easter sunday

Erik completely surprised me Sunday on our way home from our Easter festivities. I had been begging him all week to go to the tulip festival with me, which I know is something he finds little joy in. My chances were slim on getting him to go. We had passed our exit for home and I didn't even realize it. A little while later I turned to him and said, "wait...are we?!" and we sure were! It's funny because I was actually busy thinking about how nice a nap actually sounded and negotiated with myself that maybe I didn't need to see the tulips this year. So, I decided not to bring them up.  Well I didn't get my Sunday nap, but I'm happy Erik decided to go with me. As we were leaving, he asked sarcastically, "so was it so much better with me being here?" My response was, "you make everything better when you're there." Now, if only I could delete everyone else who was taking up the field. 

tulip fields

Spring, I love you. I'm often torn over which season to call my favorite, as I find myself enamored over each one every time they approach. But spring, you're a tough one to beat; with all of your bloom. Seriously, it's so enchanting. On Sunday I headed to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival with a girlfriend, and I anticipated a stressful day because of the popularity the festival has received over the last few years. I've been coming every year for awhile and this was the most packed that I have ever seen it.  Luckily for me, you can't really tell by the photos. I think we had the perfect plan though. We arrived around three o'clock expecting people would be heading home. As we approached the fields with wine in hand, we decided the best approach would be to hang out in the grass and finish our wine before tackling the crowded fields. We kept commenting on how the people would disperse well before six o'clock. Then we kept saying it wouldn't even matter since there was no way we would be there until that time. You guys, we were there until that time. Three hours of blissfulness roaming through the tulips, and we were right. The crowds died off, and there were moments I felt like we had the fields to ourselves. 

endless tulips

This child does not respond to "say cheese," this response is from "say duck"

I almost completely forgot about the tulip festival this year and I blame it on Megan's absence. I'm not sure how it escaped me, especially when I arrived and saw what seemed like endless rows of tulips, take my breath away. It's been beautiful weather in Portland all week so without any lunch plans, swim lessons, or indoor play dates scheduled with Penny, I drove us south to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm. As I walked through the rows I kept thinking how much better it'd be with a friend because let's face it, focusing all of my time on a toddler who just wants to jump in mud puddles and doesn't know how to work a camera, was not cutting it. I immediately thought of Megan and Stephanie and our experience last year and then sat and enjoyed an "Authentic European Bratwurst" and figured that was close enough.