Blogger, our secondary means to connect.

Well, as you can see by the date of our last post, this sweet blog is not as much of our routine as it once was. I have had intentions of continuing to post here on occasion, by honestly it has become a secondary way of connecting with folks.

Blogging has had it's place, and it's been a great way to share life for a time. We don't want to loose touch with folks who have faithfully used this as a way of keeping up with us, so please email us, or look us up on Facebook for the latest happenings. We'd love to see what's going on in your life too!

Blessings,
Mandy for the Hoelmers

Birthday Girl!

While we were in TN celebrating all the other family milestones Anna celebrated her 9th birthday. We were at our aunt and uncle's home that has an above ground pool, so Anna and her "new" cousins were out swimming for several hours. She LOVED it! And what about that cake? Another reason for her to have thoroughly enjoyed her birthday! 

5 states, 1 vacation...

 Visiting two sweet families to catch up with their growing families 

and enjoy awesome encouraging conversations!

 To TN to celebrate a graduation, birthday and 50th wedding anniversary.

This may we had an awesome vacation, BUSY, but still awesome. Saw two close friends in OH and KY and then off to TN to see family. We also hit VA (Cumberland Gap) and NC (Appalachian trail) while in the area, just because we could!

January through March 2017

New Year's shenanigans with friends

! 

Ben's Ninja B'day party (number 7!!) with an awesome backyard ninja course that we, 

of course, forgot to take pictures of!

A December visit

Grandma & Grandpa were here for a visit in December; it was a good time of catching up and them being a part of life for a week. They were able to be here for Anna's piano AND dance recitals and watching Ben at karate. Which were all icing on the cake.

Autumn 2016

 Seaworld

 Seaworld

 Legoland

 Legoland

 Legoland

 Monteray Bay Aquarium

 Grandma's Visit

 California Science Center with Grandma

Ronald Reagan Library with Grandma

This fall has been a very busy one for us. there have been multiple field trips and a fantastic visit from Grandma. Lots of memories made and excitement as we traveled up and down the coast. The second half of the year is going to seem pretty boring in comparison!

Summer 2016 !!!

 Hiking with Daddy :)

 Swimming Lessons

 Ben...what more can I say?

Olympic celebrations!

Top: We made "torches" for the opening ceremonies

Bottom: Not may kids can say they have a Silver Medalist Olympian for a  neighbor (J0sh Pren0t)! 

Minnesota time!

 Anna and Mathias getting some cousin bonding time.

 One of the many rope tunnels in a "tree fort" at the Children's Museum near Grandmas.

 Anna shooting Daddy's old BB gun.

 Grandma and her grand-kiddos

 Minnesota skating! 

A girl turns Eight!

Anna loved her Birthday party; she had seven friends over to help her celebrate and they had a great time. Who said she could turn 8?

Renovations

Well, long short short: we wanted to take our ridiculously large master closet (12'x12') and turn it into a den off of our living room, but to do that we needed to make out large master bath over to include a closet (trust me, the bathroom was equally ridiculous at 9'x14')...so in came the crew of two to remake our bathroom

The top photo: where the garden tub was located which will be the walk in shower.
The bottom photo: The far room is the future den (!!!). The exposed walls are the future closet...hummm maybe a over head diagram would help explain all this a little more clearly!

Police station field trip