Mini vacation part 3-Springfield zoo

Since we spent so much time waiting at Lambert's Saturday evening, we didn't make it back to the hotel for the kids' favorite thing-swimming in the hotel pool. So, we got up extra early on Sunday morning, had breakfast at the hotel, and got ready for the pool. I did NOT get into the pool because it was FREEZING! The kids had a blast though and didn't seem to mind too much until they got out (except Dakota. She's too spoiled to swimming in the warm pool at the Y, so she didn't stay in long).

From there, we went to the Springfield zoo. It's a pretty cool zoo. Lots of walking, of course, and some big hills, but they have a few animals that OKC doesn't have.

Here's the hippo-very cool!

These giant tortoises were awesome! They have some similar in OKC, but a different species, I think. Anyway, they were pretty much just sitting there like tortoises do when we first saw them. We went on to other things and when we came back by, they were doing this:

How cool is that?

The Springfield zoo also has a pretty nice kids' area with farm animals to feed. They have goats, a donkey, a calf, and maybe something else, but I don't remember. The kids loved feeding them.

But, the very best part of the Springfield Zoo and the main reason we went back this year is the GIRAFFES! There is a raised platform at the exhibit where you are eye level with them. You can buy "giraffe crackers" and feed them! It's so much fun!

The kids were even nice enough to let Daniel and I have a turn!

And believe it or not, they even have the kids' favorite kind of animal-the bronze kind! We found lots and lots of animal statues to take pictures with.

This is a picture of (a picture of) the kids with that same tiger statue the first time we visited the Springfield zoo. Landon was not quite two years old! Look how much they've all grown!

Sorry about the quality. I know it's on a CD somewhere, but I didn't want to spend the time digging it out, so I just took a picture of the picture I have hanging on the wall at home.

And, just in case you think Sierra is always so sweet and smiley, here is a picture just to show that she does have a bit of an ornery streak.
Oh, do you remember this picture from the time I took all four of the kids to the OKC zoo by myself?

Well, a couple of days before our trip, Landon and I were looking at all of my old posts. We came to that picture and he said something about his sad face-the girls didn't let him sit where he wanted to sit and so he was pouting. We talked about how "yucky" that face looked in the picture and then looked at some pictures of him smiling and talked about how much nicer those were.
So, just after I took the picture with Sierra's tongue sticking out, I tried to get the four of them together for a picture. Once again, the girls didn't let him sit where he wanted. So, he got up and stomped away and said "then I'm mad." So I told him I was going to take his picture like that with his "yucky" face. He turned his pouting right off and I got this picture instead.
So, maybe, if I would just carry my camera around everywhere we go, I could have a smiling, happy Landon with me all the time??? It's worth a shot!

We had so much fun on our little mini vacation! We are already planning our trip for next year-to the BEACH! I can't wait!