. It is the largest spider in the world…and this picture does not do it justice.

Let’s clear our mind of that visual with some sea creatures…

I loved the river otters…

For some reason they reminded me of my dogs.

Here is one chomping on a sweet potato.

The river otters in action!

I love watching them swirl and twirl all around! That’s exactly what I would do if I were an otter.

Apparently Jon does not make a good pet either.

I didn’t know if I should interpret his yawn as a sign of an impeding nap…or boredom from waiting for the dolphin show to start.

Love, love, love the dolphins.

They are always so happy looking.

Here is a little clip of the show…sorry for the amateur quality… it was with my camera. haha

It was definitely a fun day at the aquarium!

Finally.

Long awaited, the day has come.

Jon finished his flight training in Texas.

We will still be here for another two months or so, but we are getting ready to move on.

It is so, so bittersweet.

Bitter…that our time in Texas is coming to an end.

Sweet…that we will be moving on to our next adventure (wherever that might be–CA or VA).

One day at a time…

and today, we celebrate!

I went down to watch the landing of Jon’s last flight…

Here they come! It was a really bright and sunny day…and spotting three jets in the distance was not easy.

Coming in for the break…as they say.

…while we waited patiently.

Well look who it is. A champ!

Taking out the cell phone and wallet…and anything else that should never get wet.

I’d call this stalling, if you ask me.

There is no avoiding the inevitable.

…even if you try.

I’m so proud of him.

Now we are off to dinner to celebrate!

“What Eve Alone Can Tell”

It is week two of The Reading Meeting!

Here are a few questions to think through from The Guided Journal:

♥ “The desire of a woman’s heart and the realities of a woman’s life seem an ocean apart. Oh, we long for romance and an irreplaceable role in a great story; we long for beauty. But that’s not the life we have. The result is a sense of shame.”

Is this true of you?

♥ A woman’s struggle with her sense of worth points to something glorious she was designed to be. The great emptiness we feel points to the great place we were created for. Have you ever thought of your struggles and longings as pointing to something you were designed to be?

♥ Most women define themselves in terms of their relationships, and the quality they deem those relationships to have. I am a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend. Or, I am alone. I’m not seeing anyone right now, or my children aren’t calling, or my friends seem distant. This is not a weakness in women–it is a glory. A glory that reflects the heart of God.

How do you define yourself?

♥ God endows Woman with certain qualities which are essential to relationship, qualities that speak of God. She is inviting. She is vulnerable. She is tender. She embodies mercy. She is also fierce and fiercely devoted. As the old saying goes, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” That’s just how God acts when he isn’t chosen. “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god!” (Ex. 20:5) A woman’s righteous jealousy speaks of the jealousy of God for us. Tender and inviting, intimate and alluring, fiercely devoted. O yes, our God has a passionate, romantic heart. Just look at Eve.

How are you doing on these qualities these days? How have you been–or perhaps not been…

Inviting? Vulnerable? Tender? Merciful? Fiercely devoted? Jealous?(!)

♥ God creates Eve to keep relationship at the center of life. It’s central to a woman’s design–and her reason for being. Do you feel like you’ve been keeping relationship a high priority? What would you want to do to make it more central to your life–and the lives of those you love?

♥ What did you like/dislike or have a hard time believing about this chapter?

Like always, I will be leaving my own commentary in the comment section.