Frederik Meijer Gardens

Today we headed up to Grand Rapids to Frederik Meijer Gardens. We have a Bank of America visa card and on the first Saturday of every month you can get into certain museums/attractions for free. You just have to show them your card! Our kids are all 2 and under so they were free as well. Just what we like - a free trip!! Except for the gas to drive up there and back (ugh - close to $4/gallon!). FMG is right across from Cornerstone so Anna came over and hung out with us for a couple of hours. Bonus!

Looking at a butterfly in the flowers. This was a in a room before we got into the big butterfly exhibit. Samuel was fascinated with the butterflies in this area - probably because there weren't that many.

Hope was checking out the cocoons inside the cage. She was so excited to go and see the butterflies!! At home before we left she kept saying "go see butterflies! go see butterflies!" I wonder if this is like what she thought it was going to be.

Aunt Anna and Hope checking out the butterflies. Hope wasn't freaked out by the butterflies but she wasn't too sure about them either. She hung on tight to whoever was holding her!

Samuel, on the other hand, was totally freaked out. He hates bugs of any kind and apparently butterflies also falls into that category. A few seconds after we got into the butterfly area one flew near his head and he screamed and ran for cover. He cried and cried after that. He was okay with them as long as they weren't anywhere near him. Ha ha ha! Poor guy.

Aliyah . . . not so impressed with the butterflies. She just like being warm and cozy (it was hot in there!) and being held by her Mommy. Her Mommy enjoyed it too. :)

One of the highlights of the day . . . having feet wars at lunch time. Oh the simple things in life . . .

Even though it was only in the 40s, we still went outside to walk around the children's garden. Thankfully, we were pretty sheltered from the wind so it didn't feel bad out at all. It was actually quite enjoyable - especially after being in that sauna-like butterfly house!

This picture makes me smile every time I look at it. Me and my three beautiful kids. They are mine!! Sometimes I can't believe how blessed I am. The first time I looked at this picture it just struck me. I am so blessed!

Playing in the big "sandbox". This was definitely a highlight of the day - especially for Samuel.

Samuel especially loved the "excavator". He loved digging a hole and making a big pile of sand.

Hope had to try it too, much to Samuel's dismay. Samuel did a good job of sharing and Hope did a great job of not being a pest about it.

Aliyah was so funny in the sand. She would just babble and babble as she chopped the sand with the shovel.
It took her awhile before she tried tasting the sand.

Hope had to sit in time out for trying to ruin Samuel's big pile of sand that he was making with the excavator.

Samuel wasn't in time out but after he saw Hope sit on the rock, he had to try it out as well. Then he turned it into a slide. He turns everything into a slide. Silly boy!

We had a great day at FMG. There were a lot of people there, but for free, we can't complain! It's good to know Samuel is deathly afraid of butterflies. We'll remember that for the next time. :)