Christmas Letter & Pictures

(Note this post will remain at the top of the blog for a little while, so scroll down to see new posts - or check the left hand side blog archive, Thanks!)

It's that time of year again! Time to hand out those Christmas cards! I'm ahead of the game this year, all that's left to do is buy stamps for Canada. I only have 2 pictures 'ready for print' right now, I'll post more when I get them! To see all our pictures, in a "music, video" format click here and enjoy.

Amazing pictures taken by our friends and photographers, Ben & Joy!

Merry Christmas!

Bolger Year In Review 2010

Life is moving on at such a rapid rate – so don’t blink, or you’ll miss it all! For more Christmas pictures, stories, kid quotes and fun, please follow us day by day, at darbyjane.blogspot.com

January – Loving our time in Alberta visiting family, but missing Brian, who left early. Brooks is recovering from the stitches in his chin (incident on Dec 26th). Darla flying home, pregnant, with two kids, an overnight layover in Montreal, and unable to bring carry-ons larger than an 8.5x11 piece of paper (due to terror threats). Brian purchasing and installing the greatest Christmas gift ever…a dishwasher! Darla is still babysitting Jack at his house each day.

February – Darla turned 31, and pretty much napped the entire month away because she was hugely pregnant! Darla says it’s a girl, Brian says boy! The kids refer to the baby as Shaughnessy (girls name). We got our second beta fish, Sushi, and it snowed some real snow in Virginia Beach...for the first time since we’ve been here!

March – Kenna turns 4 years old! Brian’s family visits, and our wonderful son, Lleyton Gregory David (Grey) is born. He was 9lbs5oz, and his third name is his namesake – Darla’s Dad. He’s the best baby, and completely adored. And let’s not forget, he’s soooo cute!

April – Darla’s Grandma Shantz is diagnosed with cancer. After a little ‘maternity’ break from babysitting, we are back to Jack’s house! Brian is working lots, small side projects keep him busy on top of his regular job (Superintendent at a commercial contracting company). We all love having a little baby again. Can’t get enough of that baby fresh smell! Brian gets a new phone, the Motorola Droid. He is in love.

May – Brooks turns 3 years old, and Brian turns 31. Grey turns two months old and weighs 15.6lbs! Our little sumo wrestler:-) Darla buys (and eats) Hamburger Helper for the first time in her life. She is in love!

June – Jack is on summer break, so we are too! Lots of visitors, beach days, and fun times. Brian’s sister Lauren buys the house 2 doors down from us… and we love our new neighbor! Brian and Darla celebrate 7 years of wedded bliss.

July – more out of town visitors and fun times! Kenna’s first experience with VBS was cut short by her getting strep…and then Darla getting it! Brian continues to work extra side projects and gives 100% to his regular job. Our 2nd beta fish died. We are on a break from fish for awhile.

August – Darla drives 12+ hours to Ontario alone with the 3 kids, to visit Grandma Shantz. Grey gets sick while there, with a double ear infection. Grey begins to take a bottle, Darla is so glad! We get to meet our little cousin/niece, Mattea, for the first time! Darla’s brother and his wife have their first baby, Vienna Eden. And we get to spend time with our little cousin/nephew, Marshall, for the second time this year. Darla’s sister is expecting baby #2 in March.

September – Darla resumes babysitting Jack each day (he is 3), at her own house this time, and also started watching Sonny (he is 8 months old). We began home educating with a kindergarten curriculum for the 3 older kids each day. They are doing very well with learning to read and math concepts for each being technically too young for school. Darla’s sister-in-law is expecting baby #2 in April.

October – Darla’s Grandma passes from her temporary home, and into her eternal one. She was a wonderful lady and will be greatly missed by all her family and friends. Brooks invented a word – Dallerd. We use it all the time, it’s just sooo…dallerd. We had a fun time dressing up for a “Fall Ball” on the 31st.

November – Darla is still selling Stampin’ Up and holding classes each month. She finishes this years Christmas cards in record time! The kids are growing and healthy, Grey is 8 months, 28 inches and 22.8lbs (& off the charts!). Brooks is in the 50% height & 77% weight for his age, and Kenna’s in the 15% & 37% for her age. Soccer season ends, and the weather is starting to cool off a little. A welcome break from a very long and hot summer. We get our yearly pictures taken, and Brian’s family comes to Virginia for Thanksgiving.

December – We have so much planned for the Holidays…right here in Virginia. Due to an increased workload for Brian (fiscal and physical year ends make for a busy month at his company), we aren’t traveling this season. We hope to avoid anymore holiday accidents (stitches), and we hope to start off 2011 refreshed and ready to go!


Fun, Impressive and Scary Facts in 2010

Diapers changed = 2542 by Darla, 4 by Brian. (Very conservative estimate. A closer # might be Darla, 2784; Brian, 2:-)
Traveled on vacation = 4558 miles or 7335 kilometers!!
Consumed = 53 lbs of spaghetti/pasta, 832 slices of homemade pizza, 250+ freezies,
Cell phone minutes used = 14763 minutes by Brian, 2703 minutes by Darla (as of Nov 15th)
Ladder injuries = 1, Prescriptions = 3, Band-aids = 1/2 box, Cough drops = 4 bags, Cavities filled = 3.

We love you all, and are grateful for all your friendship, help and prayers this past year. As we charge through life, we make sure to take time every day to slow down and realize God’s faithfulness, provision and grace in our lives. We are very grateful for each of the blessings we experience, and don’t take a single day for granted! We wish you all the best in your upcoming busy year, and hope you take the time to pause and thank God for his goodness too!

Merry Christmas! Brian, Darla, Kennedy, Brooks & Lleyton Grey

New Place Names

I heard a new name few years ago. A name I've heard all my life (as a place-name), and yet had never considered it as a people-name. Major oversight:-)

Galilee. I really like it because it's really different, yet would have a current-in-2010 option for a nickname, Lilee (Lily), or LeeLee. I dunno. Something could work out.

Minor drawback for me: it can be a little tongue twister-ish if you try to say it too fast.

But I still give it 2 thumbs up.

Another place-name I had never considered as a people-name, was thought of by my brother and sister in law a few years ago...

Vienna. And now I have a cute little niece with that name! Another 2 thumbs up.

Both names are, in my consideration, feminine sounding, and pretty to look at. Love.

For someone who spends a great deal of time contemplating names, it's surprising to me that I am surprised by great names I've never thought of before! But I love it!

Snow Day!

Concentration was very low this morning! The kids were so distracted by the snow outside, and the promise of hot chocolate with marshmallows:-) So we bundled up, and headed out. Well, THEY bundled up and headed out. I had fun watching and taking pics through the window (borrowed camera!) with the babies. Their enthusiasm was used up after 15 minutes and being "freezing cold". Let me say for the record, I'm glad we don't have to do this often. Bundling, unbundling, etc etc etc. Not fun, and lots of work!

First "big snow" of the season!

Collecting snow for snowballs

Snow fights

Cleaning off their car

Sonny, Grey and I were warm and cozy inside!

Random Weekend pics

Early Saturday morning Grey woke up - soaked through. I just changed him in dark and grabbed something from the clean laundry to throw on him for the rest of the night. I couldn't really tell what it was, but it was one of Kenna's shirts. In the morning, when I saw him, I SAW IT. "It" being why everyone calls him a girl. Just last week someone in a store passed by and said "He (double take), no, SHE is so cute!" He gets called a pretty girl all the time when we go out - poor kid! I never could see it, he looks so boy to me. But I sure did catch a pretty little glimpse in that shirt!

pot holder, or shoes? You decide.

Watching a UFC fight with Daddy. Not feeling so well...

Grey's Dedication

We're all getting sick around here! The weather has been bouncing back and forth from cold to warm. Colds all around! Grey started getting sick on Sat, and tugging at his ears, and I was just waiting for the fever to start. I thought we might have to cancel his dedication on Sunday, but he seemed fine on Sunday morning, so we went ahead with it!

Lleyton Gregory David, 8.5 months old. He's such a sweet little boy!

Praying

Sunday night he came down with a fever. Ear infection, I suspect. I'll take him in to the doctors tonight after Jack and Sonny leave. We had a pretty miserable night sleep last night. This morning, it started snowing! Winter is upon us! I'll take a pic of our 'downfall'. The kids are hoping it lasts at least a day!

If I Die Young

My mom mailed me some jewelry my Grandma left for me in our Christmas package (my Christmas gift from Grandma this year), which arrived earlier in the month. Kenna was in awe at it's beauty:-) She wished SHE could have this beautiful jewelry. So I told her when I died I would leave it for her. Big mistake. This was over dinner (Brian was at work), and the entire dinnertime conversation was immediately turned to the occasion of my eventual death, and what we would do. And it went something like this: (these are pretty much exact quotes as I recall the conversation, it's just somewhat abbreviated, since the whole thing was over 20 minutes of talking and explaining the same things over and over).

Kenna: But if you died when we are children then who will take care of us?
Me, snickering at her differentiation of "when we are children": Well, I hope that I can live until you are 85, but if I die, Daddy will take care you.
Brooks, who was very jealous of the fact that he would not be getting a necklace: When Daddy dies maybe he could give me a boys necklace
This placed a horrible thought in Kenna's head
Kenna: But what if you both died? Who would watch us and give Grey Grey his bottles and stuff?
Brooks: ummmm, Who killed our Grandma?
Me: No one killed her, sometimes our bodies get sicknesses
Brooks: Well WHO gave her the cold? (They seem to think she died from a cold, because she coughed a lot)
Me: Sometimes our bodies get sick on our own, and we don't catch it from anyone, and that's what happened to Grandma. She had cancer, and it made her sick in her chest, but she didn't have a cold.
Kenna: But if you are both dead then we just won't know what to do
Me: You won't be left alone, if we are both dead then all your aunts and uncles will take care of you because they love you.
Kenna: But they live in Canada, how will they know you're dead? We just can't go to Canada we don't know how
Me: They'll come here and get you and take you back
Kenna: But how will they know you're dead, if you're dead you can't tell them to come get us
I was going to tell her the police would take care of it...but I thought better of my "joke", knowing it would cause innumerable concerns for the poor child
Me: We'll call them before we die, and they'll come visit us like we did to Grandma
Kenna: Oh

So FAMILY, this the plan: Take note, please. My children are very worried, lol!

My Year In Status

It's been a year since my collage of facebook status updates in 2009. What did I have to say about twenty-ten, looking back? Here's to a happy and healthy 2011!!

Life is grand