My girl....

....is growing up.

A day at the zoo....

Today was Emma's yearly check up....afterwards, we sneaked off to the zoo. Lots of construction going on here, but we were still able to see the elephants, the reptile house, the flamingos and the stinky petting animal area.

It's been a fun day....although we now both smell like goats!

My heart aches.....

....every year on this day.

Fourteen years ago, the Twin Towers were hit.

The Pentagon was also hit.

And a plane when down in a field in PA.

Thousands of lives were lost.

Some fathers wouldn't be coming home.

Some mothers wouldn't be coming home.

Dear friends were lost.

Our lives and our innocences would be forever changed.

We had been attacked in our own county...something i never thought would happen.

I thought we were safe in our country, that the evil wouldn't, couldn't reach us here.

I thought we were safe.

I sometimes see a plane in the sky and i wonder to myself, "What kind of person came up with the plan to fly planes into buildings? What kind of people plan those kind of things?"

The only answer i have to that is simple: Evil people plan these kinds of things. Evil people carry these things out. Evil people do these things.

Over the years, our country has been seen by other countries as the evil ones. I wonder if it is because they envy all that we have in the United States? Or maybe it's that it is our attitudes or beliefs that we have? Is it because of the freedoms we have? I imagine that maybe it is a mixture of things...i do know that women here in the United States live a life so different than some other countries. Women aren't seen as property here, to be owned by others. I am grateful that i live in the United States; i am grateful my daughter lives in the United States.

Today, flags will be flown at half staff in remembrance of this day and for all of the lives lost.

So many brave people tried to save others that day. So many people came together that day. We forgot our differences, our different views, our different beliefs and we came together. We came together to help each other. We realized that we were all Americans and we needed to help each other thru this.

May we always remember that we are all Americans and look out for others, take care of others and love each other.

God Bless us all...