Tour de Holland

Holland Rose at 2 1/2 months.

Where do I begin?  We have had so much happen since we last blogged. 
1.We sold our house--
Chad and I had built our dream home, and then we sold it.  Some would say that is sad, although it was an amazing house, we think that it is a blessing to have sold it.  As we were finishing up the final moving out detials and were about to lock the doors, Chad asked, "what do we do now, sing kum-ba-ya?"

Nanna Dori holding Holland Loppity Doo-Dah at the Famous Heber Bowling Alley!

Holland Rose and Julian Crazy Horse (Dori and Baird's grandson).

2.Trip to Nanna Dori's, Nanna Puggy's, and GrandMary's houses--
Since we sold our house and most of our belongings, we were free to do as we please, well at least for a couple of weeks before we had to go back to work. Or Chad has to work while I play with Holland!  The first leg of our journey began at Dori's less than a mile away.  It was nice and cozy at Dori's.  We would wake up to green drink, oatmeal, and sunshine.  Dori would sit down with Holland and tell her, "Holland, you are a pretty girl, a smart happy girl." She would then say, "it is more important to be smart than pretty." Chad, Forrest, and Baird did manly work outside shoveling gravel ect. while Dori and I planned meals.  Dori did most of the cooking while I took care of baby.  She was always so kind and her food is amazing! One day well preparing lunch we learned about Baird's hatred towards technology.  He threatened to take the _______ out in the yard and bash it in with a sledge hammer.  We were sworn never to say the forbiden name of the piece of crap around him, but it starts with a sc and ends with an anner.  We had such a great time, thank you Dori, Baird, and Forrest!

Grant a licious holding Holland.

Still has her Polkadot tongue.

Nanna Puggy on Holland's Blessing Day.

In perfect cursive! Thanks Papa Turtles.

We love you all!  And Grant, you have great hair!

The second leg of our trip was to Utah.  Holland did pretty darn good considering that she hated her car seat.  She slept the entire way to Wendover before the melt down occured.  We had lots of fun hanging out with Nanna Puggy, Papa Turtles, and Grant.  We watched American Idol, had lunch at the Hospital, went to Sizzler buffet, and saw Jared,Tiff, and the kids!  There is always great conversation and lots of laughs with the Evans clan.  Papa Turtles even decorated the brownies that we made for Holland's blessing.  Holland began to grow up on our trip, at Nanna's house she began to sleep in her own little bed.  I have to admit that I may be a first time over protective mother.  I wake up every few hours and check on her throughout the night.  I have looked forward to the day when I would be a mother and wife and I am eating every moment up.  I do not want to miss a thing!  Luckily Chad is the same way, so with every free second we sit around and play with baby.  Also in Utah, we witnessed the war of the Roses.  Meaning Rosemarie and Holland Rose -- it had to do with a binky.  Holland refuses to take one, and I would like her to, so Rosemarie tried to help me out.  All I have to say is Holland 1, Rosemarie and Jenn 0.

The Dunn Family!

GrandMary, Grandpa and Grandma Dunn.

Holland with her cousins Lew and Thomas.

 The third leg of our trip was to Idaho.  Rosemarie, Thurman, and Grant drove with us to Preston where we met up with the Dunn clan.  It had been awhile since Chad and I had lived by family and we were excited to have Holland's baby blessing around family.  Preston was the best central meeting place for everyone.  Thanks to great grandma and grandpa for opening their home and providing an amazing lunch.  It was so fun to hear Holland's blessing, even though she cried through the entire thing.  That's our girl! She was blessed with a love of life, a love of the people around her, a sense of humor, and a strong desire to do what is right.  The Spirit was strong and I felt so grateful to have Chad as my husband and father to Holland, and to be the mother to such an amazing little girl.  My enire family was there, great Grandma and Grandpa Dunn, Jean and Madi, and Chad's parents along with Grant-a-licious.  After Preston, we headed to Rexburg.  We loved staying there, in fact Chad decided that he would actually like living there.  It was so fun to have Evan home from his mission, he has a way of bringing things to life.  It was great to see Sadie, Danny D,Thomas and Lew, the boys are getting to be so big, handsome, and smart.  We went bike shopping with mom, toured the DI with dad, met Alisa's special someone (wink,wink), Evan and Ty our great with Holland and she will hang out with them for ever.  Hanna is taking a philosophy class, Chad and I get a kick out of listening to "Deep Thoughts by Hanna Dunn."  She is hopefully coming out to stay with us in Hawaii this August and I am wishing it was for the whole summer.  I love my family and my mom's cooking.  It was hard to leave.  We actually delayed our trip back to Cali to stay one more day!

What? Me? Need a nap?  Nah!

Okay, so a nap makes me happy.  Don't tell anyone.

3.  Aloha--
We live in Hawaii!!!  Whenever anyone from the mainland hears Hawaii they get super envious.  It is a pretty amazing place.  I like it waaaaaaaay more this time.  The first time around I was in my first trimester of pregnancy and I thought it was a pretty nasty place.  Sorry for being judgemental or as Thurman would say, "not a clear thinker."  I am in a better frame of mind and not puking every couple of hours which means I get to enjoy what Hawaii has to offer.  Tonight Chad and I took a Sunday walk along the beach as the sun was setting with Holland in the baby bjorn.  Life is not too shabby!  Some highlights from Hawaii include:  My big 3-0 birthday party at Duke's with Megan amd Keli'i (mmm, Hula Pie), May Day celebration (what a party here in Hawaii!), Eva, Jens, and Rivers preschool graduation, Magnum icecream bars from 7-11, crazy intense rain and thunder storms flooding the streets, watching Dave and Amy's kids, Holland and Chloe being BFFs, buying a car, fixing a car(thanks Johnny),moving into our tiny apartment, daring ourselves to get in shape, watching Holland grow up right before our eyes.  I am just too scared to blink.  She sleeps great at night(in her own bed), she laughs, she plays with toys, she loves people(even Keli'i kissing her face), she likes riding in the truck inbetween Chad and I and when she is tired she will just fall asleep (after Chad tells her its okay and she won't miss out on anything exciting).  She blows bubbles, makes a popping noise with her bottom lip, she thinks we are so funny, hates the stroller, hardly naps, adores her dad, sucks on her fist, and brings more joy to Chad and I than I ever dreamed possible.

Holland loves her cousin Chloe.  BFFs.

Dad and Chloe copying Holland's exercise routine.

If you love this face, you should see it when she sticks out her bottom lip.  Luv it!

Our strawberry bum bum with her feet in the sand outside of Duke's Waikiki.  Chad's all about letting Holland have her "first authentic experiences."

Keli'i and Megan took us out on my 30th birthday.  Thanks guys.  We love you.

We sat on the patio outside.  I had fish tacos and Hula Pie.  Hippertydiphurrah!

Holland has a great giggle now. 

The twins, Rivers and Jens with Eva at their preschool graduation.

I know that my life is great.  I never dreamed that life could be this good.  Many times throughout the day I stop and try to take in all the good things that I enjoy.  I easily get overwhelmed and often emotional with graditude.  I would just like to freeze life, slow it down, I know the future is bright(whatever it is), but the present is amazing. I wish that words, photos, or a video camera would be able to capture all that I am experiencing now for the future.  I am not sure what I did to deserve Chad, Holland, and our family and friends, but I am sure grateful.  So back to the beginning where I started with this blog entry, we sold our dream home, Chad sold his pretty truck, I sold my beautiful piano, yet we are happier than ever!  It is the people in our lifes that mean the most, thanks for being a part of our lifes!

Chad giving Holland another "authentic experience."  Her first time in a pool.