tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73992298906312934042024-03-20T21:29:18.166-07:00Hollister HappeningsD. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-10308012976478266672013-11-02T22:01:00.001-07:002013-11-02T22:34:11.300-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AgcV26N2de1z4XtBVEm49SV-ehY0Hk44-LuyAi-lbCpNMOiBojhn5OiPJr0_Kj6oNpfi4ic6glzttIhz1HDPuUkFiMdj5CiXBvXVo9eImikNvKIvqAicxO950HKa9OO8yfDXSFRsnQd2/s1600/DSC_0518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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After the ward split, we had to recharter a new scout troop. Recently, the scout troop held their first Court of Honor. There were many awards presented to a host of youth. Ryan received six merit badges and his STAR rank! Ryan is seen here with Scoutmaster Howell, presenting the award to him. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8B8sg1-fB-zmljFLjJJTnIhjjYBvRHgWQc21w5AoYwetOR_v3pYk75FewF2MFOO4Wd6LEOTg5HZkRE-6BeI-X3t-gSU9VX_fJqUJuxyK258V9d2a2TV6UKMwecHZillU9Ym3grF7kUeiV/s1600/DSC_0536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8B8sg1-fB-zmljFLjJJTnIhjjYBvRHgWQc21w5AoYwetOR_v3pYk75FewF2MFOO4Wd6LEOTg5HZkRE-6BeI-X3t-gSU9VX_fJqUJuxyK258V9d2a2TV6UKMwecHZillU9Ym3grF7kUeiV/s320/DSC_0536.JPG" width="213" /></a>Here is Ryan with a couple of others in his patrol - of course Ryan is the showman of the group! That's our boy!<br />
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The entire troop reciting the Scout Oath & Law</div>
D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-86958707553660650662013-11-02T21:05:00.002-07:002013-11-02T21:35:35.750-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Magen was invited by the high school Occupational Health teacher, who also is the schools Athletic Trainer, to participate as one of the student trainers for the football team. Being a big football fan (and fan of cute, strong boys,,,ha) this was the perfect fit for her.</div>
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She had been a manager of both the football and boys basketball teams in Washington state as a sophomore at Columbia River high a well. Not only does she have fun, but the entire family<br />
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enjoys the chance to go watch football and see our Magen out there working the sidelines. She helps tape the players up, strap bags of ice to their injured body parts and provides them water and towels when needed. She knows the game well and provides detailed play-by-play reports after the game with injury updates and emotional post game sediments. She's a school spirit queen!</div>
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Here's Magen at work during a home football game.</div>
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D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-46887458018326311202013-10-20T20:09:00.001-07:002013-10-20T20:19:51.265-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On the Saturday over Labor Day weekend we were invited to join our friends, the Stalkers, on a day trip to Tompkinsville, Kentucky. Crystal is from there and wanted to show us the area. It happen to be the town's annual watermelon festival, so there was a parade and other festivities going on as well. We also headed up to their freinds property and had the kids shoot guns. We really had a lot of fun!<br />
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Magen looks very styleish with her boots and leather purse.</div>
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Mackenzie with her, well, Southern California - valley girl stance?</div>
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Ryan looks like he has this down.</div>
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D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-13765791165845938052013-10-20T19:31:00.000-07:002013-10-20T20:19:29.456-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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LP Field ~ Home of the Tennessee Titans with the Nashville skyline in the background at sunset.</div>
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From WAY up high in the third level. It's just as fun and the ticket price was just right - FREE. </div>
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Danieal's work raffled off some tickets to their staff for the preseason Titan game against the Atlanta Falcons. Danieal won a pair! We hadn't been to the stadium yet, so it was a very fun date night. </div>
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D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-59957528678158729842013-10-20T19:07:00.001-07:002013-10-20T20:13:13.399-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have determined the following: <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A Forrest + A Creek + 75 feet to house = <u>SNAKES</u></span>! About two months after moving in last year Ryan nearly ran over a snake with the lawn mower. I killed what we found out from the locals to be a four foot Copperhead. We'd not seen any more snakes until this past summer. In these past four months we've experienced seven or eight smaller ( 18" to 30" in length) ones coming into the garage. We've have the exterminator working with us to solve the slithering issue, but nothing seems to be working as of yet. We catch them on glue traps placed just inside the garage door, as we believe they enter under the weather stripping. I hate snakes, especially poisonous ones! <br />
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This is one of the many beautiful types of butterfly's that relish in the front yard foliage. There are brown ones, black ones, spotted ones and others with solid colors. However, this particular one is my favorite.<br />
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With the forest and creek behind the backyard, we are blessed to enjoy the many different types of wildlife that come around. This year while Arlene and Richie Sims (Danieal's Aunt & Uncle) were visiting, they captured these new born's in at the salt block. There are about five deer or so that regularly visit our home for early morning or afternoon treats. We also enjoy a family of bunnies, a very large and active squirrel that spends hours planting nuts across the backyard for the winter, many types of birds - from the Cardinal's, doves, quail and finches to the large turkey vulture that nests in the forest. There are three red fox and we have also seen a BOBCAT in the backyard!!! For living "<em>in town</em>" I think we see a tremendous amount of wildlife. <br />
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SHD. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-26102707272852687432013-10-20T17:48:00.000-07:002013-11-02T19:54:36.128-07:00<div style="text-align: left;">
This was our first full summer in our new home in Tennessee. Many family and friends back in the Northwest ask us about the weather in our part of the country. We absolutely LOVE it! Outside of work, we are in shorts and flip flops most of the time, seven months out of the year! There is humidity, but it's only really bad a few weeks out of the year. </div>
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My mom and dad were able to drive out and visit for about two weeks over the July 4th holiday. It was certainly toasty warm - low to mid 90's with some humidity. I know they don't care for that type of heat, but they seemed to get by with the help of air conditioning. I was able to take a week off from work and enjoyed the time sharing the local area with them. I've become very familiar with the civil war battles in the area and was able to take them to many of those battle fields, historic homesteads and monuments; such as where Meriwether Lewis died and US President Andrew Jackson home ~ The Hermitage. We also visited the Country Music Hall of Fame, and took in lunch at one of the honky tonks downtown.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKrOk0qJJiW-iwhMKog2HqLnwQAHienrGhNKA64mtQC9uiIJUPwlH8Jyp8RFeonS_VNK5tu2IMVzCElpNieL0zSGlr9u8L-u_TMSWWHZ2nwEUxlQITtNyfmozrM8fDhzet-SzJf9hPnaz/s1600/DSC_0341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKrOk0qJJiW-iwhMKog2HqLnwQAHienrGhNKA64mtQC9uiIJUPwlH8Jyp8RFeonS_VNK5tu2IMVzCElpNieL0zSGlr9u8L-u_TMSWWHZ2nwEUxlQITtNyfmozrM8fDhzet-SzJf9hPnaz/s320/DSC_0341.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
One day we drove to Chattanooga, TN to take in the popular Tennessee Aquarium and to ride the incline railroad train up the mountain (72.7% grade) that overlooks the city. Originally built in 1895, it is billed as one of the worlds steepest passenger railway.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlDxSdXx-Eka0aM6QOnVuJraUK7YN9jD3_8WPKJXlQrdXyMNcM4QFsgRV4afsWAWZDpofkYUBAMJqAYZGmcYhdW_loG9TVZtTiNfC8R5W5EuBXX2zGBwYlP9_Zy1U_0sCLyneY-y63bBF/s1600/DSC_0075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlDxSdXx-Eka0aM6QOnVuJraUK7YN9jD3_8WPKJXlQrdXyMNcM4QFsgRV4afsWAWZDpofkYUBAMJqAYZGmcYhdW_loG9TVZtTiNfC8R5W5EuBXX2zGBwYlP9_Zy1U_0sCLyneY-y63bBF/s320/DSC_0075.JPG" width="320" /></a>Another evening we took my folks to the Hollister's favorite local Mexican restaurant, Chuy's, and then to the Grand Ole Opry, where we saw Carrie Underwood in concert! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tQr7rikB1S6A4chVkhAn6UCnR21UcX9NHUPC_756rdwBick1kLeJe0PWjmtDFcD4GdwUliAUPZlHbDilZR2jmXEbR9T3ou2wmMrF4q2aXZ6HwqZwuwYPh9QvBkdai5BvpYxFVysX9-cw/s1600/DSC_0081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tQr7rikB1S6A4chVkhAn6UCnR21UcX9NHUPC_756rdwBick1kLeJe0PWjmtDFcD4GdwUliAUPZlHbDilZR2jmXEbR9T3ou2wmMrF4q2aXZ6HwqZwuwYPh9QvBkdai5BvpYxFVysX9-cw/s320/DSC_0081.JPG" width="320" /></a>Since the wards recent split last April, we had been short handed in Aaronic Priesthood to pass the sacrament. So, the Deacons Quorum President, Ryan, invited myself and Grandpa to join in passing the sacrament. It was a great experience for the three of us to participate in this ordinance together. </div>
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We all recognize that it's a very long haul from the Pacific NW, to Spring Hill, TN. (2,391 miles actually) We really appreciate the fact that mom and dad would make the journey this way to visit. Everyone had a great time and enjoyed the quality family time we had with them! </div>
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SH </div>
D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-52245647505338877192013-10-20T14:11:00.001-07:002013-10-20T14:11:15.602-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is Magen in the middle of the front row at the Regional Championships at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. She did enjoy the expereinces she had over the year but decided the time commitment was so much it didn't allow her to do many other things. Therefore, this was her final performance.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBZ1SmdacHga9BPk7jDzmu1a3bpQw53XAQ-k6ugtU86o39-S7DxGFca1AvlaLP-EYvKags9WCvAvbf-jkn9n4rQqJyz6zJQV_kvv3CYWHe1V5dse-uR1lOfLmPh0TB6u6QUqCkbHdF0EY/s1600/IMG_0937.JPG+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBZ1SmdacHga9BPk7jDzmu1a3bpQw53XAQ-k6ugtU86o39-S7DxGFca1AvlaLP-EYvKags9WCvAvbf-jkn9n4rQqJyz6zJQV_kvv3CYWHe1V5dse-uR1lOfLmPh0TB6u6QUqCkbHdF0EY/s320/IMG_0937.JPG+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Magen spent much of her Junior year participating in the color guard. From summer all the way through the fall she spent countless hours practicing then onto performing at home football games and marching at band competitions all across the region. She then decided to try Winter guard. This is performed inside gyms with out the band, but requires the same amount of time and commitment to perfect the art of dance, flag and sabre throwing to recorded music. They traveled from Kentucky to Georgia to compete. D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-3795835156669604972013-03-15T20:31:00.001-07:002013-03-15T20:31:35.794-07:00<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglfXuOlA2Xb1kS0Z2Evof08E3LUtsNhAA5BxLBcFWbdW5l5Mp4sb7ubzQ06mKX4pCpe04tY-v92agHhotoEyaxXKsK4mUKGr_W_9U4znOvNX7njbrqf9NzA8wSxgNHTlD2V4Ed8B9vVEii/s1600/IMAG0689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglfXuOlA2Xb1kS0Z2Evof08E3LUtsNhAA5BxLBcFWbdW5l5Mp4sb7ubzQ06mKX4pCpe04tY-v92agHhotoEyaxXKsK4mUKGr_W_9U4znOvNX7njbrqf9NzA8wSxgNHTlD2V4Ed8B9vVEii/s320/IMAG0689.jpg" width="190" /></a>At the end of December I was called as the Cub Master for the Cub Scout pack in our ward. My main responsibility is to plan a monthy pack meeting. For our meeting in January we went to the Fire Station. The firemen were great with the boys. They talked about safety and answered a variety of super cute "what if" questions. I decorated fire truck cookies for a treat. The boys had a fun time exploring the fire truck and watching the firemen put on their gear. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-f0rXwH7qPxvGku75SXiz8yONWwTJm29PDN_jNwBZ0-0L73Y5PzQ_Fw_D6I3Y0VsOgrNW7ozCBeZc1KKVdBZb76ajF1telEsdUPYSX_Q55esQHe5Q7K_8FFOdiVJRj9c3sengLMQ03g0S/s1600/IMAG0679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-f0rXwH7qPxvGku75SXiz8yONWwTJm29PDN_jNwBZ0-0L73Y5PzQ_Fw_D6I3Y0VsOgrNW7ozCBeZc1KKVdBZb76ajF1telEsdUPYSX_Q55esQHe5Q7K_8FFOdiVJRj9c3sengLMQ03g0S/s200/IMAG0679.jpg" width="200" /></a>In February we held The Blue and Gold Banquet. Our theme was a Western Round Up. I made ribbons for the moms to collect their pins. <br />
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We decorated the tables with blue bandanas, yellow tissue paper flowers and little cowboys boots. We also used Mason jars and rope to decorate. The food tables had wheels on them to make them look like chuck wagons. For dinner we served sloppy joe's, chips and veggie's. We had a cake decorating contest and enjoyed the master pieces for dessert. It has been fun thinking about ways to recognize the boys for completing their achievements. </div>
D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-14436266574929952752012-12-17T19:45:00.003-08:002012-12-17T19:55:20.543-08:00<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 2012 Christmas Card</span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgii1L6woNq5ObpQFQ908vcmgLnwpJyewU3Oonxx-X9phk-swZe-7hmwGBXeT5bj0xmO9tlSqLnbq4MomJ8bk8Wx8Jc1YV69fTo5mjG-x-E0X3nBQWFdM0uZXl1vphWe1fvkK6W0oLsB_YG/s1600/Hollister39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgii1L6woNq5ObpQFQ908vcmgLnwpJyewU3Oonxx-X9phk-swZe-7hmwGBXeT5bj0xmO9tlSqLnbq4MomJ8bk8Wx8Jc1YV69fTo5mjG-x-E0X3nBQWFdM0uZXl1vphWe1fvkK6W0oLsB_YG/s200/Hollister39.JPG" width="133" /></a><span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">With every year
comes change and growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year would
probably bring the Hollister family the biggest change and opportunity for
growth ever;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A move across the country
(2,391 miles to be exact) resulting in leaving behind four generations of
family on Danieal’s side of the family, as well as mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">This was the result of a job promotion within my company
to oversee the Southeastern US for Zee Medical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The only job requirement was, live in one of the nine states I was now
responsible for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a wonderful
opportunity to sit on the company’s Senior Management Team and direct the
affairs of an industry leading organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Where we landed is a story in itself, but the short version is that we
believe that this is the right time and right place for our family to live – in
Spring Hill, Tennessee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a
smaller country town that has seen growth from three thousand people just
twelve years ago to twenty seven thousand and growing today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The family enjoys country music, so enjoy living
just thirty minutes south of Nashville. We are loving the warmer weather and
the Southeast country living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still
travel about 65% of the time, just a different look when I’m on the ground. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">After the acceptance of the new position I hit the road
100% of the time, commuting weekly across the country to visit managers and
their sales teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile the company
moved us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reality though is that
Danieal just about single handedly did it all. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She sold the house in Vancouver, cleaned out
years of treasures that didn’t need to make the move with us, managed the
packing, and oversaw the loading and unloading of the semi truck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s a trooper, but it doesn’t stop
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since we decided to build a
house, we initially moved into an apartment for six months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Living in a much smaller residence upon our
Tennessee arrival, we kept the essentials in the apartment and placed the other
half of our belongings into storage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once the house was ready for occupancy at the end of August – then we
(Danieal) moved AGAIN!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">After eighteen years Danieal has recently returned to
full time employment, using her more recent skills as an RN working at a
pediatric clinic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She loves it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just so happens to be located a half mile
from where I decided to rent an office in Franklin, TN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So when I’m in town, we often get together
for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Danieal will tell you that
she is learning how to juggle a new full time job, still play full time mom,
while her husband is around on a part time basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to this, she actively serves in
her church calling as the Cub Scout – wolf den leader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can see she truly is one special person
and I just think she’s AWESOME! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">This autumn we were blessed to have Danieal’s mother and Aunt
Arlene come to visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We showed them the
sights, including just a couple of the tremendous historical sites in the
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, there have even been
civil war artifacts found in our neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We also spent a wonderful evening at the <u>Grand Ole Opry</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It happened to be a tribute night to the late
Mini Pearl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were entertained by Vince
Gil, Amy Grant, Mel and Pam Tillis as well as many other entertainers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a very memorable night for all of
us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Magen has successfully transitioned into
her junior year as an Independence High School Eagle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She quickly made friends with girls in the
bands color-guard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So even before school
started she was marching and practicing all day in the SE summer heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though she came in a couple of years behind
the others, she has already been tagged by the director as, “good – real
good.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was selected to move to the
guard line that throws “triples” with their rifles during their competition
shows, which is a huge accomplishment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After three months of intense practice, football game halftime
performances and shows around the state, the season is over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Magen now is awaiting the winter-guard
competition season which runs from December through March.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would say that Magen, with her magnetic
personality, has transitioned well to life in Tennessee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For her birthday, she decided to continue
last year’s tradition of attending a NCAA football game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A school teacher gave her tickets to the
University of Tennessee game played on her birthday weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She invited Dad again to accompany her for
what she has declared a birthday tradition (Dad’s not complaining). <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Mackenzie has made many new friends at school and church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has really helped her mom in the family
transition more than she probably will ever know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She always lends an unsolicited helping
hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This fall Mackenzie has been
watching football anytime she can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Oregon Ducks are still at the top of her list even in the land where The
Crimson Tide dominates. Recently, Mackenzie has received the gift she has been
wanting for some time – braces!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is
learning how much pain one must go through at times to achieve success, this
time literally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the pain is
starting to subside and she is looking forward to positive results in the next
couple of years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The move across the
country may have been hardest on our “Little Ry-Guy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He really misses his extended family and
friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has also found school to be
less than satisfactory; ironically he still has straight A’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was recently called as the Deacons Quorum
President at church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a natural
leader that genuinely cares for everyone; he will do well in this role.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His love for Boy Scouting continues to grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has a wonderful Scoutmaster who is
dedicated to the Troop of boys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is great
to see Ryan work hard to achieve the goals on his journey though scouting and life.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Trevor and Cameron continue to navigate young
adulthood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They both still reside in the
Portland/Vancouver area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trevor was
accepted to the Pipe Fitters apprenticeship program last spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is being sponsored by Patriot Fire
Protection where he often works with his Journeyman/Uncle Nicolai.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are proud that he is dedicated to
investing into a great career like this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cameron has recently been working in the construction industry as well,
involved in doing residential remodels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He finds himself spending lots of his off hours repairing and tinkering
on cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We believe this is a great
hobby as it is a talent he can enhance and benefit from long into the future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">As we consider the memories and traditions of the years
gone by this holiday season, we also realize more than ever the blessings of
family, and true friendships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The spirit
of love abounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We testify that the
birth of the Savior Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophecies of old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christ was born and walked upon the face of
the earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That he atoned for our sins
and died for each one of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know
that he was resurrected on the third day and ‘LIVES’ today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May we each feel his spirit every day of our
lives as we strive to be more like Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>From our home to yours – </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Merry
Christmas</span></b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> !!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Love,
The Hollister’s</span>D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-45233616412751878582012-11-10T22:07:00.000-08:002012-11-10T22:07:22.763-08:00VisitorsWe've had such an exciting month. My mom and aunt came to visit us in Tennessee. A few weeks before their scheduled visit my mom fell down while running and broke her shoulder. The break was severe and required a partial shoulder replacement. She was determined to make the trip and just 10 days after surgery she boarded a plane and headed East. <br />
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We waited with great anticipation for their arrival. Their flights were scheduled to arrive within 30 minutes of each other around the 10:00 hour. The kids had school the next day but begged to go to the airport and promised to get up in the morning. No one wanted to miss the big moment; we were all there eagerly waiting for our visitors. When they arrived we were all very excited and couldn't wait to show them everything we could about our new home.<br />
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During their stay they helped me do some decorating including the creation of two beautiful wreaths for my front doors. <br />
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We visited a few mansions in the area and learned about their significance during the Civil War. I'm pretty sure that our visit to The Grand Ole Opry was a highlight of their visit. We saw Mel and Pam Tillis, Riders in The Sky, Vince Gill and Amy Grant along with a few comedians. During their stay we took them to some of our favorite restaurants. It was so fun to just be together. We were very sad when my aunt had to leave. Just before we took her to the airport we did a little downtown Nashville tour. <br />
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We were able to carry on a long held tradition of making doughnuts on Halloween. Grandma directed Ryan in how to do everything from making the dough to dipping the finished product into the glaze. I know it meant so much to my kids to have her here. Many of the traditions we have enjoyed over the years have had to change as a result of our move so even though Halloween isn't a huge holiday it was nice to have that little piece of home.<br />
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I know it would have been easier for my mom to stay home and recuperate from her injury but I am so grateful that she decided to come and I hope being here helped with her healing. It was very hard to see her go!D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-71397900405711340862012-09-30T18:38:00.000-07:002012-09-30T18:38:04.579-07:00August & September<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The passed few months have been beyond busy. I applied for a job in early August hoping to be able to start in September after we moved in to our house. Well it happened much more quickly than I had expected and I was working, full time! I am working at a pediatricians office with eight wonderful doctors and nurse practictioners. I am loving it. Going to work everyday is truly enjoyable.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlDPiywhQqJeCwM6S8VRrxulFTQZtJasqxgWrMrfH-Wn5Rl3X6rRgp69HC5Oht6WmFxbdLdgAHMBV-sJcoZq9MzVZmR4dfjV3qhSYYznAWFyHGayhoC_abNfi60r6ulwiTqFFsIuxrTuz/s1600/IMAG0314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlDPiywhQqJeCwM6S8VRrxulFTQZtJasqxgWrMrfH-Wn5Rl3X6rRgp69HC5Oht6WmFxbdLdgAHMBV-sJcoZq9MzVZmR4dfjV3qhSYYznAWFyHGayhoC_abNfi60r6ulwiTqFFsIuxrTuz/s320/IMAG0314.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mackenzie celebrated her 14th birthday the day before school started. She invited three friends to make the long trek to Red Robin (45 minutes away). Two of them had never been to Red Robin and the other, who is from Washington, was very excited to enjoy the fries. After a delicious dinner we went bowling and then had dessert at a favorite frozen yogurt shop. </div>
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Near the end of August we closed on our new home. With the kids in school and Steve and I both working it has taken a while to get everything put away but I am finally seeing the light. There are still a few boxes to unpack and some areas that need some organizing but we are loving the house and the space. Especially after living in a little apartment for five months.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> My beautiful girls on the back deck. How did they get so tall?</span></div>
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Magen celebrated her 17th birthday last week. She was able to get tickets to a University of Tennessee game in Knoxville. Steve was more than happy to escort her. He would never turn down the chance to see a college football game. Mackenzie made a cake and we had our good friends over for cake and ice cream. I am in denial that she will be 18 in a year. Yikes!</div>
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I am working with the Cub Scouts as the Wolf den leader and Ryan is a Boy Scout. We have our meetings at the same time so we look like twins one night a week. Steve has recently been called as a couselor in the young mens presidency which means he works with the 14 and 15 year old scouts and wears his scout uniform along with us; we are a scouting family right now.</div>
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We are very excited for a visit from my Mom and Aunt later in October. We are missing everyone in Washington but making friends and memories here in the South.</div>
D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-79133865125688845802012-07-27T09:12:00.000-07:002012-07-27T09:12:06.150-07:00JulyJuly has been super fun. The girls and I went to camp and were surprised by how elated everyone was with the rain that fell almost constantly during the week. We are told that this camp, which is located in Alabama, is always extremely hot. There were coolers of juice and water all over the place and popsicles abundantly available but the rain kept the heat at bay. It was still warm but comfortable. The campers all stay in cabins and there are many covered areas so our activies were not hindered much by the rain. The camp was organized very differently than we are used to but it was a fun experience. The girls sang their hearts out (Magen didn't have a voice for days) and acted as silly as possible and enjoyed making lots of new friends. <br />
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Immediately after arriving home, we got to spend the evening with Mary Martin. She was Magen's English teacher in Vancouver. She is from these parts and was here visiting her children and grand children. We had dinner at Olive Garden and a great time visiting with her. She was our first visitor from home!<br />
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She was quickly followed by our second visitor Nicole who came to go to EFY (Especially For Youth) with Magen. I drove them up to Bowling Green, Kentucky (Western Kentucky University) on Monday morning. I haven't heard much from them other than reports that Magen is getting lots of attention from the chiggers. I don't know much about these annoying little creatures other than that they are very tiny but their bite HURTS. She has texted me that she is having fun. I will drive up early tomorrow morning to pick them up and get the scoop.<br />
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We have had some HOT weather which I am loving. I usually go outside and eat my lunch on my little front patio and enjoy the sunshine. We go down to the pool a little later in the afternoon and splash around. It has been hard to run outside in the heat and humidity so I usually go down to the fitness center to use the tread mill or eliptical. We have had some really cool storms with lightning that almost looks like a strobe light. I am trying to figure out how to capture these lightning strikes on my camera. I think I have it dialed in so the next time we have one those storms hopefully I will get some great pictures. <br />
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The kids will go back to school in two weeks. They are not excited about this. It seems so strange to start school in the middle of summer. I'm not looking forward to the early mornings but I think the kids are getting a little bored so it's probably time to get back into a routine.<br />
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Our house is coming along quickly and we are scheduled to close on August 24th. I usually go look at it every evening to see what they have been working on. It is exciting to see the daily progress. This week they poured the driveway and walk. They also installed the appliances. Steve and I are going over later today to measure the windows so we can order blinds. We have been comfortable in our apartment aside from the infestation of mice (5 and counting) but we are ready to have some space especially the girls who are sharing a small bedroom and closet. They are opposites when it comes to how tidy they keep their rooms. They have managed well and my little slob has possibly picked up a few tidy habits but I know they will be thrilled to have their own space again. <br />
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Although I have really enjoyed the freedom that I have experienced this summer to stay up late, sleep in, swim and just basically be a bum I am starting my job search. I had an interview a few weeks ago and I have two more next week. I am excited to get back into nursing.<br />
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As always we are missing our family and friends in Washington but making new friends here and enjoying the adventure of learning about a new place. I hope everyone is having a fun summer!<br />
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(I am having some technical difficulties in uploading some pictures. I'll try again later.)D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-52509547640057502232012-07-04T09:59:00.000-07:002012-07-04T09:59:01.943-07:004th of July Book Suggestions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_TYjX8VakBO_IcGaSTlBvR1TOwsvMlf2vv_aXJ7Rrt1Zi_BLTXziF9fO6wnWC8X7hxwfqT_JS-OurEDRdqKxuYMfLkYTkWWCwk9k_T3kLVSJ33R1EcMeTyi9LIxeq7IagAKdQll14Zq0/s1600/Being-george-washington%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_TYjX8VakBO_IcGaSTlBvR1TOwsvMlf2vv_aXJ7Rrt1Zi_BLTXziF9fO6wnWC8X7hxwfqT_JS-OurEDRdqKxuYMfLkYTkWWCwk9k_T3kLVSJ33R1EcMeTyi9LIxeq7IagAKdQll14Zq0/s320/Being-george-washington%5B1%5D.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
Even if you aren't a fan of Glenn Beck this book is very informational and brings to light many historical events specifically involving George Washington in his life long endeavor to liberate this country from the British rule and give the people liberty while providing the government enough power to function effectively. I really enjoyed the history lesson accompanied with thought evoking commentary.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMoB03lqecOHNnbH6ZmLniAloT7qWucYal2S1o9o8rxVUTK1rG2sw92wjbh0FAEsNb2DajMKQRompKzeZyUtLI_mvtqeaLe7tlqKnLEokGUP20QIH-EOzGRjGNjwTZKQVSVzbnSRWc_0O/s1600/173006459%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMoB03lqecOHNnbH6ZmLniAloT7qWucYal2S1o9o8rxVUTK1rG2sw92wjbh0FAEsNb2DajMKQRompKzeZyUtLI_mvtqeaLe7tlqKnLEokGUP20QIH-EOzGRjGNjwTZKQVSVzbnSRWc_0O/s320/173006459%5B1%5D.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
I am not usually a huge fan of biographies but I am a huge fan of Patrick Swayze. I first became aware of him in "The Outsiders" and I always thought he bore a strong resemblance to my Grandfather when he was young. I picked this book up at the library and thought if I had a chance I would read it. I'm glad I did. After reading it I felt such appreciation for the relationships that I have in my life, especially with my husband. Every moment that we have with our loved ones is precious.D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-34213706945569796712012-06-27T14:27:00.002-07:002012-06-27T14:32:33.996-07:00Family Photos<br />
During our visit in Washington we had our dear friend Bethany Davenport of <a href="http://bdphotographyinc.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">BD Photography</a> take some family pictures. They turned out great. Steve's brother and his family had a session just after ours and we had the rest of the family (Steve's other brother, parents and grandparents) show up in between so we got some pictures of the entire extended family. There is one important person missing, Cameron. He had planned to be there but was unable to make it. I will miss seeing him in our family pictures but we will surely take another one in the not too distant future. Here are a few favorites.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6cP3etDicEirjg31Wh6IZ9IrUdNiMh4VhO4cjE8RWV7iRhO65lYTD15ZTF_j4aH2UwjNfE4Ml-YL-05BH_okceW5xjZu3ueJkUhGDLo1QiMhgQmNuEZ-wn3uzju9ZX0IAkBkZ7f6yYFQ/s1600/Hollister71.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6cP3etDicEirjg31Wh6IZ9IrUdNiMh4VhO4cjE8RWV7iRhO65lYTD15ZTF_j4aH2UwjNfE4Ml-YL-05BH_okceW5xjZu3ueJkUhGDLo1QiMhgQmNuEZ-wn3uzju9ZX0IAkBkZ7f6yYFQ/s400/Hollister71.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad and his girls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdzBS_ZQpvGyKND67cTB1ZNFxrnUDySJEfk0oa9fTUA6gup7qD2Mhvs9JPgyxk3u1YPZNNIJhE0LYJYlwr6ywtyWzEUXUblkCCnMvSypTyfhzivd65cy4o70McNTmACvZ_PjgpYAIGNeq/s1600/Hollister1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdzBS_ZQpvGyKND67cTB1ZNFxrnUDySJEfk0oa9fTUA6gup7qD2Mhvs9JPgyxk3u1YPZNNIJhE0LYJYlwr6ywtyWzEUXUblkCCnMvSypTyfhzivd65cy4o70McNTmACvZ_PjgpYAIGNeq/s400/Hollister1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole family</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OudfOeEXXlA1JJ6IJbqBFlTsvYdTQpR-4yJuqg1Lc3m-3KNxmS4RlJbl9tDmuuTIFajm6qTDHOfSQCwmHXuFH3XybflaHwVfgWdx0djOvqTSdy-zSqn2dM3mVu4e5fpDzL797dR4gx7g/s1600/Hollister15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OudfOeEXXlA1JJ6IJbqBFlTsvYdTQpR-4yJuqg1Lc3m-3KNxmS4RlJbl9tDmuuTIFajm6qTDHOfSQCwmHXuFH3XybflaHwVfgWdx0djOvqTSdy-zSqn2dM3mVu4e5fpDzL797dR4gx7g/s400/Hollister15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Brothers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYKklAl3hzhRb_-KCQtSUsUtLqi75Pfp94EihMwvyXPTuczHUmdOfT5PZX-YK70O-4vbfj0nChkwUCZj33BjcPBCxQrdqPWmCGgInabXQsHBtfhiqKF7Phhm-T9DHagZn3PVKHVek4InV/s1600/Hollister53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYKklAl3hzhRb_-KCQtSUsUtLqi75Pfp94EihMwvyXPTuczHUmdOfT5PZX-YK70O-4vbfj0nChkwUCZj33BjcPBCxQrdqPWmCGgInabXQsHBtfhiqKF7Phhm-T9DHagZn3PVKHVek4InV/s640/Hollister53.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mackenzie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCk82vZrcvtFg1vO5c6vA5zCBd7kxur_W9RgxonJQ1UbcOeOqVeMDFcTHLH5QY9BahIYkFiR2z0GOeBrZQ580V-Uk_OOg1-2xXn2YE4h8V0-7riHIJ-yfJsoBZ2pfTINi2J6VFGeYnFow/s1600/Hollister21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCk82vZrcvtFg1vO5c6vA5zCBd7kxur_W9RgxonJQ1UbcOeOqVeMDFcTHLH5QY9BahIYkFiR2z0GOeBrZQ580V-Uk_OOg1-2xXn2YE4h8V0-7riHIJ-yfJsoBZ2pfTINi2J6VFGeYnFow/s640/Hollister21.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mBhe0LMJqF4GRy03jd_A84aMmd1CIDkzgEf5u_rtH0Jsha_AcbZUspUSLj_eDO7FJWKt-N8C_PMvhyphenhyphenWMVwRJZbobvrtIh1vqQr8rxYEia2x89lSw1GEHA4oNzTGAX15ZNxm2V0F3-Mzj/s1600/Hollister46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mBhe0LMJqF4GRy03jd_A84aMmd1CIDkzgEf5u_rtH0Jsha_AcbZUspUSLj_eDO7FJWKt-N8C_PMvhyphenhyphenWMVwRJZbobvrtIh1vqQr8rxYEia2x89lSw1GEHA4oNzTGAX15ZNxm2V0F3-Mzj/s640/Hollister46.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trevor and his darling girlfriend</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtk7SBOn4aSSnxkxQR22U0Jeg7j50hOS6hyTYTTgW218TxNVVakjLndf0JpZWwxYOG6Bc6_rEBn7fQfEBTRLy6jOkY4f-W_hBcneZZBJfz8bMoeNoUvUg_2-kUUqNcITjheVz3MvDbMncs/s1600/Hollister39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtk7SBOn4aSSnxkxQR22U0Jeg7j50hOS6hyTYTTgW218TxNVVakjLndf0JpZWwxYOG6Bc6_rEBn7fQfEBTRLy6jOkY4f-W_hBcneZZBJfz8bMoeNoUvUg_2-kUUqNcITjheVz3MvDbMncs/s640/Hollister39.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve and Danieal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAlMyODTmv2uxT4rZ45mVIj7vVU5gFf1CggqEjpvhAeL8G_2XDqDgKdUGtOmphGi8IxRst9EY5_FWNaahYR-6jEzoYrejMCq_I_ymA-Gg7xH1uyxrZ57vyssWkCgPPKbexqkFWG5G6oX5/s1600/Hollister73.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAlMyODTmv2uxT4rZ45mVIj7vVU5gFf1CggqEjpvhAeL8G_2XDqDgKdUGtOmphGi8IxRst9EY5_FWNaahYR-6jEzoYrejMCq_I_ymA-Gg7xH1uyxrZ57vyssWkCgPPKbexqkFWG5G6oX5/s640/Hollister73.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-73999985716411601282012-06-25T10:42:00.000-07:002012-06-25T10:42:06.660-07:00How is Tennessee?I am asked frequently by people from the Northwest as well as people from Tennessee: So how do you like it in Tennessee? <br />
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I find myself really contemplating this question and in doing so I am taking notice of so many things. When I wake up each morning the sun is shining and the days are warm, really warm. If you know me you know I love that. The trees and meadows are green and beautiful. There are outdoor pools everywhere with kids and families enjoying the refreshing water. The parks are also well populated with kids enjoying the wonderful weather. The evenings are amazing; the sunsets are magnificent and the temperatures are perfect for sitting outside and watching the fire flies. Now I know why there are rocking chairs on all of the porches.<br />
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Last weekend we went to dinner with some friends and then walked around the old downtown area. We found a bakery and went inside for a little dessert. In the back room a band was playing and to my untrained ear they were good, really good. We ate our brownies and listened for a while. I suggested to Steve that we get their autographs before they get rich and famous. As we continued to walk we heard the sounds of several other bands coming from various establishments. So many people are trying to make their mark in the music business and this is where they come to do it. The benefit to us is excellent, free entertainment. <br />
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The people seem nice and I really like the little town we are living in. It has a small town feel but with everything we need for our daily activities. We have to drive a little ways to see a movie or go to Costco but that's okay. <br />
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So I like it in Tennessee. <br />
<br />D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-51714555267111169432012-06-18T07:45:00.002-07:002012-06-18T07:45:34.531-07:00Home???The day school got out here in Tennessee, May 23rd, our family flew home. Well our old home; the place we have lived our entire lives. We were eagerly greeted by family and friends. Our three week visit was wonderful. We got to spend time with so many great friends and although it hadn't been that long since we left it was so exciting to see everyone again. <br />
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The reason for our visit was to be there for the baptism of my Brother in law. We wanted to be there to support him in his decision to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. <br />
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We stayed with my sister and her family. Three weeks is a long time to have visitors and the entire family was impacted by our presence but everyone got along great and we loved being there.<br />
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We have returned home to Tennessee. We are happy to be here; the weather is beautiful and we are enjoying the daily progress we see on the construction of our new home. We are struggling to get back into the Central time zone schedule, fortunately our schedule is very light so we can stay up late and sleep in and no one cares. <br />
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Well the pool is calling us. It is 9:00 and and nearing 80 degrees. I'll post some pictures later.D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-25843276489510610872012-04-10T09:01:00.007-07:002012-04-10T09:25:05.739-07:00I can't believe he's 12<div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucRpij8NW4QjhBF0WYkr8lOje1CgJjX-9ichXnAbIl2H_a5q03nM9_aKV4ucPg-u3jzmvXpNyWc2TmyfUK99m5Y71etfDjHkXalwBV91inoqds3IQ57CZ_jJ2a_XlIEzhP1FKVvoUGKoy/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729807427723642162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucRpij8NW4QjhBF0WYkr8lOje1CgJjX-9ichXnAbIl2H_a5q03nM9_aKV4ucPg-u3jzmvXpNyWc2TmyfUK99m5Y71etfDjHkXalwBV91inoqds3IQ57CZ_jJ2a_XlIEzhP1FKVvoUGKoy/s320/DSC_0011.JPG" /></a><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729807630008483314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlmV2iuMNwMloyKjZwSJAQDe3E31nSFq6V5-ZMRwMlCz-6NYXe0nraxtT-ATShdY1EYE9MYjKeycBvWjcV5bsWvCaoVoj5rGcNb42_ZdwMJQhx5XjFeFQIL89q-qdH0CYg6YNShgcrGz4/s320/DSC_0021.JPG" /><div>Yesterday we got to celebrate Ryan's birthday. He requested pizza for dinner. He opened his gifts and enjoyed a cheesecake birthday cake. <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729808160221484114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikgHwhEK3aagBmv55m4we2yNdNYCZfv7zjZvD9zSevMgqO392wiQ_s4BQqWAesKLtdJvSLnBRM7JMo2OyO3Jc6XOELcKs7MEnWJakp_NNl1_8ERXRAU47fc4dhAL6GlcntcpnEbtDboc6/s320/DSC_0027.JPG" /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729808405482363330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS7sj5ByppR7Y62cS_azZgZY_WzQR9Gb5AiAK8Lf2NgQE8BIWGu6kcJFe3aoFiKF1yUV2fFv-3dm1eRDgGDar4MXvd-AnNZZYAIOfRa-vTD7AUKX4-ESB4OHeoNx5mxTm7GPrahR8_4Fdf/s320/DSC_0035.JPG" /></div></div></div></div></div>D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-708796151361180892012-04-07T09:10:00.009-07:002012-04-07T09:34:57.089-07:00How Old is Too Old?<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9Ap0681pCVSrXlkPtr89_4UYbHUiRZV_-VfZ6NU3izd887o6LlapopM_KbdL6yyqKQYrpR2xPzYHebHRZMlrShh64Ow07O4zK8eAlM2b7AC0FHHvyhcIqLp2VFKUINAvX4AyONd52O_Q/s1600/DSC_0251.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728694462575965730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9Ap0681pCVSrXlkPtr89_4UYbHUiRZV_-VfZ6NU3izd887o6LlapopM_KbdL6yyqKQYrpR2xPzYHebHRZMlrShh64Ow07O4zK8eAlM2b7AC0FHHvyhcIqLp2VFKUINAvX4AyONd52O_Q/s320/DSC_0251.JPG" /></a><div>This year with everything that's going on I hadn't really thought about coloring Easter eggs. We always do, but for the past few years we have gotten together with younger cousins and I wasn't sure if we were decorating eggs because we enjoy it or if it was a fun way to hang out with the family. Yesterday we went into the grocery store and were reminded that we hadn't done our eggs yet. So......we bought the dye and the eggs and decided you are never too old to decorate Easter eggs.<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728697536690018994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKb2Dn9uF_WGs_hHzLW8Qe9z3Pwkf9FIQLsdzL_n_B9ay9hcPvoMW5FfIl3-FZOKVyAaeUqlv4Txiwfo_M2XuAkUIwiZ-yTOH5Sg7gC2LYFBbZ5xY1zg6jhZdAPWgy9xSo0gxyPTuziCl/s320/DSC_0246.JPG" /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728697030847574578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1bL4es67gBX0Y_C3chPQHIicMFhTsfIlXc2ScyEYi7gLDReMqrggvFG4yLU9_z-nyIcDSIzPprCUJ_Us5sTetEShhqkAclO1OZenhCGL22Oj-P6osl3JS_9j1AY6CfBG76db3YO9BQFp5/s320/DSC_0250.JPG" /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728695177905818002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVJZgvsdOBcyacIokGoJ5G3LqU-cat8cx1wUQqLw_4lbe9PaiBJHRK4VIdGKoZ8ZORYkYW3LqM3DQJeIW4sp5YlYdQKMkYLGSDZYhWcFaK4m2hwAHhakyv28lVp7azCirzbqxq9bGR_Mt/s320/DSC_0247.JPG" /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728695193624574578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBQGiG2KXWp_iAOMRuDvvbAs-jpi7lPdh2XJz3a87U5nlwh3ywK03fmBgNx0pedjPjmmxSWY_XBavCrWxJ-KnBxXh8luTomyhHav_9hii8_RUl_jL5r6Q1Q3-cPPR-1ZLSXjHC1n7Pvdl/s320/DSC_0249.JPG" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-65676217058973591832012-04-05T08:34:00.008-07:002012-04-05T09:31:00.366-07:00Spring Break 2012<div><br /><div><div align="center"> </div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4_lSl8ZDsgDPo1t4ECeriL36C3QwTjsDZh2MgyjdNkAR_mlWM-T2DnIvmxm2hEv8Et005BCTQkkbGC0-VPrYNWcdnmJ3ShgjBSCg5N799ZXhqR8Zp8fUmwCp4gW5cKafNZo3F0tgAamc/s1600/DSC_0012.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727944434018708706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4_lSl8ZDsgDPo1t4ECeriL36C3QwTjsDZh2MgyjdNkAR_mlWM-T2DnIvmxm2hEv8Et005BCTQkkbGC0-VPrYNWcdnmJ3ShgjBSCg5N799ZXhqR8Zp8fUmwCp4gW5cKafNZo3F0tgAamc/s320/DSC_0012.JPG" /></a>After two long weeks in the new schools everyone was ready for a break. At the very last minute we decided to take a road trip to St. Louis which is about six hours away. We have some close friends that we knew from Vancouver who live in Arizona that were visiting a daughter who is living in St. Louis. We also had a chance to have dinner with my brother in law who was in St. Louis for business. We got to town just in time to meet up with Cory at a BBQ place. It was great to see a familiar face and a connection to home. </div><div>The next morning we went to the arch where we met up with our friends the Kitterman's. After a very ugly encounter with a man in a sandwich shop we watched a documentary film about how the arch was constructed. We then took the tram ride to the top of the arch. <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727947868408548050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIRa9OoAYdtEXgLkShjEvgx0HBStcI0bJ7F2hv5URInygT2myUaA26mXS1J_Gci5tLGMfNFKfOdE89zalaerTIRn4lAvJSbROk74IXWRZYmsS2Tj8DMxtxH5skmUWsxkQmAYVU5qTn5W_/s320/DSC_0051.JPG" />The tram is actually a very small pod that everyone is crammed into. It was a tight fit.<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727949170896889170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UcEl0E27HY2-fw59GfaCZq21GOMhTsozS8rBUQdppmhFUxgGJFHbch16V5Zu7mZthveQGehv7o0N392SN-s3id93d23R8anPMYf6-yXg1P-0Bk7javSdqYThWEZDpzDxeqtb4B3yxTRV/s320/DSC_0062.JPG" /></div><div> Ryan has made himself the owner of our old camera and is working on his photography skills. He may have taken more pictures than Steve; that's saying something.<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727949163298186354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xHDbxgG840rxnQ1pm0Y329QLKgxMuau-4q-s27BFJSCrIoMmM2WcxkJnAM1m51rTYWwlpiYS-bPntEzsBLQo4z9aLcEod4K7aB65FZ9heEyy6h8iR6a3MGH-1nmH9cDJ8irMuQ7oS6Ss/s320/DSC_0053.JPG" /> From the windows up in the arch you could see for miles. Steve, Ryan and I enjoyed walking around the museum and learning about the Lewis and Clark expedition; the girls were not impressed. We watched a great movie about Lewis and Clark and our visit to the arch was over. <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727952426359251682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_Sa0yHm1VnCaVNnSsgoBr1GvdlcN94ENgLHdeXLM3iB-cgBNp1RVB371eGfwGNYqWeEnIvOjinldiIVIapK1JzrdTRI5Ij3koJ6xu1ddASI9EUdVd5hydlb3sK8Try9EDnMCnvlrOV6w/s320/DSC_0211.JPG" />The next day we went to the zoo. We were very impressed with the exotic animals that we saw; many of which we had never even heard of before and it was FREE! <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727951809468138946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DSM_UoFacSV2fvMOAuLcU1paM6TVZosM1YChuZOqnVtA_AFBRg6GxWUssU8CBtfKN7fhWenXDLcdEomNaWZuzfqtVYaLPy3atDYjQDVrrcH2O295nLczouOw-KBRbMzr5XYRynz1gF5x/s320/DSC_0187.JPG" />Our favorite was the elephants. There was a baby and it was neat to see the family dynamic and the protection that the females provide for the little one. <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727952438044468674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1IkUgmzgCd225cg08WdT4jxd4ovz_eNWqRFy-Y9XLZWgwWSEV11m9TIwOqr-fvhGjf9ufeOfkpgEZ9CMrLjVcFzb1GS0stCc7cgF2Lwy80fh_hfKH-xyGYq3vwwH8-0L3E4zCULYMO2-/s320/DSC_0162.JPG" />And our little photographer never stopped. The weather was perfect and we had a great time. We also visited the Science Center and had lunch in Union Station. We are spending the rest of the week relaxing back at home and continuing with all of the move stuff. We went to the DMV to get our Tennessee drivers licenses and Steve was the only one that was successful. Magen and I need more documentation, oh well another day. I completed the paperwork to get my license to work as a nurse in Tennessee and now I just have to wait for it to go through before I can start looking for a job. We also spent some time getting estimates for the repairs to our car that was damaged during transport.</div></div></div></div></div>D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-3484120927001313012012-03-23T09:37:00.007-07:002012-03-26T10:05:17.624-07:00Settling in......<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhWwHgpZCz99XOqjJ_TQcDFpiNF5_kLs3SlS6fCg5fntF_PkFCPsiHlx9De4qzACKvbqtIsN2jCE0-RceFZ9BEw9oQPIg4DjrnXIN6rH5Jkwesci6kOF_dWZwXVdRV60dED1aTm_BjD6u/s1600/DSC_0315.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724251451545252242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhWwHgpZCz99XOqjJ_TQcDFpiNF5_kLs3SlS6fCg5fntF_PkFCPsiHlx9De4qzACKvbqtIsN2jCE0-RceFZ9BEw9oQPIg4DjrnXIN6rH5Jkwesci6kOF_dWZwXVdRV60dED1aTm_BjD6u/s320/DSC_0315.JPG" /></a>This past week has been crazy. Last Saturday our moving truck arrived and unloaded the contents of our house which included a three car garage and a large storage area into an apartment and a POD. Despite the fact that I got rid of tons of stuff, literally tons; it still felt like we had too much stuff. We were concerned that we would have to get another POD or have stacks of boxes looming around our apartment. Fortunately when everything was unloaded we had plenty of room in the POD and the apartment. It turns out that the packers use alot of paper and pack the boxes so they aren't too heavy which means lots of boxes. The first order of business was to unpack the kitchen. It was quickly apparent that this kitchen was too small. There are three drawers that are about ten inches wide, not even close to the size of a regular sized utensil organizer and no pantry. I had a rolling wire rack that I used in the garage for food storage which now proudly resides in the dining room and is packed with everything from mixing bowls to a blender. I don't love having the contents of my kitchen visible for all to see but it works.<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724251440418612626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxxTUJ8lqEW39xgMhaoTDgpp1Ke8_0dEHBNZiZcOOm5IryNJP_kTJ2ZNSn5sQZRrARKc_Gem5mdE42J8fiePVTiSuVE9dbOutCN5Z6qg8cGPrKjCw_6pEYlWVym9VZ6z-6Hq2w7WUQw2q/s320/DSC_0320.JPG" /><div><div><div><div>The kids finished their first week of school. We had a few rough spots but by the end of the week I think everyone was feeling okay about their new classes and everyone has a found a few friends. </div><div>The weather continues to impress me but I am not thrilled with the air conditioning situation. I feel like I am more cold than ever ; I guess I just need to find things to do outside. Magen is soaking up some rays on the sidewalk outside our apartment.</div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724251433260627906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvk-FrVuq3H7LsW2h9XrVwQ1qcqDRbDtAOvc7nbzXE9XiBB2zKIYvyOKUgiSnG9qtSPhB1Lk_HrFXuDVuBxr-o93pLhoZL-IutAUfVtVZK6SWX_tthtAx79UAWVupEBhr-6r_sbDMMnVf/s320/DSC_0319.JPG" /></div></div></div></div>D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-66273556848812314842012-03-15T19:57:00.004-07:002012-03-15T21:13:09.839-07:00Tennessee Transition<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fzrWPSXtoSyK7Itk-RPT5B1Mw9KWN1fYqJvw7l5e07rF4ntZnKISI4OMrmh4attHOYN8cxKNitH3aeX69tHUT5_QPPl2fF1laneV9B6hw1f8pqPwtpizxileyVhc_RSE3J12x3YHt7Lu/s1600/422721_2930989830917_1146144872_32369703_1946210962_n%255B1%255D.jpg"></a><div><div>Last Tuesday a big orange truck pulled up to our house. Movers quickly began the task of packing the contents of our home. It was strange at first to have complete strangers opening my cupboards and drawers but it was clear that these people knew exactly what they were doing. By the end of the first day most of the interior of the house was packed and we left to spend the night in a hotel. The following day the movers continued to pack items from the garage and then began loading the truck. Around 6:00 the truck pulled away from a nearly empty house.<br />The next three days were spent cleaning, making trips to the dump and the D.I. trailer and spending as much time with friends and family as possible. I have always known that I have wonderful friends and family that love me and my family; this past few weeks so many have come to my aid and expressed thier love for us. I have felt an overwhelming gratitude for all of the wonderful people in my life and an intense sadness that I will not be in daily association with them.<br />Early Sunday morning we arrived at the airport and began our journey to Nashville. I volunteered to get bumped off of the second leg of our flight in order to get money toward future airline tickets. I spent most of the day in the Denver airport and finally arrived in Nashville at 11:30pm.<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720342239391309730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcqM19NFbGaa0NIbvjb98rCmMXWpQF9rfcKL5DintuWkYCcJ91Q9f1fF4eXhyphenhyphen62qzHFwUdzz9-eDBk9YCoVlKERiydcvHgxjn3mdT_bh26PopxX74ZqA6vMjuq5Jf7mbSHJE-s-WtoYmt/s320/425363_2945163545251_1146144872_32375150_1573022425_n%255B1%255D.jpg" /><br />Nashville has welcomed us with amazing weather. It has been in the 80's everyday since we've been here. The locals tell us this unusually warm but I'm not complaining. Late in the afternoon storms blow in producing thunder, lighting and lots of rain but its warm.<br />We have spent this week finalizing plans for the house we are building and making preparations to move into our apartment. Today we got the kids enrolled in school (they will start on Monday) and took a quick trip into Nashville to be tourists for a few hours.<br />Tomorrow the truck will arrive and we will be busy setting up our little temporary apartment.</div></div>D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-6807318578198983462012-02-28T09:07:00.004-08:002012-02-28T09:43:03.399-08:00Finding a lot<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkGC7CmKY_HsqP3uhUp_ObZDL9zBCM5ZZ7WLD-2O4hUAJhyphenhyphenLwPG4B2x4KRiaK7MO-Z8fLytQGQf_v7GquLTy-Y6C-PNWfB-0XzpfzlVLZE5WdvNtaYgQZYHVcIIScsdQ9YRjN2O2VmTD5/s1600/imagejpeg_2_3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 191px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714234802559443810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkGC7CmKY_HsqP3uhUp_ObZDL9zBCM5ZZ7WLD-2O4hUAJhyphenhyphenLwPG4B2x4KRiaK7MO-Z8fLytQGQf_v7GquLTy-Y6C-PNWfB-0XzpfzlVLZE5WdvNtaYgQZYHVcIIScsdQ9YRjN2O2VmTD5/s320/imagejpeg_2_3.jpg" /></a>During our last visit to Tennessee we made the decision to build a house. We found a lot that we thought would work but we had some questions about how the house would sit on the lot and how big the backyard would be. It backs up to a creek and there is a pretty steep drop off. After we left, the builder did some measurements on the lot we had selected as well as another one. We were assured that either lot would adequately accomodate the home we wanted to build.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyK5iLM57uCfc51C8Ho5PrmTM5hvxJ5SzBgi1ohsY3t_CJeXlF6q-3yxQUKYNvtCdqMD1DkuQ4jJ0yn2bvGFNVXvGo1bwIggLXWcfHrRcxJe8Kby-QYYt6yaGgryvLPhaBn-t2UaAuu8Uu/s1600/imagejpeg_2_2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 191px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714234798365905266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyK5iLM57uCfc51C8Ho5PrmTM5hvxJ5SzBgi1ohsY3t_CJeXlF6q-3yxQUKYNvtCdqMD1DkuQ4jJ0yn2bvGFNVXvGo1bwIggLXWcfHrRcxJe8Kby-QYYt6yaGgryvLPhaBn-t2UaAuu8Uu/s320/imagejpeg_2_2.jpg" /></a> Steve had some business in Nashville and so he went over to take a look and compare our options. He found that the second option had a more gradual slope down to the creek giving us a little more useable space in the backyard yet providing a beautiful backdrop of trees to enjoy.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARxp7VsDgtf9gJCFDb3WD1tjAZ5zadJITmAyBUOIUvx-gdJs88PxEuDDyl-rR7Baz0mOaBVRMYF6SLDTz-PQ3P1x6yRdbFeZvea8yGvxW4g80VbotNKkBXI7BTDA3m8RGSNKHwSh2RT47/s1600/imagejpeg_2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 191px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714234797223421074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARxp7VsDgtf9gJCFDb3WD1tjAZ5zadJITmAyBUOIUvx-gdJs88PxEuDDyl-rR7Baz0mOaBVRMYF6SLDTz-PQ3P1x6yRdbFeZvea8yGvxW4g80VbotNKkBXI7BTDA3m8RGSNKHwSh2RT47/s320/imagejpeg_2.jpg" /></a>Steve is meeting with the builder today to compare the lots. The sooner we make a decision the sooner things can get underway!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-61788042040520059642012-02-23T20:08:00.003-08:002012-02-23T21:06:08.631-08:00The PlanLast night we purchased our one way plane tickets to Nashville. In less than three weeks we will reluctantly board an airplane that will take us far from the place we have called home for our entire lives (well almost, I lived all over the place until I was six).<br />I know this will be a bitter sweet experience. I am already so sad to leave the family and friends that we have here. I keep remembering people that I want to talk to before we leave. Last week at church I kept seeing people that I have known for years, like since I was a kid. It was great to be able to chat with them one more time before we go. I know we will visit regularly but it's hard to know who we will see when we come. We have lived here so long it is rare to go anywhere and not see someone we know from church, school, sports teams or the neighborhood. Many of these people are just <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">acquaintances</span> but they are familiar and make us feel comfortable in the community.<br />With that said it is very exciting to be moving to a new place. We have already made contact with a few people and are eager to meet many more. There is likely to be some culture shock. I'm trying to encourage the kids to get in the habit of saying yes ma'am and yes sir; this training is not going well. We are looking forward to learning about all of the history in the area and traveling around the Eastern side of the country. I am excited to take the kids to the Atlantic Ocean. This is sure to be an adventure!<br />The movers are scheduled to come on March 6th to pack our things, they will load the truck on the 7th and our stuff will be on the way to Tennessee. The kids will finish the week of school here and then we will fly out to meet Steve. Our stuff should arrive sometime the next week and we will move into our "pre home" as Mackenzie calls it. We will let the kids get acclimated that week and get everyone enrolled in school. I am praying for a smooth transition for all of us but there is sure to be some weepy moments. Thank goodness for Facebook, Skype and e-mail it will make it feel like we aren't quite so far away (I hope).D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-11955750031970959102012-02-15T22:46:00.000-08:002012-02-15T23:09:15.796-08:002nd Nashville TripWith the quick sale of our house it was necccessary to make a quick trip to Nashville to make some final plans for our move. We have decided to build a house. We found a reputable builder, a floor plan and a nice tree lined lot to put it on.<br /><br />Until the house is built we will need to live in an apartment. We found one that will accomodate our family. There is a pool where we can hang out during the summer.<br /><br />We met some very nice people at church and visited the schools the kids will attend.<br /><br />We have decided to make the move on March 12th. We will have the movers come the week prior to pack us up and then meet the truck in Tennessee.<br /><br />Things are coming together. It's hard to believe that in less than a month we will live on the other side of the country. We are calling it an adventure which it will surely be!D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399229890631293404.post-47605134037578110542012-02-14T21:25:00.000-08:002012-02-15T12:19:40.295-08:00After 26 years, Columbia River losing its voice<a href="http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/jan/29/after-26-years-columbia-river-losing-its-voice/"><span style="font-size:0;"></span>http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/jan/29/after-26-years-columbia-river-losing-its-voice/<br /><br /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">Click on the link above to read the story that ran in the Sunday paper a few weeks ago. Later that afternoon Steve was contacted by K103, a local radio station, requesting an interview. I am still trying to figure out how to upload the audio from that interview.<br /><br />I know that Steve felt humbled to be honored in this way by the community. </span>D. Hollisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266496522070705860noreply@blogger.com0