Liberty - 11 Months Old

Just look at that face.  Liberty is now 11 months old and still getting cuter.  For some reason she stopped taking a bottle and also a sippy cup 3 weeks ago.  This is sad because I was finally ready to start weaning her.  I did think about the other day, she has not had an ear infection.  The boys stopped nursing at 6 and 7 months and both had ear infections after that.  Maybe it is unrelated, but still interesting.  I am trying to drop the 3pm nursing and maybe just offer her a sippy cup of milk then. We will stick to 7am, 11:30am, and 6:30pm nursing with baby food still at 8am, 12:00, and 5:00pm.  Perhaps this will help her want the bottle again.

She has been getting to a standing position by herself, but then she just stands there.  She actually took one step with Jonathan, but hasn't done more since then.  She is wearing size 3 shoes.  We got her some Robeez which have elastic around the ankles so she can't pull them off.

I am excited to plan my first GIRL birthday party and can't believe she is already going to be 1 year old!  We are so thankful for this blessing of a daughter.  She makes us laugh and gives really tight gripped hugs.

Pumpkin Patch

We attempted pictures in a pumpkin patch.  It was windy and the sun was in our eyes but I think the pictures captured the kids' personalities.
Enjoy!

4, 2, and 10

Wowzers, those are our digits......4, 2, and 10.  We have a 4 year old, 2 year old, and 10 month old.  We are so blessed and never "bored".  We did not intend to have them that close together but I can see why God wanted it that way.  The boys are starting to play better together and Hallister is protective of Liberty.

Liberty is our 10 month old beauty.  She is so wanting to walk.  She steps from one toy to another still or she will let go and just stand and clap.  I guess she is so excited about this new skill she is about to learn she wakes up around 6am some mornings standing and clapping in her crib....thankfully then she finds her paci and goes back to sleep until 7am.

We have a play kitchen and Liberty loves to chew on the play food.  She is still pretty happy all the time.  She nurses at 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm and eats baby food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  She also likes Mum Mum's and teether biscuits.  We introduced pizza crust and she is able to chew on that.

She does not enjoy clippy bows in her hair and will pull them out.  She wears 12 month clothes now

Preston is our bubbly 2 year old.  He is a clown, always so happy and making us laugh.  He still loves to spin in his jumper and he is still a picky eater.  He enjoys eggo waffles for any meal, strawberries, apples, Sammy Jammies, chips, popcorn, yogurt, cheese sticks and applesauce.  He loves his milk but since he has had a low iron count we have tried to limit is intake to breakfast and lunch.  We can't give him juice because that gives him diarrhea.

He wears 2T clothes, mainly shirts.  Some 24 month pants still fit him since he seems to be short.  It is neat to see him wear Hallister's old clothes.

Every time I pick him up from school they always say how laid back he is, and so happy.  As long as there are toys he is good.  He enjoys playing by himself.

Hallister's main update is in another post.  He does not usually play well alone but is getting better at it.  Often he tries to get Preston to play with him but that turns in to a fight or sharing issues.  On a rare occasion they will both lay down and play with their cars. Since he has learned more this year he is also talking more.  It really wears me out to talk all day with him but I try to listen, be patient, and teach him lessons.  Hall loves Thomas, trains, and cars, but also loves to serve by feeding dogs, putting up dishes, feeding Liberty or cooking.  He is good about bringing me something for Liberty, like her burp cloth.

We are thankful the kids are healthy and thriving.

Hallister turns 4

For Hallister's 4th Birthday we had a fun circus themed party at a place in Waco called Lion's Park.  They have a small train that circles around the park and also carnival type rides.  The kids had a blast and we all enjoyed some yummy cupcakes with "popcorn", elephants, monkeys, and lion faces.

Hallister no longer naps, so he has a quiet time while Preston and Liberty nap.  This also allows me to have some quiet time.  He has a Mobigo (similar to a Game Boy) and enjoys playing Toy Story, Thomas, and now Cars that he got for his birthday.  They are his favorite characters but also the games are educational and help him with numbers and letters.

Hallister is really enjoying Preschool.  I think it helps that he is the youngest in his class.  He seems to have matured.  Every week in school your "car" is moved to either red, yellow, or green light.  Green light is for good, yellow you got a warning, red you hit or talked back.  We are so thankful his car has remained on green light, so he has received a treat each Thursday.

He wears 3T clothes and size 8 shoes.  He can say his ABC's and count to 20.  It is so neat to watch your child learn.

Hallister's Swim Lessons

During the month of August Hallister endured 4 long weeks of swim lessons.  He learned a life saving technique called Swim-Float-Swim.  It was very intense training and sometimes hard to watch, but we persevered and now he really enjoys knowing how to swim.  You can see him performing what he learned in the video, as he swims, turns to float on his back, (rest if he needs to), gets his breath, and then swims again.  We are so proud of him!

First Day of "School"

September 4th was the first day of "school" for the boys, at Crestview Church of Christ.  I have a friend that goes to this church and found out their Mother's Day Out program was less expensive than where the boys went in the Spring.

A few weeks ago I was investigating Preschools for where Hallister could possibly go next year and found out Crestview has a Preschool class.  The boys were only signed up for Tuesdays and I talked to the director.  She said for the Preschool class it is recommended that the children attend on Tuesday and Thursday to really grasp what they are being taught.  I told her we could not afford to do both days and she offered to give Hallister a scholarship so he could attend both days.  Praise God!  Preston will still just attend Mother's Day Out on Tuesdays.  I am excited to get more time with Preston on Thursdays.

Here are some cute pictures of the boys walking into school with their backpacks on.  They had a great first day.  Hallister actually came home with homework.  Each week he will study a letter of the alphabet and need to practice that letter on his homework paper.  If he brings it back on Thursday he will get a treat.

Liberty - 9 Months Old

Liberty Noel is 9 months old! She weighs 19lb 3oz and is 27 1/2" tall.  Her hair is lighter now and her eyes still change, but are a greenish brown.  She has five teeth, one coming in the night before her doctor appointment.  She is a fast crawler, so much so, that she gets her feet ahead of her arms and bumps her head on the floor.  She claps and is stepping from one toy to another.

She is full of so much joy, and is so tough.  Even after bumping her head, she recovers pretty quickly and gets right back to trying to keep up with those brothers.  She does not like to wear bows on head wraps, and will pull them off.

Her schedule consists of waking up at 7am, nursing, eat baby food about 8:30am, nap from 9-10:30am. She nurses at 11am, plays, naps 12:30-2:30pm, nurses at 3pm, baby food at 5pm, bath at 6pm (which she LOVES), nurses at 7pm and then bed.  We are so thankful she is still doing well with nursing and doesn't need formula, yet she will take a bottle.

Cloth diapers are going well, besides some BMs that I wish had been in a disposable.  I'm used to it now though. We have saved $30 already and it has been a month, so that will end up being $360 a year.  That is just crazy.

Until next month.....

Cloth Diapers

***WARNING - This post has poop talk in it.  Put your food down or come back later.***

At 6 months old Liberty started on baby food.  After 2 weeks her poop was becoming more solid.  Sometimes it was just a chunk that could easily be picked up and put in the trash, and the diaper reused.  I still put a new diaper on, thinking she may get diaper rash, or that she did pee a little, but it made me start thinking about cloth diapers.  I was never interested in them, mainly for the thought of having to wash (and deal with) messy poop.  I did not want to think about washing diapers with a newborn.  I wanted a quick change and off we go back to bed.  But since the poop wasn't messy now I started to investigate cloth.

Thankfully I have a very knowledgeable cousin that uses cloth.  She told me she used prefolds and then a cover for those prefolds.  The brand was called Flipz.  Prefolds are like the cloth used in the Little House on the Prairie.  (Notice our clothesline pic at the top.) The cover holds the prefold in place.  I decided to give it a try.  Since I stay at home there was really no reason not to use them, even if its just while we are home.  I placed my order online, including a special cloth diaper only detergent, and we have been into it 3 weeks now.    The basic process is put poop in trash, drop prefold in lidded trash can that has a wetbag in it, put on new prefold and put cover over it.  We then change out her trash daily.  For girls we fold the prefold so more cushion is in the back to hold the extra pee.  (For boys you put more cushion in front.)

 I wish I done this with the boys as well, when their poop became solid.  We could have saved a ton.  To do cloth this way was not expensive either, only $1.75 a prefold!  Some cloth diapers you change out the whole diaper, so those being around $12 or more each, I can see why some think it is expensive.

We are chugging along.  I have already ordered more so we don't have to wash everyday.  We still use disposable if we go out somewhere, but so far it is pretty easy and we are especially enjoying the savings!

Hallisters Bible Verse

8 Months Old - Liberty

Liberty has two teeth still (bottom middle).  She is crawling EVERYWHERE!  She gets up on her tippy toes and pushes her bottom in the air.  It is so cute.  She still nurses at 7am, 11am, 3pm, and 7pm.  She naps from 8:30-9:30am and then has baby food.  She likes all the fruit baby foods, squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes, but is not a fan of peas or green beans.  We have introduced Mum Mums and she likes those, as well as a piece of apple in a food net that allows her to sink her teeth into it without getting chunks through the net.

Liberty weighs in at 20 pounds.  I ordered a hot sling (pictured to the left).  It is easier than a moby wrap but keeps her snuggled more than a bjorn.  She loves it.  She can suck on her toes or I give her a toy to hold and I can walk around the house and do stuff while carrying her.  I don't know if I'll be able to do it up to 35 pounds but that is what it is able to support. Her other nap is 12:30-2:30pm, and sometimes even lasts until 3pm if we have a busy morning.  She is sleeping well at night, and even when she wakes up between 6am-7am she will talk to herself and play with her toes, sometimes even fall back asleep until we get her at 7am.

I feel like I brag with every post about her because she is just such a good baby, pretty much always happy, and we are so thankful for her.

7 Years of Marriage

Wow, 7 years of marriage!  (Just for fun here are pictures from our 2nd and 4th anniversaries so you can see how much we have (or haven't) changed.)  This last year of marriage has been the most challenging., but the struggles have brought us closer together as a family and increased our faith.  Jonathan was at a job making more than he ever had, yet was very unhappy with how he was being treated.  (It is true, you can't buy happiness.) We then made a leap of faith with him switching to teaching, which he does enjoy, yet taking a pay decrease.  We stuck it out though, always making sure we tithed, and I believe because of that, God provided in miraculous ways.

With all the struggles though we were able to stick to our tight budget and pay off our debt, finishing Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace #2 step, paying off all debt besides our mortgage.  We give God all the glory and just mention it to encourage others to persevere.  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

Also in this last year of marriage we went from two children to three!  Going from zero to one child was hard, one to two was easy, but two to three was insane.   The first month after having Liberty was the toughest of these last 7 years.  Thankfully we had many friends and family pitching in time and meals during that rough season.  We have all settled in nicely now and we couldn't feel more blessed.  Having a daughter, which we had always hoped for, really seemed to complete our family.  We are undeserving but thankful.

So there is our last year of marriage in a nut shell.  Although we are making less than we ever have, we feel rich.  "And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5:2-4

7 Year Anniversary

We celebrated our 7 year anniversary a few weekends before the actual day.  We headed to San Antonio on a Friday, and the excitement began from our ride down there, and then gets worse (or better) however you choose to look at it.  We stopped in Marble Falls to eat and I needed to pump.  So I went to plug in the pump to the cigarette lighter and the car went dead.  Hallister had put a screw in the cigarette lighter, and when I plugged in the pump a fuse shorted out, causing the electric system to short circuit.

The car started but would not go in to first gear.  After an hour of diagnosing what could be wrong Jonathan decided the system needed to be restarted.  If that didn't work, then we would probably be heading back home and looking at a major car overhaul.  We ran in to Wal-Mart, got what we needed, prayed, and praise God it worked!  The trip was already off to a rocky start.

So we get to the hotel around 9pm, so ready for bed.  I check in, get our key, we load our stuff on a cart and head to the room.  Our key doesn't work....either of them.  I head back down, tell them it doesn't work, and get a new key.  I go back up to our room (5th floor) and Jonathan informs me someone just came out of the room we were given a key for.  (The suspense is building now.)  We tried to calm our tired selves, walk up to the front counter, and thankfully a manager is now manning the desk.  We explain what has happened.  He apologizes over and over, says we were given the wrong key, and upgrades us to a 2 bedroom suite.  Although it was very frustrating, it worked out for the better.

Saturday we go to Fiesta Texas and have a great time talking and riding rides.  Saturday night we enjoy a lovely boat ride on the Riverwalk as we eat our supper and learn about the history of the Riverwalk.  It was wonderful!

Sunday we slept until 9:00am, and we probably could have kept sleeping if we weren't hungry.  The hotel breakfast closed at 9:30am so we made our way down, enjoyed a nice breakfast and then headed back to the room to pack up and leave.  It was a nice trip, short, but a lot of fun.

Preston turns 2

For Preston's 2nd Birthday we had a Transportation Celebration.  I designed passport's as the invitations with planes, trains, and automobiles.  Since I'm not designing on a regular basis anymore I enjoy going all out with the kids' birthday parties.  It's a nice outlet for me.

The Fueling Station table had all the food....Airplanes with Cloud Dip (graham crackers shaped liked airplanes with marshmallow dip), Stoplight Skewers (red-strawberry, yellow-pineapple, green - grapes), Lumps of Coal (black rice krispies), Steering Wheels (bagels), and Car Tires (mini chocolate donuts).  The drinks were Water and Windshield Wiper Fluid (blue berry drink).   The colors were blue and yellow with a little orange.  A last minute decoration we added was bowls on water balloons on the tables.  The kids enjoyed throwing those.

My dear friend Ann from UMHB has recently gotten into baking and wanted to give fondant a try.  She made amazing cupcakes with cute airplanes, trains, cars, stoplights, and number 2's on top.

 We played Pin-A-Prop, which we actually also played at Hallister's first birthday.  We also had a stamp game where I hid 9 "stamps" from Preston's invitation that indicated important dates in his life....when he walked, crawled, etc.  The kids enjoyed searching for those.

Preston had a great time but was very tired close to the end of the party. 

He is our clown, always doing funny things and making us laugh.  He has now started to notice Liberty and will put her pacifier in her mouth if she gets fussy, or will randomly kiss her on the forehead.  He is a sweetie.

We took the railing off his bed, which really was a twin size crib.  He enjoys his freedom but we have had a few nights of a lot of discipline with him getting up and playing.

Preston is really into books.  This morning I peeked in, just to see if he was awake, and he was in his bed reading a book (the one you gave him Aunt Ginny).  He is starting to say more words and tries to count.  He loves to follow Hallister, even though Hall doesn't like it so much.  We are going to have our hands full when Liberty starts following the boys.

Liberty - 7 months

Sorry this is a little late.  Our little "Libby Lou" is 7 months old!  She has 2 bottom middle teeth.  The one on the left is making her nose run and she has had lots of poopy diapers.

I still nurse her at 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm.  We are so thankful we haven't had to give her formula.  She is now breastfeeding longer than the boys did.  She does take a bottle, which lets us have dates now and then.  She now eats baby food at 10am, 12pm and 5pm.  She likes bananas, sweet potatoes, squash, and carrots.  I've also cut up peaches or apples with ice and put them in this net she has that keeps the chunks in while she sucks on it.  That seems to help soothe her gums.  She naps 8:30-9:30am and 12:30-2:30pm.  She goes to bed about 7:15pm.  Lately she has been waking up at 5am but that is because she pooped.  I just change her and she goes right back to sleep.

She is now trying to crawl, as you can tell from the picture.  It won't be long!

Billboard

All over Waco they now have digital billboards, where you see the advertisement for 10 seconds, then it changes.  Well there is also one in Hewitt Drive and this one was for 3 Spoons and it said to submit your pictures.  I took the boys to 3 Spoons Mother's Day weekend.  It was a nice sweet treat that isn't fattening like ice cream.  I decided to submit the photos and sure enough I got an email that they were chosen. 

It is actually still going this week, so that makes it three weeks.  So here is their moment of fame.

The Boys - June 2012

 I thought an update on "the boys" was overdue.  Although we often group them together, they are developing their own unique personalities.

Hallister (3 1/2) always wants your attention and does not like to be alone.  Anytime I go to a different room of the house, if I wait about 10 minutes, he will come looking for me.  He is sensitive yet doesn't like to cry.  He will try to hold back tears.  He remembers everything and will repeat it, as in, telling Preston if he does not obey he will be disciplined.  He is very smart and has memorized three Bible verses and can repeat them back to us also doing the sign language: Ephesians 6:1, Philippians 2:14, and John 14:6.  Anytime we mention we are going to see Nana or PawPaw or going to the Museum before he goes to bed he will wake up saying, "Okay let's go see whoever we said the night before."  He can count to 10 and also knows his ABC's.  He watches a Leap Frog Numberland video and ABC video that have been great.  There aren't any mean words like stupid or idiot.  Hall is fine with hanging out inside but does like to go ride his tricycle in the parking lot of the school near us.  He likes to be clean and to wash his hands after coming in.

Jonathan takes Hall every Saturday morning for donuts.  Then I take him once a month for a mommy-son date night (which is what the picture is from).  He really enjoys one-on-one time.

He is still really into Lightning McQueen and Thomas.  He seems to be into snow or Christmas themed movies.
He has been better about eating what is on his plate for supper, especially after we started saving his supper for breakfast the next  morning.  He did not like eating chicken n dumplings for breakfast while we ate pancakes.  He now likes salad with Ranch, chicken taquitos with mustard, and Bush's honey baked beans.

Hall goes to the potty great still and no longer receives candy for it.

Preston (23 months) enjoys being alone.  The way we bond with him is laying on the ground and playing trucks or trains (like in the picture), often not really saying anything.  He could do that for hours if Hallister wasn't home to go interrupt him.  Preston is much more relaxed when Hall isn't around, probably because he doesn't have to be on the defense and worry about his toys being taken.  He is very laid back but also clumsy, falling at least once a day.  He is tough though and usually gets up right away.  Preston loves to be outside and does not care about getting dirty.  He is our clown, always making us laugh.

He still loves his pacifier, and really we don't give it to him because of teething but because it prevents him from putting other things in his mouth.  He has most likely developed a high immunity to germs because so many things have been put in his mouth.  Preston still doesn't say much.  He calls his paci "this" or points to things he wants.  He loves to sleep with a stuffed tiger that I gave to Jonathan when we were dating.  Preston calls it his "baby".  He also says "oh no" and "help".  Lately he has started saying "poo poo" or "potty" and used the little potty we have a few times.  Maybe when he turns two we can really work on that.

Preston is very picky when it comes to eating.  He loves crackers and whole milk, that is about it.  I did start making homemade carrot baby food and mixing it with applesauce and he has been eating that.  He has tried taquitos and will nibble at grilled cheese.

Preston likes to do everything Hall does, especially jumping on the couch or our bed.  We try using this to show Hallister he needs to be a good leader. Preston likes books with flaps and anything farm related.

Both boys love to be chased or fly like an "airplane" on daddy's feet in the air.  They also both love bubble baths and being in water.

There is the long update.  Enjoy!

Liberty - 6 Months Old

Liberty is 6 months old!  She is still our happy girl.  She really only fusses if she is getting sleepy or hungry because I haven't paid attention and it's time to do one of those.  She still likes patty-cake and will giggle if you tickle under her chin.  She also loves just to be held, especially by her Daddy, looking out where she can see people while gripping your fingers.  And man does she have a grip.  She naps from 8:30-9:30am, 11:30-1:30pm, and 4:00-5:00pm.  She weighs in at 17lb 14oz and is 26 1/4" long.  For some reason Huggies size 3 just aren't working for her.  Unlike the boys, Pampers seems to hold everything in better.  And off-brand diapers, well, they are cheaper for a reason.  I have started to try Munchkin, which is sold at HEB and so far that is working good, a little less expensive than Pampers.

Her rash has come and gone, but even after it cleared up she kept itching to the point of bleeding.  We got some prescription medicine and in 3 days has already cleared it up and helped her sleep without itching.  Desonide is for her face and Triamcinolone is for her body which is a steroid but if put on her face would thin out the tissue.  Then we give her a tsp of Atarax to help with the itching.  Hopefully these will all continue to work so she can wear cute dresses and her swim suit!  We are also going to start her on baby food, so hopefully she doesn't have any allergies.  She has been drooling a lot, so much that she wears a bib, but still no sign of a tooth.

Some people have asked if she has a nickname.  I sometimes call her "Libby Lou" or "Princess", but really we would like to stick with Liberty, and even like saying her full name, which we get many compliments on, Liberty Noel.

"Just" a Mom

I had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend.  We started it off by going on a date Friday night.  It was nice to talk uninterrupted while we ate.  The boys spent the night with Nana and Grandpa.  Saturday I  woke up to roses, one of my favorite breakfast's - Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit from Whataburger, and Starbucks Caramel Machiatto.  Since there were no boys to entertain, when Liberty went down for her first nap I actually got to enjoy my devotional without being interrupted. 

I took Liberty shopping for a swimsuit then when the boys got home I took them out for yogurt.  It was a lot of fun bonding with each of them.  On Sunday Hallister woke up with diarrhea but seemed to be feeling fine after that.  We enjoyed a nice lunch in Temple with family but unfortunately Jonathan and Hall weren't feeling well so we headed home so they could rest.  Besides that it was a great weekend.

I remember wanting to be a Mom growing up but it never occurred to me I'd have to choose between being a stay-at-home Mom or a working Mom. When someone asks what I do, many times I have answered, "I'm just a Mom."  Our pastor has reiterated to us Moms that we should be proud that we stay home, and not put that word "just" in the sentence.  You wouldn't say 'I'm just a lawyer' or 'I'm just a teacher', but say proudly, 'I am a MOM'.  So I have tried to remember that.  Being a Mom is the hardest job, especially with three small children.  There are days when I ask myself is it really worth it.  It would be easier to work and then come home to them, and let someone else deal with the whining, not sharing, spit up and diapers all day.....but then I would miss out on praying over them and teaching them God's word, and seeing their smiles, and getting hugs.  Someone else would be training them, and it is my job.  Sometimes when I drive by a day care I get teary eyed.  I see all those children without their Mommies and I am reminded of why I chose to stay home.  I just look in the rear view mirror.

So here's to all the stay at home Mommies.  Thankfully in our weakness HE is strong.  Say it loud and say it proud, "I AM A MOM!"

Liberty - 5 Months Old

If I had to describe Liberty with one word it would be squirmy.  She has found her feet and hands and wants to move them as much as she can.  After she turns from her back to her belly she tries to scoot with her toes.  I don't know what we will do when she becomes mobile.  We did get her this new play mat where the sides fold up so that she can't escape.  She seems to enjoy looking at all the different animals on it, plus the toys that hang down that she can grab.  She has developed a rash similar to what Preston had.  Eczema lotion helps but she is really itching and then she scratches herself so much she bleeds.  The doctor gave us some Triple Cream samples and hydro cortisone so hopefully that helps.  It makes her itch so much she wakes up at night.  We have to keep her in long sleeves and pants still, which is sad because she has so many cute dresses.  At least I know this time that giving up breast feeding isn't the answer.  I can't imagine us having to buy formula on top of diapers right now.

Liberty's personality is coming out more.  After she naps she likes to be held.  After she eats she needs time to rest because she is quite a spitter.  She is putting her hands in her mouth a lot more but we don't see a tooth....yet.  By this ages Hallister had 2!  It is neat to see how they each develop.

Liberty likes patty cake and she is enjoying our jumper more.....the toy she can sit down in yet touch her toes on the floor and play with toys.  She is still such a content and happy baby.  I am so thankful breastfeeding is going so well....still feeding at 7am, 11am, 3pm, and 7pm.  She naps three times a day.  The only real consistent one is from 4-5pm, while I am preparing supper.  She has napped a few times on her belly because she falls asleep that way on her play-mat.

Here is a cute pic of her and her #1 fan.

San Antonio Zoo

 For Spring Break in March we went to the San Antonio Zoo.  Jonathan had a good idea of leaving Liberty with my parents.  We dropped her off in Florence on the way down, then headed to San Antonio.  I am so glad we did.  Although we went on Spring Break it wasn't much of a break, but was fun.

The boys enjoyed the hotel and "diving" on the hotel beds.  They actually slept pretty good.  We got up early and got to the Zoo almost at opening time and walked right in.  It was a lot of work keeping up with the boys but it was also fun.  Hallister's favorite is elephants which used to be my favorite too since it starts with an "E".   We kept Preston in a stroller most of the time because when we did let him out he took off.





They loved looking at the animals but after an hour they were pretty tired.  We ended with riding the train.  Hallister absolutely loved that.  The problem is I guess we should have explained we are only riding once.  He threw a major fit, so we then headed to the car.


All in all it was a good trip and we would love to go back when they are older.  We would also like to try out the Ft.Worth Zoo.