Aquarium Visit

The girls and I recently went to our favorite Aquarium along with my good friend, Carolyn and her boys, Joe and John.

We decided to meet for lunch in one of the restaurants inside the aquarium first.  Here Carolyn gives baby John a little appetizer before our food arrives.

Ava, John, Elizabeth and Joe all look out the window to the aquarium below.  We had a very clear view over the flamingos.
After a yummy lunch, we started out on the top floor and worked our way down.  Right away we were greeted with a surprise visitor.  A tiny bird (looked like a little toucan) flew right up in front of Ava and Joe and just stared at them for the longest time.  He then flew down on the tray of Elizabeth's stroller.  His long beak looked less pretty and more scary by that point, so brave Carolyn put her finger under his legs and he hopped right on so that she could move him back to the fence.  The kids were totally loving all of this!  Ava was about to try the same "get on my finger move" when I asked her to please not do this!
The pair of otters swimming by was so fascinating to Miss Elizabeth.
Carolyn and her boys have a membership at the aquarium, so they know the place backward and foreward by now!
We headed down toward the bottom floor and took a peek into the GIANT window of big turtles, manatees and other giant fish.
Elizabeth showed no fear at all as these giant creatures swam right by/over where she was pushed up to the glass.  My girls are real animal lovers.
Here's a smaller window where tiny fish were swimming around.  Ava was telling Elizabeth about the fish.  They are so sweet together!
Here we are in the shark tunnel.  This hallway is glassed in with water and different kinds of sharks swimming all around.  Ava really loves this part of the aquarium.  Have you ever seen that 'Jaws' where the people are walking through a tunnel like this and the big shark rams into it and water starts gushing inside and the people run around and freak out?  None of the sharks in there were big enough to do that...I don't think.
Elizabeth decided she was finished with the aquarium and ready to go home.

We just love this aquarium and I'm sure we'll be there lots more as the weather gets cooler this winter.