Butterflies, quail and ladybird umbrellas

Today we went with Uncle David and Aunty Katy to Butterfly World! It was raining and cold outside, but so warm inside for the butterflies and other animals.

Audrey stared and stared at everything around her. The butterflies in the air were a bit too quick for her to focus on, but when they landed she loved to look at them, and reach out trying to touch them. She also loved looking at all the plants and flowers, and the waterfall.

There were lots of little quail running around underfoot - sooo cute!

Uncle David took charge of the camera and captured some beautiful pictures.

Such sweet, pretty things.

Uncle David and Ian have a lot in common, especially when let loose on an unsuspecting camera.

We saw so many creatures and took so many photos.

The sound of the running water from the waterfall and the heat and the murmur of voices sent Audrey straight to sleep for half an hour, and her little sleepy self was passed from person to person as our arms got tired while we walked with her.

Then we went shopping for books. I love children's books - the glossy pages and bright colours, the thick, clean texture of the paper. Story time with Audrey is already one of my favourite times, and I know it'll get better and better as she grows into stories I remember loving when I was young.

We're going on a creepy crawly hunt. We're going to catch a big one. We're not scared!

What a beautiful day.