More Fun at the Zoo

We enjoyed another fabulous trip to the zoo yesterday. This time we headed for Africa. Here's Maddox waiting on the zebra tram...



I like this picture because I was getting a hug...even if it is only my arm. ;-)



I'm seeing a lot of this tight-lipped smile lately...



Beautiful cheetah...



Not so beautiful warthog... ;-)



Lucky timing - I caught this leopard with his tongue hanging out...



I caught Evey with her tongue hanging out too! ;-)



Lovely Duiker...



Very punk rock hairdos...



And then...we came across the gorillas. MY FAVORITE! And yesterday was such a treat! Normally the gorilla is alone and laying in the grass asleep everytime I visit. This time...there were two gorillas and they were up and around for about 5 minutes. We even saw one gorilla charge the other - very impressive. I have always loved gorillas. I find them endlessly fascinating...so I was beyond thrilled to get some great pics of these beautiful creatures yesterday.





Look at his chest!!!!!! I can't imagine the power...



I even enjoy them from this side... ;-)



Look at the face on this guy!



Another favorite...the HUGE turtles. Super cool.



Always enjoy the cute meerkats...



Good things come in threes...





And ones...





The new zebra baby...



I also enjoy the babboons...

Evey in the Grass

Evey has had some experience with grass so far this spring and she loves it. So I grabbed the camera and plopped her down on a spot of nice green grass so she could have a real up-close and personal encounter with the stuff. She had a fabulous time! Although there was a constant battle over the issue of eating the grass. While she did manage a taste or two - I did prevent any grass from actually being consumed. ;-)

She kept squealing...



and then trying to have a little munch...



When I would tell her "NO" and stop her from eating the grass, she would smile and laugh like it was all just a game...



Fist full of grass...



Funny face...



That's a big head! ;-)





Grass is just so delightful!



Cute cheeks...





Fabulous light...



Good times!

The Best Photo Ever Taken

Our good friend Matt claims to own copyright to the best photo ever taken. Impressive! I figured that was newsworthy. ;-)

Matt is an avid cyclist...you can read all about his cycling adventures on his blog: FattyM Racing.

And here is the best photo ever taken...



Definitely a very cool picture! Gives me a fabulous idea for the next SRP photo contest....

Child Portraits...Julian

Allow me to introduce adorable little Julian...



I had the pleasure of hanging out with Julian yesterday at Loose Park for a portrait session.



I learned quite a few things about Julian during our time together! First of all, Julian loves to run. A lot!









I have more but I think you get the point. ;-) Future long distance runner! Oh, and I LOVE his Chuck Taylors! Too cute. Julian also is quite fond of something called "the claw"...look out!



We followed Julian to the playground where he spent a great deal of time sliding. I think sliding may rival his love for running. ;-)







Taking a little break...





Julian then stumbled upon some creepy crawlies and decided to hang out and poke at them with sticks for awhile. I wish I could say that no ants were harmed during the photo shoot...but I'm afraid there were some casualities.



At this point Julian was rather hot and sweaty, so we headed off in search of water.



Instead we found a cool place to play with another one of Julian's favorite things...trains!



A nice smooth sidewalk with a great slope to it...perfect for chasing runaway trains!





And finally, I couldn't decide on which of these close-ups to post...so in my typical indecisive fashion...I will post both. ;-)

Beautiful eyes...



Adorable expression...



Thank you Julian...for a wonderful time at the park!

Happy Birthday Lee!

Yesterday was my step-dad's birthday. We celebrated with a barbeque and some yummy cake and ice cream. Here is the birthday boy...



Lee is difficult to photograph because as soon as he sees the camera he starts talking...so you have to time your picture taking for when his mouth is closed and might sort of look like a smile. ;-)
Dan manned the barbeque with Lee's assistance. I like Lee's teeth technique for opening our veggie burger packages...



The non-veggie burgers...



My cute little mama setting up some outdoor seating so that the kids could dine alfresco...



Connor has developed an interest in Indiana Jones...hence the chest baring shirt. He has a very loose tooth barely hanging in there...



Connor & Maddox played quite a bit in the backyard. Here they are examining bugs they found on the compost bin...



Connor brought his Indiana Jones weaponry as well...Maddox got to play with the gun. Joy.



Wild man...



I think he is cuter without the gun...



So while I'm outside hanging with the boys, I hear my mom yelling from the backdoor to come take a picture of Evey with beer. Huh?



By the time I got there she was already slurring her words. ;-)



Happy Birthday Lee!