Bayou Wildlife Park

There is a super fun place I love to take the kids here in Texas called Bayou Wildlife Park.  It's like a zoo...but waaaaay better! It is unfortunately $18 a person to get in so we don't get to go as often as I'd like, but luckily we've had a few opportunities to avoid the expensiveness of the park while enjoying it's awesomeness. It's basically a safari ride and you get a bucket to feed the animals, and they don't mind coming right up to you and eating out of your bucket!  Also there are a couple of deer that will come up to you like a dog and let you pet them! The kids sure love it and it even includes a free pony ride!



The first time we went was with the Resiterns, and they paid our way so it was free! We had so much fun (I think this was back in September--it was almost too hot still, but bearable).  I took the kids because Erik had to work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second time we went was with a group from our ward.  We paid $6 a person (group rate) but still better than $18!  I was almost too cold this time (December 31st) and the animals didn't seem to have as much ambition for food as they did in our previous trip, but it was still fun.  Erik got to go too!

There were a couple of downsides to this last visit to the park.  The tour guide just had to tell us a horrible story about a newborn giraffe getting it's eyes pecked out and killed by some buzzards.  I think the ride would have been much better without that tidbit of info (ignorance is bliss, right?!).  Also Elisa stuck her hand in the cage of a peacock and got her little baby hand pecked at.  It didn't do much damage, just scared her mostly.  Stupid birds and their stupid pecking beaks. 

Christmas, Part 3b

 This is the last Christmas post, I promise!  It was nice after Christmas to just relax and have fun and go out with Erik while we had babysitters!  We enjoyed visits from Erik's Grandparents, the Hales, and the Dahlins.  I was hoping to go up to Salt Lake and see family and then to our BYU ward reunion, but it didn't work out.  That was the only bummer.  Other then that, well, I'll let the pictures do most of the talking!

 More presents...from Great Grandma! We enjoyed ours, it was fun to see The Hobbit and Les Mis with Erik...without kids crawling all over us.

 Gabe absolutely LOVED Great Grandma Brenda.  Even though he was so tired, he insisted on playing with Great Grandma.

Cafe Rio's pork salad, one of my life's true loves. 

 Elisa playing pool....her way

 The kids and Great Grandpa Nelson

 Gabe and his BFF, Eva

 Jodi and I.  And our babies.

 Erik and his long-time friend, Steve

 Great-Grandpa's birthday dinner

 Gabe enjoying the snow at the Cabin in Pine Valley

 There's nothing hotter than a cute guy doing manual labor

 Elisa all bundled up

 She didn't like the sled so much!

 Elisa riding with daddy on the four wheeler.

 Gabe riding with daddy

 Gabe obsessing over the leggo train I made him.

Elisa stylin' in daddy's boots!

Christmas, Part 3a

 After all the California fun, which also included a mini-shopping spree at the OC swapmeet and lunch at the Crab Cooker, we all headed up to St. George.  I guess the rest of the world had the same idea to head up that direction as well--what was supposed to be a max 6 hour drive turned out to be an 8+ hours drive! What could possibly be attracting everyone to all drive in the same direction as us?!  Oh yeah....Las Vegas.  But we finally made it to St. George; how nice not to be on the road anymore!  We all had a great Christmas.  At least I did, and I'm sure the kids did as well:

 Gabe putting out cookies for Santa

 Elisa making sure the cookies are tasty enough for Santa

 There is a train that goes around the Christmas tree at Grandma's house.  Gabe played with it so much, that we finally decided to put it up and out of his reach lest he break it.  Then he remembered the old train set of Erik's he played with it last time we were in St. George-over a year ago-I am impressed Gabe's good memory!  He played with (more like obsessed over) this train set ALL day for a couple of days until Grandma put it in the basement and then he forgot about it, and then he got Christmas presents and then he really forgot about it!

Cute little Santa! Gabe was so excited to be Santa!

 

 And here is the Mini-Mouse Elisa not-so-subtly requested.  Her new favorite toy, thanks to Aunt Makayla!

 Candid shot of opening stockings

This is the toy that made Gabe forget all about his other trains.  He played with it for the remainder of our stay! Such a neat toy, perfect for a little boy who loves Thomas the Train.  A motorized Cranky with Flynn train that goes around a track.

Elisa playing with Gabe's toy.  Behind her to the right is my present to myself, a purse I fell in love with at the swapmeet and just had to have!  I also got some boots (from Santa) and a diamond (not real diamonds) tennis bracelet from Erik!  I was SUPER lame this year and got presents for pretty much nobody.  A couple for Gabe, one for Elisa, one for me (the purse) and that's it! Yep, you heard me--that's it! Erik picked out his own presents, and the rest.... just didn't happen or didn't work out.  Yeah, I suck at Christmas gift-giving.  But at least I have the gift-getting down to perfection :)

Christmas, Part 2

 For Christmas this year, we had the pleasure of going to Disneyland and California Adventures with Erik's family.  We all had a blast.  It was so much fun, and luckily we didn't have to spend too long in line (thanks mainly to fast passes) despite the huge crowds.  It was also fun to see the Disney Christmas decor and to see the smiles on our kid's cute little faces.  Here are some of the many, many pics we took:

  Splash Mountain.  Gabe was tall enough and brave enough to ride almost every ride!

 Dumbo Ride

 

 The new Carsland ride, Radiator Springs Racers.  Gabe really liked it!  The ride stalled for a good 15 minutes, and I took this picture of Erik.

Tower of Terror.  Gabe rode it and liked it, too!

 

 Gabe on his favorite ride--Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  He rode this ride at least 3 times!

 Waiting for Erik to come back with the fast passes

 Elisa and Grandma.

 Elisa playing with daddy in line for Dumbo

 Gabe hangin out at Gadget's Go Coaster

 Elisa admiring her cute mini-mouse self in the mirror at Mini Mouse's house

 Elisa loved watching the cake in the oven in Mini Mouse's house

 So cute!

 Gabe and his cute self on the train ride

 The best french fries in the world--Pommes Frites at Cafe Orleans in DL.

 Elisa got really attached to this Mini Mouse doll while at DL, and wouldn't let go of it until we pried her hands off it.  Guess what she got for Christmas??