A ZOOper Weekend

We had the best weekend. Craig has been talking about visiting the Dakota Zoo in Bismarck since before we got married (not an exaggeration). Bright and early on Saturday morning, we packed up and headed west. Murray slept most of the way so he was in great spirits when we arrived. The weather was cool and rainy, which was perfect for zoo day. It wasn't very busy, and the cooler temps bring the animals out and they are super playful. We had an absolute blast. Murray LOVED feeding the mischievous goats, the noisy donkey (who brayed quite loudly anytime someone put money into the corn machine), the enormous Clydesdale horses, and my personal favorite, a beautiful family of white tail deer (probably because it brings back warm fuzzy childhood memories). I could have climbed right in the pen with the deer. The buck still had velvet on his antlers, the fawns still had their spots and were nursing, and the brown-eyed doe look wiped out (can't blame her, I can relate). After the zoo and lunch, we went to our hotel for swimming and resting. As usual, Murray didn't want to get out of the water.

On the way home, we stopped in Valley City to visit some good friends. Thanks for your hospitality, B & C! We loved seeing you (and Lily, Izzy, and Monster too).

We polished off the weekend with a backyard barbecue at Craig's brother's home. The boys had a terrific time playing in the pool and only had a few minor tussles. We adults always enjoy good conversation, so it was the perfect end to a perfect weekend. If you turn the sound up on the clip below, you'll hear that all four adults are laughing at the boys. Might as well let them fight it out, right?