2009 Hollenbeck Christmas

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Whew! What a wonderful Christmas! We were lucky to have my Mom & Dad travel to Greenville all the way from Ankeny, Iowa...a mere 17 hours. They left Iowa in the beginnings of a blizzard and drove most of the way in the rain. Luckily we were able to give them 40-50 degree temperatures before they had to return to the remainder of a long Iowa winter. We all had such a fun time and got all we dreamed of and more. The boys are enjoying a wonderful train table (that later turns into a desk!) and Wii - among other things - from Papa and Mimi. New books continue to be a favorite of Dane's and Blake is always drawn to blocks, legos and cars. You will also see in the slideshow their love of the doctor's kit from their Great Aunt Gaygey (Peggy) and Great Uncle Joe. There will be no illness missed in the Hollenbeck house thanks to constant heart/tummy checks with the stethescope and temps taken with the thermometer!

Among so many wonderful gifts, I also received a Cricut machine! If you don't know what that is, all I have to say is...watch out, here come the crafts! I can't wait to kick it in full gear and start creating! Overall, we could not have asked for a better holiday. Matt had five days off, which is the best gift of all, and we were blessed with friends for our Christmas dinner. The Murphy family - Lee, Catie & Sullivan - joined us for a lovely, traditional meal and we were blessed to celebrate Christmas with them. The network of friends here in the residency program is just amazing. They are truly like family.

Enjoy the slideshow! At the end you will notice that my parents have taken a liking to the Wii they bought for the boys (and us). I have a feeling that will be one their next big purchases for themselves, and their neighbors will never see them because they will be playing Wii on the big screen in their basement.

Happy New Year! Here's to a happy and healthy 2010! (yikes! that means I graduated from graduate school 10 years ago!)

p.s. Those of you who know me well know that the gigantic Reese's Peanut Butter cups pictures in the slideshow next to the orange are being guarded with my life.

All Smiles!

We hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas with your friends & family! It was certainly all smiles at our house! I will post a slideshow very soon...

All Grown Up...

Didn't I tell you Blake's school picture was simply perfect? It sure does make me realize how much - and how fast - he is growing up.

p.s. I scanned this picture, so I think that it why there are a few funny-looking marks on his face.

Geography 101

I made my trip to the UPS store this morning for Christmas package dropoff. First, let me just say that I passed the post office and saw lines of cars and a packed parking lot. I was the only one in the UPS store, and they sell stamps and offer postal service prices if they are less than UPS. I may never venture into another chaotic mess at the post office again. A small victory for me.

Upon my arrival I encountered the same young girl I did last time during a delivery dropoff. I would guess her to be in her mid 20's? Super sweet and helpful, but limited memory capacity as demonstrated by her question when looking at the addresses in which the boxes were to be delivered. Months ago she looked at the delivery address I had already placed on a package and said "M-O, what is that?" With a look of dismay and feeling sort of speechless, I simply said "Missouri." She replied with an "Okay" and obviously felt no shame towards her lack of geography knowledge...an elementary geography fact at that. So...today I drop off a package to that same "unknown" place, MO. She asked me the SAME question! It is obvious she did not attend to my lesson months ago, and very obvious why she didn't absorb that information many years ago. I am almost certain that if I would have looked at her and said "Colorado" or some other state that began with a different letter than "M," she would have believed me and typed it in as the address. Am I wrong to think this is a sad situation?

Celebrating the Holidays...and Moms!

In the orthopedic residency program here in Greenville, there are 10 lovely wives who are also amazing mommies (and some mommies-to-be, too!). We try very hard to get out on our own once a month for Mom's Night Out (MNO) for a well-deserved dinner, conversation and relaxation. I always look forward to our next evening together as it is so therapeutic to not only be with other moms who are dealing with "mommy stuff," but also with ladies who are coping with the residency lifestyle. And, the bottom line is, they are all simply great friends.

Last night I hosted a Holiday MNO with great food, wine, conversation and lots of laughs! Matt graciously quarantined himself and the boys upstairs to allow us to be kid-free and enjoy time together. Thanks ladies for a fun evening and I am especially grateful for your friendship and support. We missed the other 4 gals last night, but we will see you in the new year for our next MNO!

Meeting Santa Wasn't So Jolly...

Matt and I headed to the mall early in the season for the boys' visit to Santa Claus this year. Matt has to work the remaining weekends until Christmas Day, so I scheduled this outing in advance to avoid having to make the trip on my own. I would have likely needed to be medicated! Plus, it isn't everyday that Matt can enjoy doing something fun as a family. It's funny...Dane has been saying Santa and "Ho Ho Ho" whenever he sees him or a picture of him, so I thought for sure he would be comfortable getting up close and personal. Let's just say this was the first of several pictures taken and Dane looks the most relaxed and happy here in comparison to the others! Blake, as you can see, could have cared less. He just hopped up there, said "Hi," and dashed to the toy basket afterwards. Makes for good memories, right?