Ahhh, Thanksgiving: Food, Family and mayhem!

The oven after Joe and Jacob put out the fire. This is what happened when I went to take a nap and left the men to mind the turkey! (Just kidding - it wasn't their fault)

Still, the turkey came out okay, with a light dusting of fire-extinguisher dust.

Then we tried to get all 11 kids in one picture.

This is what happens when you let the 4-year-old take the pictures:

So, what do you get when you put eight adults, eleven children, and two turkeys in an army base house? Probably something that should never be repeated!

At least not until we've recovered and this becomes a distant memory.

Loving on Ayden

Nancy walked in to find this. Evidently Nathan wanted to give Ayden a sticker while he was sleeping.

Grampa Roger came to visit!

Dad got to stop by for a couple hours (as you all know). Sadly, that was all, but next time we can have a longer visit I hope! The kids had fun with him here, even if he didn't realize it. Joseph cried for a while after he left because he wanted Grampa to come back. We love you dad and are so happy that you were able to come and see us. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving now that you get to be home with Linda.

Here's a random picture of Simeon. I walked into the living room a little while back to find this. Evidently when I told all the kids to put their apple and pear cores in the trash they decided Simi was the trash. He was so happy to have so many pieces of fruit all at one time, and not so happy when I took most of them away and put them in the trash. This boy can eat an entire large apple all by himself start to finish (with only six teeth) and still want more! He's an Ely. I had a friend watching the kids and Simi was crying for a while. She called another friend and asked what to do for him. She told her just to feed him and he would be happy. Sure enough it worked. He's an Ely...eating solves all my problems too!

One step closer!!!!

Yeah! After preparing excessive amounts of paperwork for Immigration Services, and worrying over what kinds of crazy questions they would ask us today (If you don't know what I am talking about watch the movie Green Card), our petition was approved. Meaning that the government agrees we are really married. It turned out to be ridiculously simple because of how much evidence we had. Now, for the next step (it's a looooooong process). Maybe sometime in the next year, we'll be free of this process.

Ali

Yes, you do have cameras!

People, people...I know you all have cameras. I know you all have computers. I've seen them. Don't deny it. I also know that you have ten minutes once a week or so to POST PICTURES.

Love,
your favorite sister, sister-in-law, daughter, and aunt :)

Simi-mimi's day

My baby is 1! How did that happen? BBQ today with some friends to celebrate, woohoo! Hopefully it will clear up some since it's raining right now. Here's the cute birthday shirt I made yesterday for him and a matching birthday hat. Happy Birthday Simeon!

Bekah's hair

We chopped off Rebekah's hair last month and I'm finally getting around to putting up pictures. I love her hair cut. It suits her little face. They cut 12 inches off her hair. Nancy, do you remember the summer in WV that we got our hair chopped to a pixie cut and you would come home from school crying because people said you looked like a boy?

Family "portraits"

Let's use the term portraits loosely. The kids were in a tree, we took pictures. Didn't get much better than that on this day. Not to mention I didn't know we were going to take pictures, so I didn't dress the kids in nice clothes. They are all in play clothes. Oh well. Here you have it.....




This was really the best picture with all seven of us in it. There were some better ones, but Simeon was cut out of them. Jacob's mom was taking the pictures, and she couldn't see the screen since the reflection from the sun was so bright, so she was just pointing it in our general direction and took a ton in the hopes that one would work!

Mini me sewing

Yesterday Rebekah decided that she wanted sewing lessons to start. She wants to make things for her dolls, so I decided to go ahead and start teaching her. She had a blast and was so proud of herself for doing so well. She made a pillow to start with and did surprisingly well. I can't believe how straight she sews! This child is a little mini me. I find her now almost every morning asleep with her pillow and blanket and a book under the night light, she looks like me, she loves crafts, and she acts like me as a child. Dad, your curse has come true! I have to admit though, it's fun to have a child who loves what I love.

Check out the Holt blog!

Hey guys! Check out our post at holtfamilynewsletter.blogspot.com. It takes so long to post videos that I didn't want to post them here also. You have to see this waterslide our neighbors have. The kids had a blast with it.

Ali's Speech

Sorry I haven't posted in ages. Below is a link to a youtube video for a speech I gave a couple of weeks ago. We held a panel discussion on President Obama's middle east speech. Part V is my speech. It is really weird to watch myself speaking.

Love you all!

www.youtube.com/montasser14

Check out those BABY BLUES!!!!!!!

Today was 4th grade awards day. Our kid is a genius!!! She took home 3 awards this year. Best in class for Language Arts, Most outstanding Academic Acheivement in her class and was 1 of only 9 total students in the entire 4th grade who made the "Principal's List" for having an "A" average at the end of the year! SMARTY PANTS Tomorrow she gets to go to the high school to help with graduation as a rising 5th grade marshall... we're so proud!

Summer fun

I walked into Joseph and Lizzie's room the other day to find this. Evidently one must be naked to play with trains! Bet you guys didn't know that!

Lizzie in the cute bakers hat that was in her stocking last year for Christmas. She loves to be in the kitchen whether it's cooking or eating.

It's been raining for a long time here, and it finally let up for a little while yesterday. The kids played out at the park, and had a blast swimming under the swings in the mud hole. Red clay, sand and water mix together for some fun times. Scrubbing the girls' hair afterward wasn't quite as fun, and Joseph's white underwear will never be the same!

We had a severe storm come through last week and this is what it did to the entrance to our neighborhood. Lightning hit the base of the tree just off the edge of the road and ripped across to the other side. It blew the asphalt out so hard that the water lines were busted underneith and the chunks of road were found on the roof of the house just behind where I was standing to take the picture.

Pictures at the Holt website

Here is a link to the Holt family website. There are a bunch of pictures of the kids over there. Easter and birthday pictures are the latest over there, and I figured it would be easier to give you guys a link than to repost everything. I'll get around to new pictures soon. Love you guys.

Bekah reading

Here is a video of Rebekah reading to her Gramma Nancy on Skype. She gave a small talk in her Primary class at church on Easter Sunday. She wrote this talk herself. I'm so stoked that she can read now!

Is it nap time yet?

5 days old

Hello world! I can finally get these eyes to stay open. Now if I can figure out these tiny hands!

Simeon is growing pretty fast now. He can get up on his hands and knees and will be crawling soon, and he can sit up for a short time.

Just a silly one

Our dining room

Lizzie sitting on Bekah's lap

Simeon can sit now! Hooray!

Spring formal

While unpacking my sewing things Sariah and I came across all of Aunt Ali's old formal dresses from different occasions that she sent me a while back. She wanted to play dress up, so here are the pictures.

Aunt Nancy's wedding

Another bridesmaid dress

Aunt Heather's wedding

Mom made these next two for prom. Do you guys remember these?

Please Welcome Cecilia Anne.....

Cecilia Anne KoKay

March 26, 2009 @ 2:38pm

7lbs 5.8oz 20 inches long