Austin Zoo

Our play group was all set to go to the zoo Thursday morning, and then the rain hit. We went ahead and made the 40ish minute drive to the zoo in hopes that it would soon stop (the weatherman said it was just a 30% chance and it would taper off soon). Well, there didn't seem to be an end in sight, but a few of us decided to tough it out anyhow. It ended up being a great zoo day. It was only raining very lightly, so we barely got wet. There were hardly any visitors so it felt like we had the place to ourselves. Most importantly, the rain cooled off the temperature, so it was not scorching hot outside. All in all, a great day. The Austin zoo is not your typical big city zoo; it's actually a non-profit animal sanctuary helping resue animals, so it had a different feel to it than other zoos I've been to. First of all, there were peacocks, chickens, and roosters roaming around freely. Here's one of the beautiful peacocks... We even got to see one with its tail on display. I don't think the picture does justice to how close we actually were, and of course, to how beautiful it was. God is definitely an amazing Creator!Several of the animals' "cages" were right alongside the walkway, so you could literally reach inside if you wanted. The zoo actually sells feed so you can feed them also. Very kid-friendly. Here's Jake checking out a hog dear. I'm pretty sure that's what it is, anyway...

Here are some of the kiddos checking it out...

Look at these crazy goats. They really looked like they were making an escape. Maybe it's just their way to beg for food...

We drove there with our friends, Cara and Abigail. Abigail is less than 2 months older than Jake, but much taller and about 8 pounds heavier. Despite her potential ability to take him down, they did great together and were often found like this: looking through/trying to climb the fences...

Photo op with just a few of the kids...

Then Chloe decided she was ready to join...

On the way home, Cara turned on a movie for the kids in their DVD player. Jake has never gotten to watch TV in the car and was completely intrigued. The two looked so cute watching the show and eating their goldfish. Of course, Jake passed out about 15 minutes into the drive, but he enjoyed the movie for a little while...

PS If you're ever want to go with some friends, consider calling in to make a group reservation. We got our tickets half off. Plus children under 2 are free! Good deal!