Off to the Zoo and on to the Orchard

Last year we made a full day of her special day, and this year it just seemed fitting to do it again. Who knows how many years we'll be able to do that, but for now we can so we do.

 It's a little zoo, not much new and nothing too exciting but it's close and fun to walk around and spend the morning.   Especially going on a Tuesday, it's quiet and we practically have the place to ourselves.  

They have a overlook tower atop a steep hill with a million steps just to get to the base.  Of all the times we've gone, we've never done the hike up and it sure was a treat.  While Ed and J climbed the stairs up to the lookout, I setup a little spot to get an impromptu family photo.  After much coaching and coercion, I got E and Josie to smile and cooperate.

I had begin to worry that we wouldn't make it to the apple orchard (what I was mos tlooking foward too).  In typical 3 yr old style she fell apart around nap time and we were far from home. We decided to give it a go because we were so close to the orchard. 

 

While it was just a quick pick of a bushel of Goldens, it was worth it.  This is just the coolest place, if we have time we'll come back and explore even more earlier in the day when we're all happy and not in need of a nap.  The ride to and from the orchard may be the best part... we get to munch on apples and enjoy the ride through the expansive fields of watermelons, pumpkins, eggplant and on and on and on. 

It's too bad Josie was such a sinker and running around because it was perfect landscape for more photos.   By the end of it all, she'd been bribed with several suckers and we managed back to the car for a ride home and a quick nap before cake.

goodbye 2. helllllo 3!

Birthdays, we do big.  Well, not really, but for Josie?  Yes. Indeed.  For our one and only. For the 3rd yr in a row... we all spent the day together, took the day off work, and did fun stuff.  I took a bazillion photos, too tired to edit anymore tonight.  But I'll have you know, we started the morning off right with balloons filling her room and monster mash pancakes on the special birthday plate!

Working on how to show three fingers instead of two :) 

Just like last year, the zoo and the apple orchard rounded out our day.  Only to be topped off with her traditional cupcake cake.  More to come...

another family picnic

Our family picnic was moved back a few weeks this year, and honestly - cooking out and playing bozo buckets is a lot more fun when it isn't 100 degrees and humid.  The cooler temps made for a completely great day :)

It's a good time where we all get to hang out, catch up, eat a lot of food, and enjoy desserts galore.  Josie's at the age where she'll run off and play with the rest of them for a good while, so it's a treat to get to relax for a while.

Not everyone was there, one brother missing, wondering how I can superimpose him in this image because I think it's a great one of my clan. 

At the end of the day, everyone starts to breakdown however.  Even though it was a cooler day, too much candy, no nap, too much running around, and filthy from head to toe called for a good soaking in the tub and early bedtime that night.   

Vacation Trial Run

Oh ya, we went on vacation last weekend.  Just a little jaunt to our favorite city, Indy. We've done it before, but this time we were selling it BIG.  Talking up how fun it is to go on vacation and sleep away from home, stay in a hotel, yada yada yada.  We were nervously optimistic that our real vacation come November will go smoothly.  Enter air travel into the mix, I'm ascared.

But anyhow, our mini vacation last weekend was tons of fun - even if I spent a good majority of the time wrangling my lively toddler into being quiet and reasonable.  She loved the idea of sleep in a hotel, and especially a hotel with a pool!  While Ed had a class he had to attend on Friday am, we spent the morning at the pool.

And then the rest of the afternoon at the zoo.  The Indy zoo is of the best I've ever been, so it's always a treat to spend the day there.  They had some new exhibits this time that made it fun to explore.  Josie's highlight was easily feeding the giraffes.

As we were walking along, we saw some kids eating Sponge Bob ice cream bars.  I didn't think anything of it, but Josie apparently thought she had to have one - and not knowing what in the world to call it, she promptly asked for a licky stick.  Now, that's a clever name if I do say so myself.  So a licky stick she got :)

We strolled through Circle Center, took a walk through the Botanical Gardens and enjoyed the Canal Walk - by the end of the day we were exhausted and slept great.  One more day in Indy, next up the Children's Museum.