tulsa zoo

We've been talking about going to the zoo all summer and yesterday we made it happen.  We woke the boys up early to get a head start and see as much as we could see before it got too hot!

The Chimps were our first stop and they didn't disappoint.  At first they just seemed to be lying around, but then they really got to swinging and whooping and hollering.

 We spent a little extra time there because if we asked Ivan what he wanted to see, it was the monkeys

Top on Amos and Silas' list were all the snakes scattered around the zoo.  We've been to other zoos where all the snakes are pretty much in one place.  At the Tulsa zoo, they are scattered throughout the park.  Our snake boys liked this better because they just kept finding more snakes.

Conrad did great!  We'd wheel him up to the window and he would just start squealing with delight if he spied the animals.

 One of our favorite parts was the Sea Lion show.  

It was a nice time to take a little break in the shade and have a snack while we let the sea lions entertain!

The boys got front row seats.

 More snakes!  This one was a rattle snake and he was very active, trying to climb up the window.

We hadn't been able to see the jaguars from inside, but when we came out of the building, we were delighted to see them right by the window and playing with each other.  

And who can pass up a huge rock to climb?  Not us.

Our only disappointment for the day was not seeing the rhinos.  We don't know if they were just taking a break, but we couldn't find them. But the giraffes were all out and up close when we first pulled up.

And then it was the coolest thing with the elephant.  He was way out in the yard and as soon as we got near the window, he made a beeline for the door right beside us.  We definitely took in how huge he was.

Our last stop was the komodo dragon and tigers.  Conrad took a break from the stroller and crawled/shuffled around the building.  He had the knees to prove it.

By the time we finished, it was HOT!!  But thanks to a lot of buildings to go in and out of, the day was very enjoyable!  It was such a fun zoo!  I think we'll definitely be back!

some more summer!!

And the birthday fun continues!! In July, it seems like the fun goes on and on!  We got to head to Springfield and celebrate Emma's 6th birthday at Sky Zone!  The boys loved it, but I'll only share a few blurry phone pictures with you.

Amos opened up more birthday presents and we just had to try out the snow cone machine when we got home.  It was a success.

Then on Sunday, we headed to my parents for a group birthday celebration.  We left the two oldest boys there for the next four days to go to VBS with Grammy and hang out with the Josie and Cilla.

Then we brought these two home.  I was actually a little worried about how our week as a family of four was going to go.  It may have been because I had really low expectations, but the week went really well.  These two had a chance to figure out their dynamic a little better.

It also helped that I had some fun things planned to do with Ivan.  We hit up the Bounce House with just him and me.  He was soaking up all the fun, but then at about an hour, he was ready to go.

He was so sweet and kept asking for "his boys."  I think he missed them the most of everyone.  One thing that went so much smoother the whole week was bedtime.  Instead of playing around with his brothers for an hour, he was out and we would have to wake him up in the morning...ah!

On Wednesday, we joined our friends at the wading pool in Neosho.  It was perfect for these two littl ones.

And then we ate lunch with the ducks.

But to keep it real, we definitely had moments like this through-out the week.

Our weekend brought Nana and Papa to our house!  We watched for them and couldn't wait for them to get here.  The treated us to Mexican and ice cream, some of our favorite things.

Saturday brought lots of Lego building, coloring and reading for those of us inside the house.

And the men spent most of the time out of the house.  They had a few house projects they were working on.  

And our deck looks so much better for it.

We celebrated with Chick-fi-la afterwards!!!

amos jack's 6th birthday

First look at the birthday boy!

  

 How can it be??  

Dad serenaded him on the harmonica.  Another one of the benefits of a summer birthday!

When choosing his birthday menu, what he really wanted for breakfast was breakfast rice.  Basically oatmeal, but with rice!  He said we hadn't had it in a while.  We stuck a candle in it and called it good.

His theme of choice was REPTILES!  And he wanted to hunt for them.  We did the next best thing and let Wildcat Glades do the work. 

Before the presentation, I told Jason to wow the kids with his tales of reptiles!

 Please take note of Priscilla!

And then the real fun started when all the animals came out.

Apparently, Amos knows all about reptiles.  He sure surprised me with his knowledge.

Amos thought he was pulling a snake out the bag.  I was a little terrified at this moment.

Luckily, it was just a trick.  He said he thought it would have been moving.

But then the real snake came out!

Best friends pretending to be turtles.

He has a pretty good Ninja Turtle pose.

And then it was time for the turtle races.

 It was the perfect birthday for this six year old!

That evening we had spaghetti and corn on the cob, his choice and opened up the rest of his presents.

He's becoming quite the artist, so his own art set and sketch book were a good choice.  He was a more grateful receiver of gifts this year and even willing to share with his brothers.  A year makes a difference.  We pray that the Lord would continue to work in his life and change him to be more like him!!