Two Thousand Ten

Or, Twenty-Ten. But I didn't say Twenty-Oh-Nine, so that sounds a little weird to me. I prefer good ol' Two Thousand Ten. I may even get crazy and throw an "and" after Thousand but before Ten.

Yep, random.

But here we are in a new year. It's crazy how fast years pass once you get old enough to realize it. I realize how slowly time passes for children, given the fact that when I say we are doing something next week their jaws drop as they declare "THAT will take FOREVER." A week. I remember when a week used to seem like a long time. Now a year passes in what seems like a week's time.

A new year brings some changes for us. Well, mostly one change: John is going back to school! He is getting his MBA from the University of Tennessee. It will be a sacrifice for both of us, but we keep reminding each other we can do it for one year. One year and he will have his MBA, so that will be a good change. It will make for an interesting year, though.

We celebrated the new year by meeting our good friends Mark and Ashley in Chattanooga and spending the day with them at the Tennessee Aquarium. It was such a fun day, and definitely something we should do more often.

This may be my favorite shot of the day:

Isn't that adorable? I may be biased, but are those some cute kids or what? And can you tell how deliriously happy Ansley is to be the Mama Hen of these two boys? Oh, yes, she takes her role very seriously!

It was quite an aqaurium. These little guys were my favorites, and Ansley and Christian even fed them some fish. They begged for it.

Ansley also enjoyed touching these sturgeons. Some type of fish, I don't really know I just remembered it because I thought surgeon with a 't'.

We saw the coolest looking sting rays - they literally looked like beautiful rug patterns. Here are the boys checking them out.

Another one of Ansley's favorites - the butterfly garden. I'm not sure what this has to do with an aquarium, but I didn't ask questions, I just enjoyed it.

Then we all got to go in a cage underwater, and this Great White shark came right up to the cage! It was freaky.

And we were all very scared, can't you tell? This photo makes me laugh. I obviously like my shark attack photos.

So much so that we had to get the Jansen's to get attacked by a shark too.

Ansley also really enjoyed this exhibit, where you could touch sting rays and small sharks. Sometimes when I watch her, while I'm snapping away with my camera, I wonder how she is my daughter. In fact, I think Mark asked me how it was possible. I'm not sure.

The penguins were so cute. They were a lot of fun to watch - we stayed here for a long time!

 
The kids had such a blast with Hamilton, and Christian has been drawing octopus and jellyfish ever since!

A fun little bubble in one of the big tanks you could climb into, so Ashley and I climbed in with the kids.

 
As we were leaving, there was a huge bridge you could cross over, but underneath was just concrete, so there wasn't really a purpose in it. You could exert a lot of energy climbing all these steps, or just walk on flat ground to the parking lot. But the kids wanted to go over the bridge, so Ashley and I were thankful for husbands who took the kids up it while we walked on the ground. Without exerting much energy.

We all enjoyed watching The Polar Express in the IMAX theatre, and then had dinner at Cracker Barrel before heading our separate ways. A fun way to kick off Two Thousand Ten.

Happy New Year!   

Comments

[Ashley Lee]

What a fun way to start the new year - two thousand ten is how I'm saying it, too. :) Love the shark pictures. Here's to the new year! Blessings from the Lee's

[Renee]

Happy New Year! :) I haven't decided yet how I'm saying it. Maybe 2010. :) So glad you got to spend time with friends. Fun pictures!

[Renee]

Out of habit, I clicked on your Project 365 pictures then realized the year had ended! Are you going to attempt it again for 2010? :)

MEGAN RESPONDS: Yes, Renee - definitely! I've gotten the past two years put in books, and I LOVE looking back at them. It's such a fun glimpse of the year. I just have to find the time to create the 2010 Project 365, but it's coming! :)

[Sara Bouman]

Those shark pictures are hilarious. Happy New Year, Megan!

MEGAN RESPONDS: Happy New Year to you, Sara! Hope ya'll are doing well. :)

[Amber]

I say 20-10. You didn't say One Thousand, Nine Hundred, Ninety Nine...did you? ;) 2010 just rolls off my tongue...but Two Thousand Ten doesn't offend!!!

Anywho...cute pictures. I love the Chattanooga Aquarium, but I haven't been there in years. Maybe it's time to introduce my kiddos! My favorite aquarium is the Gatlinburg Aquarium. Do you ever go there? I always go through it twice.

MEGAN RESPONDS: Touche! (But I can't make the little squiggle over the e.) Yes, we have been to the Gatlinburg aquarium several times - my kids love it! Maybe we'll run into ya'll there one day? ;)

[Angie]

That is a fun place! We missed each other by a couple days. We were there on the 29th.

MEGAN RESPONDS: How crazy would that have been to run into ya'll?! That would've been pretty fun! :)