The New Year

Hey all!

It has been a while since I have posted to my blog. Things have been crazy here in the Holt house. Sunnie has been living with me since last year. Carl's mom has been staying with us since October. Carl's best friend, Lee, has been staying with us for the last month while he waits on word on a job he is trying to get in Kuwait. With a house full of people, we don't get a lot of family time, but we are just dealing as best as we can.

2009 was off to a great start when our Florida Gators won the National Championship! Thanks to Tim Tebow and the rest of the team!

Carl and I are doing well. Carl will hopefully get promoted soon to E-8. I am waiting to hear if I have a job with NCVPS. I have started going to the gym 5 days a week. I am trying to get healthy. I have only lost about 10 pounds but am liking the exercise.

Carsyn and Lachlan are doing well. They have adjusted to life here in NC. They still talk about NY regularly, but both have lots of friends and lots to do. My house is a zoo on a regular basis with lots of kids running in and out. I guess it is fine because I know where my kids are.

Christmas and New Years were good. We spent Christmas here are home and then went to my sister, Tanya's, the day after and stayed through New Years. The whole family was together for the first time in years. We had a blast going roller skating, bowling, and singing karaoke. We loved playing with the new baby Jaxon. He is a true joy!

I have made a few friends since I have been back. It is nice to have someone to rely on. I was scared I would not find the support that I had in NY in Jamie and Tracy, and other friends--but the girls here have been great. We are looking forward to this year. No new year's resolutions--just wanting to have a great year. We are going to Disney World in April for Spring Break. The kids are ecstatic! I am too--truth be told. Can't wait.

Let us know how you are doing. We miss everyone!

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.