Lawnmower Blues

 This was on Sunday...

The rip cord in our lawnmower broke, and Josh was fixing it. He's good like that. 

Blake was helping. 

Hammer and drill in hand...

The boys got the job done and the mower running!

Starting on Monday, this is the conversation I have had

no less than 25 times every single day this week...

Blake: Mu Mommy?

Me: Yes?

Blake: Mommy!

Me: What do you need?

Blake: Mu daddy?

Me: Daddy's at work, remember?

Blake: Mu daddy mow mow. 

Me: No, daddy's at work right now. He will do the mower another time. 

Blake: Mu daddy...(a few words yet to be translated) ...ahhside. Do mow mow. 

Me: Ok

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. 

Any guesses as to where Josh and Blake will be tomorrow?

Yup.

Ahh-side (wink*)

Getting Away

Hooray for a get-away!

Josh and I are headed to Detroit to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary this weekend...

we'll be cheering for our hometown heroes tonight in

Go Red Wings!

Tomorrow we're going to visit Ikea and I may not ever come home!!

I am so excited to finally get to visit this amazing store...

and Josh is not so excited to see the bill (wink*).  

Blake is headed to Grandma & Papa's house....thanks Mom and Dad!

I'll be back at it next week, with an exciting giveaway for you guys...seriously can't wait to share it with you.

Have a fabulous weekend friends!

Wild Saturday Night

Who: Blake...

....and Daddy

What: Sound asleep

Where: On the couch

When: Saturday night, 7:30pm

Why: Bubbles, Playing Catch, Laundry Basket Rides, & Wrestling

Polderman Family A to Z

A: age:: Mo and Josh- 28; Blake- 17 months

B: bed size:: Queen for the mama and daddy. Crib for the little.

C: chore you hate:: doing dishes, mowing the lawn, picking up

D: dogs:: someday (maybe)

E: everyday essential:: makeup. Android. Milk.

F: favorite color:: blue

G: girl or boy:: girl, boy, boy

H: height:: 5' 6". 5' 10". 2' 10"

I: instruments you play:: piano. guitar. kitchen bowls and toy piano

J: job title:: mama, piano teacher, blog writer. daddy, CAD Drafter. toddler, kiss giver, hammer pounder, tantrum thrower

K: kind of snack:: chocolate. chips & cheese. goldfish crackers.

L: live:: near Grand Rapids, MI!

M: must watch:: NCIS and Duggers. NCIS and American Pickers. Bobby( Barney) , Thomas the Tank Engine, and Veggie Tales

N: nicknames:: Mo, Josh, Blakers

O: olives:: black only, by the can

P: pet peeve:: slow drivers, politicians, the word "no-no"

Q: quote::

" The good news about Jesus is that He comes to all, including the plain and ordinary. He comes to anyone with a heart humble enough to accept Him. Whoever you are, whatever you do, you can have Jesus in your life. Don't think you need extraordinary qualifications- He accepts you as you are." ~ Max Lucado

R: righty or lefty:: all righty (as far as we can tell!)

S: siblings:: 4 sisters, 3 brothers. 1 sister, 1 brother. 0 sisters, 0 brothers- for now ;)

T: time you wake up:: between 8 & 9. 5:30ish. around 6 and around 8-9.

U: university attended:: GRCC, PCC. Cornerstone University, GRCC. school of cuteness.

V: vegetables you dislike:: none!. most!. most besides sweet potato and carrots.

W: winter:: like it til my birthday!. dislike it since the snowblower died. never heard of it!

X: x-factor (an unknown, but vital quality):: problem solver. remembers everyone he meets. can melt hearts.

Y: yummy food:: pasta and bread. Monte Cristo. blueberries, cheese, and goldfishies

Z: zoo animal fave:: tigers, lions, monkeys

Now it's your turn...pick a letter (or 2!) and leave a comment with your answer! I love getting to know you!! Enjoy this sweet day **

Our Trip to Shipshewana

Apple Butter, Buggy Rides, Amish Built Furniture, The Essenhaus Restaurant, Yoder's Meat & Cheese Company....I could go on and on about our 4th of July weekend trip south! We had such a good time just being together as a little family, and it was such a relaxing time.

We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express near Elkhart and drove into Middlebury the following day to walk through the Shipshewana area. Our first stop was at Menno-Hof; a beautiful farm dedicated to sharing the history, faith, and everyday life of the Amish and Mennonites. After going on a historical tour (well, I did- Blake & Josh ended up on the fast track to the play area), we spent time walking around out side and taking in the beautiful scenery.

King of the King-sized bed!

Blake and Daddy

Hangin' with Momma

TWO Blake's!

Menno-Hof

The Quilt Garden

Then we were on our way over to the Shipshewana Horse Auction and little shops along the way!

I had brought along my Maya Ring Sling (my $4 thrift store jewel!), and it turned out to be the BEST thing for keeping Blake happy- and contained! We walked through Yoder's Shopping Center, then took a snack break and got big, soft pretzels that were D-Licious!

Blake ended up falling asleep in the sling on my back, so it was nice not to have to stop and try to get him to nap somewhere. Josh and I enjoyed walking through a HUGE antique market, Yoder's Meat and Cheese (where we picked up some beef jerky and sharp cheddar cheese to bring home), and the horse auction.

Later in the day we drove over to the Essenhaus Restaurant and had a good time walking through a few more little shops and antique stores. There were so many, many things I could have brought home with me! Before having dinner, we took a buggy ride around the Essenhaus property to see the big hotel, where they make their famous noodles, and the beautiful flower gardens. Blake must have been getting hungry because about half way through our buggy ride, he decided he was done and threw his Bo (paci, bink, nuk) out of the carriage in a fit of despair!!

The Essenhaus "Bushes"

Mommy and Blake in the buggy

Blake and Daddy

Dinner was divine! We had broasted chicken with homemade noodles, fresh veggies, mashed potatoes, rolls....I think I gained 5 pounds in one meal. So yummy! I think we were all stuffed to the point of passing out, and knew it was time to head back to the hotel. Blake did so good throughout the day...it's nice to be able to go places like this and see his excitement over things like a HUGE hotel bed, lots and lots of horsies, fresh kettle corn, and swimming in the hotel pool.

On our way home the next day, we stopped at the National College Football Hall of Fame and then headed into Michigan City to hit the outlet shops. We found some great deals on clothes for all of us- especially for Blake's fall and next summer wardrobe.

There's something about the Amish living that intrigues me...

Obviously I love living 10 minutes from the mall and wearing makeup & jewelry, but the thought of living so simply and without distraction seems appealing to me at times. Maybe it was just getting out of town and the same ol' , same ol' routine. Maybe it was just taking a step back from the busy-ness of life and savoring the simple, quiet wonder of a cloudless day...but whatever it was, I loved it!

Ready for Spring

Hooray for the arrival of March! There is hope that winter will end soon, and it's been nice to see the sun shining outside alot more lately. Even thought it's still cold out, I'm looking forward to being able to get outside more often and enjoy the sunshine.

Josh and I had a busy February, and we're headed to Ohio this weekend for a much needed getaway and to spend time with Katie, Ryan, and Addisyn! We enjoyed the Couples Retreat over the weekend of the 6th at church. We played Buzz Word, watched Fireproof, and on Saturday heard some great thoughts from a man at Bridge to Life Ministries about the roles in marriage.

On Valentine's Day Josh came home with bagels for breakfast and a beautiful bouquet of pink gerber daisies. We had my parents and younger brothers over in the evening for Wet Burritos and a good time spending time together.

The next weekend was a looong one for us both- the Junior High All Nighter, overnight from 7pm Friday to 8am Saturday morning. We had a good time playing games with the kids and playing flash light hide and go seek in the church. Josh and I went home and slept until 4 in the afternoon after staying up all night!

The month went by so quickly it's hard to believe it's March already, but I'm thankful for the cold winter months coming to an end and can't wait to get out there and find spring has arrived. Saint Patrick's Day is almost here and Easter will be right around the corner. Enjoy the coming days of sunshine and flowers!