Mother's Day Moments

Mother's Day was packed full of Mom moments...with my mom, Doug's mom, and with my girls. We did brunch with my folks and supper with Doug's family. I have always loved and appreciated my wonderful mom, but now that I'm a mom I have grown to appreciate her even more. All the little things she has done for me over my lifetime have taken on new meaning. The grace she demonstrates and her servant's heart have been such a wonderful example of God's love for me and my family. Thanks for all you do and have done for us, Mom! We love you!!!

Doug and the girls gave me some beautiful perennials they had picked out. They picked out such a nice variety. I planted them last week - they were all great additions to our landscaping. They also gave me a beautiful pair of Silpada earrings Hannah and Doug picked out. My friend Kristin is now selling Silpada so I had a party a couple of weeks ago. Hannah looked through the catalog and picked out a pair of earrings for me that she really liked. Doug then looked through the catalog and ended up picking the same pair as Hannah. Great minds think alike. I love the earrings. The best thing they gave me were lots of extra cuddles and hugs...can't get enough of those. I love you, dear sweet Hannah and Ava! Thanks for filling my life with so much joy and love!!!

Doug's family gathered at our house in the evening to celebrate Mother's Day and Dad B.'s birthday. We ate a delicious supper that included a delectable dessert. Our girls always enjoy spending time with their older cousins, aunts and uncle, and of course their grandpa and grandma - who Ava affectionately calls "Ampa" and "Ama." Thanks for all you do, Mom B. We love and appreciate you too!!!

T-ball with the Tigers

What a difference a year makes! Last year, Hannah felt so-so about T-ball. I think she had more fun picking dandelions and drawing patterns with her cleats than she did with T-ball. This year she really got into it - hustling for the ball, throwing it to the right base, and swinging hard to get some good hits. A big plus was that she played on the same team as her good friend Grace and Grace's brother Matthew. Another plus was that her mom was one of her coaches. She was very excited when I offered to help coach her team. I realize that some day she may not be so excited about having her mom as a coach, so I relished the chance to do it now while she was more than thrilled about the idea.

I love the picture below of the two of us standing the exact same way as we waited for the batter to hit the ball. Like mother, like daughter. :-)

The Tigers: Coach Mike, Nate, Matthew, Zach, Derek, Sam, Coach Sheryl, Abby, Grace, Hannah and Alex

Tulip Time

This year we broke with tradition and went to Tulip Time with my dad instead of my mom. My mom was enjoying some time with her sisters who were all together for a couple of days. It took a little convincing to entice my dad to join us - his only experiences of Tulip Time had been on busy Saturdays. After assuring him that a weekday was far less busy and having Hannah call to say she really wanted him to come, he agreed. Actually, after Hannah called and asked him to come along he didn't really need much convincing. Hannah knows how to work her papa. :-)

The weather was a bit chilly, but we still had loads of fun. The tulips were beautiful, as usual. We enjoyed watching Dutch dancing, riding on the ferris wheel, shopping at the Dutch market, and eating yummy foods. While we were watching some children dance we saw my mom and her sisters who had come to watch my cousin's son dance. I was excited to see my aunts from California and Thailand, who I haven't seen in awhile. My mom was so surprised to see us. Maybe we didn't really break with tradition since my mom was at Tulip Time after all.

Out with the Old...

The wallpaper in our main bathroom has finally come down! It was about time. :-) I was grateful for the help of some friends from my small group at church. We made it a fun "stripping party" complete with some wine and munchies. The actual wallpaper stripping only took about an hour...so we could kick back and relax to finish off the wine. Thanks, Juli, Sarah and Jill! Now Doug and I have to decide on a paint color...hope that doesn't take as long as it took to finally get the wallpaper down.

Tea Time

Hannah's kindergarten class held a special tea for parents - complete with tea, beautifully decorated cookies and a special spring program. The kindergarteners sang some songs, recited Psalm 23 with motions, and presented a story where each child portrayed an animal in the story. Hannah was a very loud blue jay, which I thought was a good role for her...she did it well. :-) Her class has also been working on manners, so the children put them to good use in serving tea and cookies to the parents. It was so cute to watch them in action.

P is for Papa

Since we've been focused on "P" words (see post below), I thought I would add a cute picture of Ava and her proud Papa. They are buddies and have lots of fun together. Thanks, Dad for all your help with taking care of Ava! We love you!

And Another One's Gone...