Weekend in the Rearview

wOW.  Whatta weekend!

Started out with our car's recalls not getting done by the time we left town, so we got to the take loaner to the zoo!  We got Leon and his brother along with my MIL and headed to Omaha to the Henry Doorly zoo.

I love that zoo!  Leon had been there twice.  Once while gestating, so he didn't see much, and then when he was around 2 years old.

But on Friday, Robb's cousin put us up at a fancy schmanzy hotel in a very nice room.  The boys loved it!  

The first thing the boys did was to go behind the curtain and ooh and ahh at all the cars nine floors below.  The view was beautiful!

Plus, said cousin tried to buy their love by loading up one of the beds with tons of snacks, candy and pop before we got there.  It worked.  Leon and Finn both think they're being adopted by him.

and back to the windows in the morning.

On Saturday, Frank and his family already had made other plans so they didn't go with us to the zoo.  But we had breakfast with them.  We rented a scooter for my MIL and she tooled around at the zoo and was able to keep up with us just fine.  

We had also rented a wagon for the boys and they were fine if they stayed in it.  

The beauty part about Finn was that he could buckle himself into the wagon but he couldn't unbuckle.  hmm  worked for us!

So much remodeling around the zoo that except for the Lied Jungle 

Finn looks like he just popped out of the nose...

Focus on fruit bats this year!  Yikes!

and the awesome aquarium, 

 it was almost a new zoo to us.

We saw the same gorilla that Leon's dad had been so impressed with when he was his age.

We ate lunch at the King Kong restaurant just outside it and the boys enjoyed hot dogs wrapped in pita bread.  Leon found a new fave way to eat hot dogs!  Then headed back to the hotel.

FINALLY got them to take a nap before Frank called to see if they wanted to go swimming.  

It was 54 degrees outside and so was the pool, but we went anyway.  Well, myself and the boys did along with Frank's kids.  The water was heated so as long as you kept down in it, it was no problem.  The kids had a blast until AJ bit his tongue.  Apparently the daughter had brought candy into the pool and they were snacking while they swam around.  I'd already gone back to the room when this happened so I missed all the blood.

That night, we ate at the hotel restaurant and then hung out.  

Heading home after breakfast on Sunday.  Got home mid afternoon and Robb organized a really nice Mother's Day meal for that evening.  And I got an Instant Pot!!!  I can't wait to try out  all these recipes that defy the laws of physics!

Each of my kids gave me either plants or flowers this year!  LOVED them all!  Meri's hanging plant is on the porch and the rest grace the dining room table. A lovely bouquet from Maddy and Matthew and an adorable aloe vera plant from Ryan and Jen.

I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day and feel as loved as you loved your kids.