We're Almost There

I can hardly believe that this time has come. My brother is coming home from his mission in just a few weeks. He will be flying home on the 26th of this month. My entire family is so excited and we can barely contain ourselves! Since my brother is the baby of the family, and the only boy, it was difficult saying goodbye to him for two entire years. I couldn't even talk to my sisters without tearing up as we talked about Mike and wondering how HE was holding up.

My entire family was present when Michael was set apart as a missionary. To say that it was emotional is an understatement...I come from a crying family I guess. We were all crying as we gave our hugs and said goodbye to him. However, it became full on hyperventilating as we watched my little brother run up to my husband and embrace him as they literally wept together saying goodbye. It was touching and gave me the realization that this was hard for, not only us, but Michael too.

After nearly two years, I will finally be able to listen to Rascal Flatts song ‘My Wish’ again. Two years ago I was sitting at this very computer writing a post about my brother leaving on his mission when the song, ‘My Wish’ began playing on the radio. As I listened to the lyrics of the song I began bawling. I felt the song expressed what I was having a difficult time articulating. These are the lyrics in the song that hit me:

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,

All the ones who love you, in the place you left,

I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,

And you help somebody every chance you get,

Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,

And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my wish.

Once my brother had left, I felt this feeling of “I hope he knows we love him, are praying for him, and that he isn’t feeling alone.” He had left the place that he calls home to go to the MTC, in a foreign country. He didn’t speak Spanish, which is all they speak at the Peru MTC. The hardest part was that I couldn’t talk to him on the phone and hear his voice.

Anyone recognize this guy with my brother?

Derek Durrant, who was in our ward, had recently returned from his mission in Lima, Peru and was heading back there for a visit. My brother was serving in Lima at the time and was having a difficult time because he hadn't gotten to his mission in Bolivia yet and was feeling discouraged. It just so happened that Derek was going to be staying in the very area that my brother was serving in and graciously took him some homemade cookies that I had made...a tender mercy from the Lord. It was great having Derek check-up on Mike for our family and let us know how he was doing.

I knew that it would be an amazing experience for Michael to serve a mission, but that it would be difficult the first while. I am grateful that Michael has had the experience to serve a mission. I am excited to see how much he has grown and changed physically, emotionally and spiritually. I know he has been a great missionary and has touched many people’s lives. I am grateful that the Lord gives us obstacles or overcome, challenges to make us stronger, and opportunities for us to grow. However….I’m sure glad he is coming HOME!!!!

P-day in Peru.

Performance

Piano Recitals. There are nothing like them. You can see the nerves of the children's faces, feel the nervous energy around the room, and see anxious parents awaiting their child's performance. As a child, I remember being so nervous during a piano recital that I actually played the entire song in the wrong key...and couldn't figure out why it sounded so horrible. It was like listening to nails on a chalkboard. It was painful. With that said though, there is something endearing to see a child concentrating on playing a piece with the mistakes and all.

On Saturday, Kaitlyn had her Spring Piano Recital. She had two songs to play and I think she did pretty well. Her first song was 'The Can Can' and her second was 'Don't Stop Believin' ' by Journey. I wasn't sure if she was going to be able to pull them off but she did. She said she was so nervous she couldn't keep her feet and hands from shaking...even more impressive that she was able to play her songs. We are proud of your dedication to piano and how much you have learned in just a couple of years. Great job Kaitlyn!

I think Kaitlyn is excited to take a little break from piano for the summer, but will be back at it in the Fall. I look forward to what she will have for us at her next recital!

Graduation

With some sadness, Chris and I attended our very last preschool graduation on Thursday. When I started having all my babies it seemed like an eternity away before they would be leaving the house for a couple of hours per day to attend preschool. Now, that phase has come and gone in the blink of an eye.

Kyle with Abby, his friend from church. Abby just moved today. sniff, sniff.

I remember when we were living in Pullman and my days were filled with play groups, nap time, diapers, and hanging out at friends houses while little children chased each other. My calendar was rarely full. In fact, my visiting teaching partner was the WSU President's wife, Sister Rawlins. I would call her about visiting teaching (with my schedule that was pretty much 100% flexible) and she would say, "I need to check with my Events Coordinator to see when I am available". Sometimes I would wonder what it would be like to have a life necessary for an Events Coordinator...now I do. With three kids in school, one in preschool, two in soccer, one in piano, one in Young Women, one in Young Men, one in cub scouts, me as the school Volunteer Coordinator and Assistant Camp Director for church, I see that my life has reached that stage that could benefit from an Event Coordinator...maybe then I wouldn't have forgotten to pick up Kyle from preschool the other week (preschool had been over for 45 minutes before I realized I had forgotten him!) It just seems that my children are growing up so quickly and that my time with them, in our home, is slipping away.

We have been in Spokane now for 8 years and our BABY is no longer a baby at all. He graduated from preschool and is on his way to the big boy school. This has been a long awaited milestone for Kyle. He is at the kids' school so often with me and has wondered for years when it would finally be his time at school. Now I can say, "Kyle....it's your turn Buddy!" He is so excited for kindergarten. He knows EVERYONE at that school and knows the school like it was the back of his hand. So, knowing that he was on his way to Hamblen Elementary he was quite excited for his graduation.

For the graduation all the children sang some adorable songs to all the parents. Then, they were given their graduation caps to put on...so cute. Each child's name was read aloud as they were given their Graduation Certificate. It was fun to watch all the smiles on their faces and the good time they were having.

Kyle saying his speaking part which was, "Thank you all for coming".

We love you Kyle and hope you have an awesome year in KINDERGARTEN! Hamblen, ready of not....here comes another Holland!!!

Time Out...So Needed!

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend Time Out For Women which is an event put on by a company affiliated with our church. There were over 2,200 women in attendance this year. It is great to be able to attend events with people of my same faith and feel the the power that comes from being an woman, mother, wife, friend, and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

The theme this year was HOPE. I think with all of uncertainties in the world today that this was the perfect message for us all to hear. Having hope is essential in having a happy life. Most importantly though, is having hope in Christ and His power to relieve you from your burdens.

Some of the topics that were touched on were: enjoying motherhood, authentic happiness, and overcoming trials. One of the speakers that touched me the most was Mariana Kallon. She was raised in the war torn area of Sierra Leone. While living there she experienced seeing her parents killed by being shot in the back while her family was trying to flee from rebels, being gang raped, watching her sister's arms and legs being cut off after being raped, and staying alive with only the clothes on her back and a hygiene kit she had been given. The horrific experiences she has been through are unimaginable to me and I was awed by her love and gratitude for God. She was a fantastic speaker who expressed how the tender mercies of the Lord have blessed her life and given her hope when life seemed dismal.



Another speaker challenged us to pick one thing off her list of seven things to help increase our happiness. I chose "Savor Everyday Delights". She reminded us that President Hinckley said, "Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured". She asked us to make a list of some small changes we could make in assisting our days to be more delightful...here's mine:



Savor delight in 10 tiny changes



1. smile at someone each day

2. notice one thing in nature each day

3. meaningful scripture study

4. make a point of telling my kids each day that I love them

5. read two books every day with Kyle

6. smile when Kyle is helping with laundry

7. tell someone thank you every day

8. name one thing I am grateful for each night

9. look my kids in the face when they are talking to me

10. feel no guilt when I eat some chocolate every day!



I am so glad that I went to Time Out for Women. I feel renewed and ready to take on the challenges that face me each day. I know that I am not perfect, and will never be, and can say that it's okay. I do have hope that I am at least improving a little each day of becoming a better mother and wife. I am grateful for the friendships that I have and the girl time we got. We had a awesome time and I am looking forward to 2012 when we can go again!


Kristin, Leslie, me, and Carolyn.

There was a larger group of us, but this is all that I got.

Chris, thanks for being Mister Mom and driving the kids to all their activities...I love you!

Kudos

I just have to take a minute to give kudos to Jamen and let him know what a great kid he is! We received a phone call on Sunday letting us know that Jamen had been chosen to be a part of a six member panel for a focus group that will be happening this coming Sunday. President Beck, the General Young Mens President for our church, is coming from Salt Lake to do a focus group with six youth. I'm not sure all what it entails, but they said that President Beck wants to talk with them and get their feedback on programs the church is doing. I know this will be a great experience for him to be able to meet with President Beck and will be something he will remember. I know what it would have meant to me, at his age, to sit with church leaders and know that they respect my opinions. It will be an awesome experience for him and help his testimony grow even stronger.

I am grateful for the good son Jamen is. He is strong in his faith. He knows who he is and is a valiant young man. He is a great example to his peers. I know that sometimes it can be difficult being a teenager with all the temptations that are out there, but Jamen has stayed firm with his beliefs. Good for you Jamen for...being good!

Basically...a little recognition always makes a person feel good! We love you, Jamen, and are proud of the young man you are becoming.

Perfection

We had such gorgeous weather this weekend that we had to take advantage of it. The kids love going on family bike rides so we took them to a new favorite area of ours just off of Pines Road on the Centennial Trail. We started our adventure by checking out a little waterfall and watching the nature around us. We live in such a beautiful area and are so grateful for the scenery we are blessed to call home.

Near the waterfall the boys found what they believed to be a "cave". Kyle was anxious to explore it and was interested in how many people might be living in it at the moment. What is it about kids and rocks? If they find them, they must climb them.

What's up with gangster Kyle? We are going to have to put a stop to his picture poses soon, but until then they do crack us up. I wonder what he has been watching when we aren't home...hmmm?

We finally got on our way for our bike ride. We absolutely love the Centennial Trail. It's wide enough for our crazy driving skills, it has smooth pavement, it's beautiful wherever you look, and it goes for miles and miles along the river. What more could we ask for?

Whenever we go on family outings, Aja always has to come along...Kyle does remind us that she is a part of the family now. She enjoys sitting in the bike trailer with Kyle and getting to relax while the wind blows through her hair. Lazy dog. She did get out a few times and run along with the kids and thoroughly enjoyed that too! I think this is the last year we are going to get by with Kyle riding in the bike trailer so we are going to have to come up with a new and clever idea for bringing Aja along. We do always get a lot of comments from people passing about how cute it is having Aja in the trailer....maybe we will keep the trailer just for her. Wouldn't Chris love that one?

During our bike ride we stopped and I noticed my family laughing at me. I was completely unaware that my helmet was nearly off. This picture doesn't do it the justice it deserves, but I gave them all a good laugh. I guess helmets don't work so well and look ridiculous when they are hanging halfway off your head. No one is going to believe I could be a serious "biker" when I look like this. Even though, it was a PERFECT day with the family!

Shocked?

For those who are wondering if it is a figment of your imagination that I have posted...take a second look! It's true. Life seems to get so busy and crazy that it is hard for me to find time to sit down and think about writing. Besides, I have felt that I wanted something interesting to write about. The conclusion I have come to....my life isn't that interesting. If I wait to write about things interesting I will have another year until my next post. So, instead I am changing my mindset. I am going to blog for journaling purposes and so our family can see what we have been up to.

Last week Tyler and Kyle started Spring Soccer. This is Kyle's first time playing and he is loving it! I don't think there is anything cuter than watching five year old boys playing a sport. Our team has a spectrum of personality. We have a crier, a trash talker, a few oblivious ones, and a play by play announcer. Boy, they were all over the place! At one point in the game, the other team had just scored on us when our team crier was laying on the ground....crying. Kyle went up to this kid, looked at him and said, "Ya know, they are just gooder than us." Kyle must be used to losing to his brothers because it didn't seem to phase him. At this age level the coaches don't keep score but, oh, those boys know...we lost by three. As we were leaving I was asking Kyle how he thought his team did and he looked and me and said, "I was going easy on them."

Tyler team did well in their game too. To say the least, Tyler's team doesn't dominate. They have struggled to win games, but did awesome Saturday. They ended up tying 4 to 4, which they were excited about because this team creamed them in the Fall. Tyler made the first goal and assisted on two others. Here's hoping to a good season!

Tyler getting ready to kick the first goal of the game! Go Tyler!!!

Since I haven't blogged in almost a year, here are a few updated family pictures....minus Chris (someone has to take the picture)!