The Classics

OK, This is important. The other night Mindi and I had a disscussion, but we couldn't come to an agreement, so we decided to put it in YOUR hands. Please see our most recent poll and consider the question carefully. Your vote will determine bragging rights in the Holloway Household for the next month or so, so we ask again that you carefully consider the question and place you vote to the following question: Would you consider the movie "The Goonies" to be a classic?

Selective Hearing

So we are driving to a meeting in Weatherford the other day listening to Christmas music on the radio. "Jingle Bells" comes on and Cailyn excitedly says, "I like this song." Then she proceeds to sing along: "Tinker Bell, Tinker Bell. . . " Just thought that was hilarious. Everything is about Tinker Bell and fairies right now.

Life is only as good as the memories we make

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

In all of my years in Texas I don't think that it has ever snowed on Thanksgiving. There is a first for everything. It was so nice. We had to come and set up our Christmas tree and get out our Christmas CDs and movies. It finally feels like the Holidays to me. Now I have this incredible urge to bake.

I love Christmas!

Service

Lately I have been emotionally down. I don't know why, I don't have a reason to be sad or depressed, yet I have been. I thought that I needed to be alone, but that didn't work. I then thought that I needed to have adult interaction, so I invited a friend to come visit with her children, but she cancelled.

Then, a sister I visit teach with invited me and the girls over for hot cocoa and cookies while we help her to decorate her Christmas tree. She has some physical ailments and needed assistance preparing the cocoa and cookies to serve to her guests. Some youth in our ward came over to help(as is tradition for these particular youth) and there was my answer. All I needed was to spend some time serving someone else, you know, take the energy I was using to feel depressed and spend it helping someone else.

I have been taught my entire life that service is important, and I am obviously still learning this aspect of the Gospel. It seems so simple, however it takes many repititions of the same lesson to sink in(for me anyway). I guess in my mind I have always thought that service is for the person you are serving, but really it helps me just as much, if not more. It is like when you teach something you learn it better. I am sure that those of you that are reading this are probably thinking "Duh", but for me it was an answer to my prayer that I couldn't figure out on my own. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to help that wonderful sister and be lifted by her at the same time. I truly believe that she helped me more than I could ever help her.

Cailyn and Jessica had a great time playing with Dillon, the sister's grandson.

Cailyn had to keep putting the ornaments on because she kept pulling them off the tree. She had a great time and was excited to start working on our tree at home.

Cookie Cutter Kids

We consider ourselves very fortunate to have beautiful children, but sometimes, as we go through photos we find it difficult to distinguish between the two. What do you think; can you tell who is who?

Just in this week

Jessica is finally sitting on her own. She doesn't roll over on a regular basis, but she is sitting up all by herself. Of course, she falls when she is distracted(usually by her sister, but sometimes while trying to gnaw on something).

Again, I can't believe how fast they grow. It seems like just yesterday she was born(that might be because I am still carrying baby weight though), and now she is already sitting up to watch the comings and goings.

Jessica has now reached one of my favorite stages. She is doing that adorable belly laugh regularly now, chews on her toes constantly and is beginning to carry on full conversations with herself. I don't think that it is possible to kiss or hug her enough.

Babies are so cute!

My Cute Husband

For anyone who knows Jason well, you know that he does really good back flips. AND, When he gets the urge to do them, you had better watch out.

ISN'T HE CUTE!!

Keep in mind that he had not done a back flip in quite some time, so doing one off an elevated surface only seemed logical at the time.

A walk in the desert of Texas

One of Mineral Wells many claims to fame is the training post for helicopter pilots. Every pilot who flew a helicopter in Vietnam first came to Mineral Wells for some training(while trying to adjust to the heat). Just recently, in honor of the many veterans who came through Mineral Wells, the state created a Memorial Park. This memorial park meets up with the trail that connects to the State park.

Jason had the day off for Veteran's Day so we decided to go exploring as a family. We had never been on the trail and so we called it a hike until we got there. The trail wasn't very difficult and will be much prettier in the Spring, however we enjoyed our time together. We saw several signs of wildlife and heard an occasional rustling in the brush. We were somewhat intimidated by all the snake tracks, but we decided to press forward.

It always amazes me how hot it can be in the middle of November-for example today felt like an Idaho summer day. I can't believe that Thanksgiving is a week and a half away and we are already hearing Christmas music on the radio; it is still 80 or 90 degrees outside! I guess that growing up in Texas I should be used to it, but I am ready to wear sweaters and jackets. Winter, Come on Down!

As you can see, some of us were having fun, while others had their moments of crabbiness.

FIESTA

Cailyn had a birthday party!!!

Our little girl turned three years old on November 7th of this year. In honor of the occasion, there was a party at a nearby park!!!! Based on "Dora the Explorer," the party was hit. The kids arrived to find that there were no balloons at the party. Well, it is simply unacceptable to not have balloons at a three-year-old's birthday party, so the youngsters set off to find the balloons. They trekked all over the park...up the "Spiral Mountain," crossed the "Alphabet meadow," and finally they arrived at "Balloon hill." After stopping Swiper the Fox, the Explores successfully found the balloons and the party officially began. Way to go Explorers! A Great Big Thank you goes out to all those who helped with the party, and a special thanks to our ever so sneaky "Swiper".

Parties are already complicated, so when we arrived at the park to find an already existing party occupying the gazebo it got drastically more difficult. We managed with just one picnic table, but the wind was another issue. We had balloons being held down with rhythm sticks(all inching away very slowly) and a complete game that had to be omitted. Many things had to be changed at the last minute. So, if I had to offer any advice for someone throwing a party for a bunch of little kids it would be: Remember-"Flexibility and over-preparedness are imperative at an outdoor Birthday Party for toddlers."

Despite all the complications, all the kids had a great time playing at the park and chasing the runaway balloons. :)

Family, Friends, cake, a day at the park and balloons... what more could you ask for?

Molly Mormon in training

I don't know why, but I have this urge to become "Molly Mormon"all of a sudden. Maybe its because I am a stay at home mom now. I don't think that role even remotely fits me(or ever will), but I feel like it is something I should at least try to be. But, I can't bake my own bread, make my children's clothes, plant a flower/vegetable garden(much less keep it alive), or even decorate a simple birthday cake. I know that there is more than one mold for a mother, but it frustrates me that I can't do hardly anything that would qualify as a "Molly Mormon" characteristic. Deep down I know that all of that stuff is just frills to the real qualities in a mom, but I pray that I will eventually be able to pass something on to my girls that will help them be a great homemaker.

On to happier things to change the tone of this post. Here are some of my latest favorite pictures my angels. Most of them are Jessica, but I figure we need to catch her up to Cailyn. I hope you enjoy them.

November 7, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAILYN

This morning the girls and I went grocery shopping. We walked around and looked at the fish, the toys and, of course(since Halloween is over), the Christmas stuff. An older lady stopped to talk to Cailyn and asked her how old she is. We told her that she turned 3 today. The sweet 83-year old lady bought her one of the little stuffed Santa Clauses Cailyn was looking at. It amazes me how nice strangers can be. After talking to her for about 10 minutes in the store she seemed almost like she was my grandmother. She told us that she leads the Christmas parade on her horse every year in our town. We have never been to one, but I think that this year we will.

Cailyn's first present of the day. From the Lady in Red(that is what she called herself).

Daddy chillin' with Cailyn at "The Golden Arches"

We decided to let Cailyn decide what to have for dinner and of course she said, "chicken and fries". Being fluent in "Cailyn" I knew that meant McDonald's. So we went to McDonald's. She was able to play for a little while on the play place, but it is outside and since it was a bit chilly out there, she was the only one there. She got cold and bored after about 5 minutes, so we left.

Cailyn's great-grandmother, Memema, always sends some money for birthdays, so when Jason had to leave for church meetings, the girls and I went to the new Dollar Tree in town. Cailyn picked out 2 toys and I helped pick out some headbands, which luckily she calls her crowns(that will probably be the only way I get her to wear them).


Cailyn singing into her toy microphone. Her first choice at the Dollar Tree (no big surprise there, she loves to sing).


I decided that I was going to make a cookie cake this year(we enjoy them better than traditional cakes) and then decorate it with icing. I recieved a cake decorating set for our wedding and have never used it. I practiced on a plate, mostly to figure out which tip I wanted to use and it was really quite fun. However, I was only able to put about 4 pretty little dots around the edge before the little thing that pushes the icing out of the tube broke. I tried to put it in a plastic baggie to continue, but as luck would have it, all it did was get all over my hands and was smeared on the cake. So much for a cute birthday cake. I am glad that Cailyn is so young that she won't remember how innept I am as a mother. I am glad that I will have time to learn those cool things before her mind will let her remember it. I know that I will eventually get better at this kind of stuff, but it is really depressing/embarassing at the moment.


Well, Cailyn is taking fewer naps now and today she chose to skip her nap. instead, she helped me to make the cake and the icing(mostly she just ate the dough and icing). Needless to say, she was on a sugar high all day. This evening Grandma Lita, Jason's Mom, called and I went in to find Cailyn passed out on the couch(she wanted to wait for Daddy to get home). I guess I wore her out. It was adorable.

Right now I am listening to Cailyn and Daddy play and giggle. Those sounds I could listen to forever. That is a little bit of Heaven right here in my house.

Good-Night