Boo at the Zoo 2014

Boo at the Zoo 2014

For our family costume theme this year we went with pirates! We headed to Boo at the Zoo like we always do and had a great time. The girls love everything about it and I am happy to do this for them. When we were all getting ready in the morning Dani couldn’t quite figure out what was happening, but she was so excited because the other girls were. We headed for the zoo and showed her that if she gave them a ticket they would give her candy. This thrilled her and it was so sweet to see her excitement. Then we went over to the area with shows and games and she found out she could get candy for playing games too. Nadia and Amelie knew what was going on and they were very serious about where to use their tickets.

Boo at the Zoo 2014

Boo at the Zoo 2014

Dani’s pirate faces might be the best thing about this Halloween!

Boo at the Zoo 2014

Boo at the Zoo 2014

Boo at the Zoo 2014

Boo at the Zoo 2014

Boo at the Zoo 2014

Nadia loves the area where you can shoot the rifles because if you hit the targets the animitronics move. The last two times we went the area wasn’t working so I was happy they could do it this time. I had to get this photo of Amelie too because she was so serious when it was her turn. Once again we had a great time at Boo at the Zoo!

**This is a side story about how our day at the zoo started. Our entire family had plastic swords and Mike had a fake flintlock pistol. As we were going in they told us that we could leave them in guest services or take them back to our car because no one could bring “weapons” in the zoo. Nadia couldn’t believe it and was even a little offended that anyone would think that they were in the slightest bit real. They look so clearly fake, but I took them back to the car. When I was collecting them I missed the little one Dani had and that is why we had a photo of her with it at the end.

Once we got to the shooting gallery Nadia immediately noticed that in that part of the zoo the guns look REAL and they charge you a dollar to use them. She couldn’t get over the fact that it was a-okay to pay to use the real looking ones, but we couldn’t carry around silver plastic swords. So I took this photo. It was one of those moments that made me proud because she worked that lack of logic out so quick.

Boo at the Zoo 2014

Grammie’s 80th Birthday Party!

Grammie's 80th
Click to see entire album

My wonderful Grammie turned 80 this year! My Grammie has been such a key part of my life. When I was a child she encouraged my love of reading in many ways including buying me the entire Nancy Drew series. When I graduated high school she invited me to come live with her as her “roomie” and we had a great time as roommates until I got married. We always celebrate our October birthdays together (and have now added Nadia to the mix). We see her almost every week for a play date or lunch date with my kids. She is one of my favorite people on the planet.

Her kids decided to have a lunch part for her at Al Wadi Cafe in Bedford. It’s a Lebanese/Greek restaurant and was so fantastic and I want to go back sometime soon. Most of her Grandkids and Great Grandkids made it in addition to a niece and great nephew and old friends. We had such a nice time celebrating my Grammie.

Grammie's 80th
Eileen and Clay
Grammie's 80th
With the Grandkids

Grammie's 80th

Brooke, Greg and Bayli

Grammie's 80th

We love Grammie

Grammie's 80th

Grammie and GeorgeAnn have been friends for 53 years! They make me laugh just watching them have fun together.

We love you Grammie!!!!

The Zoo 10.17.2014

Zoo 10.17.2014

We woke up on this fine day planning on going to the Arboretum to take photos in the pumpkin village. I had new shirts for the big girls and we headed over to Dallas. Once arriving we saw that all the parking lots were full and one of the employee’s told us that they were sending people a mile and a half down the road and then busing them back in. Mike and I quickly agreed, “NO WAY!” We decided to just head back to Fort Worth and we thought we should go somewhere, so we headed for the zoo. The girls were just fine as usual about the turn of events. We really are blessed by three easy going children 🙂

Zoo 10.17.2014
I love this photo!
Zoo 10.17.2014
The required Komodo Dragon photo

Zoo 10.17.2014

Zoo 10.17.2014
King of the Jungle

Zoo 10.17.2014

Dani had to pretend to be asleep because Nadia did 🙂

Zoo 10.17.2014

True confession: I am slightly obsessed with the baby elephants at our zoo.

The Stay-cation

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While Dani and I were in NYC, Mike and the big girls had a little stay-cation fun. He took them to their usual activities like Taekwondo and Dance and they went to see “Dolphin Tale 2.” They also decorated the porch for fall – Yoda and Vader are a new additions this year.

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He also took them to the Hallmark store to pick out their 2014 Christmas ornaments.

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They spent hours in Target looking at toys and Halloween stuff. Each girl got a gift – Nadia choose this cute little froggy.

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Amelie choose a Sophia the First jewelry set to match her dance recital outfit. They also made a Happy Birthday video for me since I was so far away. Both girls told me they had lots of fun with daddy while Dani and I were gone.