May 2010, House, Park, and Fire Station

Okay, here we go!


Cousin Taylor and Jackson with Ben at the good ole Firehouse! We went there for a day Jake was working and got to have all kinds of fun! Notice Taylor is doing a little modeling on the truck.

Ben wearing Dad's Buck's hat. Got Buccaneers!

Ben and Jonna playing on the "Sailboat" of pillows. We did a little shark hunting that night.

Swinging at the park!

Ben and Jonna just giggled and giggled while on the swing.

Ben spraying the firehose!

Missouri Holee Girls!

Ben hanging out with Dad all geared up!

Cheesin!

Jonna even got a chance to spray the hose!

Hanging out in the bathtub!

My kiddo's are the best! We have been so busy playing, I haven't had a chance to blog! Jake and I are trial "biking" a 30 mile trip tomorrow morning. We will see how it goes! And then Saturday, the kids and I are heading to the river with my best friend and her family! Jake is working :( Boo! And then Sunday, Bathroom project. Monday, me and the kids are gonna swim at home in our swimming pool. Good times! Happy Memorial weekend all!

Where does the time go?

I was looking at pictures of Jonna and Ben at Christmas time. It felt like yesterday. But no it wasn't yesterday, it was 4.5 months ago. One child is almost 1 and the other is almost 3! Wait, where are my little babies? They are growing up way to quickly, and I want it to SLOW DOWN!

Could it do with how busy we are? Probably. Or could be the sets of sickness going through the house. I had a horrendous cold/allergies, what ever it was... for a week. Couldn't barely speak a week ago, and the coughing fits! UGH! So glad I am better. Then the stomach flu hit the house. Well, mainly just Jonna. But she couldn't get rid of it. It started Wednesday night with her and lasted all the way through Saturday night. My poor baby! This is why I LOVE having chunky fat babies. When they get sick and lose weight, they don't look as bad. I bet my poor baby lost 2lbs. Doesn't seem like much, but when you only weigh 24, that is over 8% of your body mass. We just kept pumping her full of Pedialyte. Finally, as of yesterday afternoon, she was better. Just spoiled, spankin, rotten! That is okay. It's okay to get spoiled when you are sick. Ben and Jake camped out at a birthday party for Ben's friend, Pryce's Birthday. Poor Jake woke up with the flu, and apparently started throwing up by a tree outide of the tent. Oh the memories.
Ben and I have been troopers so far with the flu. We high tailed it out of the house for several hours yesterday, so the sick one's could get some rest.

On a sad note, my Mom lost her next to oldest brother last week. He passed away very sudden and took his family by great surprise. I don't know Uncle Phil and my cousins on that side very well, but I know they are family, and death in family is always hard. I feel especially for my Mom. I know it hurt her, and I decided I don't ever want to know what it would feel like to lose one of my siblings. Man, the sad part about this, is that, well, I am going to know what that feels like one day, and that is scary.........UNLESS I get to die first. I told my brother's and sister's this, and my brother's response(Always a comedian) says, "Good luck, I am taking up skydiving, smoking, and going to eat at McDonalds every day for the rest of my life." Then my oldest sister's response of course, was, "Wait, I am the oldest and a teacher, so I get to die first" I know this may sound harsh in a somewhat morbid conversation, but in all honesty, it is how my family copes. Humor is most the time, some of the best medicine. The world is already so darn unhappy sometimes. Bad things happen and people can be mean and sad as it is. So why not try to look on the bright side of things, and if you can't cry then laugh. Whatever helps I think. The point is, we all know that sometimes life sucks. It does, and there is no real explanation. It's about putting your foot forward, one after the other, and never giving up. It always works out. Some way or another. And if today is bad, then tomorrow will be better.

I am really good about going off on tangents!

On a positive note, Jake and I worked at a fundraiser in honor of Super Pierce. It was put on by my dearest friend, Jesse, at her Dad's restaurant. And even in the rain and mud, people had a good time, and there was over $1200 raised to donate to other children that are fighting neuroblastoma. I mean talk, about how awesome it was to have all those people get together to donate time, and money to such a great cause. I only worked and played from about 10:30-4 that day, but many others were there so much longer. Way to go everyone! Just makes you feel real good inside about people and what they do to pull together. So, many blessings to all those little ones and their family who fight there battles everyday.

So, I hope time takes a break for a while, and Jake and I get a chance to absorb our babies, while they are still young. They make every day of our life amazing. I mean seriously I never knew being a Mother could ever be this aweseome. Even in the trying moments, when you take your son to the back room while attending a baby shower and spank him for acting up. Haha. Okay, but I would never change one part of my amazing life for a moment. Another day, I thank God for all of his wonderful blessings, and I know I couldn't make it through without him.

Happy Mother's Day to me!

Look what Jake got me! I LOVE IT! Thanks BABE!

Updates on the Holee's

Jake: He is staying quite busy, working and doing honey do's around the house. Between working at Best Buy on days off from the Fire Dept. And then taking a few days here and there with the kids at home. He was able to do some golfing with some friends last week, but most of his free time ususally includes my jobs I give him. I have a spring clean/ update itch on the house. So, the latest project is painting the shutter and door a burnt red, Actually, called "crimson". We spent the weekend planting over 75 flowers! Wowsa. But now the house looks so bright and springy. Once we get the shutters and door painted it will look like a brand spankin new house :)! So, I always refer to Jake as "Babe" when I am talking to him, and Ben is always really quick to chime in to say, Mom, that's not Babe, that's Daddy!" Since, he can't read yet, "Thanks Babe for all your hardwork!"

Maria: Work and play. I mean seriously, I get down right ecstatic when it hits 4:30. I wanna get home asap, so I can pick up the kids from daycare. Jonna is now crawling effective 4/27/2010, and she literally crawls as fast as her arms and legs take her to me as soon as she sees me walk in the door. Usually Ben does an "ally oop" jump over her to get to me first. Bike riding on my lunches. Have yet to break my 47 mile Mon-Fri Record. I find it difficult cuz now there is so much to do outside when we are home in the evenings. Playing with the kids is the highlight of my days. And I really can't absorb them enough in the evenings and weekends. They are both too much stinkin fun! Ben and his adventures, and Jonna and her personality and smiles. I would talk about work, but that isn't any fun. I have been going in overdrive the last couple weeks, and ready for it to slow down a bit. Makes those days go by extra fast.

Benjamin: "I am a Big Boy, Mom!" Yes, you are son! He likes to point out that Daddy and him are "Handsome" and Mom and Jonna are "Beautiful". He is the best helper any one could ask for. I mean seriously. He makes my life so much easier on the days and nights that Jake is away working. Don't get me wrong, he still has the tantrums. But if I take advantage of his independance and praise him for it. He eats it up. He literally gathered laundrey from his and Jonna's room and put it in the laundrey machine, (or washer as I like to call it). All I had to do was add the detergent and pull up the nob. He also, is good at taking clothes from washer to dryer. And those new bounty sticks make it nice that I don't have to add dryer sheets, just press the button. He love to ride his bike, and race himself... when I say "On your mark, set, go" His best friend is Pryce, and he asks every day, night, and morning, what Pryce is doing, and if he can come over to play. He wants to go swimming every day. He prays every night before dinner, and one day, he said really quick in the final prayer, "in Jesus Chrite name, Amen! I BEAT YOU MOM!" I assure hime that praying is not a race. On the big helper note: As Jake pulled down each shutter, Ben carried each one, six of them and laid them up next together in a straight line in the driveway. He is such a deal. Any time any family member, takes a shirt or pants off. Bens laughs and says, "ohhhhhhhhh, you naked!" He again helps water the flowers, and feeds Mugsy every morning that Jake doesn't. What would I do with out him?

Jonna: Yes she is crawling. She will follow Ben or I from room to room. Still doesn't like to be by herself, unless she is enthralled in a favorite car. Yes, She still loves cars, and she actually makes them ride on the floor. It is hilarious. My sweet baby girl playing with cars. Her hair is getting so long in the front, I always seem to have to clip it back, and am constantly trying to pull it behind her ear. She still has the red tint in her hair, and the complexion to match. I wonder if her skin will be more sensitive to sun than Benjamin's. She pulls herself up to things on her knees, but not quite to her feet yet. She loves to stand and jump, and try to walk while we hold her hands. She eats pretty much any food that we eat, but I still throw in some baby food and baby snacks from time to time. It makes it so much easier, when you don't feel like you are making two meals a night. Baby food is easy, but you know what I mean. THIS GIRL LOVE GRAHAM CRACKERS. She would eat them all day long if she could. Since she has started crawling I have had to use the word, "NO" several times. You wanna talk about the saddest baby girl face I have ever seen in my life. Then 15 seconds go by, the lip starts to quiver. Then she crawls up to me, and hugs me laying her head down on my chest. A pause and then she looks up at me to smile. She is gonna be such a little poser/player. She knows what "no" means, but she will do the same thing her brother does. Look square at me and still go for it. Example, eating grass. She stopps mid way with mouth open, just waiting for my response. She loves the outside. She will sit outside and just watch us go go go. We only stop to check on her to pull grass out of her mouth. She also has learned to maneuver the walker quite well. She will run from one side of the kitchen/driveway to the other. She likes to be right on my heels when I am working in the kitchen. She will grab the back of my leg and smile when she gets my attention. She is so dang smart. And finally, we may have a biter. She still only has two teeth, but they can hurt. We are doing our best to nip this in the bud now before she has more teeth for damage.

Finally, Benjamin and Jonna are the two cutest best friends ever. Ben takes care of Jonna like no other. NOBODY messes with his sister. Even when I say "no" Ben pipes in to tell me, "MOM, you are hurting Jonna's feelings." haha. Well, Ben when Jonna is pulling a cord or eating paper, it's better I hurt her feelings than if she hurts herself. At least I know I will always have my son to steer me in the right direction.