Happy Halloween

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!

Tonight was our Primary Trunk or Treat Activity. The darn weather was not cooperating so it had to be moved into the chapel annex on base. They had lots of activities for their carnival.

Kaitlyn was adorable. She went as her favorite character, Maid Marian as the Nightwatchman. If you don't know who that is, it is a television show on BBC called Robin Hood. Doesn't she make a cute Nightwatchmen? Aimee and Wendy also dressed up for Halloween as a Mime and an Inverse Mime. Wendy is in white, Aimee in black. Complete opposites they are for sure, this just proves it!

Dave woke up this morning thinking 'what can I do to make my office unique for Halloween?' So he reached into his imagination and creativity that he got from his mom and pulled out the most creative thing he could find. He grabbed an old flannel shirt, a pair of jeans, his hiking boots, a doll that his mom made for him when he was a little boy, a stick and string. This is what he came up with. The sign says 'Gone Fishin'. My husband is so creative, I'm so glad his mom passed that talent on to him.

Aimee being the Young Adult Rep. in our ward decided last weekend to throw a Halloween Horror Movie night, watching old 1950s and 1960s horror flicks. Anyway, she was able to get a hold of some of the singles to invite them and Wendy was able to invite some that she sees at work occasionally, but no one showed up. She is so sad, but we have told her not to give up and to try again. Hopefully she will have better luck next time. The whole night isn't a waste. Wendy, Dave and Aimee are all downstairs watching those horror movies with all the comfort foods- pizza, chips, dip, Halloween candy, and soda. While Kaitlyn and I sit upstairs writing blogs and watching 'Tinkerbell'.

We hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween 'til next year.

Wish List

Okay, so I have been loving this blogging and I want my family to have the same kind of fun. We are in such a rush to go here and there, and too busy to visit. Blogging is perfect to solve that problem, you can write about your family's adventures, misadventures, milestones, fun and growth with everyone at once.

So here is my WISH LIST of those who I want to start blogging--it is as easy as writing a letter. And it's not hard for children as young as 8 or 9 blogging as well--with an adult or older sibling helping.
Mom and Daddy
Scott and Laura Crook
Steven Crook
Brian and Angela
Kylee Crook
Jana Kennedy
Amber McClure
Mike and Tracie Crook
Brandon and Katie Crook
Brian and Melinda Stecklein
Chris and Jessica Olsen
Larry and Judy Holloway
Mark and Brandy Hansen
Mark and Sheri Kunzelmann
Tony Holloway
Mike and Jeanne Holloway
Michelle Holloway
Gene and Nan Warr
Brent Holloway
Christina Holloway
Elizabeth Holloway
Jason and Kacey Holloway
Virginia Holloway
Bert and Tifani Holloway
Ellie Holloway (Kaitlyn would love that)
Rodney Holloway
Wendell and Yvonne Carter
Amanda Carter
Jessica Carter

Friends that I'd like to see blogging would be;

Randy and Kari Boothe
Sam Boothe
Michelle Shumate
Kari Stumpf
Cathy Charlesworth

Blogging is so fun and the more I do it the more I am finding that I see my world in a different way completely. I want to carry my camera every where with me.

Catchin' Up with Old Friends and Wishing for New Ones

This past month or so I have thought a lot about the friends I have or have had and wonder where everyone is, what they are doing, what their lives are like, how many children they have. You know that sort of thing.

I've reconnected with quite a few. Dennis and Sandra Christensen, Sandra and I chat more times during the week than I chat or talk with my Mom. She is a good friend and I love her. Cathy Charlesworth, I think her last name is Mansell now-she got married recently, has been like a sister to me for a long time, 18 years now. Chari Clayborn, we were good friends in high school.

Some of the family I have reconnected with and have kept in contact with recently, much better now than when we all saw each other once or twice a year. Keeping up on their blogs will hopefully help in that area when we all get together again. I really do hope so. I have discovered that I miss my extended family get togethers in the summer time. Ward and Heather, cousins of mine, I discovered Heather likes to hunt, camp, fish...Wow! Who would have guessed that one? ;) Rick and Carey, what an active family of boys. Tyler and Lindsey, they have such a cute family. Josh and Kim are private but I'm priveleged and they have such cute babies. Thank you all for sharing with me!!!!

Some of the family I wish would blog so we could reconnect. Brian and Angela, my youngest brother and his family are in the military and their children are growing so fast. Steve and his kids, my middle brother. Scott and Laura, he's my brother just younger than me, I would love to hear what they are all up to these days. All of Dave's siblings and their families would be easier to keep up to date on because we are spread all over the world, Japan, Italy, Missouri, Colorado, Arizona and Utah. And there are seven of them. Plus some of their children have started families of their own.

Goofed

I tried, I really tried!!! Sorry MaKayla, I had ONE Diet Coke today with my lunch. I was fighting a migraine and I really needed. But I am happy to say that was the ONLY one I had today. Tomorrow will be better. I can do this!!! I had a really good taco salad for lunch, it was from Taco Bell, but hey it was a decent meal. For dinner we had chicken and rice casserole. It was so good!!! How are you doing with your veggies and fruit?

Solidarity Pact

We as a family have decided to stop drinking soda, a solidarity pact to help my neice, MaKayla. Today was day one, none of us had a soda. We discovered something even better, Crystal Light Raspberry Tea. It is so yummy. I couldn't get enough of it. Keepin' it real for MaKayla!!! Love ya babe.

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Dave promised Kaitlyn that they could carve a Halloween pumpkin today. This would have been mine...no muss, no fuss. They sneaked behind my back after I told Kaitlyn no way were we carving pumpkins this year. She batted her blue eyes at her Daddy and he caved, bought her a pumpkin and made a promise. Dave did all the cutting, but Kaitlyn drew on it first and told him how it was supposed to be cut. She was happy to help even if it was just to gross Mom out. YUCK!

They had a good time carving that pumpkin. It's a good thing it's outside that could've been pretty messy.

This is the finished product. I tried to take a nighttime picture, but I haven't figured out that feature yet. Maybe by Halloween Night I will have figured it out.

New Camera

When we were getting ready to move over here to Italy I bought a nice 35 mm camera so that I would have nice quality pictures to scrapbook and to send home to my family. Well, I've done really good about taking pictures but it is so expensive to develop a roll of film it's rediculous, $15 for ONE roll. Any way, since I started blogging and have figured out how to do this awesome blogging I bought a nice digital camera. I haven't used it yet, but I promise there will be plenty of pictures on my blog soon. I have had a couple of requests for more pictures of the sites in Italy and of my family so I will try to do that. I'm also very glad to see from the comments section that my extended family reads my blog...shout out to Carey, , Diana, and !!!!!

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MaKayla is doing great. I received an email from this morning and she said she is doing good. I'm so glad. Shout out to MaKayla!!!

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Well, our first Family History Date Night didn't go very well. No one showed up, but I was able to do some research. I did have a couple of people that told me they would be here, but life happens and they didn't make it. Oh well, it's a weekly thing so anytime really is okay.

UNBELIEVABLE

Okay, so today was my doctor's appointment with the shrink. Mind you, he is military and NOT my regualar shrink!!!! First of all, I had to request to be seen on the main level of the building so he was kind of put out that he had to come downstairs and find an office. He proceeds to look over my folder from the previous doctor (who was awesome) and starts asking questions. His opinion is that I still have underlying resentment towards military doctors, duh, and my mom. The doctors yes, my mom and I worked our issues out a long time ago. He thinks I need "talk therapy"!! WHAT THE HECK!! All I wanted was my presciptions rewritten so that I could continue taking them without any hassle. What a pain in the butt. Then he says, "I think you need to exercise, it will help you to feel better and it will help with the pain you are in." OH MY GOSH!!! I wanted to scream! If I could exercise without sweating, I would. Kidding!!! If I could exercise without pain in my joints I would do it in a heartbeat. Maybe he is right...I know that exercise would help me to feel better, I know if I lost some of this weight I wouldn't be in so much pain, I know I shouldn't drink carbonated drinks, I know I should eat better, but did he really have to make me feel like POOP!?

Look at that, I was able to say some frustrating things and I didn't even use any curse words. I am so proud of myself. I'm already trying to improve myself. At least I'm starting somewhere, right?

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I did receive a good update on my niece, MaKayla today. She is recovering very well and it looks like she will be able to go home this weekend. Way to go MaKayla!!!

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Tonight we are hosting our first Family History Date Night. We have opened our home to the ward members for Family History research. I am the Ward Family History Consultant and so we decided that this would be a good way to get people started or restarted on their geneology. I hope it goes well. We'll see.

Family History

I need help setting up a family history site for the Holloway and Crook families. Anyone have any ideas?

Miss Colorado

I was checking up on my family that blog and I was looking at Heather's pictures of their drive on Saturday around where they live and I realized that I really miss Colorado. I didn't think I would ever say that out loud but I really do. I remember the Autumn that we lived there and it was so beautiful. We would ride into town and there would be deer along the side of the road or crossing the street. The golf course ALWAYS had a herd of deer to watch. You are so lucky Heather and Ward to live in a beautiful area.

That also made me realize that no matter where we live there is beauty every where. Here in Italy it is just as beautiful. I need to get the camera out and take some pictures before all the colors are gone. ;) But there are other beautiful places as well. This is the Roman Colessium in Verona, Italy. It was rainy that day we were there, but we still had a great time. Aimee was really excited to have her picture taken with on of the Glatiators outside of the Colessium. We had a GREAT meal at an outside cafe. The pigeons were every where and there were tiny little birds too. We had to just feed them a little bit of our bread crumbs.

We went for another drive to see this little town that sits on the middle of the mountainside, Mezzomonte, that supposedly hid some American soldiers that had crashed in the area from the Nazis. It is said that the Nazis gathered the villagers into the center of town and started shooting them because they refused to tell them where the Americans were hiding. The plane that had been shot down supposedly has not been found yet. I don't know how true that is because it is hard to understand and put together the story that you get from the locals and from those that have lived here for a long time. It is very errie to go into this town because NO ONE will speak to you. They look out their windows, pull back the drapes and watch you until you leave. The church at the center of town had a mural painted on the ceiling of this event. The memorial outside was a list of all those who had lost their lives protecting the Americans. There is also a memorial for the Americans who died in that plane crash. It is very interesting to see how the Italians remember their dead.

We have been to Cinque Terre, Italy. It sits on the cliffside above the Mediterranean Sea. The view is beautiful and we saw that the Italians will plant their vineyards ANY WHERE!!! How they are able to even get to them to harvest is beyond me. But it is absolutely beautiful. This painting was done by Aimee shortly after we got back from our trip to that area. Isn't she awesome?! She captured the beauty excellently. I can't wait to share more photos and experiences with our family and friends. I hope that ya'll enjoy it as much as we have.

Update on MaKayla

This is an update on one of my favorite neices, MaKayla. I just got an email from Steve and this is what he had to say.

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Just thought I would drop everyone an email and let everyone know how MaK is doing. She had surgery this morning. It could not have gone better or smoother. The surgeons removed a 15 lbs. tumor. The tumor was only connected to her right ovary and fallopian tube as well as the fatty apron between the skin and organs. They had to take the Ovary and tube other then that everything else was left. So far all of the test have come back negative for cancer but all tests will not be in for another 4 days or so. Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts.

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We want to thank all of our friends and family who prayed and gave good thoughts for our sweet MaKayla. I wish I was there so I could give her a big hug tomorrow when she wakes up. We love you MaKayla!!

New Dish

Tortellini Alla Panna

Pasta Italian Italy European Mediterranean Italian
Ingredients : 1 cup Of cream (heavy or light)
Method :
Tortellini alla panna
Tortellini alla panna is a basic of Northern and Central Italian cuisine.
Tortellini (usually with a cured ham filling, but spinach or other fillings can go well too. Just don't use those dry tortellini packets you find on the shelf; choose fresh tortellini, or those you find in the refrigerated section of the store)
Grated parmesan (enough to make cream thick) Salt Ham, cubed Butter or Margarine
While you cook the tortellini, mix cream, Parmesan, and salt. Set aside.
When they are almost cooked, melt a little butter or margarine in a small pan and saute the cubed ham until slighly red, stirring to keep it from sticking. When tortellini are ready, drain, and mix with cream mixture.
Pour the contents of the ham pan over the tortellini, and mix. If desired, add some pepper.
NOTES: 1. Add some salt to the water you use to cook the tortellini in.
2. Freshly grated Parmesan would be preferred.
3. Some people like to add some cooked green peas
4. The ratio of cream mixture, ham, and tortellini is up to the cook: some like lots of sauce, some just a little... This recipe is used also for tortelloni and ravioli...

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I had a similar meal tonight...it had ham in with the sauce. It was so good. Italian food is very hard for me to eat because they like seafood (shrimp, lobster, crab, and other shellfish) and rosemary (especially on potatoes), I am allergic to those foods. It's a real bummer when I can't eat what everyone is eating, so when I find a dish I can actually cook I get really excited and have to share with everyone. I think I am actually going to try this recipe at home some time.

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Today is MaKayla's surgery. I hope that all is going well. I haven't heard yet, so hopefully tomorrow. We love you MaKayla!!!