4 years ago today Steve and I went on our very first official date – to Disneyland 🙂 We were in our first year in the Exotic Animal and Training Management program and at that point the only animals we had been allowed to touch or even talk to were the opossum, rabbit, chinchilla, emu and miniature horse. Oh and we did get to man a couple of the owls as well. Getting to work with the other (many of them larger, more exotic and some more dangerous) animals was still several months in the future and something we longed for. Getting to one day work at a facility with animals was something we thought constantly about, and one day having our very own facility – was a dream that seemed so far off in the distance.
3 years ago today Steve asked me to marry him. We spent the following day back at Disneyland when we got to eat at the exclusive Club 33. It was amazing.
2 years ago we found out I was pregnant with Ava, and we had just started our very own Animal Outreach Company.
and 1 year ago, we have our own little family and our own little zoo.
Today, only 4 years later, I realized how far we have come. Yes we’ve had ups and downs and things have been rough along the way, but I wouldn’t change anything.
Steve and I have a beautiful, amazing and hilarious toddler who brightens our world every single day. We have 75 animals that we adore and a career that we love even though it is a ton of work. And as we were all in the backyard this afternoon enjoying the perfect Fall day, I realized this is what I have been waiting my whole life for. This, right now. I watched Steve across the yard pulling Ava in the wagon, with Angus and Zoey sitting in there with her. Moose was joyfully running beside the wagon yet he didn’t want to get in, and Norman was off in the distance munching on grass while the chickens wandered around him. And even though I was doing the lovely task of picking up pig poop from the grass, it still was, the perfect moment. I am so very thankful for what we have, and I’m proud of us too. 4 years ago we never would have thought we would be as fortunate to be where we are today. We are blessed.
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