Frederik Meijer Gardens

Today we headed up to Grand Rapids to Frederik Meijer Gardens. We have a Bank of America visa card and on the first Saturday of every month you can get into certain museums/attractions for free. You just have to show them your card! Our kids are all 2 and under so they were free as well. Just what we like - a free trip!! Except for the gas to drive up there and back (ugh - close to $4/gallon!). FMG is right across from Cornerstone so Anna came over and hung out with us for a couple of hours. Bonus!

Looking at a butterfly in the flowers. This was a in a room before we got into the big butterfly exhibit. Samuel was fascinated with the butterflies in this area - probably because there weren't that many.

Hope was checking out the cocoons inside the cage. She was so excited to go and see the butterflies!! At home before we left she kept saying "go see butterflies! go see butterflies!" I wonder if this is like what she thought it was going to be.

Aunt Anna and Hope checking out the butterflies. Hope wasn't freaked out by the butterflies but she wasn't too sure about them either. She hung on tight to whoever was holding her!

Samuel, on the other hand, was totally freaked out. He hates bugs of any kind and apparently butterflies also falls into that category. A few seconds after we got into the butterfly area one flew near his head and he screamed and ran for cover. He cried and cried after that. He was okay with them as long as they weren't anywhere near him. Ha ha ha! Poor guy.

Aliyah . . . not so impressed with the butterflies. She just like being warm and cozy (it was hot in there!) and being held by her Mommy. Her Mommy enjoyed it too. :)

One of the highlights of the day . . . having feet wars at lunch time. Oh the simple things in life . . .

Even though it was only in the 40s, we still went outside to walk around the children's garden. Thankfully, we were pretty sheltered from the wind so it didn't feel bad out at all. It was actually quite enjoyable - especially after being in that sauna-like butterfly house!

This picture makes me smile every time I look at it. Me and my three beautiful kids. They are mine!! Sometimes I can't believe how blessed I am. The first time I looked at this picture it just struck me. I am so blessed!

Playing in the big "sandbox". This was definitely a highlight of the day - especially for Samuel.

Samuel especially loved the "excavator". He loved digging a hole and making a big pile of sand.

Hope had to try it too, much to Samuel's dismay. Samuel did a good job of sharing and Hope did a great job of not being a pest about it.

Aliyah was so funny in the sand. She would just babble and babble as she chopped the sand with the shovel.
It took her awhile before she tried tasting the sand.

Hope had to sit in time out for trying to ruin Samuel's big pile of sand that he was making with the excavator.

Samuel wasn't in time out but after he saw Hope sit on the rock, he had to try it out as well. Then he turned it into a slide. He turns everything into a slide. Silly boy!

We had a great day at FMG. There were a lot of people there, but for free, we can't complain! It's good to know Samuel is deathly afraid of butterflies. We'll remember that for the next time. :)

Our Little Rockstar

I think it's safe to say that Hope likes her new sunglasses. I think it's also safe to say that she is beyond adorable!

Scootin' Around!

Aliyah loves

to scoot around

the house on her bum!

She can get wherever she wants to go!

And into whatever she wants to get into!

And as you can see, her siblings think it is pretty fun to join in on the bum scootin'!!

Imagination and Creativity

Samuel can pedal!

I know, I know. This is Hope's new bike. We have a problem. Samuel thinks it is his. No matter how many times I tell him it is Hope's. It doesn't matter. Hope is gracious and shares it with him. But, Samuel figured out how to pedal!! He first pedaled by himself on Sunday but I took this picture today when he was outside playing with his Grandpa. He'll often need a little push to get started but he's definitely getting the hang of it!

Hope's Birthday

We had Hope's party last Saturday, but today is her actual birthday. The morning was spent in Ann Arbor for a doctor's appointment for Hope. Aliyah came along for the ride and Samuel stayed with my Mom. We also stopped at IKEA because it was *practically* on the way home!! When we got home my tired little Hope went down for a nap and Samuel helped me bake cupcakes. Aliyah napped in the car so she was awake for the afternoon as well.

I love this picture!! They were watching the cupcakes in the oven!

Just lookin' cute!

Daryl had to work all day and then go straight to his internship this evening so he wasn't able to be around for Hope's little birthday party tonight. My parents came over and we just had a little low key celebration with a couple of presents and then some cupcakes and ice cream. Hope got a new puppy dog bath towel.

And some cute sunglasses. Which she is obsessed with. It's so cute!! And we think she looks like a little rock star!! :)

Samuel got upset with Hope because she didn't open the card before the present. See the card in his hand? He was so mad!! Ahhh . . . my little boy who likes everything "just so". I don't know where he gets that from . . . ;)

Doing some 2 year old climbing . . . I don't know who "flipped the switch", but this girl is 2 years old! She is all of a sudden so independent, speaking her mind, doing things like climbing chairs, etc.

Same reaction to the candles that she had on Saturday . . . not sure what to think of them. But she did blow them out all by herself!! We had a great little party for her, we just wish Daddy could have joined us!

H is for Hope

Today, Samuel learned how to write an "H". And he did it all by himself! I tried to get him to try to write an "S" but he said he wanted to "do an H for Hope". We'll keep working on the "s"! He also put stickers on his page and then had to draw circles around them. So cute!

Hope got in on the art-action this afternoon as well. She loves putting stickers (or the sticky part around the stickers) on paper. Whatever keeps her happy!!