hogle zoo and grandmas

Ryan's mom wanted to take the girls someplace fun while we were in town and she suggested the zoo. At first, the haunting memories of our last trip to that zoo came rushing back to me and wanted to go anywhere but the zoo. But...I figured maybe Leah had matured in the last three years so we should give it a try. 

And we're all so glad we did because this time, Leah loved it. 

Grandma Layton pulled out all the stops - not just general admission, but the merry go round, the train and lunch to boot. 

Hogle zoo has changed a ton since I was little. They've really stepped it up a notch. We especially loved the new exhibit Rocky Shores, where we got to see polar bears, sea lions, seals, otters and more. And, we learned that the seals were Leah's very favorite animal. Who'd a thunk? I love finding those kinds of things out about Leah. Sometimes I feel like I don't really know her because she can't just tell me what her favorite animal is.

We also got to see the elephants get a bath and learned lots of new things about so many animals. It was such a fun afternoon. Even Kate was a trooper hanging out in the Bjorn for six hours. She just didn't like being compared to a gorilla.

After the zoo we headed back to Grandma's house for dinner and to play with Great Grandma Stark who just adores Leah and Kate. The first picture doesn't show it, but the feeling is definitely mutual. Leah spent a long time nestled in the crook of her great grandma's arm.

I think about our trip to the zoo three years ago and just shiver. It was such a horrible time. I'm so glad to be past that point. Hooray for happy days at the zoo! And hooray for grandmas!