As Promised...

Over a week ago we went to the Detroit Zoo for a fundraiser. The monies raised went to the camp that I work at in the summer. We went with my parents as they are more involved with camp then I am.

We were able to catch up with many camp friends and enjoy some animals. Most of them were out and about as it was a chilly day and they were not all lethargic trying to stay cool (the animals not the camp friends). I think that the zoo is best in spring and fall when it isn't 100 degrees.

My aunt and uncle and cousin Melissa (with her boys) were also there. Cause they wanted to raise money for camp...OR because she had an announcement for me WAHOOOOOO. Congrats on baby #3!

Snug and Jayce are good buddies. We try to get them together a few times a year because neither one have any first cousins. Being just a few months difference in age, we plan on our kids growing up together and hope they have the friendship their moms still enjoy. After the zoo we also went to a family game night at my aunt and uncle's house and my boys got a few minutes of play with some other second/third cousins before they went to bed.

Snug, when he wants to be, is a detail guy. He'll probably mention the footprints in the cement in five years when he talks about this trip to the zoo. Seriously, he does that kind of thing all the time. Can't remember the name of any classmates at school (that aren't from out church/daycare), but he can describe the rug down to the last fiber.

I brought a hat for Rosebud, a hooded sweatshirt for Snug, but I forgot a hat for Monkey Man. Often his hair is enough insulation, but parts of this day were really chilly, especially when there was wind. He loves my hat I got from my brother and SIL (from Norway!) and chose to make it his for most of the day.

I loved this peacock. There were lots of them free in the zoo (anyone know why? I couldn't figure it out). This one though was letting Monkey Man get super close to him. I didn't let him touch it because I didn't want him pecked...but it was incredible.

I was even able to get this shot of his beautiful tail...my lens was literally about a foot from it when I took the shot.

Rosebud was less than impressed with the zoo. She is in an underwater exhibit here, excuse her odd coloring. She chose to sleep in a sling about 90% of the day.

I think Monkey Man's favorite part about the zoo was the amphibians and the reptiles. There was this one snake that kept crawling slithering (?) up the glass and he thought it was the most fantastic thing he'd ever encountered. More than once I looked around and saw he was no longer beside me but back a few aquariums looking at his favorite exhibit.

The Arctic exhibit is always a favorite. You can see polar bears and seals both outside and in a tunnel system where they can swim over you. They are not in the same habitat...it just appears that way.

I had to laugh at the sign by the hippo. It was an old folktale based on the fact that you never see a hippo out of the water in the daytime, only at night. Clearly they hadn't met this hippo. I think it was probably because it was so chilly out.

Snug doing his best kangaroo jump. You can see a Wallaby in the background. There are Wallabies, Wallaroos, and Kangaroos. Who knew?

After a long day at the zoo....the boys were tired. Not Rosebud though. After sleeping most of the day, she was well-rested and ready to play.

I took well over a hundred pictures...I edited and kept about 70. Seems like a long post, but it could have been much longer :o)