Our trip to Holland (4)

Saturday the 28th was another shopping day (fun shopping and grocery shopping for my birthday party). April 29th was my 35th birthday, and for the first time in 8 years, I got to celebrate it in Holland!

My sister Astrid made me this awesome birthday cake!

 Anyone who knows me, knows I love chickens! ;-) Aren't they cute???

 Lunch

 Poffertjes! They're like miniature pancakes.

 Thijs at the playground...

 Fébe at the playground

 Astrid

Birthday presents!

Birthday party, Dutch style (more info on http://clogsandtulips.blogspot.com/2011/01/birthdays-in-netherlands-friendly-ring.html).

Racing...Gabriel didn't stand a chance against Fébe's long legs...

 Gabriel pushing Rick on the swing

 More playground fun...

 Rick

All the kids together...

November 2007

July 2009

 September 2010

 April 2012

 Silly kids!

The next day (April 30th) is Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) in Holland. Most people have the day off and it is customary to wear orange and fly a Dutch flag (although less people seem to do so every year). Another tradition is the 'kleedjesmarkt', a flea market where people put things they want to sell on a blanket at a local mall or other public place. It's like a giant yard sale...wish I'd had more room in my suitcase!

 Suikerspin / Cotton candy! The real thing, not in a bag. I had not had one in forever so I couldn't resist sharing one with Gabriel.

 My grandma, mom and Gabriel on our way to a Greek restaurant in Amersfoort.

 Because of the lovely weather, it was very crowded on the square.

 

 The Greek restaurant we ate at (we = the whole family + my grandma).

 The food was sooo good! I wish we had a Greek restaurant in our area!

 Beautiful mural

 Exhausted and asleep at Astrid's house in Amersfoort where we spent the next 2 days...