Zoo and Sad News

Last Monday, on Veterans Day, the kids didn't have school so I took them to the Zoo. Marci met us there and hung out with us for the day. It was funny because I had parked on a side street and as we were walking down the street I was just about to call Marci to see where she was when I saw her drive past us. I ran after her waving my arms (these were residential streets so it was fine that I was running down the middle of the road, ha). She stopped and then went and parked by us. Talk about coincidental. 

The kids in front of the penguin exhibit. Marci was excited to see it because it's fairly new to the zoo, but she was disappointed when she saw how little the penguins were. They aren't big like she expected. Kind of funny. The weather was perfect. Sunny and not too cold. We ate lunch there and then headed home soon after that. 

Chelsea was exhausted and fell asleep pretty quickly and I was going to try to keep her awake and even rolled down her window a couple times, but it didn't work. I think she's cute when she falls asleep in her car seat. It's not too cute when she won't stay asleep when we get home!

I had taken this picture on my way home too because it was a pretty day with green trees and mountains in the distant. Too bad you can't see the mountains very good in the picture. I had a peaceful feeling driving home so that's why I took the picture. Not until we got home and Marci pulled up behind me in our driveway would my feelings instantly change. Marci told me that my Mom had called her on the way home from the zoo telling her that Ryan Runia had died. He is married to my cousin, Cari. She was a year younger than me, the cousin closest in age to me, and Ryan was just 31, so a year younger than Cari. I thought she was kidding. I didn't believe it. I was in shock. So was she. We were pretty somber for a while trying to register what had happened. I eventually called my Mom and asked her more about what had happened. Ryan had collapsed while waiting to do a presentation at a work meeting. They still don't how he died. They first thought a heart attack, but now they are leaning towards an aneurysm. It is just devastating though. Cari is young and they have 4 young kids under the age of 7 1/2. The youngest is just over a year old. My parents were going to go to the funeral and so Marci, Jeni and I all decided to go too. Jeff and Sadie were going to meet us there, but Sara couldn't come. Kyle was able to work from home on Friday so I could go. The funeral was going to be on Saturday in Orem, UT. 

We ended up needing to take our suburban so we could all fit in one car. Kyle squeezed the kids into our Honda Accord while we were gone. So it worked out to take our car. I had to get the oil changed and the tires rotated before I left on Thursday night. We made our trip to Les Schwab and Lindsey and Chelsea loved the popcorn. I loved how the worker ran out to my car when I pulled in and took it right away to start rotating the tires. Love their service.