Christmas at the Zoo

I should be sleeping, but I am not..so I thought I would try to catch up on some pictures...and so our Christmas continued...

For the past three years we have taken the kids to the zoo on Christmas Eve. It is a fun way to pass the morning and early afternoon as they anxiously await present opening time later in the evening. Plus, we have figured out the mall is crazy...the zoo is not. We basically have it to ourselves...with a few exceptions. We get personal, behind the scene tours and learn special inside information from the workers. We look forward to this every year and this year was no different.

We were starting our day early and it was cold (probably why I don't look so happy) but everyone else looks good, so I will share this one...

On our way to get some hot coffee we ran into a zoo worker who volunteered to show us how to "call" the fish to the window using our hands... And it worked... We all found these monkeys fascinating...Especially Chloe...

Connor with a lizard on his head?

Summer wouldn't get as close...

Posing...(they don't just hug without being told)Chloe's first ride on the carousel took her breath away...Shawn took a rest...While the kids played...OK, so the kids weren't the only ones that played...After playing monkeys, we were off to see the monkeys...Shawn says this is a family photo...humph...I discovered from my recent study of the Tabernacle, that God loved Him some acacia wood. So when I saw this sign...I couldn't help but take a picture... Oh, and of course, of the famous wood itself...The giraffes are always one of our favorites... A really big metal elephant...That Shawn decided to climb...
I was so proud of myself for climbing the alligator. Shawn said, "Now that is something to tell your grand kids."
Summer said, "Mom? You have grand kids?"
Another Summer story: I said, "Look Rhinos!" Summer says, "Oh, I see them! Are they pink?" Huh?
The real elephants...Chloe fell in love with a stuffed giraffe in the gift store...giving it hugs...
And kisses...
But it was Christmas Eve and we had presents waiting for us at home, so we left without it. We were off for naps, then to church, then to Grandma's to eat and then home for presents. Whew! What a day! Makes me tired just thinking about it...or maybe it is the wee hours of the morning that I am typing this that is making me tired. OK, off to bed...the present pictures will come later. Goodnight!