Fort Worth Zoo with Cousin Jordan

Before the annual Harper family shrimp boil this September, we picked up Cousin Jordan and headed to the Fort Worth zoo for an afternoon of fun.  It was the first time visiting for all of us, except for Jordan, who's a seasoned pro.  

Getting ready to head in.  Max is panting in the September heat, but Jordan is as cool as a cucumber in those sunglasses.   

The whole gang (minus the photographer).

Checking out the baby elephants, Belle and Bowie, who turned one year old over the summer.

Chris and a rhino.

Tiger taking a quick dip in the water.

Handsome guy.

Uncle Chris and Cousin Jordan ...  

... and photo bomb by Scarlett.

This was a highlight for Scarlett -- feeding the tiny birds popsicle sticks dipped in honey and covered in birdseed.  She could have stayed here all afternoon.

Shark!!

There's no clear explanation for the strange scene that went down at the kangaroo statue.  Maybe it was hot to the touch?  Maybe Scarlett was sliding off and afraid she was going to fall?  Maybe she had some kind of terrifying kangaroo flashback?  

I think both of these kids need to steer clear of the Australian outback.

At least Jordan was a fan.

Ice cream break.

Checking out the stagecoach.

And last but not least -- flamingos!

Chris's 40th

Chris turned the big 4-0 in October.  Here's Baby Chris sporting his 1970s finest, complete with fall foliage in the background.

Scarlett was excited to celebrate.  She dragged a chair to the back door and waited for his car to pull up. 

Daddy and his little ones ...

... and a few spooky spiders to boot.

Opening presents.  (Note the happy birthday artwork on the fridge.)

A couple of goofballs.

If you squint, you can see the "40" sparkler candles sticking out of the box.  Note to future sparkler candle users -- sparklers, plastic, and cardboard do not mix.

Max was SHOCKED to learn how old Chris is (he thought he was turning 39, tops).

October fun ... pumpkin patch and pumpkin carving

We were up north in Flower Mound one beautiful weekend in October and decided to stop by the local pumpkin patch.  Apparently 4-jillion other people had the same idea.

Scarlett and Max working their way through the hay maze.

Posing with the pumpkins.

Going for a spin on the train.

Our little pumpkins in the big pumpkin patch.

Mimi and Papa Tig came to watch the kids while Chris and I went on a little trip to celebrate his 40th birthday, and they carved these pumpkins while we were gone.  That's Mimi's on the left, Max's in the middle, and Scarlett's on the right.

Checking the candles.

Scarlett contemplating how the pumpkins will look lit up at night ... probably reaaaalllly spooky!!!

Trinity Audubon Center and Owl-O-Ween

This fall we headed to the Trinity River Audubon Center for the first time.  It sits on 120 acres just eight minutes from downtown Dallas amid the 6,000-acre Great Trinity Forest, the largest urban hardwood forest in the United States.  The center opened in 2008, and was formerly an illegal dump site that was reclaimed by the City of Dallas.  

Max checks out the fish pond before our hike.

Ready to feed the fish.

Heading out across the marsh bridge.  "Are you sure that's the right way, Scarlett?"

Into the woods.

Taking in the Trinity River.

Nature calls.

Hugs for Mama with a hint of fall in the background.

Hunting for rocks.

An exhibit that demonstrates how rivers form.

The outside of the building, which incorporates recycled materials and does a great job of blending with the surroundings.

A month of so after our first visit, we headed to the Audubon Center for "Owl-O-Ween"--  a celebration of all things owl.  There were owl crafts, owl-themed games, and real live owls on hand to pet and admire.

Painting pumpkins.  Note Scarlett's owl hair clip.

Bird is the word.

The rare Scarlett Owl posing next to her nest.