Mother's Day Weekend

For mother's day weekend, B planned for us to take the kids down to one of their favorite places (ours too!) the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo down in Colorado Springs. It was a great place to spend some quality family time - the zoo is perched on the side of a mountain, and every time we've gone we've been most fortunate to have great weather, few crowds, and active animals. The absolute best feature to the zoo is the very first exhibit - the giraffes. The open area allows the giraffes to nearly walk right up to you, and you can buy special crackers to feed them. The kids love it.

Though I love the giraffes, my favorite exhibit is usually the penguins - those crazy little birds are so much fun to watch. But this time around my very favorite was this turtle who was tipped on its side and trying to right itself. It kept spinning around with its one arm making perfect little circles in its bed of sand. It was quite funny and kept me entertained. I'm not sure how it was going to right itself, but I guess eventually the right zoo keeper would come along and rescue it.

And what zoo trip would be complete without the monkeys who eerily remind you of your fellow man (and in the case of this one, one of Dr. Seuss' Whos). The last time we went to this zoo which was around the holidays, we got quite a show from the monkeys who were on a swinging rampage. This weekend they were more content to just stare back at us.

The weather was a bit warmer than expected, and this hippo says it all. We enjoyed ourselves and it was a nice family outing. I love 'getting away' if only down to Colorado Springs. I love the feeling of being out of town - like you're on vacation, if only for a few hours. We stopped off at the outlet malls on the way home and bought the kids a few more clothes they probably didn't need. Good times.

I'm including a photo of the card B made for me for mother's day. Too bad you can't see it up close... it's a work of art.

And what mother's day post would be complete without a tribute to my own dear mom. She is a giant among mothers... the ultimate example and a worthy aspiration. I am blessed to have her as a mother, and my children are blessed to have her as a grandmother.