The Riverbank Zoo.

Family trip to the zoo, a rite of passage I think ...

     We are members of the Greenville Zoo and as such we are afforded certain privileges. One such privilege is half-off entry to several zoos across America! We zoo people (more so my husband than me) think this is a pretty sweet deal. Especially when it includes the Riverbank Zoo.

(These little creatures put on quite the show popping in and out of their burrows.)

(The stroller was massive and therefore a huge pain to maneuver and overall very useless.) 

     The Riverbank Zoo in Columbia is only an hour from our house. So on a day off it makes a great extended morning. We took off around 9:30am with way more bags than we needed. I've resigned myself to the fact that this is my lot in life for the time being. We arrived around 10:30 and proceeded to spend two hours at the park.

     With a toddler two hours was definitely sufficient. We looped the park twice, saw two "shows" and spent extra time viewing our favorite animals. We then drove home while our two babes snoozed in the back seat. Aside from losing out on grownup naps it was a huge success! It is a day we still talk about and a day Tobias desperately hopes we repeat. He asks about it on the regular.

(I took these pictures through the glass, but it looks like the glass wasn't even there! Kudos to the glass cleaners, seriously.)

(My favorite photo from the day.)

     Gray and I loved the Gorillas even though Tobias wasn't as interested. They didn't do much (probably why he wasn't impressed), but their positions and looks were hilarious. Other animals of note were the lions and monkeys, always fascinating for various reasons. We really wanted to see the Tiger, but he was too sleepy to make an appearance, hopefully next time!

(We face-timed Nana because she loves Gorillas too!)

(You could walk through this open exhibit, pretty neat!)

     Tobias loved the Elephants and the Prairie Dogs, but we probably spent the most time at the Brown Bear exhibit. We watched them dig and swim and do bear things like pee massive amounts of liquid (sorry, it was hard to miss). I don't know why he loved them so much, but he did.

(I mean he was glued to those bears, they didn't bat an eyelash without us knowing. He made sure we were informed about every move they made.)

(The smelliest exhibit at the zoo, no joke. Barf worthy.)

     The two shows we saw were great, not too long. We watched a zoo keeper feed penguins and also saw sea lions perform tricks. I really liked the sea lion exhibit, you could go "under" the exhibit and watch them swim. If you stood at the right angle they looked like they were swimming at you, this totally freaked Tobias out and made me laugh (very compassionate of me, I know).

("Tobias, sit down!" This phrase was on repeat for the short amount of time he spent in the stroller.)

     In my opinion, the giraffes were the highlight! You could feed them!! Tobias was brave for about two minutes and let the giraffe grab lettuce from his hand once before delegating the task to daddy, "daddy feed," as he backed away.

(This giraffe was loving the food.)

     Overall it was a great experience! If the worst decision we made was paying too much money for cotton candy, I'd say we did pretty good. We will definitely be going back. Maybe by the time our next trip rolls around Well's will be soaking in the sights and sounds as well ... for the most part, he snuggled me in the ergo, made us both sweat and slept through all the excitement!

Labor Day Weekend in Ohio.

     Labor day weekend in Ohio is fast approaching "annual tradition" status. I couldn't seem to stay away. Fall was just beginning and the allure of cooler temperatures up north simply couldn't keep me here. So Cesca and I loaded up the Pilot with stuffed luggage and baby boys and headed home ... again.

(Buying food to feed the goats is non-negotiable.)

     My family decided to go to Young's Jersey Dairy. We forgot to account for the holiday and so we were met with huge crowds and long lines. Thankfully it was still fun. Ty fed the goats, ate some ice cream, played in an area for kiddies and threw an awesome tantrum (insert sigh here). The Aunties and Uncle Dan enjoyed ice cream and the golf range and were grateful for the fact that they didn't yet have kids. If you hangout with me and my littles for any extended period of time that tends to happen. Just being honest.

 (Sometimes we scavenge for food when the money runs out.)

 (That second picture gets me, Ty must have done something gross!)

 (Auntie Cesca rockin' some shades.)

     I used my 50mm for these photos and really like how they turned out. I find it hard to get the perfect focus with that lens, but when you do, the pictures are amazing! I definitely got in some good practice. 

 (My little chunker was really starting to fill out, love those cheeks.)

 (We met the fattest little piggy! He was into the scratches.)

 (Playing the drums and riding the tractor.)

 (His great-grandpa would be proud!)

     One of the motivating factors enticing me into visiting that weekend was the chance to meet my niece! Uncle Nate and Aunt Celeste drove up to show Little Phoebe around and enjoy Cedarfest. Cedarville claims the man who established Labor Day so they celebrate in style, with festival rides and a pancake breakfast put on by the firehouse, they go all out. There is a Heartsong concert, fireworks and a parade too!

    Ty, Well's and I went to the Heartsong concert. Tobias was quite impressed. He even picked up some worship leader moves. He can now stomp his foot while he strums his guitar, hehe. We are learning all the tricks!

 (Nana and Poppa with their three grandkids!)

 (Throwing the ball with August kept them both entertained for at least a half hour! 

So sweet to watch.)

(Love all the sweetness in this picture.)

     I'm so glad going home doesn't seem as daunting anymore (partly due to having someone to ride with, thanks Cesca). Sure, the eight hour car ride can get pretty draining - especially when you sit in an hours worth of traffic delays - but the time with family is priceless and so important to me! All that to say, I'll be staying in South Carolina for the forseeable future, the cooler temperatures are making their way to us and I'm ready to burrow in for the winter!

Cato Family Vacation (2016)

     It was a great week spent relaxing and enjoying family in Wilmington, NC. Not quite the Mexico vacation we had originally planned (you can blame the two pregnant ladies and the Zika Virus scare), but just what we all needed ... a break from life and a chance for all of us to reconnect after spending years apart!
     It is relatively easy for Gray, Tobias and I to see Nana, Poppa, Uncle Nate and Aunt Celeste thanks to being on the same side of the continent, but less easy to see Uncle Travis and Auntie KK who live in San Francisco. Spending time all together is a rare treat!
     We rented a vacation house that was literally right on the beach. So convenient and fun to walk outside and dig your toes into the sand. Being able to see and hear the ocean from our balcony was not bad either! But the best part in my opinion was being thirty minutes from downtown Wilmington, one of the cutest towns I have ever been too. Also the town where One Tree Hill was filmed if you like that show :). It had the prettiest victorian neighborhoods, quaint downtown shops, and many unique places to eat.
     I am so glad Jim and Melody make seeing family a priority. I love this bunch of people and even though we do not live super close they are such an amazing support. I am so thankful Tobias (and his soon to arrive little brother) gets to grow up and learn from these special people!

We went in March so it was still relatively cold. This did not deter Tobias, he spent every morning and every night enjoying the sand, watching the water, and throwing the ball.

Jim and Gray decided to brave the cold waters and take a plunge! The rest of us were content to watch ...

We took a carriage ride around Wilmington. So fun and relaxing!