A few pictures from December

The first and only gingerbread bake!





Mini man

The year's first mini snowman-by Jewels

Please guess what this is?

November's picture of the month-now for the contest. You get to guess what it is!!! Leave your comment .......

Walk a mile in your shoes/sleep a night in your shoes?

If you can't see Julia is sleeping with a blanket shoveled under her shirt. She is fast asleep and we all laughed about it in the morning! I guess she has some compassion for mommy and now understands me............what a ham!

Final count down

Counting down to Christmas, baby,maternity leave, grandparents arrival, Farmors arrive.....it seems to never end!

I feel very motherly today. School is canceled, the Christmas music is playing

(new Faith Hill Christmas CD)and the house smells of fresh gingerbread. The girls and I had a nice morning baking. They are playing together now-without fighting. This I am happy for....well at least when I started this entry there was no fighting.

I have successfully eaten a 9" round pan shrimp cocktail dip in 2 days. I have perfected my waddle just in time for the holidays and our big Christmas Eve Services (12,2,4,6,8). I joke if I can make it thru that I will manage just fine the next 4 weeks.

Tomorrow I will tackle Christmas shopping for the family. I really have not put it off, there was really just no time to do it till now! Oh, I did come to terms with the fact that there will be no Holm Family Christmas Card this Christmas. Instead we will do a big mailing in a month when lil baby boy arrives and people can start at him (not the GIANT preggo lady)! I am hoping to get a package off to MN tomorrow...am I insane to enter the USPS this dreaded day...yah I am.

And the sadness is that my Starbucks Card is now dry, empty, out...completely. Sigh.

Tonight's highlight will be eating warm Swedish rolls and gingersnaps. (they are not gingerbread people they are crispy and not chewy)

That is the latest from our home.....be watching for the January publication of the Holm's Happenings and Latest Addition!

Finally- I did it

Something many have asked for and today I sat down and did it!

I am now registered at Babies R Us! So for all of you wondering what we need or want for #4 (to arrive around Jan.23) there you go!

You click on finda registry-it is under under yours truly.

Hope Erik can give you a good laugh

Happy Turkey Day!

After having a very stressful morning and almost breaking a promise to my 4yr old-it was room mother time.Here are pics from Emma's Thanksgiving feast party. She made my day turn around and that I am thankful for-thanks Em for very fun morning.

Homework Julia's style

You gotta love her sense of humor, I wonder where she gets it?????I got a good laugh last week as I opened her folder from school. I couldn't pass this up, it was to good to keep to our selves!





Enjoy!

And pics of our kids......

This fall's flop of a photoshoot.Kids go figure!
Try to keep the boys away is just to hard of a task!

Little man just loves his "nig nog" aka eggnog just like mommy too.
Yes, she has heartburn right in her throat just like mommy...funny isnt it*?

You're simply the best!!!!

For the story of my 30th bday gift read this
This picture I look tired and all cry faced.....cuz I was!!! Look at who's sitting next to me...not everyday or every week ok every year we get to meet. This was just God's smile down at me and saying I knew what you wanted and what you needed this year.
Finally the shock wears off enough for me to hug her!

I am teary eyed all over again just posting these pics....this was moment that took only 3 months of secret planning.

The mastermind of the best birthday gift ever, and best secret keeper in the world....imagine that he is all mine!

I have been a promiser of pics for along time now....so here they come.

The party......

I guess I am showing my age already and taking my sweet time with pictures for all my faithful readers. Thank you all for sending me birthday wishes,cards,flowers and comments on my blog! It meant more to me this year than ever just to be surrounded with people, and I felt very loved.If you have not read about my present read this...it was the best ever.Here is a bunch of pics-enjoy!



My 3.00 find ....it was my perfect accessory


What is party without a crown for the queen?

Everything yummy


It is offical...I am old.......er



Jess did the decor-she is so talented. It was perfect

A slight vacation from my problems

If you have ever watched the movie "What about Bob?" you understand where I am going with my entry's title. This week I have turned 30 and with that I took a mega short vacation from my problem(s).I was not dealing with a "i am getting old crisis" just in case you wondered. I decided to go ahead with my 30th bday parties on one of my hardest days I have ever faced.This created a much needed diversion for me of cleaning and backing etc to forget for a minute the enormous greif I had been carrying all week. After the very tragic accident that resulted in the death of a very precious baby in our church family.

Saturday nite after a long day of party preparation Peter took me out for a birthday date. We went to a very nice restaurant and were treated like royalty. I had suspected something was up, but didnt ever REALLY think Peter could pull off one this big. As dessert was taking extra time to arrive, I finally hear Peter announce he sees the dessert finally coming to our table. My eyes only fixed on one thing-the lava cake approaching our table. I say thanks and am ready to eat. Yet everyone stops a second longer to stare.....Peter says "look" as he points to the waitress. I take a quick glance and see a familiar face that doesnt fit the time or place. I take a double and triple take before I realize it is my best friend Therese Hornqvist from Sweden. All dressed up like a waitress-straight off the plane! I started of course to cry and freak out-my wildest birthday wish I made about 6 months ago came true! Peter had arranged it all-well, God definitely had a hand in making this all fit together I am sure. What a terrific surprise and a much needed present that helped me vacation a bit from my problem and maybe deal with it some in the process this week. I guess this is when I say thank you to the most thoughtful man in the world. My hero and husband who takes such good care of me, it sometimes feels to good to be true! Thank you honey you are the best! And I guess I need to say thanks to Therese's hubby Josef-for letting his bride and baby fly over for a little trip, while he managed the rest of the clan! It meant the world to me, seriously!(my pictures of the event will come later)

I will enjoy the rest of her time here-what a blessing it is to have amazing an friend like her. After the weekend I will try to get a post with this post due to the many caring emails you all have sent. Thanks for praying, caring and letting me know you are thinking of the situation.

After tonights memorial service, I am reminded that God is with us-never letting go. Also that our lives are not created by God simply for a number of days on this earth but we are created by God for eternity.

Baby steps to get thru each day

Each day this week I woke up and thought only one thing let's get thru today. It is emotional, tough, raw, and tragic.If you arent aware of the horrific happens we are going thru here right now I will have to take that with you on an other form of communication.

I do now have new pictures of the kids to post and talk of a bday get together but right now all else fades to gray as I am just trying to make it thru today. The new grace that comes each morning is the lifeline I have been holding. Thinking of down the road-next week etc is just a far to overwhelming thought.

Please pray for strength. If you want to talk just email me or call I would love to hear from you.

BTW.....you are invited

This is what's new around our house! When we aren't cleaning up barf or chasing the dog down the street-we are planning mommy's party. Feels strangely fun to plan my own party. I will be completely European and throw my own party. I only wish I could collect all my friends & family from around the world and fly you in for the nite!

It is hard to read but the invites were similar to this-


PARTY TITLE: CAUTION! THE ADVENTURE BEGINS AT 30!
THEME: Construction-orange,yellow and black.
PARTY DECOR: By Polka Dots and Pirates-Jessi Newman
FOOD: CAKES,COOKIES and CANDY-sugar, sugar and more sugar!!
GUESTS: COME ONE COME ALL- AND BRING YOUR KIDS-FEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!


My hopes and dreams on my upcoming bday......to be taken seriously. I guess I am offically an adult, might get have to live with the label "young mother" a bit longer. So I guess that means I might have to put away the mask, I will as soon as my husband brings it home from work!

Taking rest a little more seriously

After a near collapse on Sunday and mental breakdown =). I decided that (due to my husbands strong recommendation/orders) I would clear the calendar from work and other things a few days to JUST rest. Yesterday was spent with far to much tv on...while me and Emma and Erik all where on the couch recovering from some stomach bug. Today I have been utterly completely alone during school hours-sleeping. I am not back to 100% yet but feeling much improved since Sunday.

My stubbornness aside, I humbly acknowledged the fact that I am not superwoman and I have no cape. And what I needed desperately was to listen to my body's signals and screams to please for the LOVEEEE-let us rest. I obeyed and pray that the we are all soon healthily and that the Lysol cleaner has killed the germs!

Again I promise pictures are coming...really they are!

Little Silly Putty in the ears here and some barf there (just the normal stuff)

Well to catch you up on the past weeks of craziness. Getting back from Cali I felt so exhausted. It took so much to get there I don't know it felt like a needed a long nap afterwards.

The kids have been gearing up for fall celebrations at school. I am one of the room moms for Julia's class so its party time on Thursday! Speaking of celebrations-I am planning a big bash for my 30th bday coming up in a few weeks. The planning committee in my head keeps making it a little bigger everyday! It will be fun to see how it all turns out. I will post invite to all of you readers so you really feel included in my life!

Last week Emma so kindly shoved a wad of silly putty in Jack's (our dog) ears. She also voiced her opinion for us. "I don't want to be a part of this family".......then my heart sank and it was totally silent. I asked sheepishly "Why"? "Cuz I really want to go live with Grandma and grandpa and play with grace and isabella" (her cousins). "I happily replied "But Emma wouldnt you miss us and all your things?" "WEllI would come back from vacation and live here sometimes". Well my dad and mom got a kick out of that.

Julia has an admirer at school. At least I assume that is why he is punching her and kicking her in the butt and giggling about it. She couldnt really understand why-he is so nice to her then does that and gets in trouble from the teacher. (I am not to concerned but thought it was funny)

Erik is filled to the brim with energy. He said his tummy hurt yesterday and we got to clean up a few barfs last night (or as the girls say in swenglish "krakes"). Never a nice thing to wake up to. He and the dog have a love hate relationship. He prods and pokes the poor dog often and has gotten a few scratches from him. I mean I cant blame the dog-Erik reached out and yanked his man parts-OUCH!!!! Yep, he got nipped from Jack on that one.

As for Peter, he is recovered from a funky somthing this past week. He is working hard at work and helping teacher Sunday School for Kindergarteners. He also is starting to go to the REscue Mission Shelter and will be sharing possibly next month at there chapel. He is such a great dad and help to me- any man that can take me huge and preggo and love me to death is awesome.

I am having a good pregnacy. Everything is going as planned, I suspect that this baby is biggest yet! I will have to do a guessing game and give out a free bracelet or something to the closest guess. I am getting anixous over a name....we are sticking to family names so now for the mixing and matching. I have about 91 days to go says my little chart on my blog, it will go fast and I am getting slightly nervous to work ahead so I can go on maternity leave with a clean conscience.

That is it in a nutshell....wish I had some fall pictures to post....possibly I might get some this weekend!

A great trip "Marked" with many great memories

Finally, I am back! After a wonderful time in CA! We flew into Long Beach then down to Laguna Beach to stay. We enjoyed Saddleback's children's conf. They have a ginormous campus with tons of cool stuff for kids. WE all walked away with so many ideas, new passion and vision for what we do for God in Salt Lake City.

The trip even got sprinkled with "team building experiences".(snicker snicker)We took off to the Tonights show one night. It was so fun! Mark Wahlberg was on. For anyone who DOESNT know who he is.....his fame came during my youth with Marky Mark and the Funky bunch then he launched into the movie scene. Italian Job....maybe you have seen it. Well I am not shy to say his picture was plaster in my locker for at least a few years! The ultimate was we waited with our bladders bursting for over an hour, as our hopes sunk for good seats-then Kari (in her words-threw out the I have MS card)and we ended up in 2nd row. (directly in front of the music stage!). Make a short story even shorter in the end they did some promo clips and Mark was so close I truly was paralyzed! (Dave and Kari whispered in my ear-go say hi-just go) All I could say is I am paralyzed! How is that for 30yr old maturity! Mark and I filed out of the studio at the same time if I wouldve had the guts and feeling in my hands I wouldve reached out and said hi. Knowing me I wouldve created another embarassing moment so I am glad I didnt! In the start of the show we got on camera shaking Jays hand! Good times. I would say this was the unspiritual highlight of my trip.
This is almost exactly what he wore.....for those who dont know who I am talking about I have kindly surfed for a pic!

"Marked"


Here is K2's children's staff- minus our really awesome Brooke! Getting onboard the plane in SLC going to Long Beach.

Tada....

Our fearless leaders new BFF-....how was the song?? Hop Hop Hop into the light light light light??? (inside joke)

Saddleback's youth building-Refinery. The title of the conf was "pipedream". No we did not get high but we sure got some get dreams out of it!

Foot therapy

Me at Laguna Beach

Here is the sunset day one. Can't leave CA without a beachside sunset right?


To make the trip even more fun-I got to meet up with 2 sets of friends that I rarely get to have coffee with!

Here is Ang and I over dessert and coffee. We really should have snapped one of her hubby Jeff! We talked for hours and got caught up on about 5 years of life and giggled about old times. Gotta love the friends you just pick up right where you left off!
Next I got to stay an extra day to see John and Julia. They drove up from San Diego to get me! We did alot of good eating-I mean what else do you do with 2 preg. women! John was so sweet to humor us!

Here we are at Cafe 222 (or 22) not sure which. I do remember it was yummy!

Julia was a doll and treated me to an early 30th bday present! Pedi/Mani baby!

Thanks guys for a nice stay in SD!

1st time for everything

In the morning I am off. My first "business trip" with work. We are off to a children conf. in CA. I am child free for 5 days. This will be a 1st for me and Peter. I have always been the one at home when he is away on business-now he will get the Mr. Mom role for a few days. I know he will do great. I have stocked the house with his favorite goodies (coke and peanuts) so that will help. As for now .....it's time to pack and make some supper and clean like a crazy woman! Maybe I will have time to blog while away? Naaaah, no promises!

Fall fun in the Valley

Here is the latest from our neck of the mountains! It was a fun filled evening at Conrbellies. Yes you heard me right-Cornbellies! It was a pumpkin patch/pig racing/corn maze/play land! And we arent even in Minnesota! The kids each got a couple pumpkins they picked themselves and we all had fun letting the kids wear themselves out! We went with all my co workers and families and really had a blast!



Erik got messy-didnt really "get the whole making a face, so Julia painted one after he was done. Nice big sister move!

Emma worked hard on hers!

J's masterpiece

Daddy and son

My sweet Brooke! And little Addy all curled up and warm in the sling!

Emma and Mia

Julia on top of the train

Dave..my boss=) going all out to launch Peter-it did work!

Erik and the scarecrow!

The best apple pie I have ever received! Straight from Erik's hand! He made it at daycare =)