Summer Celebration.

Every year, a neighboring town close to us has a summer celebration with a free kids carnival. It's a fun highlight to the start of summer! The girls enjoyed the train ride, inflatables, petting zoo, and playing at the park. It's so fun to do the same things each year and see how much they've grown and changed. Before we know it, they will be too big for train rides. I'm trying to treasure the in between while they are big in some ways and still small in other ways. Watching them grow up is the best!

First day at the pool 2022.

We hit up the pool for the first time! Always a joy to be back again. It was only 75 degrees, which felt amazing to be outside, but a tad chilly for the pool. That doesn't stop them though, they still were so eager to go! Looking forward to many more fun times there this summer. It's also fun to see how their swimming improves each year! (This was about two weeks ago when posting this, the high for today is 102, so summer temps are here!)

Memorial Day weekend with college friends.

My college freshman roommate, Jackie, and her family came to visit us for the weekend! We rented a bounce house and that was an excellent decision with lots of kids and worth every penny! We enjoyed fellowship together and tons of outside time playing, walking, and visiting parks. Thanks for visiting us, Calandra family!

Norah's piano recital 2022.

Norah had her first piano recital! She started taking lessons this year (first grade), and I'm so impressed with all that she's learned in a year! I took piano lessons for ten years growing up, and it's always something I wanted my kids to do too. I think it's very helpful for many areas, and music will serve you well for your whole life! While there are many benefits, that definitely doesn't mean it's easy. Piano has been a good learning tool for Norah to practice responsibility and discipline. There are days when practicing is hard and you don't want to do it, but perseverance is a good lesson. Most days Norah does pretty well practicing and we are so proud of her for giving it a go a whole year and learning many songs!

Norah was nervous for the recital, but she was very brave and got up there and did so well! We love you, Norah, and cheering you on is our favorite!

End of soccer 2022.

We wrapped up soccer for this year- go teal and green teams! (Even though their shirts look blue and neon yellow if you ask me.) It was fun to watch the girls try hard, meet new teammates, and learn about soccer! Way to go, Norah, Lucy, and Ellory! We love you and love cheering you on!

Tulip Festival 2022- Street Scrubbing.

On Saturday of Tulip Festival, we scrubbed streets! In case you have no idea what that means, our little down has Tulip Festival every year where we celebrate our Dutch heritage and many wear Dutch costumes. Before every parade, the streets are scrubbed so they are clean for the Tulip Festival Queen to walk on. The men pour the water and the women scrub. It's a fun tradition!

Ready to scrub, love our little Dutch family! Kley and I are both actually 100% Dutch.

The girls did a great job! They were not happy near the end when their socks/wooden shoes got soaked, but we made it the entire parade route!

We sure love our beautiful Dutch girls!

Tulip Festival 2022- Parades and more rides.

What a super fun Tulip Festival! It was strange that the first two days were 90 degrees and the last two were 50 degrees, but we had fun in all temps! We hit up the parades, food stands, and more rides. Ellory was obsessed with snow cones! We sat by some church friends for a few parades and also had a night with the De Jongs with supper/parade/rides too. It was great!

So fun to ride some rides with cousin Will! He used to not love rides, but is really branching out and it's neat to watch the cousins have fun together! This picture of Ellory and Will was when they rode the smaller boat while Norah and Lucy rode the bigger boat. 

I love this picture of us on the ferris wheel!

Motorcycle fun.

Berry-go-round.

Little Dutch girl!

Every kid loves climbing in the giant wooden shoe.

Some parade floats.

The Queen and her court.

Pride of the Dutchmen Marching band.

In the last parade of the festival, any alumni can march in the band. Kley loves to pull out the old trumpet and march along!