Amanda'sTexas A & M University Commencement August 14, 2010

I had the honor of being invited to Amanda's graduation from Texas A & M Commerce, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. What a thrill it was to see her cross that stage and watch her family beam with pride.

Amanda, you are a testament not only to your family, but to all moms who deal with the daily responsibilities of life: working (sometimes two jobs), children, & husband. Yet, your determination and perseverance was never more evidenced than when you crossed that stage with the Magna Cum Laude medal around your neck. What a delightful surprise. We knew you were going to college, but the magnitude of the sacrifice made by you, David, and your children was never more evident than when you accepted that degree and walked across that stage.

One would think "walking" is for the graduate, but it is more for the family. What a wonderful thing for your children to witness and your mom and dad were absolutely beaming.

This is the third college graduation ceremony I have been invited to attend. I get goose bumps when I have witnessed all three walk across that stage and having this event chronicled in their life.

Additionally, Amanda announced she is beginning her Masters program in two weeks! So we will have another opportunity to see her shine in the next year, or so! Amanda, you have spoiled us and we are expecting Summa Cum Laude next time!

Thank you, Amanda, for allowing me the honor of sharing in this with you and your family.

I am one proud aunt!

Joan

Our kitchen reno

Well, after 20 years of living in this house, ( The very same house I thought I probably wouldn't live in for longer than a couple of years) we are finally remodeling the one room I wanted to do first (in 1991). This is the beginning of our 2010 renovation!

Joe graciously lent his years of expertise and experience to the beginning of this project to incorporate a wall of cabinets on the garage side of the room. This had been a blank wall previously. (Cabinets had been on the other side of the wall in the garage and Chaling tore those out months ago to get ready for our "project")

The middle hole is for the refrigerator. Yea! If we hadn't done anything else, that one thing would have made a difference. The shelf/cabinet is for the little convection oven/pizza baker with room above for a shelf of cook books, etc.

This side has been stained and varnished and we have been using them for a few months now. Of course now they are all stuffed with "stuff" from the rest of the kitchen!

Last weekend, Jacob came over to "help" with taking out the cabinets. Uh, did I say help? In short order, we realized we just needed to stand back and watch him go. In probably no more than 30 minutes (that's pushing it) he went from lifting the counter top up (with little effort) to reducing these 50 year old solid wood and very sturdy cabinets to a pile of rubble outside the house.

Then Chaling went to work tearing out the sheetrock and rotted floor under the sink and dishwasher as a result of many years of probable leaks (even before I got here). The smell of this was awful, but is gone now. All week Chaling has worked on rewiring and floor repair. The plumber has redone the plumbing. We have moved the sink to the corner and added a prep sink in the opposite corner. Every chef needs his/her own sink! That way everyone can play nice in the kitchen! Right?

Now, Jason is coming in this Friday to stay for a while. Charlie has gone back out on the road and will be traveling for the next month. Jason is coming in to lend his brain and his brawn to this little project and I am so looking forward to it. Even though Chaling has worked so hard on this, we do appreciate these guys (Joe, Jacob, and Jason) for doing all they have done and will do. I may get to see this project finished before I leave this planet! ha ha

Well, this is where we are right now. I'll post updates soon!

Luv you all!

Our Anniversary-July 11, 2010

At the last minute, we decided to take a little overnight trip to celebrate our anniversary. So, Friday, I called the Nutt Hotel in Granbury, TX to see if they had an opening. They didn't but they referred me to a little B&B. Now I have never stayed at a B&B and, quite frankly, I have never been all that excited to stay in a B&B.

With great hesitation, we made a reservation at a little place called Lambert Street Cottage in Granbury, TX. We have been to Granbury several times and really didn't feel like there was much "new" for us, but it is a wonderful little town and we have always enjoyed the shows on the square. We decided it would be okay if the B&B wasn't all that great, we could just spend most of our time seeing the sights and riding around.

Well, we got to Granbury about noon and decided to eat before we went to the B&B. When we went to try and find this little place, we really didn't know what we were looking for. I figured it was an old victorian house with lots of country "cute" stuff. (Not really my cup of tea anymore)Surprisingly, this house was not a victorian, rather a 80's brick house.

This little place was owned by a sweet 82 year old lady, named Verina. The pictures will say much more than I could. When we opened the door, we were greatly and pleasantly surprised. The decor was totally country French. It was just beautiful and she had covered every detail. She had lovely fresh baked brownies on a little doily covered glass plate. There was sliced pecan bread, pumpkin bread and banana nut bread on the counter. Fresh fruit was in a bowl and fresh flowers cut from a large flowering plant outside. The little frig was stocked with soda, which we thought was great, even though we don't drink soft drinks.

It was such a beautiful place, we didn't want to leave but, we did. We went down on the square and walked around and shopped through all the little stores. We bought tickets for the "60s" show for that night (front row! whoo hoo) We walked through all our favorite little shops and ended up and the ice cream shop. Uh hum. I got a dip of Rocky Road and Chaling a float. It was so humid outside, this was a cool treat!

We made our way back to the cottage and just sat around for a while, talking to our kids on the phone and playing word games via iphone.

We thoroughly enjoy the show but the highlight was this delightful little cottage, that was absolutely perfect for us.



This morning we had breakfast at a little diner called Pams. The food, service, and price was great!

Holsinger's Independence Day BBQ

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Mason's 6th Birthday!!!

Mason had a wonderful birthday party. Mom and Dad were perfect hosts and check out the cake! This is Amanda's creation and is LEGO! Tooooo cute! He really made a haul with water guns and Lego. He was such a gracious little recipient and was thanking everyone and reading each card.
What a cutie!

Happy

Birthday

Mason!

Wesley and Wyatt's first airplane ride

Well, it has been a while since I posted, but then, there has been a lot going on. Yada Yada Yada! Hee Hee



Memorial Day weekend we had already booked flights for San Antonio, so in spite of the fact we had gone through the wreck the weekend before, we decided to keep our travel plans. We had a full weekend planned with Sea World, the Alamo, and of course the river walk. Everyone was kind enough to modify our activities for poor old sore me!



We started off with Wes and Wyatt's very first airplane ride! Wow, they were so excited, but they acted like they had been flying for years! I was 18 years old before I took my first plane ride and I think they were more at ease than I was!!! Wesley sat with Carla and Wyatt sat with me. That way they both got a window seat. Wyatt didn't want to go through the clouds! Once we got airborne and got above the clouds, Wyatt wanted to know what that "smoke" was below us. When I told him those were clouds, he hid! Too funny.










They liked the take off, but they really loved the touchdown (not my favorite part of the flight). As soon as we came to a stop both of them said, almost at the same time, "Can we do it again?"














Jacob met us at the airport (we arrived in San Antonio at 9:00 AM) and we immediately went to Sea World, where Chaling met us. (He had taken us to the airport and Jacob was going to pick us up) It was hot, but there weren't many people there because school was still going. The shows were great, but when it was time to leave, I was ready!

It was all beautiful and the pictures never do it justice. Wesley and Wyatt loved Sea World. Especially the whales, but I think they were ready to leave, too, so we did.

The next day we walked the riverwalk. The Alamo was our destination and the little guys liked it, even 'tho I am not sure they understood it all.

Uh, the hats were worth the trip!

Provo, UT

Tuesday, May 18, Chaling and I boarded the plane to Provo, UT to attend a convention with Nature's Sunshine Products, call Rising Star. The weather was beautiful and even though we had both been there before, we had forgotten the rugged beauty of the snow capped mountains.

When we stepped out of the corporate offices we were semi-circled by these ominous dark mountains. As the sun kissed the top of them, the snow was illuminated and they were beautiful. Nothing like the mountains of Colorado, but a rugged beauty all their own. We had a wonderful time, with exception of altitude headaches occasionally. This top shelf company really rolled out the red carpet and everything was done to perfection, again making us very proud to be associated with such an organization. Wednesday we toured the corporate offices and boarded the charted bus to Spanish Fork to tour the production facility and even got to make some of our own products, actually pack products, and run them through quality control. Awesome!

Thursday, NSP treated us to lunch and a nature walk at Thanksgiving Point in Salt Lake, UT

The flowers and plants were just beginning their full bloom and they were absolutely glorious! The weather was sunny and cool and made for a wonderful day of travel.

However, nothing beats coming back to Texas, even if it was at night. Our flight home was wonderful with absolutely no problems. It was probably one of the best take offs and landings I had experienced on a flight!

We were so happy to get our feet on Texas soil and we thanked God for delivering us safely. I had just called Jacob and Carla to let them know we were out of the terminal coming out of south Dallas and on our way home. That was about 9:15 pm. We were traveling with the traffic and even though there was a lot of traffic, everyone was moving at an easy pace. Chaling had just moved to the middle lane and we were beginning to slow down. He noticed in the passenger side mirror, a car coming way too fast, then we heard brakes squealing. I had just commented someone was about to get hit really bad when I saw headlights coming toward my door. It was a van and it was in a spin. It pushed us back into the left lane, just shy of the median, then continued to spin away from us and back across three lanes of traffic, onto the shoulder towards the ditch. I had begun to move toward Chaling, screaming we were going to die! On impact, my seat belt pulled me back and knocked the air out of me. I thought I was okay, but then began to realize I was hurt, so they took me via ambulance to Methodist Hospital, where x-rays and CAT scan confirmed no internal organ damage or bones broken. I could have told them that! I just wanted to go home. Jacob and Carla and the boys were at the hospital before Chaling and thankfully they unloaded our baggage, computers, etc. and brought them back with them.

By 2:00 AM I was released from the hospital and we headed home in our broken little car! I am still really sore and don't want to move, but I am doing so much better. We were so blessed, for it could have been such a bad outcome. The guy was drunk and the good Samaritan who stopped, grabbed his keys as he was trying to leave the scene. The cops got him and took him to jail. Now, our prayers are that he does have the insurance he said he did. Can't get the police report until Monday.

We are safe and that's what matters. The reality of how quickly you can be plucked from this life became the lesson of this episode. How you can start a day with all your plans in place, yet, through no fault of your own, just a few seconds can change your whole perspective. Life is a gift and at any given second, you might never see your loved ones again. There is no time to dwell on sorrow and pain. I kissed and hugged my grand babies differently when I saw them the next day. I don't think they noticed, but I did.

My love to you all,

Mom

Gnomeland is finished!

Welcome to the enchantment of Gnomeland! We have discovered Gnomes, and their homes, in our backyard. It is filled with little working gnomes. However, there are some that are a little lazy and some are a little shy, and one that is being kidnapped by some sneaky little gargoyles. There is even an out house!

Gnomeland didn't develop without quite a bit help, however. Here are a couple of the developers of Gnomeland. They are also head of Gnomeland Security making sure there is "No Place like Gnome"!

Wesley is a Dalmation in his school play!

Tonight Wesley was in the cutest play, yet, at school. He was so excited and all the kids were so cute. Of course, Wesley was, by far, the cutest. He actually had a speaking part and he was brilliant! I hope to get a portion of the video posted but haven't been able to get that done, yet!
He really "hammed" it up after the play was over and stayed in character until we walked out of the building. I wouldn't have expected anything less!

After 19 years!

Well, after 19 years the front of this old house (landscaping) has entered the 21st century! Chaling has done a beautiful job of the whole thing. He let me pick out the "stuff" and he did all the work. I did take pictures with my phone, and they are a bit grainy. I tried to take them when the solar lights had just come on and we had just had a big rain.

We got a solar powered fountain that is just the right size. We are going to do some things to the backyard, too. I have been purchasing Gnomes to place around in the new landscaping and Wesley found them and beat me to it. It sure kept him busy for the afternoon, though. Wyatt was too busy chasing worms and slugs to notice. ha ha I'll try to add more pics later!

Holsinger Snags Trophy

Another greeting card by Smilebox

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, LUKE!

Ooops. I thought your birthday was in May with two other very special people we all love, but it was in March. oooooooo Luke's getting real close to the big 30! Hope you had a wonderful day, even if you had to work.

Wesley's in soccer!

We finally made it. Wesley is in his first season of soccer. You all know what a sports enthusiast I am. Not. But somehow that is magically reversed when you see one of your grandkids out there playing his little heart out. It is amazing watching him grow and begin to understand the game better each time his feet hit the field. Hard to watch the coaches yell at him, or any of the other kids for that matter. I never liked that when my boys were playing sports, either. But these coaches follow it up with lots of tenderness and compassion when they come off the field. That's good. It's what keeps them (the coaches) alive! Uh hum.

Wyatt is working out with the team, too. He wants to play so badly. They think they can get him in the fall schedule. Their team is the Tigers, and Cha Cha and I have donned our colors to support the team. Orange and Black. They are a pretty spiffy little group and they are 4 & 1 now. They have a tournament this weekend and even though I will have to work, I will try to make 2 of the games anyway. So long Saturdays for a while! Ha Ha

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGIE!

Today is Angie's birthday! Happy Birthday, Angie! We do hope it is a good one and you get to have some fun today. We love you!
Joan and Dad!

March 15, 2010
Hi All! Hope everyone is well and happy. A week ago Saturday, Jacob and family, and Chaling and I were out just killing some time. We went to the Ellis Co Expo Trade Days here in Waxahachie. While there we saw the cutest puppy, a long haired doxie, of course. We ALL fell in love with her, but I stuck to my guns and said no. Sunday, we went back (mostly to see if she was still there). She was! I gave in to temptation with the stipulation Jacob & Carla would take her if I couldn't handle it.

Chaling left on Tuesday for the week and I was left with her for the week. I couldn't leave her at home because she was so little and we were going to try for crate training. I haven't ever crate trained a dog. What a commitment! Well, I know when to say I goofed. Although I was enamored with her, and was falling in love with her, I just had too much on my plate--with work, a recent potentially scary eye problem (but has turned out to be fine--at least for a while), kitchen redo still torn up, and basically, I just didn't want the responsibility and getting her reinforced that. I have been taking care of kids, cats and dogs for 40 years. We still have the old Whiskey River but that's okay.

Jacob & Carla & the boys took her and love her so much. They have renamed her Gabriella and will call her Gabby for short. I think her official name is Gabriella, Duchess of the House of Holsinger. Love it! Here are some really cute pics of her and she is precious and growing so fast! Now, instead of a furry child, we have a furry grandchild (granddog). Love It.

Cha Cha gets the best birthday present

Angie and Abby gave Cha Cha the best birthday present.
They came to visit for Cha Cha's birthday. He was so excited to see them. Abby is such a good baby. She warmed up to us really quickly. Of course it took us a little longer! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha . Love at first sight!
She is so cute! I just want to squeeze her. She loves to smile!!! and she just lights up when she does.

Wesley and Wyatt were so enchanted with her, especially Wyatt. They are so kind and gentle with little ones and I think Abby was a little curious about them. It was just a wonderful visit and we miss them so much. :-( We have seen her on Skype since then and I think she remembered us! We love ya'll.