Fishes, Turtles, and Frogs

Jon and I have had an unusual amount of extra money lately (Overtime pay maybe? I have no idea why. This never happens.). We have been really good lately trying to pay down debt and control our spending habits. But we felt like we deserved something. There have been a few opportunities presented before us recently that would help us out financially and really prepare us to finally get onto some health insurance and start trying to have some babies finally! Well, with that desire to have babies, but knowing we still have a little while before we can actually have one, we decided we were going to get ourselves a fish. Yes, a fish. We aren't allowed pets in our complex, and I know Jon would love to have a dog or cat (which I would absolutely detest in an apartment anyways). However, we can have a fish... I think. I mean, they just sit there and swim and don't make a mess anywhere except inside their tank. I think this desire to buy a fish started when we visited the Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy and decided that someday we want a really cool, huge saltwater aquarium. So we decided to go to PetSmart because it was the only pet place we could think of that was closest to us. As we were looking at all the fish, I saw some turtles.

Before I go on, I must reflect first on a time I wanted a turtle before. I was probably around 9- or 10-years-old, in fourth grade. My family went up to visit my Great Aunt (Grandma's Sister/Dad's Aunt) in Oakland, CA. We also went to visit the Santa Clara Mission, which two classmates and I were doing a group report on at school. In fourth grade, you learn about your state, and California has missions that were built by the Spaniards to bring Christianity to the Native Americans. My parents always liked to take us kids to visit the missions we did our reports on, and my group happened to pick one of the farthest ones away, so I almost didn't get to visit it. Anyways, that really has nothing to do with this story... Well, while we visited Oakland and Santa Clara, we decided to also visit San Francisco. I don't remember much besides the bay, the trolleys, my younger brother screaming because he hated the trolley ride, etc. I know we went to Chinatown also because it was there that I saw these cute little swimming turtles. I begged my Mother for one, but she wouldn't get one for me. I was so sad! They were so cute.



Anyways, so back to the pet store. I decided at that moment that I wanted a turtle instead. They are so cute and live a really long time. They would be an easy pet to take care of, I think. Well, I really wanted one of the tiny ones like I saw in San Francisco years ago. So we went to several stores and found nothing. Well, my friend, Gentri, told me that they were banned from the U.S. I decided to look it up online, and yes, they are. Apparently, they had a big turtle scare years ago with salmonella. These turtles are little, and well, little kids like to put little objects into their mouths. So you have kids sticking turtles into their mouths and people not washing their hands after touching the turtles. Thus, salmonella outbreak and banned turtles.

So now I have given up on my turtle dream. I now want some froggies and fishies to live together in the same tank. I went grocery shopping at Wal-mart last night and looked at their fish. They had some Dwarf African Frogs, and they were so tiny and cute. I think I have a problem right now. I want anything that's tiny and cute (I almost wanted a cute little puppy or kitty when we were at the pet stores).


Anyways, so I don't know if we'll be getting a new friend anytime soon but that is what we have been up to the last few days during our Fall Break!