Isn't It Supposed to be Winter?

It's January. It's winter. Yet, somehow, it is 65 degrees outside. Instead of sitting inside, pouting, and wishing for snow, Ava and I have spent the past several days outside. Don't let the jacket in the picture below fool you... The temperatures did not warrant a outer wear, but for some reason Ava wanted to wear it.

I get exhausted watching Ava go up the ladder, and down the slide. Up the ladder, down the slide. Up the ladder...

This is Ava's, "I'm serious about what I'm doing" face. If her tongue is out, you know she is working hard.

Apparently it's hard work letting gravity do it's job while going down the slide too.

After Ava wore herself out on the slide, it was time for her other favorite backyard activity... swinging. We have 3 completely different swings on our swing set to choose from, and this is her favorite.

Ava also spent a good portion of her afternoon playing with her best bud, Fergie. Ava loves getting Fergie's toys and throwing them across (and by across, I mean 4 feet) the yard.

Unfortunately, Fergie likes to play 'keep away' more than fetch. Fergie isn't the greatest at letting Ava throw the bone more than once. It's a good think Ava enjoys running around the yard trying to catch Fergie.

Once Ava realized it would be no easy task getting the bone away from Fergie, she decided to go back to what she knows. She knows swinging, and this time, it was Little Baby's turn.

Eventually, we moved from the back yard to the front yard, where Ava enjoyed taking her car out for a spin.

The following day, we ventured over to the Natural Science Center. Ava loves looking at the animals, but on this day, one such animal got a little too close for comfort. Take a look at one (of the many) turkeys that roams free around the park. Ew. He was huge. He was ugly. He kept shaking his feathers (which sounded like a rattlesnake), and scratching his wings across the cement. The only way I will ever have anything nice to say about this guy is if I find him on my plate on the fourth Thursday of November this year.

We scooted around the turkey, and found ourselves in the petting zoo.

These guys are much less creepy than the turkey. Wouldn't you agree?

Then it was on to the animals that we could look at from behind a fence. First up, the miniature horses. Or as Ava calls them, donkeys.

Next, the gibbons.

The wallabies

And last, but not least, the newest member at the Natural Science Center, Bone Crusher. This enormous, and 92 year old snapping turtle is a sight to see, for sure! Although he is a completely different species than the turkey, his creepiness factor is right up there with his feathery friend.

What better way to end a weekend outdoors than with a bubble bath. Bubbles to blow. Water to splash. Crayons to color with. Toys to play with. What's not to like? Plus, check out that cute little girl sitting in the tub.

We're so thankful for the beautiful weather, and the ability to play outside in the middle of winter. With that said, it is also possible to play outside in a backyard covered in snow! I'm just sayin'... Bring on the white stuff!