Slackers (#1)

Our little COWGIRL!!! gittyup

Walking a day in sisters shoes, I just thought it was too cute!!

"Wild thing...you make my heart sing...you make everything groovy...wild thing.!!!!"

We can't keep her out of this thing, it's for dolls but she loves it!! Oh well!

Poor guy got the flu and had a massive fever, Bella came home from school and colored this picture for him to feel better. She layed it on his pillow, sang him the song that I sing them when they are going to sleep and he bit the dust. It's moments like these that make everything worth it.

So I realized today that it has been a while (long while) since I have posted and hope that all will be forgiven after this one. Yes Jaz has started walking, running, throwing fits, screaming, talking a bit and being soooo much fun! We've been through lots this past few months, not all fun, but we survived, I'll list a few; hospital with Jaz, Family (mine, Megan) stuff, Bella's first day of school, Ryan's first day of school, we have managed to survive football season so far (but just barely), Jaz had tubes put in her ears and now is a pretty happy and fisty (?) baby, Wyatt has survived being home with mommy all day and all in all we are busy but happy. Hope you've enjoyed the pictures of the kiddos and I'll post some more later!!

Are you every going to walk?

So here in Texas we have been regrouping after our trip back to Washington. Jazlynn has been sick pretty much since we got home and still has no desire to walk or do anything on her own. Bella is getting ready to start school in a week and will be attending the "fine arts academy" with uniforms and everything that she loves put in a school. The only scary thing, for me (mommy) is that she will be in school from 8-5, she's going to be exhausted and I'm really going to miss her. Wyatt is adjusting to the idea that sister won't be here, we'll see how that goes since no one seems to have little boys that are his age. Ryan has started preparing for school and Football of course has already taken over our lives, I just keep telling myself things will get easier someday. As for me I am teaching piano still and staying home with the kiddos. Just thought I would update everyone on life at the Holmstrom's. Missing you all so much!

~Megan

Hot!!!!!!!!!!

It is so hot in Midland. Pretty much going to be in the 100's the rest of July.

Money Sucks!!

Here's something that probably sounds familiar to most of you and that is getting ahead only to fall back behind. I am talking about money of course. Megan and I recently went on a trip to Washington State to visit family. We used a portion of our tax return to pay for the trip. Roughly the trip cost $2000 with the plane tickets and expenses for our time there. Before we left I made sure to pay the bills - even paid a bit extra on most of them.

Sounds like we played it safe and I would agree. We even received and extra $850 for our roof which we than used to pay off our credit card. So back to zero right....WRONG! During our vacation Jazlynn had to be admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. I am sure we will be billed for something. Our three weeks in Washington cost a bit more than expected which than turned into $100 added to our credit card on arriving back to Midland for food and gas. Additionally, an extra payment of $165 had to be made to get our van back from the body shop (Almost the entire amount I made doing some work for my father while visiting). The thing that really ticks me off is that the $165 was the amount I needed to finish off my six months of car insurance. Funny thing is that isn't even the worst of it.

The day after we returned I noticed that the fence, which is probably 20 years old and rotted, finally bit the dust. Thank goodness the neighbor payed half but that still left us putting $400 on the credit card which was no less than 25 days free of debt...know $500 in the hole. Last thing, our dishwasher, which was in need of repairs, finally whore us down enough purchased a new one...another $550.

So my question is, do you ever get ahead in the battle with cash and credit? Or are we just meant to suffer with the costs of owning a home and trying to make it on your own two feet? Probably the latter!=(

Washington State Trip June 2009

New grass!

So after months of doing it on my own I cheated and purchased sod for the yard. Only $80 worth but did it make a difference. I had been pretty successful in getting the grass to come back but there were some parts that just will not grow. I am pretty soar - probably will sleep through church tomorrow.

Looking Back: My first year of teaching

With all the graduating seniors in the news and emails from friends left behind I have been thinking a lot about my first year in my choosen profession. It seems as if it was yesterday that my dad and I piled into the moving van to embark on a 3 day trip from Pullman, Washington to Midland, Texas. I remember my first morning sunrise in Seminole, Texas some 60 miles northwest. I stepped out of the motel room and the heat hit me like my momma had just slapped me in the face. At that moment I knew my first year here was going to be a rollercoaster ride.

The first day was easy, introductions and rules. The second was the hardest - first off the lesson was too short and the period was too long. That was a long day - especially since I had come to the realization that almost 80 percent of my students were Hispanic (SJJHS is 50 percent Hispanic). That fact, I had come to the conclusion, would be my most challenging task all year. In addition to having to relate to them myself, I had to teach a history that combines the America's early prejudice, slavery and white society with Mexican tradition and culture. How on earth would I teach these kids?

Swifting gears, than we have the house hunting which didn't go well from the beginning. Nothing that we really felt we could afford and the one house I really wanted was on a flood plain. Now it hasn't flooded in Midland since the 1960s but you are still required to have flood insurance. That would have raised a monthly payment by about $200 or so. To bad because that house was pretty much perfect. Nice neighborhood, new appliances, roof, big back yard, and about 1 mile from work. In the mean time we were staying with a family from church who were extremely patient with us and most likely would have let us stay as long as we wanted to. But in late September we found a home for us and although small it is perfect for our needs. Since then things have slowed down, the house is coming together but the initial anguish made the move feel like we would be "one and done."

Back to the teaching part of things. It took awhile but after about 2 months or so the Hispanic thing was no big deal. Although I have my complaints from time to time about the students - such as the laziness and the stupid comments they make on a daily basis - overall I feel that my first year has been a success. But I am ready for a break. Ready for Megan to take on a job this summer. Ready to enjoy some time with MY KIDS. Ready to rub it in that I am finished with school while the entire state of Washington has another month......HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Perhaps the most difficult task to take on was coaching, not teaching. I mean why wouldn't it be - I was teaching Texas History - a subject that I knew nothing about. However, I never felt that it would be difficult. Coaching on the other hand - I had a lot to prove. I mean for Pete's Sake, this is Texas, the football Mecca of the world. I am in the middle of Friday Night Lights. Midland Lee won 3 straight state titles from 1999-2001. The school that was the enspiration for the book, movie and now TV series, Odessa Permain, is 15 miles from here. And yes they do eat, drink, and breath football. Yes they do have morning football talk shows on the AM and FM stations. Yes parents have signs in their yard for which position or sport their child happens to be apart of. And yes, 7th grade Saturday morning football games draw crowds of well over 1,000, parents scream at and stare down a losing coach (only for the first 4 games), and the only success you have is the success within that 100 yards. I proved myself however, proved to be a winner with a team of what everyone told me would be losers. Proved to have the knowledge and the toughness to take on the nation that is Texas football followers. Needless to say I enjoyed it and look forward to next year.

NOW BRING ON SUMMER VACATION!

Swine flu update...

Seeing as how we are in Texas and this is coming from Mexico I thought I would let you guys know that we are okay. It is frightening that it is now coming over to our side of the state. Ryan just informed me that as of today a teacher in Odessa (just 15 miles from here) is now sick but he didn't elaborate with what. As for us I am trying to stock up on things that we might need in case it gets worse here and we are told to stay home. I will try to keep all of you updated on how things are going as more information is told to us. Thank you for your concern. We love and miss you all!

GOLF BALL HAIL!

Broke our windshield and put some massive dents in the car. Apparently this is not normal....better not be.

Finishing 2nd....and 1st?!

Midland ISD held the seventh grade boys basketball tournament to decide the city camp this weekend. My school, San Jacinto - which is named for the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution - had 3 teams in the tourney. During the regular season my team finished 8-2 and took 3rd in league. The other teams finished 10-0 and 4-6. I had the 3rd seed in the tourney which gave my team a long shot in making it to the championship. We took our first two games by 20 points and were playing lights out. Those wins game my team a shot at playing a revenge game against a team that beat us by 3 points in December. My team was considered by many to be a long shot at the beginning of the year. But I had faith. Again, even after an 8-2 season we were considered to have no chance. Guess again people! This morning, my boys took on the team with two 6 footers. It was a gave they were not susposed to win but that is the beauty of sports. To make the long story short "that team" got run out of the building as we won by 12, 40-28, to advance to the championship 2 hours later.

Unfortunently they came up short losing by 6 after a furious 4th quarther finish in which we outscored them 12-4. Call it a combination of being tired from the first game and full from all the crap they ate between. Anyway, at least we lost to the other team at my school - a team in which I had just as much a part in coaching as my own. Therefore this second place finish also netted me first! =)

Lettermen?!

This past spring I was presented with a gift from my Grandmother, my late great uncle's lettermen's jacket from Washington State University. My uncle Joe played football for the Crimson n' Gray during the mid 1950s. Megan and I are the only two in the family other than my uncle to have graduated from WAZZU. I was honored to receive the jacket and it finally has a perminate place in our home.


On each side are mine and Megan's diploma. I have another in the form of a Masters degree but have yet to purchase a frame.

Now I remember why...

...I never picked up the carpenters pamphlet at career day!

Megan and I are finally getting around to putting pictures on the our walls. The reason - we have been busy painting, sanding, and tearing up carpet. Not to mention coaching and everything that goes on with that. Anyway, first I had to sand down the walls in the kitchen (about 4 months ago) and the dining area (Sunday afternoon). Then I filled in the holes with spackle. After that the walls were ready for primer. If you haven't used primer before the smell is awful. After that a coat of yellow and then a second coat and what you have is what is above.

West Texas Cougs!

Crimson & Grey aren't your typical West Texas colors. Yet...Megan and I aint your typical Texas transplants either! Check out our new look for our front room - was brown....yuck! Jazlynn enjoys her lunch. And Wyatt gets and early start on his football career.

Yeah Man!

My Football Team

I have been so busy over the past 4 months, with good reason obviously, that I never really wrote about the boys I coached this year during the football season. The way it works is that seventh grade has three teams; two "A" teams and one "B" team. The B team is basically made up of kids that have little to no experience playing football or kids that are still developing physically. In Midland they basically call these kids the "scrub team." Additionally, the B team is the only seventh grade team with two coaches. Since this was my first year I was assigned the B team with a coach that knows nothing about football. The odds, needless to say, were against me.

We started the season 0-4, scoring only one touchdown during that span. It wasn't that my kids were bad or that the other teams were just that good; they just would not play as a team. After the fourth loss my quarterback came to me after and said that several kids on the team were blaming him for the team playing so poorly. This is were I grew up a bit and became the coach that I always knew I could be. After confronting my team, as well as the other two, it was amazing to see the difference in attitude on the team. They knew that I wasn't going to put up with their garbage. They either come together as a team or sink as individuals. Our fifth game of the year was an exciting one. After a scoreless first half our opponent scored to open the second. However, it should have been called back for a false start. The officials for Junior high are not the best. My boys got the ball back however and scored on a beautiful 60 yard run. However, unlike the other team my boys were flagged for a bogus penelty. That is when I lost it. I got into it with the official and was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. That put my kids in a hole, 4th and 30. So I called the same play and surprise it went for a first down. That drive ended in a touchdown and 2-point conversion. The game ended in our first win, mine best moment in coaching. My boys then won their final two games and ended the season 3-4, the most improved team in all of Midland. Proud of it - you bet; but even more proud of my boys.

New Favorite!

Wyatt has learned a new word, "FAVORITE." So today I asked him a question after he said something was his favorite or "bavorite" as he says.

Wyatt: Pince Aspian my bavorite (Prince Caspian is my favorite)

Daddy: What about me? Am I your favorite?

Wyatt: Yep, you my bavorite (favorite)

Mommy: Am I your favorite?

Wyatt: Nope!

Daddy: LAUGHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First Family Photos