The Single Sister

This last weekend was a busy one.  It feels like I went all over the state.  Oh, wait, I was.

Saturday I went to the Minnesota Zoo with these cute kids:

My nieces Reagan and Rylee,

and my nephew Nicholas.

Despite the look on his face in this picture, he wasn't at all crabby.

But look how serious he looks.  Do you think he's just as troubled by the price of gas?

Cheer up Nick!  You shouldn't worry your cute 5 month old head about that sort of thing!

There, thats better!

So we started out on the Minnesota Trail.  

Saw a cool bald eagle.

And saw some 5 year olds in their natural habitat. 

Oops, thats just Reagan and Rylee

I've been to the Minnesota Zoo a few times, but I don't think that I've ever seen the Dolphin Show.  

Till now...it was kind of short but still pretty neat.

After the Dolphin Show we headed over to the new exhibit: Russia's Grizzly Coast.  We had gone through it in the morning but all the animals were sleeping.  Apparently the best time to see them is after lunch.

The Sea Otters were playful and swimming around.

Don't they have the cutest faces? 

The Grizzly Bears were also awake.  Erin had been there a couple of days before and said that they were fighting/playing in the water, standing up and putting their paws on the glass.  They weren't as active this day, but this one kept swimming, looking for fish so I got some good shots of him.

It was a fun day at the Minnesota Zoo.  I even got to witness a trait that Rylee could have only gotten from her Auntie Emily.  The Gift Shop Indecision.  "I. Want. That. Turtle!"  Even though those weren't Rylee's exact words, I could see the frantic look in her eyes of "I can't decide what I want!  Too many choices!  What I really want, my mom won't buy me.  I. Just. Can't. Decide."  As a Gift Shop Junkie myself, I could sympathize.  The gift shop was always a favorite part of the zoo, or museum, etc. for me when I was little.  Ok, it still kind of is.

In then end (after 3 gift shops, and some tears) she did choose a nice nail polish set.  

No one walked away screaming "I. Want. That. Turtle!"

Ok, maybe I did. 

Just for old times sake.