Online!

Layla is on the Press' website. Follow one of these links to check it out:

http://photos.mlive.com/grandrapidspress/2009/05/tulip_time_volksparade_1.html

http://photos.mlive.com/photos/grandrapidspress/ab5d81edf35df23d18d1f7f6b43826d2.jpg

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/05/tulip_time_volksparade.html

I was hoping when he was taking her pic that she'd be in the paper, but it's not a great picture, so I guess it's okay that it's just online:-).

Tulip Time!

Anyone that lives in Holland knows that this week is Tulip Time! I'm dancing with my sister this week so that's been keeping me busy (although alumni doesn't seem to dance nearly as many times as high school).

Ella and Alden came to watch me dance Tuesday night so the kids were able to get some traditional tulip pics (we allowed Alden to be in them even though he didn't have a costume:-D). Layla looks like she dreaming of riding a motercycle in this one:-)...

This was the best one that I got...it's about impossible to try to get all three kids smiling--getting them to all look at the same time is hard enough!

Little Dutch Girl...

Layla and Gavin...

Layla and Mommy...

Elvis wearing his scarf to match Mommy. Joe didn't like him wearing it because it is purple. Joe wears purple so I don't understand why he didn't want his son to wear purple!

Layla and Daddy...

Em and Gavin...

Yesterday Layla and I went street scrubbing before the parade with Em, Gavin, Joyce and two of Mike's sisters and Mike's nieces.

This is how Layla finished up walking the parade...

She enjoyed the parade--even the loud bands!

Yes, Ella, that is your little orange monkey...

Kristi and Cora, Em and Gavin and Layla and me...

More Layla and me...

11 Months!

Layla turned 11 months this week!! I can't believe how fast time has gone yet it's hard to imagine our life without her now! She is full of personality and is a lot of fun. She loves to explore and is into everything! She isn't walking along furniture at all yet or standing on her own, but has mastered pulling herself up on pretty much anything she can reach. She will still eat about anything you give her. She definitely likes some foods better than others, but she'll eat a little of about anything. She just loves to eat! Last night downtown I thought it was good that she chose to eat her cheese slice and chicken before she ate her french fries. Healthy girl:-). She has been a lot happier since learning to crawl. She loves being able to go wherever she wants and get to whatever toy she wants.



Here she is with her doll. Not great pics, but I was in a hurry:-).

She tries to climb on things but can only get on things that are short like her:-).


Yesterday Em and I were sorting through our old Cabbage Patch clothes when I found these cute little glasses. We always mock her crazy Einstein hair--now she's got glasses to add to the look:-). Happy 11 months sweet baby girl!!

Happy Birthday Jonathan (and Joe)!

Jonathan (Lindsey and Darrell's son) turned one on Friday! It's hard to believe that the first baby in our group of friends is a year old already! That also means that Layla only has one more month until she turns one. Oh, yeah--she's 11 months old today! Guess I'll have to get her 11 month pics tomorrow!

The birthday boy!!

The 3 amigos (Alden was sick so he couldn't make it)...I can't believe they all kept their hats on for the picture!

The party guests...Kali (5), Mason (2), Jonathan (1), Layla (11 months), and Ella (7 months)


Joe's birthday is Thursday so we celebrated his birthday with my family on Sunday at Joyce's house.


We thought we'd try a new place to get cakes from, so we got this one from Creations by Marcia. It looked fabulous and most importantly it tasted great too! I think I'll be ordering Layla's birthday cake from there too. Anybody have any other good recommendations for where to get a good birthday cake from? I normally get them from a certain bakery in Zeeland (not to be name:-D) but they're often too dry and they gave Layla's baptism cake to someone else (who then thankfully brought it back) so I've lost my trust in them. And I don't like grocery store cakes and they always seem to mess things up too.

Sunday was such a beautiful day that we wanted to spend some time outdoors, but there were too many little bugs to enjoy too much time outdoors! :-(

First Shiner

Layla had a run in tonight with the corner of the dishwasher. Hopefully that will teach her to not pull up on it when it's open!

It's hard to see on the pic, but it turned pretty puffy and bruised under her right eye. She's gotten plenty of bruises already, but this was definitely her worse injury so far!

Country Livin'

This tractor was one of my purchases at the garage sale the other day. I knew Joe would love that she now has a tractor:-). She now fits right in as a country girl. The knock-off crocs with socks also make her fit right in in the country:-) (they're blue b/c they're Gavin's--I couldn't find any small enough to fit her).

She loves being pushed fast on it. She has a little similar scooter thing for indoors and loves that too. It's funny to watch how excited she gets about it!

Here she is by the little tree we planted right before she was born about a year ago...

This was right when we came in--I thought it was cute:-)...

Who Needs Toys??

When you can empty out the laundry basket?

And open and shut doors?

And play with door stoppers?

This week Layla and I had fun going to the big Bluff Lakes area garage sale with Em and Gavin and Jill and Ella. My camera is still broken (I'm now borrowing one of Em's) so I didn't get any pics--Jill took one, so if it turned out alright I'll post that once I get it. I found quite a few things. This was my first time garage saling with Layla so it was quite fun. Finding things in really good shape makes me wonder I even buy brand new:-). Layla got some more toys that look good as new (most of them) now that they're cleaned up and some pants and shoes. I had gotten her all 6-12 or 6-9 month pants for this summer but most of them (depending on the brand) are way to big for her. So I got her some smaller sizes at the garage sale. The pants below I'm sure are supposed to be full length pants, but Layla will now enjoy them as capris (they're Newborn size). She's almost 11 months and can still fit in some Newborn clothes (although these must run big)! She is our little peanut:-).

I am Dutch Dancing this year and danced last night for the first time. The pic that I got of Layla and me in our costumes didn't turn out (mainly because of me:-D), so I'll have to get some better ones this week!

***UPDATE***

Here is the pic from the garage sale (we were at my dad's house--we didn't just stop for a pic at a random house:-D). It was so chilly I had to buy Layla some socks for her hands (which she didn't keep on) and a fleece! Oops!