Easter enrichment at the zoo

We were back at the Detroit Zoo today, and were reminded again of how very different an experience it can be every single time.  Today was Bunnyville day, the zoo's celebration of Easter, and there were eggs and enrichments all around!  The gorillas and chimps got large papier mache eggs, as did many other animals.  The wolverines got a tiger striped papier mache animal, which concerned them at first, until they found it to contain treats.  And the polar bears got ice pops with fish in them.  Fun all around.  We found ourselves enriched by new activity also:  Both of the zoo's new rhinos were actually out together today;  Talini, our baby polar bear born in Nov. 2004, was finally in the big pool where we could see her swim with her mom (she's getting big!);  And, perhaps most astonishing of all, the aardvark was out where we could see him!!!  We are sad to note, however, that the Pudu and his capybara friend were off exhibit.  We hope to see them return soon.

Another year older and wiser.

We celebrated two birthdays this week in the Ophoff household, both of them on the 24th.  Yes, Cortney is now a year older, bringing her within one year of the big three-o (but let's not try to remind her), and Moose also added another notch to his birthday belt on the same day, making him a whole six years old.  For Cortney's birthday, mom and dad Hiller took us all (themselves, Jon, Cortney, Curtis, and Patty, not Moose) out to eat at Real Seafood Co.  We had a delightful time, and a delightful dinner (Cortney even pulled rank and had the waiter crack her lobster for her, though Jon and Patty cracked theirs by themselves).  Of course, birthdays in our house don't get celebrated in just one day!  This weekend we were also treated to a dinner for two at Olive Garden by mom and dad Ophoff, which was also a delightful evening, and we went to see The Chronicles of Narnia, a delightful movie.  Not to mention that we will be celebrating for many evenings to come with the "Just for Dinner" breadmaker that Cortney got from Jon (mmm...fresh, warm dinner sized breads with every meal, or even for dessert!).  And, while Cortney feels threatened as the big three-o looms,  it is comforting to realize that  Moose is now over thirty in human years.  Just don't tell him, it might make him even more certain that he should be setting the house rules!

Thank you very much to mom and dad Hiller and to mom and dad Ophoff for two wonderful dinners! 

A winter spa break!

Well, maybe not a real spa, but where we were was at least as good. We spent the past week at Aunt Lonnie's house, Cortney's Godmother, in Harbor Springs, and what a relaxing week it was. We shopped with aunt Lonnie for baby things in the quaint shops in Petoskey; were joined by Curtis and Patty the next day and had lunch at our favorite Petoskey sub bar, The Noggin Room; Were joined by Cortney's parents the next day and drove up to Mackinaw City for fantastic fried perch at the Keyhole bar, and picked up fudge and caramel corn while we were there; opened champagne and lots of hilarious gifts on New Year's Eve; rang in the New Year with Dick Clark wannabees; built a snowman (Curtis and Jon); enjoyed burgers at Bar Harbor in Harbor Springs; and drove to Bay Harbor for window shopping and ice cream; and spent plenty of "down time" reading, napping, and playing video games. Speaking of New Year's Eve - they added a leap second this year, did anyone notice? We're still trying to get acclimated... oh wait, maybe that's just the frustration of having to return to work, chores, and other duties after a week in a winter paradise.  Yeah, I guess that's it.

 Thank you again and again to Aunt Lonnie and to Cortney's mom and dad for a wonderful place to stay, for wonderful meals over and over, and for great company.

 Happy New Year to all!

Tradition!

Christmas Eve found us at our traditional holiday haunt - Kerrytown in Ann Arbor - buying food for the evening's dinner and snacking on breakfast, lunch, and seafood at the Korean lunch counter there. Possibly an odd tradition, but a solid one just the same. Then, after finishing our wrapping, we carted presents and ourselves over to the Hiller's for good company and great food.  Traditionally, dinner included cabbage rolls, oyster stew, and whipped cream (zebra) cake. After singing in the beautiful candlelight communion service at eleven at our church, we went home to bed - for a few hours.

Since we're still children at heart, Christmas still starts at the crack of dawn in our world. This year that had us driving, dogs and all, to Cortney's parents' house before seven in the morning in a fog so thick we could not see the bridges we were driving under on the expressway. What we won't do for Santa Clause. After stockings (complete with oranges and our ages in loose change), and following a great breakfast casserole, we opened gifts and listened to Christmas music. And who wouldn't look forward to the Christmas afternoon nap, curled up on the floor, surrounded by wrapping paper, bows, and empty boxes and draped over your new all metal fire engine. Oh wait, that's out of "A Christmas Story." But we did nap before the traditional dinner of tenderloin and yorkshire pudding.  Traditions, traditions. At home again, we lit a fire and watched Rudolph and Frosty while the dogs collapsed in exhaustion.

And, since we could never have too much Christmas, we continued the next day with gifts and dinner with the other half of the family. We had a wonderful dinner and relaxed around the table, opening gifts and sharing stories and opinions about movies.

So what next?  We're going to Disney World! Or Harbor Springs, whichever is colder, and we know the answer to that one!  We look forward to being there by tomorrow evening for much needed rest and relaxation.

Yes, it really is almost 4am...

Why are we up and alert at four in the morning?  We blame it on Steve (and we mean that in the nicest way possible).  We were all prepared to pick Steve up at the airport at 11:30 on Friday (today, yesterday, whatever...), and were very excited to see him, but then he called Cortney at work this afternoon to let her know that his plane has been inexplicably delayed by over an hour.  So poor Steve was stuck in his layover in the Denver airport while we were stuck trying to figure out what woud keep us up and running until we could pick him up at 12:45 am.  So we went out for dinner with Kristin and Matt, as had been originally planned, and then had them over so that Matt could beat us all at Mario Party 7.  Curtis joined the party at 11:30, which was when Cortney checked the flight information online, only to find out that the flight had been delayed again for mechanical difficulties and would arrive at 1:58am.  So at 1:40 off we went to the airport but, after getting Steve and waiting for luggage, we were all on our second (or third?) winds and we were all hungry (Cortney is eating for two...), so we hit an all-night Koney Island and then a Denny's, both of which were too full and too smokey.  Instead we hit the local Kroger and stocked up on eggs, bacon, cheese, hashbrowns and OJ and made our own breakfast at home (Jon is a fantastic cook).  So yes, it really is almost four in the morning and, yes, we are all still awake, but we are, finally, on our way to bed, including the safely arrived Steve.