Blake's first black eye :(

Please note that this did NOT happen during the week while I am still adjusting to being a stay at home mom :) Actually we have no idea how it happened. He was just playing in his room, then he was crying. The last pic is Blake's version of "making muscles!" We thought it helped him looked tough with his new shiner!

Dane is 8 months old today!

I can't believe Dane is already 8 months old! He is definitely on the move trying so hard to crawl right now. He can get in the position and rock back and forth, then realizes he can roll a lot faster at this point. Dane is still quite the jabberer, but also still has quite the temper (which I guess he lets you know via the jabber!). He has recently discovered how much fun it can be to play with Blake and he loves laughing and talking with him when they are riding in the car...it is hilarious! There are a few pictures below and one of him playing with his favorite toy - a silver mixing bowl! He just figured out how to put toys in and take them out, and lucky me it is using a very loud bowl!

It's official!

Finally...the fence has begun!

The palmetto and crescent moon of the state flag is South Carolina's best-known symbol. You will find this on almost every vehicle in the state either as the plate on the front of the car, as a sticker or magnet. I used to see them occasionally on cars in the Kansas City area. So now if you see one, you'll know what it means!

Some famous folks from South Carolina (there are many more!)...
Stephen Colbert of the Colbert Report
James Brown
John Edwards - wish he was going to be on the ballot!
Jesse Jackson

I'll bless you occasionally with tid bits about South Carolina - oh, lucky you!

Playtime...

Finally...we have the boys' rooms finished and they have a place to play! We decided not to paint them since they are full of colorful furniture and toys. The beige helps calms things down! Blake loves his kitchen and Dane is "working" on his first dumptruck. Check out Blake's madras shorts!

It's that time again...

It is time to start fundraising for the 2008 Buddy Walk! We will miss being a part of the HUGE walk in Kansas City this year, but we are looking forward to meeting new people and experiencing the walk here in Greenville. We will not be sending brochures or fundraising packets, but welcome any donations and would love to have walkers with our team! Friends and family back in the Kansas City area can always donate to First Downs for Down Syndrome and be a part of the KC Buddy Walk. It is just great to support the Down Syndrome community wherever you live. I will post our team name and any additional information in the near future. Please feel free to contact me if you want to donate or be a part of the walk! Below is the information for the Buddy Walk in Greenville...

The 2008 Down Syndrome Family Alliance of Greenville Buddy Walk at Furman University is one of 190 Buddy Walks planned in cities across the country this fall. The Buddy Walk was developed by the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to promote acceptance and inclusion of all people with Down syndrome.

WHEN: Sunday, September 28th.

WHERE: Furman University

Welcome to our Blog!

Thanks for checking out our new blog! As you can see very little has been added due to having very little time! Please save this address:

http://thehollenbeckfour.blogspot.com

There will not be e-mail updates like the prior blog. You can place this in your favorites and check it as you wish. I am hoping to add new pictures and updates soon, but please bear with me!

We are glad we can communicate with you all this way and hope to keep in close touch during our time in South Carolina!

Love,
Matt, Beth & the boys