Happy 4th of July!

We had a great 4th! Of course, in true Bates' tradition, Allen took the kids to pick out all sorts of fireworks. Thank goodness we live just outside the city limits!

Here are Brookelyn and Sashi right before the fun started.

Can you tell Brookelyn is excited?

Braedyn loved his little snap-pops. He would throw them on the ground and the step on them. Everytime they popped he was so proud of himself!

Can you tell how thrilled he was?! (As a side note, I think he looks just like his Uncle Jamie in this picture!)

Allen got the kids these big smoke sticks. They made a TON of thick smoke. A HIT!

B-Man loved holding the fireworks!

After all the excitement, Braedyn needed a quick rest...on TOP of Honey!

Here is Brookelyn with a HUGE sparkler!

And, Braedyn loved shooting off the roman candles (not dangerous at all for a two year old, right?)!

What a wonderful 4th of July! The kids can't wait to do more fireworks--really Allen can't wait even more than them!

Wilderness Safari

Last weekend we had an amazing time at the wilderness safari! We started off by getting to pet and feed all sorts of animals!

Here is Brookelyn and Sashi. They were making friends with Apple the Lemur.

And here we are petting the most adorable 13 week old tiger cubs!

Brookelyn made friends with a BIG piggie!

And the kids loved petting the kangaroos! I couldn't believe they would just lay there and let the kids pet them. Some even had babies in their pouches!

Here is Brookelyn petting one all by herself!

Honey helped the kids feed Bambi the deer.

Brookelyn was fascinated with a little bunny.

Sashi helped the kids feed some little goats.

After the petting and the feeding came the drive through portion. Of course Allen and Sashi felt the need to give me a heart attack by disobeying the prominently displayed directions of "KEEP YOUR WINDOWS UP AND DOORS SHUT AT ALL TIMES!" They thought it was hilarious to roll down the windows and lure the animals to the car. We had many, many emus look us eye to eye and almost stick their heads in the windows! They also made "friends" with the camels and zebras. I have never heard Brookelyn laugh so hard--but of course she was sitting in the far back of the car away from the windows. She wanted no part of sitting anywhere near where the animals could get to her, but she loved laughing at mommy freak out and yell at Daddy and Sashi!

It was an awesome time, and we have decided to go back at least once a year!