Just some random pictures brought to you by Megan!!!!!! Missing you all so much!!!

The first picture is of Ryan and our new puppy Tucker, he's cute but just another toddler for me to take care of AAAHHHHHH!!!!

The second picture is just a random picture of Wyatt that I just thought was soooooo cute.

Thirdly we have Isabella on Halloween looking WAY to old. She was so excited for me to put make-up on her and curl her hair. I don't remember the last time that I pampered myself like that. If you can't tell, she's Belle.

The next two are random pictures of Miss Jazlynn, she's just so darn cute it's hard not to take pictures of her. The first one is her playing in her saucer and I thought she looked so cute that I had to capture it on film. The second one is thanks to Bella who shared her crown with Jazzy (tortured her is more like it) and once again I found that to be a photo moment!!!

Lastly we have a random picture of Wyatt, this is at the park next to our house and the kids were having a blast climbing this random rock wall. Here's Wyatt climbing his little heart out!!!

A new kitchen - only cost $75!

BEFORE - YUCK!

AFTER! Ain't it purdie!

Putting up lights!=)

First off, yes I gained some weight. It's a combo of no exercise and poor eating habits but what you going to do. Second, putting up Christmas lights on your own home is very strange the first time. I remember stopping to think if I needed to ask permission first. And third, I can't wait for Christmas Break - I need some rest!

Wyatt at Chucky Cheese. Isabella climbing the wall at a park near our home. Jazlynn and Big Sis - a rare bonding moment!

Midland isn't the end of the world...

But you can see it from my street!
(Click on the picture for the full effect)

What do you want from me CHRISTA!

I mean I cannot write on this thing 24/7. So what, I haven't had a new post in over a month. Big deal, some of us have more important things to do like babysitting teenagers and thinking of clever comebacks when they say that they don't understand how to define something. I mean come on - what do you want from me.

Comment from Ryan, responding to a friend the nicest way I can after a bad day!

Life in Texas!

Here are some images of our new life in Texas. A turtle, a home, and yard work!

Just Mowed My Lawn!

I just mowed my lawn - my lawn! That was a strange feeling....however, I can't really can it a lawn. It needs some work in removing weeds and is dead in a few locations. But I will figure it out.

Buying a house!

So you buy a house and get the key. You pick the moving day and get some fine individuals from church to help you out. You pack up the moving van and drive over to the house. You expect that all is well and that by the end of the day you will be sleeping in your new home. WRONG!!!!

In the case of the Holmstrom's first home the condition in which the home was left was so bad that we were delayed moving in by 9 days! 9 freakin' days! I mean these folks didn't even bother to lift the toilet seat and clean off there pee stains. Not that I was or will ever sit on the toilet until I purchase new seats but come on people, give me a little effort.

Finally however, Megan and I are moved in. When will we finally be finished unpacking....that is a whole other tale to tell.

Oh, Oh, Pretty Jazlynn!

I know what you are thinking - Man she's a babe!

What can I say, Megan and I just don't make

ugly children!

Teacher, Student... Let's Meet in the Middle!

Apparently you can leave the classroom but the classroom will never leave you. This is something that I have had to learn during my first 5 weeks of teaching. Granted, my situation is not the best. I have no classroom, teach a subject that I know nothing about, and have around 130 horny all-knowing seventh graders. What else could I want right! I don't know, a million dollars would work best at the moment but I guess that I will settle for my classroom and learning on the run. It has been a hard five weeks and it is only going to get rougher. So send your prayers because this teacher is still the student after all!

TERMITES, COUGS, & 7th GRADERS...?

The three torns in my side!!!! HAHA! The home we were looking to purchase was inspected on Tuesday and the word of the day was Termites. The damage was in the near ten thousands range. Megan said that she went into the garage and you could see them crawling all over the place. Additionally - the roof needed replacing. Needless so say we backed out of the sale. So we are back to square one but I am sure something will come our way soon.

Other than the house search - those Cougs sure stunk up the field on Saturday - and oh yeah I still got to witness the devestation from Texas. Much like President Bush who is stationed in Texas to assess the hurricane damage, I saw everything. Let me just say we are small on defense and under acheiving on offense - translation - It could be a long season...yikes!

Moving on to my new nemisis - those 7th graders of mine. What a group I have. Last week alone I gave out 4 detentions, had 4 boys make one girl cry, punished around 50 football players for screwin' around in the classroom and made one seating chart. It wasn't a bad first week, just not the one that I pictured. Hopefully things will shape up - I am sure they will! On the bright side, the football is awesome!

Coach Holmstrom & Mr. Holmstrom - Two very different people

It was brought to my attention by one of my seventh graders that I am a very different person on the field compared to the classroom. He asked me, "Why are you so nice in the classroom and so mean on the practice field." I laughed and quickly said, "You've only been in my class two days - give it time!" Really though I guess that could be a complement. The difference really is that in the classroom I like to be fun and talkative with the kids. They respond to that really well. On the field they need to know that it's a battle and nice guys always finish last on the playing field. That's my approach but it works.

On another note - I am having a lot of fun and I am not mean on the field - just loud! My first day I said something along the lines of "this sucks!" But really it is a lot of fun. The kids are great and it is really interesting to be surrounded by so many ethnic groups in one school. It is a bit like college and some of these kids are just as mature as those kids!=) Later.

1st Day of the Rest of my Life

It is 12:24 a.m. and I am still awake. Why you ask? Because I am no where near prepared for my first day of teaching. Forget everything that I thought would help to prepare me for this day because it aint! Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Kramer goes to work for Brand-Lelend and he says to Jerry, "Old Man Lelend is bustin' my hump over these reports" - that is how I feel and I have not to begin - YIKES! Ah well, I guess I best get a move on and jump into to bed. 7th graders are fast approaching and I need my rest.

NOW I KNOW WHY SUPERMAN FLIES!

Because moving 2,000 miles in a moving van sucks! Let me just say that if Megan and I move back to Washington State we are not moving ourselves!

Here's the story. Last Monday morning my father and I went to get the moving truck from Budget in Moscow (highly recommend by the way). When I was quoted on the phone, this nice lady said to me that it would be $1,450 for the moving van. I was figurin' that, however what came next was the best surprise of all. She says to me, "My quote was a bit off and the truck is going to be a little less than I told you." A little less, I am think $20 bucks...try $600! Hello! I didn't know what to think - it was just so awesome. So anyway, we got the truck loaded around 11:30 a.m. and than I made a trip to the CUB. I had been waiting 3 years so I figured that I better go get some Coug gear and see the new CUB because I wasn't sure when I would ever get back to Pullman. So 2 hours later my father and I finally left Pullman for Midland, Texas.

REST OF THE TRIP IN BULLETS:
-Pullman to Boise, 320 miles, 8 hours - OUCH!
-Gas, $144.57
-Boise to Provo, 370 miles, 9 hours - YUCK!
-Gas, $170.29
-SLEEP: 2 hours - WHAT!
-Provo to Cortez, Colorado, 350, 7 hours - WHAT WAS I THINKIN'!
-Gas, $150.00
-Cortez, Colorado to Vaughn, New Mexico, 320 - ARE WE THERE YET!
-Gas, $170.00
-Vaughn, Nex Mexico to Seminole, Texas, 230 miles - STOP!
-SLEEP: 3 1/2 hours - WHAT A NIGHTMARE!
-Seminole, Texas to Midland, 75 miles - END TRIP=)!
-Gas, $125.00

MILES: 1635
HOURS: 36
TIME ZONES: 2
GAS: $759.86
TIMES HAVING TO REPEAT MYSELF TO DAD: 1,278,875,471

Thanks everyone for your help!

Headed for Texas!=)

Well Megan and I finally have been given an answer to our prayers. We look forward to our move to Midland, Texas where I will be teaching and coaching seventh grade. It is going to be hard to leave family and friends behind but we will be back. Washington is our home but we have this adventure ahead of us that is just going to be a real great opportunity for our family and we can't pass it up. Thanks to everyone for their prayers and encouragement - we will always be greatful!

Riding Bikes and Sleeping Positions

So they are a little small but click to see the bigger images.

On Thursday, Isabella told me she wanted her training-wheels 

off her bike.  So I said sure but that I wasn't going to put them

back on.  Check the results!  She is riding like a pro.  To the

right, Jazlynn sleeps with her butt in the air - much like 

her daddy when I was little.

Jazy's near smile!

Jazlynn nearly cracked a smile for this picture. FYI - she is Isabella's clone...OH SHOOT!

What Were We Thinking?!

Dierks Bentley asks this same question in a country song entitled, "What Was I Thinkin'". Of course as far as Mr. Bentley is concerned, his song is about sex and alcohol albeit a great song if I may add. So you want to have 3 children. Think again please! Don't get me wrong, it isn't that I do not love my children but they are extremely hard headed and stubburn. Safe to say Megan and I are finished having children but that doesn't stop me from asking why I wanted them in the first place!=)

Put Me Back In!

Jazlynn Pics!

Welcome Jazlynn Christine

The newest member of the family was born at 4:05 p.m. on Saturday, June 21. She is a tiny thing weighting only 7-10 and is 20 inches long. She has dark hair and a big nose - poor kid!

Memorial Moments

Isabella and Megan share a special moment. Megan is only a few weeks away from delivering Jazlynn and as you can see is very uncomfortable. To the left, Megan and her bestfriend Shannon compare bumbs! Shannon and Aaron are having a boy. To the right, Wyatt and his cousing Matthew enjoy a ride - they are only a few months apart.

Photos of the Kido's!

Isabella is taking ballet. The top two pictures are from her recital in May. The little girl in the picture is Claire who was also in Izzy's class. They did a wonderful job. Check back later to see the video - that is if I can upload it.

Wyatt is playing with his Mack for the Cars movie and his Geo Trax train set. He also loves to put on daddy's shoes and running around in a diaper. What a stud!

Job Hunting!

It has been two years since I received my certification as a teacher and have yet to receive an interview. Why is that? Not sure - perhaps I smell! I know you can't tell that by an application but maybe they can. Fingerprints leave a mark - perhaps embedded in that mark is my stink=)! Perhaps it is something else. Maybe I wasn't supposed to be a teacher. Personally I do not believe that because I am a good teacher. Maybe however I should have stuck with one of those other things that I told people I could do better than teaching but decided against them.
I think that maybe I will stick to being smelly and hope that the school district that hires me has no sense of smell!

This is annoying!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so tired of trying to upload pictures or videos on here and it not working.  It is so annoying and I am sick of it!  

Sorry I just had to say it!

"The Baby" has a name!

If you failed to guess, I am letting you off the hook. "The Baby" as we have been calling her is now Jazlynn Christine. Her name is in the baby book however I just mixed words to when I was thinking of names - I was actually surprised to see it in the book. Anyway, Isabella is responsible for chosing the names. I liked Bailee while Megan liked Jazlynn; so when we left it to Isabella it made it easy give in. Isabella took all of 1 second to decide on Jazlynn.

A little bit about her name. Christine is my mother's name and Lynn is Megan's mom's middle name. Therefore all three children have some tradition passed on to them. Isabella's middle name, Marie, is the tradition middle name for all the first girls born on Megan's mother's side. Wyatt has my name as his middle name. My hope is that he will either pass that on to his children as a middle name or use his first name as the middle name for all his future boys. And Jazlynn has a part of both families. Hopefully all our children grow up to love their names!

Graduation Photos!

So Long WSU. Hello Uncertain Future!

It's 3:45 in the afternoon and I am sitting inside WSU's Holland Library. I have a class, second to last ever, in a little less than 30 minutes. I cannot help but stop to think about my adventures in being a college student these past 9 years.

It all begin in the fall of 1999 after I decided to stay at home to attend Pierce CC - that was my first big mistake. Two years, and only 26 credits later I found myself as a freshmen at Washington State with a long road to hoe. I was frustrated, discouraged, and nearly dropped out. I wanted to go home. I wanted to forget my dreams of teaching and coaching at the high school level and go back to Puyallup. Whatever the reason however I stayed and continued to hammer things out. I stopped my brief experience with alcohol, made some new friends, and shifted my focus back to school.

In the spring of 2002 I returned to church and found a new place to gather with friends and contemplate the future. It was at that time that I met Megan. Although nothing came of our meeting until after the summer when she returned to Pullman, there was something about Megan that attracted me to her and made me want to become a better person. That next spring in 2003 Megan and I were married in the Portland, Oregon Temple and began our life together. 5 years and nearly three children later we are both leaving Pullman as graduates of Washington State University. We are grateful to those who assisted us in our journey and look forward to our future - no matter how murky those waters are.

However uncertin our future is, Megan and I are firm in our belief that the Lord will guide us down the proper direction. For all the mistakes we have made together, we realize that the Lord has been there to help us make the better decision the next time around. We have grown together as husband and wife and have our friends, family, and our faith in the Gospel to thank for who we have become. Therefore, we can leave Pullman content to be finished with our lives as students and more than willing to face the challenges that lay in store concerning our future together.

Holy April Birthday's Batman!

Pow! Whack! Ka-Boom! April is the month for birthday's in the Holmstrom family. It used to be that April only yielded three birthday's - my mom on April 12, me on April 23, and my grandma-ma on April 30. Then the kids decided to get married and with that came children. My sister, Angela had my niece, Lacey on April 12 - Happy Birthday to me madre! Then I decided to find myself an old ball-n-chain which landed yet another April birthday, Megan on April 6. If you are counting that is 5. Yet, I guess it just would not have been right it my only son did not share in the April showers as well, Wyatt on April 14. Six freakin' April birthday's - that is insane!

So here's to the Holmstrom April birthday clan - Happy Birthday everyone!

No Shame in losing to UNC

Let me give you a couple of numbers. 16, the number of 3-point shots attempted by WSU. 2, the number of 3-point shots made by WSU. Another number 31, Wazzu's shooting percentage. What about this one, 11-44, the combined shooting of Rochestie, Low, Weaver, and Cowgill. Bottom line, the Cougs simply shot poorly - they had great shots for most of the night but nothing could break through that invisable barrier. The bottom-bottom line - North Carolina is one amazing team! Congrats to the Cougs for advancing to the Sweet 16. I am grateful to have been apart of it as one of your biggest fans. [I am having problems breaking this up into paragraphs and it is making me very mad - I am sorry.] Before I finish I do want to give you a few more numbers. 1,500, number in attendence at my first WSU basketball game in 2001. 9,200, average attendence in 2007-2008. 1, number of PAC-10 wins in 2001-2002 season. 24, number of PAC-10 wins in the past 2 seasons. My-oh-my how things that changed. Next year Tony Bennett has his best recruiting class tripping to Pullman, 5 - fabulous freshman to be exact. In a word, they are "scary" good! And all this talk about Bennett leaving is pre-mature - he ain't leavin' Pullman - not yet. So the future looks promising - I look forward to seeing what is in store for the WSU basketball team.

How Sweet 16 It Is!

Perhaps the national media has not noticed yet but the Cougs can play some basketball. Watching ESPN and cruisin' the yet for all I could find, maybe one or two media maroons picked us to win over Notre Dame. Okay, so Notre Dame was fast - took care of it. So they had one monster big guy in the middle - I wasn't impressed. So they play fast and we play slow. Whatever, we got it done and took them Catholic school boys to the wood shed in the process. And how 'bout them Cougs! Derek Low played perhaps the best game I have seen hime play since dropping 39 on Oregon a year ago. He was on fire and that fall-away three pointer at the end of the first half - that was one sweet stroke. Another thing, Low was playin' some monster 'D' tonight. Nothing was getting past him. And of course, let us not forget the Dream Weaver. You know, everyone says that he plays like a Nate McMillian. I got two words for ya'll - Scottie Pippen! It is all most like a mirror image - guy plays excellant defense, perhaps the best in the nation, can shot the ball from all areas of the court, quick hands, great spend, rebounds, un-selfish, and is lighthing quick. Did you see that block in the towards the end of the game - WOW!

Next up for the Cougs - NORTH CAROLINA! A childhood favorite of mine, mostly because Michael Jordan was and still is my all-time favorite but you just cannot beat their tradition. That being said, WSU is going to win. Laugh if you want but Carolina plays the same style of ball that Notre Dame does. Only difference, and it is a big difference, North Carolina can flat out play ball. They shoot lights out, play great defense, rebound well, and just kill you with their speed. Oh yeah and they have Tyler Hansbrough - perhaps the best player in all of college basketball. Thing is, I think and so do some others I know, that the Cougs match up well against Carolina. They are not to big and in many ways mirror us in height at both the guards and forwards. Also, Carolina could have problems with out style of play. Last time I checked no team in the ACC plays a slow, half court style of basketball. That is going to be our advantage because we do not match up talent wise against Carolina. They have more talent but we just might have the better team! Will find out next week. Till then, DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' and LET'S GO COUGS!

Signing Isabella's Shirt

1. Derek Low 2. Coach Bennett

3. Kyle Weaver 4. Pretty Sweet!

Kickin' Back with the Cougar Basketball Team

To celebrate the WSU Men's Basketball team heading to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year the school held a section show party for the team and fans over spring break. Around 2,000 fans were in attendance and the team stuck around to sign autographs. I was able to get a poster signed by the entire team including Tony Bennett while Isabella had her shirt signed by Robbie Cowgill, Kyle Weaver, Derek Low, Taylor Rodchestie, and Coach Bennett.

What's New

Ryan and Megan are proud to announce that we are expecting our third child, a girl, due on the Fourth of July. As of today, we have yet to decide on a name but seem to have narrowed our choices. The names cannot be relieved since we are trying to keep a secret for once in our lives.

Isabella just turned 4 years old and we celebrated her first ever birthday on February 29th. Tough being a Leap Day baby. It was a wonderful party that was shared by both families and some of Izzy's best girlfriends.

Wyatt is turning 2 years old this April 14. He is really coming into his own and has added his own sweet spirit to our family. He spends his days mostly watching Disney's Cars, or Cha-Chow!, as he loves to call it.

Megan and I just celebrated our firth wedding anniversary on March 15th. We did not do much, just went to dinner and took a stroll around the mall. Perhaps if things were not so busy something else may have happened. Fortunately he have several more anniversaries remaining.

That is all for now. Come back and see us again.