First Trip to the Zoo!!

Spring Break fun continues with Bre's first trip to the Zoo!!  We've been going to a new Life Group at church (which I'm really excited about! Think it's a great fit for us!) and they had organized a day to go over to the Tyler Zoo.  Bre & I invited Kristi and the kids and they were able to come, so we all loaded up in the van!  Alex & Katy brought Cat in the Hat to watch on the way over and had a good time!  Katy kept telling me I was do soooo good, enough times that Kristi finally asked her if she thought I was a better driver than she was.  I don't think I am, but it was sweet that she kept telling me I was doing good!

We started this fun off pretty early in the morning...we were over in Tyler by 9:30 and it was still a bit chilly outside.  (by the end of the outing it had warmed up quite a bit)  Trying to keep Adam & Bre in the sun until all of the group got there so they wouldn't be too cold.  However, it did put the sun in all of their eyes for the pic.

The kids were ready to go look at animals!!  No time to wait on the group but we were able to hold them off looking at a few of the first exhibits.  A really big group turned out (acutally so big that it that it made several stops a tight squeeze with all the strollers in the group)  Most of the kids actually didn't stay in the strollers. Bre would get in and out, she really couldn't see much unless I was holding her up but every once in a while I had to give my arms a break...however, most of the pictures show her in the stroller but that was only because I couldn't take pictures while I was holding her.

Love this one...Adam looks like he's saying, "Are you ready for this?"

Looking over towards the petting zoo

Little cutie not fully awake yet

Katie posing on the bench

Alex wanted to help push Bre some and he was a big help!

She was having fun!  Think she liked seeing all the kids and people as much as the animals!

Really getting into this!

I just loved these birds below...forget what their actual name was but they were so neat!  Bright, bright red-orange...almost looked like they were on fire.

Checking out the Rhino

Flamingos!!

Adam and Bre chating it up while we stopped for a bathroom break.

Bre's favorite part of the zoo (and mine too) probably was the Elephants & Giraffes.  She actually could see quite a bit from her stroller at this point. 

I just loved the umbrellas they had!  The elephants were really moving around the big trees and breaking off branches with their tusk...neat to watch.

My most favorite were the Giraffes

We sat and watched the giraffe for a little bit and she was pretty excited about it.  Making little oohhs and aahhs (kind of like she did with the Easter Egg banner if you've seen that video) It was really cute!

Waving her hands around in excitement!

Kristi was able to take a cute pic with mommy & Bre!  Thanks Kristi

Picture of Kristi and her kiddos...trying to get a pic with all three looking with all the distractions was a little tough but I still think this one is cute!

Bre and Adam laughing together

This part of the Zoo was so cool!  (Could be my favorite too...not sure)  You go into this mesh tent and there were a ton of bright colorful birds flying around.  For $1 you could buy feeder sticks and the birds would come up and eat from your stick!  So neat!!

I think Bre was liking it...she was making sounds like she did!  (I kept thinking Lindsey Taylor would be freaking out if she was in this tent...she is scared to death of birds!)

Alex & Katy really enjoyed it too!

Here's a close up of the bird Bre and I were feeding, so pretty!

Zebras were on the top of Katy's list all throughout the zoo but when we actually made it around to them she wasn't as excited about them as I thought she would be...but they were kind of far off.

Bre and I taking one last pic while Kristi and the kids were in the gift shop.  Katy & Alex were definitely excited about making a stop there and kept asking when it was time to go to the gift shop :)  Kristi kept explaining that would be at the very end. And they weren't the only ones asking about the gift shop!

We finished up at the zoo close to 1 o'clock and were getting hungry.  We spotted a Sonic with a playground and decided to stop there.  By this point, Adam & Bre were both fast asleep.  Luckily there were picnic tables right by where we parked, so we rolled down the windows and sat right beside the car to have lunch.  Then Alex & Katy were able to play, Adam & Bre napped,  and Kristi & I visited, worked out great!

We ended up our fun day by stopping by the Ribbon Store in Gladewater on our way home.  Picked up some more ribbons for bows and found a darling outfit for Bre to wear to her party!!  So exciting!  Really fun day!!  Loving this week spending quality time with Bre!  And so blessed to have such a great friend like Kristi!