August 11

Today, we went to SeaWorld, where we got very (very) wet in the soak zone of the dolphin show, got wet again on the Journey to Atlantis ride (which, incidentally, produced a pretty epic photo that perfectly encapsulated how we each felt about the ride in a singular frame of genius), petted aquatic animals (Abby was especially pleased by the little sharks and Adam's hand was particularly popular with the cleaner fish), got wet again, and saw more animals and shows. I have many, many photos that I could use, but I went with this one for a few different reasons.

First off, they all look happy. Genuinely relaxed and happy. It was after lunchtime, so they all had full bellies and were toting their Shamu cups as we stood in line for the Shipwreck Rapids ride (and of course, they were excited to get wet. Again). I like it because Brady is, as he often does of late, making the "I love you" sign. Logan's sign.

I also like it because all day long, I kept hearing parents calling out the name "Logan," and as we waited, I noticed the kid in front of us, who was maybe a wee bit older than Isaac, who appeared to be a lone rider. Long story short, he wound up riding in our boat, and he narrated the entire ride, which was hilarious. No, wasn't Logan. But in that moment, it felt like he was there with us, riding an amusement park attraction while acting like a goofy kid without a care in the world.

I don't know how I feel about that, to be honest. I wish it were him. I wish he'd been there with us and I wish he were in the photos I took, goofing off with his sister and brothers. But given that today marked precisely 3 1/2 years since Logan's trip Homeward, I'll take all of the nice little random reminders that come my way.