Let's Go Outside!

December is playing in our backyard in these pictures -- they were taken yesterday. She is helping me clean up the yard so that it looks nice for the house showings. We had one yesterday, and we have another one tonight. We've had about 5 showings in the last three weeks, but no bites yet. We'll keep waiting!

A Raisin Lover

December eating her favorite snack

December carrying around the raisin bag (she's got some in her mouth, too)

December in her jammies, playing before bedtime last night

December loves raisins! She gets them out of the cupboard herself and brings the package to me so that I can give her some. She usually chooses the raisins or the chocolate chips when she's trying to let me know she wants a snack.


Last weekend, we went to a place called the Double J Ranch, about an hour away from our house. We went with all of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings to celebrate my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. It was alot of fun! They have an indoor water park there that we spent the most time at. It had fun slides and a great kiddie place. December liked it, too, although when she was walking around in the kiddie area, she fell down and got a face full of water. She did not appreciate that! Her eyes got as big as saucers as she sputtered. Poor December! She recovered though...she liked the hot tub, too.


Tomorrow is the Tulip Time parade! I'm super excited about it! I just hope it doesn't rain -- I think it's in the forecast. All of us will be in costumes. I'm going to be a boy, and my costume looks like Markus' costume in the pictures below. I'm wearing wooden shoes and everything! You have to wear 8-9 pairs of socks when you wear wooden shoes, just for padding. I can't wait! I'll let you know how it goes.

Buying happiness for $7

December and her dolly

Daddy and December dressed alike, inspired by Jeff and Caden

We have learned that happiness can indeed be bought. It costs $6.99 at Meijer. Well, happiness for December, at least (as temporary as that may be). It comes in the form of a doll. She has recently started liking dolls, but the only exposure she really got to any doll was at church, when she goes to nursery. She loves that nursery doll -- it's a little black baby with pink overalls and a hat that keeps coming off. It's the only doll in the nursery, so it occasionally becomes the coveted nursery toy that the kids have to unwillingly share amongst themselves. But usually December has free reign over the little doll, and when she does, she puts it in the Little Tikes kid-size grocery cart and pushes the doll around, or she brings it into the little house, or I even once saw her trying to put it in the baby swing.

So we decided that December needed a doll of her own. We got it for her on Tuesday, and she has been soo happy with it since then! She carries it around with her and cuddles with it and takes it in and out of the bag it came in. She comes to me, her doll in one hand and her pajamas in the other, wanting me to dress the doll in her own clothes. Though we all know that happiness can't really be bought, sometimes, happiness for December comes in the form of that $7 doll from Meijer.

Graduation

Here is Brad just before the graduation ceremony begins

Brad is walking up to get his diploma

Taking pictures after the ceremony

This final picture was taken at Chili's, where we ate dinner before the graduation started. My family and grandparents joined Dad and Debbie and us, and it was very tasty.

Brad has now graduated from school! Yay! He has a bachelor's degree, with a major in Bible/Theology and a double minor in Greek and in Communications. He has worked hard...and done well. That gold cord that you see around his neck is very special. Only one other person in his graduating class received one. They give out cords for academic performance, and the gold cord is the highest honor.

Graduation is fun! And now we have the summer stretching out ahead of us...during which we have to make a big decision about where to move and what seminary to go to. One week we are fairly certain we want to go to one seminary, and then the next week we want to go to the other. Even throughout every day, I change my mind several times. Where should we go? We don't know. Do you have any ideas??