Sci Center and Blank Park Zoo Family Pass

I am loving our family membership to the Science Center and to Blank Park Zoo. When Mother-inlaw gave this to me as a gift this Christmas I was thrilled (acting like a giddy little girl that just got her new dolly-that thrilled.)

I could go on and on about all the cool things they have to offer but the real reason why I am thrilled are these reasons:

We really don't need any more toys -nope not a single one, I am trying to keep toys under control, and it's not working well. So this is a win-win, 1.we are not in our house making a mess (picking up toys) and 2. we are not getting any more toys (Wha Who!)

I love getting out and playing and going to places that tucker them out, if it's educational that is a plus! The Science Center of Iowa and the Zoo does just that and more! I love that even on hot days we can enjoy being in the air, and having a good time!

It's Free entertainment for a good 4 hours at a time! These days it's hard to do family things that don't break the bank and for us, having daddy around is precious time we want to make it count, One of the best ways to make time count for us to go as a family to the Sci Center or the Zoo, it's always changing and there is always something new to discover. For a family with an almost 5 yr old, a 2 year old and one due in May I feel it's a must! You might think that it's not really free, your right the pass was $158 however that get's you into the Zoo and the Sci Center for free as a family, if you were to go to either of these places even with a groupon it would still cost over $25 to get in as a family, since my kids are little and still need naps, it's best if we stay for the morning or an afternoon, not of the whole day so a pass works wonders for us, I don't feel like I am wasting money because we didn't see everything in one day.  If you plan it right you can get your pass for almost 13 months instead of a year, the pass expires on the last day of the month that it was purchased in, so if I were to buy a pass for the up coming year I would buy it a the first of the month in January 2014, have all that month and then the whole year plus the end of January 2015.

Enough blabbing about the pass, I should note that this a must for families that live close to the DSM area, I live about 1.5 hours away but have grandma and grandpa to visit with and to stay the night if we get to tiered.

some of my fav. pics I just took while we were at the zoo.

While at the zoo they had animal education for kids, We got to touch animals and see them up close! This is a Hissing Cockroach- the stuff on the table is snake skin from a python that we also got to touch!

 Our kids and cousins loved the truck at the lion exhibit, I couldn't get my son off of it, he said drive drive drive, it was super fun!

 It's like 55 degrees out side, nice enough for a light jacket, don't you love the snow on the ground? I will take fresh air in December any time!

 This cute Rhino seemed content as he was walking around in the snow, it was a funny sight to see in deed, I don't associate a rhino in snow!

Our older kidlets enjoyed the swinging bridge at the discovery center! I loved that it was so warm!

This is my favorite pic, at the learning center they also had a pygmy hedgehog that my son loved, it was super cute. 

I had to play with my camera just a bit, I love changing my shutter speed, I feel like I am a rock star photographer. This was to perfect to not take a picture off.