What a Wonderful Christmas Day!!!

We had so much fun on Christmas Day! The girls woke us up at 5:30 with their talkin', we all got up and showered and got ready for the day. We went downstairs to the living room and opened all of our presents. All the stress and excitement put my back into pain that I haven't had for a couple of weeks now so I had to lay down and take a nap before our company came over to spend the afternoon with us. The Abbotts, a family in our ward, came over at about noon to spend the day with us and have wonderful food which was courtesy of the Commissary. This year I got a bright idea, the best one I've ever had, to order a deli tray, fruit tray, veggie tray, and rolls from the bakery. No hard work or cooking to do. Wendy made dips for chips and the veggies and fruit. We even bought our desserts, we decided on cakes this year instead of pies. We received a box from my parents with wonderful gifts for all of us. I received from my parents several baby blankets to crochet and Dave and the girls gave me all this yarn for crocheting. I'm in HEAVEN!! We had so much fun. When the Abbotts left the sun was shinning and it was warm outside. A couple of hours later Dave checked to make sure that he had locked our gate and it was SNOWING!! We decided that we had to go play in the snow before it all melted. The next morning the girls all went outside to play in it before the sun melted it.

Buon Natale via Italia

Buon Natale friends and family!!!! It's Christmas Eve and we are just getting home from seeing the local churches and how they decorate for Christmas. We were thinking about going to a Midnight Mass, but we are all getting older and more tired. I don't know how these people do it. I don't know if we were allowed to take pictures inside the churches but we did. There are Nativity scenes set up through out churches. We went to three of the local churches, one here in Aviano, one in Marsure, and the "Chrome Dome" on the mountain. The church in Aviano had the most Nativities so we got more pictures. The church in Marsure had mainly Nativities that we made by children at the local elementary school. The "Chrome Dome" was packed with a Catholic Mass so we decided not to venture in. I don't understand one thing aobut the Nativity scenes though...why are all the Baby Jesus' covered up? The picture on the far left is by far my favorite nativity because is has several moving pieces. You can't see it in the picture but it is amazing!! The 'village' is put together piece by piece. We saw them last year and wanted to buy one because they are so unique to Italy...I've NEVER seen them any where else. But once we saw the price of them (3000 to 10000 Euro) we decided not too. Maybe one day we will be able to build our own. We have found a place that sells the pieces seperately so that you can build your own. The last picture is our own humble Nativity that we put up every year.

This year isn't much because we miss being with our family. We want all to know how much we love them and miss them. We have made new friends since we have moved here and consider them family. We love you all!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS from the HOLLOWAY family.

Smart Daughter

My wonderful friend, Cindy, who loves to bake and cook, made goodies for our family and put them in a cute little bag that she made. She does this every year and sews up these bags to put those wonderful delicious treats in. When we took the treats out and ate them all, Kaitlyn decided she wanted to make something out of them. So I had to teach Kaitlyn how to whip stitch the opening closed. She got the stuffing that she bought a couple of weeks ago and proceeded to stuff these bags. She whipstitched them closed and was so proud of herself that she made pillows. Her first 'sewing' project. Kaitlyn was so excited to 'make' something. She has a pair of extra gloves that she wanted to make into turkeys, so she stuffed them, whipstitched them closed and is now coloring them to look like turkeys. She is so creative, I think she gets that from Dave's Mom. She watches me cross stitching or crocheting and is always telling me that she wants to learn how to 'sew' or crochet. I just don't have the patience to sit down with her and show her how. She does know how to cross stitch and has been working on a project for over a year now. Maybe one day she will finally finish it.

GREAT DAY

We made it to the gym!!!! Seven am bright and early we walked into the gym to do our routine. Of course every treadmill was being used by the people who have to do PT for military. We had to wait until one was avaliable so I could get warmed up. I was able to do two sets of the other exercises that I do (modified push-ups, planks, modified crunches, and bicycles). I felt so great. We took Kaitlyn with us, she was so bored for thirty minutes while I was on the treadmill, but she did do the other exercises with us. She did great!!! We even got a warm shower with real water pressure!!! YEAH!!!!

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We got our fuel coupons for the house, now we have to wait for the fuel guys to deliver it on TUESDAY!!!! Then we went and bought firewood so we could be warm til then. Our house was fifteen degrees today!!! In order to get warm, we curled up on the couch with the sleeping bags and fell asleep.

Lazy Week

Geez, I am so bad...I made it to the gym on Monday, and so far that's it. Tuesday I was gonna go, but after Monday I was sore and wonderful husband said, "you should take one day off so your muscles can repair themselves, go on Wednesday." Wednesday, I had a doctor's appointment. Did I make it to the gym? No....I had every intention of going, but I was lazy once again. Wednesday night we were in bed and asleep before 8:30. Needless to say, we were awake at 4:00 this morning. I could hardly keep my eyes open. When it was time to take Kaitlyn to school and Dave was going to work and was going to drop us off at the gym, I was afraid I'd get on the treadmill and fall asleep and get stuck in the belt. So I climbed back into bed and fell asleep. I only slept for two hours. UGH!!! Tomorrow Kaitlyn gets out of school at 11:30 for Christmas break, I sure hope we can make it home to get her off the bus. I have got to go to the gym tomorrow.

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Italy is so wonderful. We are only authorized 800 liters of fuel for our house a month in the winter. They only deliver on Tuesdays, we got 400 liters at the beginning of the month and we are out already. Thank goodness for a fireplace. We are so cold we are all snuggled up in sleeping bags and blankets just to sit in the living room and watch a movie. We do have an electric heater/air conditioning unit upstairs that we can use at night to take the chill off the bedrooms so we can get to sleep. I can't wait til we are back in the states where we don't have to ration our fuel. Hope whatever fuel is left in the tank lasts until Tuesday so we don't have to take cold showers.

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The weather here has been yucky for about 10 days now. It has rained EVERY day. The temperatures haven't been too bad, but when your house is made of concrete it gets REALLY cold inside. The mountains have gotten a ton of snow, it looks so cool. Up one canyon we can see from our house we can see a waterfall that isn't usually there. I wish there was a way we could get up there to get pictures without fear of slidding off the roads.

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We wish all of our family and friends a very MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Good Day at Church

Oh my goodness it has been at least a month since I've been to church. It felt so good to be there and be able to partake of the sacrament and renew my baptismal covenants.



I have felt so good over the last week and people at church actually noticed and commented on how good I looked and then asked me what I have been doing. I told them that number one the Mobic (the medication for my arthritis) must have finally kicked in. Number two I decided that, after two months of feeling sorry for myself that I have gotten a bum deal with this disease, I'm NOT going to let it take over my life and so I will not be sitting around waiting for it to take over. I am going to fight it every step of the way. Number three I am going to get healthy by changing my eating habits and that of my family and also work out at the gym. Yes, I'm still excited about this new change in myself.



I have done a lot of praying and studying about what I can do to help myself take control of my life instead of feeling stuck. I have tried for a year to order online a new body from Barnes and Noble but they continue to tell me that they haven't stocked new bodies yet. So that means that I have to keep this one until the resurrection. I guess I better do what I can to take better care of it and at least try to repair some of the damage that has been done to it.

Great Day at the Gym

Yesterday the girls and I went to the gym for the first time to actually 'work out'. My personal trainer, Jennifer, actually was great and worked with Aimee and Wendy too. The goal for me was 10 minutes on the treadmill, I was able to go 18!!! Then we worked on abs , arms , core, and lower back. It was great!! NO PAIN!! I just have to go two days a week for the first month to work with Jennifer and then we will gradually work up to more. It's great, I love it. After our first work out I rewarded the girls and myself with I with a fresh fruit smoothie, it was so good. Then we were craving salads and fresh fruit, so we went over to the commissary and got a fresh salad and fresh fruit for lunch. YUMMY!! Any way, I really think I can work with this type of goal to get healthier.

I am so thankful for my friend Cindy who lives about 20 minutes away from me and she comes each morning to pick me and the girls up and then we have to backtrack 5 minutes to the gym. I just love her!! She has become a great friend, we have so much in common and think so much alike it's scarey sometimes.

Here is a pre-gym picture of me. I plan to post a picture at the beginning of each month of me and my progress at the gym and how it is helping me and making me feel. I wasn't too thrilled that Dave was taking my picture at the time, but it's probably the only one that exists. ;0)

I don't know what has changed? I have gone four days now without having to use my cane at all. Either the Mobic arthritis medicine is working, my additute has changed and my body is telling me that I have to do something to help myself. Medication isn't going to cure me or make the symptoms go away magically. I am going to have to be proactive in my coping with the disease. So I am doing what I can and will improve each day and each month for the better.

New Year's Resolutions?

Have you thought of your plans for new goals for the new year? Well, I have, a month early!

I started a new fitness routine and nutrional plan with a personal trainer at the base gym!!! I don't want to be in a wheelchair in five years and waiting to die, so I am going to do something about it NOW!!! My only goal is to be healthier and be able to keep up with my children and grandchildren. Sounds like a good goal to me!! I am so excited!!! I'm not telling anyone how much weight I need to lose or what bad habits I'm replacing with good ones. Those of you that know me, know what they are.

The Passing of a Gospel Scholar

We just heard that Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin passed away. How sad. I have to mention this because my sister-in-law Laura is one of his grand-daughters and married to my brother, Scott. Our hearts go out to their family at this time of sorrow and they will be in our prayers.

Good-bye Elder Wirthlin, now you are with your beloved wife.