BHT Reunion

Friday night we had the chance to catch up with our friends Stu and Cathy Cleek. Stu was my resident director when I was a resident assistant in Bolt-Heyns-Timmer during my junior year at Calvin. They now live in California, but they were in town for the weekend and were trying to catch up with as many people as possible. We were also joined by Jody and Melissa, two of the other RAs who still live in G.R. We had such a good time laughing, sharing memories (thanks to Casey for putting up with that), and catching up on what has happened in our lives since Calvin days. I was incredibly blessed by the relationships I formed with my staff during that year at Calvin, and getting together reminded me of how special those relationships are, and how much my experiences in college have helped shape who I am today.

Cars

Today Casey's family came over for dinner to celebrate his Dad's birthday. I probably better not say how old he is so that I can keep my favorite daughter-in-law status. Casey's Uncle Bob and Aunt Anita joined us, and they definitely arrived in style in their 1930 Model A Ford! Of course all the men and Esther had to check it out after dinner and take it for a little spin. Esther thought it was pretty cool after some initial uncertainty, and she even got to show off to her friend Micah, who is a big fan of cars.

Peter was sleeping during the car ride, which is too bad since he's quite a car fanatic himself. Lately it seems like he prefers playing with a car over almost anything else. Yesterday he discovered that his matchbox cars fit perfectly in the track of the open window. He stood there driving one back and forth, making "vroooom" noises and enjoying the breeze for quite a while.

Butterflies!

Today we went with my parents to the Meijer Gardens to see the butterflies and play outside since it is such a gorgeous day. We got there right when it opened, which was definitely a good plan. We got to see the butterflies before it got too busy, and the kids had the tree house almost to themselves for a while. By the time we left, it was packed with school groups, so we were happy that we went early. Esther loved spotting all the butterflies and seeing the pretty flowers. Peter was very excited to explore the tree house and maze outside. What a great way to spend a warm spring morning!

Basement Work

I've been spending a lot of time in basements lately. Since August, I have finished/remodeled three basements, and have recently started a fourth. The last one I did (and the one that was the most fun) was Laura's parents' basement. After many years, they decided to rip out the old carpet and paneling. I did most of the work while they were gone in Florida over January and February. I have to say, they were the perfect customer......every time I called Mom with an idea to "expand" the scope of the project, she said "sure". Poor Dad, I think he just handed the phone over to Mom every time I called.

Uncle Nick

Casey's brother Nick lives in a group home and usually goes home to his parents' house on the weekends. Since they are out of town this weekend, we had Nick come to our house overnight last night. Esther and Peter really like Uncle Nick, and Esther spent quite a bit of time on the couch with him, just talking to him and playing with his cool Legos! It was very fun to watch them interact. Peter just wants to take Nick's toys, so that makes Nick a little uneasy, but I'm sure in a few years they'll be buddies too!

April 11 ?!?

April 11.
Enough said.

Snowman built by

Esther and Grandpa W.

Coffee Time

Peter and Grandpa having their morning coffee (and milk) together!

Easter Sunday

Despite the fact that Easter Sunday was colder and snowier than Christmas this year, we had a wonderful day! Esther was very excited to wear her new dress, sweater, and sandals to church.

After a very nice church service, we headed over to my parents' house for dinner along with my sister, my aunt, Casey's parents, and Casey's brother, sister and brother-in-law. We had a delicious dinner and spent time playing games, visiting, and relaxing. We are very blessed to have two families that enjoy spending time together, because it is nice to celebrate some holidays with both sides instead of having to split our time!

They're off to Orlando...

Saturday night we had a gathering to say good bye to our friends Tom and Tricia who are moving to Orlando, Florida. We had an evening of good food, wonderful fellowship, and lots of laughs while playing a group game (against most of the guys' wishes). We're sad to see them go, but excited about the prospect of a place to stay if we ever want to go to Disney World! We wish them God's blessings as they embark on their new adventure!

Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny came a few days early to our house. We've gotten to know our neighbor Dore quite well over the last couple years. She has a sweet dog and they are outside a lot, so we talk to her often during the warmer months. Esther is always really excited to see Dore and LuLu when they are out. Yesterday Dore went and bought plastic eggs, filled them with candy, and hid them in our yard for the kids. Esther took her basket outside and got really excited every time she found another egg. Peter found one egg and was content to just keep shaking it the whole time Esther searched for the other eggs. It was a nice, warm afternoon yesterday, probably in the upper 60's. It's a good thing Dore decided to do it then, because this is what it looked like outside our house today. Only in Michigan!