We love the zoo!

I'll be the first to admit that I love zoos just as much, if not more, than my girls. So when a college friend that lives 5 hours away suggested we meet in the middle at a zoo, I thought it was a great idea. Thankfully, my mom in law took Sadie for the day. I just couldn't get myself to take all three by myself. And though I missed her, there were several times I was thankful she wasn't along.
The older two and I left a little after 8:00. (Thanks to Brandon for getting us donuts!) We pulled in the parking lot before 11:00, and the coolest thing happened. Of all places to park, I pulled in right next to my college friends! I met my friends, A and H, who I haven't seen for five years. They each had their two kids, so it was three moms, three boys, and three girls. The weather was great! We packed in as much as we could, but we still didn't see it all. This zoo is amazing! We had a picnic lunch together, and kept busy until 4:00 when I wanted to head home. It was so nice to be able to visit with friends! The girls and I were on the road at 4:30, stopped 45 minutes later at McD's and kept driving. We got home 7:30ish. Thanks to DVDs for the girls and podcasts for me, the trip went fast. I listened to Focus on the Family broadcasts featuring Kevin Leman and loved it! I encourage all moms to listen.

An air conditioned desert...got to love it!

Maisie trying to pet the penguin

Mother gorilla and my girls

Things I want to remember about this trip:

Maisie's favorite was the penguins, though I think she had the most fun swinging from all the bars that keep people in a line...

Analise loved the tiny jellyfish.

My favorite was the baby gorilla. I would have brought it home if I had the chance.

I am thankful we get to go to another zoo this summer. Maisie really wanted to ride the train; Analise really wanted to see the seals get fed. I told them we could do that another time. It worked.

We saw the giraffes up close in the giraffe house. (Another one of my faves). Analise saw all the little brown pellets below the giraffes. Analise, "Mom, what are all those little brown things?"

Me, "Analise, I bet you can figure it out. I'll give you one guess."
Analise after some serious thought, "Blueberries?" :)

After getting a junky Happy Meal toy, Analise told me she was glad it wasn't another Shrek watch. She said, "I want something girly, not boyly."

Thanks to help from others, the three of us had a great day!