Toledo Zoo

We squeezed in probably one last family of 4 outing. We actually had a really busy weekend with a day at the Toledo Zoo on Friday, a day at our friend's house on the lake on Saturday, and then Sunday an afternoon in our friend's pool and dinner with them. I was ready to lay on the couch on Monday!!

We had visited the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo this summer and LOVED it, although it made the Detroit Zoo seem super lame in comparison. We had also heard good things about the Toledo Zoo so we made the trip. 

I did NOT like that they only had a 'digital map' option, come on, I'm paying $100 admission you can give me a paper map. 

First up, seeing the otters and waiting to watch the hippos get fed. 

Watching the hippos get fed was pretty cool

A bear enjoying a bath

Petting a crocodile

Doug said his favorite part of the day was carrying Jeanie on his shoulders 💗

37 week bump

Frogs in the conservatory

Tired daddy

You could also feed the giraffes for $5

It was fun. I think I did like it better than the Detroit Zoo, they had some good exhibits and more interactive things to do. Both of those zoos needed some help when designing the layouts though, its frustrating to have to back track all over the place to find exhibits (which would've been easier with a map) but anyway, that was one thing the Fort Wayne zoo really did well. 

Anyway, it was a hot, fun, nice day with the family. 

Fort Wayne, Indiana weekend

 Last year I had bought tickets to Night Lights, which of course was cancelled for Covid. After a series of false new dates, it finally was set to happen. We had picked the Indiana option and made a fun long weekend out of it.

This event was so cool, we really had a good time and would love to do it again!

My friend's sister lives in Fort Wayne and had given us tons of ideas for the rest of the weekend. 

We spent some time in their downtown, no fun shops, but a pretty cool outdoor park area (Promenade Park) that would've been extra cool in the summer. 

And we spent a full day at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. Which was AMAZING.

August's favorite: feeding the stingrays

And my favorite: the log ride through the "Australian outback"

They even had a little farm area where the kids could brush the goats. 

The last day we stopped at Salomon Farm which is a working farm since the 1800s.

It was a really great trip!

zoo boo

Last week we were excited to take August to the zoo boo. Which I thought was just going to the zoo while wearing a costume.

The Salvation Army, which had tons of stuff last year when I was just pregnant, this year had nothing. So he wore an orange shirt and a pumpkin hat and was our little pumpkin. Actually I had knitted that hat for a friend's baby and she gave it back to me in a pile of stuff her son had outgrown! :)

Anyway, it turns out Zoo Boo is just going thru a sectioned off part of the zoo and stopping at trick-or-treat stations along the way. The only things open were the reptile house, the camels were still outside, and we saw the beaver in his habitat. So we were actually kind of disappointed. August did seem to like to see kids running around, and they did have this really good juggler that we watched for awhile, but I wouldn't go again. There were lots of Halloween blow ups and decor along the path, they did have a display of pumpkins and squashes that were made to look like animals and painted, which was kind of cool, but again, Halloween isn't really our thing anyway, so not for us.

It was a nice day though and it's always good to get out and do stuff as a family. We love our little pumpkin!

First Father's Day

Doug counts his first Father's day as last year when baby August was still in the belly, but this one was "extra real" :)

We celebrated by taking August to the zoo for the first time.

butterflies in the butterfly house

peacock on the loose!

water fountain outside the penguinarium.

August probably won't remember, but Doug and I had fun. They have a new penguinarium which was great, the polar bears were play fighting in the tunnel right above our heads, there was a younger chimp that was running around slapping the other chimps butts and running away and doing cartwheels, it was really fun to see, normally they're just sitting on logs!

I also remember the last time being at the zoo with Doug, and I was in the midst of trying to get pregnant and it not happening and just seeing all the pregnant women and children everywhere. I remember tearing up and Doug holding me and saying it would happen for us. And it did. So it was neat to be back in the same spot, and a totally different spot in life. I'm so thankful for the privilege of being a mother.

We went out for mediterranean dinner and got a redbox (The Space Between Us- meh).

August went all out and used mommy's credit cash back to buy daddy a new grill :)

The next day was Sunday and we went to church, then met Doug's parents for lunch. And went over to their house for a bit. At one point someone was talking and Doug tells me "Anne, get up and go outside now." I was confused, and he said there was a bat up on the ceiling! So August and I went to another room while he and his parents corralled the bat and ended up removing it. Our hero!

In the evening my parents came over, we went out for dinner, and they came back to look at our Hawaii pics.

Doug and I are so lucky to both have such wonderful fathers, and my August and I are so lucky and blessed to have Doug in our lives! I love seeing Doug grow in his role as August's daddy and am so proud of him.