Zoo Montana

Ok I know it's been a week or so but I've been busy; so deal with it :)  Last weekend my husband's job hosted a picnic at ZooMontana in Billings.  It was a good opportunity to meet some of his co-workers as well as check out the exhibits at the zoo.

After missing our turn we finally found our way to the zoo.

We immediately made our way to the kids area where they had a rock wall, bouncy houses and games.

 After all the fun, we decided to have lunch!

Next, we toured the Sensory Garden full of beautiful flowers and fountains.

 I was exceptionally proud of the bee photos...bumble bees are so cute :)

 

The dragonfly on the left wasn't as cooperative to photograph but still liked the photo.  Loved this fountain too.  So pretty (and the kid isn't bad either)!

Finally, we took the train around the zoo then continued our tour of

the animal exhibits on foot lead by our trusty tour guide/map reader, Elizabeth!

First we visited the eagle, grizzly bear, wolverine and big horn sheep exhibits.

Some of the other characters hanging out in the zoo.

                   

This lizard was so cute...I can't wait to see it again with chinchilla and sleepy bearded dragon!

Although this is a leopard, Elizabth liked that it was cheetah patterned.  And, if I didn't already know how noisy this little Screech Owl was, I'd have put him in my pocket :)

 We had a great day at the zoo and will surely visit again.  Although it was a wonderful zoo, they are having trouble and are in danger of closing.  If any of you are interested in supporting the zoo or would like a closer look at ZooMontana, please visit their website at http://www.zoomontana.org/ to check out their fabulous animals!

Mmm...Mmm, Good!

With the starting of school always comes a change in the weather and with that a chance to make one of my favorite Fall foods: chili!  Chili has been a family favorite for years since my grandmother, Betty, began serving chili for Christmas Eve dinner.  I know, it's a little out of the ordinary but I guess that's part of what made our family unique.  Anyway, we used to make chili the old-fashioned way by cooking the beans ALL day with hamburger and tomatoes; like a bunch of chumps.  However, a few years ago my mom found an quick and easy chili recipe.  And it's from a Weight Watchers magazine!  So today, I share this recipe with those of you out there who are still doing things the hard way.  Enjoy!

First, brown a pound of hamburger.  You can use turkey burger, too.

Second, gather your beans, chili seasoning, crushed tomatoes and corn.  Open and dump entire contents of cans (juice and all) into a Dutch oven or crock pot along with chili seasoning and browned hamburger.

I realize this picture looks a little like an ad for Walmart but it's what we have and budget friendly.

Third, hire a small child to stir ingredients together and heat them through (we used a Dutch over; coincidentally this one belonged to my grandma).

Next, gather your add-ons.  We like cornbread with honey (Kursteaz makes a really good one if you're not up for the homemade kind), Fritos and cheese.  It's also really good with a dollop of sour cream!

Finally, we like to layer our Fritos, chili and cheese!  YUM!

I hope you all enjoy this recipe.  It's not fancy or difficult but it's really good. It does, however, make a lot of chili so be sure to invite friends over or be prepared to eat it for three days (it freezes well, too).

Gym-tastic!

As you all know, my daughter Elizabeth is a gymnastics superstar.  Ok, maybe she's not a superstar yet but she has a natural talent for bouncing, climbing and flipping making her perfect for this sport.  She started gymnastics about a year ago as a birthday gift and has loved it ever since!

 This was Elizabeth's first day of gymnastics.

OOPS!

Apparently it was also my first day using a camera.  Geez!

  

And she participated in her first gymnastics competition last April!

  

Elizabeth placed 3rd in Vault, 2nd on Bars, 1st on Beam and 2nd in Floor

giving her 3rd Place overall!

After a month off since the move, we decided to go check out our new gymnastics home

where the coaches tested her skills.  Although she needs to work on her flip overs,

they moved her directly into Level 3!

Since Elizabeth was starting at a Level 3, the coach was nice enough to give her the Level 1 and Level 2 ribbons :)  And, in spite of the long drive once a week, I think we are going to like our new gym!