Holladay Happenins has moved!

 I started a new blog where I can post different topics such as homeschooling, homesteading, and pregnancy. I decided to move Holladay happenins there too just to have it all in one place. Check it out! singlemomonafarm.com. Bookmark it so you can check it weekly as I still post pictures of our week. And please spread the word! I'd love to be able to coach people with any homeschooling or parenting questions they have. Especially homeschooling. I know people who struggle to get started or question if it's right for them and I'd love to help them out and save them a lot of stress.

Singlemomonafarm.com

Week ending 1-8-23 Everybody leaves

 I didn't take many pictures this week which is sad because now all our company is gone. Kylie and Alexis went back to BYU, Mama went to Lori's down in Charlotte, and Trish went back to Bulgaria. So now it's just the 6 kids and me again. It was a wonderful Christmas and New Years and I'm sad it's over. I miss the older girls so much and all the kids do too.

My cousin Nathan Hackbarth stayed until Monday afternoon and it was so fun having him. He helped Talea do pullups and played with the little boys a lot. I wish he lived closer.

Talea in her new ballet outfit trying on some shiny red heels someone gave us.

Kylie took this and sent it to me: Talea coming in her room to show her her outfit.

Doing ballet with Kylie, a dream come true for her. Talea's favorite person is Kylie and savors any time she gets with her. She especially loves to do ballet with Kylie.

Wednesday: Kaitlyn holds Kylie as we drop her and Lexi at the airport. So sad! I LOVED having them home. They make me feel loved and safe and that things are going to be ok. I'm so proud of the life they're making for themselves though. They both have scholarships, are getting all A's, are working to provide for their own needs, and get along great with their roommates. 

After leaving them at the airport I took Trish and Mama to Lori's so she could take them to the airport for their flights on Thursday and next Monday.

Thursday: Makenna and I took Thomas to seminary, waited till he was done, then dropped the car at the shop to get the oil changed and walked to the orthodontist for her appointment and then walked back to get the car. Brady texted a picture of his 13" of snow so I took this and sent it back to him. I love the weather here.

Friday: Talea playing outside.

A beautiful moon over our woods by Blueberry Hill.

Week ending 1-1-23 Charleston, first eggs, Trish here, New Year's Eve

 We had a great week after Christmas. Mama and Lori took 3 kids on a trip to Charleston for a few days and my sister Trish came to visit from Bulgaria and stay for a week. Then my cousin Nathan came to visit for 2 days. It's been so fun to have 13 people here talking, playing games, eating good food, and catching up with each other. It's been a lonely fall semester with my 4 oldest gone so I'm glad my kids got to have so much family here for the holidays.

Monday: Something's wrong when our temperature and forecast is the same as Worland, Wyoming where my brother lives. Luckily it didn't last long for us and the temps are back into the 50's and 60's where I like them. But it was a scary cold Christmas weekend for sure with a low of 2 degrees on Christmas Eve morning.

Kylie trying the new hoverboard.

Tuesday: I went hiking in the woods and the springs and creeks were still frozen, which is rare here.

Meanwhile Mama and Lori took Kait, Kenna and Sam to Charleston, SC and had a great time site-seeing.

But first they stopped in Charlotte so Lori could do a lifting session with the basketball team she coaches. Kaitlyn was playing on the gym equipment and cut her toe and it bled a lot. But it didn't keep her from site-seeing another 2 days.

First time these 3 have ever been on a bus!

Ft. Sumter

Wednesday: First eggs!! Finally! We think the chickens are about 26 weeks old so they should have been laying way before now. I wouldn't have guessed they'd lay after a cold snap but whatever! We're so happy to be finally getting eggs. Kaitlyn, Makenna and Samuel were on a trip so I took this and texted it to Lori saying "Surprise!" for her to show them. This is Kaitlyn's reaction:

I only had Kylie, Alexis, Thomas, Anderson, and Talea home with me the 3 days the others were gone. We went to the bookmobile and park, got stuff done like scholarship applications, and watched a movie one night.

Alexis trying the hoverboard.

Kylie on the hoverboard.

Anderson's turn.

Thursday: Talea excited about an egg I brought in.

Lexi and Tilly hanging out in the playroom. I'm going to miss Alexis when she goes back to BYU next week.

Andy and Tilly playing outside.

Talea has beautiful hair, lucky girl.

Friday: Trish flew in Thursday night and Mom and Lori had come back from their Charleston trip so we took a girls' day trip to Mt. Airy to show Trish the Andy Griffith sites.

Makenna in front of Opie's Candy Store.

When we got home I took Trish on a property tour of our 36 acres. She was impressed by this humongous spot where 2 trees fell down this fall.

Saturday: Starting the game day and New Year's Eve party foods! Lori and Talea making pretzels.

The 12 of us celebrating the new year. Nine girls and only three boys.

New Year's Eve countdown at 9pm.

The 3 little kids banging pots and pans.

Happy New Year!

Week ending 12-25-22

 

One of our trees that fell down during the hurricane in October.

Working in the woods and clearing our hiking trail. It was so much fun!

We made the new trail go between these trees we might name "the tunnel trees."

So happy Alexis and Lori are here! Dinner is fun with so many people at the table (including Mama and Kylie and the rest of us.) We squish 5 people on a 2-3 person bench.

Singing around the piano. I've missed Kylie so much.

Talea making peanut clusters.

"Frosted windowpanes."

Saturday: Christmas Eve dinner at the Shipley's house.

Alexis and Talea were on a team to make sleighs with candy canes and Hershey bars.

Racing the candy cane sleighs. It was so much fun!

Sam and I and Sister Shipley were on a team together and dubbed our sleigh "Santa's Squatty Sleigh" because we were the only one who made it fat instead of long.

Playing a game where lots of prizes were wrapped up in cellophane and if you rolled doubles you got to unroll it until a prize fell out or someone else got doubles. The kids were at a table and the adults were at a table.

Doing the nativity with the Shipley kids and their grandma.

"The children were nestled all snug in their beds..."

Sunday: Christmas morning! Kylie got jumper cables and sunglasses. Alexis got a tiny blender and earphones.

Anderson and Samuel got RC cars and legos.

Thomas got a drone and sunglasses. Kaitlyn got a dress and velcro. Makenna got a ballet outfit and lego set. Talea got a ballet outfit and diamond art.

The family got snow tubes, a handvac, speed cubes, and a hoverboard.

I got ear phones and gardening gloves.

Going down to see the presents.

Talea found a bike bell in her stocking.

Kaitlyn is sooo excited to get velcro for all the doll clothes she makes.

And sewing machine needles! She got all craft stuff and was so happy.

Cinnamon roll Christmas tree.

Kylie holding our friend's new baby.

Dressed up for Christmas Sunday.

Lori with the kids.

Andy and Sam open Matchbox cars from me.

Kylie gave Makenna her stuffed penguin and Kenna is so happy!

Kylie opens a book Alexis got for her.

Christmas dinner of fish, cheese, pita breads, fruit, grape juice.

Thomas loves the coat I got him and his new sunglasses from Santa.

Kaitlyn made several of us little animal loveys. She doesn't use a pattern, but invents them herself. They're so good!