The Writing on the Wall

I should have known better.  It was too quiet.  

Too late...

the writing

was

on

the

walls!!  

(some lessons are learned the hard way)

Last Friday, Lauren's class went on a field trip to the zoo in Battle Creek.  We didn't get time to visit the whole thing as it is quite large and spread out, but we did see some really neat things.

I thought this elephant exhibit was really cool.  Really gives a close-up perspective on how big these animals are.

Nearly every zoo has snakes, but I am always amazed at their size. These were in a glassed-in area that you could get really close to, thereby allowing you to experience the goose-bumps while feeling safe at the same time. :-)

So glad these pythons are not roaming free where I live.

Another section of the zoo is dedicated to making you feel as if you're on an African Safari.  I thought this comparison between the USA and Africa was interesting.

While on our African Safari, we got to feed giraffes!  These are the most amazing animals, to me.  They are beautiful, graceful, gentle and amazingly tall!  Oh, and they like lettuce.  :-)

Check out that long, black tongue!

A large part of this African section is a wooded trail that takes you to different animal exhibits.  There are artifacts and places set up that resemble real African campsites and thatch huts.  There was also a tunnel lined with wood that was supposed to be like a mine. I didn't post pics of all that, but I thought this picture would show how quiet the trail is.   

After our zoo experience, we jumped back into city life with an ice cream cone from McD's.  :-)

Saturday was Owen's 6th birthday.  He couldn't decide if he wanted a lego cake or a police cake, so eventually I decided it was going to be a police cake.  Nothing special, as you can see, but his 6 year old self was happy with it.  :-)

It might have been a police cake, but there were plenty of legos to go around.

Marshmallow Caramel Corn!!

I found this recipe on Pinterest and had to try it.  It is soooooo easy.  Literally took me about 5 minutes to make it after I popped the corn (which I do the old-fashioned way on the stove).  If you love caramel corn, and you want a delicious batch of it fast, this is the recipe for you.

Marshmallow Caramel Corn

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. butter

9-10 large marshmallows

1 tsp. vanilla

12 c. salted popcorn

Pour popcorn in a large brown paper shopping bag.  Place brown sugar and butter in a microwavable bowl and cook for 2 minutes, stopping to stir after one minute.  Add marshmallows, stir around, and microwave again for about 30 seconds.  Stir until marshmallows are completely melted.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour mixture over popcorn in the bag.  Close up the bag and then shake well for 30 seconds until all the popcorn is evenly coated.  Spread popcorn out onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper to cool.  Store in an airtight container.