Sioux Falls

 Over Labor Day weekend we took a little trip to Sioux Falls SD just to get away from the norm in Omaha.

The park where the falls were was very pretty and the grass was SUPER green.

All in all it was a pretty relaxing weekend with really nowhere to be at a certain time. We just meandered around town.

And took random pictures of mushrooms.

Saw some hot air balloons over the city.

The park had a cool outdoor concert venue that was an old mill of some type. We listened to some of the concert until the elderly ladies in lawn chairs gave me the stink eye for bringing Owen into a hiphop concert.

Sioux Falls has a nice little zoo as well. Nothing like the zoo in Omaha, but it was small enough that we saw most everything without getting hot and crabby.

Some tortoises gettin it on.

I am really hoping that this isn't the permanent exhibit for the giraffes.

Ace Venutra anyone??

Shark Attack!

Mom took me swimming for the first time. Of course she couldn't just let me go swimming, she had to dress me up like a shark first. I must admit that my shark suit is comfy.

Butterfly Garden

In Sioux Falls we went to the butterfly garden. I could have sat there for hours and just looked at all of the butterflies.

Rakhi 2014

Every year Naveen's sister, Nutan, sends us a each a Rakhi. Owen even got one! I know it isn't elegant to quote Wikipedia, but here it is.

Raksha Bandhan in Sanskrit literally means "the tie or knot of protection".^[13] It is an ancient Hindu festival that ritually celebrates the love and duty between brothers and their sisters.^[3][14] The sister performs a Rakhi ceremony, then prays to express her love and her wish for the well being of her brother; in return, the brother ritually pledges to protect and take care of his sister under all circumstances. It is one of the several occasions in which family ties are affirmed in India.^[2]

The festival is also an occasion to celebrate brother-sister like family ties between cousins or distant family members,^[15]sometimes between biologically unrelated men and women.^[16] To many, the festival transcends biological family, brings together men and women across religions, diverse ethnic groups and ritually emphasizes harmony and love. It is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Śrāvaṇa, and typically falls in August every year.