Amazing Series

For Christmas Kaitlyn received a box set of a book series called Believe and You're There. I just finished reading the fourth and final book to her tonight (Saturday) and I was amazed. The series is written by Alice W. Johnson & Allison H. Warner. The characters, Katie, Matthew and Peter, siblings who go to Grandma's house to hear stories from the Bible and to have an 'adventure' in a painting that Grandma has done of the stories that she reads to them. Each story takes the children to a new time frame of Jesus' life and they experience everything that is happening in the story. I was so touched by the Spirit as I read each story to Kaitlyn!! Each night as I read to her I would get emotional and Kaitlyn would say, "Okay Mom, you can stop reading for tonight, you're getting too emotional." But I just couldn't stop reading to her. Each book is about 10 short chapters and we read about 5 a night. Tonight she even asked me to read to her, which she usually does any way, but for some reason it was even more special because I knew that tonight would be the last night for this series.

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All the girls have been able to spend time with their cousin, MaKayla and Koby, each weekend that they get to spend with their Dad, Steve. It has been great for them to spend that time with family, especially since we have been away for so long and now that everyone is a bit older. They seem to get along great and love spending time together, playing games, shopping, watching tv, drawing, and just hangin' out. It's also great because everyone is at Grandma and Grandpa's house so they get to spend time with them as well.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Today is my Honey's 47th birthday! He is an amazing man! I am so grateful for him and for all that he does for me and our family. I would be completely lost without him in my life. He has been by my side for 23 years now, through good times and bad. I love him with all my heart.

Kaitlyn has gotten settled into school and has made new friends. She worked really hard this week, Tuesday and Wednesday, for a class spelling bee. She came home on Thursday and was upset because she didn't win. Then she said that if the two people before her couldn't make it for the school spelling bee then she would be able to participate!!! SHE GOT THIRD PLACE IN HER CLASS!! We are so proud of her!!

Aimee and Wendy are still looking for work and trying to get paper work done for school.

Dave received a calling at church this week, First Counselor in the Sunday School Presidency. I received one also, Relief Society Visiting Teaching Supervisor. We didn't sit idle for very long!!

Family Update Newsletter

Dear Family and Friends!



HAPPY NEW YEAR!! We have made it home to Utah safe and sound. We arrived here on the 8th of December and have been running around like crazy trying to find a car, a house, a good school for Kaitlyn and jobs for Aimee and Wendy.



We started 2009 still in Aviano, Italy, where Dave worked his civil service job as information security for the entire base. It was a very frustrating job as it was actually a two to three man job and he did it all by himself. He received several awards this year, the one he is most proud of is the recognition he received from the OPM office in Washington DC. He made a lot of great contacts for the future. Dave was released as Ward Mission Leader and immediately called to be the Gospel Doctrine Instructor. He loved both callings, he loves teaching the gospel! He enjoyed his LONG bike rides through the Italian countryside. We usually found him two hours away on Saturdays. Everyone he knew said they loved to go bike rides and he invited many to go with him, but very few took him up on the offer.



Pam served as the Ward Historian and the Ward Family History Consultant. I really love Geneology, so both callings were perfect. Pam started the year with bad health and a diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis, but thanks to a caring doctor that diagnosis was ammended to Chronic Fibromyalgia. Now the trick is to get proper treatment and start feeling better!!! She stays busy with her geneology, crocheting, cross stitching, reading and playing games on the computer.



Aimee is 20 years old. She served as the Young Single Adult Representative for the THREE that were active in the ward and MANY that were inactive. She worked for AAFES in giftware and jewelry. She received certification to sell precious gems, diamonds and gold. She was very excited about that. She is planning on attending a trade school once she finds a job. She is excited to be back in Utah where she has been able to reconnect and catch up with old friends. She still enjoys drawing, painting, and illustrating comics. She still loves Manga comics.



Wendy is 19 years old. She served as a Primary Teacher and LOVED her 'kids'. She loved those kids so much that she moved up with them. She worked for AAFES at the Four Seasons Shoppette. She loved her job most days, made tons of friends, and loved meeting new people. She took a few classes online through the University of Maryland. There weren't too many for her to choose from as most of the classes she had during junior high and high school. She is looking forward to starting school again this year once she finds a job. She is looking forward to having her own room, she has had to share with someone for her whole life. She loves to write poetry, drawing, reading, cross stitching and spending time with her family. She has been a great help to everyone.



Kaitlyn is 10 years old and in the fourth grade. She has been a great student and wonderful friend to everyone she meets. She is still shy until she feels comfortable, but it doesn't take her too long now before she is talking your ear off. She is very excited about getting her own room and having her own space. She is very happy about being close to her grandparents once again and she has loved spending time with her cousins the past week.



We didn't take very many vacations this last year due to Pam's health. We did take day trips to the beach and to local markets. The one trip we took was to the Swiss Temple in Switzerland. We took a week and spent a wonderful time together as a family. We started our 'mission' in Italy with a trip to the temple in June of 2007 and ended our 'mission' the same way in October of 2009.



We moved out of our Aviano home on the 23rd of November and have spent every night since then in a hotel. Today (January 1, 2010) will be the first night in our new home. We left Italy on the 7th of December, flew into Charles-DuGaulle Paris, France, had a nightmare there barely making our connection to Detroit. We arrived in Detroit about dinner time and spent the night there. We left Detroit on the morning of the 8th and arrived in Salt Lake just before lunch. We told no one that we were arriving and surprised everyone!!! It was the best Christmas present we could have given our family.



Today we are moving into our new home, 1632 N. 2800 W. Clinton, Utah 84015. We all have cell phones, but Pam's is 801-513-0283. We have lots of room for visitors, so give us a call if you are in the area or drop by and visit!! We LOVE visitors!!! We hope this year will bring love and happiness to everyone.


Dave, Pam, Aimee, Wendy and Kaitlyn Holloway

I was going to add pictures but I can't find my camera right now. I'll add them later.