Happy Birthday Holly

Happy Birthday sweet girl...I love you so much! 2-28-97

2-28-11

Back by popular demand...Flashback Friday

Oh my. I can't believe my girl will be 14-years-old on Monday. Here she is on her ninth birthday. Sometimes I miss that little girl but mostly I am loving the young woman she is becoming.

Thursday THIS and THAT

THIS little girl is so stubborn. She drives me absolutely nuts sometimes. Everything is, "I DO IT!" and if she can't, she throws a royal fit...still doesn't let me help her though. This morning she couldn't get her pants on. I decided I needed to document this fun phase we are going through so when she is a moody, hormonal fourteen-year-old I can look back and remember that the twos really weren't so terrible. YEAH! Success!

This next picture is for my mother otherwise she would leave some nasty comment about how I need to be nicer to her granddaughter.

She gets over her fits pretty quickly. Dinosaur train will do that to a girl. Do you like her flower? She picked it out herself.

THAT Sam I Am. What am I going to do with that boy? Just when I am going to sell him to the gypsies because he picks up nothing (those little Legos really hurt when you step on them), teases his little sister, punches his big sister, daily announces that he wants to live at Skylar's house, and tries to tell me his teacher said he doesn't need to sound out words...he goes and leaves this on his Daddy's pillow...

It's a tyrannosaurus holding the bloody carcass of a long neck. I love that sweet boy.

Hiemstra HIPs

You all know that John is all about the home improvement projects (HIPs). He loves them. I've figured out that he mostly loves the destruction phase and thankfully, his brother is really good at putting things back together pretty. What you may not know is that I am a horrible decision maker. I agonize over every minute detail. Yes Elaine, I am that lady in your store that spends way too much time pondering over fourteen different swatches of white paint. I suffer from insomnia over bronze vs brushed nickel hardware. It's disturbing I know. Especially for my husband who, once he has started on something, likes to get it done. Despite all this, we have been making progress on the kitchen.
We needed to do some minor cabinet re-construction due to our new refrigerator. Which, by the way, I love. I am not sure how I lived without ice and water in the door for this long. Gary made that useless cupboard above the fridge much more useful with this pull-out drawer.
FINALLY got my new range. It's so nice to have a stove where there is a wider range of flame choices, with my old one I had to chose between a. a fiery blast or b. nothing.

The cupboards are all re-finished and we are just waiting for the new doors so it's onto counter tops. First I had to make the decision about what kind and now I need to make a decision about color. Help a girl out here...yes, I realize that some of them look exactly the same.

This has nothing to do with HIPs but my friend Julie and I bought matching cake platters today at the thrift store. Doesn't mine look cute above my door-less cupboards?

This cupboard I am planning to leave door-less. Gary adjusted the shelves and made the plate rack. It's going to look even cuter when I get these...
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=493884&CategoryID=28954#fn=PRODUCT_COLOR%3DYellow%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D2
John got me these for Valentine's Day. I love him.

This HIP Holly and I did all by ourselves. It's not my idea, I found it in a decorating blog somewhere. We have this very long hallway that leads to the door that connects to the garage so we put up these cute hooks with chalkboard squares and pictures above them so the kids can hang up their coats as soon as they come in. Do you think it will work?
Probably not but a girl can try.

My babies are growing up

Wow. It seems like my kiddos are growing up so fast.
Yesterday I sent Holly and Sam outside to pick up twigs. I probably don't need to tell you that neither one of them was real thrilled with the idea. Not only do they not really like to do any sort of manual labor but lately they really don't like to even be around each other. I went outside a half hour later to check on them and I found them doing this...

They had filled up the yard waste container and had to decided to play volleyball. So cute.

Later I caught them doing this..

Just swinging and talking. They really do love each other. It was enough to bring tears to my eyes.

Later on, Holly got all dressed up for a Valentine's Day Dinner at her friend's house. She looked absolutely beautiful but way too grown up...

My mom found the dress at a garage sale last summer. Holly calls it her "feel good dress". Whenever she's having a bad day, she puts it on and sits in front of her mirror. She was pretty excited to have somewhere to actually wear it to. I did her hair and I must say I'm pretty proud of meself.

John didn't say too much when he saw her. I don't think he likes the idea of Holly fitting into a prom dress. I reminded him that at least it was a girl's-only party. I pity the boy who has to pick her up for her first date. I'm thinking John is not going to be nice.

And then we have this little beauty..

She's growing up too. Her new favorite phrases are: "Mine" "I do it" "Stop that" and "Mom, you know something?"

He was warned

Just so you know that. I dropped him off at school this morning and I told him that if he didn't say "I love you" to me, I would yell it...as loud as I could...out the car window...in the bus loop...in front of his friends.
I think he thought I was joking because he didn't say it and I did...very loudly. His good buddy Hendrick was laughing as I pulled away.
That Sam I am.
Happy Valentine's Day...someone call and tell me they love me.

That Sam I Am

Boys are different. They just are. I didn't grow up with brothers so I don't think I fully realized this until I had a little boy of my own. My Sam has taught me so much - he is gentle and sensitive, laid-back to the point where it sometimes drives me crazy, loyal, and has the most charming personality...but sometimes he just so...boy. It's a little scary and very weird.
Sam and his good buddy Skylar LOVE to play with guns. I was going to be one of those moms who didn't allow toy guns in the house until I realized that boys make guns out of anything - sticks, Legos, salad tongs, etc. Anyhoo, Skylar and Sam can spend hours running around the neighborhood shooting at things. The other night after I called him in, Sam told me that he and Skylar were going to join the army when they got old enough. I said, "I don't really like that idea, you would have to move away and I would miss you." He replied, "That's a sacrifice you will have to make."
And then there is this... It's a Bible test that Sam took in school. At the end he had to draw his favorite story from the previous unit. He drew Achan and his family getting stoned. His teacher's comments says, "Interesting picture Sam".
I happen to know that Mrs. Vander Laan has boys of her own and she has been teaching little boys for a long time but I bet she still finds them weird and a little scary sometimes too.

Wordless Thursday

Arizona

Got back from Arizona yesterday afternoon. We had a wonderful time...despite the weather. I have decided that John and my vacation timing really sucks. Would you believe that Tucson, Arizona had two of the coldest days ever on record when we were there? Actually, it wasn't that bad. One of the cold days we were hiking and kept warm and another day we visited friends and kept warm. Every day we were there we had beautiful sunshine. It slowly warmed up and our last couple of days in Tucson were nice enough to lay outside in the sunshine and get a little color (at least compared to pasty-white Washingtonians who go for three months without seeing the sun).
Here are a bunch of pictures for your perusing pleasure... The night my folk's picked us up from the airport in Mesa, they took us to Organ Stop Pizza. It was the coolest pizza place I've ever been too. This humongous pipe organ (the largest in the world with 6,000 pipes) came up out of the floor and this very talented gentlemen played everything from "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" to Broadway tunes to Abba. It was really fun...and they just so happen to serve my favorite ice cream in the world (chocolate peanut butter).

Our first day in Arizona, we hiked in Sabino Canyon with my dad, my Uncle Rich, and our good friend Linda. BeAuTiFul. So neat since the scenery is so very different than anything around here.

We took a tram about five miles up into the canyon and then hiked our way down.

Me and Linda. She is really good at picking hiking spots as well as pottery, card making, cake decorating, coffee bean roasting, jewelry making, home decorating, etc etc etc. I want to be her when I grow up.

Cactus are so cool. I just giggled every time I saw one for awhile. We have such an amazing, creative God who came up with them.

Here's my dad giving us the peace sign...either that or he's trying to signal the tram in hopes that it will give him a lift the rest of the way down.

John's attempt at a group shot.

What a beautiful sky! Notice my big coat though. One good thing about hiking when it is cold...I didn't have to worry about rattle snakes because if it was warm I would of been constantly worrying about rattle snakes.

John makes me do these poses. I don't know why I listen to him.

We went out for Mexican after our hike. My folks shared this giant chimichanga.

Us, the folks, and Will and Linda...she's good at picking restaurants too.

Arizona sunset in my parent's little retirement village.

Haan's hide-a-way...someday it will be the Hiemstra hide-a-way. Doyle and Susie...I have my eye on number 89 for you guys!