Hi Holt Family

Holt & Holt Christmas Chillax Week

2011-12-25T00:57:00.000-05:00

The past week we have been in Heaven (or at least a preview of Heaven) with Hiram's mom and dad here at our house. Since we live so far away and they are very busy it is a real treat to get them for a couple days but this year we hit the jackpot and got a whole 7 days! It was phenomenal! Here is the run down:

Saturday December 18th
We thought that they wouldn't arrive until Sunday afternoon but at 8:45pm we got a call from mom letting us know that dad was feeling good and was thinking about driving late and arriving at our house at 2am. Of course we said that it would be great and got their bed up and ready for their arrival. We stayed up working on Saturday chores while we waited for them to show up. Even if we didn't have chores to do we wouldn't have been able to sleep we were so excited! Hooray for dad and his last night driving skills! He drove all the way from Loveland, CO to our home in Carmel, IN in one day!

Sunday December 19th

Instead of having a Christmas music program on Christmas our bishop decided to have a testimony style meeting on Christmas and have the music program the week before. This worked out perfectly for Hiram. Hiram loves to sing. He love his dad. He love to hear his dad sing. So when we got to sit in the choir with his dad right next to him he was in heaven. It was a special treat he did not expect and it meant the world to him that his dad drove 18 hours and over 1100 miles to be there with him. I had a special treat as well. I got to sit next to mom all three hours of church. As I think about it, that might have been one of the first times we sat together for Relief Society. After church we came home and relaxed. Mom and Dad took a couple naps while Hiram and I made dinner. We had saved a ham that we bought a while ago for when they came to visit. I am proud to admit that 5 lb ham cost us only $5. I love it when grocery stores overstock for the holidays and drop their prices! We also had a mandarin orange jello salad, fresh baked rolls, mashed potatoes, and veggies. It was very yummy and enjoyed almost all week as leftovers. After dinner we read some books with the boys then put them to bed. Reading books was really a staple for the week. Joey and mom were a good match. Mom likes to read books and Joey like to have book read to him.

Monday December 20th
We did our best to keep the week very relaxing. We know that mom and dad are go go go all year round and wanted this to be a vacation for them and not just a visit. In the morning we took our time eating breakfast then dad went out back and played with the boys on the swing set. They had a grand time. We had nice weather for a few days they were here but I am sure that even with our rainy cold days it was still warmer than Rexburg. Those boys sure love playing with their grandpa! We also went grocery shopping so that we had lots of yummy food as week to eat together. James ate like a maniac! He had one of those HUGE costco slices of pizza and every sample we walked by. I was shocked! Joey fell asleep in the cart and we lied him down in the cart. I was once again shocked as he slept in the basket while we walked up and down the last few eisles. When we got home I lied him down in his bed and he slept a few more hours.
That night after Hiram came home we quickly ate dinner and then bundled up and went caroling for FHE. We didn't have any treats to give away but we had a great time. It wasn't a typical caroling in the snow and the weather wasn't the same as the nice sunny morning we had outside on the swing set but it was fun to go from house to house singing Joy to the World and Silent night with Ginny and the Starnes. Everyone had a great attitude despite the light drizzly rain. Joey even chimed in every time we sang the second to last "Sleep in Heavenly Peace" in Silent Night. I only heard him do it for the last house but mom told me he did it every time. TOO CUTE! When we caroled to Bishop's house they invited us in to decorate sugar cookies. They already had 2 other families in there so it was pretty fun to chat and visit for a few minutes. (The cookies were pretty good too) We didn't stay long because Cherie and I wanted to hit up a few sisters that we visit teach. It was fun to drive from house to house following each other and gave Hiram some time to talk to mom and dad one on one since it was a bit of a drive from one place to the next. After all the singing and standing in the rain we came home for some Tim Tam Slams. Those have to be the best dessert of all time! The boys really loved them too but we only gave them the cookie and chocolate milk in a sippy. Giving them mugs of hot chocolate would only be asking for a mess to clean up and tear to dry.

Hiram is done making the monkey bread. Its time for bed... I don't want Santa to skip over our house! I promise to finish the formatting and typing tomorrow after dinner. Here are all the pictures of our great week of fun!

2 Years Later and I still don't have that Laundry Done

2011-12-02T14:47:00.001-05:00

Today as I was doing dishes (while singing in my head I don't wanna be a crappy housewife) James screamed out from my bedroom, "mommy! a pee pee's coming". Usually all I need to say is then go to the bathroom. However he told me to come and see him. So I walked into the bedroom to find my laundry hamper completely on the other side of the room. I looked in to find James inside and having a good time. He loves that laundry hamper for whatever reason. If you are looking at this picture and studying the background and thinking to yourself, wow is that a mountain of laundry on that dresser or is that Marjory the trash heap from Fraggle rock. (I don't want to deceive, no, I didn't get to watch this many times as a kid but I did watch one episode last month on netflix) Rest assured that is our laundry and Marjory is safe wherever they store the muppets.

Last night Hiram and I were looking at videos and enjoying the random mess we have recorded over the past 5 years. One of those gems was this video of James. He is still the same little boy but now he announces when he needs to go to the bathroom.

I don't wanna be a "Crappy Housewife"

2011-12-01T12:58:00.001-05:00

Recently I have rediscovered a friends blog. Wow, she kills me she is so funny. I loved reading it so much that I read over a years worth of posts in just a couple days. Which brings me to the post title. She had a post about how she went a few days (maybe weeks) where she didn't clean up or do other things you typically think of a good housewife doing. Now, I don't pretend to be a Martha Stewart (I don't have that kind of rage anyway) or even an Amy Sadler for that matter but I am not a crappy housewife. However, ironically I didn't do much this morning except read her blog. Am I a crappy housewife? I still have a half a day to make up for it so probably not. If there was ever a motivation to not be a crappy housewife it would be this video.

Since I am stealing some really good material from a friends blog I might as well go all the way and steal her caption as well. Here is what she wrote.

"Rewatching that spectacle of a video is actually quite inspiring. If I choose to abandon housewifery, this is my other option? A nearly abandoned discotheque at what appears to be three o'clock in the afternoon? I'm suddenly looking forward to scrubbing my toilets."

So the next time it's 1:30 in the afternoon and the most impressive thing I have done all day is get my kids dressed and fed them lunch, I am going to watch this video and take a good hard look at my to do list and start blasting through it. Ohh no... thats right now...better get to work!

Oh and for those readers whose sole reason to read this blog is to see two cute little boys doing cute little boy things I hope these bedtime chocolate milk pictures live up to your satisfaction.

MORE PLEEASEEE!!

Chipping Balls with the Chip off the ol' Block

2011-11-28T12:34:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving was very very yummy. Hiram and I had to take shifts going to the Starnes for dinner. Joey was sick and we didn't want to spread his runny nose and cough to the rest of the family so Hiram went and ate first then came home and sent me over for my turn to eat.

On Friday Joey slept a lot, which is good. Hiram helped the family next door go pick up a sofa which left James and me home with an enticing backyard on a 60 degree sunny day. I went into the garage and pulled out a couple golf clubs and a pocket full of balls. James was very excited to see the balls. We put a bucket on the other side of the yard and practiced our chipping. Eventually I had my fill and we put away the clubs and balls just moments before Hiram came home. After I told Hiram what we did while he was gone he promptly went into the garage and pulled out his club while I grabbed one for James. The two of them had a grand time chipping and practicing. James even got his first golf lesson and I got a reminder of how Hiram is way better at golf than I am. Good thing I have no problem cheating when we play 18 holes!
It reminded me of Thanksgiving 2007. It was at the table with Hiram's whole family that we announced we were pregnant. Hiram had a hard time spitting it out because he is so emotional. The next day we went golfing at the Rexburg municipal golf course. Since there was a bit of snow on the ground the course was closed but we went around and played anyway. It was fun to play with Hiram, his dad, and his brother-in-laws.

Their Eyes Are As Big As Their Bubbly Toes

2011-11-20T20:00:00.001-05:00

In this chapter of going to bed adventures I'm highlighting the boys' greatest weapons against me in our going to bed battle. We've flipped their door handle around so we can lock them in, but the crack between the door and the floor is just large enough for them to mess with me. I just can't resist playing with them when they pop their fingers and toes out from under the door. Its just irresistible and they know it. To make the matter worse, if you actually touch one of their lures they giggle uncontrollably and my smile widens. I must admit they have trapped me there with my face smashed against the ground peeking under their door several times and sometimes for close to an hour. I love these boys!

Fire Across the Street

2011-11-13T19:46:00.001-05:00

On Thursday night Hiram and I were up talking when Hiram saw an orange glow coming from the window. He shouted one of our neighbors house across the street was on fire. We ran outside and over to the house to see if we could help in any way. The family was already out and the police were there. It was surreal to watch the fire grow bigger and bigger without a fire truck there. Our neighbors directly across the street were told to leave their house in case it spread. They drove down the street with their little girls. I walked down there to invite them to stay with us until they could go back to their house that night. I was glad they accepted. Then we went to the father of the family whose house was on fire and asked what they needed for the night. They were staying with their friends across the street that night and their immediate needs were met. The next day I went down there and asked them what they needed. Hiram collected donations from his coworkers and my mom came by with a donation as well. My mom is one of the most charitable people I know. Over the next few days Hiram and I collected items and have been working to help that family come to some normalcy. Of all the things we gave them what helped the most I think was work clothes for the father and grandpa so they could go back to laying concrete for their jobs. The money we raise was more than enough for new coats, boots, socks, and gloves. Now they are able to go back to work and help build their household again. Thank goodness everyone was alright! It felt good to help in our way.

Fall Fun

2011-11-13T19:23:00.001-05:00

Tonight James is asleep, Hiram is reading books with Joe, and I am looking forward to another update. I enjoy updating the blog because I feel like I get to linger in my children's childhood a little longer. We have had great fun this fall. We have had a few very cold days but for the most part we have had some miraculous weather which I hope keeps coming back. We have been raking lots and lots of leaves. While Hiram was in the yard raking on Friday he found a nest. I grabbed two eggs from the fridge and the boys were in heaven holding a nest full of eggs. When they were done we chucked the eggs over the fence. At first when we started raking leaves a few weeks ago they were afraid of the leaves but soon they realized how fun they are and every pile we raked was jumped in at least a few times. Hiram even raked a pile to slide into the end of the slide.

Catch Up Randomness

2011-11-06T21:59:00.000-05:00

I ran out of room on our camera's memory card so I figured it was time to catch up with my posting and share a few stories behind some cute pictures.

Laundry Basket Dreams

About a year ago Hiram and I gave up trying to make sure the boys went to sleep right away when we put them to bed. Most nights they are pretty good and stay in bed but some nights I think they stay up and play for hours. We don't stress it too much. Since we have turned to a free range night time we have found them asleep in some pretty funny places. Most often it is in their laundry basket when its full. I am pretty sure they try to use it as a step stool. When Joey falls asleep he is usually in his bed or right in front of the door. (More of that to come) Before we go to bed ourselves we check to make sure their light is off and they made it to their beds. It makes for some sweet and funny evenings to walk in there to find out where they lost steam and dropped for the night.

New to Them Jungle Gym

A family in our ward came up to us a few weeks ago and told us that they had a big swing set their kids had outgrown and they wanted to give it to us so our kids could play on it. We were super excited and after a couple weeks of planning and recruiting Hiram took it down and hauled it over to our house. It was an immediate success and they boys are in love. For the last few weeks before that they hadn't been as interested in going in the backyard as they were during the summer. I think they were getting bored back there and they didn't have as many bugs to hunt. Ever since I put up the Jungle Gym I haven't been able to keep them out of there! Every time we walk outside to get in the car I have to be very careful to make sure they go right for the car otherwise I spend at least 5 minutes trying to get them down from the tree house or retrieve them from the monkey bars. (Joey can traverse the expanse and it freaks me out every time!) Hiram has grand plans to make the slide into a water slide complete with a waterfall next summer. We will have a good time making it. I just hope we have the water pressure to pull it off. All in all we love it and it is Heaven sent! Thank you Markham family! What a gift!

Halloween

This year for Halloween Joey was Elmo and James was a dinosaur which after a few days he decided was actually a dragon and therefore much more fun to wear. They went trick or treating 3 times: at the ward Halloween party, at the law school, and then Halloween night with Tyler and Austin Humes in their neighborhood where Aunt Ginny also lives. The ward Halloween party was also the chili cook off. We entered as many contests as we could because we are so competitive and to be honest I was VERY surprised I didn't place in the chili cook off. However there is still next year and our ward now has a plaque where they engrave the winner from each year that sits on the wall next to the Bishop's office. The law school had their inaugural Halloween trick or treating throughout the law school. Not surprisingly the library was the spookiest place. Librarians are some of the most creative people I know. I hope the boys won't think all libraries are that spooky. The spookiest place of all our Halloween activites was a house in Bizzy's (my sister) neighborhood. It had spiderwebs from roof to lawn with 5 ft spiders, smoky mist permeating the entire house and even a scary guy on the roof. It was scary enough to keep Joey from wanting the candy at that house. James kept saying "Whoa mommy its spooky!" and he had to examine all the decorations on each persons lawn. We had a lot of fun and the boys really had a fun Halloween. I had fun too. I am even still having fun eating their snickers bars! After the ward party we took home some cupcakes that were left over and had fun eating them for the next few days. They had black icing that made it even more fun. I think James will look handsome someday with a mustache like Papa Josh. The sole patch it a nice touch too.

Wake Up Flowers

2011-10-26T16:02:00.001-04:00

Monday for FHE Hiram was in charge of the lesson and he thought all day about what he wanted to do with the boys. He decided to do the story about the prophet brothers Nephi and Lehi bringing down the jail. We called it a castle jail to make it more engaging. Hiram grabbed two little Einsteins figures and told them they were Nephi and Lehi. Then we took all the pots and pans and cooking sheets out of the kitchen and built a castle jail around them. Then he talked about how they were prophets and God needed them to be somewhere else so he destroyed the jail. Then he started to shake the castle and it made a lot of noise. James freaked out and covered his ears and Joey flipped and started to scream and cry as he jumped into my lap and squeezed my neck. I couldn't stop laughing. I know Hiram went on with the lesson but I can't remember much after Joey scrambling to get to me. It was so sweet. Then we sang songs. Hiram sang the little seeds in a row song and James would turn on the lights and say wake up flowers when Hiram would jump up. We love Family Home Evening ! PLEASE look at the video at the end. I promise you won't be able to keep a straight face!

Flying a Kite

2011-10-26T15:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we went over to my mom and dad's house to play outside on their trampoline. While we were there we had fun stacking some wood next to their back door so that grandma could enjoy a few nice fires once the weather turns against us. It was relaxing to sit on their deck and soak in the warm sun while enjoying a gentle breeze from swinging on the porch swing. As we were leaving I grabbed some accessories to my mom's carpet cleaner (surprisingly kids get carpets dirty pretty quick!). While I was in the closet looking for attachments I found a lonely kite sitting on a shelf just begging to be used. I knew the boys hadn't played with one before and it was another reason to play outside so after asking if we could borrow it we tossed it in the car and headed home. The boys fell asleep on the way so I pulled out the kite and played just by myself for a while. It was fun and reminded me of blustery spring days in Chicago when my mom would buy us all $1 kites from eagle. They were always broken, stuck in a tree, or lost within the day. I guess we should have listened to mom when she told us every year that it was too windy.

Once the boys woke up it took some convincing that kites were cool and fun but once they saw it my way we had loads of fun. It wasn't windy enough in our backyard to keep the kite up for very long so I told James to run across the lawn with it and that seemed to be enough for him. Thanks mom and dad for letting me use you kite yesterday. I promise not to break this one.

James' First Dentist Visit

2011-10-23T23:16:00.000-04:00

All week James and I have been getting ready for him to visit the dentist for the first time. We watched lots of you tube videos of other kids going to the dentist and I even had him sit in the chair while I counted his teeth with a crazy silly straw. For an example of the straw you can visit the post on Chocolate Milk. It all paid off when we went in. He was a little hesitant at first especially when we got to our exam room and he saw all the tool. I called them tickle tools and he liked that. When we started to walk to the chair he got scared and said "No mommy, your turn, you do it!" I reassured him that I was going to go first and he could watch the whole time. Wow did he watch! I am pretty sure that he wasn't less than 2 inches from my mouth the whole time. The hygienist was very kind and reassured me that if he fell on me she would have the tool out of there really quick. Thankfully he didn't fall. When it was James turn he sat down in the fun up and down chair and opened his mouth real wide and was ready for his turn with the tickle tools. The hygienist put some blue medical gloves on his hands and he didn't move an inch for the next 15 minutes. He was cavity free and picked out a toy and new tooth brush. After all was done he loved going to the dentist and we talked about our experience the whole way home. When we got home we walking into a changed living room. Hiram and Joey flipped the couches on end and butted them together for the framework of an elaborate fort. James wasted no time and made his way in there with his dad and brother. Joey showed James the ropes and they played in there while Hiram and I took care of some Saturday chores and projects. What a fun day we had!

Kitchen Table Castle

2011-10-16T21:51:00.001-04:00

I was working outside the other day sweeping the back porch when I heard James inside start to squeal "Thanks you Mommy Thanks You, Thank you Mommy for the Castle" I had no idea what he was talking about until I walked inside and took a good look at the stack of pots and pans I put on the table to dry. There were a few muffin tins in the heap and when you drop down to the level of a 3 year old it sure does seem like mom made a fun castle for you in the kitchen. I felt like my role as a mom was slightly more glamorous for a few minutes.

Family Pictures

2011-10-10T13:06:00.002-04:00

We went to Cox Hall Gardens in Carmel on Saturday and took a few family pictures and had fun with my dad's camera. We're glad we did it before winter sets in.

Chocolate Milk Please!!!

2011-10-04T13:19:00.000-04:00

For the past couple years since James figured out how to say chocolate milk I haven't gone a single day without hearing him ask for it. He can even walk our babysitter though the steps to get his sippy filled up and choclified. I have caught him a few times eating spoonfuls of Nesquick but when I saw he had a straw in the big tub he brought it to a whole new level. This boys loves his chocolate milk!

Flowers at 60 MPH

2011-10-03T15:38:00.000-04:00

I live for days like today. This morning I snuggled with the boys and watched a movie then started on the laundry. I am still drying our clothes outside and am excited for the sunny windy days ahead this week because our laundry baskets are full! (I even wore some maternity clothes yesterday because I am out of clean normal ones.) Since it is so nice out I decided to take the boys for a walk after lunch to pick up some bread and our dry cleaning. We live right in the middle of a retail area but still have privacy and a big yard for the boys. Its perfect here. On our way home we walk along a very busy road with a nice big sidewalk. As we walked James would ask me to pick the wildflowers he saw. When we pulled into the driveway I put Joey down in his bed since he fell asleep part of the way home and grabbed a old peach jar. We put James' wild bouquet in it. I placed it on the picnic table in the backyard and James studied and stared at it while I put more clothes on the line. It is amazing how many beautiful flowers were growing on the side of the highway. I felt like I was living in slow motion as I picked them while the semi trucks and cars zoomed by. It felt nice to slow down and appreciate the beauty around me with the boys. Who knew that the weeds on the side of the road were purple, pink, blue, red, white, and yellow?

Is This the Little Boy I Carried

2011-09-15T23:53:00.000-04:00

Hiram and I are pretty good at sharing the chores. He takes out the trash and helps me fold the laundry. The trash is self explanatory since I obviously don't need to be anywhere near it, however the laundry part is purely out of necessity. James and Joey make it impossible for me to fold laundry during the day because they jump all over the bed and mess it up as I am doing it. (At least that is my story). So usually when there is laundry to be folded Hiram and I work on it together at night after the boys are in bed. Hiram is in charge of the socks which I lovingly put in the bottom drawer of his nightstand until he is good and ready to pair them. Its been a while since Hiram was good and ready for socks so tonight I pulled them out and went to town. (I would have done it sooner but I knew he was hiding a present for me in there... did he really think I never go in that drawer!?) After coming across some church socks we recently got for James I compared them to the insanely small pair that Joey must have grown out of months ago. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! My world started spinning and all the sudden I am Golde in Fiddler on the Roof wondering when my little boy grew up.
However all these fears melted away as I went into the boys' room to put away their clothes. It was so tender to see both of them snuggled together in Joey's bed in the exact same position (they have both slept that way since birth!) So, in retrospect, my boys are getting big, peeing in the potty, wearing massive socks, and I still see them with giant eyes looking up at me like they did the day they came. Its all worth it and I am thankful I still have a few more years before I am singing "Sunrise Sunset" to my little guys.

Camping in the Woods Next to the Beach

2011-09-06T16:57:00.000-04:00

A couple Sundays ago Hiram told me he wanted to go camping up at Indiana Dunes. I was ultra excited. I have been wanting to camp there for years and have brought it up again and again but wasn't going to push it until he said he wanted to go. I figure it is best to go camping when everyone want to be there. Camping isn't fun if you don't want to do it. It is just too much work for that. We were lucky enough to have grabbed a spot in the reservations only campsite. Hiram called every 30 minutes on the drive up there to check for cancellations. As we pulled into the park somebody canceled. It just so happened to be a spot I stayed at years ago when my dad took me camping as a kids. I told Hiram on the way there that camping at the Dunes is one of my top 3 greatest childhood memories. I loved it and I am happy to report that Hiram now shares that love. The although we were in the woods, the ground is sand and the kids were never more than a few feet from a new sandbox. The beach was sunny, the water warm, and as we left we discovered the concession stand has some fantastic fries! We finished our first serving before we left the parking lot and decided to turn around and get another order for the drive home. Yum! One of the big highlight for James and Joey were the wood boats my brother Aaron made for them. Hiram called him and asked if he could go over to his house and use his woodworking equipment to make the boats for the boys. By the time Hiram got over after class my brother had cut them out, glued them together, and even started to paint them. He was nice enough to make 3 boats so Hiram could join in on the fun too. Those boats will be a Holt family staple for years to come. Thank you Aaron!

The food was great too. Hiram made dinner Friday night and breakfast Saturday morning. We had tomato, pepper and mushroom chicken for dinner and then for breakfast he made french toast,strawberry raspberry cobbler, and scrambled eggs. All over an open fire! James and Joe got a start on their camp cooking skills as they roasted marshmallows for smores. Lucky for me James likes to cook the marshmallows and then have me eat them! Yum again! We wish we could have stayed all week! I am sure in the next year we will!

Fun in Midway with all the Holts

2011-08-29T15:08:00.006-04:00

The rest of the week in Midway was filled with more and more fun. We went up to Brighton to have lunch with Hiram's grandma and grandpa. Hiram was sure to get a picture of Grandpa Jim's hands. After visiting him while I was pregnant we decided to name our James after him because he is one of the hardest workers we know. After lunch we went to Silver Lake for some fishing and hiking. Hiram stayed with James and Grandpa for some fishing with Joey and I walked around the whole lake. I just let Joey run run run! On the way home Joey fell asleep very quickly and James kept saying "mommy look, a tall mountain!" It was sweet.
Karen did a fantastic job planning out each day for us. One of my favorite activities was playing Robin Hood and the King Men. Mostly I liked watching my boys run around in costumes excited to have a legitimate reason to swing a plastic sword. Hiram really got into it as well.
We were all little for at least a little while.

We also climbed up Ensign Peak for one of our activities. Hiram and I especially enjoyed it since that is where he proposed. I have now been up there as a missionary, fiance, wife and mother. That knobby hill has a lot of sweet memories now. I am sure as time continues I will have even more.

Visit to Grandma Ella

2011-08-29T14:02:00.006-04:00

For our family vacation at the end of July we flew from Indy to Portland Oregon to visit Hiram's Grandma Ella. She is a very sweet lady and Hiram wishes we could go much more often to see her. Hiram spent most of his time there with her while the boys and I came for shorter visits. In between visits we stayed with Hiram's uncle Jim. We had fun playing in his backyard and even saw a momma and baby dear. Oregon is very beautiful and I reminded myself often that it was also the land of my parents youth. They weren't in Portland but weren't far away in Washington state.

The trip was priceless and every moment was cherished. We love Grandma Ella and were well aware it would likely be the last time we see her alive. What a blessing it is to have a knowledge that someday we will see her again and be able to stand with her with perfected bodies and without pain or ailments. What we will miss most in the meantime will be her attitude toward life. Hiram asked her how she would like to be remember and she handed him this poem

TODAY
Outside my window, a new day I see
and only I can determine what kind of day it will be
It can be busy and sunny, laughing and gay,
or boring and cold, unhappy and gray.
My own state of mind is the determining key,
for I am the only person I let myself be.
I can be thoughtful and do all I can to help,
or be selfish and think just of myself.
I can enjoy what I do and make it seem fun,
or gripe and complain and make it hard on someone.
I can be patient with those who may not understand,
or belittle and hurt them as much as I can.
But I have faith in myself and believe what I say,
and I personally intend to make the best of each day.

We hope to live our lives with at least a portion of the love, work ethic, and optimism Grandma Ella has. We love you Grandma.

First Time at Lagoon

2011-08-29T09:58:00.011-04:00

Hiram and I have been to several parks with roller coasters in the past few years. Unfortunately for me I was pregnant most of those times. Luckily for me during our Holt family reunion in Utah we all went to Lagoon. It was my first time there. It was a blast. We spent the first few hours at the water park then went to the kiddie rides. I think James and Joey could have stayed and played forever. Even though I hadn't been on a fast and fun ride for years I still wanted to spend time with Hiram and the boys. We went on the Merry Go Round, boats, trains, cars, and even a very exciting and for Joey scary mini coaster.
In a GRAND gesture of love, as the sun began to set Hiram's mom and dad took the boys home for us so we could stay and play on the big coasters with Haleigh. We went on Wicked, Colossus, and Spider several times each. Before she left, Karen, Hiram's mom, even went on Samurai with us for a wild ride. It was fantastic to get back into fun for me! Oh and to help us keep track of each other we all wore orange polos. I sewed the lettering on there and had fun doing it too. The back had HOLT and the front had our initials.
To start the day Hiram took James on the egg drop. He loved it. He couldn't get enough but if you look closely in the picture you can see James had a strong hold on his dad's arm.

The 5 minutes of Fun After Christmas Passed

2011-06-22T16:11:00.000-04:00

We had a pretty big storm this past winter. First there was a layer of ice on the ground about 2 inches think at least and then it snowed. We seized the moment and put on boots, hats and gloves to give the kids a few minutes reprise from trying to entertain themselves in their winter tomb (although warm and dry) and shoveled all the snow off the ice in the backyard into one HUGE pile in the middle. It was a lot of snow. Hiram shoveled out the inside to make a snow cave for James. They had a good time until James lost a glove and suddenly remembered how cold snow can get! Hiram was a champ. He went out there and did this in the early evening instead of settling down and getting some rest. Building the snow cave reminded us of how much we loved playing in the snow when we were young. Now all I want is to live in the tropics. I would rather vacation to the snow than to live in it.

For Valentines Day I had James send out some valentines to friends and family to help him practice writing his name. If I asked for your address and somehow you never got your card and candy it is sitting on my desk still. Sorry to the lot of you! However, James did get his practice!

Surprisingly he ate a lot of candy instead of sending it out. If you got candy you were a lucky one!

Winters in Indiana are neither the worst nor the best. However to live near family we endure it. Looking at the bright side, the shorter days make it a lot easier to catch snuggle naps with the boys. They won't be snugly forever! Actually, I think Hiram is trying to hibernate in this picture. He didn't make it but when he woke up he was definitely a BEAR!

New Well and Reflection

2011-01-30T19:10:00.001-05:00

Last week a new well was put in for our house. It was fun for Joey and James to watch the drill in the driveway. They watched for hours! The water is fantastic! We are thankful for the improvement.

In the last two weeks Hiram and I have had several opportunities for refection and meditation. The Indianapolis Temple location was announced and is being built only 5 miles away from where we live. It is fantastic! Our stake president asked us a year ago to index 1000 names in 2010 and we got to 1.3 million. This year he has asked us to get 25 names temple ready. I am excited to push myself again and learn how to get it done!

Also this week I spent a considerable amount of effort and time organizing a funeral dinner for 125 people. It was for a good man in our ward. Most people on the north side of Indy knew him or his children and they were all very well love. I was baffled at how quickly and earnestly the sisters in my ward and the surrounding wards responding to my plea for help. I sent out one email and I had more sisters contact me than I had need for. Hiram took the day off from work and sang in a choir for the funeral. I was very moved during the service and shed many tears for my friends. I also couldn't help but think of how I will miss my own parents and Hiram's parents when they move on as well. I guess I hadn't given it too much thought before. I would rather they didn't have to move on without me but I suppose that is the way our Heavenly Father designed it to be. It is good that we have opportunities to remember the plan of salvation and we weren't all born or all die at the same time.

Saturday Hiram and I left at 6am and went to the Louisville temple. We didn't get home until 5pm. It was a long and wonderful day. We even did a bit of shopping after we had some lunch. We bought some pants and a very handsome sweater for Joey. He wore it to church today and was a stud! Hiram and I love our boys!

Oh and a bit of learned wisdom from the week.... Even if you love jello and want some later, your shirt pocket doesn't make a good storage container.

BIG BIRTHDAY FUN!

2011-01-17T23:15:00.001-05:00

We celebrated Joey's 1st birthday on Friday night and Saturday. Friday night my sister's kids came over to spend the night. James and Joey love every minute they are here. All the boys play together with the trains and other toys. James even made it through the night with the other boys.

In the morning we enjoyed waffles. Then we baked cupcakes. After they were frosted the boys were given the chance to put on the sprinkles. They weren't as interested in putting the sprinkles on the cupcakes and they were with putting them in their mouths. In the end the boys each had their own little bowl of just sprinkles to eat. What fun!

Then we all went to Cool Creek Park to do some sledding. The hills aren't intensely fast but we wanted to make sure Joey would be able to go down and have fun. We were there about 75 minutes when Joey had enough and went over to Grandma's to warm up and get the soup ready for everyone else.

A few minutes after we got there everyone else returned from sledding. We had fun, ate, blew out candles, and after Joey was cleaned up we played some more. It was fun for Joey to share a birthday party with his grandma. It couldn't have have been a better day! .

After all was said and done the little man was a bit more sleepy than usual.

THE BEST OF THE REST

2011-01-02T23:49:00.002-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Before Christmas I spend the bulk of my time finishing my Christmas gift projects and since then I have enjoyed my time with Hiram.

The Saturday before Christmas we hosted my nephews for the night. My sister and brother in law were sick but their kids weren't. She had one more final and he had a ton of things to do at church the next day so we had the boys over to give their mom and dad a break. I knew James would enjoy it but I didn't realize how much he ADORES his cousins. They are 1 and 4 years older than him. When we lyed the boys down for the night on the living room floor I looked at James and explained that he could sleep out there as long as he stayed in his sleeping bag. He was so excited to be sleeping next to the boys and his face was surely showing it. It was almost better than Christmas! He almost made it though the night out there but eventually he went back to his bed.

After church the next day we came home and watched a few movies. Finally Joey went down for a nap and Austin (just one year older than James) crashed on the couch. That left James and Tyler awake and looking for something fun to keep them out of trouble. Once Hiram woke from his nap we made a gingerbread house from a kit I bought a couple weeks before. We had a grand time putting it together. As we put the candy and icing on, James felt comfortable enough to help himself to whatever his heart desired. This included a huge bite out of the roof before it was put on and about half the candy he was given to help decorate. We let him eat it all since it is every child's dream to eat a house made of treats. Infact, a couple minutes after we finished making it we all had a taste. Whats the use of a house made of candy if all you do is look at it. I am glad we decided to eat it right away. It was more fun and tasty that way.

Joey is looking more and more handsome everyday. I just love how he looks in his church clothes. I am excited for his 1st birthday on the 15th. He is such a dear boy!

On the Wednesday before Christmas we went to the Zoo with my brother, his wife and their kids. It was a lot of fun. They had lights everywhere. Hiram and I decided that even though they had more trees with lights Temple Square has more lights total. The grounds even had animal outlines in lights. James was pretty good at telling us what animals he saw. The highlight as always for the boys was the indoor dolphin show but we loved seeing all the arctic animals. The penguins, sea lions, polar bears, brown bears, and walrus were all more active than I have even seen them before since I have only even been to the zoo in the hot summer months. To cap off the evening we went inside the butterfly house where Santa was housing a couple of his reindeer for use later that week.

We were very cautious to put up our Christmas tree this year. If we put it on the floor Joey would have his way with it. If we put it in the bay window James would have his way with it. So we put it up a few days before Christmas because I refused to defend it anymore than a couple days. Infact the first morning after we had it up I walked into the room to see the tree horizontal and James frantically trying to put the star back on the top branch. He knew he was surely caught! Just before we opened our jammies on Christmas eve we put the tree on the floor in the corner and put the presents beneath it. James was a good boy and didn't try to open his gifts. He just sat there and enjoyed the pretty tree and lights with his blanket. After he went to sleep Santa did his magic and filled his stocking and left some gifts to unwrap.

James enjoyed opening his presents this year and was even nice enough to help Joey unwrap a few. It is sweet to see how kind and gentle James is with his little brother. I think I will enjoy it while it last!

James in the Box

2010-12-15T23:08:00.001-05:00

This morning the boys and I were watching an episode of Little Einsteins. The next thing I knew I was having this dream where the boys had pink yogert all over their faces and as they ran around the living room they were smearing it all over the place. I was pleased to wake up and see my furniture unscathed. To those of you about to petition to have my Mother of the Year award revoked because I fell asleep for 2 minutes I say if Cam Newton can get the Heisman I am keeping my Mother of the Year. Perhaps that dream is the reason I went off on Hiram when he wanted to eat dinner in the livingroom tonight. Maybe not.

Here are some pictures of bedtime reading. Also, James is in a cute new stage where he tries to fit into small spaces. So far he has fit into the bookcase, my dresser, and the toybox. I just wish I was small enough to fit in my clothes!

Abandonment Guilt

2010-12-14T21:02:00.000-05:00

Hiram finished his last final last night and within minutes of coming home came down with the same illness that James and Joey had last week. He had a rough night being sick and was still battling it in the morning. He decided to call in sick to work and stayed home. After staying at home for the past week I needed to GET OUT! Quite literally the closest I was to getting out was checking the mail. Around noon I asked Hiram if he felt well enough to keep an eye on the boys while I went shopping. He reluctantly agreed and I was off! I felt like when I was a teenager and just got my licence. It was wonderful to walk up the aisles at Hobby Lobby and not worry about little boys jumping out of the cart or grabbing at things. I took my sweet time and browsed! Should I have felt guilty about leaving my sick husband at home with the boys? Perhaps. I went to several places and did things just for myself. It was fantastic to not worry about anyone but me. Was it selfish? Probably. When I came home Hiram was in a miserable state. At the end did I feel guilty? Yes. To overcome my guilt I have decided to cash in one of my two "I went through labor and delivery!" chips. Now I look back on may day with delight! Actually, I regret I didn't buy a milk shake!

Sunday is a Day of Rest

2010-12-12T17:20:00.005-05:00

After today I am fairly certain Joey is better. His smiles and giggles have stayed up while keeping his milk down. Hiram enjoyed a relaxing day at church with just James. It was refreshing for him to sit in his classes without a wiggler. Joey and I stayed home and watched the snow fall. Its nice to have at least one day a week that we can spend together. It recharges me for the week ahead. Tomorrow is Hiram's last exam. After that we have our evenings together again for approx a month. It will be wonderful to eat together with my husband again.

Tough Couple Days for a Tough Little Guy

2010-12-11T23:09:00.009-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in the past few days. Joey, the poor dear, has needed some extra attention. He started vomiting a few days ago and I am not sure if he has kicked it yet. He has been drinking Gatorade slow and steady for the past 3 days but anytime I try to give him his formula it comes right back up. Last night I thought he was finally better but at 1am he was in the tub where I cleaned about 8 oz of milk from off his head. He was exhausted but couldn't sleep and just wanted to be held so he and I rocked in the chair until his eyelids were eventually too heavy to keep open. When Hiram came home from his late night study he changed Joey's linens and we put him back to bed. He had a hard time sleeping which I am sure is because he was sick and hungry at the same time.

So today he got a few oz of Gaterade every hour or so and kept it all down. I put him to bed extra early as well. At the end of the day he seemed to be recovering but we are going to keep him home from church tomorrow just incase.For the most part James has been a good boy and has played on his own for the times when I would need to take care of Joey. He mostly would read his books and play with his cars. He loves his cars! However there was one morning while Joey was snuggled in my arms that James found a black sharpie in my desk. I am grateful that instead of using it to put a personal touch on my furniture or carpet he decided that his toes needed a bit of color. Not a bad job really.

Tonight after Joey went to bed, James and I had fun spending time together. We made chocolate milk (James had fun doing the stiring), played with shapes and colors, practiced counting, then watched a movie. Eventually I paused the tv and looked over at what I thought was a sleepy James and asked him if he wanted to go to bed. I didn't get a response so I asked "Do you want to read some books?" UP HE BOUNCED and said "YES" and grabbed a collection of his favorites off the shelf. We read them to Hiram as he drove home from studying tonight. When I knew Hiram was close to pulling up the drive I asked if he wanted to hug daddy. He grabbed the phone out of my hand and gave it a big long hug. Then a minute later Hiram came in the door and gave James a hug back.

Blogging Repentance part 1 Run little man RUN!

2010-12-08T14:12:00.002-05:00

This very well might be one of the highlights of my motherhood so far. I could relive this moment forever. It happened this summer shortly after we moved into the house. James loves his Aunt Haleigh's high heels! ENJOY!

Water Storage

2010-12-07T22:54:00.005-05:00

Do you think we can use the icicles as part of our water storage? I think James says yes but his mom says no. James is still feeling under the weather so today was spent just snuggling with breaks of cleaning in between. I hope the little man feels better soon. Joey as always was an angel for his momma and followed me everywhere I went like a little shawdow.

Frozen Pipes

2010-12-07T14:51:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we woke up and our pipes were frozen. It was a good thing we took showers the night before and ran the dish washer. Luckily for us it didn't effect us very much. The strangest thing we had to do was use bottled water to brush our teeth. I defitely need to keep a better stash of jugs of water just in case though. The water came back on in the middle of the night. I don't think I have even been happier to be woke up by water! The expereince has strengthened by thankfulness for indoor plumbing. I can't imagine using an outhouse in weather like this!

Hair Cuts

2010-12-06T01:00:00.003-05:00

I have been cutting Hiram and the boys hair for a while. I figure if I cut their hair every 6 weeks I save about $350 a year. I figure I might as well do it while they let me. Although they are rarely happy about it they always look fantastic afterward. I hope they don't change their mind when they become aware of their appearance. I think I am getting pretty good at it!

Perspective

2010-12-05T14:53:00.004-05:00

Some of you know and some don't that I am the compassionate service leader for our ward. Its a calling where the heat is on or you are just sailing through. Saturday morning the heat was on and I was scrambling to find some sisters to help with a funeral dinner and another sister whose husband fell off a roof so badly he might loose his legs. After I finished one round of calls I looked over at James who politely told me "oh no! a mess!" I looked over at my living room to find an entire jar of melted wax from my Yankee candle pored over the ottoman. If I hadn't just finished making phone calls to help for a funeral and a man about to loose his leg, I might have been pretty upset. However, with the proper perspective I was able to think of a few things I was thankful for instead.

1. James and Joey weren't burned by the wax and I am not sure how that worked.

2. The candle was yellow and my furniture is tan.

3. I was able to get it out of the carpet.

4. I bought the protection plan on the furniture when we got it. (Which every mother of young ones should do if purchasing new furniture!)

5. The ottoman will probably always have a lovely peach mango smell to it.

The pictures are from after I scrapped as much off as I could.

A Snuggle Cuddle Day

2010-12-03T20:54:00.004-05:00

I brought the boys over to my brother's house while I went to a stat consultation. When I came to get them 2 hours later they were asleep so I softly put them in the car. James woke up and sweetly smiled. He looked around and around as we drove through the city until I heard a "YAACKK" from the back seat. Poor guy just lost it! I thought he was just car sick until he puked again when we got some groceries from Wal-Mart. So we went home and snuggled for the rest of the day. Here are some cute pics of a better day.

Splash and Dash

2010-12-02T20:56:00.002-05:00

Today the boys took a bath not to get clean but just to play. Those boys love the water and its too cold to play outside after lunch. They are both very comfortbale in the water. James even puts his head completely under water and tries to swim around. I remember doing that as a girl. Since they have so much fun I think we will take more of them just for fun! Its double duty since the floor gets a good cleaning with all the splash water.

No naps today!!!

2010-11-30T22:54:00.002-05:00

Wow! I am glad my boys love playing together but Iwish they would take naps in their own beds. James just can't help crawling into bed with Joey when he can't sleep. Unfortunately it creates a problem for both Joey and me.

2010-11-29T19:23:00.002-05:00

Alright, so there is too much to catch up on. Joey is walking and James is jabbering like a pro! So tonight James learned a couple of important life lessons.

1) Not everything in a gold wrapper is candy.

2) Chicken Bouillon Cubes aren't very sweet.

Maybe Joey has the right idea. He sticks mostly with what I give him.

Pictures of Joey!

2010-02-08T00:43:00.005-05:00

I have more pictures, but you may want to see check out my facebook page. They were kinda hard to add here.

Joseph "Joey" Alexander Holt

2010-02-07T22:37:00.003-05:00

So here are the statistics- January 15th 12:42 A.M; 6 lbs 10 oz. 19&3/4". He was a blessing in many different ways. First of all, months ago we knew we would need to decide on whether Alanna should go to school or continue to push through to try and graduate. After fasting and prayer we decided she should push through to graduation just in case law school takes us somewhere other than Indiana, we won't have a lone semester of classes looming between Alanna and her degree. Our answer came before I had even heard of the internship at the Senate.

Since Alanna doesn't have classes on Fridays, we figured we would induce her Friday morning. That would grant her the largest amount of recovery time before going back to classes. We had forgotten that the due date was the week after MLK day. So on Wednesday the 13th we realized that there wouldn't be any school on the upcoming Monday and we should have scheduled the delivery the week before we did so she would miss one less day of school. But Wednesday at her doctor's appointment, the doctor said she wasn't ready for delivery for even her due date and that we would have to cancel it.

But God knew our situation better than we could have planned for it. And He definitely heard our prayers and blessed us all during the delivery. Thursday morning, Alanna woke up and said, "Its kind of crazy, but I dreamt that I had contractions all night." Then sure enough, she started contracting right then and there. All day long, she had contractions varying form 5-10-20-30 mins apart so we never called the doctor till after she finished class at 7:15. He said to come on in!

So Alanna came home and picked me and James up (8:00 p.m.). I was thinking they would send her home, but by the time she was in the door, they were strong contractions 1-3 mins apart. So, with kind and stern words for me to hurry, we were out the door and racing to the hospital! When we had James in New Mexico, it took them forever to give Alanna a room and even longer for her to get her epidural because she clams up when she gets strong pain. So I commented to here that she might need to scream and yell a bit to get some attention and quicker service.

When we got to the hospital, Alanna was wheeled inside while I drove James to Grandpa Head (he took James back home and Brad, Alanna's Nephew, slept with James). By the time I was back to the hospital, Alanna had been through triage and was being wheeled into a delivery room. She had been dilated to a 4 so they wasted no time. With plenty of feistiness and some screaming, the anesthesiologist came in and gave her a perfect epidural. Within minutes she was calm and without pain but felt just enough pressure to know when contractions were coming and still move and push without much problem.

Alanna tested positive for strep so she needed two doses of antibiotics. The first was given and we started to wait the four hours before the second dose could be administered. During that time, they broke Alanna's water and we got some rest. Alanna's mother also came from work and waited with us. It was great to have her there, especially since she was there with us in Albuquerque when we had James. At 3 1/2 hours they came to check on her. Just then Alanna felt Joey dropped into the birth canal. They gave here the second dose early, called the doctor in and started preparing for Joey to come. The doctor came in and sat on the edge of the bed and asked for a little push to see how Joey was coming, only to tell her to stop because he wasn't dressed for delivery! The nurse, Jordan, ran out and yelled to the nurses station, "This is going to be a one push baby!" Sure enough she was right. When the doctor was ready, he asked for her to push once more but only push half as much as she did with the first one.

And so Little Joey was born at 12:42 on the 15th. Healthy and strong momma and baby worked together great. Joey even gained weight his first week. Also, being born after midnight meant we could stay in the hospital till Sunday night if we wished. So we stayed after lunch on Sunday and returned home. Alanna's recovery has been fantastic and her big struggle is now getting enough sleep, time with her boys, time to study and do homework.

The ward has accepted us just like family and really been there for us. Alanna's visiting teachers have been so wonderful. They organized meals for us every other day for two weeks. They even did a diaper party where some sisters in the ward gave us diapers and some really cute outfits/blankets. Alanna's brother Adam even made some chili for us and brought over their pack-n-play so we can have Joey sleep in our room or in his.

2009-09-13T22:44:00.014-04:00

So, on Friday we had an ultrasound. As the technician was scanning around for the gender, we saw this . . .

She asked if we wanted to know the gender. We said, we think we can tell! What a proud little boy strutting his stuff. Two little boys!!!!! We are thinking of a few names. We are pretty solid on Alexander as the middle name after Alanna's younger brother. As first names we are thinking of Joseph (Joseph Smith) and Thomas (President Monsen) and Grant (Grant Crookston-my uncle). We figure we will know when we see his face. Canada fell through for me so it APPEARS that I'll be here till next year. I'm looking for jobs and hope to meet with my Stake President this week. He is a partner in a large and successful firm here in Indy. I hope to ask him about looking for work, letters of recommendation and law school decisions. I am really looking forward to it. He is a really busy man and I want to be respectful of his time. Alanna's classes are going well. They are really hard, but she is a smart girl and studies hard. We recently found out that work is providing a cruise for a group of guys I work with. My boss had saved about $20,000 of his budget and is using a bit of it to send a few of us on a cruise out LA. This is a link to our cruise! As a special treat, Amy is willing to watch James the week that we will be gone and we are thanking our lucky stars for it. James will be able to spend a whole week with his Holt side of the family. Because we are going over Thanksgiving, he will see those that are going to Rexburg for the holiday. Lets hope he doesn't get snowed in!!!!! It is Cove in the end of November after all. James is quite the climber now. He loves to climb on and in anything he can reach and fit. But I'll let the pictures give you the the thousands of words.

A Place of our Own and Birthday Week Fun!

2009-08-02T23:14:00.003-04:00

We have finally decided on where to live this fall. We looked and looked at houses thinking that Alanna would take an additional year to graduate due to the baby and would be in Indiana long enough to make it worth our while. She thought that it would be way too difficult to have a baby in the middle of her last semester of school which will be 12 credit hours of Senior and graduate math classes as well as her Senior Capstone project. However, after lots of prayer, fasting, and careful consideration on both our parts she decided to plan on going for the GOLD!!! and is going to give her best effort to graduate next spring. WHAT A WOMAN I MARRIED. I told her I would stay home and take care of the kids and this way we can go anywhere for law school I want without worrying about her finishing her undergrad. So with only 10 months until she graduates we decided to get an apartment instead and found a nice one in our current ward boundaries. We are both excited and relieved to be the in the same ward for 17 months straight! Alanna hasn't been in the same ward for over a year since she graduated from high school. We really like the ward and enjoy our callings as well.

We had a fantastic week for James birthday on July 23. We took him swimming, he played with his cousins, and went to Chuck-E-Cheese. In the subsequent weeks we have gone to Kings Island, which is very similar to Lagoon except a quite a bit bigger and has a nickelodean themed kids area with rides after shows like spongebob-squarepants. Alanna and James also took a trip to the Indiana beach. I didn't get to go but Alanna has been telling me how fantastic it is and how similar it is to Florida. Since I couldn't go with her and James she took a lot of pictures to entice me to join them next time. James loved the water and ate a hearty helping of sand which stuck to his face. He had a fantastic time with his sand toys we gave him for his birthday. Kings Island was also very fun. There aren't very many rides that are James size but the ones we took him on he loved! Enjoy the pics of our little one on the Merry-Go-Round. In addition to the thrill rides the three of us visited the water park as well. James splashed in the zero entry pool and played in the water jets. He even got a face full of water a few times that didn't slow him down a beat. I really enjoyed going round the lazy river as a family. We even found a tube built for two we all floated in together. James loves to stare at people and he had a medley of faces to look at. I guess when you are one year old people don't mind if you stare them down. After the water park we had some dinner and he had some super wiggles. We let him walk anywhere he wanted to go and we just followed him. He received compliment after compliment on how cute he is and how his teeter todder walk added to their adoration. He still hasn't adjusted to the extra weight from walking with shoes.

As for me I am driving all over Indiana fixing security systems and tweaking our customer's systems that have recently been installed. Our sales crew has been all over the place looking for good markets to sell in and as a result I am driving to all those places to keep their customers happy. I can't complain much though because I like the guys I work with and its a good job. This fall I anticipate I will still be running an office which could be in Indiana or somewhere else. As always I won't know exactly where until shortly before I leave. Alanna is supportive of my efforts to provide for the family and wishes me the best in my efforts.

ohhh, and as quick side notes...

I lost my wallet at King's Island. We were holding out that I lost it on a ride, but lost and found hasn't turned up anything.

We will find out our baby's gender in september

How's your reading

2009-05-31T22:27:00.012-04:00

So a couple of weeks ago, Alanna and I took this picture and sent it to some of our family. Its pretty fuzzy, but it tests you on your squinting abilities :)

Yes we are pregnant! Super excited and excitedly surprised! Looks like we'll add another Holt name sometime in January. I just can't wait to find out its gender and see Alanna's belly grow'n. She's not nearly as excited for that as I am. Tonight we gave her a blessing. She's already started to feel the exhaustion she felt when she was pregnant with James. Its good she has a three day weekend with her current summer schedule. It gives her time to rest from the 40+ hours she puts in Mon-Thurs on campus. I think we are both hoping for another boy. That way they each have a friend their age.

Work is going alright for me. Its a little slower than I'd like, but I think I'm managing the office as best as I can under the circumstances. We just lost one of my favorite techs who is going to another office where there is more work available. he said he liked working with us and wouldn't mind doing it again with me next year. That's good to know that even though we part, we are still on terms. I did have a chance to stop by the Indianapolis Speedway Museum while working in the area. A big guy like me doesn't fit in easily with these race cars.

Alanna is taking a heavy load in course work right now. She is doing her first summer block. Its only 7 credits, but Multivariate calculus and vector calculus squeezed into 6 weeks instead of the regular 17 weeks is quite the "cram session". Every summer class covers the same material as 3 regular fall/winter classes. She's a trooper and is trying to finish as much as she can before baby comes.

James has two teeth and almost has 4. the top two are killing him right now, and he slept most of today. With it being Sunday, we decided to make it a family even and we all jumped into the king size bed, we spent the afternoon there. He stands on his own and even took two little baby steps alone on Thursday. It wasn't enough to call it "walking" but he is sure getting close.

Chaka (the chocolate lab that lives with us) had her surgery last week. She was spayed and also had a skin tag on her belly removed. She seems so happy to be home she acts a little younger. She hops up the stairs instead of crawling and even hops into her chair next to me in our room instead of easing her way into it like she did before.

Tonight the 4 of us went on a couple mile walk around the neighborhood we live in. There are a lot of homes for sale and we wondered how much they were going for. It doesn't seem the ailing economy has dropped home prices here much. Stuff is still selling for over $200k. We aren't even close to being in that kind of market. I know prices around here are a lot lower than elsewhere in the country too.

As for me and school . . . well, we turned down acceptance hoping that I'd get into the school that we really wanted. It turns out that they I only got wait listed by IUPUI and William and Mary (which is a really good school). If either one accepts me (no matter how last minute) I'd drive out and attend. Right now, I've applied for a para-legal program here in Indianapolis at IUPUI. It will be something I can add to my resume showing I'm still actively seeking a career in law even though I didn't start school when I wanted.

Here are some pictures of James. I know that's why anyone comes to the blog so I won't hold out any longer. Love you all!

He didn't actualy drink. We thought it would be fun to give grandma holt a heart attack! :)

James' first OREO!

James getting ready for the shower!

James talking to Daddy on the phone!

Hiram's Birthday

2009-03-08T19:53:00.009-04:00

Yesterday was my birthday. 26 is an interesting transition. I'm going on my next 25 years and closer to 30, which Rachel will hit next month :) I did some Pinnacle training on Friday and Saturday. Then we cooked steaks with the Humes' and Andy Head and had a German Chocolate Cake Alanna made for me. It was delicious! I opened some presents from Alanna and my cards from family. I used my birthday money from my Grandparents for a couple of outfits for James. I find it very fulfilling to see my baby boy in such cute clothes and since we have so many good clothes from family members we don't buy many for him. So I splurged. The pictures of James in his "Kiss me I'm Irish" and his brown shirt, vest and pants are the two I got.

I wish I was feeling better. I went to bed early last night. This cold had been terrible and today marks 8 days of it. It is funny that last year on my birthday my arm was in a sling because of my snowboarding accident and I spent my birthday in Indianapolis. So both birthdays here have been good, but my body just doesn't want to celebrate.

Also, my shoulder has been acting up again. I can't lift my arm up without feeling it slip in and out even though the surgery was supposed to tighten it up. When I fly back to Rexburg, I may go back to my doctor to see what he thinks of it.

I have a work meeting in Rexburg on the 28th. I'm thinking I'll be able to fly in the day before dad's defence! I was able to go to mom's and so this will be a great treat for me to go to dad's as well. Amy may come up for a few days! It will be fun to spend time with family again. Andy Migel hopes to bless their new baby on the 29th so I'll drive down for it and fly out the next day.

November Trip

2009-03-05T23:23:00.007-05:00

I know it's March and we took this trip in November, but I realized I hadn't shared any of these pictures! Over Thanksgiving, Alanna, James and I traveled to Seattle and Portland to visit Alex Head and Grandma Holt. It was one of the best trips that I have ever been on. Maybe because it was a self initiated trip to visit family and family history sites. I feel much more like a dad planning vacations where we take the long way to visit grave sites and national parks. :)

Our first stop was to travel to Craters of the Moon National Park. It really is impressive to see how much area is covered by old lava flows. They have a great display that shows the landscape of Southern Idaho and see how the "hot spot" has moved from Central Idaho to the Buttes to Yellowstone. We had to carry James with us so we weren't able to go into any lava tubes (which are amazing) but we did see some great views and a great natural history visit.

After that stop, we made a visited Alanna's dad's hometown. We saw the home he grew up in but importantly, we were able to locate the graves of Alanna's grandparents! It was a little rainy, but we loved our little visit and I have posted some pictures of that visit, and if anyone would like a copy, let us know so we can email them to you.

And because James is such a bright part of our lives, I have included some pictures of him too.

2009-03-03T11:11:00.002-05:00

Here is our strong little man moving the world by starting with his high chair. :)

2009-03-01T21:14:00.007-05:00

Happy Birthday to Emma Walker today!!! Ya got to love those great March birthdays!! And as Nacho Libre says, "It's the beeeest!"

Some of us are feeling better, but I think I'm on the decline. Just like December when Alanna and James got sick, I followed suit a few days after they started to get better. Nothing serious though. Just a lot of sore throats and messed up noses. You can see a little of James' runny nose in some of these pictures. But over all, we aren't too bad.

Alanna and I are still working out school. Grad school for Alanna is looking more and more appetizing. She may even go on to get her doctorate if that is viable. We are praying for a good report from my applications and that we will get into school and it will be where the Lord would like us. Anyone who could include us in their prayers at this critical time in our lives, we would be extremely grateful.

Andy and Serenity Migel will hopefully have and addition to their family this week. We look forward to news on this exciting time for them. Serenity gave Nigel a camera for his birthday on the 25th so hopefully there are plenty of great pictures!

These pictures were taken just as James is everyday. He can pull himself up and today he even looked at the stairs today like, "I think I'll go after you next!" I caught him before he got to serious. Now that we have unpacked most of our camera things, we should have plenty of upcoming pictures and videos!

2009-02-09T17:28:00.004-05:00

So I guess there's no point in having a blog if people keep visiting it only to reread what we did three months ago. So, despite much protest from many of you :) I am posting an update. I have some pictures, but don't have the cables to get them to our computer. But I did take a couple of pictures on my phone and was able to snag them off of my email.

We are now in Indianapolis. We have had a fun time here so far, but miss the family in Rexburg. We try to follow Mom's Hug to keep informed with the family. The house we are staying in is Alanna's brother's. He has been extremely gracious in allowing us to be here. The house is really nice and because he travels so much, we have it to ourselves weeks at a time. We have had a few adventures to go with it. It all started the day the pipes froze during a cold snap. Later that day, the pipes broke, and water sprayed all over the garage. The furnace got water on its circuit breaker and eventually shorted out. So we've had the plumber and the H-Vac out and now the water heater is leaking a little. It is a good experience for us to see some of the problems associated with have your own house.

James is growing up to fast. He has got the crawling thing down pretty well. He doesn't race, but likes to find something small to prop himself up on and he negotiates himself up on to his feet. It is fun to see him try to stand up, but at the same time, I just want to pick him and hold him like he use to let me. Now he just likes to squirm and wiggle. No signs of teeth yet, but he has started to sleep through the nights. He even slept for 11 hours the other night.

My applications are going in and Alanna's schooling is going pretty well. We are just waiting to hear from my applications.

Short term plans settled

2008-11-24T01:05:00.004-05:00

So we have our holiday plans settled. Tuesday we are leaving for Seattle and will stay with one of my (Alanna) mission buddies. I was one of her bridesmaids when she got married about 2 years ago. Then on Wednesday morning we will go to the base and get ALEX!!! We are so excited to see him. He even said that he can give us a tour of his ship so we can see where he sleeps, eats, and works! It will be a blast so be on a real cruiser! Then we will go down to Portland to spend some time visiting with Hiram's grandma Holt. While we are there we plan on staying with Hiram's uncle James.
As far as long term plans are concerned we need to wait to see how well Hiram does on the LSAT. How well he does will determine where he goes to law school which wil determine where we live. We would love to move in down the street from Biz and Ginny but we will see. We should start to see that far out a little more clearly a few weeks after Hiram takes the LSAT on December 6th.

Another Week Down

2008-11-17T00:54:00.005-05:00

Hooray for holidays! We have been getting in the Christmas Spirit around here. Amy (my sister) came this weekend and that means fun with the boys and crafty stuff around the house. Dad and I put up Christmas lights yesterday while the ladies and boys made window decorations for the two big windows upstairs. We still have a little paint to clean off the stools, but it was fun to see Sam and Will painting on the counter tops. Jimmie even had some laughs come out as Alanna helped him chase the Sadlers around the kitchen. He is growing so much that we feel his little squeaking laughs will turn in to full blown guffaws before long. As for now we get sporadic little squeaks.

Christmas music was even put in the CD player, which surprised me to be quite entertaining. It has been a couple of years since I was home for Christmas, and thinking that this may be my last for a while makes me want to soak it up this time around.

We are heading to Seattle and Portland for thanksgiving. Alex (Alanna's Brother) is in the Navy and is stationed away from family for both holidays and we have been missing him a lot. We thought we would see him after I took the LSAT on the 6th of December, but the dates just weren't right, so we are heading up for Thanksgiving! We will see Grandma Ella where we will get some pictures with James' Great Grandma, and maybe see my Uncle James. But all in all, it will be a good road trip, and we'll be able to spread out two long car trips; one to Seattle and another to Indianapolis next month.

As for an LSAT update, the time is getting closer, and my scores are getting better. Saturday I took a practice test on campus and scored my highest, 168! but halfway through taking it I realized I had already taken that test. It was a good review. When I take a test, it is hard to get through it all, so there was sections I hadn't seen before. I'm happy with it. I know its inflated, but it still gives me encouragement.

True Love

2008-11-13T01:45:00.001-05:00

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2008-11-10T01:15:00.004-05:00

I'd like to establish links to family and friends blogs. If you have a private blog, please send us an invite to HiramHolt@gmail.com, or AlannaHead@hotmail.com. If it's public, leave us a comment with your blog address. I'd love to add you to our "Favorite Blog" link list.

This past week has not been such a healthy one for our family. Kind of a bummer week, (and anyone understanding my families stomach issues knows what I mean). Last Saturday, the 1st, Alanna had a rough day, and I had a rough night. I came home after sacrament and rested the remainder of the day. The week was just a couple of sore stomachs for both of us. We figured it was from the greasy KFC we had Friday night before our treat filled Halloween party. But when Friday night came around again, I was out for the count. I ended up sleeping a little in the bathroom, and it wasn't till today that I was feeling up to par. I even lost a wii golf game to dad I was feeling so poorly :)

But not feeling the best didn't stop us from having a good time at church and inviting a couple from the ward over for dinner. There are so many new people, that we figured that if we just invited people over for a meal that we'd get to know more of the new commers. Alanna and I have a calling where we are to update the pictures in the ward directory. So we go around teasing the older people that they need to get their pictures updated because they look so much younger (or older for our closer friends) than the one in the directory. Some pictures are so outdated that a few pictures that have kids in them are married and have kids of their own. It is slow but it is a different type of calling and definitely fun.

Tonight though, Alanna was giving James a bath and I was able to catch a little bit of her "splish splash lullabies" she sings to keep him entertained. Hopefully I can get the video uploaded for you all.

Oh, and Dave and Melissa had their handsome baby boy on Thursday! Congrats to them and Way to go Melissa. Great work.

Welcome

2008-11-02T23:25:00.004-05:00

Welcome everyone to our new family blog. Alanna, James and I are excited to share memories and moments of our lives with you.

This last weekend we had our Halloween Party at the house. It was simpler than we've had in the past, but we still had a good time. Becca gave us some great ideas and we had fun with the great friends that came. Dave and Melissa Geddes are expecting any day and we were pleased they could make it. Andy and Serenity Migel were here from Lehi and it was wonderful to spend some time with good friends.

In our slideshow there is a couple of pictures of James in the Halloween outfit Becca gave him at the baby shower.