Happy Friday, friends! I want to thank Lee over at DoSayGive for having me write a guest post today.  I wrote a post about what to say and what not to say to a friend that is dealing with infertility.  I have chatted about that here on Lunchbox Babies before, and I hope that it connects with some of her readers as well.  If you are here for the first time after seeing me over on DoSayGive, welcome! Click here to learn more about my story and why I started this blog!

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And, now onto my Friday Favorites . . . The Fossil Rim edition! If you are a dear friend of mine, you know that I have a slight obsession with Fossil Rim.

For those of you that don’t know, Fossil Rim is a drive-thru wildlife park in Glen Rose, Texas.  You see giraffes, wildebeests, rhinos, ostriches, red deer, zebras, and so, SO many other amazing animals.  We have had giraffes come through our sun roof and eat out of our hands, we have had red deer banging their antlers against our car trying to put their heads into our laps, and we have had antelope follow our car in hopes that we will feed them.  SO MUCH FUN!

Fossil Rim is an hour and a half away from Dallas. So easy! We have perfected our Fossil Rim trips over the years.
Beucler Fossil Rim Schedule:
*We leave at 7am with kids in pajamas; donuts, kolaches and coffee on hand. My kids wake up earlier than most children, so a 7am departure is not a crazy thing in our house.
*We throw in a movie as we leave the house, and it is typically ending as we arrive by the time the park gates open – 8:30am.
*We enjoy 2 – 3 hours in the park, feeding animals and exploring the Children’s Nature Center.
*Grab lunch at Sonic in Glen Rose, and home by early afternoon.
All of this equals the perfect day!

Reid and I first discovered Fossil Rim back in 2013.  Not to be a Debbie Downer, but we had just had a miscarriage, and we were desperate to find something fun to do with the boys and just have a bit of an escape.  Mission accomplished with Fossil Rim.  Over the years, it has become such an amazing escape for all of us!

Here is our first trip out there . . .

I mean, baby Jackson.  Can you deal with the cuteness?

We have gone as a family, but the boys and I go a handful of times a year on our own as well.  We have been in the heat of the summer with the air conditioning blasting, and been in the winter with the heat blasting.  Just any break we can get, it is such an easy and fun escape out of town for us.

After years of going to Fossil Rim, we have only just driven through ourselves.  My sweet friend, Jenn, gave us a pass for a Behind the Scenes Tour, and we were SO EXCITED! Last Friday, the boys and I headed to Fossil Rim for a tour starting at 9am.  We jumped in an open air truck with 8 other people and David, our tour guide.  During the school year, David is a criminal justice and sociology professor at A&M.  Such an interesting guy, and a great tour guide. We did the usual drive thru (with lots of interesting stories and facts from David thrown in), but we also were able to tour the Intensive Management Area (IMA).  The IMA is private to all guests (unless you get a fancy tour like we did), and holds several animals that are on the verge of extinction.  Fossil Rim is committed to managing the population and growth of these animals, and it is so fascinating that this is happening so close to Dallas.  The Behind the Scenes tour was three hours, and it was a fun summer activity.  I will say that it was HOT! And, it was a bit long for Jackson (he is 7).  But, Harlan and I really enjoyed it.

Please note how well Jackson was handling the Texas heat.  Hahahaha! This picture cracks me up! Harlan was pumped to be standing feet away from a cheetah (you only get to do this in the IMA area, not the normal drive thru park!), Jackson . . . not so much.

I really can’t recommend Fossil Rim enough.  It is such an amazing place.  Great for teaching your kids about nature, animals, and the beauty of God.  And, just for some relaxation!

Thanks to Jenn for our awesome Behind the Scene Tour passes! Click here to check out Fossil Rim, and plan your little adventure. AND . . . just so you know, Fossil Rim offers big discounts if you are a member at certain zoos!

Have a great weekend! XO