curated news for friends & family ™ 
GOTCHA DAY AND MERRY CHRISTMAS( family / adoption / holmes )
Today we were finally able to celebrate Gotcha Day with our now-16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth. She and I both forgot about it on the actual day, December 10th. Her mom, Tara, remembered but Elizabeth was working late, Tara knew it would not work out, and so said nothing. Elizabeth called us that n... read more
KEEP YOUR DOG SAFE FROM DOGNAPPING( family / pets / dogs / advice )
If you're anything like us here at Breed Advisor, we simply can't imagine life without our four-legged family members. That's why we were horrified to learn that approximately 2 million canines are dognapped each year. Sadly, dog abductions have become increasingly common over the past... read more
MY BROTHER'S CAT, HOBO( family / pets / cats / religion )
He was a stray in the neighborhood I moved to when I bought my house. Based on neighbor reports, he'd been here about 5 years when I finally adopted him in August of 2016 -- I moved here in Sept of 2012 and he'd reportedly shown up in the neighborhood the previous winter, neutered but not fu... read more
TELL YOUR PET YOU LOVE THEM( family / pets )
If you ever wondered how strong your furry friends' love is for you, here's your answer. Hearing 'I love you' from their ow... read more
MY OWN GENEALOGY( family / genealogy / holmes )
Got my genealogy DNA test results back. I have bits from all over the world: 1% E.Central Africa 1% Native American (Chile) 5% Middle Eastern 91% Europe (Portuguese, Flemish, German, Hungarian, Slovak) That leaves 2%, which I'm guessing is from the extra-terrestrial branch of the family tr... read more
GET RID OF DOG URINE SMELL( family / pets / dogs / advice )
Does your whole house smell like dog urine? If so, you've come to the right place! If a dog hasn't been trained correctly or is suffering from a health problem, it's likely that it won't be able to control itself in the house. If your dog is peeing in the house, make sure not to sco... read more
AFTER LOSING HOPE OF EVER FINDING THEIR DOG, PUP IS FINALLY FOUND LIVING LIKE KING AMONG DOTING PRISON INMATES ( family / pets / dogs )
Although this pup's owners were frantic with worry over his disappearance, he was found only days later living like a king amongst the local prisoners...... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER( family / holmes / newsletter )
Vol 1 No 1... read more
HIKING WITH ELIZABETH, PART 2( family / holmes / elizabeth )
continued from Hiking with ElizabethThe scariest part was when we stopped. Then he stopped. I had my phone in hand, looking at the map. There was a tense moment until he smiled and said, "Y'all lost?""Just trying to find our way back to the parking lot," I said. He walked o... read more
HIKING WITH ELIZABETH( family / holmes / elizabeth )
Went hiking with my daughter, Elizabeth, yesterday evening. There's a nice little park in Thompson's Station with fairly extensive walking trails on its south end, near the water tower. We saw an owl, so, with her new birthday-gift SLR camera in hand, Elizabeth shushed and gestured for me to... read more
OUR PORTUGUESE TABLE( family / genealogy / holmes )
My brother Doug talking about Portuguese genealogy on their January 22, 2019 podcast. In today's episode of Our Portuguese Table, we chat with Doug da Rocha Holmes, one of the Portuguese community... read more
MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS( family / holmes / bill / movies-tv-video )
You will need the password for most of these.Cracking up over Lottery President (Jun 28, 2013). No password required.Dad's birthday, (Apr 15, 2012)... read more
LIONEL ROCHA HOLMES MEMORIAL DNA FUND( family / genealogy / holmes )
In honor of my father and his strong support for DNA testing of the Portuguese people, I am awarding a free DNA test each quarter who is announced in each issue of O Progresso, the newsletter of the Portuguese Historical & Cultural Society in Sacramento. If you would like to be considered for a... read more
A FEW WORDS ABOUT MY DAD( family / holmes / lionel )
I tried to come up with the best word to fill in the blank in the following sentence: He was the most ----- man I have ever known. He was certainly the finest, hands-down, bar none. Most fair-minded, too. With seven kids ready to cry It's not fair! at any moment, he had to be good about that.He... read more
TAKING ELIZABETH TO SKATING PARTY( family / holmes / elizabeth )
Preparing to take Elizabeth to a skating party, I said, "Here, take some money. Go ask your mom for more." I thought I had at least a $10, but only had $6. When she returned I asked how much she had now. "Forty-six dollars.""What?! Yeah, I'll need most of that back."... read more
PARENTING TIP #426( family / advice )
Parenting Tip 426: When taking out recycling/trash, check its contents. I almost threw out our daughter's purse and wallet! parentingtips... read more
DIVERSITY( family / holmes / elizabeth )
Me (folding clothes): I need some of your hangers.Elizabeth: Here you go. Me: Wow, a variety of hanger types, thanks. Elizabeth: Well, I am diverse! Her friends are diverse, actually, but it's an inside joke with us about her overbearingly liberal school whose biggest source of pride is it... read more
YOU SAYING I'M UGLY?( family / holmes / elizabeth )
I was explaining to my 9 year old daughter what "networking" is, and that I'm not very good at it. She said, "That's because a lot of people judge you by your looks. And you're not ...""You trying to say I'm ugly?""I don't think so," she sa... read more
ELIZABETH SKIING FOR THE FIRST TIME( family / holmes / elizabeth )
It was father-daughter day (for me, my brother, nephew and our daughters) at NorthStar ski resort in Lake Tahoe. See vimeo.com/122485652... read more
I LOVE MY DAUGHTER( family / holmes / elizabeth )
There's something on the kitchen counter. I'm thinking it's a shriveled, rotting potato. Not that we usually have that sort of thing on the counter, but that's what I'm thinking. I point at it and ask my wife, "What is that?""Elizabeth's rock," wife deadpa... read more
ONE TOO MANY CATS( family / holmes / pets / cats )
I was up a little earlier than usual this morning, which apparently surprised one of the cats in our house. The thing is, we only have one cat. Any more than that is too many. This one -- either a stray or just one of the neighbor's cats, I don't know; either way, it's apparently our c... read more
WATCH TARA THE HERO CAT ATTEMPT TO THROW A CEREMONIAL FIRST PITCH( family / pets / cats )
Watch Tara the Hero Cat attempt to throw a ceremonial first pitch. The video is now missing from the Times, so there's now a link to the original incident, although YouTube has marked it "offensive to some viewers." Who are these viewers? R... read more
SUNDAY RIDE( family / holmes / elizabeth )
Elizabeth dragged me onto another one of her outings this morning. If nothing else, she keeps me in shape. This time, she was on her motorized scooter (the kind you stand on), while I rode my bicycle. No fair making the old man use pedal power while she rides a scooter, giving only her throttle hand... read more
FATHER'S DAY( family / holmes / holidays )
I'm just writing this post to get something new on the blog other than that free ad for Windows 7. :)We drove up to be with my wife's side of the family today for Father's Day. An "extra special treat" upon returning home was to discover that our 8-year-old, Elizabeth, had deci... read more
HOLIDAY WORLD (2013)( family / holmes / elizabeth )
I rode a rollercoaster for the first time in I don't know how long. It was a blast! The Raven has been voted "most awesome or whatever wooden coaster" several times in the past ten years. The Voyage, now the reigning champ of wooden coasters, was temporarily unavailable. S... read more
BIRTHDAY CARD FROM GRANDPA( family / holmes / elizabeth / birthdays )
Elizabeth received a birthday card from Grandpa today with $20 inside! She said, "I love your dad! Tell him thank you very much! Your dad is rich! I wouldn't have thought such an old old person would have so much money!"... read more
DAD'S 94TH BIRTHDAY, PART 3( family / holmes / lionel / birthdays )
Old Sacr... read more
DAD'S 94TH BIRTHDAY, PART 2( family / holmes / lionel / birthdays )
The Z... read more
DAD'S 94TH BIRTHDAY, PART 1( family / holmes / lionel / birthdays )
, , Part... read more
CONTENTMENT IS...( family / holmes / pets )
Contentment is lying in bed, social networking on my laptop, listening to my wife and daughter "fight"/tease each other in the other room, while I've got the cat cuddled up on my left and two out of three pugs cuddled up on my right.... read more
FRANKLIN HAS BEEN ADOPTED( family / adoption / pets / dogs )
Franklin has been adopted!Our daughter was sad to see him go, but he's now in a good home. And they're close to us, so she might get to visit sometimes.... read more
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY( family / holmes / elizabeth / holidays )
My daughter just made my day. Here's her card to me.... read more
CHANDLER'S A GOOD DOG( family / holmes / pets / dogs )
Chandler's a good dog. He's been through a lot in this life (before we adopted him) and will probably never fully recover. Never fully trust anyone again. I know the feeling. Maybe that's what we have in common. Whatever it is, I just love the heck out of that dog. And now he's getti... read more
WHAT CRICKETS EAT( family / holmes / elizabeth )
After catching a cricket and putting it into her bug cage (yes, she has a bug cage), my six-year-old daughter Elizabeth asked, "Can you ... um ... look on the Internet and see what crickets eat?"I just laughed and said, "Yes, I can actually do that." So, excuse me while I go do t... read more
LESSON LEARNED( family / holmes / elizabeth )
I'll be spending all week (Spring Break) with my almost-6-year-old daughter, Elizabeth. Woo hoo! Yesterday was supposed to be my only "day off," as she was supposed to be in school (snow make-up day). But she's come down with the flu, so she stayed home with me.I took her to the do... read more
MONKEY JOE'S AGAIN( family / holmes / elizabeth )
This could get expensive coming here on a regular basis at $9-$10 every time, but Tara had a coupon that made it half price. We're at the new one in Brentwood/Cool Springs. Much better than the one north of town near Rivergate. Much more professional-looking. For one thing, all the bou... read more
YESTERDAY AT HOME( family / holmes / elizabeth )
Tara had a busy "day off." Her basic schedule consisted of: 1) taking our pug Chandler back to the vet (for the fifth or sixth time the past month) to check on his ulcerated cornea; 2) awaiting delivery of our "new" used clothes washer; and, 3) picking up Elizabeth from schoo... read more
SUNNY CAME HOME( family / holmes / pets / cats )
I spent all day today wondering how I was going to tell our 5-year-old that our cat, Sunny, was no longer with us. Literally. After being awakened last night at 2:30 a.m. by the sound of a VERY close coyote, and then not finding Sunny asleep somewhere in the house later that morning - and she's... read more
ELIZABETH'S FIRST PLAY( family / holmes / elizabeth / plays )
Elizabeth, 5, came up with the following play just as we were finishing dinner the other day. Dinner theater, if you will. :) We were in Sacramento visiting my Dad, joined by my brother Greg and his wife June.MOM (Tara): Where is the prince? There he is. Will he join me for dinner? DAD (Bill): Will... read more
MISSING CAT RETURNS( family / pets / cats )
Good news from best friends Julie and Bert in Las Vegas. One of their cats, Tobie, went missing this past January. He was an indoor/outdoor cat and one day just disappeared. Needless to say, they were heartbroken and spent many hours/days posting fliers, contacting neighbors and shelters, etc. Nothi... read more
SATURDAY WITH ELIZABETH( family / holmes / elizabeth )
As Elizabeth likes to say, she and I were "hanging out" today while Tara had a girls' day out with Ronica. I think Tara's was a belated birthday thing. Hers was on the 10th. Anyway, once Ronica finally called - after Tara had started to worry - I was left alone with Elizabeth. We w... read more
FIRST FULL WEEK( family / holmes / elizabeth )
... of kindergarten! Tara's getting Elizabeth ready now. Elizabeth has been ready to go, already jumping into bed with us, then jumping out almost immediately, I guess because she couldn't sleep. Tara will usually be taking her in the morning and I'll be picking her up after. Yes, she co... read more
LUCY'S BIRTHDAY( family / holmes / birthdays )
Today's my sister Lucy's birthday. She must be having a good one, because she has not replied to anyone's email birthday greeting. The previous weekend was our nephew Daniel's 2nd birthday party in Smyrna. That kid partied until it was almost dark!In other birthday news, we drove all... read more
UNCLES" OBITUARIES( family / holmes )
I have lost a couple of uncles this year.Below are their obituaries:Uncle Ernie legacy.com/obituaries/insidebayarea/obituary.aspx... read more
ROTTWEILER TRICKS( family / pets / dogs )
Here are some videos by my sister's friend who bought a puppy from her: v PTyOqZem... read more
A WARNING TO PET OWNERS WITH KIDS( family / holmes / pets / dogs )
I had to take our dog Chandler (my "best puppy", the "big man", or "Chanva" as our daughter Elizabeth used to call him) to the vet Thursday after I discovered, while giving him a bath, what looked like a bloody gash on his throat. I was horrified. I literally gasped in... read more
OUR ADOPTION STORY( family / adoption / holmes )
My wife Tara has written up our adoption story in response to that woman (not far from us, unfortunately) who returned that boy to Russia a couple weeks ago. With the recent headline news about the Russian adoption that went very very wrong, I have been asked by many friends and family about my op... read more
OUR RUSSIAN ADOPTION STORY( family / adoption / holmes )
With the recent headline news about the Russian adoption that went very very wrong, I have been asked by many friends and family about my opinion of the situation.... read more
FINNEGAN WALTER BROUNS HATCHED OUT( family / brouns )
Finnegan Walter Brouns. Born April 1st at 9:35 AM.... read more
AN ENTIRE WEEK WITH ELIZABETH( family / holmes / elizabeth )
You will not believe what I've been through! :) Okay, maybe it's not been that bad. You single parents out there are laughing at me, I'm sure. But I went an entire week taking care of Elizabeth, our 4 year old, while Tara not only had to work all week, but also came down with a cold. So,... read more
ELEVEN ROTTWEILER PUPPIES( family / pets / dogs )
Help her come up with names starting with the letter "B" by leaving comments below! comments closedSee NightShadowRottweilers.com for more details.... read more
VIDEOS ON VIMEO( family / holmes / elizabeth )
All videos listed, below 122485652, 1774164, 1776317,... read more
ELIZABETH'S FIRST HALLOWEEN( family / holmes / elizabeth )
She explains the process. Click here for the video... read more
AN ENTIRE DAY WITH ELIZABETH( family / holmes / elizabeth )
I can't believe I made it. Of course, it's not over yet. It's only dinner time. It's been a LONG day. I'm at McDonald's as I write this. I tried to get online with their free wi-fi, but you have to have an account already before you can use it. Now I know. For some reason, th... read more
DOWN BY THE CREEK( family / holmes / elizabeth )
Elizabeth and I went down to the creek this cold fall morning. With all the recent rain, Indian and Mill Creeks both had a lot of rushing water. We walked along the edge of Mill Creek. Usually, we stick to the closer Indian Creek. Elizabeth went as far as she could (or wanted to), then I had to carr... read more
ELIZABETH CUT OFF ALL HER HAIR( family / holmes / elizabeth )
In the twenty minutes that Tara and I left Elizabeth alone, she found some (child-safe) scissors and cut off all her hair. At first I thought it was just wet. Then I realized she'd cut it all off. I laughed and said I was just glad she hadn't hurt herself. A few seconds later, Tara came into... read more
ONE HOUR WITH ELIZABETH( family / holmes / elizabeth )
We had a list of stops to make. First came Ace Hardware for a clothes line and a no-pest-strip. Elizabeth had rediscovered her Barbie electric guitar earlier that day and brought it with her on this trip. She wanted to bring it into the store, she said, "so everyone can hear my music." I s... read more
HOLIDAY WORLD (2009)( family / holmes / elizabeth )
Tara just brought me back from the pharmacy where I'm having a prescription filled. We used CVS because Tara had a coupon. She is the coupon queen. Doesn't buy anything without a coupon these days. It's a hobby. You should check out her blog at... read more
ELIZABETH'S HOUSE( family / holmes / elizabeth )
The other day at the house, we had this conversation:Elizabeth: This is my house.Bill: Your house? I thought it was my and mom's house.Elizabeth: No. It's mine. I'm sharing it with you. Tara and I cracked up.... read more
ELIZABETH'S BIRTHDAY( family / holmes / elizabeth / birthdays )
It's this Sunday! Just FYI if you want to send an email or call or whatever. We should have pictures up here from tomorrow's party at Chuck E. Cheese's.... read more
ADOPTION VIDEOS UPDATED( family / adoption / holmes / videos )
You can watch them here:Holmes Russian Adoption, (updated)... read more
A FEW MORE VIDEOS( family / adoption / holmes / videos )
I finally edited these a little bit and uploaded them:Chandler hanging outElizabeth's baby shower in FebruaryElizabeth's b-day party in April... read more
DOUG SELLS POWER TOOLS( family / holmes / doug / shopping )
Used New Hilti Tools and Accessories. Hilti professional demolition/concrete tools. SHIPPING WORLDWIDE... read more
WALKING THE DOGS( family / holmes / pets / dogs )
It's something I do every night. I actually stopped for several months starting in May, I guess, when my back problems flared up. Then came my knee surgery, which kept me from walking much. Then I got to where I enjoyed not having to walk the dogs every freakin' night of my life. :) But then... read more
ELIZABETH'S FIRST VIDEO( family / adoption / holmes / videos )
Elizabeth's directorial debut. A probing, provocative, sometimes introspective look at a typical weekend around the house with Mama and Papa and the pugs. vimeo.com/2172691... read more
MORE PICTURES OF ELIZABETH IN CALIFORNIA( family / holmes / elizabeth )
Bill on Rosie, while Jeannie, Tara, even Shayden, fall for Elizabeth's attention-getting antics.... read more
HAD A SCARE( family / holmes / elizabeth )
We had a scare a couple of Wednesdays back with Elizabeth. She was at pre-school/daycare when she tripped and fell head-first onto the pavement outside as everyone was told to get in line to go back inside. We figure, being so competitive, she was racing to get in the front of the line when she trip... read more
HOLMES RUSSIAN ADOPTION VIDEOS( family / adoption / holmes / videos )
The links to both 1 and 2 are here. has been updated slightly, in case you want to watch it again. might be updated eventually, too, if more pictures come in. Here are the links:... read more
CALIFORNIA TRIP( family / holmes / elizabeth )
Tara, Elizabeth and I just returned from a trip to California. Ostensibly, we went for my nephew Thomas's wedding (to bride Heather at Lake Tahoe), but it was also a convenient excuse to let everyone on my side of the family, especially her Grandma and Grandpa, finally meet Elizabeth. No offense... read more
SLEEP-OVER AT RONICA'S( family / holmes / elizabeth )
I delegated the responsibility of reading Elizabeth her bedtime story :) By the way, she slept great! I put her to bed at 8:15 and she was asleep by 8:30. We woke up at 8:00 this morning. - Ronica... read more
A VERY ARTSY PICTURE OF ELIZABETH( family / holmes / elizabeth )
Just because I liked it, I'm posting it here! :)... read more
BIRTHDAY PARTY PICS( family / holmes / elizabeth / birthdays )
Elizabeth's 3rd birthday. April 2008. 3rd birthday... read more
BIRTHDAY PARTY( family / holmes / elizabeth / birthdays )
Well, Elizabeth's birthday party is this Saturday. She'll be 3, and it'll be her first "real" party. It'll be outside at a covered table next to a playground in a nearby park. I can't tell you here on the Internet exactly where this park is because you might be a murder... read more
GOOD FRIDAY( family / holmes / elizabeth )
It WAS a good Friday. There was nothing religious about it. If you know me at all, that wouldn't surprise you. I was just reading my previous post and wanted to have something more positive this time. We're all still adjusting to each other and getting better at it every day. That last post... read more
FAMILY NEWSLETTER( family / holmes / newsletter )
Old stuff, but some of it's still funny ... It's basically the precursor to this website. Click the links in the table of contents, above. Otherwise, just do a search in the home page's ... read more
FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF DAYCARE( family / holmes / elizabeth )
Elizabeth spent her first official full day at daycare yesterday. The teacher went on and on about how wonderful and good and helpful she was. I say "first official" day because Tara took her to a free trial day last week. Daycare is probably a lot like the orphanage, which is why she flo... read more
RECENT PHOTOS OF ELIZABETH( family / adoption / holmes / elizabeth )
Around the house... read more
DOCTORS SAY SHE'S NORMAL( family / adoption / holmes )
Tara took Elizabeth to the "international adoption specialist" doctors today for a psychological evaluation and another physical exam. They say she is perfectly average/normal for a girl her age. Of course, that puts her well above average for a foreign orphan.We think she's better tha... read more
LUNCHEON FOR ELIZABETH( family / holmes / elizabeth )
I can't believe how nice my coworkers at Franklin are. On Friday, they had a luncheon at work for Elizabeth and Tara. They invited me, too. :) Great food, several gifts, and the biggest surprise: a money tree. Tara and I were speechless at that. It's not like my coworkers have any more "... read more
BABY SHOWER( family / adoption / holmes )
Tara's female family and friends threw Elizabeth a baby shower last weekend. I was the only man there. The only reason I went was so that any other men showing up wouldn't be the only man. Oh well. I was able to get a lot on video, and Tara took pictures.... read more
PETS PAGE( family / pets )
Cool toys... read more
SETTLING IN( family / holmes / elizabeth )
I just thought I'd mention that Elizabeth is settling into her new life pretty well. Tara is her full-time parent, I just appear after work and on weekends. :) Even then, it's Tara who does most of the work. Elizabeth's biggest hurdle so far has been getting used to our pets, three pugs... read more
SUMMARY OF OUR RUSSIAN ADOPTION EXPERIENCE( family / adoption / holmes )
Fill out this adoption video permission form to get access to any videos in this post.To sum it all up: We love our daughter. Elizabeth is a wonderful, beautiful, intelligent little girl. We thank Russia for giving her to us. Otherwise, we did not enjoy Russia. In thei... read more
STAY TUNED( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
I hope to get the rest of the photos and videos on here, at least in raw form, over the next few days. I think I'm getting over my post traumatic stress disorder from the trip and can now face looking at the video again. :)Regarding Comments, I had to set those to require approval before showing... read more
MORE PICS (12/28/2007)( family / holmes / elizabeth )
Elizabeth likes bows in her hair Red Square... read more
A FEW PICTURES( family / adoption / holmes )
Finally, some pictures of Elizabeth. They're not even the latest, but it should hold you over if you've never seen her before.... read more
WE'RE HOME! (FOR GOOD, THIS TIME)( family / adoption / holmes )
And now I'm going to bed! :) I'll blog tomorrow.... read more
RIDING THE METRO( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We're going to attempt to ride the Metro subway to Red Square today. Wish us luck. The exits aren't numbered, they are listed by name ... in Cyrillic. Of course, the overhead announcements are in Russian. One helpful thing is that the announcements are in a male voic... read more
STILL IN MOSCOW( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We're in a different hotel, the Holiday Inn - Moscow Sokolniki, for the rest of our stay. This is the one that was originally reserved for our return from Astrakhan. It has a reliable internet connection, costs less per night than yesterday 39... read more
TO THE EMBASSY( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Our last stop before the airport on the magical mystery tour is the US Embassy. They will make Elizabeth a US citizen and a registered Repub... read more
CAN'T LEAVE EARLY( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
... but at least it's all over. The Embassy visit went fine. Delta said that the only way we could take the available seats on earlier flights was to pay $2800 extra FOR EACH ticket. We said no. Unless someone wants to donate that to us, then we'll call them back. :) As it is, we can't l... read more
MOSCOW UPDATE CONTINUED( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We're in Moscow.Bill already summarized our trip here. I do believe that I am fully initiated into the sisterhood of Mothers. I have changed an exploding poopy diaper in an airplane bathroom, with turbulence! I'll spare you all the details, but let's just say, I will be burning our cloth... read more
UPDATE TO THE UPDATE'S UPDATE( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
I went ahead and paid for the 24-hour internet connection from the room. It wasn't even double the cost of one hour. I also swapped out the flaky cable and that seems to have fixed the connection problem. Wrong. I had to call the techs back to fix it. The hotel sure did send up some techs quic... read more
RIDING THE METRO, PART DEUX( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
All three of us went to Red Square this time. I'm glad Tara was able to see it. Elizabeth was fascinated, too, but probably won't remember a thing. We then had lunch at Sbarro in the... read more
JUST ANOTHER WEEK TO GO( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
... maybe less! That cheers me up. That's assuming everything goes as planned ... and it WILL. I believe in positive thinking (when I'm desperate, anyway, because it leads to positive actions, which lead to positive results, or at least your chances are better). I don't always practice i... read more
PICTURES OF OUR LIFE IN ASTRAKHAN( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Tonight is our last night in Astrakhan. So, I thought I'd post some pictures of where we've been living for the past 19 days. We've had many battles over clothing. She thinks I put too much clothes on her. In the hotel room, she wears her thermals. But, she loves her boots. So, she often... read more
BACK IN MOSCOW (12/18/2007)( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We made it this far! The plane ride was terrible for several minutes when we had to fasten our seat belts, which Elizabeth did not want to do. She SCREAMED loudly for quite a while, ticking off everyone nearby. Luckily, part of it was drowned out by the sound of the jet engines revving up and taking... read more
51-1/2 HOURS( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
That's how long before we leave Astrakhan for Moscow. Not that we're counting or anything. The bad thing about these in-country flights is that they don't use "jetways," those expandable tubes that protect you from the weather as you get on and off the plane. You are out there... read more
HERE'S YOUR UPDATE( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Everyone is wanting an update! Well, we're parents of a two-year-old now. No time for updates!She is keeping us busy. Her favorite things to do are: play in the sink, play in the tub, and play in the toilet. She is a waterbaby! One of the things we were warned about an adopted child from an orph... read more
SLEEP, WHAT A CONCEPT( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
I slept on the floor most of last night. It's a little after 7 a.m. here. Elizabeth refuses to sleep in her crib, even though we're told that's what she slept in at the orphanage. So, she sleeps with us in our bed. That bed is barely big enough for just me and Tara. Anyway, Elizabeth can... read more
NOTHING MUCH TO UPDATE ABOUT( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
She's just driving us crazy. Luckily, Tara is taking the brunt of it. I had to get out and walk around town in the freezing cold, just for the sake of getting out. I was at least useful, coming back with some groceries. Elizabeth's sweet as can be and very playful most of the time, but she t... read more
BOWEL MOVEMENT( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
I like a headline that demands attention!It's official, I'm a parent. Elizabeth had her first bowel movement since we've had her, and it was on my watch! Tara was unable to put Elizabeth down for a nap while I was out walking around town looking for groceries and sundry items. Once I ret... read more
MORE PICTURES (12-09-2007)( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Here are some photos from today of the hotel and the closest major street to us. We didn't get very far on our walk because it was too cold.... read more
THE FIRST HOURS OF PARENTHOOD( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Oh my gosh! She's a handful!Well, we left the orphanage without much incident. She told the orphanage staff that she wanted to leave in the car. But, she refused to let me or Bill hold her hand or touch her other than put her snowsuit and boots on. The orphanage director walked her out and then... read more
SHE'S OURS( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We have her in the hotel now. I tried typing that sentence earlier but she shut the computer down as I was typing! I don't know how. But just a few keystrokes and it was shutting down. Now she keeps trying to run a... read more
PICTURE OF US BEFORE COURT( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
...from several days ago, the morning of our court appearance. Taken by the other adoptive family in town for their... read more
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We visited Elizabeth again today. We caught her when she was in the music room with all the other kids in her age group. She smiled wide when she saw us, but by the time she reached us, she tried to keep it cool. Like,... read more
SHE'S WARMING UP TO US( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We had her laughing, smiling and giggling today. I pushed her around on the three-wheeler, then "flew" her around the room. She even let us chase her around, and it didn't scare her when I chased her!She seemed... read more
IT'S GOING TO BE A GOOD WEEK( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
That's all I wanted to say. :) We had a shortened visit with Elizabeth today because we had to first stop by the pharmacy and get some Ben-Gay and ibuprofen for m... read more
SATURDAY MORNING( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Tara made a good guess earlier. She thinks the orphanage caretakers are telling Elizabeth that we will be taking her away soon. They think they're doing us a favor, trying to prepare her. But now, every ti... read more
BEET SALAD( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
The time stamp on these blog posts are in US Central Time, not Russia time. It's 6am Sunday morning here. We had lunch the other day with Nancy, Joel, Vika and Liena at a Western-themed restauran... read more
THE DAY AFTER( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Well, we're much more relaxed now that we've gotten past the court appearance. The problem now is getting Elizabeth to like us again. Today, she cried for the first time. She let me hold her, but my Russian wor... read more
MUCH BETTER VISIT TODAY( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Elizabeth (a.k.a. "Masha") was much happier today. We were told that the orphanage caretakers probably were not telling her that we would be "taking her away," but who knows? She let me "fly" her arou... read more
WENT FOR A WALK( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
...... in the freezing cold, we were THAT bored. I'm starting to hate this place. There's just nothing to do when we're not visiting Elizabeth or going shopping, and both of those require a driver, and usua... read more
SUCCESS( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
As you probably read below in Tara's post, our court appearance went very well. Ten days from now we will officially be the proud parents of Elizabeth! And now Vika tells us that we get to visit her not just a few... read more
AND THE JUDGE SAYS...( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
She's ours!It's official! Elizabeth is ours. The court hearing went very smooth. It took about an hour and a half. There was a judge, prosecutor, a rep from the Child protective services, and the Minister of Education. They had a lot of questions about our parenting style, our finances and g... read more
IT'S SHOWTIME( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We leave in an hour for Court. I just got back from breakfast. Tara did not join me because she can't eat, she's so nervous. Gotta go get dressed. Wish us luck!... read more
RUSSIAN BUREAUCRACY( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Oh ... my ... God. Do not EVER lose that document they have you fill out on the plane before you land! Stapling it to your forehead would be less painful than what Galina, Liena and I went through today. Vika was tending to the other couple, Nancy and Joel today. Anyway, we just spent ALL afternoon... read more
RUSSIAN ADOPTION CONSULTANT( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
I've taken a job here as a Russian adoption consultant. The hours are long, and the pay is in barter, but you gotta do what you gotta do, seein' as how I can't leave the country. :)But seriously, the Children's Hope office in Brentwood, TN has an opening for such a job. T... read more
COMMENTS WELCOME( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
I set this blog so that you can now add your comments anonymously without logging in. So, comment away! I was afraid that the requirement for a login was keeping people from participating. Now you can go crazy because you're anonymous. Just watch your language! Elizabeth is reading this, too ...... read more
BACK IN ASTRAKHAN( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We made it to Astrakhan, but I've lost my immigration form that goes with the passport and visa. It's just a little sheet that they have you fill out on the airplane before you land. If I'd known it was so important, I would have stapled it into the passport instead of just sliding it in... read more
IN THE AIR AGAIN( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Sunday, November 25, 2007, 5:00pm CSTWe're in the air on our way back to Moscow. Delta Flight 46. The current in-flight movie is "Evan Almighty," which we saw on one of our other flights to or from Moscow last time. You know, when you jet back and forth like we do, you forget exactly w... read more
MWEH YEDDUM V AEROPORT ETA OOTRA( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
You probably guessed what that means: We are going to the aiport this morning. It's probably not grammatically correct, but I ain't got no time for linguistic correctitude. :)Unlike last time when the cat kept waking me up, this time I was able to get a good night's sleep. I was up at 5:... read more
TUESDAY (11/27/2007)( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Time flies when you lose nine hours. We fly to Astrakhan this afternoon. This morning, we'll be having the free breakfast that the hotel offers. Then we'll exchange our dollars for rubles (before the dollar devalues even more). I could've done that yesterday, but I ... just ... didn'... read more
BACK IN MOSCOW (11/26/2007)( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We made it. The flight was horrible. I think I slept about 30 seconds out of the 11 hour flight. It was not a full flight, and half the people around us were able to take up two or three seats, but we weren't quick enough. The other movie on the flight was... read more
INTERNET ACCESS( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
I'm wondering about internet access now that we've tentatively planned to stay in a weekly apartment in Astrakhan instead of the hotel the entire time. We'll probably want/need that internet access for the sake of something to do. Normally, we could go sightseeing, but when it's belo... read more
ELIZABETH'S ROOM( family / adoption / holmes )
OK, here are the pictures:Before After... read more
SKORA MWEH TAM BOOJUM( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Translation: "We'll be there soon." This time next week, actually. I really want to be able to communicate with our daughter Elizabeth when we get there. I've been playing... read more
ROUND TWO( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We've received our court date. We're haggling with the airlines now. One round-trip ticket for one adult costs a little over $800. One one-way ticket for our daughter's flight home with us costs $1,600!! I suggested just buying our daughter a round-trip ticket (which would be "only&... read more
BACK IN ATLANTA( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We're in the Atlanta airport now! Good to be on US soil, except that they keep mentioning George Bush (... as in the Houston Airport). :) It's 1:45a.m. Moscow time right now (5:45p.m. EDT), but I'm not tired. I'm anxious to catch the flight to Nashville. Customs and "security&qu... read more
WE'RE HOME( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
OK, now we're home! I'll try and do a trip summary tomorrow after a good night's sleep ... in my own bed. Tara says she feels like Dorothy, "There's no place like home!"... read more
ANOTHER GREAT VISIT( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We're feeling closer and closer to our child, especially after today. And I think we passed "the test" of having the psychologist there, observing. She was pretty cool, actually. She didn't stay the entire visit. I think she could see that Tara, the child and I are all getting alon... read more
THURSDAY IN ASTRAKHAN( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
First things first: Our little girl is warming up to Tara. She gave her a kiss yesterday, I think without even being asked. Now, for some more random thoughts:Before I forget to mention it, I need to tell you what happened Tuesday. I think it was Tuesday. My whole sense of time is pretty messed up.... read more
LAST VISIT FOR A WHILE( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We'll be leaving in a few minutes for our last visit to the orphanage this trip. I'm practicing asking for my baggage back from the hotel baggage room. Baggage actually sounds like "boggage." "Please" is pa-ZHAL-sta. Fascinating, I know. I thought about getting a parting... read more
WEDNESDAY IN ASTRAKHAN( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We just got back from today's first visit with the child (we're not supposed to mention her name online). We'll be going back this afternoon. In the meantime, Tara's trying to catch up on her sleep. She had woken up around 5 this morning. I was able to sleep until almost 8. The gir... read more
SIGHTS OF ASTRAKHAN( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
I'm attaching pictures we made of Astrakhan and our room. We are staying at the Hotel Azimut in Astrakhan. They are going through major renovations right now. It's kind of funny to see the interior design mix. The lobby is decorated in Art Deco while the rooms are decorated in traditional Ru... read more
GREAT VISIT( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We had a great visit with our little girl this morning. There were no observers. That happens this afternoon. Vika mentioned we should think about showing more affection in front of the observers. It's more in line with how Russians treat their kids. We're fine with that. We like kids so muc... read more
IT'S A GIRL IT'S A GIRL( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Oh My Gosh what a difference 1 day makes! So, we have a beautiful blond-haired, blue-eyed, 2-1/2 year old girl! First, the obvious question: "What happened to the 4 year old boy?" We don't know. After 2 trips to the Minister of Education, and two interviews, they gave us a referral fo... read more
WHAT A DAY( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Where to begin... The original plan was for us to go to the Minister of Education and submit our dossier and then formally receive our referral. What really happened:Galina called the ministry this morning only to find out that they were closed in the morning supposedly because there had been a deat... read more
WE'RE IN ASTRAKHAN( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
After a nerve-wracking trip to the airport and getting through the airport security we finally made it to our plane. We were told that our Rep, Galina, would be flying with us. We never saw her until we were already on the plane. She was one of the last passengers on the plane, she saw us and gestur... read more
CHECK-OUT TIME( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We check out in an hour. We got a nice free breakfast this morning, then went back to that grocery store and managed to pay the right amount for the right kind of water (still, not sparkling, which is hard to find). Security guard work is apparently a large... read more
IT'S ONLY MONDAY?( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Monday - 1 Oct 07 - 6:37PMzzzDRAHST-vueet-ya, DRAHST-ya, BREEV-yet ee DO-bree-dyen from Astrakhan! I just (phonetically) said "Hello, hey, hi and good afternoon" (even though it's now evening here) in Russian. I couldn't remember how to say "evening."We visited the Minist... read more
FIRST TIME IN MOSCOW( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Well, we made it to Moscow!After a long plane trip, we managed to get through passport control and customs with no problems. And all of our luggage made it!Our CHI Rep and driver were late getting to the airport and we were worried, but they did eventually show up. We got our first taste of traffic,... read more
ADOPTION VIDEOS( family / adoption / holmes / videos )
OK, so it took a year, but here they are, finally: You'll see all of our videos of Elizabeth, including the updated versions of these, on the right side on th... read more
LINKS TO ALL HOLMES FAMILY ADOPTION POSTS( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
This Time Next Week Preparation for Our First Trip to Russia Travel Day... read more
WE'RE IN MOSCOW( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We'll be spending the night in Moscow, after all, and flying down to Astrakhan tomorrow afternoon. I was stressed out without an internet or even a usable power connection. But I'm obviously connected now. I had the power converters, but not the three-prong-to-two-prong adapter that I have p... read more
IN THE AIR( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
28 Sept - 3:55pm CDT - We're in the air on our way to Moscow. A little bit of good news is that it's "only" a 10 hour flight instead of 12 as we had thought.... read more
TUESDAY (10/2/2007)( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Just some random notes this morningThere's a real stray dog problem in Russian cities; or, at least Moscow and Astrakhan. A lot of people even apparently let their dogs run loose. They're almost all large dogs. The small ones don't survive. There's a real "man purse" proble... read more
THE DAY BEFORE( family / adoption / holmes )
Sounds like a movie title. Anyway, it's Thursday morning. Grey's Anatomy season premier tonight. Tara says woo-... read more
TRAVEL DAY( family / adoption / holmes )
We fly out today. It would've been nice to have gotten one last good night's sleep, but the cat made sure that didn't happen. Stupid cat. Anyone want one? Seriously. She's very pretty; and sweet when she's not keeping you from sleeping. I'll miss the pugs while we're gone... read more
PREPARATION FOR OUR FIRST TRIP TO RUSSIA( family / adoption / holmes )
Tuesday morning. Everyone's still asleep except for me, the pug Joey and the cat Sunny. In preparation for our trip, I'm trying to reacquaint myself with the digital cameras, video and still. I would've put Joey's and Sunny's pictures here, but the camera is connected to Tara 3... read more
THIS TIME NEXT WEEK( family / adoption / holmes )
I'm happy to say that this time next week, we will be in Astrakhan, Russia! We leave the States on Friday, September 28 and arrive in Moscow on the 29th. Depending upon the schedule of the flights to Astrakhan, we may have to stay in Moscow one night or we will board another plane on Saturday an... read more
OUR FIRST (AND BEST-EVER) DOG, DAISY( family / holmes / pets )
Daisy graduates! Pic One,Picture from earlier that day!Previous pictures: One and TwoDaisy wrestling with Sunny... read more
ALL ABOUT DON( family / holmes / pets )
See Music by a brother Conan Our cat Conan died of a kidney infection today (we had to have him put down). We had him 18-1/2 years. He seems to have known it was his last year because, unlike in the past, since Spring he had made a point of being outside on every beautiful day and enjoying... read more
DOUG AND FAMILY PAGE( family / holmes / doug )
Doug sells power toolsDoug's genealogy services... read more
ELEANOR AND LIONEL( family / holmes / lionel )
Eleanor's back surgery a success! Everyone warned me against back surgery, she says. But, I'd be in a wheelchair now if I hadn't had surgery!... read more
ENGAGED... FINALLY( family / holmes / bill )
Engaged... finally!Tara and I are finally getting married. We've felt married, but now we're making it official, just for the sake of making it official. :) The actual wedding will be August 22, which we've always celebrated as our anniversary, anyway, because that was the day of our fir... read more
AN EMAIL EXCHANGE( family / holmes / bill )
From: Bill Holmes Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2001, 2:59 PMTo: Tara McKinneySubject: rescheduled againBetter not bring any boyfriends home tonight. I'll be here, after all. It's been rescheduled for tomorrow. Got a call from TekSystems-Huntsville. They've got a contract-to-perm job possi... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 8 NO 1( family / holmes / newsletter )
Once in a Blue MoonVol. 8 No. 1, February 1997A lot has happened since our last newsletter, so let's just jump right in with the news... Mike and Evelyn get marrie... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 7 NO 1( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Wandering Eye Vol. 7 No. 1, March 19, 1995We're back! Sorry it took so long between issues, but the entire staff was frozen solid in ... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 6 NO 7( family / holmes / newsletter )
Yee-Haw The only newsletter we do!Vol. 6, No. 7, December 29, 1994Belinda Has Puppies!Another one of Lucy's dogs has gone and had a l... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 6 NO 6( family / holmes / newsletter )
Coyote BreathVol. 6 No. 6, October 26, 1994 Don rides to DenverIn August, Don rode his motorcycle from Nashville to Denver. He wouldn't say wh... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 6 NO 5( family / holmes / newsletter )
Behind the Eight Ball Who is that behind the eight ball, anyway?Vol. 6 No. 5, August 21, 1994 Jeannie Breaks HandJe... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 6 NO 4( family / holmes / newsletter )
Fish Stories Best when lightly buttered, with just a pinch of lemon.Vol. 6 No. 4June 28, 1994 Tiffany wins awardsTiffany and her horse, Rocky, of Tracy, CA, competed in a local horse show a couple of months ago. See how ... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 6 NO 3( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Obtuse Moose Vol. 6, No. 3, April 21, 1994 Jeannie finds dog Jeannie and John have a ranch in Tracy, California. To help pay the bills, they boar... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 6 NO 2( family / holmes / newsletter )
Falling Down a Manhole (can be quite painful and should be avoided)Vol. 6, No. 2, March 1, 1994 Michael moves!M... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 6 NO 1( family / holmes / newsletter )
Itchy Trigger FingerVol. 6, No. 1, February 6, 1994Earthquake in Southern California!We're sure you've heard all about it on the news, but we just ... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 5 NO 8( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Happy Hairball (something we keep coughing up) Volume 5, Number 8 December 20, 1993 Publisher: This guy ->> Editor: Same guy Distributor: Brave little delivery boys and girls worldwide Address: Nashvi... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 5 NO 7( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Rotten Apple Journalism with visible holesVol. 5 No. 7, December 1, 1993 Mike Rolls Car!LIVINGSTON, CA - Remember ... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 5 NO 6( family / holmes / newsletter )
Hoot and a HollerVol. 5, No. 6, September 28, 1993 - Nashville editionJournalism at its finest! - Yearly subscription rate: $135 Brouns family buys property LAT... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 5 NO 5( family / holmes / newsletter )
the rabblerouser Vol. 5, No. 5, August 8, 1993 Bill moving to NashvilleBill is moving to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue his boyhood dream of being a country singing star! Oh wait, that's Do... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 5 NO 4( family / holmes / newsletter )
Not Just Another NewsletterMONDAY, JULY 19, 1993CIRCULATION: From 8 to 15 (depending on our mood and how many stamps we have)... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 5 NO 3( family / holmes / newsletter )
A Face in the CrowdVol. 5, No. 3, May 25, 1993 Eleanor Gets LicenseAfter taking the DMV driving test every year since the age of 16, Eleanor has finally passed and been given her drivers license!It just goes to show that perseverance... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 5 NO 2( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Sacred CowVol. 5, No. 2, March 15, 1993 Dad sucked from plane!Well, almost. And it was 41 years ago. Hey, nobody can accuse us of being accurate or cu... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 5 NO 1( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Stupid Kangaroo Vol. 5, No. 1, February 1, 1993 Editor's Note: This newsletter welcomes the New Year (kicking and screami... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 4 NO 8( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Leaping Lizard Vol. 4, No. 8, October 20, 1992 EDITOR'S NOTE ...After Grandma's recent birthday party (see article below), this newsletter was... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 4 NO 7( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Belching Frog Vol. 4, No. 7, September 16, 1992"Thomas should like this name." Doug returns again On August ... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 4 NO 6( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Barking Dog Vol. 4 No. 6, July 22, 1992 "Who names these newsletters, anyway?" earthquakes, earthquakes! ... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 4 NO 5( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Broken Record Vol. 4, No. 5, June 25, 1992"Predictable, irritating. Really, no redeeming qualities whatsoever."L.A. riots: T... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 4 NO 4( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Squeaky Sprocket Vol. 4, No. 4, May 11, 1992 "The intelligent person's newsletter of choice." Riots in L.A., earthq... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 4 NO 3( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Leaky Faucet Vol. 4, No. 3, March 18, 1992"More of the same, basically." Doug elected presidentWith this nati... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 4 NO 2( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Leaky Faucet Vol. 4, No. 2, February 13, 1992 "The quintessential newsletter." Warning: May not be suitable for the humor impaired. ... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 4 NO 1( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Leaky Faucet Vol. 4, No. 1, January 4, 1992"Everything you've ever wanted to know about anything." Diane has sur... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 3 NO 8( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Leaky Faucet Vol. 3, No. 8, December 10, 1991 Steve & Denise host ThanksgivingTurkey was served and everybody ate it. What else is there to say? Ok... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 3 NO 7( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Leaky Faucet Vol. 3, No. 7, October 14, 1991 Mike lands great job!Michael has been named Executive Producer of Cal State Stanislaus' new bi-we... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 3 NO 6( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Leaky Faucet"Irritating, yet soothing. Obnoxious, yet hypnotic"Vol. 3, No. 6, July 30, 1991Sapphire dispute settled out of courtSteve ... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 3 NO 5( family / holmes / newsletter )
NEWS Vol. 3, No. 5, July 6, 1991Northern California's leading newsletter since 1989 (except for those few months when we were Southern California's leading newsletter) Record heat melts ... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 3 NO 4( family / holmes / newsletter )
the Evening Star Post-Tribune Dispatch (we couldn't decide on a name) Vol. 3, No. 4, June 4, 1991 Bikers ride to YosemiteOn Mother's Day, John, Jeannie, Don and Diane (collectively known as "Hell... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 3 NO 3( family / holmes / newsletter )
and now...THE NEWS Vol. 3, No. 3 (yes, only "No. 3")April 26, 1991 Doug returns from Hungary On March 21, Doug left Sacrament... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 3 NO 2( family / holmes / newsletter )
the NEWSLETTER Vol. 3, No. 2 February 10, 1991 It's a girl... and a boy and a girl and a boy... Chance, a dog, has given birth to... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 3 NO 1( family / holmes / newsletter )
news from La-La Land HAPPY NEW YEAR!!Vol. 3, No. 1, January 4, 1991 Newsletter editor murdered!The editor of this newsletter was a... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 2 NO 15( family / holmes / newsletter )
NEWS, ETC. Vol. 2, No. 15, December 18, 1990"Christmas Issue" Lucy to Host ChristmasLucy will be having Christmas at her house t... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 2 NO 14( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Daily Gargoyle Vol. 2, No. 14, November 16, 1990 "Just when you thought it was safe to open the mailbox!"Editor's note: For those of you who actually believed, or hoped, that there would... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 2 NO 13( family / holmes / newsletter )
Hometown NewsVol. 2, No. 13, October 20, 1990Editor's Note: This is most definitely the last issue. Bill graduates!After seven months, Bill has finally completed his computer programmi... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 2 NO 12( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Newsletter Vol. 2 No. 12, September 17, 1990"Your Only News Source" It's a gir... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 2 NO 11( family / holmes / newsletter )
the NEWSLETTER Vol. 2, No. 11, August 13, 1990 Doug makes pilgrimageDoug, aka "Sluggo", made a pilgrima... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 2 NO 10( family / holmes / newsletter )
Things You Need To Know Vol. 2, No. 10, July 16, 1990 "Pioneer Portuguese" now availableWorld famous Portuguese historian Lionel Ho... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 2 NO 9( family / holmes / newsletter )
WORLD NEWS "Award-Winning Journalism"Vol. 2, No. 9, June 14, 1990 Dad kills rattler! Special to ... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 2 NO 8( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 2, No. 8 "Anniversary Issue"May 25, 1990Editor's Note: This is the big one! The big enchi... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 2 NO 7( family / holmes / newsletter )
the NEWS Vol. 2, No. 7, May 1, 1990Editor's Note: We would like to apologize for that last issue, but we won't. We'd like to say it'l... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 2 NO 6( family / holmes / newsletter )
the NEWS Vol. 2, No. 6, April 16, 1990Back in spite of popular demand. WORLD NEWS Mike is back from Germany and looking very Europea... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 2 NO 5( family / holmes / newsletter )
Big News & Other Stuff Vol. 2, No. 5 Yeah, another new name. March 19, 1990 Mike to return earlyMike has had a c... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 2 NO 4( family / holmes / newsletter )
Billy ClubNews That Hits You Over The Head Vol. 2, No. 4, February 26, 1990... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 2 NO 3( family / holmes / newsletter )
Billy Club Vol. 2, No. 3, February 8, 1990 aka Bullseye, Hard Copy, The Holmes Family Newsletter Diane now a doctorCa... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 2 NO 2( family / holmes / newsletter )
Bullseye Vol. 2, No. 2, January 26, 1990formerly known as Hard Copy; before that, The Holmes Family Newsletter Denise expecting!... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 2 NO 1( family / holmes / newsletter )
HARD COPY Vol. 2, No. 1 "Hard-Hitting Journalism"January 3, 1990 formerly known as The Holmes Family Newsletter Predictions f... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 1 NO 10( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 10 - Worldwide Circulation - December 6, 1989 Newsletter sold! The Holmes Family... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 1 NO 9( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Holmes Family Newsletter A Newsletter With A Mission In Life! Vol. 1, No. 9 Worldwide Circulation November 21, 1989 The Environmental Issu... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 1 NO 8( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 8, October 23, 1989 earthquake! Where were you when it hit?Don was just leaving his... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 1 NO 7( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 7, October 5, 1989Let's face it, these things are going to just keep coming. Steve arrested ... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 1 NO 6( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 6a, September 17, 1989Everyone seems to be on a diet these days. Lucy and Jeannie are tryi... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 1 NO 5( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 5, September 5, 1989 Jeannie breaks elbow Placed on Disabled ListLathrop - While attempting... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 1 NO 4( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 4, August 1, 1989 Largest Tri-Weekly Newsletter Circulation in the West! tri-weekly (tri-week'lee) 1. we... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 1 NO 3( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 3, July, 1989Editor's Note: Due to profanity, nudity, and the mature theme of this issue, parental discr... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 1 NO 2( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Holmes Family newsletter June 23, 1989 - Vol. 1, No. 2 - Since 1989Editor's Note: This may be the last issue. NEWSJeannie's dog, Chance... read more
HOLMES FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOL 1 NO 1( family / holmes / newsletter )
The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 1, Since 1989May 25, 1989Editor's Note: This may be the only issue, so pay attention! Announce... read more
