Road Trip

The weekend of our first open house seemed like a good time to get away. We traveled first to Jerm & Sue's in Delaware, where we spend the majority of the weekend. On our way home, we fit in visits to Grandma Veenema in New Jersey, and to Will, Kim, and baby Siena in their new place in Brooklyn.

Here's Sue and I, each 31 weeks pregnant:



Claire and Eden loved being together...



Cousins and their daughters. Is that second cousins?



Will and Siena (she is adorable, and sweet, and so small).

6 Story Ave - For Sale

A few hours after having accomplished nearly everything we set out to do to this house 5 years ago, it went on the market. See the listing here.

Big-girl Bed

Someone made this bed for my mom when she was a little girl and, most uncharacteristically, it has traveled with her throughout her life. Colleen slept in it when she was little, and now it has become Claire's. With a bit of sanding, some white paint, and a quilt I made, it turned out to be an adorable addition to her room. It only took one tearful night of falling asleep for her to adjust and now she is proud to to be tucked in each night. It is also really special to know that my daughter is now sleeping in the same bed that my mother and sister once slept in. On a side note, this picture also depicts one of Claire's favorite ways to read her children's Bible: finding Jesus in as many pictures as possible. While we're glad she's always anxious to locate Jesus, it has gotten to a point that Steven asked if I wouldn't mind picking up a Where's Waldo book to mix things up.

Easter Dinner

Growing up, my grandmother would set an extravagant "kids-only" table for any major holiday meal. So, this is our makeshift attempt at Meg & Tim's. Cole ended up with the short end of the stick - a piece of butcher block teetering on a chair in front of him. We tried to play up the excitement of having a kids' table, but Cole was too smart to believe his situation was privileged. Claire and Ollie were, understandably, a bit more pleased.

Here's the rest of us (minus Kris):



Dave and Papi slept at our house the night before. Papi was relegated to the couch (decidedly NOT a pull-out), and didn't actually get to even attempt sleep until after we stopped painting in the kitchen around 12:30am. (If not for Tim's help, we would have still been painting during the easter sunrise service.) And Dave, having mistaken Steven's early-morning trip to the bathroom as a wake-up call, was up and showered by 4am to get ready for church, which wasn't going to start until 8. To the extent that some of us do not look our best, some grace is appreciated.

Hoping for Spring

I took Claire to Lynch Park with only a few days before the official start of Spring. Despite the cold, she is always happiest outside, and for me to see the ocean on a clear day is always therapeutic.

The Dress-up Bin

While cleaning out our house to put it on the market, we uncovered the dress-up bin that Kris put together for Claire a while back. It has become a big hit. She's developed quite a talent for walking in heels...

Utilizing the Gym

We recently started taking Claire to the pool at our gym, and, unfortunately, she has developed an obsession with swimming. It gets cold in there fast, and leaving can be a challenge. But, she loves it so much, it is all worth it.