Baby Cash:

Baby Visit:

We went to April and Mike's last night to see baby Cash.  We took Mom and Dad with us.  They were very excited to see another great grandchild.  Cash wasn't feeling well so he was a little cranky.  He had a difficult birth and I think he was feeling the after effects.  I hope he doesn't stay fussy for them.
He is such a cute little baby, delicate features, tons of hair-do I sound like I'm bragging?  I most definitely am!!  I've waited for years to become a grandmother.  I only wished we lived closer.  I know it could be a lot worse but it could also be a lot better.  I'll go with the flow and be happy.

I am very happy and grateful for this new addition to our family.

Cash Michael Holtmeyer:

Church Announcement:

The Holtmeyers:

Mike, Cash, April

Uncle Todd & Cash:

Grandma Nonnie & Cash:

Flowers from Uncle Chad and Uncle Todd:

Dozen Red Roses from Grandma & Grandpa:

 

FINALLY!!!  We are grandparents!

After a long labor and delivery, Cash Michael Holtmeyer made his entrance into the world at 7:35a.m. weighing 7 lbs. 3 oz.  19 1/2 inches long

 

Cash Michael

 

Dr. Su put April in the hospital Thursday evening and we thought sure we'd have a little Holtmeyer by Friday morning.  He fooled us and waited until Saturday morning.  Dwayne and I stayed until around midnight and then went home as Dwayne had to go to work early Friday morning and I had a doctor's appointment in St. Louis.  The alarm ringing at 4:45 Friday morning was just a little much............  Chad and I drove from St. Louis for my appointment and from St. Louis to Jefferson City to see April and we thought the baby, but he had other ideas..........  We had a nice drive, seen lots of different scenery and just had a good time.

After work, Dwayne and Todd came to the hospital and Chad went home as he needed to get Desmon off the bus.  We spent a lloooonnnnnngggggggg night waiting for the baby.  I knew I wasn't going to be in the room when the baby was born but I thought sitting in the hallway was okay.  Wrong!!   I had got tired of waiting in the waiting room so I went down and sat in the hallway around 3 a.m.  After a little while, I heard a baby cry so I opened the door and asked if I heard a baby cry.  (I didn't even look in, just barely opened it)  The nurse yelled at me and said I wasn't supposed to be there and to get back to the waiting room.  I asked if I could just sit in the hallway and she said NO!  I thought I was okay sitting in the hallway but I guess I thought wrong......  So off to the waiting room I went.  I told Dwayne, Todd and Laverne I got in trouble.  Dwayne said, well I told you so.  I still don't know what the big deal was.  lol

A little after 7:30, Mike came to the waiting room carrying the baby and said, here is Cash Michael who arrived at 7:35 a.m. and weighs 7 lb. 3 oz.   He was so beautiful!  A thick head of dark blond  hair and a pretty round face.  April says he sleeps like me with his mouth open.  lol

After each of us holding the baby, we headed home.  We were exhausted!  I don't even remember Saturday.  Apparently, I slept all day.  Dwayne said he woke me up to eat a sandwich but I could barely stay awake.  I don't even know if I got up that evening to watch TV or not.   The next thing I remember was waking up Sunday morning to the alarm going off for church.

Sunday:

I  went to church and then Dwayne and I went to my cousin's sons wedding at Lion's Club Park in Rolla.  It was a nice time visiting with family.

The rest of the day and evening was spent relaxing and preparing for the work week.

 

I'm looking forward to this evening when we take Mom and Dad over to see April, Mike and the baby.

We have waited for years to have a grand baby and are so thrilled we're plumb stupid acting!!

 

I am grateful for family and especially the birth of our grandson.

Busy Weekend:

Friday:

Zach spent the night with us so he could get an early start helping Uncle Dwayne with Molasses on Saturday.

Saturday:

I got up early and headed to Rolla for Mariah and Brighton's soccer games.  They did a good job and seemed really excited when Aunt Connie showed up.  After the game, we went to their house to get their clothes as they were spending the night with me.  This is the first time Mariah and Brighton have got to stay with me so they were pretty excited.

We went to Wal-Mart to pick up groceries and some crafts to do when we got home.

After putting groceries away, we went to Mom and Dad's as Dwayne and the boys were making molasses.  The kids played all afternoon with Desmon and Kristin's boys, Kaden and Kaleb.  Lots of rough play and swinging on the old home made swinging.

We headed home and Nathan and Zach came home with us too.

 

Nathan painting sun catchers.

Brighton painting his piggy bank.

Mariah painting her cupcake aka piggy bank.

Mariah:

 

Sunday:

 

Sunday morning Dwayne made chocolate chip pancakes for us.  Then Dwayne, Nathan and Zach headed to Mom and Dad's to start another day of molasses making.

Mariah, Brighton and I left for church.  Before going to church we stopped by my work for me to get caught up since I had missed on Friday.  I think the kids may have had a little too much fun while I was working.  Don found several things moved around on his desk and John did too.  Luckily, my bosses are okay with me bringing the kids in.

We then went to church.  Mariah and Brighton loved children's church and want to go back next week.  We had to stop and get bug juice before heading home.  They must have had fun at my work as they wanted to stop again on the way home.  (Didn't happen!  lol)

We went up to Mom and Dad's and the kids had another great day of fun and playing old fashioned games.

 

 

Dwayne and Chad moving the press.

Bucket load of kids.

Mariah, Lizzy, Kaden, Desmon & Brighton

                        

 

The kids rode in the bucket all the way to our house as Dwayne pulled the press with the tractor.

Talk about having fun........The kids talked about it all afternoon.

 

Zach's horse

After the kids got back from the house, Desmon, Mariah and Brighton rode with me to St. Elizabeth to see how April was doing.  Talk about a noisy ride!!!  April was doing okay, just getting large and miserable.  The baby is due in just five days so shouldn't be much longer.
When we got to the house we had a crowd of after molasses working people and Kayla and Anthony had come down to pick up the kids.  We visited in the basement and it was like old times from when we lived down there.

I had a wonderful weekend.  I am grateful for these weekends of family get togethers.

Molasses Makin'

 We had our annual "Molasses Makin'" over the weekend.  My camera is broke so I've missed out on a lot of pictures lately.
The above picture of my dad can be found along with a video on facebook under Rolla Homepage.
We started this tradition in 1978.  We've had many successful years and gone through many generations of "workers", including my Grandma and numerous Great Aunts and Uncles.  Lots of memories made.
Our good friend, Jim Matlock, has helped us for years.  My great nephew, Cody nicknamed him Big Red as he has a red face.  Sadly, Jim passed away over the summer.  He was missed tremendously this year.  There is always a good time to be had around Jim.
Our day also included a Williams' Cousin Party, my Mom's side of the family.  The numbers get smaller every year and we had two cousins in the hospital.  We still had a good time.  The young kids got to take turns riding horses, chasing each other and the highlight of all-the old tire swing.  We finished off the day with a hayride.  Kayla's kids, Mariah and Brighton wanted to spend the night but they couldn't get hold of their dad to ask so a sleepover is planned for this coming Saturday night.
Zach, Nathan and Lizzy spent the night and got an early start Sunday morning with Uncle Dwayne.
Sunday was a repeat of Saturday.

I am thankful for the tradition being passed down and that my husband, sons and Elrod nephews enjoy it each year.

April's Birthday:

Repost of Monday, September 19, 2011

 

September 19, 1985:

Birth info wrote by April in scrapbook:

Surprise, it's a girl!!!
Mommy and baby coming home from the hospital: Outfit bought by Daddy.
Protective big brothers:Chad with the little sister he wanted: He had stated he already had a brother, he needed a sister.
Todd meeting little sister: Even though he claimed he wanted a little brother, he was and still is totally in awe of his little sister.
Daddy, with Chad's help giving first bath:

1st Birthday:
Twenty-six years ago I got the surprise of my life. Pregnant with my third child and back in the dark ages of no ultra-sounds unless absolutely necessary, we did not know the sex of our baby. My doctor's guess all along was another boy. Jeffrey Dwayne was due October 4th, 1985.
Well, little Miss April Lee surprised us two weeks early on September 19th, 1985. I don't have the picture at work with me of Dwayne and I holding her right after her birth, but we are smiling ear to ear and the picture of April looks like she was smiling also.
My children's birth is somewhat related to their tempramate. Chad was due December 12th and promptly arrived that day. Growing up, Chad was always right on schedule. Todd was due April 4th and did not arrive until April 17th, two weeks late. Growing up, he was usually late getting up, in no hurry, etc.
April was two weeks early. She has always wanted to be on time for everything, follow the rules (generally) and great organization skills.
I think in adult life the boys may have swapped a bit, as Chad is usually late for family dinners (although this year he was gone back to being very punctual) and Todd is always on time.
My pregnancy with April was very difficult. I wasn't sick so much, but had problems though out the pregnancy. My friends joked that now I knew what it was like to be pregnant as my pregnancies with the boys were so easy and no sickness. I pretty much felt great.
My labor with April was horrible (no epidurals, I was stupid with all three and went natural. Dumb!!) Labor started around 4 a.m. and we arrived at the hospital I think around 7 a.m. The day kept getting worse and worse. If I hadn't had her by that evening, we were going in for a c-section. I wanted a girl so bad but I remember by mid-afternoon thinking, I don't care what I have, please just make it go away. I was totally exhausted and didn't think I would ever make it to delivery. Finally, at 6:53 p.m., we welcomed a baby girl into the world. I don't know who was more surprised, Doctor John or Dwayne and I. We were elated!! The name, April Lee was picked out before we were even married.
Even after her birth, I thought I'm so tired, I will fall asleep the minute I get to a room. No!! I was so excited, I was calling everyone and at 1 a.m. the next morning I was still wide awake. The nurse decided I needed a sleeping pill and to get some much needed rest. My mouth hurt as I went to sleep from grinning so much.
We had always planned on four children, regardless of boys, girls, or both. So, even that day, we still planned on in a few years of having either Jeffrey Dwayne or Arin Rebecca. My body decided the third labor and delivery was just too much. A couple years later we learned a fourth pregnancy/delivery was just jeopardizing my health. Our family was complete with three children. God is in charge and his birth order of our children could not be more perfect.
While I was in the hospital, proud daddy went to Strawberry Patch (which was an expensive children's shop in Rolla at the time) and bought April's outfit to come home in. A beautiful lavender print dress set with shoes to match. That was Dwayne's job each birth to buy the outfit to come home in. He did a great job all three times.
Our baby girl has turned into a beautiful, (inside and out) young lady we are very proud of.

Our daughter, 26 years later:
Guess we'll keep her! lol

Happy Birthday, April Lee!!

I (and Dwayne) are very grateful for our daughter, our two precious sons and the life we have.

2013:  Now we are looking forward to the birth of our first grandchild in a couple weeks.  This baby's gender will be as much of a surprise as April's was.

Mom and April's Birthday Dinner Weekend:

Saturday:

April and I went shopping and out to lunch at the lake.  Since we've been to some very nice thrift stores, we can't seem to pay full price on an item.  Nice new hobby!

Sunday:

Since April was one, I've had a huge birthday dinner for her and Mom since their birthdays are a day apart; Mom the 18th and April on the 19th.

We've always included Dwayne's family and it always turns out to be a huge reunion.  We really miss Grandma and Grandpa Elrod, lots of memories.  David came down this year by himself, the boys all had other fall plans for the weekend.

All five of us kids were present and I meant to get a family picture done but with overseeing dinner, visiting, etc. forgot all about it until everyone was gone.

My pictures aren't very clear as they're from my cell phone.  My camera is broken and I really need to get a new one before the baby is born.

 

 

April opening her cards and gifts.

 

Judy praying for Mom and April's birthdays.  Birthday people and whomever prays for the day gets to go first.

 

Table Talk...

Our dear little Ashlyne:

 

Judy, Russ -  Kristin, Ashlyne, Shannon and Wayne

Gavin, Zach, Tony, Todd, Chad and Michael

I am so grateful to once again be able to celebrate Mom and April's birthday dinner with family; some we don't get to see often so it makes it extra special.