Zoo babies!

On Sunday we met up with a friend of mine from Japan, Faith and her beautiful family Manny, Michael and Grace.  We decided to go to the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson.  This is my new favorite place!  The zoo was only 7$ for adults and Sophia was 3$, but Nicholas was free!  The zoo had lots of trees for shade and had water features for the kids to play in  to cool off in the heat.  It was not huge, so we were able to see everything in one day, and we REALLY took our time!

 Nicholas and Sophia cooling off in the water.  Nicholas loved it!

 Faith and I:

 One of my favorite things about this zoo was how close the animals were.  These giraffes were so close to us!  I was reallly impressed by how present the animals were and how active.  I feel like every zoo I go to, the animals are always sleeping, behind a bush 50 yards away and you get to see a tuft of hair, that you are pretty sure is a bear.  This zoo, the animals were right up close, eating, walking, jumping, swinging, or my favorite, stalking.  The lion was stalking a squirrel that had happened into it's enclosure.  It was like watching Discovery Channel live!  The squirrel got away...These giraffes were my favorite, we got some pretty close up shots with them and they were so pretty!

 This lady and her purse cracked me up!  I thought it was a funny shot of her and her zebra purse in front of the zebras:

 Sophia was inspired by the Gibbons:

 There is no zoom being employed here, that is how close this tiger was to us!  He was pacing back and forth in front of the glass, looking at my children like delicious morsels!  I got goosebumps!

 My kids and and Faith's kids, Grace and Michael:

 Then we went to lunch at El Guero Caledon's for Sonoran Hot Dogs.  They had real glass bottles of soda!   The kids fell asleep on the way from the zoo, so they slept through lunch, but it was really yummy!

 The Sonoran Hot Dog, a bacon wrapped hot dog, covered in pinto beans, jalepeno relish, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard and mayonaise in a steamed bun.  Delish!

 I would say, "Yummy!" but I was taught not to talk with my mouth full!