Sunny {but Cold} Saturday.

Our day started with me waking up at 7:00 am totally SANDWICHED between my two kids. Each kid laying on an arm, and I couldn't move. Whenever Matt is gone, we usually all sleep together slumber-party style, and last night was no exception. After baths, we headed off to our first stop of the day: The Choo-Choo Grill. The Choo-Choo Grill is an historic building that began as a train station and a coal building, and was converted in the 1950's to a restaurant. It is your typical diner only SMALLER....the place consists of 2 booths and about 10 counter seats. The kids thought it was so cool to sit at the counter and watch their food being cooked on the open grill. It is kind of like a little community in there---very friendly waitstaff and lots of regulars, all engaging in one big conversation. I enjoyed my taco salad (hold the salad, though, which was a bit bizarre) and the kids loved their choo-choo burgers and tuna sandwich. We'll definitely be back for more of the Choo-Choo Grill, and hope to try their breakfasts next time.


















After lunch, we headed to the John Ball Park Zoo for Kennedy's Brownie Troop Zoo Outing. We always enjoy a good day at the zoo and, while it was quite cold today, the sun was out in full force and the animals were generally active. The kids did a little scavenger hunt looking for animals that fit into different categories (i.e., animals without feathers but with wings; animals with 8 legs, etc). Even Hayden got into the search and did a great job writing his letters. Favorites of the day included seeing the bears wrestling and playing, and hearing the tiger roar! And, chimps are always favorites of the day. All in all, it was a great day and we got some great photos and great exercise. No trip to the zoo is complete without a climb on the John Ball statue; this is very nostalgic for me because I know that me and my siblings used to climb on that very same statue on our family's trips to Grand Rapids and the zoo.


























Tonight, Matt got home just in time for us to bring Kennedy to Little Dawgs' Fun Night up at school. As you can see, she had a lot of fun with her friends and got some cute face and arm painting done. Tomorrow comes church and a day of relaxation. Happy Saturday night!