Hollinger Family

Day at Lagoon-

2011-07-30T20:16:00.004-06:00

Today was our family day at Lagoon. The kids had a great time on all of the smaller rides in Kiddieland. I found that I need to be a better parent and have more patience and realize that my days at riding the larger roller coasters are coming to an end or are in need of a day of needing a babysitter. As Brian and I are putting it we spent our day on the four rides that were carousels that were fed steroids. All and all it was a good day as I put it I just need to have much more patience as a parent and realize that even though they are tall enough to ride the larger rides it does not mean they are going to.

One of their favorite rides was the Helicopters. We received some great big smiles from them on this one. They loved the fact they were able to control if they went up or down. They also loved the Musik Express and would take turns smashing mom and dad as we spun around. The Jumping Dragon was fun because it not only went forward but also would then stop and go backwards as it spun around. I am happy to say neither one of them got sick as they spun around.

At the end of the day they are both still smiling and talking about how much fun they had so both thumbs up.

A fast update on summer our summer fun

2011-07-24T17:53:00.002-06:00

The summer seams to be going by fast for Katelyn and Shawn so far and school starts in less than a month. They have been enjoying the sunshine and playing outside, swimming lessons and just about everything kids do during the time off from school.

Although he will probably dislike the fact that I have posted the picture below I just could not resist. Grandpa has been teasing him of kissing girls for his teeth to fall out and now we have proof. Although life-size Barbie is probably not what Grandpa had in mind. He had been playing at his friend's home and when we went to pick him up we were told all about how he had been kissing the sisters Barbie. It was a good laugh for all of us and of course Shawn still smiles and turns his face as if embarrassed now.

There are still a few more things to do though before school starts and so I will need to post again. I know I am not the best at updating and I keep saying I will do better. It is a work in progress right? Hey - at least it is not a year in between this time.

Hope you are all enjoying your summer!

Yes, we are still around -

2011-02-06T21:16:00.001-07:00

Where to even begin after all this time is what I am trying to decide. I pulled up the old blog tonight just to see when the last time I posted was. I have to admit I am embarrassed it has been over a year now. So many things have been going on and just not finding the time to update has been an issue. So at long last here is an update and if it is ok I will just begin with the year 2011.

We have celebrated birthdays for both Shawn and Katelyn so far this year. They have been very excited and being so close to Christmas I think will be in shock with no more parties or gifts for awhile. Brian and I are starting to breath easier now thinking that since October it has been one big rat race with them as hyper as can be.

Yesterday we also had the pleasure of celebrating with family and friends as Katelyn choose to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and be Baptised. She looked like a little princess all in white and how great it was to watch each one of these special young kids take this first step to return to our Heavenly Father. We would like to thank everyone who has joined us in all ways possible for her big day.

Besides all of our normal daily activities we are enjoying playing Super Mario Brothers on the Wii as a family and trying to win the game eventually. It can become distracting to have 4 players all at the same time but we are having fun. I enjoy going to watch the Red Rock's at the U of U for gymnastics as a girl's night out. Brian has been on the creative side and creating music with his iPod and is doing a good job. With all of this we are also just trying to stay warm and cozy in these winter cold days.

I have also updated the slide show at the bottom with pictures for this year so far. I will try my best to update on a more regular basis and not let another year go by. We hope that everyone had a safe and wonderful holiday season for 2010 and look forward to a great year for 2011.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-14T11:51:00.004-07:00

We would like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season this year. It has been one crazy year with many changes and miracles. We are so greateful for everyone's friendship and love and would not have been able to be here today without all of you. The love and remembrance of our Savior has blessed us each.

There is also good news to share with everyone. Last week we were told the wonderful news that so far the tumor that was removed in February this year has no sign of returning thus far and my percentages of it coming back are slim now after several MRI's the last few months have been clear and look fantastic. We are still waiting on the EEG results to see if there is a reason for the seizures but all in all things are looking up. We are also testing several other medications and doses to see if we can get the headaches under control or the source of them. It is really nice to have some normal days without the headaches after so many years. They would like them to be minimal so we are still working on that one. Our family has been very lucky this year and many things to be grateful for.

The kids went to visit Santa Clause this past weekend. I think we were as excited as the kids to visit him. Our little Katelyn is so smart and would only tell Santa this year what she would like him to bring her. This challenge has been an interesting one but the puzzle was resolved with a visit to the big SC. Shawn is still in his Star Wars mode and trains so his list was easy to know. We are starting to wonder if he is going to grow out of this stage and feel bad that for the last several Christmas's it has been the same theme for him. Although it makes it so you alwaysknow what he likes and not to go wrong in that department.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

The Hollingers

Time Flys When You Are Having Fun

2009-12-07T21:26:00.001-07:00

I just noticed today that it has been quite a while since I have done any updates. This post will be short but I will be updating it over the next few days and have everything caught up. Hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving and looking forward to the season ahead.

Flying

2009-09-07T23:06:00.012-06:00

Today we had a great surprise phone call. Dad had invited us to go flying. Both kids had been begging grandpa to take them and it had been years since I had been up. All excited me and the two kids took off to meet everyone.

The kid’s absolutely loved the ride and had to tell everyone that they had been able to fly like the birds. Here are a few pictures to share.

School is back in and everyone is excited!

2009-08-23T16:54:00.002-06:00

Katelyn has now stared 1st grade and is floating on cloud 9. She had 2 days last week with her new teacher which Katelyn is so excited about being in her class. When Saturday came this weekend she was upset that she could not go back. Today we got to tell her that she goes back tomorrow and so that cured her weekend blues. As for us we are excited to see her as happy as she is to be going back to school. Now to get Shawn ready to start next year. I don't even know what to think that in 2 years both of them will be in school full days. Excitement is a good way to put it but also nervous to do new things and turn that part of my life back on. It has been 5 years since I have worked during the day and not crazy hours. Sleep will become a part of my schedule again each night.

Our neighborhood is changing also a lot these days. Many of our good friends are moving or have moved in the last month. I realize this is what happens but you don't really think about it until it happens. Christine - I miss you being just across the street! I know this is a great situation for you and I am truly excited for your family. I just need to pick up the phone more often.

The kids have been enjoying the new splash pad that was put it not to far from our home. It is has been a nice peaceful place to visit and just let the kids play and play until they are dropping over to sleep. When we have not been up to the splash pad it is in the back yard with the trampoline. Sprinklers under the trampoline or water balloons on top of it "trying not to pop them". Either way they get all wet to cool off in the 100+ degree weather. I will admit fall is going to be welcomed by me with open arms this year.

Hope all of your summers have been excellent filled with joy and peace.

Thank You!

2009-07-29T01:36:00.003-06:00

Thank you for

Standing by me,

And lending an ear.

For helping me out

By just being near.

Thank you for

Cheering me on

Or saying a prayer.

For holding me up

And showing you care.

Thank you for

Making me laugh

And giving me hope.

For showing support

And helping me cope.

Thank you for

All that you've done

And all that you'll do.

I'm so very fortunate

To have someone like you.

-Linda Nielsen

First Crushes….

2009-05-26T20:56:00.000-06:00

I know that Katelyn will probably hate me for writing this blog – but I just cannot resist. It is hard to know that my little girl is growing up and after the last little bit there is no way of getting around it. She had attended a friend’s birthday party not long ago where they watched the High School Musical 3 movie. It was after this party that she was interested in watching the movies and where this all began. We soon found that the reason why she wanted to watch the movies was to watch “Troy”. It soon became a joke each time we would see a picture of Zac Efron we would tease her that there was her boyfriend. It has been fun to watch her blush and get embarrassed over it. It is official though after today she is not shy about it anymore.

This afternoon she came up to me and asked for my camera. A little bit worried about her using it I asked why. She would not tell me other than she wanted to take a picture. Realizing that she was watching High School Musical on TV I asked her to draw a picture instead. She soon ran upstairs with a picture of a boy playing basketball. It was so cute that I went onto the Internet and printed off a few pictures of Zac and put them in a sheet cover. I then walked out of the room and handed it to her. Her face lit up as her eyes grew big and the “Oooo…” came out of her mouth. She than ran into her bedroom closed the door to hide the pictures. Later on I found them hanging up on her bedroom wall. When Brian came home he asked if she thought he was cute and she will proudly tell us now - yes. She has now come in and asked for more pictures and has 6 pictures of him in her room. What are we going to do when she gets older?

Spring Time...

2009-04-28T11:15:00.006-06:00

I am trying to figure out where to even start it has been so long since I have done a post. Easter was very nice this year and the kids had a wonderful time at Grandma’s egg hunt. They both found out the woes of eating too much candy and sneaking candy into their bedrooms where we did not see it and then eat it. Unfortunately that also meant a few long nights on our end up with them when they were sick. Now the Easter candy is a great after school snack and is monitored and behind lock and key.

With the warmer weather outside the kids have enjoyed playing outside. They don’t understand why it is not time to run through the sprinklers and put on swim suites. I would like to find a way to just bottle an ounce of their energy to use each day to keep up with them. They are having fun and being kids and that is the best way to be.

We have spent a lot of times at the dental offices for the kids and Brian. Katelyn was such a big girl and her work done on a tooth and was not sedated. What a brave girl she was and made the choice on her own to finish the tooth without rescheduling. The dentist was very good with her and gave her stickers, bracelets, and a stuffed bear for being so brave. She now talks about how much she likes the gas and wants to go back. She sure takes after her daddy! Shawn goes in to finish his work next month. Brian’s work is a work in progress. A few more trips and he should be taken care of also.

Katelyn and Shawn are also finding an interest in gymnastics, which makes me smile since I loved it when I was growing up. I have been able to coach them a little bit on a few tricks on the trampoline and they are getting better all the time. This summer I would like to get them into a program at the recreation center for swimming lessons and a sport of some kind.

Brian and I are staying busy with work and keeping up with the kids. We are also gearing up to being yard work and have done little projects here and there to start. It feels like we just finished last fall and it is time to do it again. The time these days is flying by too fast!

We hope that all is well with your families and wish everyone a wonderful Spring and beginning of Summer.

Long Overdue Update...

2009-03-01T17:29:00.006-07:00

Wow, it has been a month since I have written in our blog. Things have been kind of crazy here in our home for the last two weeks so this should catch everyone up to date. For those that do not know I underwent surgery on February 13th to remove a brain tumor that was found just 6 days before surgery. This came as quit a surprise to say the least and the last thing we thought would be going on in 2009. For many years I can think back to at least 6 years I have had really bad headaches and so when they were more frequent and nothing helping the doctor decided that it was time to do a CT scan. Within an hour from the scan I had received 3 phone messages at home to call in. Not getting them until Saturday morning I called back and was told the news I had a brain tumor the size of a golf ball behind my right eye and it was going to need to come out as soon as possible. I met with the neurosurgeon that Tuesday and was in the hospital early Friday morning.

The surgery went as well as one can go and recovery is coming along. I am sporting a new hairdo of the buzz flat top look and had a nice shiner for two weeks and a scar that will be hidden by my hair. But those things will be fine. The black eye is just about all gone and makeup will cover it just about all the way now. My hair is growing fast also and is about ¼ of an inch long so come spring I will be good to go. I wear a lot of hats right now and do have a wig that I purchased. Still working with the wig to look more natural and not like a dead animal on my head I have only gone out in it one time so far. But I am getting there so soon I hope no one will even notice that it is not my own hair.

Brian and the kids are doing great and are wonderful troopers. Recovery is going to take some time and I am finding I have more limitations than I expected. Shawn thinks it is cool to see mom and does not like it when I cover my head. Katelyn is the opposite and does not want anyone to see my head without a hat or the wig. They have been trying to “take care of mom” as much as they can and it has been cute. Brian has struggled the most but is still hanging in strong. I keep trying to put myself in his shoes to understand his viewpoint. I am so grateful for all of their love and support along with all of the support we have had from our ward and neighbors. Words cannot even describe how this has effected our family.

Other than this everything is going great. Katelyn loves school. Shawn has had fun playing with many friends and making new ones as many people have helped me while Katelyn is in school so I can lay down for a bit and catch my breath. Brian is staying busy with work and has been spending a lot of hours to help get things caught up there. Me, I feel like the lazy one in the family. My energy is starting to come back a little more each day and I am able to do a little more each day. I still have 2 weeks to plan on being down and then after that it should pick up more. This will be so nice and I can’t wait to be back to “normal” if there is such a thing.

Hope all is well with everyone and I will try not to wait another month before posting again.

Trying New Things…

2009-01-20T19:39:00.002-07:00

Brian is always telling me that my taste buds are bland so I have been trying to explore the possibilities out there in many areas and not just food. Yes, I would rather have original potato chips, popcorn, ranch dressing, tee shirts, shoes, hairstyles, the list goes on. Jumping outside of my comfort zone is hard for me but paying off so far this year. I don’t really believe in “New Years Resolutions” but maybe this could be considered one for me this year.

I have found so far that I really like vinaigrette dressings of all sorts. Although I still love the ranch these are a healthier alternative and tasty at the same time. Today I even went to the extreme for me and tried calamari which I have been offered several times in the past but knowing it is squid has made me squeamish and yet to try. To my surprise it is not bad when cooked right. In my mind it reminded me of something that would be chewy like rubber. The only thing I can really compare it to would be the texture of shrimp but without the fishy flavor. Even Shawn liked it and ate several pieces. The next thing would be Mittens. The big question would be how I would do with a cat and allergies to them I was hesitant to say the least. But little Mittens has made my heart melt and found that he is staying as a member of our clan. I do struggle at times and Benadryl has come in handy more than once.

The next big step for me would be talking to people and letting them get to know me. I realize that this may sound very corny to most people but it is something I struggle with more than you know. Accepting a church calling was exciting but terrifying at the same time. Thinking that being a librarian would be the perfect fit for me I didn’t even hesitate. Always thinking it was more of an “elderly” position I felt a little odd but got past it. That was until I walked in and noticed that yes I will need to get to know people much better and not able to just sit on the back row and blend into the wall paper. I have found that many people already know my name and who I am so I guess I didn’t blend in too much. I just hope that no one is offended if they know me and I have to ask what their name is since I can’t remember.

So far into this year I have made some good steps forward and continuing to keep going no matter my fears – wish me luck!

Welcome Mittens!

2009-01-17T19:32:00.006-07:00

Yes, for all of you that know me I swore I would never own a cat right? Well, welcome Mittens as the newest member of the Hollinger family. Katelyn has been begging for years to have a cat and has loved every type of cat out there. Thinking that with my allergies to cats I would be safe I have just always told her that sorry we just can’t have one. As you can see I have lost the battle and after hearing the argument that I am allergic to Peppy (our guinea pig) and we still have him I gave in.

Mittens is about 5 months old and was rescued by a family that just was not able to keep him. He is mostly black but has white paws and white markings on his nose, chin, and belly. Already being mauled by Shawn and Katelyn and unable to try and check out his new environment. Brian about lost it when Mittens was downstairs and jumped behind the TV entertainment center using his game counsel as his landing point. Brian jumped from the couch to get him out of there faster than you would think is possible. Now our goal tonight is to find a way of keeping Mittens out from behind there but not sure yet how to accomplish it. This may be a tricky problem to fix but we will find a way.

If anyone has ideas on cats I would love to hear them where this is my first experience of owning one. Thank goodness he is already litter box trained!

Really Mom?

2009-01-12T01:29:00.007-07:00

I hope that I am not alone when trying to do something different with our daughter’s hair. Katelyn has the most stick strait hair I have ever worked with. To get it to curl I have had to use a lot of hair gel and hairspray with the smallest curling iron in her hair to the point to where a hurricane would not move it. Over the weekend I saw some of the sponge curlers that my mom used to put in my hair while I was growing up. Excited I placed them in Katelyn’s hair Saturday night. Can I just say that the little blue curlers were probably not my best choice and after taking out about 2 of them there was no question that this was just not going to work. I let her look in the mirror before I sprayed her hair to get the curl out and blow-dry it normal before church. As you can see in the pictures she was not so impressed either and brought tears thinking her hair would not go back to normal. The question now is if we try the larger curlers or not? I wonder if she would even let me try?

Holidays...

2009-01-12T00:10:00.007-07:00

Wow, time fly’s when your having fun! It has sure been busy and a whirlwind the last couple months. We have had Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and started birthdays all in a short time.

We have all had a great holiday season and hope that your family has done the same. Santa came and spoiled us rotten. Both kids received everything that was on their letters to Santa Clause. Then Santa made a surprise family gift that is being used probably more than he could have ever imagined with the Wii Entertainment System. Even Katelyn and Shawn love to play and beg each day to spend just a few extra minutes on the games. Katelyn has a real knack with the games and so far is the Bowling Queen in the family. Don’t ask me how she does it some of the times she is laying on the floor, jumping from one side of the room to the other, more times than not she is not even facing the TV but yet will still strike or spare in her turn. We have each tried to do the same however she still holds the title. She also loves to drive as well as Shawn on the Mario Kart game. Shawn had his dream come true with his gift from Santa and the Yoda light saber sword. He is a little obsessed with Star Wars to say the least. He asked for this particular sword for over 4 months and didn’t think he would survive without it. He babies this sword as if it was the most precious item in the whole universe. Katelyn was excited to receive Hello Kitty makeup and a jewelry box also the Tinkerbell styling head and other Tinkerbell toys, which she enjoys.

On New Years Eve I took the kids to a play area in our area where the kids could run, jump, and play to their hearts content. For two hours they ran around and had a great time. I have to say this is the place I will always remember and will revisit more often. It has several blow up slides, jumping, climbing, and interactive areas with other kids. What more could you ask for when you have two hyper kids that can’t wait for New Years?

Shawn also celebrated his 4th Birthday on New Years Day. One of his other favorite toys is Transformers and was excited to have a new one on his cake. We had a small family party at our home where he was spoiled rotten and will probably be in shock now that it will be another year until he will have Christmas and another birthday. Katelyn is on the countdown to her birthday that is at the end of January.

Wishing everyone warm wishes and hope that your Holiday Season has been spectacular!

Dear Santa Clause…

2008-11-29T18:06:00.002-07:00

Ok so we are weird parents and have not let our kids sit on Santa’s lap until this year. The line to get the pictures has always been so long and was a minimum of an hour in years past. Today we were lucky and had a 5-minute wait so we introduced them to Santa and had their picture taken with him. As you can see Shawn smiles like most Hollinger’s where he will not show his teeth. You have to get him to really giggle to get a picture when his mouth is not like this. Katelyn is our little model and loves to have her picture taken. Usually you just have to get her to put her shoulders down and not tip her head all the way to one side. They are cute and thought that meeting Santa and dropping off their letters was a lot of fun. We all hope your holiday season is going well and wish you all warm wishes!

Dear Tooth Fairy…

2008-11-26T22:08:00.001-07:00

Katelyn is growing up so fast. Today she lost her first baby tooth after wiggling it for an entire week! She had a lot of hesitation of loosing her tooth and last Friday even tried to superglue it back in place. Yeah, quit the mess to clean up and we still have glue on our kitchen table that refuses to come off. The glue in her mouth, face, hands, etc., has finally gone away. The last few days it was so wiggly that her tooth was crooked and would not even sit in her mouth like a normal tooth. She also was so nervous about it that no one was allowed to touch her tooth except for herself. Tonight she allowed me to wiggle it and wouldn’t you know it popped right out. She didn’t even know it was gone until she saw a small spot of blood on her finger. On the plus side tonight was one of the easiest nights to put her to bed so that the tooth fairy could come and visit. Thank you so much Tooth Fairy!

Trick-Or-Treat

2008-11-03T15:15:00.001-07:00

The kids had so much fun this year trick-or-treating. Katelyn dressed up as a snow princess and Shawn was Darth Vader. This was the first year they have gone door to door instead of the trunk or treat. It ended up being a race from each door and to show me what they had been given at each home. Shawn still thinks that if he wears his costume it can still be Halloween and wants to go pick up more candy. There were a lot of cute kids that came by our home. I may not care for Halloween very much but the kids make it fun.

Fun in the leaves…

2008-10-30T23:14:00.007-06:00

The kids all got together today to play in the leaves in Grandma’s back yard. They had so much fun throwing them up, at each other, jumping into them, and even hiding in them. By the end of the hour the once huge pile of leaves that once was there taller than any of the kids was left as a small mound of crumpled leaves.

They had a great time and are eager for Halloween night which will also help me update my blog once again.

First Day of School

2008-08-25T19:44:00.002-06:00

The day has finally come for Katelyn when she can join all of the other kids at school. For the last several years she has cried when she sees them going to school and I have had to tell her she had to wait. Today she was very egger to hurry to school with her Hello Kitty backpack reminding me that she will miss me but will be fine.

Her teacher made it very fun for the class and I will enjoy these days when she gets home and wants to do her homework right off the bat. I am happy for her and excited at the new independence she is going to have.

Family Vacation 2008…

2008-08-19T14:50:00.004-06:00

What a great time we had in San Diego, CA for a week this August. We were able to do so many things as a family, Sea World, San Diego ZOO, several beaches, and many other sites in the area. A million thanks go to technology and the wonderful invention of the GPS! There is no way we would have been able to find many of the areas that we enjoyed without it.

Katelyn enjoyed the water and would go as far as getting her feet wet in the Ocean. Shawn however preferred to be held or just content to play in the sand. What better for a little boy than the endless sandbox? Brian and I would go out a little further to our chest but didn’t dare venture out to far away from the kids. We all agreed that the beach at Coronado Island was our favorite and went back the night before we were to head home. La Jolla Cove was also a favorite being able to see the seals just right there laying out on the rocks at night and the waves rolling in with the tide.

Sea World packed in adventure for all of us. I had the opportunity to swim with the dolphins the first day and was a dream come true. Katelyn rode her first roller coaster at just barley the right height for the Journey to Atlantis ride. She says this was her favorite part of California – however I think it is because she knows how much fun both her parents have on roller coasters. Shawn thought it was neat to see the shows and laughed throughout the Cat and Dog show and also the Seymour and Clyde show. Shamu Rocks show at night was filled with lights, music, and a great show to have us all in amazement how someone can train all of the animals for each of the shows.

California was a lot of fun, but nothing like coming back home and life to go back to normal for a little while.

Summer Fun and Family Barbeques…

2008-07-02T17:41:00.010-06:00

Wow, did we have spring this year? It feels like we have gone from a very cold winter to a hot summer overnight. Although with summer upon us is the best time for family get-togethers and my favorite outside barbeques! We have been having a great time so far this season and enjoyed many friends and family. The kids have enjoyed playing with cousins and cry when it is time to leave asking when they get to play again. What a blessing to have family so close available and those from out of town visiting. The countdown to fireworks began a few weeks ago but has been a great distraction and closer target than our upcoming family vacation.

The kids have enjoyed our backyard for the first time now that it is fully fenced in and they can run to their hearts content. Favorite activity out back is the trampoline and only gets better when you add the sprinkler underneath or fill up water balloons playing hot potato and trying not to pop them. They now understand that going outside is being covered up with sunscreen and now accept it and don’t put up a fight. I keep telling them that someday they will thank us for it.

As for Brian and I we are still busy working as usual and also counting down the weeks and days for our family vacation. It is going to be a great escape from our normal routines and to share it with the kids. This will of course also give me another subject to write on in our family blog and of course more pictures.

Hope everyone is enjoying his or her summer break, get-togethers, weather, and vacations!

2008-03-24T20:28:00.004-06:00

How time flies when you are having fun. It seems like it was just Christmas and it is already Easter and the ending of March.

This year has been productive thus far and we are looking forward to spending a lot of time outside this year. We have finished putting up the fence in our back yard and the kids are having a wonderful time running around without hearing mom telling them to stay in the yard or running after them. Ok – your right I think I like the fence a lot more than they do. Along with the fence we purchased a trampoline for the kids to play on.

Easter was wonderful in our home with the kids spoiled by grandma and grandpa in an Easter egg hunt on Saturday and then rides with Grandpa on his motorcycle. Along with the visit from the Easter bunny they have enough candy to last a lifetime.

We are all looking forward to this coming year and all the new beginnings that will be ahead of us.

2008-02-29T00:53:00.005-07:00

Welcome to the Hollinger Blog! This is something that is very new for me and so please bear with me in trying to figure it all out and make it more interesting for those of you who are actually interested in reading about our family.

For beginners our family consists of Brian, Shana, and our two children Katelyn, and Shawn. We also have a family pet which is a guinea pig whom we have named Peppy Le Pig. Katelyn seems to be the fondest of Peppy and treats him as her little baby doll. Peppy who has got to be the laziest animal I have ever seen allows her to carry him around, hold him like a baby, and hand feed him. Shawn on the other hand when he gets a hold of Peppy will let him run which in turn ends in Brian or I trying to get Peppy out from under the entertainment system with the broom and Katelyn crying thinking Peppy will bite one of the cords and we have a “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” of the cat that bites the Christmas tree lights.

Brian works as a designer and drafter for an architectural firm and a few things on the side for custom homes. He enjoys playing Star Wars with Shawn, video games, and collecting sports cards. Most of all he LOVES the Boston Red Sox. This past September we were able to visit Boston and attend a game at Fenway Park where the Red Sox played against the Yankees and won.

I work for a marketing company as an administrative assistant when I am not working as a full time mom. Between the two I have a pretty full plate and it keeps me going in many directions at once. Things that I enjoy are playing with the kids, outdoor activities, crafts, and quite time.

We hope that by doing a blog it will help us keep in touch with everyone other than just a Christmas card at the end of the year.