Party Animals at the Zoo

We had an amazing time this week-end!  Hubby, sister-in-law, nephews, and I went to the Columbus Zoo.  I love zoos, and the Columbus Zoo is truly outstanding.

Since we had two little guys with us we didn't try to do the whole zoo.  We just headed straight for the polar bears (the nephews favorite) and stopped for whatever struck our fancy on the way there. We all have zoo memberships, so we can go as often as we want and don’t feel pressure to see all the animals every time we go.

Our first stop was the petting zoo.  There were goats everywhere!  Both of the little guys enjoyed it, but the older one just had a blast. One of the goats had a very curly coat that was a bit like nephew’s poodle pup, so he really had a great time petting it. For a while it was looking like we might spend the whole day with the goats.

Goats at the petting zoo

Next up was the train.  The boys both enjoyed it and the grownups appreciated a chance to sit for a bit. I don’t know what it is with little boys and trains, but I've never met a boy who didn't love trains.

Next stop was the polar bears! The Columbus Zoo has a wonderful polar bear exhibit. You can view the bears from ground level, but you can also go down to the underwater viewing area. Part of the underwater area juts into the habitat, so the bears are actually above your head. It was so fun to look up at the bears while they played over our heads.  It was kind of like polar bear synchronized swimming.  It was a beautiful day and the bears were obviously enjoying themselves.

Up close and personal with a polar bear 

I always love going to the zoo, but it was even more fun getting to see it through the eyes of a child. We were able to make so many special memories and I will always treasure the day. 

If you are in the central Ohio area, I cannot recommend the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium highly enough. You can learn more at their website. 

Happy Earth Day

We humans are a diverse bunch. We come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. We all have our own unique beliefs, preferences, and values. There are so many things that we sometimes allow to separate us.  However, the one thing that we all share is that we live on this precious earth.  I think it is wonderful that we have a day that reminds us to celebrate and protect the earth. So, on this Earth Day, please remember to do your part. Recycle something, pick up some litter, or plant a tree. Every little thing helps. Remember, she is Mother Earth and if Momma ain't happy, nobody is happy!

Sunrise on the beach in Florida - taken during vacation a few years ago

Reduce - Reuse - Recycle - Replenish - Restore

Happy Texas Tummy

Hubby and I took a quick trip to Dallas this week-end.  We had such a good time!  We were on a secret mission (which I will tell you all about soon), and we got to spend time with some good friends.  But the thing I really want to talk about is how happy my taste buds were this week-end!

We started off Saturday morning with breakfast tacos from Taco Cabana.  I know that the breakfast taco has been a little more mainstream, but most of what is out there is pretty generic.  The ones at Taco Cabana are made with fresh tortillas (yummy!) and they have a selection that you don’t find most places.

Later than day (and again the next day) we went to Bahama Buck’s.  That is my happy place.  My own personal vision of heaven has a Bahama Buck’s on every cloud.  If you haven’t ever heard of them, they make the most incredibly delicious shaved ice.  You can also get smoothies, coffee, etc., but the watermelon shaved ice is always my go-to treat.

When dinner rolled around hubby surprised me with Schlotzsky’s.  I have loved Schlotzsky’s ever since I had my very first bite way back in my college days.  Believe me when I say that it has been a LOT of years!  This is not my hubby’s favorite, so I owe him a huge thank you!

For lunch on Sunday it was the good old Texas stand-by of Whataburger.  Whataburger is a Texas institution.  In my opinion they have the best fast food burger around.  It has been six long months and my tummy was so happy to finally have a burger from Whataburger again.

In case you recall my bluebonnets post from a couple of weeks ago, I did finally get to see some. It was raining so I didn’t get pictures, but it finally feels like spring since I got to see them.  Of course, we are back in Ohio now and the forecast for tomorrow says there is a chance of snow.  Oh well, at least I will have happy memories of all the wonderful food and great times with friends to keep me warm.

Note:  I am not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in this post, nor did I receive compensation from them.  These are just some of my favorite food places in Texas and I wanted to share them with you.

It Is A Good Week To Be A Geek

I haven’t always been a geek, but I married a geek. When that happens you either resolve yourself to lots of time alone, or you embrace it and go with the flow.  I am now happily going to Comic Cons, watching sci-fi shows, and even reading the occasional comic book. 

Image via

This has been the best week to embrace my new found passions.  We went to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier Sunday night.  It was so good!  Hubby has been a huge Captain America fan since he was old enough to read the comics, and even he approved.  I highly recommend it, whether you usually like superhero movies or not.

Since we were at the movies Sunday night we DVR’d Game of Thrones and watched it on Monday night. I really like where they are taking some of the characters.  I know that GoT sometimes gets a bad rap because of the way that women are depicted, but it is not true across the board.  It also has some incredibly fierce female characters (hello, Brienne).  I really enjoy female characters that are tough and don’t need anybody to take care of them. Daenerys Targaryen is not only a queen, she is the best ruler on the show (not to mention being the Mother of Dragons).  Little Arya Stark has been growing into a force to be reckoned with for awhile, and this episode was really a turning point for her.

This brings us up to Tuesday and a new episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.   From everything that has been teased about this episode it should be incredible. They will be dealing with the events that happened in the Captain America movie and I am really intrigued with how they are trying the whole Marvel universe together.

So, that is how my geek week is shaping up so far.  Anybody have any fun plans for the week?