Christmas at the Holtzem's and Brooklyn is 5 Months old

This year we went to CA for our Christmas with my grandparents a few days before Christmas, which was great.  We had family pictures done at a beautiful ranch in Hemet.  We opened presents with my grandparents and then we caravanned back to our house where we met up with Chris' family.  It was so great to have EVERYONE at our house.  A real Home Alone Christmas.  I think we all enjoyed it.  It was just so fun to have the house full of laughter and conversation. It was especially great to have Brooklyn meet her cousins Zane and Abbie for the first time, it was precious.  It was also so awesome for her to have all of her grandparents there together.  We just had a blast. We went to our church's Christmas Eve service which we were late for and actually had to sit outside the auditorium, and then we went and looked at Christmas lights (in 3 cars), and then had a little sleepover where we fit as many people as we could in the living room.  It took until about 2:30 pm to finish opening presents.  I believe we started at 10:00 am.  We had an amazing Christmas dinner to finish off the day.  Here are lots of pictures of the last month - all out of order...

Dave dancing with Brooke

my first christmas picture and Brooklyn at the same age

Playing a game

Zane loved holding her hand

At the Christmas Eve service

at Cabella's

Everybody together (except Dad and Tammie) We forgot to take this picture until people were about to go back home

4 Months old

Brooklyn is 4 months old!  She looked so cute in her Christmas jammies so I figured they would be perfect for her picture.  She is such a joy in our lives, we can't get enough!  One fun thing she learned to do, that I may regret later that I taught her, is sticking her tongue out and making noise with it.  I do it to her, and she laughs and does it back!  She surprised me when she did it back, I didn't think she could.  She has also started teething a little.  It's just the very beginning so she doesn't seem to be in too much pain.  She got her 4 month shots, and didn't even cry for one of them...the other she cried for maybe 5 seconds.  She got that from Dad, that's for sure.

 Her onesie says, "I am what my family is thankful for this year."  So cute!

some Christmas pictures

The sticker says,"I rolled over today."

Calypso

 Her first Thanksgiving!  (She fell asleep on the couch)

Dedication

We decided to dedicate our beautiful daughter to the Lord on December 7, 2014.  It was a great ceremony, and a great way for us to make a public commitment to raise her in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.  He has been so good to us by blessing us with her, we will continue to pray and strive to raise her responsibly and in His love.

She got some nice things from the pastor including a letter, certificate of dedication, New Testament Bible, Lullaby CD and the printed meaning of her name.

 She started to get the pouty lip after a while