I get the BIGGEST blog loser award!!!!

Okay, I know .....it seems as though I ran away from my blog.....and I know that it seems like things are ALWAYS crazy, but lately, they have been even crazier!!!!! Somedays I feel like I can't catch up, let alone catch my breath! Seeming it has been so long.....I'll give you a recap on all the kiddos, and what has been going on!

Richard Well, Richard has been pretty bored with basketball season in it's off time right now! He loves to be active and is looking forward to November 30th, when his practices start up again! And that's right, you guessed who his coach will be....JR. *surprise, surprise* Games will begin in January, and we are looking forward to another successful season! Richard has been doing awesome in school, and is now the President of the student coucil at school! We are sooooo proud, it was a very exciting , yet nerve racking time for us all, but we couldnt be happier! He is in charge of the canned food drive at school for Thanksgiving. They are collecting canned non perishable items to put together baskets for people who aren't able to provide for their families during this time! What an amzazing thing to witness your children serving others, and truly love what they are doing! He puts his whole heart into it!

Ryan Ryan has been a very busy little man lately! He has been also doing amazing in school, and is the vice president of the student council! Thats right, both of the Holland boys in charge!!!! He was sooo excited about being a part of the student council, and is really enjoying himself. On top of keeping his grades up, and student council, he is also preparing for his black belt test. His test is on December 12th, and Im an emotional wreck over the whole thing!!!! He is practicing with his instructor SIX days a week right now! He is mainly doing lots of cardio, and fine-tuning his forms....his instructor expects nothing but perfection, and we back her up! I am inspired by him every time I see how hard he is working at it. He is determined and is pushed daily to work even harder. Sometimes I watch him in awe, and thank the Lord that he has so much endurance....it is a gift!

Emily Emily*the princess* is doing FANTASTIC in school right now! She is supposed to be in 1st grade, but spends the majority of her day with a 2nd grade class! She loves it in both classrooms, and is truly loving school. She is making more and more friends, and seems so comfortable this year. When Im at the school volunteering (which is ALOT) , people always stop me to compliment me on her, and how smart she is! Emily will also be starting another basketball season in Div.1 again. Although she isnt as excited as Richard is about it, she truly enjoys playing. We saw so much progress last year when she played, and we are eager to see the season ahead! Sometimes I have to stop and pinch myself, at how truly blessed our family is! Our children are wonderful, and we couldnt be any prouder!

As for us, we are doing as best as we can keeping up with the craziness. Jr. and I were blessed, and went away to Laguna Beach overnight last weekend! We really needed some alone time to re-connect and rest before the holidays are here, and our schedules get even busier. It was an amazing weekend, and we had a great time! After being home for 5 minutes and hearing the kids argue, doing the laundry, cleaning the house, cutting all of the boys's hair..Jr.'s too..., and getting ready for the week ahead, I was sooooo ready to go back!!!! This week we have all taken a turn feeling under the weather, so we are just trying to rest(hahahahaha)!
Im truly sorry it took me this long to take the time and catch everyone up on what has been going on with The Holland's.....It may be a crazy life, but it's our life!!!!!

L.A. County Fair 2009....here come the Holland's!

On Sunday, we had our annual tradition of going to the fair! We had a BLAST!!!! The very first stop of the day....soft serve( Grandma is teaching Emily early)! I won't confess how many times we actually hit the soft serve stands! Grandpa and Grandma bought the kids wristbands for the rides, and they were itching to get to the carnival area! Ryan makes my heart skip a beat (or three)! He is such a daredevil, and will try anything at least once! I had to walk away, I couldn't even watch, my stomach was in knots! Richie on the other hand.....not such a daredevil! Emily, well, she's in the middle...she loves the rides, even some that are kinda crazy for her age!
We saw a dog show, and that was lots of fun! Richie was even picked out of the crowd to participate in the show! It was Doggone fun!!!
The kids played carnival games, we caught a horse race, and visited the animals(my favorite part)! We saw baby goats that were only a few days old...so cute! We went in the petting zoo, and Emily almost got trampled by the goats fighting over her food! She loved every minute of it!
We ended the night with our stop at the chocolate milk stand, and even caught the fireworks show on the way out! It was a great day! Thank you so much to Grandpa and Grandma Holland for making the day so special! We love you guys♥

Grandpa and Grandma's 50th Anniversary Party!

Well, once again it was another busy weekend for our family! We celebrated Grandpa and Grandma Valadez's 50th anniversary! WOW what an achievement!!! We had a wonderful party for them at our clubhouse where we live, and although it was ALOT of work...it was amazing!We felt so blessed to be able to share such an amazing time in their lives! These days, hearing of a marriage lasting 50 years, is sadly a rare thing! In February, Jr. and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary...Wohooo! We only have 40 more to go, until we hit our 50th....Wow! Marriage is truly one of God's gifts to us! I love my husband with all my heart and thank God for him each and every day!
Happy 50th Aniversary Grandpa and Grandma.....we love you both!♥

Brownies.....Mmmmmm

Well tonight was a girls night for Emily and I! Daddy took the boys to basketball clinic, and we decided to stay home and hang out! We had a great time coloring, and watching t.v., and reading.....until I remebered that I had a box of Brownie mix in the cupboard! Emily loves to help me in the kitchen, so she was all for my idea! We decided to make the brownies and then surprise the boys whaen they got home, and have brownie sundaes...mmmm....! Well, we have a tradition that daddy ALWAYS gets the bowl of brownie mix(whatever is left after it goes in the pan), and seeming he wasn't home.....Emily took over for him! She took the bowl to the table and was going to town while I was cleaning up the kitchen! After a few minutes I found her licking the bowl clean, who needs a dishwasher? Anyways I had to steal a picture before she got all cleaned up! And she can't wait to tell daddy that she got the bowl!!!!! I love our girl nights!♥

Chick-fil-a x two!!!!

I am almost ashamed to post this but......today we went to chick-fil-a TWICE!!!!! Yep, that's right two times!!!! Chick-fil-a is one of our favorite places to go, and Jr. heard on the radio that today they were giving out a FREE chicken sandwich if you dressed in your favorite team jersey or shirt! So we all dressed in our favorite team jersey's ( Daddy and the boys had on USC gear, and me and the princess sported our Lakers jerseys! ) We met our friends Tim and Cecilia for lunch at the one by our house! It was a great time! Defiantly a long time overdue! When we left there we joked that we should hit up another Chick-fil-a for dinner (at this point I didn't really think that we would!) We had errands to run and groceries to buy for the week ahead.....I guess that we worked up an appetite and I was happy to take the night off from cooking! Needless to say, we drove to the other Chick-fil-a and yes had dinner there!!!!The kids were thrilled! Overall, I was blessed to spend the day with my hubby and kids, and spend time with friends as well!

Candy Bar Craziness!!!!!

Well, the boys haven't even been in 5th grade for more than two weeks yet, and already, the thing I dreaded the most came up.....5th GRADE CAMP!!!!!! I know , I know, maybe Im too protective and have issues letting go and accepting that they really are growing up! They have not ever been away from us for three LONG nights (okay maybe LONG for me), and frankly Im having anxiety over the whole thing! However, the school is doing two fundraisers to help out with the cost of camp! (they do not offer a twin discount unfortunantly) The first fundraiser started last Friday, and the boys are selling the worlds finest chocolate bars for 1$ each! For every box of 40 bars they sell, they will recieve 20 dollars off the cost of camp! With having two of them, and it being in December, every bit we can discount will help! Im so proud that the boys have sold two boxes each so far! I think we have some future salesman's on our hands!!!! Grandpa Richard took them on Friday around our nieghborhood, and they finished off a box each! We took them out tonight for a bit, and we finished off another box each! So far it has been a success!!!!They are having a lot of fun selling them, and even Emily has been quite helpful with knocking on some doors for them....(she is just probably excited at the thought of getting rid of them for a few days!!!)Anyhow, I will be praying for myself that over the next few months, I grow fonder of the idea of camp, and of letting go....but just a little bit!!!!!!

1st day of school!

It's Back to the Grind!

Okay, so I wont make any excuses this time as to why I have not updated our blog!I was under the impression that once the kids went back to school, Id have soooo much free time on my hands......yeah right!!!!!! School started last week, and the kids are adjusting beautifully! They all got wonderful teachers this year, and even Emily is eager every morning for school! They are all enjoying themselves! I was a little concerned about the princess(last year we had some separation anxiety issues), but this year, she is the big first grader, and so far no tears! The boys are in 5th grade this year!!! It is almost unbearable to think that next year I will be dropping them off at Jr. High! They are becoming so grown up, and maturing each day....we are truly proud of them. The summer basketball season came to a close on Saturday, and we ended it with a bang! Emily's team ended the season with 7 wins and only 1 loss! Richards team ended their season with the same stats, 7-1! It was so much fun, and although most of our Saturdays were spent down at the gym....we were bummed to have it come to an end! We had a pizza party for both teams after the games on Saturday, and coach(a.k.a. my hubby) announced that he WILL be coaching again during the next season! SURPRISE SURPRISE sorry honey, but every season you say that you are going to take a season off....and well, it's never happened!!!! The kids were obviously excited and we are hoping that we get some players to come back....we had great teams! Meanwhile Ryan has been keeping up his tae-kwon-do three days a week, and is preparing for his black belt test in December....which is right around the corner! His strength and endurance is amazing! He says he wants to join cross-country next year at Jr. high...the kid loves to run!!!! As for Jr. and I.....well we have both been under a lot of stress with our jobs lately, but thank the Lord everyday that we have one! We know that it will get better, but have been depending on one another to keep eachother focused!!!Well, I better head off to bed...5:00 comes too soon! For some resaon my blog is not letting me put pictures up....I'll keep trying!

Another busy weekend!

Okay, first off all I have to apologize...I have been a loser blogger the last week! I totally flaked! It's been one of those weeks! Yesterday was another busy day for our family! Jr. woke up early to go to Mom's house to help out with the yard sale.....it was huge! I stayed home with the kids to take them to their sports events. First Ryan had tae kwon do demo practice, he worked his butt off! They worked on breaking boards and getting their knuckles to "toughen up" by doing knuckle push ups....it was painful to watch. He finished up the workout by running three times around the gym( I think it was 3 miles) He finished in under 18 minutes.....I think we may have a cross country athlete on our hands. He loves to run!!! ( He didn't get that from me, thats for sure!) After a quick bite to eat, it was back to the gym for Emilys game! Her team won by one point, and daddy says this was the best Emily played the whole season, her defense was amazing! By this time, the coach was worn out and needed a nap in between games. Before long we were back for Richie's game. His team played remarkable! They are so exciting to watch! Our baller had 13 points, and we destroyed the other team(53-23).....needless to say Dad was a happy camper!!! School is only a week away! I have mixed feelings....I love having them home for the summer, it's been so much fun! But this last week, we probably would have sold them to the best offer!!! (totally kidding) They have been arguing with eachother, and frankly driving me and Jr. nuts!!!!!They need school!!!!! And I need my routine back!!!!Im sure I'll miss them when it's quiet here and their at school???????

Our little girl is finally feeling better!

Well, it has been a rough week over here. When the princess isn't feeling good......well you know! Im one worn out Mommy! Good news though, each day she is getting better and her energy level is increasing every day! No more fever, and just got a call from the doctor that the throat swab for strep throat was NEGATIVE!!!! Praise the Lord! So, it was just a viral flu....guess it's going around! Im looking forward to a better week next week, just glad our baby girl is feeling more like herself! Oh ya, and tooth update: Emily now has TWO more loose teeth! She's deciding to lose them all at once!!!!YIKES!!!!:)

Ryan's Tae Kwon Do Demonstration, and a trip to the doctor for Emily!

Well, yesterday was another adventurous day for the Holland Family! Jr. found out on Monday evening, that Ryan's Tae Kwon Do class was invited to perform a demonstration at the center he has class at. This was very short notice, but Ryan as always, was up for it....and excited about it! Meanwhile that afternoon, I had to take little miss Em to the doctor. She hasn't been feeling well and was running a fever for several days, so my Mom instinct kicked in and it was time for a trip to the doctor. They said she more than likely has a viral infection, and it would take several days until she felt better, but just for pre-caution they did a throat swab to test for strep-throat.....it is going around apparently! She took it like a champ, and even the boys told her they were proud of her! After her appt. it was time to get Ryan to his performance! And as he always does, he made us proud! Ryan did a variety of events in the demo. He broke boards, sparred, and even did a new roll thing over three people! I almost had a heartattack....but he did it and looked amazing doing it! Today, I am happy to report that Emily woke up (after 12 hours of sleep) without a fever! We are praying for her to bounce back to her normal self soon! Last night we all prayed for her at bedtime. She loves to pray, and is always praying for everyone else....so we figured it was her turn to hear some prayers for her!!! We even got a little smile from her....! Just another busy day in the Holland House!

It's FINALLY out!!!!

Well, it finally happened!!! After a LONG time of being super loose, our baby girl Emily lost her first tooth!!! This poor tooth has been driving her(and mostly us crazy!!!!) When Emily was brushing her teeth this morning, it fell out into her hand.....and boy she was sooooo excited!!!! She already has the tooth safely put under her pillow, and is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the tooth fairy! We went to the library a few days ago, and she checked out a book called "Emily's loose tooth"! What a coincidence! In the book, the tooth fairy leaves the little girl a bracelet, and all kinds of other goodies......oh boy!!!!Just another milestone in our little girl's life, and it is bittersweet! I don't want her to grow up.....I wish we could press "pause" on all the kids right now....they are amazing!

Game Day...and Movie night!

Well, yesterday was just like every other Saturday lately! GAME DAY!!! The kids's games were great! No baskets this time for Emily, but she played amazing defense again! She's not a huge fan of getting the ball, and if she does get it....she passes it most of the time, right away!
Richie's game was awesome! The team played so great together, and had yet another victory! Not too sure of the final score, but it was pretty much a blow out! I personally think this was the best game the team has played together! They are all passing great, and really have become a TEAM!!! Not to brag too much, but I believe a lot of that reflects on their coach....my hubby! He truly has a passion for coaching and it shows! He puts his heart into it, and those kids are really improving on the court!
After the games, we went to the movies and saw G-Force with the kids! What a treat! It was such a cute movie, we all enjoyed it!
Emily hasn't been feeling well since yesterday, she has been complaining of a headache, and has had a fever off and on. She is still asleep this morning, so Jr. took the boys to church, and Im here with her! She has her very first loose tooth that NEEDS to come out!!! It is hanging on by a limb, and it is driving her crazy! Hope to report that it is out by my next blog!

Palm Springs!

Well, we are home from palm springs now, and it's back to reality! I left with the kiddos and headed down to Palm Springs on Tuesday! It was a beautiful resort, and it was wonderful to spend time with family! We hung out at the pool most of the afternoon, and then......Jr. suprised us and came down there to hang out for the evening! That was sooo exciting( we don't like to be away from one another)! We got to spend some time with family that we dont see very often, and the kids got to play with their cousin Sarah! Later that evening, Christina and her friend Mindy came too....so much fun! The next day, it was off to the pool again! There was an amazing waterslide that the kids really enjoyed ( we even got Grandpa and Grandma to go on it as well)! It was pretty HOTTTT!!! out there, but the pools kept us nice and cool! After a day of swimming, we headed back to the condo, and had a delicious spaghetti dinner! I did'nt want to leave, but it was soon time to go! I was so blessed to be able to get away , and be with family! Thanks to Grandpa Paul and Grandma Mary for inviting us, and my parents to come down there, and to our parents, Dad and Cindy....who always make it so special! We love you guys! Here are some of the pics from our trip!

Sports Day Saturday!!!!

Well, today was another busy Saturday! We had basketball games and pictures as well! Jr. was at the gym from about 12:45 until 5:00pm......LONG DAY!!!! All went well though, we won both games! The best part is EMILY SCORED A BASKET!!!!! I stinkin missed it because I was at work, but I got to hear all about it (over and over)! We are sooooo proud! She mostly enjoys playing defense, and does it well! Not too sure what the score was on her game ....but we won!
Then it was time for Richie's game. I managed to leave work a little early and catch most of his game. He is such an outstanding player all around! The final score of their game was 39-23, and Richard scored 9 points! Their defense was allll over him!
Overall, it was a great day! Although I have a tired hubby, and three tired kiddos! Ryan was exhausted from being their cheerleader! ( and mostly running around with all of his friends down there)
Cant wait for another exciting weekend of sports! Games next week are at 2pm and 5pm next Saturday, just in case anyone wants to come! Well, I better get ready for bed too, church tomorrow morning!

Day with the kiddos....Tyler came to visit!

Well, yesterday was alot of fun! Tyler came over to play for the day! The boys have grown up together, and it was so surreal to see how big they are now! The boys hung out and played video games ( of course one of their favorite things to do!) Then we headed out to the pool.....that was great! Im really trying to work on my tan! After the pool, we came back and I BBQ'd hot dogs....and I didnt even burn the place down!!!! Before we knew it , it was time to take Ryan to his Tae Kwon Do class, and then time to take Tyler home! Overall, the day couldn't have gone any better! The kids were wonderful, and all got along so well! Here are some of the pictures!