Lately the weather's been playing games with us... one minute it's that iced coffee kinda weather and the next it's screaming hot cocoa. On those warmer days, the laptop has remained mostly closed and we've been outside enjoying the tree pollen and windy forecasts. For those of you who have allergies and also have to wear contacts, holy moly... may the force be with you as Spring graces us with her presence.
One thing that I LOVE about spring/summer is that our social calendar is delightfully snug. We're social humans here at casa de Kladder so a full calendar is a happy one and this past month has been no exception.
Golf league is in full 'swing' for both Jeff and I, filling up our Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Last weekend we golfed in our first couples event with friends which made for a fantastic Sunday Funday. The more I golf, the more I like it. I'm having a great time getting to know the ladies at Watermark and slowly working on my golf game. But what gets me most excited about being more involved at the golf course this year is that this is something Jeff and I can do together for years to come.
The couple that golfs together stays together! At our couple event last weekend at Watermark.
For Mother's Day we celebrated at Reds at Thousand Oaks with their annual brunch buffet. If you've never been to a Watermark buffet event, let me just say that you MUST come hungry. Complete with omelettes made to order, prime rib, ham, all the usual breakfast suspects, a salad bar with shrimp cocktail and so much more... it's hard to walk out of there and not feel stuffed. My sweet tooth gets me in big trouble at the dessert table where I (kid you not) had 5 cake pops in addition to a giant piece of chocolate cake. Needless to say, I had a very happy Mother's Day myself.
Me and my two babies at Mother's Day Brunch at Reds at Thousand Oaks.
The weekend before that we enjoyed date night at Reserve as well as tickets to Motown the Musical that showed at DeVos Performance Hall. The show was wonderful - my cheeks hurt from smiling. We are suckers for broadway and usually jump at any chance we get to see a show. Motown most certainly gets our stamp of approval for the sheer entertainment factor.
Motown The Musical showing at DeVos Performance Hall.
Two weeks ago we visited Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan for our entire family's very first time out at the event. Surprising, I know. How can we call ourselves Dutch?! Natalie had a blast on the kiddie rides at the fair grounds with her buddy Maxi and both girls would have stayed in the tulip gardens until dark if we allowed them to. A good time was had by all especially during the ladder portion of the evening which included dinner and drinks at New Holland Brewery.
Also this month, St. Cecilia had their annual wine tasting event put on by Martha's Vineyard. Jeff and I attended with his parents and family friends The Matsons who showed us the wine tasting ropes. There were nearly 40 tables of wine serving samples of 5-10 bottles each ranging in price from $12 to $200. The best advice we received? Try the most expensive bottle and move on from there - I didn't ask questions. We had a great time and would most certainly consider attending again next year.
Proudly showing our purple teeth at the wine tasting event.
We've got some new GR Family content available highlighting Captured in Clay, a local company who creates unique baby hand and foot print clay tiles for keepsakes. That post is available on our GR Family page. I'm also in the process of writing our top 10 crockpot meals for busy families (you all know how I love my crockpot) which I'll post soon.
Thomas' Captured in Clay tile that will join the rest of his cousins and sister's tiles that hang in his grandparents house on the lake.
With 4 more weeks left of maternity leave, I'm starting to prep myself, the house and the kids for my return to the office next month. These last 8 weeks have been so much fun. Sure, there have been some sleepless nights and of course my days fueled by caffeine and cartoons (and donuts), but despite all that... I'm happy and grateful. Thomas is getting plump, Natalie is getting adventurous and Jeff and I are loving life.
POSTSCRIPT (stuff we're into lately)
- Happy Hour @ Mangiamo! - We've raved about happy hour at Mangiamo before and we'll say it again... half off all drinks until 6pm! Kid friendly if you sit on their patio. Check out our top 10 places to happy hour with kids HERE.
- Halo Top Ice Cream - So so good. Hint: if you live in/near East GR, D&W in Gaslight has ALL of the flavors.
- West Wing the TV Show - I finally finished it. And I'm happy and sad all at once. Gosh it was an entertaining yet wholesome show. I've moved onto Madam Secretary and look forward to House of Cards returning on the 30th... apparently I have a thing for political shows.
- Vans Pastry Shoppe - Donuts good for the soul, not for the waistline.
Our view from the Magiamo patio during happy hour.
Vans Pastries.