Houston Times

Over the weekend, we spent time with my parents in Houston, Texas to attend an Astros game and visit the Houston Zoo.

We had so much fun at Brayden's last zoo experience in San Antonio and were looking forward to more fun at the Houston Zoo!

My oh my how he's grown! The daily image I see on my phone is from his very first Astros game when he was only 4 months old. Pardon me while I dry up the tears. I know some parents say they can't wait for this phase or that phase to be over, but I'm not there. I love having my child small. He might be our only one and I'm cherishing each and every moment because I know they will be gone far too soon.

Anyway, back to the weekend...we made it!

We actually arrived before the gates opened, so we joined the massive line of people waiting on their free duffel bags. Yes, there was a massive line. I didn't have my heart set on getting one because I wasn't planning on waiting out there all morning. Well, we were one of the first 10,000 in line and we got one anyway! YAY!

This right here is my kind of ball park food. These quesadillas are some of the best I've ever eaten!

It also wouldn't be an Astros game without a picture with Mickey! Brayden was so excited to see Mickey! It was precious!

I've mentioned this before in a previous post, but we LOVE sitting in the 200 level section at the game, especially with having Brayden.

This area is a little more quiet, the alcove isn't as busy, the view is perfect, and the seats are a bit roomier!

We won! YAY!

Our typical field post-game family portrait!

On Sunday morning, we visited the Houston Zoo. We arrived not long after they opened and they weren't very busy which was nice!

There are several play areas at this zoo (including a splash pad). I can't wait to return and spend a better portion of the day! We were only a time constraint because Jason had to go into work that evening.

Hands down, Brayden's favorite animal was the sea lion! He loved watching him swim around in his pool!

Our tickets also included a ride on the carousel which he enjoyed!

Of course our animal of choice was the "seal"...hah. See what we did there?

Not long after our carousel ride, the bottom decided to absolutely fall out of the sky. Thankfully, we were near a large employee umbrella and we were able to have sanctuary there for a little while. After checking the radar though, we realized the rain wasn't going to let up any time soon. That's when I remembered that I had a dollar poncho stashed away in Brayden's diaper bag, so I put it on and used it to trek around the zoo to purchase more ponchos for my family. 

The zoo floods pretty bad and there were sections where water was up to my ankles. After about half an hour, I returned with ponchos for everyone and we were able to make our grand escape.

No one was angry or mad, we were grateful we had the chance to see most of the zoo before the rain, and we looked at it as another adventure. These are just fun stories to share in the future!

It was a fantastic weekend and we made it home in time for everyone's everythings!

I can't wait to go back. We LOVE the Houston Zoo - it's spacious, roomy, we were up close and personal to the animals, it's super clean, super shaded, the staff is friendly, the list goes on and on. We definitely need a zoo-redo! :)

If you're ever in the Houston area, consider adding the Houston Zoo to your list of things to do! You won't regret it!

How was your weekend?