Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

HAPPY BIRTH-
DAY
THOMAS JACOB!







T.J. is a fabulous 14! ...and as usual, we have a shortage of birthday candles, so once again we are creative...









Hey, give us a break... he didn't seem to mind. =)

We are always proud of our creative wrapping paper. Like his puzzled face? Hmmm, what lurks behind the plain white tissue paper?





hehe, everything works better with duct tape *grin*









...really.... this is no easy task....












yet in the end, TJ is very happy to receive a new controller for his video games. Littles brother plays with the old one, so now they don't have to *always* share.



TJ is a joy to have around. He takes responsibility seriously. He is adaptable to situations. He willingly interacts with the littlest brothers when they seem to get bored; they love playing with him. He is my walking partner, and we have great every-day-type talks about life, current events, education, the future, sports, etc... He loves to fish, cook, & play video games. I am looking forward to his highschool years, we are gonna have fun!




Sunday, December 26, 2010

MERRY CHRISTMAS


from our home to yours....






My parents with their special
'Sugar'.

Oldest brother, Joe, conquers bop-it in one try!



My lil sis, Joe, & me.




My sister Janelle, & her husband Chris.
He was the chef of the day!
Prime rib & potato soup... Yummy!








Katie-girl made me a necklace, finger-knitted a lil scarf, and gave me a self-made coupon book FULL of helpful things!!

My sister-in-law Chanelle, & her friend Jeff.
He is reading about finger-knitting, along with all the many other ideas in "How to be the Best at Everything" book.




...and what do we do with a house full of children... send them outside to play!

Christmas evening,
when everyone went home,
my older boys had a blast outside...

with all the many gifts between all the children,
the one simple thing that entertained them most was...
mini-nerf guns & venturing out in the dark backyard. =)


May your New Year be full of Grace, Health, & Joy;
and may Jesus Christ's gift of eternal life give you much hope throughout the year!

Blessings to you & yours,

THE HOLLINGERS

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Andrew is 6
Why yes, there is only 2 candles on the cake, but Andrew just thought he was sharing a turn with his little brother. Hey, give us a break, it was all we had in the drawer, and Andrew was not about to wait for us to run to the store...so... simple is as simple does =)
Grandma made the cake; she is practicing her new cake decorating skills! All the kids cheered her on~ more decoration = more frosting.

And just in case we don't seem simple enough, check out our home-made wrapping paper. Each sibling gets to decorate their own paper! (psst, I bought a humongous roll of this stuff for $1 at a garage sale years ago).





Birthday gifts seems to have a pattern with each child-


Something practical- snow boots & tennis shoes
Something educational
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom book
Something family bonding
- Hungry Hungry Hippos
(yes, even the older boys play this too)
Something personality related- new action figures.
A handful of miniature ones. Andrew loves his "peoples", always has. You know, the Fisher Price kind. Andrew is now 6, and I figure it is time to introduce "bigger boy" toys to him. I am not at all thrilled with current action figures for the most part; seems to me that cartoons are more meant for adults nowadays. So, when I pick out a handful of Incredible Hulk, Spiderman, Batman, Superman...this is with the intent of letting him see the old classic cartoons.

Andrew is proud to be 6!
His (our) 6 yr old goals are:
1) Keep our (his) clothes on~
I swear the child thinks Mogli (from Jungle Book) is his brother.
2) Be willing to communicate clearly by using his words thoughtfully.
3) Learn to read
4) To be an official participant of our chore list (yay me!)

The "little" years go by so fast,
and off he goes to his "middle" years...
Can I still say Learning w/ the Littles if now he is a middle? hmmm.....

Sunday, November 14, 2010


Praising God for Mothers, Sisters, & Daughters.




We went to a Mother/
Daughter Tea yesterday!

I *heart* my mom! She is beautiful!
She taught me about unconditional love.
She also taught me that mistakes get made,
we learn from them, and we move on to better things.
I am blessed to be living with her for this season...


Sisters...now, I have a sister (love you sissy!!!) and I have a dear s.i.l. (*wave* to Chanelle)...but today I am sharing about sisters-in-Christ.

Our Mother/Daughter tea was at a church... a black church. A God glorifying, hope honoring, spiritual seeking, gospel gleaming, praise precious church. These beautiful ladies give fresh perspective on "sisters"-in-Christ. They sing, they praise, they worship, they pray (and pray they do), they dance, they rejoice, they relate, and they let down their guard and kept it real. AND they looked good, lol. NOT that that matters ;^) The hats, gloves, and shoes of these women were stunning; but they are the first to admit that they share, borrow, and bargain shop; but I am not talking about the outer beauty. These "sisters" know that Christ is their King, and they treat themselves (and each other) like the precious jewels they are.

Daughters~ my daughter is lovely.
She adores doing things with me. Even simple things like making donuts together, or reading together. I love taking her to mother/daughter events. She lights up.
She had a nice time at the tea, too. She had a "twin" at the tea. A young girl, 9, came up to introduce herself. Both the girls were wearing the SAME dress. Now, as women, that is something we prefer not to happen....girls, on the other hand, seem to use it as a connection.
They were simply adorable.
Black girl, black hat, black gloves, black shoes;
white girl, white pearls, white gloves, white shoes...
yearning to be ladies; learning to be sisters-in-Christ.

May I always Shine His Light in a way that my daughter can follow His path....
and may she be much more graceful through it than I am!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

THIS HAS BEEN OUR SUMMER THUS FAR...
ok, today, is actually sunny, but the last few weeks have been exactly like these pics!



Our summer break officially begins on Jun 01.
With all this rain, my kids are getting restless!!

With school out, am I suppose to get a break too?..

Hmmm... must find something for the kids to do...

must create a routine to base our days off of...

MUST have FUN!

well, I am working on a flexible summer schedule. If I don't, my kids would stare at a TV all day.

Ummm, have you seen what's on TV nowadays, really seen?

and even if we DID find something of value,
have you seen the commercials? really?

cheap entertainment, maybe;
but NO thank-you.

Ofcourse there is always exceptions ;^)
as the WORLD CUP ROCKS.

but then again, commercials, ugh!
(I won't even mention the ones that really disturb me, blech!)

OUR SUMMER DAY

Up n at 'em
- our morning routine
Fitness Fun- gym or nature walk
Yard Work- 30 min.
Backyard Basics*- ball, sandbox, chalk, tag, etc..
*(This is where Mom can get inside chores done)
LUNCH/DEVOTIONS
Power Hour - French practice/ nature journal/ silent read
'nap' for Bryson, quiet time for Andrew
= GAME time for the rest. no, not video ;^)
the good ole board games, uno, dominoes, cards, etc...
FREE time by 3 p.m.

Schedule is subject to change due to-
such things as field trips, dental appointments, park days.

Geocaching and Letterboxing will be a point of interest...
when the weather cooperates. ;^)



Tuesday, June 1, 2010



PLANTS GROWN UP...


Yay! On our 4th attempt...

and Daddy's green thumb....

and letting Bryson be included in the dirt mixing...
I am relieved to say our GARDEN is finally on it's way....



~PLANTS GROWN UP....


~the title to our new Bible study.

To teach boys to be young men;
and to prepare young men to be a Godly man.

Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants
Psalm 144:12

Our garden of life contains 6 amazing plants!

Each one came in it's own season, and brings forth a variety of spice to our lives.

As we continue to be faithful in~

cultivating character,
nurturing enthusiasm & initiative,
to prune trangressions,
transplant knowledge,
& support independence....

we are eager to enjoy the harvest....

of passing God's love onto the next generation

(and of course, enjoy grandkids someday ;^)

*as for our one & only girl whom adds the beauty to our garden;
she is far more precious than jewels.


Saturday, May 8, 2010

A birthday gift...



Tickets for four,

a dad

and three brothers,

really,

could a 13 yr old ask for more?




Baseball...an American game,

the Mariners' got slaughtered,

but TJ had fun just the same.




During warm-ups...

the players didn't have time
for a glance,

although Dad gave it a shot

for his son to have a chance,

the autograph he did get...was Moose the Mascot!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT...


so what could we be watching on this Disney Themed night?...

With a house full of 7 guys, a Grandma, and a Princess?


~

SNOW WHITE
of course!

~



(the boys were great to hang out w/ their sister...gotta love it!)

Thursday, March 25, 2010

WE ARE GRATEFUL...

that our Joe is OK!!

He avoided a row of instant stopped traffic,
on the freeway at rush hour,
fishtailed off to the left, crossed 2 more lanes of traffic,
and slammed head on into the median with enough force to actually move it!









~His seatbelt was on,
his airbags went off,
and amazingly no other cars were involved!
Joe walked away w/ no injuries at all...



~This has a significant meaning to our family, as 5 yrs ago this May, we lost a family member in a similar circumstance, and he too was 21 at the time.

We rejoice at the outcome, all the while emotions are stirred at our previous loss.

I am confident in this,
that He who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Phillipians 1:6

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Adrenaline Junkie?


Baby Bryson has a new friend!
(yes, I am aware he is not much of a baby, but I am claiming it until he is 2)
Isn't this a cute back-pack? It is also a very useful tool!
A safety harness!
The tail links on when needed...
and if any child would need one, it is him!
We have had...
a cautious child,
an active child,
a clutzy child,
a dramatic child,
and one that can be a bit aloof of his surroundings;
but this one?
he will run into sticker bushes, bound for cliffs, leap off anything;
and yes, he gets hurt at times, then laughs and tries again!
So this new lil friend is a favorite right now...
may Bryson never discover the skateboard!

Monday, January 25, 2010

What do the littles do while the rest of us watch football all day?

Katie-girl was quite creative making a spinning merry-go-round w/ Tinker Toys...



Bryson was quietly, yes quietly, playing with a Bristle Block airplane that brother Andrew shared w/ him!

I could not get a good shot of the "airplane" ...




because...






...it was flying at jet speed!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

the littlest sister-in-law...


HAPPY SWEET "16"
TO OUR JENNA!!
Beautiful, in a simple way;
Smart, in a fun way;
Talented, in a creative way;
Giving, in a precious way;
....Keep Christ 1st always,
for He is truly the only way
to live a fulfilling life for all our remaining days!
Love ya girl!

Sunday, January 25, 2009


Late night weather news?
No precipitation??







We woke up to a beautiful site! Fluffy soft white snow! Andrew does not like to walk in it, but hey, atleast he has pants on this time! And we had all smiles on the way to church this morning! Today I am enjoying small blessings in simple things...

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

A 4 Day Week End...

After all the Christmas snow and freeway floodings that followed, we finally made it up north to visit family. I was hoping for photos to share, but my lovely sister-in-law broke her camera at the end of our visit. She took our TJ for a 5 mile walk the last day, and with camera in hand, slipped on some ice... Chanelle, I hope your bum is not too bruised ;^)

Anyways, we had a great time...

Faith~ Thanks for coloring and cutting my hair...it was much needed! Loved shopping with you (as always, lol) Thanks for helping set up my facebook account...still need to figure out how to download photos there...and YIKES, tons of our cousins and some of our beauty school friends have found me already (Can you believe that was 25 years ago??...um, yeah, we started when we were 3, right? ;^) And I am amazed at all the house remodeling you and John are getting done, it is going to be fantastic! Love you girl!

Mom/G'ma Michele~ We had a lovely time at your house! TJ loved the ribs (as did Asia, lol), Katie enjoyed making those cookies, Andrew made himself at home ;^), and Bryson loved his new found freedom of mobility there! I enjoyed the rummy games even if some folks kept bailing out early ;^)

Chanelle~ Thanks for the comfy bed ;^) to sleep on...but mostly, Thanks for hanging out with us, playing with the kids, chatting w/ me...thank you for your time.... We love you!

G'ma Dee & G'pa Paul~ Thanks for going out of your way to meet us at Michele's to make it easier on us. Smooches & loves to you both!!

Jim & Julie Orr~ I just adore you two! It is always so wonderful to see you both...always so peaceful and pleasant to chat with! (((HUGS)))

G'ma Hollinger & the Hollinger clan (Kim, Ronnie, Jim, Bonnie)~ We are thankful to be able to crash your home with all our little troops. We always feel welcomed there, and we loved seeing all of your wonderful faces! We had a great visit with Grandma, and are grateful that she is in good care! Love & Blessings to you ALL!

Joe~ thanks for keeping an eye on our house, hanging out w/ Nick, and feeding our turtle!

Nick~ Missed having you with us, but I am sure you enjoyed your ski retreat! ;^D

To my darling husband Fred~ With it being so busy, thanks for managing time off of work. It was very much appreciated and enjoyable to spend some free time with you. Kids aren't always a relaxing reality, but they sure are a blessing eh? Love you always!!

Monday, December 1, 2008

Andrew is "4" today!


Our simple guy... much like his dad! No thrill, no fuss, living the norm is a must. Birthday cards from the mail seemed to briefly shake up his mood?? (don't most kids LOVE mail?). Later, a simple gathering w/ his siblings and bestest pal Aria (w/ big sister Monique) was more receptive. He even let us sing "Happy Birthday" to him, and blew out his own candles.
Sounds odd to those that don't know him well, but he really does drum to his own beat... very active and imaginative, but truly enjoys his down times to himself, in which we have found to respect his needed space through out our busy daily life.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Katie-girl is 7!


Katie had a lovely time for her birthday this year. A few of her favorite people came: Nana & Grandpa; her BFF *M* w/ little sister A.J.; Big brother Joe & Miss Sara. We enjoyed cake and presents with her. It was a short, yet charming visit.


And after the guests left?? Her brothers, (Andrew 3, T.J. 11, Nick 15, along with friend Corbin 15), provided more entertainment. Katie was able to model the dresses Nana had given her. Then those boys humbly played 'pin the tiara on the princess' with a great attitude! She is blessed to have such wonderful Knights in her life! No pictures to share with that, but the memories of kindness is priceless... thanks guys!