Holley Jolly Christmas

Keeping with tradition, we recently hosted our Holley Jolly Christmas party, which included great friends, tasty treats, joyful carol singing, and overall merriment!

       First, a few photos of the house before guests arrived...

Leading carol singing with a few little helpers

Birthday Surprise!

A few weeks ago, after some scheming with my dad and brother, Madelyn and I flew down to NC to surprise my mom (a.k.a. Grandma) for her 60th birthday. We almost had to cancel the trip, because I came down with a stomach bug the night before, but we were determined to make it as planned. Uncle Tyler picked us up at the airport, and then Grandpa met us halfway and drove us the rest of the way to their house. Here we are before going into the house to find Grandma...

We knocked on the door, but she didn't answer!

Grandpa let us in, and we walked through the house and down the stairs before finding Grandma decorating for Christmas. She let out a sound of delight and immediately swept up Madelyn and started showing her around the basement.

When we asked Grandma if she was surprised at our arrival, she explained that she knew something was in the works, but didn't know what it was going to be. However, we really caught her off guard the next day with an afternoon surprise party attended by some of her good friends from church.

During our brief, but wonderful, visit, Madelyn had a great time playing with Grandma and Grandpa and exploring their home. We can't wait to see them again soon!

O Christmas Tree

This year we had the pleasure of returning to our favorite little family Christmas tree farm to choose the perfect tree.  Although there was a chill in the air, we had a great time examining the merits of various trees until we found just the right one.  Madelyn was more of a participant in the process this time around, and she had a good time feeling the trees' needles.  However, she was also happy to return to the warmth of the car.  All in all, it was a great outing!

Time to Catch Up

It's been entirely too long since I have posted an update, so I will spend the next few days highlighting some of the memorable events in the Holley house from the past month.

Thanksgiving 2012 - The "anti-special occasion"

This year for Thanksgiving week we had the pleasure of hosting Tyler's parents, fondly known as Nanny and Papa.  We had a "special" time together -- going for walks, playing together... and enduring a nasty stomach bug.  Unfortunately, we were not able to have our planned Thanksgiving dinner, because Tyler and Nanny both spent that day feeling very sick.  Poor Nanny spent much of the morning hidden away in her little guest room, trying to avoid any wafting food aromas, and not long after Tyler was also down for the count.  Since we weren't able to sit around the table together, Papa and I skipped right to the leftovers phase of the meal, eating turkey sandwiches that night for dinner.  On a day when we remember to give thanks, I can say I was very thankful for Tyler's dad, who provided much help and support in tending to the ill and caring for little Madelyn.  I am also thankful that all five of us were not sick that day (I did get the bug the following Monday night, but thankfully not as badly as Tyler and Nanny).  Needless to say, I don't have any photos of a beautiful meal or the family smiling around the table.  However, I can share a few shots of Madelyn enjoying time with her grandparents.

Everyone healthy again!

All bundled up and ready for a walk

Hanging out in the stroller

Taking a ride in the toy bin

Bedtime with Papa

Autumn Wedding

Last weekend we traveled up to Maine to celebrate the nuptials of two lovely friends. We captured a few moments from the reception on film.

Smiling with our good friend

Guests listening intently

The lovely bride smiling during a toast

Reading with another good friend (who happened to be the flower girl!)

An Afternoon in the Boston Public Garden

Happy Halloween!

Our little duck all dressed up and ready to waddle!

The cast of characters for the evening...

The pirate

Little Red Riding Hood

Mr. Rogers -- trolley, puppets, and all

The butterfly

And a few other princesses, animals, and super heroes

 

Weekend Retreat

Recently, we had the opportunity to spend the weekend with some of Tyler's closest college friends and their families. Everyone came together at a beautiful lake house near the mountains in South Carolina. The weather was perfect, and we had a wonderful time relaxing, sharing meals, and catching up on each other's lives.

Our home for the weekend

The view from the deck

The main living room

Morning fog

Madelyn and her little companion for the weekend

Boys being boys

Father and daughter

Daddy and his girl

The boys

The whole gang