It is no secret that I absolutely love doing anything that pertains to the holidays. So, when I heard about Binder Park Zoo offering dinner with Santa and their Holiday Lights program, I knew I had to manage it into our crazy-busy family schedule.

So, last Friday, the kids, my husband and I, headed to the Zoo. Dinner was catered by Fazoli's and, I'm not sure if it was the good food, the promise of an excellent dessert, or Santa watching from a few feet away, but both kids cleaned their plates and had an excellent time!

I'm sure the highlight of the evening for my kids was to see the man-in-red himself, Santa Claus. I'm sure Mr. Claus was highly entertained when my son asked him where his reindeer were; he didn't see them on the way in. Santa responded, "the nice folks at Binder Park Zoo let me stable the reindeer in the warm barn with the giraffes." It turns out that Santa's reindeer and giraffes have a great time together! That had the kids wondering if Rudolph got to play with the new baby giraffes.

After dinner, we took a stroll through the Zoo and very much enjoyed the beautiful light displays. We all got a kick out of the winter animals roaming and playing in the snow! They act totally different than during the hot summer days!

So many other exciting activities had my children, and my husband and I, enchanted with the Holidays that night. I think one of the best parts for me, was when the kids rode the carousel, and my husband and I joined them on one of the benches; it was the perfect family moment.

If you haven't been out to Holiday Nights at the Zoo, the Zoo is open now through December 23 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Admission is just $5 per person ($4 for members) and children 2 and under are free...

We are already planning to go again next year. Since the kids are growing up so fast, it was wonderful to have an evening of family time where we all had fun together. This is definitely a Christmas tradition we want to continue!