We had a blast at Sea World with the Ziemke family!

 

Cayden and Anna Kate

Checking out the starfish!

 

I think this is the last visit where Corbin will truly be a little boy – these kids have grown up before our eyes!  I love this picture of him discovering new things (from the eyes of a child)!

Penguin palace – it was amazing all of the things we witnessed them doing.  We even watched a Mommy penguin regurgitate a fish and feed it to her baby – pretty gross but cool to see!

 

White arctic whale watching

Anna Kate kept screaming “Teddy Bear” over and over.  So cute!

Cayden, Clarissa, Curt, Cindy, and Corbin in the den of the polar bear!  ROAR!

Watching the walrus eat fish was so cool!  He was HUGE!!!

He even let the fish stand on his back.  Watching him swim was incredible – it was like watching this blob swoop through liquid, again, kind of gross, but cool!

Having fun at Sea World!

Artic whale!

Cindy and Curt in the penguin exhibit!  

Noelle had three things on her list: feed the dolphins, see Shamu, and go through the shark tank!  One check down!

I was taking walking pictures all day because my heart was melting watching these kids, whose hands I remember holding like this, loving on my kids!  

Shark tank!  Check two off the list!  Scary, huh?  You should see their teeth up close – rows and rows baby!

I bet you’ve never seen someone drive a wheelchair like it’s a motorcycle!  Let’s just say this man’s got some skills (and he’s a daredevil)!  

 

Waving to Shamu!

Saying “Hi” to Shamu!  Check three!

Shamu spun around in circles, before spinning back into the water – that was cool!

Noelle told Cindy the whales were obeying her as she directed them. Love her mind!

Synchronized spirals in the air – how do they teach this?  We were so impressed!

All the whales taking a bow (tales all came up at the same time and flapped back down together).

The gang!

At the end of the day, we went to Sesame Street to ride the rides and do fun kid stuff!

This was Noelle’s first ride that goes up high, and she was pretty scared!

Bounce zone!

Anna Kate with Cookie Monster and Elmo!  She LOVED Cookie but didn’t want a thing to do with Elmo.  So funny to watch!

We even got to pet the sting rays.  They were so slippery!  That was cool!

  

Last but not least, the big kids got their fun!

Mike and Corbin got so wet they had to change in the car… so.worth.it!

 

Amidst finding the rays of light where they can, one thing’s for sure, nothing will keep this family from having a good time!  One minute I’m in tears watching one of my closest friends care for her soul mate, the next I’m laughing that teenagers are SO teenagers… and that’s the limbo in which they live every day.  Please keep them in your closest prayers!  What an amazing day and what an amazing privilege to share life with each other, and you too!