Annual Tulip Festival

This year for our annual visit to the Tulip Festival we invited some of our neighbors. And they both brought their four kids each and I had mine (lucky June, I checked her out of school early to go) and so that was a lot of kids to manage! My dear friend, Tracy, also ended up coming. 

It was beautiful and chaotic. A common theme in my life. Johnny and Rose both were needy (surprise surprise) and I'm not sure how I would have survived without some friends there too!

Hazel got lost at one point. It was only for five minutes and I found her but I saw her off in the distance, looking around, surrounded by by tall, unaware adults, crying. Scared. It's just the WORST too see your kid feeling scared and alone. I was grateful that I was there quickly. I knelt down and held out my arms for her and told her that I'd never forget her and always be there to find her.

Other than that June and Hazel were off with the other kids. And again, I was holding Johnny. Rose was touchy but once she had an ice cream cone she was silent and happy in the stroller. It was super busy at the festival too, despite it being the middle of the week. 

But, nevertheless, those tulips! I will never stop freaking out about all of them! The colors! So many colors! The different varieties and shapes and details! ACK!!!!! I can't handle it! I could spend a life time surrounded by colorful flowers and warmth. I truly think that's what heaven will be like. It's so amazing and there are absolutely no words I can even use to describe the wonder I feel when being there. So I'm glad we went. Always.

I really didn't get many photos of the kids since they were off running around and my hands were truly tied up with Johnny and Rose. But I quickly snapped a few here and there. Mostly of Tracy haha.

 

Her fist of triumph that we survived!

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! It's become a tradition for us to go clean up litter on earth day, so that's what we did. We were able to invite several friends along as well. We went down by the lake path in our neighborhood. There's a lot of trash there! It gets blown down from all the construction around here. I'm glad we went. We found a lot and the kids were all so great and enthusiastic about their trash finds.

We also found a secret path and I lead several of the kids on a mini excursion to go explore it.

We filled a huge garbage sack!

And then we ended with some silly earth frozen yogurt pops that I made (last minute, so glad they turned out. 😅)

Every little last bit that we can do to be kinder to the earth is worth everything. Just think if every human did!

Lotus Bridal Shower

This weekend I get to be the maid of honor (I guess the "matron" of honor, but that title makes me feel soooo old.....) at my friend, Tracy's, wedding. She truly feels like a younger sister to me. We met years ago when I was her leader in young womens at church. She has since then graduated, served a mission for our church, come home, done some college and now she's getting married! It's been extra fun lately too because she ended up living here with us on and off for a couple months.

So I was really excited to throw her a special bridal shower/bachelorette party. If you've been around this blog for a while then you're well aware that I love to throw parties. I love them because they are a fun creative outlet for me but mostly I love them because it's a chance to make someone feel like a million bucks. 

For Tracy I knew I wanted something with a lot of "zen" and "energy vibes" because she's all about that stuff, she's a yoga instructor, and she eats more healthy than an rabbit. She's also had several months full of A LOT of stress so I wanted her to feel relaxed and well fed. ;) I went with a subtle lotus flower theme. (and I apologize in advance but I am going to write out details so that I can look back and remember some day.)

 

I really put a lot of thought into the food. I wanted to make sure it was organic and natural and all of that. So I did a build-your-own "budda bowl" which is basically just a bunch of healthy stuff piled into a bowl. ;) I had bases of cauliflour rice, quinoa, and brown rice. Then you could add roasted tofu, black beans. avocado, shredded carrots, boiled purple cabbage, sweet taters, broccoli, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, sprouts, greens, and then I had several healthy dressings and vinaigrettes to  douse it with or limes to squeeze. 

And I'm mad at myself for not getting a photo of the final table with ALL the food on it but here it is with most of it anyway.

Bamboo leaf bowls!

The roasted lotus onions were a big hit!

I found someone in my neighborhood who brews kombutcha so I had a peach, ginger, and raspberry made and they tasted soooo good!

For dessert we had three different kids of chia seed puddings: blueberry lavender, lemon, and chocolate. And then, for those who didn't mind sugar, I had my sister in law, Jade, make us some amazing lotus cookies!

Then the real treat: I hired someone to come and played the crystal singing bowls, which a lot of times is referred to as a "sound bath." I've gone twice to these events and I knew it was the perfect thing for Tracy. Everyone laid out on a mat and closed their eyes and let the sounds wash away any energies that they needed too. Everyone joked afterwards that it was the best bridal shower because they got to take a half hour, relaxing nap. haha

After the half hour sound bath the lady let us try it too. Tracy was hooked and now wants her own bowls to play. :)

They are made with different gem stones and have different pitches, tones, and vibrations. They believe them to hit different energies. Look how pretty they are!

Then we watched an interview video with Tracy's fiance and that was funny and fun and then as any good bridal shower goes, Tracy got to open a bunch of presents with scandalous things inside.

Everyone left with a bath bomb in a lotus tissue wrap. ;)

And Tracy and her mom left ecstatically with a ton of healthy left overs! haha

I'm so excited for this weekend and Tracy's big day!