The Holts

Project Life- January Layouts

2012-02-12T22:19:00.001-05:00

So if you know me, you know that I am a strong advocate of Project Life. Project Life is a way of documenting and displaying your photos and memory-keeping in a simple, inexpensive way. It uses the picture a day/journal entry a day approach, and I am so glad I have been doing this for the past year and a bit. I finished my 2011 album and will say that without a doubt its one of the greatest things I have done for my family so far. I treasure it! I have had a few of you ask for pictures to get a better idea of how it works. I have added a few embellishments of my own to make it more personal to my life, but for the most part, what you see is what you get when you order the Project Life core kit and binder. To learn more about Project Life, check out Becky Higgins' blog! Enjoy! (p.s. it probably sounds like I'm trying to sell you this product, which I kind of am, but only because it has saved me so much guilt for not journal keeping, and it has gotten all of those cute pictures off my computer and into something I will treasure my whole life!) I plan on showing all of my layouts each month. Thanks Ang for introducing me. You better post yours asap! xo

My Title page, which is not finished. It's slowly coming along.

Week 1

still missing one pic in this layout

Week 2

21 month insert

week 3 layout- still missing a pic too

week 4 layout

Just stay little...

2012-02-10T21:21:00.002-05:00

Today I was thinking about Boston approaching his 2nd Birthday, and decided to put together a little video of some home videos we have from the past 22 months. Wish time would just SLOW down! Enjoy!

What are the Holt's up to?

2012-01-20T17:39:00.003-05:00

2011 is gone, and 2012 is here. I can't believe it! The year I thought would never come, did. It seemed so far away. And now it is here, so brand new, so fresh, and so full of questions and excitement for us!

Josh is in his last few MONTHS of medical school. Where did the past 4 years go? I feel like it was yesterday that I was sobbing on our bed, pleading Josh to let me stay in Utah. DIGGING. MY. FEET. INTO. THE. GROUND. And now here we are. Planning graduation. Living up our last few months as medical students. So Josh has decided to be an Orthopedic Surgeon when he grows up. :) He has been interviewing all over the country over the past few months for an Ortho residency program. Among those ( but not limited to) are UNC (of course,) Duke, University of Utah, Washington University, Harvard, Iowa, South Carolina, CMC in Charlotte, and a few others. His residency will be 5 years, so it is crazy to think about where we will be spending our next 5 years together. Unfortunately the decision on where to attend is not fully in our hands, as it is a match system, so we will rank our top 5 programs, and then the programs will rank their applicants. Then it is all put into a big computerized system, and on March 16 we will get a letter telling us where we will be attending residency. We still don't have our top 5 narrowed down, but know that we will end up where we are supposed to be.

I have just been keeping busy with my etsy shop (TickledChic) which I am still loving. It keeps me busy during nap time, along with my Project Life 2012 ( so excited about it this year, the design is amazing.) I also continue chasing around my little Boston- he is now 21 months and is a full blown almost-two-year-old. He is talking so much now, and putting words together that actually make sense. He is also showing his personality with the occasional tantrum...always fun! Toddler-hood is a crazy time, but I feel like it's also been a really rewarding time. It is so fun to watch him learn and grown and I am so glad I get to be there every step of the way. I would love to go back to work 1 or 2 days in the future but as for now, you can't separate me from that little man.

We are really looking forward for all that 2012 will bring us! It will probably take us out of our comfort zone, it will probably make us learn more about ourselves, it might add people to our family (nope, not preg) and it might take us back to our families...but whatever it gives us we will embrace it! It is going to be a really great year, I can feel it. xoxo

Photography Blog

2011-11-18T10:31:00.003-05:00

So, i'm branching out and starting a photography blog finally. If you are interested in seeing some recent stuff I have been doing, you can check it out!

http://aliholtphotography.blogspot.com/

The Big Apple!

2011-09-18T20:14:00.022-04:00

So...we are in our LAST year of medical school....can you believe it? I can't. Part of me is so excited about it, the other part is terribly sad/nervous/anxious about where we will go next and if we will be leaving beautiful Chapel Hill. Any way, thats for another post. Fourth year med school requires you to do away rotations (especially Orthopedics, as it is very competitive and the more away rotational experiences you have, the better chance you have of getting matched at a good program, or even matched at all for that matter.) Josh is currently in Upper East side New York City doing a rotation at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Yes, I have been single parenting it for the last month, but no biggie. For the most part B has been really good, so I can't complain too much. It's been lonely around here though, I can't wait to get him home in 5 days. Boston and I were able to visit Josh last weekend and do some touring around NYC. It was insane seeing the whole city in only 2 days, but we did it! Our feet and legs could barely walk one more step after the trip, and currently my big toe is still numb from nerve damage I think. It was so much fun, I can't wait to go back! We stopped first at the LDS temple...so crazy to see in the middle of Manhattan! We had to stop at FAO Schwartz so Bost could play on the life-size piano stuffed animals! He didn't like it as much as I thought he would...give him a couple years I guess.

Hangin' in Times Square...definitely our favorite part of the trip! So many people to watch, lights, and action. Not to mention how many asians would just come up to Boston and start taking pics of him like he was a movie star! So funny.

Oh Joshua, such a trouble maker!!!

Bubba in Times Square!

Walked the long, long, Brooklyn Bridge....

The new World Trade Center. Only one building this time. It was very interesting to be there on 9/11 for the 10 year anniversary of the attack. There was a somber yet toughness about the people there. Glad there weren't any surprise terror attacks while we were visiting! It was a beautiful day in nyc.

taking a ride out on the Staten Island Ferry to see the city and the Statue of Liberty
Can you see her right in between our heads???
I had to get me an Aero Times Square shirt! I love it!

I heard you can't go to NYC without going to Serendipity for some Frozen Hot Chocolate! I do have to say, it did NOT dissappoint!!

It was such a fun weekend, and so amazing to spend some quality time with my busy husband! If you haven't been to New York City, get out there! There is so much to see. xoxo

Day 16: Long Exposure.

2011-08-10T00:36:00.004-04:00

So I have been a slacker on my 30 day photo challenge. I think its officially been... oh about 60 days since I started it ( at least) but I'm determined to finish what I have started. Day 15 is going to be postponed since I have a good idea but I want to do it at my house in NC, and I am currently in Utah at the moment so, whatever. This Long Exposure pic was taken in Lake Tahoe at the place we were staying. I really wanted to do a cool picture with car lights but I just don't hang out on overpasses very much...so that was not going to happen any time soon. It was still fun to play around with exposure and see what I could come up with.

Day 16. Long exposure. The first one has no editing and the second I was playing around with in Picnik.

Day 14: Eyes.

2011-07-18T16:44:00.003-04:00

Yes, I am skipping day 13. I havent been able to think of anything creative for that day, so maybe if I get some inspiration I will come back to it! :)

Day 14 was much easier for me. I mean I get to hang out with the most beautiful eyed person in the world daily! Is it fair that those eyes are beautiful even in black and white?!

my babies eyes.

Day 12: Sunset.

2011-07-10T16:14:00.002-04:00

So as you all know, in NC there are tons of trees. TONS of trees, thus making it difficult to see the horizon line at any given time of the day. Let alone sunset. SO it is pretty much impossible to get a picture of a beautiful sunset here, unless you live somewhere up on a hill ( which I dont know of any hills around here...) Long story short, here is a picture from a few weeks ago when I was in Hawaii. This was on the way to the airport to go home...so depressing, but so beautiful! No need for any editing on this one, either.

Day 12: Hawaiin sunset.

Day 11: Something Blue.

2011-07-06T16:29:00.005-04:00

So I noticed a few weeks ago that Bost is not fitting very well into his baby bath towels, so I went online and searched for a good toddler hooded towel tutorial. I came across this one and it was pretty easy to follow! I tweaked it a bit to make it my own (there were a few things she did that I didn't really think were necessary) but other than that it was a really fun project that only took about 1 hour to do, and cost me just under $6. I got the blue bath towel and green hand towel at Wal-mart for a little under 3 bucks each, and I had leftover white Minky from a blanket I made him a long time ago. I also had the ribbon, so there ya go! An easy, adorable, cheap craft that forced me to dust off my sewing machine! I might make another one this week and make my own tutorial. We'll see.

Day 10: A Childhood Memory.

2011-06-29T22:59:00.003-04:00

When I was in Utah a few weeks ago, I needed a shirt to sleep in, so I went into our laundry room and instantly went back to my childhood days. My sisters and I used to sleep in my dad's oversized, now "vintage" t-shirts... EVERY night. We would fight over the one with the seagulls on it. They are now literally less than paper thin, but still so comfy! I had to snap a few pictures, and I am glad I did! They were just as comfortable as when I was 10. If I were in Utah right now I would dig up a picture of us wearing them and post it along with these ones!

Day 9: Someone(s) I love.

2011-06-28T12:21:00.002-04:00

So maybe I am breaking the rules but I couldn't pick just one person that I love, because there would not be one without the other. These 2 kids are the reason I wake up in the morning, and the reason why I go to bed exhausted every night. I would not be the person I am without them both. They bring out the best in me, and... I really just love this picture.

Day 9: boys I love.

Day 8: A Bad Habit.

2011-06-23T21:19:00.004-04:00

No, you didn't miss day 7. I am skipping "fruit" because I can't get ahold of the specific fruit I wanna shoot. So when the grocery store gets it back in, there will be a random day 7 in there somewhere.

...On to day 8! So when I asked my hubby what my bad habits are, he listed immediately 10 different things without taking a breath. The easiest of which to snap a photo is... my habit of busting into packages without being careful, at all. I mean I don't just accidentally tear into things, I rip them open wherever, don't look for a "tear here" tab, don't stop to ask for directions... I just rip it open. I don't know if it is my impatience, or maybe that I just get really hungry and don't want to dilly dally all day trying to open something, so I just go for it! It doesn't really bother me, but Josh is very "orderly" and this tends to make him a little upset at times. I'm working on it, really.

Day 8: My Bad Habit.

Day 6. Low angle.

2011-06-22T21:35:00.006-04:00

So, this picture kills me but I took it last weekend at our friends lake house actually knowing that I would be doing a low angle shot for the photo challenge this week! So...this is my adorable dog Bella, who almost took her own life last Friday, the day before her 3rd birthday! We were headed out of town to visit some friends and Bella came with us. Well we had just gotten on the freeway on-ramp, and we always let Bella stick her head out the window. WELL, Josh rolls the window all the way down for her, and I usually only roll it half way down because I don't trust her... You know what's coming don't you! So we had a bag of food on the seat next to her, and it rolled and hit her legs, scaring the crap out of her....and well yes she jumped out the car window. Out of our MOVING car. We had to be going 40 miles an hour. We immediately pulled to the side of the road and I just started freaking out, sobbing...I didn't even want to know. Josh said she rolled and rolled but when he got out of the car, Bella came walking over to him! To make a long story short, Bella came out with only a few deep wounds, one over her right eye, a big one on her chin and another on her right leg. No broken bones that we know of, she is completely fine and can run faster than ever. It is a miracle that she is alive and I know that she and we were given a HUGE blessing. God knows how much I love this doggie! :) She will no longer have the window down ALL the way...only a few inches to stick her nose out! (the second pic was taken right after the jump) poor thing.

Day 5. From a high angle!

2011-06-21T21:40:00.003-04:00

This was taken today on our daily walk. It's exactly what I was hoping for, with no editing whatsoever! It seems like I see life from a high angle a lot, probably more than anything. I think that's probably inevitable with kids...but isn't it wonderful? Who wouldn't want to look into these eyes every day? Life from a low angle tomorrow :)

Day 4: green.

2011-06-20T22:15:00.003-04:00

Whenever I think of the color green, I immediately think of North Carolina. It is one of the greenest places in the world. When I first moved here, I was literally claustrophobic from all of the green trees. Now, I hardly even notice it! Ive posted pics of the lake in my backyard before, but today I was so excited that the cool bird was in the water for my picture! Enjoy.

Day 4: Green.

Be back Sunday.

2011-06-17T20:44:00.002-04:00

We are out of town so I will be back Sunday for day 4 photo challenge! Can't wait to keep it going! Xoxo.

Day 3: Clouds.

2011-06-16T22:00:00.003-04:00

Todays challenge was fun! There aren't many days where I actually stop to look up. It's amazing the things we might miss if we don't literally stop and just take a breather for a minute. I know I would have missed this if I hadn't today.

Day 3: Clouds.

I did have my camera set to vivid to bring out the blue in the sky a little bit, but the rays were incredible! I couldn't believe it when they actually showed up in the picture. This is why they say that North Carolina has the bluest sky in the world!

Photo Challenge: Day 2.

2011-06-15T21:18:00.003-04:00

Today's photo challenge was a little challenging ( since I dont have a full length mirror in a place with decent lighting.) So I had to make due with what I had. I love the lighting in the first picture, I didn't even have to edit it. I used my 50mm lens, and every time I do I wonder why I don't try it out more often. Here's to using my 50 more, I love the results almost every time!

DAY 2: What I wore today.

shirt: downeast. necklace: forever 21 ( i think?)

shorts: somewhere in Utah, can't remember store! Gold sparkle Jelly flip flops: old navy.

I'm excited for tomorrow's challenge! (It's supposed to rain, which means cool clouds hopefully!) Off to do some research about taking good cloud pictures...

Oh, and if you have no idea what any of this photo challenge stuff i am talking about, check it out here. I am already having fun trying out new things! :)

My 30 day Photography Challenge!

2011-06-14T22:29:00.003-04:00

So, I was browsing some blogs this morning, and found something that looks really fun, that might light a fire under my bum to get me blogging again! Feel free to join in on this challenge with me! I think it will be FUN!!! My goal is to get creative as possible and to edit the pics to make them a little more unique than just a "snapshot" picture.

Follow the list of daily challenges here.

Todays challenge, the FIRST challenge to start this out, is...

Day 1: SELF-PORTRAIT.

What's a self portrait whithout my best buddy in the whole world??

Comment and let me know if you will be joining me in the challenge! I think it will be fun to see everyone's pictures!

Egg-citing Easter!

2011-05-01T21:47:00.015-04:00

It was so much fun to have a kid around for Easter this year. Not that he really understood what was going on, or that it was even a Holiday, but the thrill you get as a parent hoping they will light up at even the smallest thing is such a rush for me! I loved giving him his Easter basket from the Easter Bunny, and he had 2 egg hunts this year and thought they were balls all over the grass. He wouldn't stop pointing and saying "ball, ball, ball." It was so cute. He would have been happy with just one egg, but we made him get at least a few...I had to get my chocolate fix of course! Thanks to Easter, Boston now is obsessed with chocolate and jelly beans. He makes this sound (ch..ch..ch)and points to our centerpiece (which holds the candy) BEGGING me for candy. So funny yet so annoying at the same time. Its almost impossible to get him to eat real food these days. I hope he forgets about the candy once the Easter decorations are put away (yes, they are still out...my bad.) He also took a visit to the Easter Bunny at the mall, and hated every second of it. Its a genetic problem, my sisters are still freaked out by the thing and mascots aren't my favorite either. Bost looked adorable in his Easter Sunday outfit, I loved the vest, I think it makes him look so old. Loved spending Easter with my 2 boys!

Happy Birthday to my Boston! 4/11/11

2011-04-12T22:05:00.013-04:00

Happy Birthday to my best friend and sweet little boy Boston! I can't believe you are one year old. Time sure does fly by when you are enjoying every waking (and sometimes sleeping) minute together. I will never forget how I felt when they placed you in my arms that Sunday morning. A void in my life that I never knew existed was immediately filled and I couldn't believe you were mine. I was yours. You looked up at me with those giant blue eyes and I was smitten. Those eyes still melt my heart every time you look at me and please believe it is going to be hard for me to not give you every single thing you want in life. In 12 short months you have taught me so much. You taught me endurance...through those long nights where I never considered giving you back, but definitely wondered if I would ever sleep again. You taught me patience, perserverance, and you continue to teach me selflessness every day. You have helped me enjoy the simple things in life...things I wouldn't normally stop to look at- a bird, a flower, a giant bumblebee, or the squirrels running around outside. Just one little gesture with your pointer finger, and for me, well, I'm used to it, but you are seeing these things for the first time, and to you it's everything. It's your world. And I love your little world.

You are the happiest person I know and I your enthusiasm for life rubs off on everyone around you. We can't go anywhere without someone admiring you, and without fail, they leave with a giant smile on their face. How lucky am I to spend every minute of my day with such a happy boy.

I wish I could freeze time and never let you grow up! I think I have said that every day since you were born, and every day seems to just get better and better. Some days it feels like time has flown by, and other parts of me feel like you have been in our family forever, and that we have known and loved you forever, which makes sense because we have. Some days I begin to panic and my mind fast forwards to high school...basketball games, prom...GIRLS. Girls will be calling you. And in no time after that, you will be packing your bags and leaving me to go on a mission. Sometimes I have to stop myself from being so irrational and get a hold of myself, but until then, I will continue to smother you, love you, and kiss you on the lips as often as you will let me (sorry Grandma)...because I can. And I love it.

Happy Birthday to my best friend in the world, the best thing that has happened to me (next to daddy), and my sweet little one year old, Boston James! I love you more than words could ever say. Love, mommy.

11 months old?!!!

2011-04-06T09:23:00.009-04:00

So once again, I haven't blogged in forever and am behind again! Now that I am chasing an almost 1 year old around, it seems I don't get half of the things I want to get done anymore. This age is too fun! At 11 months, Boston has all of a sudden become very mobile, and getting into absoultely everything. He still has 7 teeth ( that lower right lateral is either missing, or having a hard time making its appearance) and has quite the personality. He has no interest in baby toys, but he loves ipods, cell phones, remotes, and currently an obsession with the buttons on the VCR. He is a very good sleeper, and sleeps from about 9 at night til 7 in the morning. He eats oatmeal, fruit and yogurt every morning for breakfast ( which I have to force down him or he wouldn't eat anything.) He loves string cheese, strawberries, baby goldfish, lunch meat, but his most FAVORITE snack of choice are Gerber Graduates baby Cheetos. That kid would do absolutely ANYTHING for those things! He will sit with the can in his lap and eat them until I take them away. And when I take them away he gets so mad. Its hilarious! There was a period of 2 weeks where he did the fish face all day every day, it was so cute, but I think he forgot how to do it now. He also loves to make silly sounds by using his hand to make your lips move and make funny noises( wish I knew a word for that?) He does say a few things, Dada, Belba (Bella our dog), ball, balloon, and ba(for bird). He doesn't really say mama unless he is really upset and im still not even convinced that is what he means. In time I guess! He does love to hold the phone up to his ear and when we tell him to say hello...it is so cute! He points at everything and usually he isn't even pointing to something specificWe are just loving this stage, and I know it is even going to get more fun as he gets older!

the tooth monster.

2011-03-05T10:43:00.007-05:00

If you ever want to know what cutting 5 teeth at a time is like, go ahead and ask my little man! The past few weeks have been crazy with him working in all of his top teeth and a bottom tooth. I think we are done ( at least for a few weeks) and my happy little boy is back in business! He actually was not a bad teether at all! Just woke up a few times in the night screaming his head off. He looks so cute with his new teeth! Baby teeth are so funny.

He wears them well, dont ya think?! I can't believe he is going to be one in just a little over a month. Breaks my heart!!! I love my baby boy!

my 10 month old Dude

2011-02-20T20:25:00.007-05:00

10 months old...where has the time gone? Boston turned 10 months old on the 11th, and he is growing up so fast. It seems like every day he is getting more and more mobile ( and getting into more and more trouble!) He has really become quite vocal these days and definitely knows what he wants and when he wants it. It has been really fun to watch him progress, but its definitely a lot more work on my end! He is crawling around like a crazy person, although he doesnt do the traditional crawl, he uses his right foot to push off and then crawls..so its more like some sort of crab walk. He is making a lot of messes, so many that I cant keep up with them. Its like I clean up one box of toys to turn around and my whole bathroom drawer is cleaned out. He is very busy! Im pretty sure that this will only get worse from here on out! He has recently been trying to cut in about 4 new teeth so we have not enjoyed that. But he is a very happy boy, almost all the time! He sure knows how to ham it up at the grocery store, and will wave and smile so adorably, then when we try to have him do it at home, he won't. He is quite the character. I cant believe 1 year is just right around the corner, I have anxiety just thinking about it! We love our little dude so much, we are so grateful for his happy little spirit in our lives!

Oh, and by the way, since Boston has been born I dont think I have even mentioned what Josh and I have been up to...who really cares any way though, right? No... kidding. Josh is at the tail end of his 3rd year of medical school ( hooray!) and will start 4th year in May or June, cant remember. We are anticipating a hear back from the U of U for a one month rotation in Utah that would be in August of this year. Keeping our fingers crossed! He has been working really hard, and really long hours at times. He loves everything about medicine and is still deciding between being a Burn Surgeon or a Pediatric orthopedic surgeon. It makes for some crazy times around this place but we wouldnt have it any other way.

I have obviously been doing the mommy thing...but have also started up a photography class! Lets just hope I actually learn something from it. Hopefully the pics will begin to get progressively better. I also bought a yoga pass around christmas time, so I will start to go to those classes once Josh's surgery rotation is over and he can watch B. I have never done yoga so we will see how that goes! I also have a little side business (etsy shop) that keeps me busy enough, but not too busy. I also started Project Life at the beginning of the year and that has been a really fun project. It forces me to document the little things in life, and I actually find myself seeking out the good in every day. I have also started a little mommy/baby blog called n.c. baby blog, which has been really fun to put together. We are still loving North Carolina! Our ward got split back in October and I was really upset about that, but its actually been fine and I have seen my friends as much as I did before and in the meantime have made new friends. In fact, we play church ball as a combined team so that has been really fun. Im not sure how I got suckered into playing church basketball, I dont even know what I am doing, but it has been a good way to keep involved and get a little exercise too. And apparantly I can make 3 pointers...who knew? Any way, life here is good for the Holts. When match day comes around next year it is going to be really hard when it comes to ranking. We love it here, but miss Utah and our families/friends a lot! Who knows. Enough ramblings about us...here are a few more pics of the one you are all here to see.

Project Life!!!

2011-01-25T22:29:00.006-05:00

So I am quite excited about this! I just ordered Project Life 2011 Amber Edition today! One of my best friends Angie inspired me to do this this year. Lately I have just felt so guilty about not being a journal writer or scrapbooker, or even a die-hard blogger for that matter. So, one of my new years resolutions was to figure out a way to organize my thoughts and pictures and actually DO something about it. So I remembered my friend did this last year and decided to look into it more. And I can already tell Project Life and I are going to be GREAT friends this year!

So WHAT is Project Life you may ask????

Project life was started by a lady named Becky Higgins. Check out her blog here. Her idea was to get together a kit that comes with everything you need for one full year. Everything matches, no need to worry about layout, buying expensive scrapbooking accessories...it comes with everything you need and it only costs a little over 50 bucks on Amazon ( so if you got that awesome deal last week on LivingSocial.com this is a perfect way to spend your voucher!) Its a way to not only capture the big moments ( sports events, baby's first steps, etc.) but also a great way to remember the small every day things... Like when Boston swims in Bella's dog water, or I put the milk in the cabinet instead of the fridge...silly things like that! Its great because the journal cards are small enough to fit inside your purse or diaper bag... so when something happens and you are on the go, or you are traveling, you can easily take your cards and write wherever you go. Print your pictures, match them up to your journal card, and you are done. I am obsessed with this idea and if you are looking into doing something easy and fun, I think you will like this too!

9 months and growing

2011-01-16T21:34:00.009-05:00

I cannot believe my little baby is 9 months old. I hate it! At the same time, I love it. He definitely has his own personality now and is becoming more and more interactive each day. Here is what Boston has been up to ( feel free to skip, but its all got to be documented for posterity sake). Because we are a month behind on all of his well-baby visits I cant give exact measurements right now, but my guess is he is around 17-18 lbs. I still think he may be a bit small for his age ( in comparing him to other babies we know around the same age.) Some of the things he is doing these days: Loves oatmeal in the mornings! He gets so anxious whenever I eat my bowl of cereal...I have to eat as fast as I can so I can feed him his oatmeal. Heaven forbid he wait 5 minutes for me to eat! He just got a big boy high chair ( which I might add that I found for 20 bucks on Craigslist, and it matches my carseat, and bouncer...I was so excited.) The bumbo is still great but he was just getting so distracted during meal times, I had to get something I could tie him down to. He is still not crawling, but rather "inch-worming" if you can even call it that. He can probably move about 3 inches and thats it. He is such a great sleeper these days! He finally learned to sleep through the night at about 7 1/2 months. Finally over Thanksgiving weekend I just couldnt take the night time feedings any longer and decided it was time to do some sleep training. I asked every mom I knew for books, advice, etc. and was excited to learn all about baby sleep that I could. The first night I moved him into his crib in his OWN room, he woke up twice...I gave him his binky each time and with only a few minutes of crying, he went back to sleep. Now he sleeps through the night like a champ...apparantly all I had to do was move him into his own room!!! Whenever we have another baby it will most definitely be moving into its own room a LOT sooner than 7 1/2 months. He is still taking 2 if not 3 naps a day as well and never protests. He loves sleeping and I am grateful for that...I hope thats something that stays with him into the toddler years! We have also recently been giving him a lot more table foods, and he is loving feeding himself and trying out new things. I think he is going to be a good eater. He has developed a love for screaming his lungs out...whenever we are shopping somewhere, people look at me like I need to control my child or something because he plays these games where he screams and each time it gets louder and louder! He started waving in Utah when we visited over the Holidays but he has relapsed and wont really do it on command any more. He still really only has the 2 bottom teeth, but recently the upper right lateral has cut through...which is kind of silly. I thought he would get his little front teeth in before. My guess is pretty soon they will all be coming through because he is teething like crazy. Lucky for me, he is not a cranky teether. Speaking of teeth, he has recently begun doing this super cheesy smile all the time, like he knows its cute. People will say hi to him at the grocery store and he will just smile and ham it up big time like he knows how cute it is! So funny. He also has a fake laugh he has started to do when he is getting ready to eat. I think its an excited thing but he pretty much forces out this laugh that is so hilarious. He also just realized if he uses his hand to move his lips up and down it makes a funny sound. So he does that all the time. He still loves books like crazy! He also LOVES baby Einstein movies. It is so funny because I have noticed recently that he laughs at certain points in each movie. Like he has favorite parts or something...its always at the same places. I love him so much. We are so in love with this little man. It's crazy to think about life before he existed. I dont know how I ever lived without him! He makes me smile every second of every day. I love those big blue eyes and his sweet dimples that melt my heart!

First E.R. visit.

2010-11-23T13:03:00.012-05:00

I put FIRST E.R. visit as the title of this post because being Josh's son, I just know with B we are going to be paying more visits to the E.R. than I can even imagine. But, I guess when you raise boys, you have to be ready for it.

Well, we had quite the scare last week. At least I did...Josh kept his cool pretty well but I was a wreck. So here is the long version of a very long story.

Boston started solid foods about 6 weeks ago now, and last week was when he really started chowing down on them. On Monday, he was REALLY constipated. I mean pooped like 7 times, but nothing much was coming out...it was bad. He was screaming every time he tried going potty and was kicking his legs, had the most bloated little tummy...it was so sad. And when I would change his diaper he would just SCREAM.

So, gratefully Tuesday came and it seemed to have passed. That night we all went to bed around 10, and around 11:30 Boston woke up just screaming again. Josh got up and tried rocking him but he was just arching his back, kicking and screaming in pain. He calmed down after about 45 minutes, but then he was really limp, and his eyes were rolling in the back of his head and we noticed his breathing was very rapid ( about 65-70 breaths a minute). He just couldnt get any air in. Bos has had a really bad cold with some congestion, so Josh was listening with his stethescope and could tell there was lots of fluid in his lungs and that he was definitely wheezing.

Josh gave him a blessing and then we decided we needed to take him into the E.R. We arrived there around 1:30 AM. We stripped him down and the nurses took his temp, weight, etc. and got the doctor in as soon as they could. We described the above story to the docs, and they recommended starting with a breathing treatment that "may or may not work". Obviously we wanted to try anything so they gave him a "blow by" Albuterol treatment which I had to hold next to his nose for an hour straight. It was a LONG night. Luckily Boston fell asleep which made it easier for me to hold the tube next to his nose. The doc came in and out watching his oxygen intake and said that after an hour he had responded well to the treatment, but wanted to wait an hour or two to watch his oxygen levels. They put a nasal canula on him for extra oxygen which he HATED and swabbed his nose for an RSV lab test. After about 2 hours the doc came in and said that his oxygen levels were down again and they wanted to do another hour long Albuterol treatment. Which meant I got to hold the tube next to his nose again! (Luckily to pass the time, the girl next to us had just taken 25,000 mg of Tylenol to try and kill herself, so that made for some interesting entertainment...the guy on the other side was in A-fib and was panicking thinking he was going to die.)

And there lay my little 7 month old baby on oxygen....trying to just get some air into his little body. He responded well again to the Albuterol treatment, but his oxygen levels were still lower than the doctors wanted. So around 7 AM they decided to admit him to the pediatric unit to make sure he got back up to a higher oxygen level. We stayed all day Wednesday, just trying to get him from pulling the nasal canula out of his nose and all trying to get some rest. We were exhausted ( I havent pulled an all nighter like that since high school!) Wednesday afternoon his levels dipped down again so they increased the oxygen but he was off it again by the evening. He did well overnight..his levels increased and were almost back up to normal by Thursday morning. We were able to go home Thursday afternoon gratefully and he is doing MUCH better!

We had a follow up appointment this morning, the labs came back negative for RSV so that is good, they think that he may have just had an asthmatic episode from all the congestion in his lungs from his cold, and that the insane crying from the bloated tummy sent him into an respiratory response. We have our fingers crossed that this is something he wont have to deal with his whole life.

I learned 2 important things this week from this and as Thanksgiving approaches, I wanted to just say--

1) I am SO grateful we have modern medicine, and more importantly, doctors who are willing to sacrifice leaving their wife/husbands and kids not only daily but over night to help people. I have had a bad attitude in the past about Josh having to work the night shift because -lets be honest it sucks to be home alone and sleep alone and all of that. But I hope that when Josh has to work more nights, I can just look back at this experience and be grateful that there were people there- who have families just like me- to be there for us when we needed it.

2) I am grateful for a healthy family and especially baby. Our circumstance was scary, but I am so glad that he is a generally healthy kid. I know there are kids fighting hard battles daily with lifelong illness and I am so grateful for all that our family has been blessed with.

We are just so glad our little Boston is doing better, we love you dude!

Not feelin too hot...

Daddy lookin a little tired...

Breathing treatment- try #1

Breathing treatment- try #2

Only this kid would be this happy at a hospital. He makes me so happy.

Half a year old.

2010-11-08T11:05:00.012-05:00

Boston is now 6 1/2 months old. His little personality is really starting to show through! The big new milestone this month was starting solid foods. We started with the Rice cereal, and he really hated it. Still hates it actually! We then moved onto green beans, which he does not like, then carrots which he actually really liked, and then sweet potatoes, which of the vegetables are his favorite so far. Last week we tried out bananas, and those seem to be the favorite so far. Not surprising! I didn't think I would like feeding him solids ( I am sort of in denial that he is growing up) but now that we have started I actually look forward to trying out new foods and seeing what he likes! Boston also got his first 2 teeth in (bottom central incisors.) ! He got them in at 5 1/2 months...which is a little early, but Josh got teeth at 3 months old according to his mom, so I am counting my blessings that didn't happen with B. He has not been a bad teether at all. We had one or two nights where he just slept so bad, and then all of a sudden he had a tooth. Then about a week later the next one just popped right in. So crazy! His style for playing with toys includes anything that lights up and makes noise, daddy's remotes ( weird), cell phones, ipods, and BOOKS. He loves looking at/chewing on books more than anything. A book will calm him down in the craziest of tantrums. I guess another trait he got from his dad. :) We have recently started taking him to the park to swing, which he loves! He could swing for hours and be so happy. He loves to be cuddled at the right times, and now likes to be rocked to sleep lying on his tummy rather than sideways like a baby. He loves giving big wet kisses when we ask for them- this includes a rather intense hair grab at the same time. I love it though and dont care if I go bald on the side of my head from this! He loves his blue lovey blanket and binky and really needs both to fall asleep. Said blankie needs to be touching his face for him to fall asleep. He has found a lot of new sounds, the latest of which is ba ba ba ba ba. Today he saw our dog Bella and started saying ba ba ba. I swear he is saying Bella- I will die if that is his "first" word. He and Bella LOVE each other. When he sees her he waves his arms excitedly and screams. Whenever he gets really excited he waves his arms so fast, I love it! He usually does this before baths when he is nakie. He loves taking baths and has just figured out how to splash the water everywhere with his legs. He thinks it is so funny! He also learned how to sit up this month. We had a couple major falls while learning to do this, both of which were forward falls, either into the dirt, or into the corner of the wall. Im a bad mom sometimes. He is still sleeping in his pack n' play next to me...again, part of the denial of him growing up. I really need to get him into his own room...and start the sleep training process. He still gets up 2-3 times a night....it is not fun. I know I will miss it someday though so Im trying to have a good attitude about it. Lastly, the stats. He now weighs 16 lbs 4 oz ( ONLY in the 15% for weight...we got a skinny guy on our hands), 26.5 inches tall (50%) and 17.7 inches head circ. ( 75%). We love our little Boston and cant imagine life without him! He is definitely my best little friend and has brought more happiness to our family then ever imagined possible. Right before the first taste of rice cereal!!

first taste......

YUCK!!!

my Halloween Chicken

2010-11-03T19:09:00.008-04:00

We had a great Halloween this year! This was something I had been excited for since I was a little girl- dressing up my first baby in a Halloween costume! I decided to make Boston's costume this year. I knew it would be cute, but didn't realize HOW cute it would actually turn out!

Stay tuned for Bostons 6 month post. I am so behind on blogging!!! :)

3 years of wedded BLISS!

2010-09-27T15:02:00.006-04:00

Today is our 3rd Anniversary!!!! 3 years ago today I made the best decision of my life. I married my best friend in the Salt Lake Temple for all eternity! It was the prettiest, dreamiest day of my whole life. I love the Fall for this reason; I can almost smell and feel what it was like on my wedding day every time September rolls around. Its hard to believe that 3 years has already come and gone. Last year I didnt even get around to blogging about our 2nd year anniversary because I was too dang excited blogging about my pregnancy! Which brings me to the highlight of the 3rd year of our marriage- seeing my husband become a daddy. It has been hilarious at times and almost surreal at times. The crazy kid that I chased for 3 and 1/2 years is now a daddy and is over half way to being a Doctor! ( That is ALSO surreal at times!) He is such a great father, husband and friend and I am so blessed that he asked me to marry him that day in Lake Powell! I cant wait to see what year 4 has for us in store! I love you so much Joshua Brent!! You still knock me off my feet. xoxo.

Bostons 1st camping trip!

2010-09-16T17:41:00.017-04:00

A post wouldn't be the same without a monthly picture to start!

To celebrate Boston's 5 month birthday,we went out to Asheville for some camping and exploring with some friends! Asheville is in the western part of NC, it is also what everyone here calls "the mountains."

I'll be honest, I was a little worried how Boston would do camping for 2 nights ( especially after what ended up being an almost 5 hour drive to get there). I don't know why I worry though, he is the most chill baby I know and always exceeds my expectations! He did SO great. Here is a recap of the weekend!

We left Friday late afternoon in hopes of getting there early evening to meet up with the Connells and Clausses. I had multiple sets of directions, but being in the mountains the mapquest and the GPS didn't quite recognize the address I was giving; I figured with a combination of the 2 we would find our way. I had my mapquest directions on my Itouch, and the GPS in front of me. We were doing great until it was time to get off the major highway. We decided that since the mapquest directions seemed more detailed, we would go with those from there on out. Bad news. I hit the wrong button on my Itouch, and had no way of getting the directions back. So we started winding up a mountain, which we would soon come to know as Mount Pisgah, quite possibly the windiest, most deserted mountain I have ever been on. The GPS was still on but was disagreeing with our every turn. We probably should have listened to it( thats what GPS's are for right?) But I had remembered that the mapquest directions were heading us up this mountain and I was positive it couldn't be far. I have never been more wrong in my life. It was now dark, and we were winding hairpin turns on this mountain for miles. We were so far into and up the mountain the GPS lost its connection. It was frozen. The road was VERY narrow and there was a cliff on the other side of us. After about 30 or 40 minutes, we finally saw a truck pulled off the side of the road ( an answer to my many prayers, im serious!) I rolled down my window and asked the guy at the wheel if he knew his way around this mountain and if we were anywhere near our campground. He was your typical Southern guy...(shirt off, cigarette in mouth, girlfriend in the front seat, dog in the back of the truck)... and with the twangiest accent he preceded to tell me that we had a ways to go but that we would eventually get there if we just kept going up this mountain. At this point, we had only a little under 1/4th a tank of gas. The guy said we would never make it there and that we should turn around and go back to the bottom of the mountain to get gas. Are you kidding me?! We have been driving this thing for 30 minutes now, there is no way we are going back now!! But it was comforting to know that we were at least on the right track. We decided to keep going, and just hoped our car would make it with the little gas we had left. We finally made it to the peak of the mountain about 20 minutes later. At the top of the mountain, there was a little hotel, with surprisingly a lot of people staying there! I was SO relieved to see civilization again! We decided to stop and ask the front desk again for better directions ( since the guy in the truck gave us directions something like "you'll see the road go like this, then your gonna turn there, go for a little bit longer, take a right there, go for about 5 or 10 more minutes...blah blah blah) So Josh ran inside the hotel. Josh proceded to tell the gentleman at the counter that we were lost and looking for Davidson River campground. The man (in the same twangy southern accent) said to him " Son, you are at the Pisgah Inn on Mount Pisgah, and youre not lost anymore!" He gave us the good news that we were only about 20 minutes away, and gave us pretty detailed directions that we could follow. It was a blessed day when we saw the sign for Davidson River Campground! I really never thought we would make it there.

We stayed up and roasted mallows once we got there! The babies fell asleep fast...this is Boston all snuggled up in the tent! He SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT both nights!!! Guess im going to have to set up a tent in my backyard now. I thought this was going to be a new milestone, but no, we are still getting up at least once at night. :( Just a fluke I guess!

just a groggy little morning face

We spent Saturday exploring the mountains of NC! We visited multiple waterfalls, as well as Sliding Rock! We have wanted to go to Sliding Rock since we decided to move out here, so it was fun to check that off our to do list ( even though I didn't technically go down it, I had to hold the baby).

These pics are all from Sliding Rock! Josh forced Bella to go down with him, poor doggie! She was scared to death!!!

Annabelle and Boston all tuckered out after a long day

Thats me using diapers to clean up our tent! Lets just say our tent is NOT made for torrential rain! It rained almost all night the second night. My genius idea ( if I do say so myself) was to line the tent with diapers, wherever there were puddles forming. In the morning, I used the diapers to wipe down the inside of the tent. It worked great! Those things soak up a TON of stuff!
Annabelle looks so annoyed of Boston in this picture! She is 6 weeks younger than Boston
believe it or not! She is actually even a little bigger than him! Ben, Kristin and Annabelle, and Ashley and Carleton were in our ward until just recently. Both husbands just graduated law school and now have taken their families to new places. I might secretly hate them for it. :) We miss them in Chapel Hill but are so glad we can meet up for fun things like this!

Thanks for the great time guys! Next adventure...Beach camping!!!

4 going on 5!

2010-08-22T20:18:00.013-04:00

Boston is now a few days shy of 5 months, so im going to just catch up on the 4 month post! For some reason I just cant get myself to blog lately. Ive said it before and I'll say it again, this is going WAY too fast! What happened to my tiny little baby? Boston's personality is really starting to show through now though, its great. He has found his voice, so my days are filled with screams and babbles non stop. He just recently found out that he can get both feet to his mouth, so thats been funny to watch. He is weighing in at 15 and a half lbs, which is just a little over 50% for his age. Everyone tells me "he is so big" for a 4 month old, but I think its just because I dress him like a little man. If I put him in a sleeper or when he is nakey he looks a lot smaller! The funniest thing he has been doing lately is when he gets scared, he screams the highest pitch scream I have ever heard! If he hears another baby cry he will scream sooo loud, and we just laugh hysterically. He also LOVES swimming. Its unbelieveable how smart he is when it comes to swimming. Josh will hold his tummy and he will kick his legs and splash with his arms like he is swimming, and gets the most serious concentrative look on his face. And when we take him out of the pool he cries! He is definitely a little fish! Boston is such a good baby. He is happy 99 percent of the time. His smile is so contagious, no matter what mood I am in, if he smiles at me it just makes my heart melt. It is soooo awesome being a mom! He loves his mommy and daddy so much, whenever I get him out of his crib from naptime he just lights up. Its such a great feeling. Whenever Josh gets home from work he gets so excited! We also took him to his first country concert...Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker. I was out shopping the morning of the concert and found some cowboy boots...and I just couldnt resist. He had to have them. I had to have them. He loved all the lights at the concert but the noises scared him a little. He ended up falling asleep but he did swoon a ton of drunks that night! They loved him! We love our little Boston and are so grateful to have him in our family!

Boston is 3 months old!

2010-07-11T19:51:00.017-04:00

Another month has come and gone! My baby is growing like a weed! We went to the docs a couple weeks ago, he is now 13.7 lbs (70th percentile) and 23.4 inches (less than 50th percent). He got his first set of shots and did so great! He only let out a loud cry right after, but calmed right down once I picked him up! I held it together too, I was proud of myself! But it did break my heart! Here are some other things Boston has been up to:

-rolled from his tummy to his back! Took me by surprise cuz we hardly ever do tummy time!

-first laugh! He's still not doing it much unless hes in the perfect mood and im acting like an idiot...but i dont think its going to be long before he is laughing a ton.

-loves his baths now...he cries when i take him out!

-slept through the night- ONCE. Wish I could say we have crossed that milestone but this guy loves eating way too much.

-Reaches for rattles, toys, and my face.

-Sucks on his hands or finger constantly.

-His hair is growing a ton! He looks like a chia pet! its straight up on top!

-Recognizes his favorite blankies and toys

-When he is in his bed and im getting ready for bed he lifts his head so he can watch me and when i look over at him he gets the biggest grin on his face!

Boston is such a joy in our lives, everything is better because he is in our family! It's hard to imagine how life was without him, you never know what you are missing out on and then you have a baby of your own and you wonder how you ever existed before he was here! We are loving every second of him!

I think he looks a ton like me in this picture (above)...

We took Boston to the fireworks on the 4th at the UNC stadium! He was mesmorized! I thought he would be terrified, but he just sat there and watched them with huge eyes the whole time!

Is this not a mini-me of Josh??? He must be a perfect mix!

Me and my best buddy! You can usually find him doing this with his tongue, all day long. :)

TWO months old...

2010-06-15T20:51:00.018-04:00

My baby is two months old. UGH! So crazy where the time goes, and how insane that they grow right before your eyes. Here are some of Bostons updates:

*Found his voice, loves cooing and talking with us! Even laughed once!

*Found his hands...and loves sucking on them every chance he can get!

* When he is hungry, he really means it. Still eating every 3 hours, on the dot!!!

* Loves to sleep in. Today it was noon and I had to wake him up. Got that from his mommy!

*Loves being held, hates being put down for more than 5 minutes at a time. We somehow gotta get rid of this habit, but I love holding him so I dont care right now!

*Can pretty much hold his head up all on his own now!

* LOVES sitting in his Bumbo! I dont know, but I swear he is too young to be doing this already? I was kind of joking when I sat him in it, but he did great and loved it. He sits on my bathroom counter when I get ready in the mornings and entertains himself. He loves looking at himself in the mirror!

*Loves when mommy reads to him

*HATES tummy time! This might as well be a punishment.

* Loves to stare at patterned objects ( The past few days i have worn a polka dot shirt, a shirt with flower patterns, etc.) He gets super excited and moves his arms and legs really fast and just stares at my clothes! Hilarious.

* Found his tongue. Constantly sticking it out. Its so cute and pointy.

* Must have binky in mouth and blankey next to his face when he gets rocked to sleep. Sleep will not happen without one or the other.

* Likes his baths now! Unless he bathes on an empty stomach, thats another story.

* Has been swimming twice now! Not sure if he likes it or not. Both times he had a very serious face the whole time ( the first time he actually fell asleep on his back and without going into too much detail took in a little water...) So sad.

*Caught his first cold. It was not a fun few days!

* Just being the cutest little boy there ever was! I hate that he is growing so fast, but each stage gets more and more fun!

*Mom and Dad are OBSESSED.

Picture crazy!

2010-05-31T10:12:00.004-04:00

When I was in Utah, I got a few more shots of Boston. Hey, you cant get enough pictures of your first child, right?!! I loved how they turned out!!!

1 month old and Utah trip!

2010-05-22T21:10:00.016-04:00

I hate to say the cliche...but seriously, is my baby already over a month old?!! Time really does fly by, I hate it. Boston had his 1 month check up this week and he is progressing exactly as he should. He is weighing in at 10. 9 lbs ( in the 50th percentile) and 21.5 inches tall. I found this silly dog at IKEA and decided that I am going to watch my baby grow month by month...next to this guy. You will be seeing him again! :)

Boston also had his first airplane ride at only 3 1/2 weeks! We were able to fly out to Utah for Bostons baby blessing. Josh gave the most beautiful blessing, and we got to share the day with Josh's brother Parker who just got home from Mexico and gave his homecoming talk. And to top it all off, it was my first Mothers Day! It was quite the special day for us.It was so great to be able to introduce Boston to all of my sisters, in- laws, cousins and friends! It is definitely hard to live far from home and have a baby that you want everyone to see and watch grow! But its great that I get to go back so often and visit. Another highlight of the trip to Utah was meeting up with two of my best friends and all of us having our babies together, finally! All 3 of them are going to be in the same school grade, and will definitely be best friends. Olivia and Gabe are now 7 and 8 months, I swear they were just barely born! Its crazy that we all have babies now, to think that Kristen and I met in high school, and that Angie, who I met in college and were fighting over the same boy for a while( who is now Angies husband, I guess she won:) all have little kids and were walking around the mall with our strollers...its just nuts. I LOVE it. I was also able to see my cute friend Jandie who is having her baby boy in July, we cant wait to meet him!

Remember this picture?? (ALL PREGNANT!)

And remember this picture...these two were only 1-2 months old?!!

Now look at them! Boston cant wait to get in on this lovin!

And here is Boston with his 2 biggest fans....his first time Grandmas!!

And last but not least....Meet ROBBIE!!! Many of you remember Seymour our black Pomeranian...well he passed on last year...so sad, so the fam finally decided to get a new puppy! Growing up with a pomeranian, well we girls just cant live without one! He is quite the fiesty little guy, he is as wild as they come. But how adorable right!!! Welcome to the family Robbie dog!

3 weeks old, and what we've been up to!

2010-05-02T16:08:00.013-04:00

I cant believe my baby is already 3 weeks old today! Yet it seems like Boston has been part of our lives forever, its so crazy! Boston and I survived out first official week "alone" together ( we had family in town until last week, and Josh is in school most of the day). Boston is a VERY good baby! He only cries when he is hungry or REALLY mad! ( see pictures below). He is sleeping pretty good in my opinion. He gets up every 3 hours on the dot to eat, but goes right back to sleep when he is finished. He loves just hanging out in his swing or bouncy seat ( which is so nice, I can shower and get ready for the day and he just chills!) When he is awake, he is very alert. Whenever people see him they always comment on how alert he is and how he just focuses in on you. When he is asleep, I get countless smiles and eye rolls and facial expressions that are to die for! Its hilarious. We couldn't ask for a better baby and feel more than blessed to have him in our lives! He makes everything in my life better. We are taking him to Utah next weekend to bless him, and cant wait for all of his Aunts, Uncles, cousins and friends to meet him!

Here is what we have been up to so far!

First offical bath in the tub...and HATED every minute of it!!!

We have been doing lots of walking around the neighborhood, he loves the stroller!

Lots and LOTS of diaper changes!!! ha ha

Lots of naps. For mommy and baby.

First day of church!!!

Just hangin out with my daddy

And lastly, pics of the nursery!!!! finally!!

Bostons Newborn pics

2010-04-20T21:43:00.014-04:00

My little Boston got his newborn pictures done a few days ago, and they turned out better than I ever imagined! My friend Ashley is amazing, she is the one who did my maternity pics back at week 30. She is so talented and I appreciate her letting Boston poo and pee all over her cute stuff. He did great the first day with the hats, but we had to go back to get the scale picture! He had had enough of the pictures, but I HAD to get one in that adorable scale! I still cant believe this is my baby. He is so cute, I have the biggest crush on him ever!

Welcome Baby Boston

2010-04-18T18:02:00.007-04:00

Boston James Holt was born Sunday, April 11 at 11:37 am.

8lbs 20.5 inches

We are so in love with our little man, and cant believe he is already a week old.

Sorry the post is late, but we have just been loving the heck out of this little guy!!!!! More to come on our little Boston!

8.5 MONTHS!!!

2010-03-20T22:42:00.000-04:00

This is the last picture you are going to get of Big Mama before our baby boy comes! I have been putting off this picture for a few weeks now and my mom keeps begging me, so here it is. Officially almost 38 weeks preggo... feeling great and sooo excited! 15 days...the countdown is on!!!

I hope to post pics of the nursery next! It is almost done...and I love it. The blog will be private soon so please add our update blog to your blog list if you follow(www.theholts2010.blogspot.com) and leave this blog on your friends list. I wanted to get it private this weekend, but the weather here has been in the mid 70's and I just cant stay inside! Here's to 15 more days ( maybe more...hopefully less?) until our little crunch is here! :)

Last Call- going Private!!!

2010-03-04T20:11:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to make sure I have everyones email that is interested in reading our blog! I hope to have it blocked by the end of the weekend.

In the meantime, please add our new "updater" blog to your lists to you can see when we update! I will be posting the title of my new posts on that blog, as well as a direct link to our normal blog where it will direct you to sign in. Does that make sense? I hope so.

http://www.theholts2010.blogspot.com/

GOING PRIVATE

2010-02-27T22:49:00.000-05:00

Please believe, I am very unhappy that I have to do this. But to avoid some creepy things that have been happening, I think its in our best interest that I do the inevitable and make our blog private. If you would like to continue reading our blog, please leave your email here, or email me at holtfamilyblog@yahoo.com .

As you know, private blogs do not show when you update your posts. So, I will be making a separate blog here shortly that will indicate when I update our family blog so that those of you with updaters will still see when we update! Then you can just log on from there. I hope to have this private and the new blog up within the next week, so check back soon for more info. I hope yall will still continue to follow, as we have very exciting things happening SOON!!! :)

Sew Obsessed

2010-02-12T18:44:00.000-05:00

So I got an early Valentines Day present about a month ago!

And ever since, I cant stop! It has been really fun learning how to sew and finding random crafts and projects to work on, especially for the baby. I don't know why im surprised that craftiness is kind of in my blood, because if you know my mom she is quite the sewer extraordinaire, so its been fun to find a talent I never knew really existed! Here is what I have been up to!

Just the cover! the lining of the carseat was definitely not made by me! But I actually made the cover before we bought our carseat so ironically it matched! Apprantly im slightly obsessed with the brown and blue these days.

this blanket was a lot harder than it looks!!! it drove me crazy.
taggie crinkle toys

This one is a fold and go diaper changing pad...closed...

and opened!

chenille burp cloths

These little guys were quite the challenge, but im working on them!

There are a few more projects in the works, so if they turn out good ill post them. Im pretty excited about it! And we only have 7 more weeks til he's here. Holy Cow.

30 weeks~ maternity pics

2010-01-27T21:06:00.000-05:00

So my good friend Ashley agreed to take some maternity shots for me! I really didn't want to get any done but I had multiple people tell me I will regret it if I dont, so I went for it. Im so glad I did now, she did such a great job!!! I actually still havent seen them all, but here are a few that she has sent me that I really like. Thanks Ash! Oh and p.s. I did agree to do some " bare belly" shots as well, which I was VERY skeptical about doing. But for documentary purposes I did some and liked how most of them turned out. I'll post up only a few of those...sorry if youre not a fan!

3 months to go...

2010-01-07T20:46:00.001-05:00

Let it be known, im 6 months pregnant. Holy COW!

A letter to a friend.

2009-12-16T19:12:00.000-05:00

Dear Body,

I miss you so, so much. It seems like yesterday we were running, frolicking and playing without getting dizzy and becoming short of breath. I know that growing a human is not easy, but somehow we we will get through this together.

Dearest neck- you have never had acne before. This is something new for us! I've never had so much fun playing connect the dots in my life.

To my hard working hands...you are always red now. And throbbing. Unfortunately, I dont think this is going to get any better for you, but much, much worse. I apologize in advance.

To my Back. WHY???????

Dear, dear rib cage. Im sorry this has happened to you. 4 inches in just a few short months is way too much and too fast to expand. This is not normal. Rib cages are not meant to do this. Please stay where you are, I refuse to buy a size 40 bra.

B cups. Sweet, sweet B cups. Where have you gone? I cannot believe at one point in my life I wanted anything different. I wished you away...now you are gone and I cannot wait until we meet again. I promise enhancement is not, nor will ever be in your future. It's defintely not all its cracked up to be. I miss you.

Tummy. Where do I begin? You and I....we have a love/hate relationship. What once was the deepest, darkest, endless hole of a belly button now is flat and is very easy to clean. I appreciate that. However, you are very itchy. You are very high maintenance. I apply my lotions and gels and you still itch. However, I thank you for not having stretch marks...yet. Please, if you plan to do this, wait until the last month or few weeks of pregnancy. Do it for my sanity. Thank you for keeping my baby boy safe and warm. He is the reason that all of this makes sense. He is the reason for me not popping you like a balloon and riding it to a far away island in the sunshine to bask in a bikini. He is my everything.

Dearest Hips. I appreciate the fact that I can still wear my own jeans. This is because you were large to begin with. Although I cannot button these said jeans ( due to body part mentioned in previous paragraph), I still want to thank you for being large enough that not much of an adjustment has needed to be made in this area thus far. You make being an incubator a little more bearable for me. I hope you continue to be a blessing all the way through the birth part of this...you know what I mean. Just please let him come out easy.

Booty. You have been and will always be ghetto. Keep it real.

Legs...hang in there. The 15-20 lbs I have gained was all intended to make you extra toned. Im hoping this plan works out. So far, the ankles are the only thing that have gained any extra tonage. This was not how it was intended to be.

And to the feet...bless your hearts. You might have the worst of all of it. Although you dont cause me too much pain, im sure im causing you much more pain than I could ever bear. Thank you for giving me a reason to buy new shoes.

And for the fetus livin it up inside me, thank you for giving me a reason to write this letter to my body. I know every ache, pain, and discomfort will all be gone when I see your sweet face. I love feeling you kick me, it never ceases to bring a huge smile to my face. You are worth it.

Sincerely,

Ali

21 weeks

2009-11-22T21:36:00.000-05:00

Here is the lastest pic of me at about 20 weeks, close to the 5 month mark! I officially look pregnant in this picture I think...people at church even told me so that day so-- hooray! I guess its actually happening! P.S. I know my arm pose looks lame...Josh says I look like an Indian ( I come in peace) whatever!

Ultrasound pics

2009-11-13T09:14:00.001-05:00

Here they are! The first 3 are the 4D ones....which are my favorite. You can see in the first pic hes got his hands over his ears and his legs crossed at the ankles.

Could he get here soon please?!?! :)

OH JOY........

2009-11-07T10:25:00.000-05:00

We are having a baby BOY!!!!

I'll be honest, I was kind of hoping for a little girl ( mostly only because I already have a few cute outfits and Im used to girls, having 3 sisters) , but after seeing my little dude on the big screen yesterday I fell in love.

Josh and I are SOOO excited! We actually both deep down knew it was a boy so when we saw the "stuff" we just looked and each other and said of course!

Our buddy wasnt ashamed to show his boy parts, but when our nurse did a 3D shot of him, he immediately put his hands over his face and hid it and crossed his little feet over. We got some great shots of him, ill try to scan them in and post them .

We already love our ltitle dude and he already has me wrapped around his tiny finger. The name is still undecided and will be until Josh decides to like ANY of the names that I like! :) We cant wait to meet him April 1st!

Utah, Baby, and Nursery!

2009-10-24T10:59:00.000-04:00

So apparantly this is going to be another one of those catch up posts! Last weekend was my birthday and my parents decided to fly me out to celebrate! It was also a good excuse for them to see their growing grandchild( first grandbaby on both sides of our families!) My birthday consisited of the Cheesecake factory for brunch ( you gotta get there early or it will be dinner before you know it!) Leaving my dad in the car for 2 hours while me, my mom and sisters shopped...(It was actually supposed to be a 30 minute trip inside Nordstrom to see some shoes, but we ended up getting slightly distracted and 2 hours later my dad called told us that the car battery had died from him sitting in it with the A/C on for so long!) He was a great sport to be so patient, I guess you get used to it having 4 daughters and a wife! After we went home, my sisters and I went out for some more shopping... I know, but when im in Utah for only 2 days I have to hit up all my favorites! Plus the Forever 21 in Utah is humongous now, you guys are so lucky. I was really excited because I found tons of cute shirts for my growing belly ( for UNDER 30 dollars!!) and didnt have to step foot in a maternity store. This has got to be the best time to be pregnant with the styles these days! And I LOVE a good sale! After a day of shopping we picked up my grandma and headed out to TGIF's for dinner and celebrated with a birthday cake at her place for dessert. Yes, I believe my fetus doubled in size over these 2 days since all I feel like I did was eat. On the day after my birthday i got to get together with my 2 best friends and their new babies Olivia and Gabe. Kristen invited us over for breakfast and we just chatted and watched the babies, both of which are ADORABLE. It made me want my baby to get here right this second! It was so great to play catch up with them and see them be little mommies! I cant believe we are having kids. I swear we were just out hitting on boys.

The babies are only 10 days apart, and its crazy to see how alert Olivia is compared to Gabe already. He was just in the nap zone at the moment and didnt want to be bothered. I love them!

After spending time with the girls I hurried over to Cafe Rio (oh how I miss it!) to meet my in-laws! It was so great seeing them, sadly I didnt take any pictures. But I did get showered from Grandma with gifts for the baby! The rest of the trip was great just speding time with family and enjoying the Fall in Utah.

Now for the next part, the amazing husband I have! When we found out we were pregnant I told Josh I really wanted to put beadboard up in the nursery. Im obsessed with it! I am so lucky I have such a handy husband, I swear he can do ANYTHING! So without complaints he got right to work on it. He worked on it so hard and finished it all while I was out playing in Utah.

BEFORE: ( our junk room ...)

DURING: ( such a hard little worker, love him!)

AFTER!: Obviously not finished or decorated, but the beadbaord was done when I got home and he surprised me by setting up the crib that I LOVE!!!! THANKS BABE!!!

Isnt it wonderful???!!! Last but not least, the 16 week ( 4 month) shot. Another disgusting picture of me. But we heard the heartbeat yesterday and I officially felt the first nudge too! So crazy someones really in there! :)

12 weeks!

2009-09-20T19:14:00.001-04:00

So I realize this picture is hideous and it looks like I have a lazy eye but mostly its just for my family and friends in Utah to see the "bump" that is starting to grow. Officially 12 weeks! ( or 3 months, hence the 3 fingers) Not much to look at yet...which is fine with me! But I can definitely tell its beginning to be a little something, and I can tell im not going to enjoy this fat stage until it looks like im actually pregnant and just not growing a fat roll. However, I will try to enjoy it! I will be large and in charge soon enough!

OH baby!!!

2009-09-15T21:19:00.000-04:00

When we told Bella our good news......

It was all she could do to hold in her excitement!!!! :)

Yes it is true!!! Josh and I are very excited to announce that we are expecting our first baby in April!!! How crazy is that! I am now over 11 weeks along and feeling really good. My first trimester has been a breeze to be honest. I have had a handful of sick days, but all in all its been quite pleasant!! Baby Holt will be here April 5th, the day after Easter!

Now for more details. If you dont care about this part...feel free to close out. But I guess some people might want to know ...and I need to document it any way since I am horrible at journal writing. A little bit on my history.

A couple years ago my OB/gyn doc told me I had PCOS. ( google it) Not a severe version by all means, but yes it was there and she told me...and i quote.... " You will NEVER get pregnant on your own. Fertility drugs are definitely in your future and you and I are going to become great friends when the time comes you want to have a baby."

Well, Josh and I took that into account, and decided that we didnt want to be 50 by the time we had a kid. So we decided we would try, and if it took us a year then that would be fine, but we would keep our fingers crossed that it wouldn't take that long.

Point of this story is we were pregnant 4 weeks later. Talk about a total shock!

We just feel really, really blessed and know that this is a miracle in our family! Maybe doctors really dont know anything...but I also know that nothing happens by pure chance. We are so excited for our little baby to come to our house!

So you might ask, how did I find out? Well about 5 weeks ago, I started with the symptoms. I felt crampy, sick, you know all of those fun things that we go through. Even my favorite foods sounded horrible and all I wanted to eat was cereal for every meal. I actually havent thrown up once so that has been awesome! So anyway, after 3 days and nights of constant nausea, I decided to take a test. I actually went to the dollar store ( didnt really want to spend 10 dollars on a stupid test!) and bought 2, because I was so sure the first would show up negative and then I could just keep the second to have on hand....just in case. I waited for Josh to leave to play ball with his friends, and then I took the test ( i know, im such a bad wife.) It couldnt have shown up positive faster. So, of course I thought" stupid Dollar Tree! These things are rigged positive!" I immediately took the second one, same thing. I think I almost passed out! You can imagine that it was the longest game of basketball Josh has ever played! When he got home, I told him he needed to sit down, and he knew right away what was going on. But he was super excited, of course.

The next day, I still wasnt convinced that I was pregnant, yes even after 2 positive tests! Im just super skeptical I guess! So I went to wal-mart and caved in for a real e.p.t. brand test. Big, fat + sign again! So thats the story. I went in last Friday and saw my little baby, and finally confirmed that its really alive and growing in there. At 11 weeks it actually looks like a little human too, and when she was trying to measure it, it kept jumping around. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life!

So....what will it be? A boy or a girl????????????? Cant wait to find out! :)

Busy, Busy Summer!

2009-08-23T20:41:00.000-04:00

After long vacations and hundreds of pictures, I have a hard time getting motivation to Blog! It should be the other way around, but its just too overwhelming to choose which pictures to put on! :) Well, we were very lucky to travel a few weeks back to spend some time with our families! We started out our vacation by flying to Reno, where my family picked us up and drove us out to Lake Tahoe. This place is my paradise. We have been going there since I was tiny, so its always been a really special place for us! It was so nice to spend time with my sisters and parents too,we enjoyed hours of boating, wakeboarding, triple tubing, laying by the pool, mini golf, lots of eating, riding bikes along the Truckee River, rafting down the river, and lots of other random fun events! I recommend this place to anyone, it truly is so beautiful and so much fun!

Here is a view of the pool/pier area where we stay, right on the edge of the lake!!! Love it!

Me and the sisters on the Triple Tube. This thing is dangerous, but a total blast!

The boys insist on being as crazy as possible! I just try to stay alive without losing any teeth or breaking my arms.

The crazy fam at Mofo's, our favorite Pizza joint EVER!Just showin my wakeboarding skills...except it appears that I had let go at this point.

Again, we are special in our own unique ways.

Rafting the Truckee River!

After a 9 LONG hour drive to Utah ( while pulling the boat and 6 people in the back of the car)... we finally made it! Utah is the best place in the world. Not only did I get to eat CAFE RIO, but I finally got to see this new Forever 21 that everyone had been talking about at South town mall, see my pregnant best friends and get to go to Angies baby shower( thanks for planning that around me!) Of course the highlight of Utah though was the beautiful wedding that was also ( thankfully!) planned so we could be there. Josh's little brother Brennan married my lovely sister in law Skye!! It is so fun having Skye as a sister now. Its funny because when I was in dental hygiene school, Skye and I ended up living right by eachother in the same apartment complex, not even knowing it! We would go out to lunch weekly in provo, and I would listen to Skye vent about how much she missed Brennan on his mission and how she never thought she would be a HOLT, and how I didn't know if I would EVER become a Holt either, after dating Josh almost 3 years! We got to become really good friends, so now that its official and we are Holt girls, its even that much better. The wedding was so great and we were so grateful we got to be part in it.

Me and Skye at the wedding dinner!

Just me and the boy waiting for the newleyweds to come out of the temple!

all the Holt girls together!

And last but not least, my pregnant friends! Im so excited for them, both Olivia and nameless baby boy (but probably Gabriel) are going to be sooooo stinkin cute! And, I get to fly out to Utah in October for my birthday and to see the little bundles of joy, I cant WAIT!!! Good luck my friends.

All in all, summer has been great. Now on to year 2 of med school...what fun!

Washington DC, the place to be on the 4th!

2009-07-19T22:00:00.000-04:00

So this is a little late posting, but I have been super busy! Josh and I got lucky enough to go to Washington DC over the 4th of July weekend! It was so awesome, we squoze in everything possible in the short 3 days we were gone. Our friend's hubby is doing an internship in DC over the summer so he hooked us up with a place to stay ( for free!) and also got us one of the sweetest views in DC for the grand firework show, on the roof of one of the giant law firm buildings down town. Ill try to keep the captions short since together the 3 of us couples had over 900 pictures, and I have tons I want to post!

We got to DC and immediately went to see this beautiful temple!!! My friend Kristins parents got sealed here so this was really special for her to see for the first time!

The next morning we started out the day in the Arlington National Cemetary. This place is unbelievable...such a cool cemetary.

We walked around the national mall a ton! This is a view of the Washington Monument from the Lincoln Memorial building. Just hanging out at Barak's House... you cant see the sniper on the top, but he's there.

Enjoying our State Capitol Building!

So this is a beam that we all got to sign that will be used to make the 9/11 memorial in New York. We got really lucky because the people that travel around with the beams were there for only the same 3 days as us, so we get to be a part in history! So awesome.

We got to go to a Braves/Nationals baseball game as well, pretty fun but I think we were all pretty tired from walking around all day!

The World war II memorial...representing our current residency of course!

The whole gang in front of the washington monument! Such a fun time!

We ended the 4th of July day by watching the most amazing firework show I have ever seen! It was something everyone should do at least once in their life, so worth it! Thanks friends for all the fun, and thanks everyone else for reading such a long post.

Race for the Cure NC

2009-06-17T22:22:00.000-04:00

So every year I have a tradition to make myself run the Race for the Cure 5k. I have loved it in the past and always have a great time once im finished! The past few times I have run with my mom and sisters and one of my Utah BFF's Angie, but this year, I ran with my NC girlies ( for obvious reasons...I live here.) We had a blast! There's nothing like running 3.2 miles in 90 degrees and 100 percent humidity ( Note the RED face in my pictures!) I luckily talked Ceri, Ashley, Jesika, and Kristin to run with me...even though by the end we had all spaced ourselves out and ended up pretty much running by ourselves ... amongst thousands of other strangers! We did all meet up again at the finish line, and ended the race with popsicles, ice cream, free chick-fil-a coupons, Panera Bread (this is just like Paradise Bakery in Utah), free applesauce, and lots of other freebies! Im a sucker for freebies too, so that was a bonus! Thanks to Jesikas hubby for supporting us and coming to take pictures so we could all have something to blog about. Our next effort will be to run a 5 miler at Wilmington Beach...anyone care to join??!!

An American Saturday Night

2009-06-07T20:44:00.000-04:00

Finally, something worth blogging about!

Last week, on a whim, I decided that Josh and I would be going to go to the "All American Saturday Night" Brad Paisley concert! Now, being poor and in medical school, a concert isn't exactly at the top of our purchase list at the moment, but when I heard from a neighbor that there was going to be a sale online, and the tickets would be pretty cheap, I was all over it. (Especially because not only would Brad Paisley be playing, but also Dierks Bentley whom I adore greatly). I set my alarm for wednseday morning at 12 AM ( Yes, the middle of the night for those of us who go to bed at 10) when I would be buying our tickets to make sure that we didnt have to pay the extra 20 dollar service fees online and to make sure we got the tickets we wanted. On a side note ( just to show how loyal a fan I am, as if waking up at 12 AM isn't enough)... our internet had been having problems. So to connect to anything, I had to go outside on my front porch in the middle of the night and try to get online. Lucky for me, I picked up a signal, and the rest is history.

I found out my friend Ceri was going to the concert with her hubby, and she invited us to Tailgate before the concert. Tailgaiting is HUGE out here in the South. It is something that people in Utah dont do before concerts usually... unless they are super redneck. At least this is something I havent noticed before, so this was new to me. But let me tell you, it was quite entertaining. In fact Josh and I are really dissappioited we didnt take pictures of some of the things we saw, including and not limited to one man standing in nothing but overalls and a cowboy hat on the top of his 10 foot monster truck for the entire 2 hours he tailgated(just so people would think he was the man) , a guy wearing a pair of lovely camoflauge suspenders ( the man was not wearing a shirt of course) while holding his beer and cigarette in the same hand and to top it off, a John Deere hat. By the way, none of these people were joking. Thats just the way it is out here. Love it.

After a lovely BBQ and a few tailgating games ( also popular out here, and never seen before in my life), Josh and I headed to the main entrance to save some good lawn seats. As we were waiting in line, I noticed some girls screaming and swarming a particular car. Of course I dropped everything in my arms and started running. And then I saw him...Dierks Bentley himself driving a black Jeep Wrangler! I literally was 2 feet away from the guy, and boy was I star struck! I think we even made eye contact I was so close! I snapped 2 pictures then of course my camera ran out of memory space. Go figure. But how awesome is that! Not many celebrities would just drive around and say hi to their fans! Might I add he is quite attractive in person!!!! Josh was a great sport letting me drool for the next 30 minutes...( I told him that he totally would have done the same thing had it been Carrie Underwood or someone like that).

sorry, its a little blurry! I was shaking! ha ha

Jimmy Wayne opened the concert, he was actually really good. To be honest, I had no idea who he was when we got there, but when we heard him practicing, I totally knew his songs! If you are a country fan, hes got a new song out right now. Look him up, you will know him too. Then Dierks came out and did his thing. He was AWESOME of course!! I snagged a couple of reserved seating tickets when we got there ( they were giving them away FREE to make sure they got all filled), so when he was singing we go to go up pretty far and take a few more pretty close pics.

After Dierks, then came Brad. He was awesome too, of course! I have never seen Brad Paisley in concert before so that was really fun for us. He played a TON of songs, and a lot from his new album! Its going to be really good! Josh and I are in love with his new song called "Then" its sooo cute! All in all, it was a great time! Summer is officially here!!!

P.S. Once I can get our new camera figured out I will post a few songs we video recorded!!!

The Mommys in my life.

2009-05-10T21:41:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to post about the 2 most amazing moms I know! First, and obviously my mommy.

She is the best ( and dont anyone try and fight me about it, its been said!) BEST mom in the whole wide world! She raised 4 crazy girls and we are all still alive to tell the story ( and great friends on top of that.) That's saying something. She would do anything for ANYONE at the drop of a hat. She is stylish and has a way cuter wardrobe than I do. She will come to NC and eat fried Twinkies and Oreos with us til we are sick. She cooks just about every single night, and doesn't care who shows up, she will cook for as many as we bring. She is the idol of every other mom/woman who knows her because of her personality and, again awesome wardrobe. She drives a Jeep Wrangler ( I know, right?!) and she sends me packages on a regular basis with handmade table runners and things to decorate my house because she loves me and knows we are struggling students! She is always serving other people. I love her, and she is my best friend. I want to be like her when I grow up.

My other idol is my wonderful mother in law Sue. ( Far right... the others are all my sisters in law! Aren't they all so cute, im so lucky to have so many sisters)

Sue is a one of a kind mom. She raised 5 rambunctious boys and 1 baby girl on the end of all that. SHE is still alive to tell the story. And, just to prove how amazing she is, all of Joshs siblings are best friends and have all done great things so far in life ( tell me its not hard to raise 6 kids and raise them all to be good, hard working, religious and smart people.) Sue is one of the best cooks I know. It was really hard for me to marry Josh for that reason. I dont cook, much, so knowing that I had Sue to live up to has not been easy. ( I guess she had to be with 5 boys, right?) My mother in law has also been known to be one of the first to get in the Lake at Powell and ski or wake skate before anyone else. She is always involved in her kids lives, whether its calling to see how Josh did on a test, or going with Shawnie ( joshs little sister) to a dance competition, she will always be there to support you when you need it. She has sent out 5 missionaries. Enough said.

I am so glad to have a mother in law that I can call any time and talk to and be friends with. I know many women dont get that relationship in their lives and I treasure mine. Most importantly she raised a little boy to be a respectful, wonderful, loving husband and I know I have to thank her for a lot of that.

To all you mommies and mommies to be, Happy Mother's Day!

Spring has Sprung!

2009-04-26T20:54:00.001-04:00

You know its officially SPRING when you see THIS in your backyard....

Aren't they just a lovely little family!

Well, our little family of 2 and a dog has been enjoying this Spring quite a bit! I heard it was snowing in Utah only a few days ago, and it didn't hurt my feelings one bit! That IS one of the reasons we decided to move here to North Carolina after all! ( It was actually my top reason, I insitisted Josh move me to a place where it was warmer than Utah if I HAD to move away with him). We took Bella to Eno River last weekend which is about 15 minutes away from us. I have been practicing with my new camera, so hence the close up flower pictures you will see. Bella loves hiking, she is such a trooper when we take her places, in fact she complains less than I do! She is also in better shape than I am, which is quite embarrassing.

Well, we don't really have much to blog about these days. I'm still working my life away doing dental hygiene, and Josh is still being the medical student he has always wanted to be! He actually finishes up his first year ( can you believe that!?) in about 3 weeks. Then during the summer he will be working on a research project at UNC involving rats and prosthetic limbs. He has loved med school so far and we are both ready to bring on year 2! We also now have 3 church callings ( I didn't even know that was legal! ) We still are on the activites committee, just recently started teaching the Sunbeams a few weeks ago, and got called to be a Ma and Pa in the Stake Pioneer trek this July. We actually can't wait for that! I went on one when I was about 15 and just didn't get the experience I should have ( I was at THAT age, ya know...) so I am really excited to be able to get a second chance, and also be able to help some kids enjoy their experience as well. We will be going to Lake Tahoe for our summer vacation, then spending a few days in Utah the last week of July, so mark it on your calendars friends! And that is what the Holt's are doing out here, waaaaaaaay out here in the country. And we love it here.

Robbed.

2009-04-10T22:32:00.000-04:00

I have been wondering why my birdseed has been disappearing so quickly.

Caught red handed! Silly squirrel, hanging by his legs doing his best trapeze circus act. Whats even funnier is when he saw me, he started eating faster and faster! Made my day, however we did have to move the location of the bird feeder, the rodents are just smarter than us humans apparantly!

Beach Bums

2009-03-30T21:07:00.000-04:00

One of the greatest things about living on the coast is being able to pick up and getaway to the beach in only a couple hours time! Since Josh had Spring Break this week, we decided we needed to do something! This something had to involve 3 things: 1) Sunshine, 2) relaxation 3) cheap.

Destination: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

It is so much fun being able to explore things that are only a few hours away from where you live! I had no idea a place like Myrtle Beach existed. I always thought it was just a normal, quiet beach where old people retire... little did I know! This place is crazy! It reminds me of an old school Las Vegas...only on the beach and WAY more built up ( but not as flashy as Vegas...hard to explain). The first day the weather was not as nice as we had hoped, but we luckily ran into the Tanger outlet mall and got some sweet deals! After that we headed out the Broadway on the Beach, another place I had never heard of. This place is like the most ginormous outdoor mall you will ever go to, with Margaritaville, rollercoasters, Ripleys Museum and Aquarium, and MORE! We didnt even finish walking around before we were too tired to go on!

The next day was a bit nicer weather wise. We got to spend some time on the beach before the Thunderstorm rolled in! It worked out perfect though cuz we had dinner plans at "Medeival Times." If you have not heard of this, google it. It was a blast. Josh and I acted like 10 year olds for 2 hours...this included eating chicken and potatoes with only our hands, cheering for our Knight to win the competition ( he was the first to lose...darn it!) and me being granted the "Queen of Beauty and Love" by the Yellow Knight.

Our last day brought us more sunshine than we could have asked for! We started the morning out in jackets and by 11 were toasting in the sun.

Not pictured: Us as lobsters.

It was so nice to spend some time with my bestest buddy in the whole world, before his last block of first year med school! Great times! :)

Giveaway winner!

2009-03-29T19:15:00.001-04:00

Congrats to....

Entry #11!

***Celeste Wilcox!***

Random. org chose the winner, please enter my next giveaway, I am going to try to do one every month! Thanks for all who entered, and remember, if you didn't win this time there is ALWAYS another chance next time! I love you all friends.

P.S. there is another giveaway, not on my blog but its for kids "holeys" (like crocs).. enter here! :

http://www.theredheadedlefty.com/2009/03/holey-soles-critter-clogs-giveaway.html

Giveaway reminder!

2009-03-25T20:42:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to remind whoever hasnt entered in my giveaway, to do so quick! It will be ending the 28th, so only a few days left! Even if you dont have a little girl, remember you can still give it at a baby shower or give it to a friend or relatives little one! Just see the post below, and leave a comment or 2...to enter! Good luck!

Tickled Chic GIVEAWAY!

2009-03-16T20:48:00.000-04:00

So, this will be my first official giveaway from my Tickled Chic etsy business! I thought this would be fun for a few reasons,but mostly because I have (it seems) a million friends that are pregnant right now! :) I know that this is pretty girly so I apologize for all the moms who have little boys. A boy giveaway will be coming shortly. That doesnt mean you shouldn't enter though! If you win you can give it as a gift at a baby shower, give it to a friend/cousin, or just keep it for yourself and hope you get lucky enough to have a girl! This giveaway is for one of a few binky/paci clips I have listed in my etsy store. In honor of the first day of spring approaching this Friday, I am giving away for FREE this binky clip " Springtime Strawberry." All you have to do is enter to win!

To Enter the Giveaway:

1) Post a comment on this giveaway, make sure to inculde a way for me to get in touch with you if you win. You do not have to have blogger or etsy to be included in the giveaway.

2) To enter a 2nd time, post a link to this giveaway in YOUR next post!

3) To enter a 3rd time, add a link to my etsy ( http://www.tickledchic.etsy.com/) on your blog somewhere!

4) To enter a 4th time, browse my etsy shop ( link above) and tell me what your favorite item is and why!

5) +2 Bonus entries: If you make a purchase from my etsy between now and the end of the giveaway and post a comment on this giveaway with your transaction ID#, you will get 2 extra entries!

** Giveaway will end Saturday March 28th, Winners will be chosen by random.org and will be announced on Sunday March 29th.

***GOOD LUCK, AND PASS ALONG THE INFO!!!***

Wacky Week

2009-03-09T09:15:00.000-04:00

Well this past week was just really busy and crazy! Monday started off with....

another SNOW DAY!!!!! Which means no work for Ali, and no school for Josh!

It was great! Josh and I decided to make a fire in our fireplace, and I went to the store to get S'More stuff! Nothing like roasting mallows in your own house, and making delicious smores on a day of "trecherous" weather!

With the snow, brought the flu to our house. I got sick first, and had to work the rest of the week, and since we had a snow day on Monday, I couldn't ask for work off! ( Imagine the hit to that paycheck if I did) So...I worked, while spinning circles and running quite the fever. I feel horrible for whoever got their teeth cleaned last week, my apologies! Well, after the longest Thursday of my life ( workin til 6 with the flu BLOWS by the way...) I noticed Josh was coughing. GREAT. I knew what he was in for. So...we stuffed him up with a lot of Vitamin C and sent him to school. Friday afternoon rolls around... Josh says, and I quote" I am FREEZING!" (NOTE: The weather is currently 73 degrees and Josh doesnt experience cold. He is either hot, or he is comofortable. Cold doesnt exist in his life.) Therefore, I knew that I had officially given him my sickness and that he was now running a fever. Great, right in time for what was looking to be the nicest weekend so far this year. Luckily, I have a sport of a hubby and we still had a great weekend.

After pinning Josh down on the couch and literally stuffing 2 Dayquil down his throat ( no really, this really happened) we headed to our friend Ashlee's house for a Bonfire. It was a ton of fun, there were a lot of friends from our ward, and we roasted hot dogs and smores til the wee hours.

Saturday rolled around, Josh still feels like crap but who can resist 80 degrees? Not us! So we decided to take Bella out for a hike...and to teach her how to swim. We went to Umstead Park which is in Raleigh ( about 25 minutes away from us) and hiked a trail that leads to a beautiful lake. Bella is terrified of the water, so we tried everything to lure her in the water. NOTHING worked! So finally after about an hour of trying very nicely to get her to go in, Josh just picked her up and threw her in. Josh has been threatening to do this for some time now, and I believe he thouroughly enjoyed it! I, on the other hand, think I about had a heart attack. Now, I do think that "Doggie Paddle" is instinct, so I dont know why I panicked! I guess maybe because I dont have children yet??? Can you imagine what it will be like when I do! All in all, it was really fun, she did get more used to the water and hopefully by the summertime she will love to swim! Oh, yeah...and how could I forget my war wounds. There were TONS of dogs there, and Bella decided to get a little out of control. I left with 6 souveneirs! 6 rope burns from her leash on my shins ( oh and one not pictured on the back of my leg. I do not recommend this form of torture. At least this all happened at once!)

It doesnt look half as bad as it felt I swear!

Since we had so much fun Friday night, we decided to get together with the friends again Saturday night and have a BBQ. Doreen's mother in law was very nice to let us barge in her place and have steaks, chicken and game night. She has got quite the place with a pool, hot tub and all the works but we had a few sunburned folk ( and a few people with stinging shins) so we opted out on the swimming/hot tubbing. Everyone put the kids to bed and we played Loaded Questions til our heads hurt.

I know, quite the week, right! Who knew you could have a snow day and a sunburn, all in the same week! ( unless you are skiing in Utah, right?!)

P.S. There is an ADORABLE hat store thats giving away this adorable hat: and I want to win it for my future children...someday I WILL have one! Enter for yourself too!

http://www.nuxiemade.blogspot.com/2009/03/nuxiemade-march-hat-give-away.html

w.o.w.

2009-03-08T19:56:00.000-04:00

So a girl I knew from High School has got her own company started with these really cute watches! They are doing a giveaway, and I really want to win so I am posting about it! :) Check them out for yourself, and enter for a chance to win! They are really cute!!!

http://www.watchoutwatches.blogspot.com/

Be Mine.

2009-02-16T18:09:00.000-05:00

I love Holidays. Anyone who knows me can vouch for that! I will make any excuse to throw a party, spend time with family, buy gifts, bake, and do whatever I have to do to make the day seem different than just your ordinary day. Lucky for me, I have found a friend out here who has the same values in Holiday excitement as me! Doreen called me up the day before Valentines and asked me to come over and decorate my favorite things in all of the world.... ( see previous post) ... CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES. Not only did she have a box for each of us to dip, but 6 boxes. Hey, when they are buy one get one free, why not, right? So we decorated, and honestly I was quite proud of myself, I didnt even eat one while we were decorating! Josh and Matt decided to help us out....can you point out which one was Josh's??? ( HINT: different color and chunky.) It was a great way to start off a fun weekend! And might I add...they are quite scrumptulescent.

So this year I was really excited for Valentines Day. Not only is it one of the best days of the year because you can almost bank on a great date with your spouse ( at least I can, so far so good!) but I bought something the end of last year that I have been absolutely DYING to use! Since we both have end of the year birthdays, our anniversary is at the end of the year, and christmas is at the end of the year, Valentines is the first real excuse for a party. So I finally got to use it: ....

MY GIANT CUPCAKE PAN.

Please don't judge my decorating. Im a Rookie, and this is a work in progress. But you WILL be seeing this giant cupcake again.

Valentines night Josh and I ate at a restaurant in downtown Raleigh "EVOO" which was really nice, it had a nice ambiance and was playing Frank Sinatra in the background so of course I was impressed. Afterwards we came home and devoured the giant cupcake. ( not all of it of course!)

I love Valentines Day, the cookies, cakes, strawberries, but most of all.....

I love this guy.

Med School Prom.

2009-02-08T19:56:00.001-05:00

Ok so it wasn't really prom. But it kinda felt like it! Last night, we attended the "Winter Gala" hosted by the medical school. We got to get all dressed up ( however the fancy dress options are slightly limited these days, so I wasn't afraid to dust off the ol' dental hygiene graduation/wedding dinner dress once again...) The night started off with some delicious hours' derves ( uhhh dont ask me about that spelling) which included egg rolls, fruit and dont even worry....

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES.

These are my passion in life.

After abusing the priveledges of good food, we then proceded to dance the night away! Our good friends the Gertschs ditched the babies for the night and enjoyed the night with us- as the two only sober couples in the ballrooom. Gotta love it.

"A State of Emergency"

2009-01-21T19:03:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the governor of North Carolina announced us to be in " A State of Emergency!!"

We got a couple inches of SNOW.

You know, that white, fluffy stuff that pours out of the sky endlessly for 6 months in Utah?

Yeah. They don't know about that stuff here. I didn't go to work yesterday because it snowed about oh... a half an inch by 7 that morning. Total snowfall for the day in Chapel Hill?

3 inches.

And THAT my friends....is why I moved to North Carolina....SNOW DAYS ARE BACK!

All you Utah friends, you remember those elementary school days you would pray that you would wake up to at least 3 feet of snow and HOPE that they would even consider cancelling school! Yet it hardly ever happened?! Well, here in good old NC, two nights ago, over 700 schools in the area had cancelled school just even hearing that snow MIGHT fall over night. Patients I had been working on earlier the day before the "storm" were telling me I needed to hurry to the store before dark so I could stock up on milk and bread. For a second I think I even panicked and thought that maybe we were going to be part of some tropical blizzard that was going to hit Carolina for the first time or something...(then quickly realized I grew up in Utah and snapped out of it...)

So my friends, I finally got the snow day that I always wished and hoped for...and a day off work to play with my hubby and puppy all day long! So if any of you ever decide to re-locate, consider North Carolina. It snows 2 inches and the place shuts down, not to mention...its going to be 60 degrees tomorrow. Go figure.

Josh out in that " severe weather"

Bella experiencing snow for the first time with her BFF Sydney

Bells kept trying to eat the snowflakes, it was hilarious

And the cutest face I cant resist!

Christmas in Utah!

2009-01-16T09:52:00.000-05:00

So my mother in law called and asked Josh if things were boring around here since I havent blogged in so long. And the answer is yes! Nothing new around here, just trying to survive work and this freezing "cold blast" we have going on.

Well our Christmas in Utah was great. It was so much fun to see our families and friends and spend the best time of year at our HOME home. We arrived in Salt Lake on Christmas Eve, lets just say Josh and I were not that great of company, as it got later and later Josh and I were about to pass out from our time change. It actually took a couple days to get adjusted so please dont mind some of the silliness in the pictures. We were tired.

We got to go snowboarding, Josh actually went a couple times, it was fun to be back up on the mountain again, especially since last year we were newlyweds and were too poor to go!

One of the best moments of the trip ( which is close to my heart) was the Sugar Bowl....need I say more???? GO UTES!!! They didnt even give Alabama a slight ray of hope to pull through. Thats why I cheer for them. I always tell BYU fans to come to out of the dark side, its a lot more fun to cheer on a team that wins.

All in all the time was well spent and we ate a lot more than we should have. We got spoiled rotten for Christmas but mostly it was just awesome to be with family again. It was hard to come back, I dont think that part will ever get easier! Thanks to everyone who made the Holidays special for us!

Christmas morning!

No guns in the house!!!

me, my sisters in law and bro in law, all in the same pants, not planned! funny funny.Me and my best friend Angela Lundquist! I am so glad I got to see her and that she made time to see me on multiple occasions. She is so easy to be friends with. I love that about her!

Just us. Isnt my hubby cute? A little scruffy. But cute nonetheless.

Watchin the Sugar Bowl at steves house!

Some things should be worn year round...

2008-12-16T19:39:00.000-05:00

So we hosted the 1st Annual Ugly Sweater Christmas party at our house last weekend! Since the weather has been in the 70's the past week or so and its just not quite the same as looking outside and seeing 3 feet of fresh fallen snow...getting in the Christmas spirit has been quite challenging for me. I decided we needed to get the party started here in North Carolina. We had 14 people over ( shocking, I didnt even know we knew 14 people out here! ) and had a blast. I cooked my moms delicious pulled pork, and we had a white elephant gift exchange, sweater contest, and played a few games that kept us up til about midnight! Thats late for us old people. I mostly wanted to post some pics of the fine workmanship people either dug out from the clost, found at Goodwill, or even hand-made. I cant wait to do it again next year!

Mine had 2 polar bears snuggling...and Joshs was a lovely christmas arrangement

Cute Kat and Elliot- Elliot goes to school with Josh...his sweater reads.." I believe."

Ben and Kristen ~ church friends/ clubbin friends ... :)

Matt, Doreen and Mason! Church AND school friends! we love them.

Derek and Ceri! Church friends as well...Derek is in Dental School.

There were a few more people but my computer is taking forever to load these pictures....so I just wanted to show you a glimpse of some of the sweet sweaters that were worn! Elliot ended up winning the contest with the I believe sweater...thanks to his mother! Thanks to all who came, and we look forward to next year!!!

What have the Holts been up to?

2008-11-29T21:28:00.000-05:00

...NOT MUCH!

Well, we did have a good Thanksgiving weekend. Although it was different being away from our families and having the traditional Thanksgiving day we are used to, we still had a good time. We were invited to have dinner with a Doctor that Josh knows. He and his wife live on 12 acres and have their very own lake...it was really pretty. It is exactly like you picture it ( like the movies...you know the old house by a lake...usually in creepy movies...). The turkey was great, however mashed potatoes out here are replaced by sweet potatoes so I did miss those. I also missed pumpkin pie.... which my dad buys every year without fail. We did have apple pie which was delicious, but not the same you know! Being away for almost 4 months now has truly made me even more Thankful for my family and friends. I really took it for granted living 5 miles away from my sisters, parents, in-laws, and everyone that makes me feel so happy! But it makes you appreciate them even more. I cant wait to go home for Christmas.

Josh celebrated his big 26th birthday last weekend. I cant believe Josh and I met when I was 19 and he was 21. We were so young, now look at us! I think I was more excited for Josh's birthday than he was. Im a big Holiday person, so I take any excuse to celebrate! I went out on a limb and made a cake...I thought it turned out pretty cool. A little cheesy, but cool. And the medical toys? Not a waste of money. We WILL have children someday. I guess this is the part where I say how perfect of a husband I have and how happy I am that I am married to him! He makes up for each flaw that I have. He is patient, kind to everyone, and the best is that he does the dishes and laundry and I dont even have to ask him to do it! He really is my best friend and im glad he chose me.

Last of all, I feel like a real mom tonight. Bella is having her first sleepover! She is only a few doors down, but I am worried sick about her! We are doing a "test" with our neighbor to see if she survives the night at their house with their dog...so when we come home to Utah for Christmas they can babysit her and we wont have to take her to the vet. I have already been over to see if she is doing ok. Last I saw, she was downing a whole bowl of dog food ( this is a delicacy for her...since we only give her small bowls of puppy food.) I hope she doesnt throw up all night!

My new Toy.

2008-11-19T20:59:00.000-05:00

So I have wanted a new camera forever but just never found the right one. I have always loved taking pictures but have never been fully satisified with my original digital camera I got when those first came out. I decided to finally just go for it and get the one I really really want. Do I know how to use it? No. But do I know the pictures are going to be awesome? YES!!! I saved up my birthday money from all my parents, grandparents and in-laws and decided I probably dont know any more clothes for now...so a camera it is. I cant wait for all the exciting Holidays and my trip home to Utah to figure this thing out! I love it!!

And...I got tagged... so here is a little thing I thought would be fun to post:

I am: a wife, sister, dental hygienist, and a lot of other things
I think: that everyone I know should move to North Carolina. Its great here.
I know: that everything happens how and when it should
I want:really cute gray Uggs but they are really expensive..and just got a new toy( see above)
I have: the best husband in the world who would do anything for me
I dislike: fake people, especially when they con other people into thinking they arent
I miss: my family....a lot.
I fear: camel crickets....google them. You won't sleep well for weeks.
I feel: very blessed for lots of reasons...too many to name here
I hear: Bella chomping on her dog bone and Josh watching TV
I smell: Cookies n cream ice cream! well I just ate it, so i can i guess smell it too
I crave: Cafe Rio....more than anything in the world!
I usually: over react about everything
I cry: a lot, probably more than I ever have in my life...birth control? Or just crazy me?
I search: ponder, and pray.
I wonder: what life will be like one year from now and how much will have changed
I regret: nothing. Everything we go through builds character
I wish: I were on a cruise ship, laying out, getting tan and feeling the sun on my skin
I love: my husband, family, puppy, friends, job, house, neighborhood, church
I care: about clean teeth. obviously.

I always: try to look at the positive side of things even when the situation really sucks

I worry: way too much about everything and everyone. Ask Josh about this, i am queen worry

I am not: very good at returning phone calls
I remember: when Josh proposed to me and I asked him if it was a big fat joke...oh funny times
I believe: that everything will work out in the end
I sing: all day everyday. I always have a song in my head, and I love jammin in the car!
I argue: my side until the other person admits they are wrong.
I write: my brother in law Parker on his mission..I miss him!
I win: Mini Golf. Josh has never beat me in the 4 years we have been together!

I lose: every argument with Josh....I usually end up saying Im sorry to him....even when im right
I don't understand: a lot of people.
I can usually be found: cleaning teeth somewhere....in black scrubs.
I need: New clothes for Christmas, and a white christmas.
I forget: that I live a million miles away from everyone I know...but life somehow is still great.
I am happy: about life in general. Adventures are fun!

I tag: Angie, Kristen, Abby R., Ashlee, AshBoyleJ., Doreen, Jess H., Kim P., Mary, Nicolle, and anyone else who would like to take a survey that makes you think!

Fall In Carolina. Fall in Love.

2008-11-13T20:13:00.000-05:00

Not only do I love enjoying 80 degree weather in November, but I have to say North Carolina has truly taken me by surprise. I think I finally fell in love. If you dont know this about me, I am a nut about the Fall. In Utah, I would beg Josh to take me to the mountains, and would find myself taking frequent drives in the canyon, especially in the fall, to enjoy the changing colors. In the end of September and all through October I wondered if the trees ever turned from green to ANYTHING else. The trees are overwhelmingly green, especially all through the summer. It took me a while to get used to it, I actually was claustrophobic the first time we came out here there are so many trees. I think when I go back to Utah I am going to panic and wonder where all the trees went! Anyway, November is here and I am in love with Carolina. I have never seen a Fall like this. Josh, Bella and I went out to Hanging Rock State Park last weekend (which is about an hour and a half away from Chapel Hill). It was absolutely amazing. The Hike is only 1 mile up but the incline is quite steep. Bella is in better shape than me, its embarrassing. But at the top, there is this random ginormous rock that you climb up, and you can see all the colorful trees over the whole valley.Unfortunately pictures never do it justice, but here are some snaps from that day, as well as a few from just my neighborhood. Welcome, Fall.

Long awaited house pictures!

2008-11-01T14:15:00.000-04:00

I have been meaning to put pictures of our house up for some time now, and finally got around to doing it. I made Josh do a few "projects" around the house, and might he add he did a beautiful job. It's awesome to have a wonderful husband as well as painter, tiler, plumber, etc. around the house. Since I blogged about how our furniture had not arrived, I better update on all that. It took only a short SEVEN WEEKS for it all to arrive. We only had one box of jewelry stolen, a complete set of dishes smashed, a couple broken vases, and one box arrive completely empty...which included my iron, which is another reason I couldnt blog about my house quite yet (heaven forbid I have wrinkled curtains in my pictures.) So I finally broke down and bought an iron, so thats all taken care of. Only a few other home decor items were in the box with the iron. I guess it could have been worse. But if you are planning on moving please contact me before choosing a moving company. Or better yet, just do it yourself. Any way, here are the pics of inside the Holt household. Downstairs only, the upstairs is still awaiting a few details. Josh tiled the downstairs bathroom all by himself and painted the red accent wall. He is amazing. I love him.

Old pic from when we came out to Carolina and put the offer down on our house...

Walking into the kitchen

looking out through the kitchen to the family room/ dining area
Bella hanging out in the kitchen by the fridge...
The fam room
The Red accent wall! Great job babe

Joshua's Tile Job....I LOVE it

Hope you like it! When I get the finishing touches on the upstairs Ill be sure to put it up.

Believe it or Not, mummy!

2008-10-25T18:52:00.000-04:00

I made this. I know. I was as surprised as you are right now.

My good friend Doreen called the other day ( her hubby goes to school with Josh) and asked if I would be interested in doing a Halloween craft. Hah I just laughed but it actually sounded really fun so of course I said yes. When she sent me the link of the picture and instructions I was like...yeah right!!! But still decided to join in the fun.

So she, our friend Rachel, and I went to Wal mart and bought the necessities ( which by the way only cost us 6 dollars each...if you have a sewing machine and other normal things like thread and scissors this should really be all that you will spend).

Our dolls started out looking like gingerbread men. Mine had one arm that was oh a good few centimeters longer than the other. Rachel's had one long leg. Doreens doll had a square head. But, as you can see from the picture, they turned out pretty darn good if I do say so myself! If you have a few hours of boredom and are interested...do it! Its cheap, and a really cute Halloween decoration! Thanks Doreen for the invite. I cant wait for Christmas so we can craft it up again! Or even Thanksgiving! :)

Here is the link for those interested...

http://people.howstuffworks.com/halloween-decorations13.htm

Happy All Hallows Eve!!!!

Mom's visit to Carolina!

2008-10-21T21:28:00.000-04:00

My mommy came and visited us out here in North Carolina over the weekend for my birthday! It was a blast and so good to have family around again. We had so much fun...and crammed a lot into a few short days. Our days consisted of shopping at Southpoint Mall which has one of my mom's favorite stores in it...Sephora. We shopped in that store alone for 2 hours. We bought a lot of makeup. It was fabulous. We ate at the Cheesecake factory for my birthday dinner, which is always a delight! Josh and I had our first P.F. Chang's experience ( I know, I know....we struggle) on Friday night... we will be going back there most definitely! On Saturday we took my mom to the NC State Fair! If you haven't been to this fair, you have never really seen a true fair. This is the epitemy of a good old Southern country fair. It was HUGE. I have never seen anything like it! Hundreds of booths with fried food...namely FRIED OREOS, TWINKIES, SNICKERS BARS....etc. The motto? You can fry anything you want in the South! And might I add fried Oreos are devine. So delicious me and my mom went straight home and looked up the recipe online. Try it for yourself, you wont regret it. Just make sure to run a good 3 miles after to work it off. After feeding our faces with fried food, we sat and watched cows be auctioned off, each for about 400 dollars to meat companies. We saw baby animals, sheep in leotards, and the biggest pumpkins I have ever seen in my life. I could have fit inside one, literally. We had a great time there, I cant wait for next year. I might brake down and try a fried pickle even. On Sunday my mom cooked her famous shredded pork and taught me how to cook it, since I am no cook... it was wonderful to have a good Utah home cooked meal again. Basically she spoiled us rotten, when we should have been spoiling her as our guest! Thanks for coming out to visit and play with Bella! We love you and cant wait to see you again soon!!!

The Doctor is IN.

2008-10-03T16:57:00.000-04:00

My little boy is all grown up! Last Saturday, which was also our anniversary, Josh got his first doctor's white coat at the White Coat Ceremony at UNC. At first I was a little apprehensive about spending our first anniversary at a graduation-like ceremony for the better part of the day, but when it was over I was actually really excited that we got to celebrate that and our anniversary the same day! I really felt like a mom sending her first kid to kindergarten or something...(not that I would know what that feels like, but you can imagine what it would be like...). I am very proud of my cute husband for his accomplishments this year in getting into med school and finally starting his dream! And might I add he looked pretty darn good in his doctors coat...im partial to a good looking doc! :) We spent the rest of the day hanging out with Bella at our house, and ended the day with a delicious meal at the Cheesecake Factory. Man I love that place! I'll throw in a couple pics of us there, and one of me and Bells since she was my early anniversary present. She is growing up quickly! Happy me and you day babe, and happy first day as an official white coat wearer! :)

Me and my hot Doctor Holt
Eating at the Cheesecake Factory Me and Bella

Happy 1st Anniversary Babe!!

2008-09-26T11:03:00.001-04:00

Well its officially here! Tomorrow the 27th is our 1st wedding anniversary! And since I probably wont want to blog tomorrow, today is the day. Prepare for cheesy. I can't believe its been a year already! I can't believe all of the things that have happened since our wedding day. Our first Halloween Party at our new house, Christmas together (might I add Josh did such a good job spoiling me), Med School interviews all over the country, New Years party (good times/bad times lets not go there) going to Boston together, staying in Park City for a weekend after winning our auction at a work party, Snowshoeing for the first time for both of us, Lake Powell in the Spring, Erin and Jon's wedding, Dusty and Jenna's wedding, Julie and Shawnie turn 16(our sisters) , Parker off to Mexico for his mission, Grandma Skip's funeral, Brennan home from his mission in Peru, our trip to Chapel Hill, which led to making the big decision where we will be living for the next 4 years, adding one more to our family ( welcome Bella), and now here we are, one year later, sitting in our first officially owned home in North Carolina after experiencing maybe the most unbelievable move and frustrating thing we have been through together. Yet somehow we still laughed through it the whole way. In between all those events were the best days of my life. Both of us working all day, sometimes Josh working all night, getting so excited to see each other at nights, dancing to Chris Brown in the kitchen while cooking dinner and the boiling water spilling over the pot cuz we were having so much fun, Sunday naps in the backyard, walks to the park to feed the ducks, making the biggest snowman in the world, driving off from the gas station with the milk on top of the car and it almost hitting another car, laugh attacks, sitting through our wedding video 897 times, and lots of hugs and kisses.

Thank you babe for marrying me and making me the luckiest girl in the wolrld. You know how to turn any bad day into a good one and know how to make me laugh at any given moment. I can't wait to see what the next year and next at least 50 years bring us. Im sure ill be blogging in 50 years about how amazing you still are. Happy anniversary to the best husband I have ever had(and ever will have for that matter!) ! I love you so much! :)

My New Hobby.

2008-09-23T07:36:00.000-04:00

So as soon as we moved to North Carolina and realized I wouldn't be working as soon as I would like, I decided I needed to find a hobby. I have always been a pretty crafty person but just never got the desire or had to the time to do anything about it! Well I finally got to work, and I am on my way! I have decided to make and sell binky clips, baby headbands, beanies, and twinkly binkies! I have only gotten the binky clips and and some of the binkies done... here they are! And please visit my store, they are pretty inexpensive and make great baby shower gifts... or just buy one for your own little one! http://www.tickledchic.etsy.com/

6 week anniversary...

2008-09-16T11:57:00.000-04:00

So we have officially been in NC for a month now, and been without furniture, clothing, bed, and cooking supplies for 6 weeks. Can you believe it!!! Our moving company is the biggest joke/scam in the United States. No, really. They told us our stuff would arrive within 14 days from when they took it. Here we are, 43 days later...and nothing. The guy never returns our phone calls, tells us our stuff is "fine, in good hands..." yet we still have no idea where it is. Good news, I called the guy today and he answered! Told us he had no idea where the truck driver is, and that he is calling the police today. I know. At least we have good friends who are taking care of us out here that have supplied us with an air mattress and cooking items so I can make a meal for my husband! LESSON LEARNED: I WILL NEVER HIRE A MOVING COMPANY EVER AGAIN.

Groundhog Day.

2008-09-04T08:26:00.000-04:00

Ever seen the movie?

Since moving to Carolina, I feel as though I have had a really bad case of Deja Vu. I am currently waiting on my dental hygiene license to go through, so I can't work yet...and im going crazy.

6:28 AM: A lick on the lips. Josh? HECK no. Bella.

"Bella, go away." A bite on the ear, or nose usually follows. Since we are currently sleeping in our family room on an air mattress, ( we dont have our furniture yet...grrr) and because Bella pees on the carpet in our bedroom, she has easy access to jumping right onto us in the morning. I distract her with a chew toy.

6:36 AM: Bella is really quiet. I open my eyes...to her squatting.

6:37 AM: 3 Bounty paper towels and a pissed off husband later, im back in bed.

6:40 AM: Josh nudges me- " take Bella out to poo."

6:45 AM: Back in bed, and Josh's alarm goes off one minute later.

6:46-7:15 AM: Trying to make Bella go back to sleep by some miracle...not happening.

7:20 AM: Josh is out the door, and mutters on his way out "do something productive today."

7:30-8:15 AM: Still trying to make Bella go back to sleep. Giving up.

8:15 AM: Eat Apple Jacks, and sit by my window trying to find out what the heck im going to do to fill my day, at least til Josh gets home from school.

8:30 AM: Get online, check my Blog. No new comments, dang! Nothing to blog about. Check facebook...only to piss me off cuz some girl from school keeps writing my husband. Back OFF!!!

9:00 AM: Shower, take a really long shower, and take a long time to get ready.

10:00 AM-10:30AM: Take Bella out for a walk. Convince her that its "cool" to pee on the grass.

10:30- 12:00 AM: Get back online. Search for coupons, freebies, and waste more time.

12:00 PM: Lunch time already? Fix a sandwich. Make Bella eat, then take her out to potty.

12:00-2:00 Put Bella in the backyard...listen to her cry and body slam herself against the back door to try to get my attention. It's all part of the training, right?! In the meantime, read a little Breaking Dawn. In this time, I usually try to rund an errand or two. My check engine light goes on. ( This part really has happened 3 times since living here.)

2:00PM Go to the Mazda dealership. Get driven to Enterprise, and pick up my new rental car. Oh, joy! What will it be today?

3:00 PM: Get home, Bella is still crying outside. My poor neighbors.

3:30 PM: On a good day, Josh is home by now. I ask him his plans, he tells me the usual. Study.

3:30- 5:00 PM: Sit around, sometimes down by the lake, Josh is studying, I am next to him wishing he wasn't.

5:00 PM: Think about what is for dinner....we dont have anything to cook with. Our stuff is stuck in Texas- thank you hurricane Gustav. Pizza again it is!

6:00 PM: Back to study time, and back to me trying to find something to do. Ill turn on the computer again, watch an episode of Gossip Girl on YouTube, and then check my blog again.

8:00 PM: Ice cream time! Best part of the day. M&M Cookie Dough Breyers Ice cream. Best EVER! Bella is now in her hyper state. She usually is in this mood for about an hour to an hour and a half. She chews on everything, and chews on it hard. She is now sliding around the hardwood floor, and has hit her head about 4 times by now trying to catch her ball.

9:30 PM: Bella has hit the wall. Not the literal wall this time now. She is out, and there is no waking her up. We try to wake her to keep her up so we dont have to start this all over again the next morning at 6:28 AM, but she refuses to get up.

10:15 PM: Time for bed. Read the scrips, say a prayer, and PEACE AT LAST.

New & Refreshing.

2008-08-25T11:18:00.000-04:00

Well, as I thought it would be, the change from Utah to North Carolina has been quite refreshing. It's definetly different. I now have to drive 10 minutes to church, that is no longer a luxury having churches on every corner. I DONT miss the construction on I-80. I can proudly say I have not seen one orange cone since I have been here ( although it is required for homeless people to wear orange construction vests if they are on the streets begging.) However, it has been frustrating because our belongings have STILL not arrived at our new house. They were picked up August 4th, and here we are...almost 3 weeks later and we are still sleeping on the floor and living out of suitcases. I am going crazy because my camera charger is packed in the moving van somewhere, so all I have is my camera phone...AND, I cant even cook my poor husband a nice meal when he gets home from school! My best offer to him is " How does Wendy's sound, babe?" Poor guy. At least we splurged and bought 2 things of ice cream so we can indulge every night before going to bed. Josh went about 3 weeks without shaving because his trimmer is in a box somewhere between Utah and here, so his beard was unbelievable! We went to the store and he used 2 cheap razors and hand soap to try and do the trick. He never does a clean shave...so here was the result of that! On a lighter and less bloodier note, I GOT A NEW PUPPY!!!! She is adorable and so busy! Her name is Bella ( oh you fellow Twilighters enjoy that dont you!) and she is an Australian Shepherd. I don't know what made Josh break in the decision but I think he probably just got sick of me begging him! And the fact that she is an Aussie breed helped a little too I think (Josh served his mission in Australia.) She is actually my 1 year anniversary present! Bella is only 8 weeks old, we actually drove out to a farm about 1 hour away from Chapel Hill and picked her from a littler of 6 or 7 puppies. When we pulled up to the farm, I think about 8 dogs surrounded Josh and me ( that was not including the puppies) to protect their property...it was kinda freaky. But then we got to the backyard and the lady that sold Bella to me called the puppies out, and all of them came running from under this shed. They were so cute! This lady was a classic farmer...she even broke out in "Home, home on the Range" to see if Bella would start howling. Apparantly my puppy was the first to start "talking" as she called it. Im yet to hear the talking, but I AM grateful for that wonderful rendition of home on the range. Welcome to our family Bella Lou! And thanks babe for letting me get her. You really are the best husband in the world.

I think she thinks she is back under the shed again with her family...sad!! But I love her!

hi. My name is Ali, and my husband is in med school.

2008-08-12T20:28:00.001-04:00

They say admitting it is the first step.

And here I am, doing just that. Josh left on Sunday for Chapel Hill, NC to start our journey through this wonderful thing they call med school.

I remember when Josh and I started dating and he told me he wanted to be a doctor...of course I loved the idea! Who wouldn't want to be a doctor's wife, right? I remember being warned by friends, family, and patients about being a "med-school wife." I can remember laying in bed at night wondering what the next few years would bring and where we were going to be living. I remember when the MCAT was Josh's girlfriend, and not me. And not to mention, I remember the first month of our marriage, with Josh flying around the country interviewing for med school. That month was when it really hit me that I might not always have his attention. But now that he is gone, and I have had a little time to think about the whole experience, I realize it is all in the attitude going into it. We are going to learn a lot about each other, and a lot about how to depend on one another and the Lord. Will there be days where I want to go crazy because I haven't talked to him in what seems like forever? Yes. Will I have a few nights where I will be exceptionally needy? Of course. Will it be new and different? Probably. But sometimes new and different is refreshing.

In my endevours to prepare mentally for med school, I have had lots of unsolicited advice given to me. Working as a dental hygienist, you can imagine the different kinds of people that I work with. Very young, very old, shy and quiet, blatently bunt, and down right honest. I spend my whole day telling my patients about my life, and what Josh and I are up to. I know I haven't gone through med school before, but I do know a few things people: 1) I know its going to be hard. 2) I knew I was marrying a future doctor when I signed the marriage license. 3) My husband loves me. You always hear the stories about doctors cheating on their wives with nurses, other students, etc...but you don't know my husband, buddy. He has integrity and he loves the heck outta me. 4) Making me insecure is not going to help my marriage dude. 5) My husband is excited to practice medicine and I will support him until the last day...Because I love him!!!!

I am so stinkin' proud of my hubby and his sacrifices he makes for me. Im excited to start this new time of our life together, because I know that we will look back on these times and miss them immensely! I am grateful for his support in helping me with the transition, it's going to be a blast babe. So here is to the next 4 years...Carolina or bust!

Our Hawaiiain Getaway

2008-07-31T15:05:00.000-04:00

In my opinion there is no better way to forget about moving across the country than to pack your bags and fly away to an island in the middle of the ocean. And thats exactly what we did. Josh and I just spent a wonderful week on the big island of Hawaii with my family. We had a blast! The trip consisted of the many fabulous things you can imagine one would do in Hawaii: Snorkeling, Horseback Riding through rivers to waterfalls, sea turtles, shopping, laying out at the beach, golfing by the ocean, macadamia nut crusted French Toast, searching for fresh Mango, and even a submarine tour 105 feet under the surface of the ocean!!! We could not have asked for a better way to relax and enjoy ourselves before things get hectic for us! Thanks to my dad who made it all possible ( we are med students in 2 weeks...) We love you!!!! Here are just a few snaps of the trip...

Me and my cute sisters... people say we look alike?

possibly the biggest snow cones in the world....filled with ice cream!!!

I should be a photographer, right?

getting ready to go horseback riding through waipio valley

Akaka Falls

Rainbow Falls

The beautiful Kona Hawaii Temple

Snorkel catamaran to Captain Cooks Bay where we saw Spinner Dolphins!!!

It was a great trip and we made lots and lots of memories but we already miss it!!

Ahui' ho......until we meet again! Aloha, and MAHOLO!!!

Complete Chaos.

2008-07-19T14:49:00.001-04:00

So, in numerous complaints about me not updating my blog more often, I have decided to post a picture of my current situation. This picture does not even begin to show the complete chaos of our lives right now! ( ...it does a pretty good job, this is only 1 room in my house...you can imagine the others.) Boxes are piles miles high. There are random things EVERYWHERE. Spiders are coming out of places I did not even know existed in my home. I have found weavels in between some of my clothes. Unopened wedding gifts that can't be returned because they have no home! And my brain has had it with this move!!! I am so tired and we have not even begun to get started. We leave in only about 3 weeks to North Carolina and yes we are very excited but wow who would have thought moving could really be this difficult. My husband owes me big time for doing this!!! :)

Deer, Dive, and Dogs

2008-06-29T18:28:00.000-04:00

So last night Josh was going crazy cuz he was soooo bored so he decided we needed to go on a hike. We chose to go up to Dog Lake up Big Cottonwood Canyon. We left around 6:30 and little did I know it was a 6 mile hike. Uphill the whole way there....downhill the whole way back. Im not going to lie, I was pretty ornery the first hour cuz I was all dressed up, thinking we would go out or hang out with friends. He told me it would be just a little hike so I was sweating to death in cute clothes and wearing these hanous tennis shoes that completely didnt go with the outfit. But somehow Josh always finds a way to make me smile and by the middle of the hike I was having a good time. Can I move today? No. My calves are broken. My thighs are now more in shape than they were yesterday, which is a good thing...but im SORE! And to top it all off, we didn't even see a dog anywhere! Whats up with these places naming their lakes after things and then there is nothing there. But it was really fun once we got to the top, you could hear an echo bounce off all the trees and we were the only ones up there. It was great! On the way down my feet hurt so bad that Josh had me doing things to keep my mind off it...ending with telling me that the end was only 500 steps away. 992 steps later and at 9:30 pm we were at our car.

So Josh and I have been playing in a softball league on Thursday nights as we are needed, and boy has that been fun! You all know ( or can imagine) how talented and coordinated I am...especially in sports situations so it has been pretty comical for me. However, I have come a long way since I began dating Josh. He has taught me all I know and I am proud that I can actually throw these days. But, he is the sports guru and wishes I was as good if not better than he is at every sport. Well, last Thursday night we played, and I went up to bat. Of course, wanting to perform well for my team, as well as impress my husband I decided ahead of time to swing at every pitch and little did I know I would actually hit the first ball pitched to me. I ran like dickens but crap! yes the girl caught it...but wait....she dropped it! I kept running and yes you will die when you hear this....I actually dove for first base. Never in my life would I imagine doing such a thing! I surprised myself more than anyone I think, but you should have seen how hard Josh was laughing. He actually didn't see the slide, but when I stood up and had dirt all over me and was clutching my knee out of pain, he almost died. I think he was proud of me! And to top it all off I have war wounds to show off from the ridiculous dive. The question you all want to know...did I get out? Yes. But man did it feel good to finally do something crazy!

P.S. I know the scrape and bruise is minimal, but what a funny thing to blog about!

Well things have been pretty eventful in our neck of the woods, just trying to enjoy our summer and being out in the sun as much as possible. Last week we trecked up to Deer Creek reservoir with a few of our friends for a boating/camping weekend. We called in advance to get a campsite for the weekend but for some reason they wouldn't let us get one over the phone. So we thought what the heck we will just get one when we get up there. So we pull up to the ranger station, and of course, the campsites are all full. If you are familiar with the Deer Creek area up Provo Canyon you will notice that there aren't many wooded areas you can just pull off the side of the raod and camp in. So, Josh and his friend Chappy left us at the lake while they drove up the mountain to look for a place to sleep. About an hour later, they came back looking a little sheepish but excited. They told us we had found a place, so we launched the boat and didnt really worry about it the rest of the day. After a long hot day of boating, we were ready to get camp set up. So we got everything together and got in the hot car, and funny enough drove right across the street up a hill ( we ignored the sign that said private property on our right) and continued past a construction site and began 4- wheeling in Chappy's small Audi. Good times! We arrived at a barbed wire fence that said over and over again all over it No Tresspassing, violators will be Prosecuted!!! Well, my husband is all about the adventure, so all 8 of us took turns stepping through the barbed wire fence trying to dodge the metal barbs that luckily didn't harm anyone. It turned out to be a great place with a fire pit and multiple areas where campers had set up tents before but lets be honest we were all a little nervous the whole time we were going to get caught and fined. And you know me, always miss paranoid! But it was a fun adventure...here are some pictures from the lake. P.S. we didnt see any deer :( why do they call it deer creek if there arent any deer!!!

Smart water anyone??

Josh Just gettin his Surf on!!!

The water was SOOOOOO cold!!!

Dusty & Jenna's Wedding!

2008-06-22T21:16:00.000-04:00

Thursday the 19th it finally happened! Dusty and Jenna tied the knot! For those who are not familiar with the Holt family, Dusty is Josh's oldest brother ( of 5 boys). So I now have another sister in law!! We are so excited to have Jenna join the family. She was a beautiful bride and their wedding day was absolutely fantastic as far as the weather goes...a little on the warm side but wonderful none the less. Dusty and Jenna are perfect for eachother and Jenna fits in our family so perfectly! The fam is just growing bigger and bigger! We picked awesome husbands, those Holt boys...(if I do say so myself...).

The Reception was Beautiful as well. Jenna had it in her backyard (which was nice and shady I might add, which was a relief by the time we got there and out of the heat). She had Leatherby's come and serve ice cream in waffle bowls! Isn't that a cute idea? I had never heard of that! It was delicious! Josh and I had to get there to set up right after all the family pictures and were there til the couple left which felt like midnight, but was only about 9:30 or 10. Our feet were tired and sore but wanna know the good news? We got to take home a 5 gallon bucket of Leatherby's mint chocolate chip ice cream! Not my absolute favorite but I am sure I will help it find it's way to my hips somehow :) The couple left by fireworks and are currently in Nicaragua on their Honeymoon. Congrats you guys, we love you!!

And thats it! I know a bunch of pictures of me and Josh on their wedding day, but what can I say we look darn good together now don't we! he he he

We are Officially HOMEOWNERS!!!

2008-05-22T20:25:00.000-04:00

So probably the scariest thing and biggest decision we have had to make yet as a couple! So this is our latest purchase. HAH! Yes a new home in Chapel Hill. After spending two days in and out of various townhouses this was it. For me it was love at first site! The area is so cute and quiet, and when I stepped outside of my little gated backyard, the lake you see above is what you see. Including ducks, and turtles! I think you can even canoe around if you want. So yes it was a big step for us but we are really really excited and I cant wait to start decorating!

The Greenest Place EVER!

2008-05-22T19:57:00.000-04:00

So last weekend Joshy and I traveled
to the beautiful state of North
Carolina...to where we will be moving! It is soooo green there, by
the end of the trip I think I was

claustrophobic from it. Ha ha but

really it is sooo pretty there I absolutely loved it. I feel a lot better about the move now that I have been there and gotten a feel for the area. Chapel Hill is gorgeous and I hope we will get many visitors in the next 4 years!

Home Sweet Home

2008-05-22T19:51:00.000-04:00

Well this is our cute little house we have been living in since we got married! Josh's parents have been more than generous letting us stay in it for the past 8 months. We have loved the neighborhood and ward a lot. We even have ducks sit in our driveway sometimes! I love it!

My poor husband.

2008-05-22T19:44:00.000-04:00

My poor hubby. This is what happens when my whole afternoon cancels on me and I have no patients. At lease he is a good patient and hugs me while I work! :)

Bye bye Parkie!

2008-05-22T19:33:00.000-04:00

This is Joshua's little brother and one of 4 favorite brothers I now have. He left almost a month ago and will be serving in the Leon Mexico mission! He is very ready and will be such a great missionario! P.S. I hope I have all girls. No mother should have to go through that MTC experience... my poor mother in law.. 5 times! Last the best of all the game though, good luck Parks!

Almost a Year Later...

2008-05-22T19:30:00.000-04:00

Well, remember how Josh proposed to me in Powell by carving Marry Me into the Rock? Well we went back to our spot and yes it's true...the carvings were still there! I got so excited, almost to the point of tears...but I was so happy it was still there. It brought brack great memories...the beginning of the best years of my life!

Lake Powell '08

2008-05-22T19:20:00.000-04:00

Well, the annual Holt Family vacation once again! This was my fifth time going to Powell with the Holt fam, and this was my first official time as a "Holt" ( not including last time when we got engaged.) We went in April and might I say it was a bit chilly, however we still had a fabulous time. Just for the record, in that pic with us standing by the tree...last year we tied our houseboat to that tree. Save the water people! :)

Our Random Life Together

2008-05-22T19:16:00.000-04:00

What?! Is that what it looks like! You better believe it. Josh and I spent a weekend in Park City to "get away" if you will and yes that's right we full on show shoed!! It was a great event for me. It was something that neither of us had done, and we thought what the heck, we got all this snow around us, why not try it out! It was certainly a great form of excercise and we actually had a blast. As you can see the view was beautiful! I LOVE Park City!

Boston

2008-05-22T19:05:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, Josh will be starting med school this Fall. In many of his travels in interviewing at various schools, he invited me along for his interview at Harvard in Boston. We had a blast and I got a chance to walk around the city while he interviewed and do some shopping and site seeing. I wish we would have had more time there!

Our Honeymoon

2008-05-22T18:02:00.000-04:00

Well I'll start from the beginning and work up. This is us on our Honeymoon to the Eastern Caribbean. It was a fab vacation if I do say so myself. And look how tan we were!! :)

The First of Many

2008-05-22T18:00:00.000-04:00

Woo hoo!! The first official Post made by yours truly, Ali (as if Josh would even know how to do this if he tried.) Well, what do I do now? ha ha ok well I will just start adding a few pictures and commenting and go from there. How does that sound?!