Bubbles!

Ethan and Mr.Boo had an excellent time blowing bubbles one warm winter/spring morning!

Easter 2015

Easter morning soon followed after we returned from Holland.  

Our Easter friends (Elf's friends) visited us as well, same as last year at Easter.  They hide every night for the kids to find them in the morning along with a small chocolate egg.

The Easter bunny hid chocolate eggs downstairs in our home.

Here are the kids searching for eggs.

A "formal" photo before we go to our Easter church service.

And another.

Happy Easter!!

Saturday April 1, 2015

Time to leave and go home.  We had some excited people waiting for our arrival back home. 

Gerrit and my mom and Marloes dropped us off at the airport.

We went and checked in and then said goodbye to them.  Ethan wondered why Oma didn't come with us this time.

Again, I was questioned at customs about Ethan's father's permission for me to travel alone with him.  Geez.  As if we looked in distress like I was kidnapping him!  Thank goodness I had my papers that Ian had signed and all was good.

Here we are waiting for our plane, only to discover a few minutes later that we would have a 2 hour delay.  Ethan was a trooper though and he was awesome.

Ethan took some pics with my iPad.

Waiting...

We went for a long walk and Ethan fell asleep so I had to carry him all the way back and he slept until it was time to board the plane.  I had to wake him up before we went through customs.

A long 8 hour flight ahead of us but Ethan didn't complain once.  He was awake the entire time and switched between watching tv, movies on my iPad, activities from his backpack, snacking, and playing with toys.  He did soooo well and I couldn't have asked for a better child passenger.

After a short week of almost eating nothing because he was so sick, he was his old self on the plane back.  They served past - his favourite!  He loved it and still talks about it.

Playing with tractors and putting together Lego toys.

A tired mom. Some late nights!

Ian and Megan picked us up at the airport.  They were so excited to see us (as were we!).  The boys were all asleep when we got home after midnight (a 3-4 hour drive after the airport).   The next morning, however, everyone was super excited.  We gave the, our souvenirs as well as the gifts Mariek had sent them.  Ethan ran around the house as if he had been gone a year.

We had a great time in Holland and it was so good to go back to my roots and catch up with my family and friends.  Hopefully it won't be 13 years before I can go again!

Friday March 31, 2015

On Friday, we spent the day with Marieke and her kids again.

An updated pic of the two of us....13 years later.

Tim and Daan and Ethan....all on the iPads.

Daan and Jasmijn...so cute.

Boys :)

We had brought a treat to Marieke's house and also bought some for Iepie and mom and AnneMarie.  They're called "moorkoppen " and they're soooo delicious!  Ethan certainly thought so!

That evening we had Dutch Chinese at Gerrit and Anja's house.  Here are Lisanne, Anja, and Jasmine playing hide and seek from Gerrit, who just got home.

Ethan and Jasmine played together despite the language barrier. It was amazing to see the two of them running together playing tag ("tikkie") without communicating in a language they both understand.  So adorable.

Here is Anja's themed bathroom.  

Jasmine and Ethan hid in here.

Looking out the front door together.

Marieke sent me this photo of the two of us.

And she sent me this one.

And this one!  What a fun picture!

That was our last day in Holland :(.