Kaelyn's Bear Birthday!

Kaelyn and Meadow

Kaelyn and Hannah

Kaelyn and Hannah

Kathleen and Kaelyn

Kaelyn and Kathryn

Kaelyn and Bella

Kaelyn and Carter

Kaelyn and Jayden

Kaelyn and Sadie

Tiana and Kaelyn

Kathryn and Kaelyn

Avery and Kaelyn

Kaelyn and Bella

Kaelyn and Jake

The Bear Brigade!

Audrey and Kaelyn

Happy Birthday!

                                                                          Our Sweet 5 year old girl!

Kaelyn and Great Grandma!

Our Baby is 5!

Kaelyn turned five on the 21st!  She had a fantastic birthday week!

First, She had cupcakes at both preschools, and then picked Chuck E. Cheese as her birthday dinner!  We tried to sway her, but in our family, the birthday person gets to pick, and so we headed to Chuck E.'s!  We actually had a total blast!

Now, this is defintely our silly little girl...for sure!!

Mom and Dad and our Baby!

Kaelyn is so excited to have her own D.S!

We all had fun!

Grandma and her pizza faced girl!

Dad's on the Wave runner!

Tim's Catch Yesterday

Kathryn's Self Portrait

Tate's Cone of Shame!

Kaelyn's self portrait

Kaelyn

These are the moments I cherish...

I LOVE Saturdays

I am thankful for the gift of a Saturday. I get to hang out with my girls...cook scones for breakfast...stay in jammies til soccer...watch Kathryn play soccer...clean my house...and have times of quiet.
I love Saturdays.

The Cone of Shame

Poor Tate got fixed today. (Interesting to try and explain that to a seven year old...). Anyway, he will not leave the incision alone, and so the doctor insisted on a cone. (20 bucks more too!)
He keeps bumping into walls, and so he stands in one place and won't move because he doesn't have a good read on where he's going. Poor guy!

When we got into the car, Kathryn said, "Oh, poor Tate! Now he has to wear the cone of shame!"

First of all, I didn't know she'd even seen one before. Second, I didn't know she'd know what it was.

I guess one of the dogs on UP has to wear one.

I got such a good laugh. (Especially when I thought she had made it up!!) It still does crack me up though!

The Room Redo

We are in the process of redoing the girls' bedroom. We all worked on painting after Christmas, and now we've added curtains. On Wednesday the new beds come! It's been fun to see the kids wanting to play in their room again! I think it feels cozy and warm! We still have a ways to go, but it's starting to come together!

Remembering Why I Teach

I had the chance to go to a workshop today about the new state test. I was expecting a rather boring workshop with few act on ideas. Instead, I was encouraged, challenged, and reminded of the huge responsibility and gift that I have been given to be called "teacher".

This year has been such a huge learning curve for me. I have sometimes gotten lost in all the planning and new routines.

Today I was reminded that I need to love my students, cheer for my students, and encourage them to set high excpecatations for themselves.

I also learned some practical test taking tips that will help my students (and me!) for that matter, when faced with tests.

Did you know that research shows that peppermint helps kids perform better on tests? Who knew!

I feel excited to get back to class tomorrow...even if I do have to face the dentist again at the end of the day!

A Day with the Girls

Today I took the girls to a birthday party at Jungle Playland. It was fun to listen to them talk on the way up. Sometimes I like to pretend to not be listening to them because they crack me up.

The giggles fill me with such joy. Today they were playing a game back and forth, and it was so nice to hear them loving each other. It often shifts quickly, to full fledged fighting, but today I wanted to listen to them laugh. I wanted to listen and capture the simplicity of the laughter. Sometimes I wish I could bottle it up and open it when I'm feeling down, or when things are not so fun.

So today I want to remember the giggles, the laughter, the moments when they are basking in the love for one another and cherish the moment. It was my gift in today!

Our shy little girl???

Kathryn was so proud to sing our Christmas letter...to anyone who would listen! Tim and I were so proud of our brave little girl...where did the shy daughter go who used to cling to us? We are so proud of her! She did a great job singing the letter for Great Grandma, Uncle Chris, and anyone else who would listen!

Winter is time for Summer Party!

Kathy and I made lefse, then we had a bar b que and the girls went swimming in the hot tub. Last year it snowed, which added an even better ambiance to our back to summer party, but it was fun this year still! And who can go wrong with lefse right?

Mailing the Christmas cards

The kids were so excited to be a part of our Christmas cards this year. They helped write the songs, and then stuffed, stamped and addressed the cards. It was a fun together project!

Here is our Christmas letter...
December 2009

Are you ready to sing???
Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but our year was so delightful,
And since it’s been such a long time,
Let us rhyme, let us rhyme, let us rhyme.



Sing to Rudolph…
You know Kathryn and Kaelyn and Lisa and Tim,
The Holland’s of course are all back here again…
But did you know?
We got a new puppy this year????
Tate, the Goldendoodle,
Is our brand new puppy dog.
He is so sweet and gentle, ‘though he can be quite a hog!

He was a gift for Lisa
from my kids on Mother’s Day,
He also was Kathryn’s present
on her 7th “dog” birthday!

He is part Golden Retriever, and part Standard Poodle.
Everybody asks us, what in the world is a Goldendoodle?

Now he’s a special part of our happy family,
Tate the Goldendoodle, he’ll go down in history.



Sing to Jingle bells…
Kathryn’s seven now,
In 2nd grade this year,
She loves to color, play with dogs, and swims without much fear.

Oh! Kathryn, Kathryn, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl
Great big sister, loves to help, and a bright spot in our world.

Soccer fills her time, baseball, and swimming too,
She loves to play with all her friends and she loves to be at school.
(chorus)
She loves to go to church, and sang in the church choir,
She likes her DS, riding bikes, and on the trampoline does not tire.
(chorus)

Sing to Up on the Housetop…
Kaelyn is four-well she’s almost five,
She rides her bike and swings and slides.
She likes to wrestle with dad and sis,
Playing with friends fills her with bliss.
Ho, Ho, Ho! Don’t you know? Ho, Ho, Ho, Don’t you know, oh
Kaelyn’s a sweetheart, full of love, our true blessing from above!
Kaelyn loves her mommy yes she does,
She plays soccer and tee ball cuz..
She likes to hang with lots of friends,
Going to school—she wished it’d never end.
Chorus
She loves school with Mrs. Yates
Tuesday and Thursday with Mrs. Mace.
She loves to color, cut and glue,
Our house often looks just like a school!
Chorus




Sing to We Wish you a Merry Christmas…
Tim’s had great luck fishing, he’s had great luck fishing, he’s had great luck fishing-- Caught salmon and trout!


He’s teaching math in 7th grade, he’s teaching math in 7th grade, he’s teaching math in 7th grade, he so loves his job!

He and Kathryn went to Phoenix, He and Kathryn went to Phoenix, He and Kathryn went to Phoenix, his dad got re-married.

He spends time boat hunting, he spends time boat hunting, he spends time boat hunting,
It’s so fun to dream!

Sing to Little Drummer Boy…

Come, they told me, to teach third grade. I left my comfort zone to teach third grade,
I looped with some of my class to teach third grade, teach third grade, teach third grade.

Became a soccer mom, a soccer mom. Two kids play-ing this year, a soccer mom. I love to watch them play, a soccer mom, soccer mom, soccer mom.

Ran V.B.S. this year, I love our church. Went to small group this year, I love our church. Teach Wednesday nights this year, I love our church, love our church, love our church.

Took the kids camping, Oh, what a trip! Stepped on a bee hive, Oh, what a trip! Got stuck in pounding rain, Oh, what a trip, what a trip, what a trip!

Lisa joined Facebook, it’s fun to connect. Keep up three blogs this year, it’s fun to connect. I’d love to talk with you it’s fun to connect, fun to connect, fun to connect.

Sing to Joy To the World…
Joy to the world. The Lord has come. Let Earth, receive her king! Let EVERY heart, prepare Him room. And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing. And heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing!

May you find peace and joy this year.
And celebrate the King!
Jesus is our savior, he came in a manger,
He died and rose again! He died and rose again! He died, he died, and rose again!

Sing to Feliz Navidad….
Two thousand and nine, Two thousand and nine. Two thousand and nine, our year has been oh so fine! (repeat)

We want to wish you a Merry Christmas, We want to wish you a Merry Christmas. We want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy 2010!

We hope you enjoyed our letter this year…and now have a joytful song in your heart!

Merry Christmas to you as you celebrate Him!
With love from the Holland’s…Kaelyn, Kathryn ,Tate,Lisa and Tim