Michigan! and other PA Happenings

OK...so this is an extremely long post due to my lack of updating lately...so bear with me here.

Here are pics from our trip to Michigan (oh...only about a month ago already...bad I know!)  We took in the tulip time festivities this year and here is the gang at the parade.  Unfortunately this is all the festivities I took pics of.  We didn't even put our kids in costumes...sad I know...I don't know how we can live with our "dutchselves" by not dressing our kids up for Tulip Time.

One evening was spent at Gpa and Gma Grotenhuis hanging out with the cousins too.

The kids love this jeep (well...almost all the kids...I'll let you decide which child is pretty terrified of it...don't let the picture fool you...it was taken before Brookie put it into motion) Bryce has no fear at all - he already had the knack of standing and holding onto the roll bar.

A little tennis was played...with proper attire of course.  Wait...is that a Tad Davis from 1966 I see in that picture?

Bryce had a hey day with Grandpa G and all his toys...from balls to mowers to jeeps...he was lovin it!

And all the kids (including the big ones!) got a fun tractor ride to complete the night.

And we actually got a family pic...hooray!

We had a great time in Michigan and will be back in just a few short weeks, but here's whats been going on in PA as well.

This has been Brielle's afternoons lately...pulling out her Dora chair to the front porch...grabbing some fruit snacks and an iced cold one (fruit box that is) and sitting out on the front porch to do some people watchin'.  Oh, the elderly men who pull out their folding chairs and sit on the sidewalk would be so proud of this new Up and Comer!

Brielle and Lila doing a little musical number for us.

This little man has been walking for about 2 weeks now...I forgot how much I love the beginning stages of walking...its so darn cute!  (I'll try to get video...but pics take forever so it might be a little difficult!)

Last week, Brielle had her "learning at the library" end of the year picnic.  There was great food, fun

games, and crafts - she had a great time.

Thank you Miss Pam for some a fun year!  We're going to miss you next year!

Chad was so proud of his "trick photography" here.  He thought he was so awesome making it look like Bryce was holding the flag pole.  Hee Hee.

Well, thats it for now.  We are packing, packing, packing...T minus 10 days and counting until the big moving day! 

I'm Not Really Sure

how much actually ended up in his mouth!

We have a 3 year old!

 Brielle turned 3 on the 11th, so we made the trip back to Michigan to celebrate the big day with family.  Brielle had been talking about her birthday party ever since Christmas and we would have on going conversations of what she wanted her party to have and all that.  At one point, I was thinking I was going to have to come up with a theme that incorporated Dora in pink tutus alongside princesses with a few Sesame Street characters thrown in the mix.  But alas, the princess theme emerged and Brielle had a wonderful day celebrating with great grandpa's and grandma's, grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins. 

As you can see by her gifts...alot of them were princess inspired as well.

She finally got the Cinderella dress that she wanted so badly.  Whenever we stepped foot in Target, we always had to walk by it at least 3 times so she could just gaze at it.

 She got her very own princess castle

 And a doll (which Brielle calls "her daughter Annie"...which she also proceeded to say "she needs milk and thought she better try out breastfeeding while at the party. haha!)

And of course how could you be a princess without your very own castle house?!

 In continuing with the princess theme, I put my creative juices to work...or I might have just used pinterest to help with my creative juices...and made a castle for Brielle's birthday cake.  Its only fitting that Brielle was in her Cinderella garb when it came to blowing out the candles.  

And here's a few pics of the cousins who were around to help celebrate the big day!

Here's just a few things Brielle is into right now:
- She loves dressing up as ballerinas and princesses and doing some dancing
- She loves singing to her Child Prep CD...jelly on a plate, the alligator song, ABC Rock...you name it...she loves it!
- She loves Dora, Bubble Guppies, and Curious George
- She does not like any animal that makes any gesture in her direction.  She likes to look at them from a distance, but prefers they keep their distance
- She still loves to swing.  If she could choose anything to do outside I think it would be to swing.  She can't get enough of it!
- She is into changing her clothes at least 4 times a day.  I am not exaggerating with this number...she puts on some play clothes and then decides she needs a different set of play clothes...or just feels like a fresh new look is necessary so will go and change her outfit entirely.  The same with shoes...I sometimes go on walks with her carrying an extra pair of shoes because I know part way through she's going to be sick of the ones shes wearing and request a change. 
- She loves shopping - we went to the mall the other day and it was great watching her peruse through the clothes racks and pull outfits out and make cute little comments.  She hasn't pitched a fit (yet) if she doesn't get something she sees in the store...I am waiting for that day...I know it'll be coming! 
- She is very in touch with her emotions.  She is very very sensitive from everything to scraping her knee (as I'm sure most of you have read about) to needing one of us to blow on her food because its too hot (even though I had put it in the fridge to cool off)
- She's amazing with her brother.  She loves to play with him...and sometimes lay right smack on top of him (all in the name of love, of course!) and just loves it when he giggles at her.  He adores her.  He follows her wherever she goes and tries to do whatever she does.  It is really the sweetest thing to see.
- She is very shy when you are in large groups, but if people get to you know her...they better watch out...she is a non stop talking machine!   Why just in church yesterday, she was telling the nursery attendants about the bunny poop in our back yard!
- She is so lovable.  I just love it whenever she asks to rock with me in the chair.  I will take whatever cuddle time I can get with my kids! 
We love you Brielle and can't wait to see what 3 years old holds!
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Outdoor Fun

The weather has been so nice lately...and we have been taking full advantage of being able to be outside!

 This is Bryce's new style...bear crawling wherever he goes!

 Bryce is already eyeing the basketball hoop! :)

Playing baggos is just slightly different when kids are around!

It only took 3 years, but we finally got some pigtails on this little girl!

 And oh my...this is a picture of Brielle with her legs propped up on pillows...due to a little accident...which resulted in 2 scraped up knees...ai yai yai.  It is as if the world has ended!  It appears that scraped up knees has gotten worse over the years and causes temporary paralysis and inability to do anything but sit on the couch and watch Beauty and the Beast (although it has not inhibited her ability to drink orange juice...whew!)   Chad and I just scratch our heads sometime wondering where this sensitive little thing has come from...being that her dad once suffered with a finger facing 90 degrees for much of his elementary afternoon after getting it caught in a folding cafeteria table...and her mother grew up with the theme "if you can move it, its not broken...tough it out"  So needless to say, sympathy is definitely not one of our strong suits.  But we are gritting our teeth and just trying to help get her this "tough" time. :)