Oak Tree in an Acorn: Austin Zoo

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Austin Zoo

Our last week in Cedar Park before the big move was so busy. We had movers come to move furniture into permanent storage, we packed and organized the rest of our things into boxes to semi-permanent storage (for when we move to an apartment in August) and the rest of our things went into boxes and bags to take to Grandma's and Pawpaw's for the summer. We also had to have a new roof put on our house because of the hailstorm in April. The new roof took a day and a half to install, and despite having lots of preparations to do for the move, the girls and I headed to the Austin Zoo for the day. Who wants to sit in a house filled with boxes and hearing constant banging from hammers on the roof, especially on the first week of summer vacation? The girls had a great time feeding the animals in the petting zoo, riding the train, and talking with the parrots. Despite the hectic week, we managed to have some fun and enjoy the ride. :)

Here's a video of the girls with their new friend the talking parrot.

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Why the title, "Oak Tree in an Acorn"?

Well, really it's all about perspective when raising the girls. It helps me to think about the grand scheme of parenting and remember that what we do now affects how our little acorns will grow. Like an oak tree, we want them to be strong in their words and deeds, be able to withstand life's storms, set and reach their goals, and be people that others can lean on and trust.

We have an oak tree planted in our yard that came from an acorn my dad planted in a pot. This acorn came from a huge oak tree that was planted in the backyard of my dad's childhood home. My dad's father also planted this tree from an acorn he found on his hunting lease in the early 1960's. Our tree is thus a family heirloom, a "family tree".

It was the year of Olivia's birth when we planted our little sapling. It looked so very sad that winter with no leaves; it was, basically, like a stick rooted in the ground. Five years later, though, it stands 9 feet tall, and we continue to nurture it and watch it grow. We hope one year it will produce acorns of its own, and we can continue to pass on this family heirloom. We hope to remember it's example of how each acorn has the potential to be an oak tree, and how our acorns, Olivia and Genevieve, will one day, with help from God, become mighty oak trees themselves.