A big top surprise!

Before I start talking about the "big top" surprise.... a quick note on Bryn's procedure. We have an appointment this week to meet with her Dr. and discuss results and what we do from here. At the moment (since I haven't actually spoken with her Dr. personally) that is all on that. Update to come.....

SO... yes, we surprised the kids with tickets to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus! We didn't tell them where we were going until we were actually walking into the building! ;) It was great. We are horrible.... we actually told them a week in advance, that we were going to be doing something SOOOO fun this weekend... and we refused to tell them or give them any hints. It was great! :) Oh they guessed everything under the sun... we just kept saying.. "Guys, we are going to Walmart!" ;)

The show we went to was on Sunday (yesterday). I bought the tickets online about a week in advance. There happened to be 6 seats together in the front row... and they were the same price as all the rest available... so obviously I got them! We were on the corner of the ring and it was perfect. We were at just the right height and it was so much fun! What an amazing show! Even Ryan and I were in Awe through most of it. The show began at 3pm... however we got there at 1:30 and were able to go back and see the animals up close and then go in to the arena and watch clown acts and all kinds of little "mini" shows right on the main floor. The show went until about 5:15. That might sound long... but there was an intermission and the show was entertaining from beginning to end, there was never a dull moment and the kids (and adults) loved every single second of it!

 up close and personal before the show

The entire show was great, but I always love seeing the animals. Talk about having some "balls"... the guy in the cage with the tigers sure has some courage!!!! Man what a beautiful animal... but seriously, you wouldn't catch me in a circle like that surrounded by THAT many tigers.... no matter how pretty they are!

And elephants... who doesn't love elephants!? What an amazing animal! I love watching them walk around the arena holding each others tails. So cool! Yes the one closest to us in the photo below decided that while doing a "hand stand" was the perfect time to take a HUGE crap all over the arena floor. Haha. Can't miss it, the tail is in the air and he is ready to go :) The kids of course thought this was absolutely hysterical! Classic :)

These guys were pretty cool... I mean seriously, how fun would it be to bounce around on pogo stick legs night after night and get paid for it!?

I got a few more pics but I can't share them all... and I got some fun ones of the clowns, but those were on my cell phone and I haven't added them to the computer. So you will have to use your imagination. Im not typically partial to clowns. Not that I don't like them, they are just "odd" characters. However last night they looked like they were having quite the time, and I thought, Man.... that wouldn't be so bad. HAHA.... for a little while. Come on... they were having a ball. Who wouldn't want to have that much fun!?!

So our surprise was a success! Kids said thank you over and over as we were leaving (and a few times during the show) I love to watch their faces light up with excitement. It isn't every day we do something like that, and it was so worth every penny! A great family memory!