Emma K's Birthday Party

After the Flip Flop Crop, I stopped in Pella to help Scott set up for a DJ gig. Then I rushed back to pick up the kids from Mom's house. Emma was still sleeping, so I ended up just taking John to Emma Kritenbrink's birthday party at the park. I like the idea of having a kids' party at the park. No games needed, and the parents can still visit with each other.

Tommy, Emma, Madison, and John cooling off with juice boxes.

Their first double date?

John and the birthday girl, Emma K

Flip Flop Crop #2

I had an AWESOME time at the second Flip Flop Crop at the lake. Alyssa and her mother-in-law Terri hosted a great weekend of food, prizes, fellowship, and most importantly, time to scrapbook! I completed about 8 pages in our Christmas album, and if I remember correctly, 17 pages in Emma's baby album. Below are some of my favorites from Emma's album:

Alyssa had finished A LOT of pages earlier in the week. She didn't get as much done during the Flip Flop Crop, but her creative pages were AMAZING!

Aunt Arlys working hard

A few of my favorite pages:

Food table:

Sick Days for SAHMs

Why can't a SAHM have a sick day? I think that should be in a contract somewhere. I was sick a few weeks ago and basically locked myself in the bathroom until Scott came home. Fortunately, it didn't hit until around lunchtime and Scott came home from school earlier than usual to take care of the kids. However, when I walked out of the bathroom, this is what I was greeted with (and couldn't resist taking a quick picture of):

Memorial Day

Scott's parents were camping at Swan Lake near Carroll, IA, so we visited them for a few hours in the afternoon. Then we helped them pack up their camper and headed to Audubon to lay flowers on Scott's Grandpa and Grandma Wiederstein's gravesite. John fell asleep on the way to the cemetery, and he hasn't too excited when we woke him up. He did recognize his name on Grandpa John Wiederstein's headstone.



Isn't it neat that John was named after Scott's Grandpa Wiederstein AND Julie's Grandpa Van Manen? We love and miss Grandpa John W., Grandma Gladys W., Grandpa Evan Anderson, Grandma Helen Anderson, Grandpa John V.M., Grandma Leona V.M., Uncle Kenneth Wiederstein (Kendall's twin brother who died shortly after birth), and Uncle Donald Berry (Arlene's brother), but we are blessed to have Grandpa Case VanderHart, Grandma Rachel VanderHart, and our parents with us today. We love you!

Signs of Summer

John with Daddy - Don't they look great?!?
Cubs or Cardinals? - GO CUBS!

Iowa Cubs Baseball

Emma at the I-Cubs game

Playing in the fountain at Principal Park

Outside Principal Park

Playing Outside

Scraped-up Knees (Emma)

Scraped-up Knees (John)

GrillingFor more pictures from the Iowa Cubs game and dinner at Mom's house, please click here.