Roommate Re-zoo-nion

I had planned to have a family zoo excursion for Carson's birthday on Tuesday. Then Leslie asked me if we'd like to join her at the zoo a few days before we were already planning to go, so we jumped at the chance to spend the day with the Christensen family. Before long Kenz was in on it, too and we were making a roommate reunion out of the day.

Eli was so excited to go to the zoo that he couldn't even eat his breakfast before we left. He was so busy chatting about animals and everybody who would be there. It was adorable. Then he and Carson held hands in the car and just about melted my heart.

It was a little chilly, but the overcast weather was ideal for pictures.

We went to the zoo around the same time last year. I think it might be a yearly staycation tradition. I love going in April because Jeff gets his week off work after busy season, so it's a great place to have some fun family time together. Plus there are usually baby animals in April. And who can resist baby elephants and giraffes? Not this family.

Eli was trying to keep his cool when we entered the zoo, but his excitement got the better of him. So this face happened:

"What got him so excited?" you ask. The tractor exhibit. Complete with construction workers. Human construction workers -- just to clarify.

He probably definitely could have stayed there all day.

We forced him to move on. I think this was the sea lion exhibit. I don't really know. Mostly I just love Kenz's face, Eli kissing the glass and Izzy squatting all simultaneously occurring in one glorious picture.

I love these two boys. Plus Eli. But he was still preoccupied with licking all the germs off the glass at this point.

Favorite animal by far was the newest kid on the block. Mr. Polar Bear. I'm sure he has a real name that isn't Mr. Polar Bear, but until I care enough to look up what that name is, he will remain Mr. Show-offy Polar Bear. This guy did tricks the entire time we watched him. And we watched him for a long time.

Do you see him?

He kept popping his head up right in front of everybody like he is doing in the picture. Then he would kick off the wall and swim on his back for a minute. Then he'd flip under the water, and emerge from the water as high as he could right in front of everybody again. Over. And. Over. It was awesome.

Carson seemed to enjoy his birthday zoo trip. He stayed happy the whole time despite the fact that we were there exactly during his morning nap time. Good birthday boy!

It must have been our subconsciouses that encouraged me, Kenz and Leslie to nonchalantly pose with the giraffes. We are all tall. Dare I say monstrously tall? Yes. Monstrously tall. Amazon-like. Giraffe-like. We felt at one with the giraffes perhaps. So we smiled and made our husbands snap pictures of us with what I think should be Stadium Way #49's mascot.

As they tend to do with these girls, things got progressively weirder with each snap of the camera.

See what I mean?

Let's take a moment to notice that Kenz outfitted herself in African Safari attire. I need to get myself an African Safari hat if we are really making this zoo thing a yearly tradition like I want to.

:)

After the zoo we stopped for lunch at Moochie's? I think that's what it was called. Apparently it's been on the Food Network - Diners Drive-ins and Dives or something like that? We don't have cable so I don't really know. But we decided it qualified as a dive. But don't worry. The food was great, and the graffiti, brightly colored walls and back-alley type ambience created the perfect set-up for a trendy looking photo op. If only there was a train track for us to pose the kids on! The possibilities.

These two are so funny. They are funny on their own and they are really funny when they try to interact with each other.

The babes. Carson finally crashed for his nap and wasn't waking up for anything. Not even the smell of fried ravioli.

So much fun.

Jeff was a good sport listening to girl jabber all day.

Cade was a good sport, too, but the only picture I really got of him was this one...

Those are his arms on the left. And Leslie's very excited face there in the middle. That face about sums up the day. Perfect and happy! Thanks for the fun everybody!