Hellooooo...Anybody here?

So, it's been a while. Last time I was here Luke was crawling.....yep, that was a while ago!

Quick updates!

Luke: 18 months. Runs EVERYWHERE. Favorite thing to say is, "Let's Go!". Favorite food is whatever he is eating and that is all the time! He grew 3 inches and 4 pounds in the last 6 months and is still in the 50% for height and weight. Has a bit of a temper and is also the sweetest little boy with his hugs and kisses and "I Love"'s (he only says 'I Love'). Can climb like a monkey and has no fear of anything! He is definitely a copy cat. Whatever Kate is doing, Luke is trying to do too.

Kate: 4 years old. Loves to play Squinkies with Grace. Her best friend is Ava from down the street. She is starting to learn to read! Asked me today if she could marry Luke because he is the cutest boy she knows :). Sings ALL DAY LONG (that is not exaggerating). Still my little peanut. She is still too little for clothes that Grace wore at 3 years old! Loves Awana's at church and tells me everyday that "Jesus died for Kate...and you too Mommy". I love her heart.

Grace: 9 years old. Still loves green, horses and school. 4th grade this year and wishes they could go to school year round. Math is her best subject and right now she is in a 5th grade math group and they will finish the 5th grade book by Christmas and be moving into 6th grade math. Luckily she inherited Jared's love of Math :). She acquired my love of reading and we will find her curled up somewhere in the house reading at all hours of the day (and sometimes night). She is a very caring, sweet, tenderhearted young lady that is growing up far too fast.

Jack: 12 years old. He is very happy it is hunting season! So far he hasn't gotten a deer this season but he is looking forward to the regular season coming up around Thanksgiving. Football this year was interesting. The first practice he rolled his ankle pretty hard. It swelled a little but didn't bruise. We had him take a week off and let it heal. After that he went back to practice 4 days a week and played in 4 games. Then he got his hand stepped on (that swelled and bruised quite a bit) so we took an xray of that. It was fine. Jared decided to do an xray of his ankle at that point to see how it was doing since Jack said it was still a bit sore, definetly better but sore after practicing. It was fractured. So, that was the end of the season for Jack. He has attended most practices and all but one game and just helps the coaches and watches. That was difficult for him not to be playing- he loves football so much but didn't want to risk injuring his ankle to the point of needing surgery and losing out on hunting too. He likes school (even if he won't admit it) and is in 7th grade this year. He let me know that he can get his driving permit in 3 years. I should start saving money for the insurance increase!

Jared and I have been working hard to get our house sold in Verona. The downfall of the economy has hit our office hard the past couple of years and it is time for us to do something about it. The first step is to get out from under our mortgages here and into something more affordable. We had it on the market all summer and showed it over 40 times. No offers. All feedback stated we had no garage and no master suite. With the help of Jareds parents we now have a 2 car garage and master suite. The house is back on the market and we are waiting for the right buyer to come along at the right time and fall in love with this house. We LOVE our home and neighborhood but cannot continue down this road of debt. It is time for change....if you know of anyone looking for a nice 4 bdrm, 2 bath home on Goose Lake in Verona please us know!

 

Phone blogging...

I am trying something crazy....I am attempting to post to my blog using my phone. If this works we may (or may not) keep up better on here....

Time flies when you're having fun!!

We are still here....just not "here". I need to be HERE more but my kids need me more here. :)

Quick updates!

Luke is now 8 1/2 months and started crawling....right to the tree (gate has been put up). Then to the dog food. I still haven't figured out where a better place for that will be. I tried moving it by the back door but the little stinker found it in record time. He says "mama" (melts my heart every time...for now). Loves to eat squash and sweet potatoes. Hates baby food meats and green beans. LOVES his brother and sisters- he is pretty sure they were put on Earth to make him laugh (he might be right). I think Luke looks more like Jared than Jack did...we will see as he gets bigger.

Kate...our little tater. She is now 3. She loves to make believe she is a kitty cat....usually when she is scared or something makes her nervous she will hide under a chair and start meowing. I think I am seeing therapy bills in my future :). Kate LOVES LOVES LOVES her brothers and sister...she thinks they are on this Earth to play whatever she wants to play ALL DAY (and they usually do if they are home).  They just can't say no to her adorable little voice and beautiful eyes that looks oh so sad when she is asking "pwease play wif me?"

Grace is 8 going on 15. She is so tall and beautiful. People always think she is closer to 10. We may have to hire a body guard in a couple years. Her love of horses hasn't ceased and she is already looking forward to summer so she can get back out to the stables to ride again. She doesn't know it yet (shhhh) but she is getting a violin for Christmas this year. She has been asking to start taking lessons and we found one in our trade group so we figured we would give it a try. Please send all ear plugs directly to my house starting in January. Grace is still our very caring, always helping little girl (i know she really isn't little but she is MY little girl forever). Her teacher LOVES her and says she can't ask for a better student and whenever anyone in the class is being left out (intentionally or unintentionally) Grace will leave what she is doing and go play/include that child also without the teacher saying anything. She makes my heart happy.

Jack is a big middle schooler, 11 year old this year. He got his first pimple and was so excited that puberty is starting....I guess I don't remember being excited about that but I am a girl and that is so NOT exciting! He is doing so well in middle school. In band he plays the bells and there happens to be another boy that also plays the bells that has some learning disabilities and comes with an aide to help him. After the 1st week of school Jack told the aide she didn't have to come to band because he would help this other boy with getting his bell kit set up and tell him when to stand with them and where to start playing. I asked him why he did that and he said, "I just wanted him to be like any other middle school kid and not have an adult with him all day". So, guess what....she stopped coming to band with him. Jack actually tutors him in bells (funny because it is Jack's first year too) on some days to help him keep up with the rest of the band. Again, he makes my heart happy.  Jack's highlight has been the hunting season this year. So far he has gotten 2 deer and Jared has gotten 1...Jack would like everyone to take note of that :).

I feel so truly blessed this year. It has been a struggle in some areas but oh so wonderful in other areas. As we come closer and closer to Christmas I keep reminding myself of the true meaning of Christmas and wonder if I am teaching my kids the right things (less presents, more giving)...it doesn't help that we have a total of 5 Christmas' this year with family and friends starting this weekend. I pray that you all had a great 2011 and that 2012 is even better.

Grace

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Yes, it has been another year. Grace is 8 years old today. I can't believe she is already 8 and in the same breath can't believe she is only 8!

Grace,
We are so blessed to have you as our daughter. As we watch you grow and mature we are amazed at your beauty...inside and out. You are still our hugger. A day doesn't go by that we don't get at least a hundred hugs from you....please never stop hugging us :). 8 years ago I was laying in a hospital bed in the quiet morning hours after you were born just staring at the miracle in my arms. As you slept in my arms I prayed for you to be happy, blessed and above all I prayed that you would never forget you are true princess, a daughter of our King of Kings. As you grew we watched you become a strong girl with your own ideas. You many times showed Jack who was boss ;). One thing that has remained contant with you is your love of GREEN! I can't believe your favorite color since you were 2 has not changed for even a day. I believe you may wear a green wedding dress someday like you keep telling me.
You are such a blessing to your brothers and sister. Kate and Luke are so very lucky to have you as a big sister to look up to.  Thank you for playing with Kate and making Luke laugh. I am so happy that you and Jack are so close and can have such a great time together. The bond you have with Jack, Kate and Luke is amazing and I pray it only gets stronger as you all grow older.
When you were born we loved to watch you smile and laugh at Jack...you thought he was amazing!

When you were one we couldn't believe you were walking and talking so much before your birthday.

At 2 we thought me may have to lock up or throw away all the yogurt in the house since you were sure it was finger paint (as well as the Desitin, butter, foundation makeup and red ink pads)...let's just say your love of art started early!


When you were 3 we were so happy that you knew what you could and couldn't color on ;). You were growing so fast people were sure you were 5 and going off to school!  You were probably smart enough to go to school but you had a couple more years to stay home with me.

At 4 we got to celebrate your birthday at Disney. I loved sharing my favorite place with my favorite princess. We had a fantastic time and again I was so amazed by your courage. You were going on rides that I was afraid of!

When you turned 5 we were getting ready for 2 big events. Your first day of kindergarten and your baby sisters birth! Who knew it would all happen on the same day. I wish I could have walked you to your classroom that first morning but I was a little busy having Kate that morning. You were so excited to have a sister!


At 6 you loved 1st grade and still loved playing in mud and dirt :). You were always ready to help with Kate and loved teaching her how to say your name "Goose".


When you turned 7 you were so excited to start 2nd grade. I asked you stop growing so tall and you refused...hmmmm...not listening to mommy. Just kidding! You will be tall just like your Aunty Joleen and Daddy. You are a very lucky girl! Your love of horses grew after your birthday party out at a local stable.

8....I can't believe we are already at 8. You still have the nickname Goose. You still love the color green. Horses are still a favorite. I watch you ride during your lessons and wonder how time can go so quickly. You were my little baby just yesterday and now you are confidently sitting on top of a huge horse! You got to be right by my side as we welcomed your baby brother into the world and were such a great helper. Again, I ask that you please stop growing taller...and you just smile and say "NOPE".

Well, my princess, Happy Birthay. May you have many, many more. We love you so much!

 Love, Mommy

Luke

Luke is doing awesome! He is such a happy little guy.  He is most likely our last baby and it makes me a bit sad, but it also makes me excited to take in everything the kids are doing at the stage and age they are.I am reminded how quickly they grow when I look at Luke at 4 months old and then at Jack who is now 11.

We were blessed to have Luke born at home. It was by far the best birth we have had. A bit crazy at times toward the end. He was breech until about week 38 and then my water broke and he wasn't born for 36 hours...but when labor did kick in, he was in my arms within 1 hour! Luke was 10 lbs 6 oz...same size as big brother Jack. I can't tell you how awesome it was to be in my bed with my family there. Grace wanted to be with me to help at the birth. We watched some videos and talked about what she would see and hear. She did great and I am so proud of her. She was calm and so happy when Luke was born. She got to hold him first out of all the other kids.

Grace, future midwife? Luke is about 20 minutes old.

We did wake Jack and Kate up (it was about 1 am) so they could also meet their new baby brother. Then we were all tucked into bed and slept soundly until morning when the kids woke up and couldn't wait to go to school to tell their teachers and friends (I never asked Grace how much information she shared...I am a bit scared to know!).

Jack and his little brother...I think he is a bit happy :). Luke is about 6 hours old.

This is my favorite picture of Luke and Kate...it was the 1st time she really talked to him.

Fast forward 4 months and Luke is now 17 lbs 3 oz and 26 1/2 inches of cuteness.  He has rolled over twice (the first time no one saw him do it and the second time I watched and cheered him on).  He has a wonderful smile for everyone and rarely cries. He thinks the other kids are absolutely hysterical and has the best laugh. As much as I can't wait to see him walking and talking, I won't wish this time away for ANYTHING.  I treasure every snuggle and toothless smile and thank God for all my blessings that are running around making messes in the house.

April 22nd...almost 1 month old

May 15th....6 weeks and Soooo Tired.

June 28th...a couple days shy of 3 months. 1st time in a bumbo chair and a bit confused :).

July 29th....4 months old. My happy happy boy!

Luke's 4 month Packer Picture. I will post the other 3 kids at 4 months old when I get them scanned in!

Summer fun!

The kids are having a great summer!

This year we biked to Verona Hometown Days parade and carnival. It was great fun. Kate road in a seat on my bike and Jared pulled Luke in the bike trailer.

Jack decided this year he was not scared of any rides and got on the big ones. It is always makes me nervous watching him go on rides that I won't go on because I am a HUGE CHICKEN...yep, I will be the first to admit it :).

Grace decided she only wanted to play games but we did get her to ride one ride (The Tornado)...then let her play some games. She came home with a stuffed bear that is only about 6 inches tall and cost us about $15 :).

Kate wanted to do it all this year...carnival rides, horse rides, play the games, eat the fair food...you name it she wanted to try it. She did get to ride some rides and take a pony ride before we left. She LOVED the pony rides the most. Her pony's name was Nemo...it is still all she talks about. That and the Alligator rollercoaster was too fast. She did ok for the first couple go arounds but by the 3rd one she was D.O.N.E and trying to unbuckle and get out so they stopped the ride to let her off.

Luke got to experiance his 1st fireworks at our neighbors picnic/4th of July party. He was ok for the first couple shots but after that he was not happy with the noise so Jared took him home so I could enjoy the fireworks...I LOVE fireworks! Kate loved them this year and sat in her little chair clapping and yelling the entire time. Jack took the paddle boat to the middle of the lake to watch them with some other kids. He is getting so big. Grace sat and talked to her friend Lydia, who was TRYING to watch the fireworks :).

We have had some bonfires in the backyard.  Jared was up north helping my brother in law build a shed so it was up to me to build the fire. Lots of cardboard and some sticks made for a great fire....for about 5 minutes. So of course I put more cardboard in....it works everytime! By the time the fire died down (10 minutes later) the kids were headed inside. We had a great time for the short 30 minutes we were out though.

Jack got his first babysitting job. He gets to go to our neighbors house while she plays an hour of summer volleyball and watch her 2 girls. Grace wondered why she couldn't babysit for them....um, maybe because Lydia is 8 months OLDER than Grace! Grace is about a head taller than Lydia so she is sure she is much older :).

I got to go out on a date with Jared for our 14 year anniversary to our old favorite restaurant, Porta Bella's. It is just as we left it many years ago and the food is still yummy!

I also got to out to see a movie and dinner with my friend, Jenn, for my birthday....with NO kids.  That alone my friends is a major accomplishment. From what I have heard, Luke gave Daddy a run for his money. Everyone survived but Luke was NOT a happy camper without his momma there to feed him as soon as he wanted.

So that is our summer so far and it is just the beginning of July. We still have horseback riding lessons (Grace), Vacation Bible School (Grace), Toby Mac concert (Jack, Luke & I), a couple canoe trips (all of us minus Luke) and Grace and Kate's birthdays to look forward to before school starts!

Brushing off the cobwebs...clearing out the crickets....

I can't believe I haven't been here since December! Time to shake it up a bit and get back on track. I love blogging...it is my way of scrapbooking while I am not scrapbooking. So let's catch up. Do you have an hour or two? Grab your coffee of choice (I prefer water)....
Ok, biggest news first. Luke Charles Holthe was born at home on March 31, 2011. He weighed in at 10 lbs 6 oz. of pure love.  He is now 9 weeks old and weighs right around 15 pounds. We certainly aren't known for our teeny, tiny babies around here :). He is smiling and cooing and has even started laughing. I could look at him all day long....so much more fun than looking at the dishes or laundry.

Meeting Luke

Our 1st 'Family of 6' picture



Luke 9 weeks old

Kate is LOVING being a big sister. She is very caring and loves to just sit and quietly (I know...I said Kate did something quietly...quit laughing) talk to him. She is still our funny little girl growing up way to fast. This summer we are working on pedaling a bike, potty training (she pee'd in the potty 1 time so far!), and taking less than the normal 2 hours to fall asleep at night when we put her to bed. Those are some pretty lofty goals but I am confident we can accomplish it...if Kate agree's and is willing and the sun and moon are aligned perfectly...pray for us!

Grace is just finishing up 2nd grade and does not want school to end on Friday. She loves school and her teachers and her friends. We are chopped liver around here! She is excited for summer because she gets to take some horse camps at the stables we celebrated her 7th birthday last fall. She loves, loves, loves horses...actually any animal.  Hopefully we can get some friends over for some play dates so she isn't too bored hanging out with us. I think one of her highlights since Christmas was being able to be there when Luke was born. Jack didn't want to be and Kate was sleeping but Grace was my helper and did great. We did a lot of preparing her before the event occured and she did great.  She loves Luke so much and is going to be a great mom someday...a long, long time from now :).



Grace holding Luke when he was only 15 minutes old!



Grace doing some gardening...in WHITE shorts.



Goose and Luke

 Jack is just finishing up 5th grade and CAN'T WAIT FOR FRIDAY...yep, he is pretty much done with elementary school. He is almost a big middle schooler...YIKES...pray for us! We have gone through middle school orientation and he is very excited with the classes they get to take and even more excited they get LOCKS on their lockers.  Little does he know the anxiety that comes with those stupid wonderful locks...or maybe it was just me that would have dreams the week before school started that I couldn't remember the combination and then forgot my class schedule? He had a great time going out with Jared turkey hunting this spring and is really ready for deer hunting this fall. He has taken hunters safety (and passed). This summer he really has no plans other than to tease and torment play with his sisters. Football doesn't start until the end of summer. Oooo...he does have summer plans...SUMMER BAND LESSONS...how could I forget! Tonight we have his middle school band orientation and we get to pick up his instrument...The Bells. It is the first step to playing percussion.



Jack and his brand new brother!




Happy 11th Birthday Jack!




Jack will only allow us to take pictures of him when he has Luke.

 Jared is working hard at both offices still. We both feel so blessed to have been able to move the office back into the house. The kids are happy having us home all the time and I love being able to have the little kids take naps in their own beds. He decided to try turkey hunting this spring for the first time. He found it to be a bit different than deer hunting...those turkeys are...turkeys. With the brain the size of a pea, they were still smart enough to stay just out of shoot distance...until the last day. Jared was so excited when he called to tell us he got a turkey on the last morning of the season.  So far he has made some wonderful Turkey Noodle Soup for us and it was YUUUUMMMYYY! If you want to see the hunt and kill you can look it up on his facebook page.

Jared & his turkey

Jared and his other turkey :).

As for me, I am happy that school is done (or at least the homework part) and am looking forward to days playing in the sprinkler and sand box.


Me and my crew!




Me and my Lukey!

 Life just got a little crazier but that's how we roll the best!

So, now that we have had a chance to catch up I hope you will check back again because I really want to start posting here more often...seriously, I need this so I can remember all we do each year.