Foster Family Frenzy

8/10/13

July 24

This morning we set out on an adventure! We went on our first safari. There weren't many people there when we arrived so as soon as we drove through the gate, the animals were ready for us to start feeding them. We didn't really know what to expect ourselves, so we didn't prepare the boys. Neylan was a bit shocked when a zebra popped his head in the window immediately!

And then sheer terror took over!! We are not starting this adventure off on the right foot with Neylan!

These zebras sure are social creatures. . . and hungry!

We were able to get Neylan calmed down when we took him out of his seat and put him on the console in the front. He did great after that

There's nothing you can do, but stop, when you see this thing walking toward you

Grayson did a great job feeding the animals. The baby animals were his favorite

Why, Hello!

After our 3 mile journey around the safari, we got out to explore the petting area. There were turtles, camels, bunnies, chickens, goats, and pigs.

It's a nice day for a mud bath

If you are ever in east TN and want an adventure, you should check out Circle G Ranch in Strawberry Plains! We had a blast.

After that we headed to the "fish store", Bass Pro Shop, for lunch a some shopping. The boys picked out new hats and binoculars for more adventures.

Tonight we had dinner at Mimi and Papa's house. We got to meet some new friends and these four were instant friends!

And it wouldn't be a night at Mimi's house without playing "submarine" on the steps

8/8/13

July 23

We made it home to Knoxville last night and today we are ready for another adventure. We met up with some great friends from church, that used to live in KC, and now live in TN, for a day at the zoo. The kids were so excited to see each other again!

We learned about the size of a gorilla's hands

and feet

We saw a few animals

(That poor turtle. Somehow he rolled over and got stuck on his side!)

We splashed in the cool splash area

We got to see how long a condor's wingspan is

and then the condor did a little demonstration

and we played in the lego room.

What a great day for the zoo with great friends.

After dinner, we went fishing. Grayson has been talking about going fishing with Granddad for months. It didn't take more than 3 minutes once his line was in the water for him to catch a fish. He ended up with six fish caught tonight!!

Neylan got one as well

and then got bored! So, he started cutting the grass with pliers!

8/5/13

July 22

A rainy Monday morning activity!

July 21

Today we ventured out to an indoor park. It was pretty cool and designed to look just like a park would outside, but it was inside! This was a great place to burn some energy!

July 20

We made it to Nashville late last night and will be spending the weekend with my best friend from college, Kristi. These great friends lived in Austria for several years, but have now moved home and we're so glad they chose to come back to TN, so we could see them more often.

These boys love playing together and have lots of energy, so the best option for today was sending them outside to play! We pulled out a slip n' slide for them, but they had a hard time figuring out how to run, jump, and slide all at the same time! It was funny to watch them try though.

July 19

Today, we are driving to TN to start our two week vacation, so no fun pictures to share today. But, I did find the pictures I was looking for from the boys' first swim lesson of the year. So, I'm sharing those.

Grayson had a great first lesson. He jumped right in and took off like he'd been swimming all winter long.

Neylan took a while to warm up to the idea again

And the big news of the day: Grayson swam the length of the pool without any flotation and earned his $2 bill that Miss Mary always gives her students when they accomplish this feat! We knew he would probably do it this summer, but no one expected him to do it during the first lesson!