Tulip Time...

Wow!! It seems like it's been forever since I've blogged... Life was so crazy last week. Caleb was sick with strep throat, and spent several nights wanting to cuddle with his mommy at all hours of the night. His personal favorite was 2 am! That made for one tired Mommy! It was so strange... He was fine one minute, and then burning up the next. He's on the mend now, thank goodness!!

Friday we took our neighborhood playgroup to Pella for the tulip festival, and we had the BEST time!! I've never been there before, but the tulips were gorgeous, and town was charming. They had a huge wooden park (for those familiar with LeMars, think Cleveland, but twice the size), and after seeing it, Katherine insisted that we were in LeMars -- right by her Grandma Fran's house. The tulip festival is actually this coming weekend, so we got all the benefits of the tulips -- without the crowds. We played and the park, brought a picnic lunch, and then walked into the town square to hit the bakery. Again -- think Vandermeer's in LeMars, but with super yummy dutch treats. Caleb gobbled down his sample of the dutch letters -- and asked for "More peaaaase". My picky eater Katherine took a nibble and spit it right out. Let me tell ya -- it was charming right in the middle of the crowded bakery. We ended bring home some dutch letters for my parents -- and they were a huge hit. (Katherine takes after her mom -- I don't like them either)!!

** You can double click on any of these pictures to see them larger **

Here's a picture of Katherine sitting outside the bakery "patiently" waiting to eat her cookie. She picked out the largest sugar cookie she could find. It was a huge flower covered in thick purple frosting and was a hyper child waiting to happen! I let her have one petal, and told her she'd have to eat the rest later in the night when her daddy would be around -- it's all about sharing!!

Here's a few pictures from the playground.

Katherine is a monkey bar aficionado and here she is swinging around! Carolyn was nice enough to spot her so that I could get a picture!


Here's Caleb taking a break on the bridge. He had been jumping his little heart out and needed a breather. This bridge was a rubber material, and rocked when he jumped on it. Let's just say it was a HUGE hit. The only problem is now he thinks he can jump on the beds or furniture at home.... He just doesn't get it -- it's endless fun outside, but at home it's a no-go...

Here's Katherine and Allison on the tire swing.

The girls in front of the tulips....

OK -- I didn't want to take this picture. I had been running around and playing with the kids on the playground for a couple of hours and was windblown and dirty -- really dirty. Carolyn talked me into taking the picture, and I'm so glad I did. So -- here it is -- a picture of me and two of the people I love most in the world, on a wonderful sunny Friday afternoon in April. This Friday was like so many before it -- at playgroup, with friends, laughing so hard our faces hurt. We had a great day. We laughed together. We played together. We made great memories. We'll go back next year. We'll go back every year.

These days seem endless -- as if they'll never end. It makes my heart hurt and my head panic knowing they will. In the blink of an eye my babies will be grown, so I'll take this opportunity and every other one like it to hold them, play with them and make the most wonderful memories we can. If only time could stand still....