Carving Pumpkins

Carl and the kids carved pumpkins the night before Halloween. Lachlan was all for it until he had to stick his hand inside and dig the seeds out. He was totally grossed out, so I ended up helping him. It was too funny!

Fairy Carsyn

Halloween

Halloween was lots of fun this year. Lachlan dressed up like a Zombie Doctor. Carl created his costume out of some of his old clothes and some spray paint. He also did his make up. He looked amazing! He went trick or treating with his friends and their parents. It was not cool for him to come with his mom and little sister.

Carsyn dressed up like a fairy. I actually put her costume together this year instead of buying one from the store. I also did her make up which she loved. She was really funny running around asking everyone if "she looked pretty?" It was too cute. She was really into Trick or Treating this year. Her cousin, Aspyn and her friends Dylan, Greg and Ellie came with her.

The kids had a blast and Carl got to actually stand in the driveway and hand out candy while he drank his beer!

Busy Buzzing Bees

We seem to be busy buzzing bees lately.

As you know, Lachlan started 2nd grade this year. He is also playing flag football again this year. Lachlan has football practice two nights per week and then football games on Saturday mornings. He is doing much better socially and actually has his first "spend the night" at his friend, Spencer's, house tonight after his game. He is doing EXCEPTIONALLY well in school this year. He is reading on a third grade level and has been placed in an AG class called "Discovery". We are so PROUD!

My little sassy girl, Carsyn, is enjoying life daily. She has a girl friend who is her age for the first time in her life. She wakes up every morning wanting to go play with Ellie. They flit back and forth between our house and Ellie's all day. Ellie lives across the street from us. On Tuesday mornings, Carsyn takes a tap, ballet, and tumble class. On Friday mornings, she takes Tumbling only with Ellie. She cried for the first few classes, but is now eager to go to dance each week. It is just my humble opinion, but I know she is going to be a beautiful prima ballerina--lol!

Carl is doing well! We just found out that he made the E-8 list--which means that he will make E-8 is a few months. We are so excited! He is finishing up his last two classes for his associate's degree. He said this is it for college courses for him. He wants to go to school for a trade. He needs that "hands-on" stuff to stay motivated.

And, now for me....I am doing well. I just picked up some work from the school I taught with last summer. I went to a conference last week for two days, which was fun because I have not been in a professional environment in so long. I am still really struggling with that whole conflict of me needing to go back to work for financial reasons, but knowing that I want to stay at home to be with the kids. It is an internal struggle between my brain and my heart---> every single day. I have made some new friends here and have been keeping busy. I miss my friends in NY and think about y'all daily! I find myself reaching for the phone often to call and tell you something.

Hope this finds you all well!

Love,

Dawn and the rest of those crazy Holts!

Tough or not?

Tonight was Lachlan's first football practice. As always, at some point in the night he let his emotions rule him and began to cry. He could not pull himself out of it after that and ended up being embarrassed. It is so hard for me to watch him beat himself up. He is a sweet kid with a heart of gold, but I know that tender heart that he wears on his sleeve is going to be his enemy a lot in life.


I want him to always have that big heart, and I love that he does have emotions that are not wrapped up in being macho, but I worry so much that he is going to be picked on and made fun of---which in turn makes me want to try to help him toughen up. Tonight, I wanted him to get mad--or to get up and brush it off when he was basically tackled by three of his teammates. Instead he got embarrassed and cried and then he felt even worse.

I want so badly to fix it for him, but I myself am an emotional person. I was called a cry baby all my life. Everyone knew from the blush on my face and the tears in my eyes when I was mad or embarrassed. So, knowing that there is not a whole lot he can do about it---he obviously inherited my emotional personality---how do I help him. It tears my heart out that he is so hard on himself--but then I find myself wanting to be hard on him to keep him from getting hurt.

Wow! Being a mom is SOOOOO hard sometimes!

Missing NY

June and July were pretty busy for us here in NC. We were moving and getting settled. We went on a day trip to the beach. Lachlan went on vacation to the Smokey Mountains with Tanya and her family. I gave Tanya a baby shower. It was pretty action packed until August.

August has given us some down time which I am enjoying, but am also feeling a little lost. The kids really miss NY. They miss their friends. They miss having things to do. We always had something to do in NY. We could hang with Jamie and her kids or Tracy and the boys. We could always find something to do, even if it was just to take a walk. Lach told me yesterday that he misses NY and wants to move back. I am hoping that once he starts school and football, he will make some friends and it will be a little easier for him to assimilate. Carsyn does not seem as devastated. She has met a little girl across the street and a little boy next door. She starts dance next Tuesday. She is taking her first class. It is a combo class for ballet, tap, and tumbling.
Until then, just keep us in your prayers and pray that I can maintain my sanity until next Monday when school starts.

Stressed Out Lachlan

Lachlan is such a little stress monkey. He is constantly worried about something. I know that I have made him this way--but don't know how to fix it. He is having a hard time sleeping at night, because he is scared. He does not like the new house because he said it makes creepy noises. I have invested in nightlights and rope lights for his room to try to help him. Hopefully, he will begin to feel more at ease at the house.

I heard this song the other day that totally reminded me of my little "all grown up" Lachlan. It's by Craig Morgan called "Lotta Man in the Little Boy".

His life is that blue bike, ball glove an' fishin' pole, Tree-house, BB gun and band aid covered knees. He does good deliverin' papers, An' cuttin' grass for the neighbours, Except for Widow Wilson: he cuts hers for free. His little hands do a lot for a kid his age, He puts one-tenth of his hard earned money, In the offering plate each Sunday by his own choice. There's a lotta man in that little boy. Weekdays, he tries to sleep late: Weekends, he's up at daybreak. Him an' Roy wadin' in Cotton Creek. That dog was like his brother: You'd seen one, you'd see the other. Cut one an' both of them would bleed. Tires screamed, but that ol' truck couldn't stop. There's the tree that he buried him under; He made a cross from scraps of lumber, An' on it carved: "God Bless ol' Roy. "There's a lotta man in that little boy. There's a house, down where he goes fishin': He told his Mom: "Those kids got nothin', "And I don't need all these toys. "There's a lotta man.(There's a lotta man. There's a lotta man.) In that little boy.

Funny Little Carsyn

Yesterday, I had to take Carsyn to the doctor and she was diagnosed with Strep Throat. She was given an antibiotic and some motrin. When we got home I put her medicine in the dropper and laid it on the table for her. She got really defensive and told Lachlan-"Don't touch that--it's MY medicine!" Which we thought was hilarious because how many children like taking medicine, much less get protective of their dose?
She tells me lately that I am the best mama in the whole world to which I reply, "You're the best Carsyn in the whole world" to which she replies, "You're supposed to say I'm the best daughter in the whole world".
She carries around a purse and a play cell phone all of the time and acts like she is talking to her boyfriend. When you ask her who her boyfriend is she says "Logan-Joshy" like they are one person. Yesterday, when we were in the car on the way to the doctor, she is back there jabbering away in the phone. She starts yelling in the phone saying, "I told you I was going to the doctors--ok-ok-ok--well fine then--GOODBYE--I said GOODBYE." It is hilarious!
She like to "Cone" my hair all of the time. She also likes to use "Barbie Pins" when she is "coning" my hair.
She makes up her own cheers (since she no longer has Riah and Mantha to teach her new ones) and they end up sounding a lot like "yea, yea, yea--Woooh!".

A newfound quote

Once you've loved, there's a part of your heart that simply belongs to that person...It can't be sold or rented out--it's theirs, you gave it to them and they live in it, claiming its space for all time.


Is this not the truest sentence that you could ever read?

Carsyn Dancing

This was Carsyn dancing for us the other night. Carl was flipping through the channels and came to some techno music. She LOVED it and boy was she showing us her moves! If this does not make you smile, nothing will!

more video...

First Blog

Hey Y'all!

Greetings to you from the great state of North Carolina! As you know we arrived in NC in June and have been trying to get settled since then. The last few months have flown by for us as we made the move from upstate NY to NC.

We are all trying to readjust to the heat and humidity of the south. Having grown up in Georgia, you would think that I would be used to the 100 degree days of heat and humidity, but they are making me crazy. The kids and I have been holed up in the house most days because it is to hot to go outside and play.

Carl is adjusting to Army life back here at Fort Bragg. He recently signed up for classes to finish his associate's degree. He only needs two to receive an Associate's. Hopefully, things will go well for him.

I am patiently waiting to see if I have a job with the online school here in NC. I want to stay home with Carsyn for one more year before I go back to work fulltime. I pray that they contact me soon. I have been trying to give it to God and not worry about it.

The kids are doing ok. They miss NY and all of their many friends there. They are bored most days and there is not much we can do here in such fierce heat, so I will be glad when school starts back so Lachlan can find some friends. They have each met the neighbor kids on each side of us, but it just is not the same. Carsyn misses her boys and Lachlan misses his girls! (and of course Luke too).

We, as always, are optimistic and know that life is beautiful!~