sleeping with the fishes ...

i'm not sure why i haven't posted about this before ... maybe i was keeping it a secret!?

cuz this is the 4th year we've been 'involved' ...

every september ann (andy's sister) gets to invite family and friends to spend the night here:

and for the past 3 years, andy has taken 2 and then 2 and then 3 kids with him ... and i have had a lovely night at home alone (virtually - once the baby is to bed)!!

but this year i was coerced into joining the crazy gang, cuz easton was finally old enough!

we arrived at almost 8:00pm (we almost didn't make it, since we left a little late {typical} and we were stopped behind a train crossing {not typical} but lucky for us we had a cell phone to call and tell the people we were with that we were 'on our way' {typical})

after we staked our claim on our very own 'camp-in' site (kids in the dome and us by the nearest plug for andy's cpap)

we got to see the aquarium after dark ... we even fed the urchins as well as the spikey sea creatures {wink, wink}

then, we ALL got our faces painted - some of us twice!

next, it was time to watch them feed the otters and seals - and to meet Mr. Otter

ammon wasn't scared this time ... but easton was!

then, it was time to see diver katie! after her presentation we were invited to give her a high 5 ... thru 12 inches of glass!

art time!! we painted, stapled and glued ... and had a snack too! {this was when we fed the urchins ... the ones we brought with us!}

easton took a ride on the duck for a minute - he's so cute!

and even cuter when he is fast asleep - except he tossed and turned and kept me awake all night ... that coupled with the fact that there was a random breeze blowing on me all night ... and i couldn't get warm and the idiotic kid that kept going back and forth the to bathroom 50 times ... and the not so comfortable bed i was laying on ... should i keep going?! {shoot - i'm a complainer, eh!} but even after all that ...

and even though i was

i'll be going again next september ... cuz, really, who would pass up this kind of fun!?!?

(come on ... tell the truth - you just yawned, didn't you?! ... cuz i did too!)