Catching Up: Wildlife World Zoo & Show Low

I have quite a few pictures to catch up on and think I'd better do it before we get too wrapped up in baby prep and home improvement. Last week while Allen was off work we took the kids to the Wildlife World Zoo. It is closer than the Phoenix zoo so we thought we would try it out. The kids absolutely loved it. Here are a few pictures:

As you can see, one of the really cool things about this zoo is that it is very hands on. Our very favorite thing was the opportunity to feed the giraffes. You climb up this high platform and can buy food to feed them. It was really amazing. Allen suggested that next time we need to bring twice as much change to buy food with because the kids loved it so much.

Makenna insisted on pulling the wagon instead of riding in it.



At the park in the zoo. We also rode the train around the African animal exhibit. The animals will walk right up to the train and you can get a really close look at them. Carter LOVED the bat exhibit (it scared me to death) and Makenna loved the 4 baby tigers that were born in November. Overall, we had a great time and look forward to going back.

We also went up to the ranch in Show Low for a few days. It was so relaxing and nice to be there. The kids were excited to play in the snow but most of it had melted by the time we got there. We debated about driving up to a local ski resort for the kids to have more snow time but eventually decided against it. We are glad now as Makenna lasted all of 15 minutes in the snow and cold (she is SO my daughter). They did a tiny bit of sledding and took a couple 4 wheeler rides with daddy. Allen and Carter also chopped wood for an entire afternoon for Al's mom. Carter loved it and actually got pretty good chopping kindling with his little hatchet (no, I was not present for any of this - I probably would have nixed the hatchet idea but he actually did fine with it).

In the snow with Grandma:
Chopping wood (he looks very earnest here, don't you think?):

We ate way too much of Allen's moms fabulous cooking, got to sleep late while Grandma played with the kiddos and generally had a great time being together. It was in the 30s the entire time we were there and I was freezing the whole time. I'm a wimp already and was excited to drive back into the valley of the sun and 70 degree temperatures!!