Family Visit, Part II

On Monday we changed plans, and instead of heading to Winterset to see the covered bridges, we headed out to the zoo! We had never been to the local zoo, and we were all pleasantly surprised. It was an overcast day, which was actually good because it kept us all a little cooler.






Malaina loved riding the camel, and kept telling us that she wasn't scared at all.

Justin was SO good. He rode in the Bob, napped, and didn't make a peep the entire time we were there!

As soon as we got into the zoo, Malaina insisted we see the elephants (and kept at it the whole time). When we finally moseyed over to the elephant area, she took a look at the mom & baby & completely lost interest. I think her favorite part was being squirted by the baby elephant statue!
I recommend a visit to the zoo. It's a really nice size to see in just a few hours, and there's lots to do - feed the animals, ride a camel, ride the train, etc. We wanted to try and hit the Science Center, too, but just ran out of time. That night we had dinner at PF Chang's (so good!!), and made it an early night. Yesterday we took a jaunt over to the mall and Malaina played while the boys strolled through Scheel's. We had lunch at Panera, then Matt and Malaina went to see Kung Fu Panda (highly enjoyed it), and the rest of us went to Valley Junction and the Heart of Iowa store to pick up a few local goodies for them to take home. Then it was off to the airport (via a newly found shortcut - avoiding flooded Fleur Drive). Justin's expression shows how we all felt about Grandma & Grandpa leaving.

Now we're scrambling to get ready for the long weekend in Chicago - catching up on laundry, cleaning, and I'm trying to finish a blanket for the new Baby Payne (isn't she precious??). I'm just grateful that the one thing I did get accomplished this week was to mail my Father's Day cards. They might actually reach their destinations on time!