Luke...I am your brother

Tulip Time

Last weekend we had the perfect weather for Pella's Tulip Time. The kids and I head down every year, and they couldn't wait. Luke had a birthday party for a good friend after school, so we picked him up and got there in time for the night parade. The next day we were able to see some beautiful tulips (they also were perfect this year), watch the parade and eat some yummy food. Luke and I were fans of the Dutch Corndog this year....Pella bologna dipped in corndog batter. Yum!

Reagan was so excited to head to Tulip Time that she suggested we make tulip shaped pancakes for breakfast.
Grandma and the 3 oldest girls heading to out to find some tulips.

8 of the 11 grandchildren. We didn't get any pictures with the other 3 cousins. My mom already says that we're all dressing up together next year though, so stay tuned for that.:)

Grandma and the grandkids posing by the tulips.

I wanted one nice pictures with my kids. This is the best of the 3 we took.

This was taken right before Lauren fell into the bed of tulips and smooshed a bunch. Oops!

Out two girls that would love to be tulip queen someday.

Scholte gardens

Some tulips in Central Park...the girls picked pink ones to stand by and Drew hopped in with them.

When I asked Luke what his favorite part of Tulip Time was, he said this cannon. It must be a boy thing.:)

Grandma always had someone or two on her lap.

We aren't going to make it to Orange City's tulip festival this year, but their Orange City Christian's junior high band was down, so we got a little taste.

This was the highlight of the parade for Drew. We saw the lighted night parade the evening before and he sat on my lap until he saw Thomas heading down the street. Then he took off so he could get a front row view. The next day he kept asking when Thomas was going to come by again. He was very excited.

Hey Batter, Batter

Baseball and softball season are now underway. This is our first year having two playing, which makes things a little busier. We have at least 2-3 games per week plus practices for Luke, so I feel like we're quickly eating and heading out to the ball field most nights. Luke & Reagan are having fun and Drew & Lauren have a good time playing in the rocks and dirt, so I guess it's a successful season!:)

Posing in her uniform.

A little pre-game pep talk...go Pandas!

Who's on first?

Such concentration...and it was a hit!

Easter

Grandpa Mike with 3 of his grandkids.
Drew & Lauren in their Easter outfits.
Why is it that the oldest one insists on driving his mom crazy and not taking a normal picture.:) You'll notice in the next photo that he's also messing around!
Ready, Set, Go!
Lauren hunting for her eggs...it will be so much easier when she can read her name.

On the hunt.

Reading the first clue for the geo-cache hunt.

Bethany & Reagan listening to clues.

Trying out their new bubbles.

The bunny cake Reagan and I made. It tasted really good.:)

Drew & Lauren got their birthday present from Grandpa & Grandma a little early, so they can have more time to enjoy it this summer. Unfortunately, we couldn't fit it in our van on the way home. Drew was bummed and said "I can drive it home." Ha!:)

We had a lovely Easter Sunday. What better way to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord than being able to go to church together and worship Him. After a great service, we headed to Pella for lunch and an Easter egg hunt. We were also able to spend the first part of the weekend with Ryan's parents, so it was a fun-filled time.

Feeling crafty

Last week Saturday morning my sister came over for a while, so while the kids yukked it up and had some quality cousin time, we got busy and made some flower barrettes for the girls. We thought they turned out pretty cute and they're so much cheaper than buying them elsewhere, plus it's fun to create unique ones that match their outfits.:)

A visit with Oma

We were able to go to Orange City for a quick visit over Spring Break. We didn't have near enough time to visit with everyone we would have like to, but we did get a little bit of time with Oma Elle. The kids always enjoy seeing her and I think she gets a kick out of them.:)

Up, Up and Away!

It was warm and windy on Sunday so we decided to try out our kites. I think they spent more time on the ground than in the air, but the kiddos didn't seem to mind.:) It was a gorgeous day and it makes us ready for lots more outdoor time.