Zoo Trip

Memorial Weekend was the last weekend my doctor gave me the OK to travel out of town, so we decided to take a quick weekend trip to Omaha. We started out at the Henry Doorly Zoo, and got there just as the rain subsided for the day. It ended up being a nice day, which was apparent by the many other families who also ventured out to the zoo for the day!

One of Garrett's favorite spots was the petting zoo. He walked right up to the goats to pet them.

We saw many different monkeys, apes, bears and wild cats, but they were mostly indoors, so I didn't get many good reaction photos of Garrett - but I did get a good shot of Garrett & this big lion! He waved bye-bye as we left the lazy cats.
Another favorite for Garrett was the "choo choo" (which is what he was saying when I took this photo below). We were able to see far-off parts of the zoo, including the Rhinos. This zoo has a LOT of steep hills to maneuver! Taking 30 minutes to rest while on the train was a good plan, and saved us a few steps as well!
Daddy & Garrett ready to go on the train! (I'm pretty sure Garrett is saying "choo choo" here too.)
Mommy & Garrett outside the Giraffe area. He was pretty impressed by the giant giraffes we got to see up close.
After the zoo, we checked into our hotel to rest a bit before heading off for dinner @ Texas Roadhouse, one of our favorite spots. After dinner Garrett and I took a dip in the pool before exhaustion kicked in and we both fell asleep on the sofa in our room.

The next morning we checked out the Bass Pro Shops across the street from our hotel. Garrett took a spin in this old truck before we hit the road again...

On the way home we stopped for a photo opportunity in front of "Albert the Bull" in Audubon, IA. Garrett also enjoyed the playground next to Albert.

The trip was quick, but ended up being a perfect getaway before Baby #2 arrives in 6 short weeks! We look forward to going back to the Omaha Zoo with the boys, as well as some other Omaha points of interest in the future!

New Slide

After a few trips to the local parks, we have found that Garrett loves slides & steps! So when I came across this play set that has both, we decided to add it to our back yard. As you can see below, he was very excited when he first saw this new addition! He enjoys going down the slide...up the slide...under the slide...etc.

Garrett's 1st Lunchbox

Today, Garrett's daycare classroom went on a walk to a local park to play, see some native Iowa animals, and also have a picnic lunch. Following is Garrett and his very first lunchbox, which he took with him for the picnic.
He is growing up too fast, isn't he?

New Dresser

We've recently done some changing around in Garrett's room to accommodate the baby. The main issue was finding enough space for 2 boys, 2 beds, and a place to put everything. We decided to get rid of Garrett's changing table and moved his dresser to a downstairs bedroom. In their place, we found a new dresser that will double as a changing table, which will allow enough floor space for the boys to play with toys/books/etc.
As you can see, Garrett approves of the dresser we chose...and I guess it's good to know that at least the bottom drawers will hold up to 30 lbs. :-)

Mother's Day 2011

Happy Mother's Day to all my Mommy friends and family!

This morning I woke up to muffins baked by Garrett & Daddy, and a card & picture from Garrett (baby-to-be also contributed some mighty kicks throughout the day!). We all spent the day together, which is the best Mother's Day I could have asked for!

Big Boy Bed

In preparation for the new baby (who is scheduled to be delivered in 9 short weeks!), we decided to start Garrett's transition from crib to toddler bed. He wasn't too sure about it at first - but quickly realized that the bed is for him! In fact, he wouldn't even let Daddy sit on it!

Garrett took his afternoon nap on the bed, and ended up waking up on the floor...thankfully we thought to put a pillow on the floor beside the bed! I don't think he's quite ready to spend the night in it yet...but hopefully he'll start to gravitate toward his big boy bed!

Bucking Bull

Another gift dropped off by the Easter Bunny was a bucking stick bull that moo's when you press his ear! The stick is a little long for Garrett to maneuver, but he has a fun time trying!
He likes to mimic the PBR bull riders he sees on TV...Yee Haw!

Easter

On Easter Morning, we all bundled up and headed to the Flint Hills with a crew from Rosalia Christian Church for sunrise services. It was cold and windy, but a beautiful way to start the day, with scripture and song.
When we returned to Grandma Jackson's house, Garrett discovered that the Easter Bunny had paid him a visit! This bunny knew exactly what Garrett likes! He pulled some books, a fire truck and school bus, and some gummy snacks out of his Elmo basket.


The afternoon was filled with food, fun, and of course an egg hunt in the front yard (see pics posted on my FaceBook page). By the look on Garrett's face, I'm pretty sure he enjoyed the day!
On our way back home to Iowa, we stopped by a furniture store in Des Moines, hunting down the perfect dresser for the boys to share. Garrett got to be in the driver's seat as we looked around. Turns out he is a pretty good driver!

Uncle Dave

On our way to Kansas for Easter, we met up with Uncle Dave at the T-Rex restaurant in Kansas City. Though it was extremely noisy, and there were lots of distractions, Uncle Dave and Garrett got on very well. As we waited for our food, they meandered around the place, looking at fish in the aquarium and the giant dinosaurs throughout the restaurant.

After lunch, Uncle Dave introduced Garrett to a horse statue at another restaurant in the area, and then chased after Garrett around the outdoor mall.
We don't get to see Uncle Dave as often as we'd like...but Garrett always has a ball when he's around!