The last eight days of July we took the kids to Nevada for my youngest sister’s wedding and a much-needed vacation in South Lake Tahoe.  Our first stop upon landing in Reno was dinner at In-n-Out Burger (how we miss you oh sweet maker of Double Doubles).  My sister, Zoe, and her new husband, Devin, had a small and beautiful wedding right in my parent’s backyard.  The kids got to see Lake Tahoe for the first time and had a blast in the sand and waves with their cousins.  They also got to try miniature golf for the first time.  Hezekiah (the youngest) lasted halfway through 18 holes in his stroller before relinquishing his spectator role to test the greens for himself.  The kids said their favorite part of the trip was hanging with their cousins (some of whom they never met before) and cutting up the dance floor (unfortunately, Justus has his dad’s dance moves).

Somehow 10 years snuck up on us in a flash, so Sarah and I made a four-day escape (childless thanks to the in-laws) to the little town of Weston, MO.  Our first time there, Weston is a quaint, historic town near the Missouri River that could have eclipsed Kansas City had a massive flood not rendered its steamboat port useless in 1881.  When the waters subsided, the river had shifted two miles west.  Weston became a ghost town for nearly 60 years before the resurgence of its rich heritage began in the late 1950’s.  Today, the natural beauty and small-town charm attract many a weekend traveler.  During our time, we enjoyed four restful days at a fabulous bed-n-breakfast (shout-out to Weston Steamboat Inn), ate like royalty, enjoyed live music at a local winery, and dabbled in the mom-and-pop shops up and down Main Street.  We can’t wait to go back.

As I write, Sarah is nearing 38 weeks pregnant—her due date is 8/31!  We just completed home visits with our midwife and doula and are trying to get all our ducks (better, children?) in a row before adding one more to our quiver.  As some may recall, we’ve set a precedent of not finding out the sex before birth, and this time around is no different.  We’ve also not yet decided on names although we do have a few contenders.  We are praying that the Lord would guide us in this; we can honestly say our first three children were named by Him.  Overall, the Holt family stands encouraged by the grace of our Lord and we are well supported by our loving church family who do so much to rally around all the young, growing families in our community.  Keep us in your prayers and I’ll do my best to provide another update sometime in September.

Love, The Holts

P.S. I will be watching my inbox post-partum so please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or matters requiring my attention.