A Trip to the Brookfield Zoo

img_6762.jpgWe went to the Brookfield Zoo three times last summer (with Mom & Dad, with Megan & Molly & the kids, and with Trent & Loden & Ellyza), but we’d never been to the zoo yet this year. I was excited to go back because Makai is older and would see things differently and also because we still had some time left on our annual membership from last year!

img_6749.jpgimg_6753.jpgimg_6755.jpgLike previous visits, we saw the goats first. Makai wasn’t really THAT into them like he was last year.

img_6765.jpgHe really wanted to see a kangaroo, so he loved the wallabees/emu area. One of the mommy wallabees had a baby in her pouch and it’s leg? tail? was sticking out of the pouch. Pretty funny.

img_6771.jpgimg_6775.jpgHe also enjoyed feeding the birds with Jessica.

img_6880.jpgimg_6830.jpgWe saw the dolphin show. And we all got soaked in the splash zone!

img_6733.jpgJess’s favorite was the lions! And the big cats.

img_6832.jpgimg_6812.jpgMakai also really liked the giraffes. He said that this was his favorite, even though when we were there he took a look and then said he was ready to see more animals.

img_6823.jpgimg_6810.jpgimg_6813.jpgIn contrast, he watched the gorillas forever. There was a baby gorilla he really wanted to see. He talked a lot about the mommy, the daddy, the baby gorillas and about the possibility of grandpa and grandma gorillas. He had a lot of questions about the gorillas like “What do gorillas eat?” and “Do gorillas have a pouch?”. When the gorilla got up and walked around Makai shouted “Mom! I saw the gorilla’s bunnies (butt)!!!!”.

img_6858.jpgI don’t know where Makai picked this up, but every time he saw something he liked he said “That’s ah-MAZE-ing!!!” So funny.

img_6831.jpgimg_6791.jpgAs we were walking out of the zoo, Makai protested that he still wanted to “ride the carousel at the Brookfield Zoo!!” but when we got to the car and left, he fell asleep before we were out of the parking lot!

Louisiana Swamp Tour

I was talking with Tien before going to New Orleans and he said that he and Shannan had gone on a Louisiana swamp tour when they were down there and had a really great time. You can see from his photographs that they saw a lot of alligators on their tour and were having a good time, so I signed up.

Tien recommended the small, high-speed air boat. Listening to him as much as I normally do, I went ahead and booked the slow, covered, 40-person boat. Actually, it wasn’t because I don’t take his advice, but because the slow boat was $30 less. I also went for the option where the tour sent someone to the hotel to pick me up, so that cost a little more than Tien paid. When I got out to the swamp, it turned out there was a mixup with scheduling and I got upgraded to the high-speed air boat for free.

I don’t think that this is a bad tour to go on, but I didn’t enjoy it that much. It was neat to see the bayou, the swamp, the marshlands, whatever you want to call it, but the night before the morning tour was a horrible storm. Thunder and lightening so loud and bright that it woke us up at the hotel. What this did was drive away a lot of the birds and wildlife, raise the waterline and bring a lot of salt water into the area. Unfortunately, we only saw a few birds and the eyes of two alligators as they swam away from us. Plus, it was freezing. I brought a light jacket with me, but most of the time in my head I was just thinking “OMG! It’s so cold! Let’s go back to the dock already! There’s nothing out here!” After 15 minutes we kind of got the idea that there was nothing more to see.. but then we had 1 hour and 45 minutes left of the tour.

Our tour guide was a local guy.. maybe about 25 years old.. who had obviously grown up on the bayou and told a lot of stories of life there. He spent a lot of time telling us how redneck and coonass he was.

I would still recommend the tour because I personally know people that have been on it and had a great time. Just hope for good weather just before the tour and for sun during the tour.

Uncle Steve’s Party


My dad’s side of the family has it’s roots in the deep south. My uncle very much celebrates this fact and you see it with the decorations in his house. Here are some of the more eccentric – mounted alligator heads. Freaky. Steve threw this holiday party as an excuse (like he needs one!) to cook up a huge slab of prime rib. Cooking is one of his passions and he never disappoints. The party was also for my Aunt Elissa, who was in from Florida, and my cousin Jason who was visiting from Virginia.


My dad is the oldest of eight kids so I have cousins galore (my mom is also one of eight kids). Several of them, including my brother, had babies this year. These are my cousin, Anna’s, twins Colin & Keegan.


Dad.


Mom.


Amber and Colin.


My brother, Richard.


My cousin, Kacey, and Colin.


Aunt Deb with my cousins Amanda and Bethany.


Uncle Doug and Dad.


Cousin Sabrina


Cousin Bill with Colin & Keegan.


Bob.


Cousin Dawn and Cousin Bill.


My niece, Jessica, playing with my brother’s camera. A future photographer?


My cousin Stephanie’s baby, Logan. He’s just a few weeks older than my niece, Jessica.


My niece, Stephanie, feeding Colin.


My niece, Stephanie.


Stephanie feeding her baby sister, Jessica, with the help of my mom.