Sunny Easter

Very different from last year, this year's Easter Weekend was (is) sunny and nice. We had my family over for brunch on Easter Sunday and it was a comfortable day with lots of time spent outside.
Result of the Easter egg hunt; enough chocolate to last a month!
The girls are helping me make a quiche

Enjoying a full table of successful cooking (not always the case)

It was great that just before Easter, Pieter had spent some time putting grass in the front yard and planting some little shrubs. Now it looked quite nice and nearly finished with the sun out :-) As daddy's big helper, Janne is rolling out some grass

And last weekend, I had another swimming competition. Taking into account that I had been sick two times in the three weeks before the competition, the results where not too bad, albeit still below (my) expectations:
100m breast stroke - 1:40.53 (2nd place of 2)
200m freestyle - 2:55.21 (5th place of 6)

Next competition is May 9 and 10, in the famous Pieter van den Hoogenband Swim Stadion in Eindhoven. Distances in which I will compete are: 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle, 50m and 100m breast stroke and maybe 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly. It will be my first opportunity to improve my own times and swim some PRs (personal records).

Last but not least, I'm also preparing to participate in the Nijmeegse Vierdaagse (Four Day Marches Nijmegen), a four day walking event held in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. It's a huge event, in which 45.000 people participate, all of whom have to walk (at least) 40km per day in four consecutive days. At this moment, it's not 100% sure that I will do the walk, because more than 45.000 hiker registered, which means that they will do a lucky draw to decide who can and who cannot join. Results will be communicated next week; keep your fingers crossed that both me and my hiking buddy will be in! For now, I just continue my training: at the moment, I'm walking 2x8km per week and 1x20km per week. This will go up to 2x13km plus 2x40km per week. At a average speed of about 5.5 km/hr, this means MANY hours walking from now until the end of July!