Every June, Utah's Hogle Zoo hosts Dream Night at the Zoo. For three hours in the evening, the zoo is open only to kids with special needs and their families. This year I took Cali, Graci, Sophi, Lexi, Jesi, Xander and Conner, along with my nephew Ben and Jesi's friend, Erin. Chick-fil-A provides food and they have school mascots and Star Wars characters and face painting and princesses. It is really a fun night for the kids.
Off we go!
With Cosmo, BYU's mascot
This is the mascot for Rocky Mountain Raceway. He was clearly touched by Conner and Lexi.
Storm Troopers and bounty hunters!
About every 30 seconds Sophi found a new spot in which she absolutely HAD to be photographed. I've only included a small portion of these pics:)
Looks like she could reach out and pet him...
Aragog or Shelob? I guess it depends on which epic fantasy you prefer.
They thought it was pretty cool to be so close to a bald eagle!
These cuties spent most of the night on their own.
Xander wanted to capture this beautiful sunset.
Conner braves the lion's mouth for a drink of water
These two could be twins!
Conner surrounded by beautiful girls. He is very happy!
I'm a lucky dad to have all these fantastic kids to hang out with!!!
When we fell in love 24 years ago, we started down a path that has been challenging, exhausting, and breathtakingly beautiful. Here we chronicle the blessings and stressings of parenting some pretty amazing children. We think they're the perfect travel companions as we look forward to the next fork in the road. Welcome to our journey.
Our oldest by birth, he's the voracious reader, BYU fan, spiritual giant, sports nut, 4.0 student, huge-hearted ray of sunshine!
Parker Matthew--22
The red-headed social butterfly, he's our all-star athlete, top student, outdoor-loving, spunky second-born, with a heart of pure gold!
Jessica Anne "Jesi"--19
Our little princess with the big smile, Jesi loves fashion, friends, hanging with her siblings, and vacations. She sparkles!
Jacob Michael-- 6/8/2004
Little one of heavenly birth, born too soon to bloom on earth. You have taught us so much--we love you, Jacob!
Emily Anne "Emmy"--9/28/2005
Emily's exquisite little hands and feet have left their mark in this world. Her body was tiny, but her spirit enormous. We miss her!
Elizabeth Mei "Elli"--18
Elli's world may be dark, but she's the light of our lives! Lover of music, chocolate, and new toys, she fights a courageous battle with autism while bringing joy to all who know her!!
Gracelin Kate "Graci"--24
Showing true grace throughout her battles with heart disease and pulmonary hypertension, our Gracester is loved by everyone! She's smart, gorgeous, friendly, and has faith to move mountains!
Alexander Philip "Xander"--18
With a spunk and smile that could outmatch anyone's, our Xander has not let Cloves Syndrome get the best of him. He's a talented chef, a caring friend to MANY, our best helper, and is full of teenage humor.
Alexis Li "Lexi"--18
Meet the friendliest girl on the planet! Blind from birth, Lexi amazes all of us with her braille skills, determination, talents, but mosly by the way she spends her days SMILING. She is an angel in every way. We are thrilled to have our darling daughter home six years from China!!
Sophia Breanne "Sophi"--14
Her eyes called out to us from half-way around the world. Little Sophi is growing up and we would do anything to freeze her in time! She's beautiful, smart, and coy and can do amazing things with her toes! She has inspired people all around the world and we can't believe she is ours. Sophi = perfection.
Calais Rose "Cali"--22
Charming Cali joined our family in December of 2012. This girl is beautiful both inside and out. Born with spina bifida, Cali is confined to a wheelchair, but that does not keep her from enjoying life to the fullest. She is smart, opinionated, strong, and lovely in every way. She is a light in our family and a magnet for handsome young men!
Conner Allen-- 22
Meet our newest addition! Home nine years from China, Conner makes us wonder what we ever did without him. Blind from birth, he will blow you away with his incredible talent on the piano. He is sweet, witty, girl-crazy, kind and finally, OURS! We love you, Conner!
The Dog
Baxter-- 3 years
She begged and pleaded and wrote letter after letter telling us why she NEEDED a dog, and Sophi finally got her wish! Meet Baxter, the cutest mini-audssiedoodle on the planet.
