I think I jinxed myself last year by gushing about how perfectly perfect Tulip Time was. This year was... harder. We were all so excited to uphold our springtime tradition of enjoying the tulips, but this year came with a fluffy little twist- we brought Laney along!
We all remember the sweet dog that the kids loved petting during the whole parade our first Tulip Time, and even this time last year I don't think any of us thought we would have a pup of our own to bring along. We weren't sure what to expect from her, but the only way we could make Tulip Time happen this year was to bring her along. The nine hours we spent on this adventure was just too long for Laney to be left behind at this point in her puppy life.
We started off with a few good naps in the car and then commenced with the eating and enjoying the tulips, the weather, and the family time!
Traditional pose in the giant shoes, this time with a pup!
Pofferjties, stroopwaffles, braided cow esophagus for Laney...
so far so good!
We even officially branded ourselves as crazy dog people by purchasing a dog backpack to carry her around. We knew her stubby little legs just weren't going to keep up, and we didn't want to have to wait for her to sniff every blade of grass in the entire town.
The kids loved the carrier far more than the pup did.
But overall we had a great time visiting all of our favorite stops,
and eating all of our favorite foods.
I told Noah if he ate the Triple Threat burger (beef patty, thick bologna slice, Gouda cheese and a fried egg) he wouldn't be hungry until next Tuesday- he was willing to see if that was true!
The beds of tulips were beautiful everywhere we looked!
And everywhere we looked there were people that wanted to talk to us about our pup. "That's not a dog, that's an adorable wind-up toy!" was the funniest comment of the day.
By the end of the night I think she was just as tired of being on a leash as we were of having her on a leash...
just kidding, overall she did pretty well.
Even when the firetrucks and marching bands came blazing past us during the parade, she just burrowed her face in the blanket and dozed. 
And she tolerated a whole lot of petting from admirers of all ages.
She is a pretty darn cute pup.
And just look at those beautiful tulips! Crazy crowds and crazy pup aside, I am glad we stuck to our yearly tradition of attending Tulip Time.
Of course, what we'll all remember in the future is that this was The Year That Noah Got Lost.
Once we were all settled in for the parade Jason and Noah went across the town square to refill our water bottles. They were gone for about five minutes when my phone rang and Jason said, "I need your help. I can't find Noah." He explained that they were filling the bottles and then going to get some popcorn when he turned around and Noah was gone!
Panic barely had time to set in before I saw him skipping right over to me- he had made his way clear across the town square and was back at the blanket (where we always sit every year,but is Noah really old enough to realize that??) to inform me that he was ready for his popcorn.
Sheesh! It was a classic case of, "I wasn't lost, I knew exactly where I was" but we had a good talk with him about how important it is to stay with the adult that you're with, especially in the midst of such a crowd.
The moment was just about over before it began, but it's one that we will remember for years to come! There is nothing quite like the fear that comes in the moments that your baby is lost!
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