Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Happy Birthday 2012, Jamie!

Funny, you should mention a sweatshirt today, Jame.
"Sisterhood of the Traveling Sweatshirt"
was getting introduced on your birthday.

I asked family to share a fun memory of you.

Mike:  "I remember Jamie's hair turning green on vacation and her glasses were taped."


Sierra:  "well, a memory of jamie from childhood? i do believe i wasn't born yet."


Cousin Bryan:  Hello! Hmmm well playing house at grandma paulas comes to mind, as well as putting food in Mikes milk during holiday meals :)

Uncle Brent:  Telling Bonnie “ I don’t like your earrings “

Aunt Leslie: "I remember introducing her to Breyers mint chocolate chip ice cream and she refused to ever eat the gross green mint chocolate chip ice cream. I also remember she didn't sleep through the night and she was 4yrs old and bought her a clock radio to listen to at bedtime. It worked for a brief period."



Aunt Danny:  "Whenever I give Laur' Darlin' an update on the family, she always recalls the trip back from BGSU with chatty Jamie. I believe she talked NON-STOP  for the entire ride(a bit over 2 1/2 hours. Of course there was the BGSU cheer:  SOB.....SOB...(cheer she heard from the grandparents)
Who else would spend days creating a real library???
I remember seeing her in the hospital and  noticing a resemblance to the (popular for the time) Smurfs... she was adorable! After surviving Jessica, Erin  and Sierra as toddlers,(each one charming in their own way) I do believe Jamie was the sweetest, kindest little girl ever."


Jessica:  "When we went down to Atlanta to visit and si and I shower-hopped her and scared her and then when we made videos under our covers because we weren't allowed to brush our teeth. Love you

Sista hoohd
And Matt and Jamie are making new memories in San Francisco
Matt enjoying the best basil gimlet @ Bourdin. 
We heart my birthday!
And we love you, Jamie. Happy Birthday!


Monday, September 10, 2012

GrandPrecious Treasure


Dear Liam, your dad's nickname
as a child was Precious Treasure.
Hence, the post title.
This is the excitement in the 
hours prior to your birth.
From over 2400 miles away,
it went down like this--

ultrasound pic
from screenshot on
May 11, 2012

Friday, August 3, 2012

8:38 p.m. Eastern time
text rcvd from Grandmomma Cheri to G-pa Evan
"Nikki’s water broke. Got 6 a.m. flight out in the morning."

8:42 p.m. We had company and were so grateful to share it with friends Karen and Pat H., Peggy and Bill T., Brigitte and Tom D.  We'd just looked at two sets of beautiful wedding pics from Greece and from an island off Washington State, and a visit with precious twin babies from MN.
So...
8:49 p.m. called my parents Patty & Jimmy (your great grandparents) to let them know you were on your way!

8:52 p.m. texted Jamie and Sierra
"Nikki’s water broke! Cal Cal is on his way!"
(Aunt Jamie wanted you to be named Calvin)

8:57 text from Toni
"Hi Cheri! Praying for Nikki Mike you & Bruce & BabyPeter. Thx for letting us know! Love you & holding you close in my heart."

9:34 p.m. got call from Grandmomma Cheri

9:38 p.m. text from Jamie
"Omgggggg!"

9:43 p.m. from Toni
"I know right!"

I called Grandmomma Cheri and we talked for a little while. Cheri was packing very quickly and gathering her things and your books to bring to you. 

10 p.m. Daddy sent a text picture  "Mommy with a glimpse of a smile between contractions"



10:01 p.m. text from 216.570.6875
J

10:02 p.m. from Toni: 
"Thank you so much for sharing! How far apart are contractions?"

10:33 p.m. (from Jamie)
"Call me"

10:34 called Auntie Jamie

10:40 p.m. from Daddy Mike:  
"About two mins" 
(time between contractions)

10:44 p.m. text from Great Aunt Lois
"EXCITING NEWS!!!! Keep us posted"

(Meanwhile, I texted all the relatives I could remember in the flurry of 
excitement. I misspelled things and Great Aunt Bonnie caught the flumbling.)

10:46 p.m. text from Bonnie
"Yahoo! What does madxe mean?" J

10:48 p.m. text from 2d cousin Jace
 "Ew" (about Mommy's water breaking)

10:49 p.m. text from Toni: 
"silly Jace! That’s how nature works"

text from Jace:  
"Did the mucus plug come out yet?"

text from Toni:  
"I am crackin’ up! Your momma must be sitting near you, for goodness sakes"

10:51 p.m. text from Jace:  
"Haha I’m at Dustin’s"

10:59 call from Grandma Cheri; spoke 26 min

11:08 p.m. text from Bobe (second cousin Bryan)
"Good deal"

Saturday, Aug 4  12:51 a.m. text from your Daddy:  
"They are, but slowing down a bit"

1:04 a.m. text from Daddy
"I take that back. 10cm now"

4:26 a.m. text from Daddy
"Done! Check your email"

7:45 a.m. text from Great Uncle Reed
"Did the baby hatch or do I have 2 wait till Thanksgiving 2 hear?"

7:48 a.m. Great Aunt Leslie
"So what’s going on?"

(Great Aunt Bonnie texted here; I'd jotted it down for reference when I got time. Didn't get time;
text got deleted. Sorry, Bon.)

8:49 a.m. text from Auntie Sierra who went camping Friday night and 
had her phone off:
"What?! What’s happening?! Is she in labor?
OMG OMG OMG WHAT WHAT WHAT?!"

8:52 a.m. text from Auntie Sierra:  
"Mom, I need something!"



Liam Michael Hollopeter
born August 4, 2012
6 lbs. 3 oz.
18 1/4"

There were many more texts, phone calls, and e-mails. I wasn't able to keep track of all of them. The point is you are very important and cared for by many loving people across the world.

from Auntie Haejee in South Korea (or some place else in the world)--
Dear y'all,
Congratulations for having the world most adorable Grandson, Nephew!!!! I  cannot wait to see him and he is absolutely adorable:) Thanks for making my day by sharing such AMAZING, AWESOME, FANTASTIC, SUPERCALIFRAGILASTICEXPIDOCIOUS, FABULOUS, SUPER, MEGA EPIC news!!!!  Hope every moment with Liam will be full of happiness and love:)
Love,
Haejee=







Monday, August 27, 2012

"Baseball has bin berry good to me."


Dad came home last night from a softball double-header
covered in infield sand and man sweat.
It was 90 degrees,
his back was soaked
dust embedded, face sunburned.
I noticed some road rash on his arm,
asked, "You took some hard dives for the team?"
He said, "Yeah."

We throw in the movie, "Friday Night Lights,"
since Dad's never seen it. (Sierra, I'm sorry if I get the
sequence of events mixed up. Dad might have showered
before sitting on the couch to watch the movie.)
I go to bed. Get up. Go to work this morning.
Dad needs a hair cut. So, when I got home from work today,
 I start combing his hair out. I see a goose egg covered in
 road rash on his forehead and said, "Holy cow, where'd you get that? Sliding?"

He said, "No, a ball hit me."

I laughed. Because, I mean...
how? 
(ball slammed the ground first and bounced up with enough force
to leave a big lump and tear a layer of skin)

pics do not show how swollen this is

he wouldn't have said anything, if I hadn't noticed.
(Is the irony lost here--he's all over that field chasing the cowhide,
then gets hit right between the eyes with it?)






Sunday, August 12, 2012

The Laude Sisters!



My beautiful educated
 rockstar sisters,
Summa and Magna Cum Laude!
I am so proud of you, Dan and Les!





Wednesday, July 4, 2012

CLEAR EYES, FULL HEART, CAN'T LOSE!




I was excited to hear that Jamie was going to wear her
 East Dillon Lions t-shirt when she and Matt were
going to meet up with Derek Phillips! 
Matt's friend Robbie went to school with Derek,
who played Billy Riggins on the TV series, 
"Friday Night Lights." He was recently
in Atlanta filming a movie with Harrison Ford.

Anywho, Jamie gave her dad this series on DVD for Christmas a couple years ago.
We were hooked! Addicted we watched hour after hour 'til we developed bed sores.
We realized the only people in our lives were Seven, QB-1, Coach Taylor, 
Lance, Tyra, Lyla, Buddy Garrity, Billy, Tim, Mindy, Mrs. Taylor, Julie, and Gracie Belle.
The show was greatly inspiring to sports lovers.
So...
Evan's first year as wrestling head coach produced this t-shirt
(the art work on the left side of "COLTS" is a profile of a wrestler
lifting left arm for the win)

Oddly enough, our wrestling club mom
misheard the quote, "Never quit!" 
and she ordered shirts.

To this day, even after great adversity from the wrestling community,
 I still die laughing every time I see our Colts version of 
"Clear eyes, full heart, can't lose!"
Thank you, JAMIE, and Friday Night Lights!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Score! (unofficial) Breakfast of Champions


homemade chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream



McGregorPeter's Garden


         May 

                                                               


                                                                      July