The Woods Family Website

Lisa Lofthus-Holter died yesterday (1-1-09) morning as a result of her brain tumor returning.  Lisa was Candice’s maid of honor in the wedding and dear friend.
She will be missed.  Please keep the Lofthus and Holter families in your prayers.

Lisa and Chris at their wedding in Aug. 2007

Here’s a link to Lisa’s journal:

http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/viewJournal.do?method=executeInit

And another to some of the back story:
http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/viewMyStory.do?method=executeInit

There will be two benefits in January.  One on the 9th and one on the 25th.  More information can be found here.
http://www.myspace.com/holterbenefit

Candice’s parents submitted a picture of Isaac this year for the Beautiful Baby contest. Here’s the photo they sent in. Wish him luck.

At the end of 2007 we made a trip to Aiken, SC. It was a much over due journey. Candice’s parents had moved down there in June, so we all were missing each other. Candice’s brothers (Curtis, Marcus and Cameron) were coming down also. It was quite the Rosenow get together.

Our adventure there was quite an experience. Think along the lines of blizzard conditions, driving under 25mph on the interstate, and short trip up to the cities that took us over 5 hours to make! Once we actually made it to the hotel the rest of our trip was a dream. We shopped at the Mall of America before our flight in the afternoon and casually got to the airport. Our flight was on time, the kids had a nap, and things went really well. There was a spill on the plane (I got soaked in Coca-Cola), but really everything else about the trip was great.

We arrived on Christmas Eve and turned in early. When we woke, Santa had visited, and the kids were pretty riled up! Aaron was a real sport and took the time to hand out all the present. Then both boys tore through present after present. We spent the rest of the day in the house, leisurely enjoying our gifts, playing games, and ended it all with a fantastic Christmas feast.

The rest of the week, we had a casual agenda. We shopped in Augusta, went to a famous horse stable in Aiken, ate out a few times, cooked and played at home more, enjoyed a Russian or two, and just hung out together. Our time was up much sooner than anyone wanted, but we had to return.

Our trip back was a bit more dramatic. Isaac wouldn’t relax enough to sleep until about an hour after we were on the plane. Aaron was also tired and cranky… Candice and I vowed to never make the kids ride hours in a car AND hours on a plane again. The money we saved we paid for in tears and screams… the kids that is… not us.

We arrived back in Minneapolis with snow on the car and a long road ahead of us. About 4 hours later, we arrived at home. Glad to be there, but already missing Grandma and Poppa Rosenow.