Meijer Gardens - Play Date!

Hi All,
We joined some twin friends and their families for a Meijer Gardens play date.

What does it mean when all of the other kids there are in frame for this picture, sitting and listening quietly to the storyteller, while your kid is standing with her back to the reader? Meanwhile, the other is missing from the frame completely, off finding new adventures?

I'll choose to believe reading books just isn't their thing while enjoying the great outdoors. For instance, they could be getting down and dirty in the sand! This looks all too much like exactly what we do at home. But everyone was thoroughly enjoying it, so we'll allow it. :)

My girl dreaming up her next sandcastle

Brushing down the rock quarry

Nate and Brynn happy to be on sand duty

Children's Garden

Hi All,
We had a fun time with our friends at Meijer Gardens today. After a quick run through the butterfly exhibit, we headed outside to explore the children's garden.

Let the fun begin!

As usual, Drew and Bree were enamored with the wettest exhibits!

Not sure what there is to see in here, but Colin had to find out.

Checking out "the tongue". Claire, we are loving that tutu, girl!

A giant sandbox - oh boy!

 The moms got to sit and chat while the kids moved dirt.

Bye for today - we'll be back!

Butterflies are Bloomin'

Hi All,
We got to see all the butterflies in action today at Meijer Gardens. Oma accompanied us, and we all enjoyed checking out what the butterflies were up to. Drew and Bree kept us on the go and didn't allow for much reading, but Meijer Gardens has a very impressive display with a lot of information about the life cycle of a butterfly. And they also displayed live butterflies in all stages of the life cycle. Some of the neatest ones were the ones about to hatch!

Drew taking it all in

These mini pots had something enticing in them!

Posing in the butterfly chair

And the car ride home

Butterfly watching can sure wear you out!

Meijer Gardens in the Fall

Hi All,

We love Meijer Gardens in every season. We got to experience some of it's fall glory, as my parents joined the kids and me for a stroll there. It was a warm, beautiful evening, perfect for taking it all in!

A shot of us with some of the pretty flowers outside....

And Drew and Bree loved the mum balls on display! (They mostly loved that they were hanging from the ceiling, just asking to be bopped.)

Then we made our way back outside to the farmhouse region of the gardens, in search of big pumpkins. My dad was pleasantly surprised, as we had not toured the farmhouse, barns, and vegetable gardens here before. The kids liked climbing and jumping the hay bails.

And pumpkin riding was fun too! We did find big pumpkins, but were a little too early for the giant pumpkin contest.

Thank you Meijer Gardens, we'll be back!

Meijer Gardens Part Two

Hi All,
Drew, Bree and I made another visit to Meijer Gardens today, this time with my parents. We are so fortunate to have such a nice place to come and enjoy the beauty of art and nature!

There is an area designated as the Children's Garden. I have a feeling we'll be spending lots of time here! There are water fountains, pools where boats can be sailed, a huge tree house, a music and activity area, and all are filled with information facts about things such as the Great Lakes, tree varieties, birds, plant life, etc. so it is both fun and educational. Here is Drew peeking out the window of a tree house.

Peekaboo Drew, I see you!

And anyone that has visited the Gardens before knows about the famous HUGE horse!

That's us down below

And of course, we had to show them all the great Chihuly glass exhibits that will be on display all summer. They are truly amazing!

For anyone who hasn't been to the Gardens, we highly recommend it!

Meijer Gardens

Hi All,

The kids made their first visit to Meijer Gardens today. I attended an art fair in the morning with my mother in law and sister in law. Jim and the kids met up with us for lunch at a nearby restaurant, and we enjoyed the deck overlooking the lake. Then we were on to the Gardens, where we met up with Jim's brother and the nephews. We strapped the kids into the stroller and off we went! It was a hot, sunny afternoon, so our nephews headed straight for the children's water "playground". The Gardens are featuring a Chihuly exhibit, so there are lots of interesting glass sculptures scattered around the grounds. And the size of some of them was pretty incredible. The kids are still developing their art appreciation. In the meantime, I think they at least enjoyed some time outside.

Lunch on the lake

Lunch Bunch

Art aficionados in training



Exhibits



And more exhibits

Cooling off indoors after lots of outdoor time

A successful trip to the Gardens!