Christmas 2012 and BIG changes

So we have had an extra busy holiday seeason with Steve in and out of town for training, birthdays, traveling and all the holiday programs, and festivities of Christmas.  Its be nuts here! and on top of it all as Steve was getting ready to leave for his last week of training in North Carolina (the second week of December) he was interviewed for store manager of the Idaho falls store.  I wasnt expecting for him to get a store so quickly but it was already in the works and he was set to start there the oln the 17th of Decemember.  Wonderful! As if I wasnt busy enough now I was going to be without my husband 12 more week in the busiest month of the year!  Of course we were both very grateful for this opportunity, Im still sad to be leaving our friends and this area.  I love it here!  Sydney is not happy about leaving her friends, church and house....she gets attached easily, but the rest of the kids seem ok  about moving. So on Dec. 21 our house was put on the market!

             

                                                Steven loves playing with the Grinch

                              2 dozen frosted and decorated cookies for Sydneys Christmas party at school

                                                         First Snow of the Winter

  Tori's Preschool Chritmas program.  They had a ton of costume changes, and it was very cute!

So Steve was able to come home 2 days before Christmas and spend 10 days with us before going back to work. WE celebrated Christmas in our home here one last time with all our traditions and then headed to Washington for to visit family.  That trip was shortened so we could come home do laundry and head to idaho falls to house hunt...well we had already made an offer on a house that Steve saw when he was there last.

So Christmas Eve we hung out played games, went and got Krispy Kremes for Christmas morning, played at a park....to kill time...went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse and back home to unwrap 1 present before bed.

cookies for Santa

Ready for bed!!!

 Santa came!!

CHRISTMAS MORNING!!

and right as we sat down for dinner it started snowing! 

Tori turns 5!

My little Tori is growing up so quickly.  She will start kindergarten in the fall and I'm kind of sad to let her go. She has become one of my best behaved children....who would have thought with that will power!  She is so sweet and this year I took her and a few friends to a play place called Jabbers!  

This is at preschool .  I brought special brownies to celebrate.

                                       I have no idea  where she gets these poses from...........

                                                   Tori and Emilia having a snack

These girls were sooo fun to listen to giggling in the back..  They are soo sweet and innocent at this age and have no attitudes.....yet... unlike the group of 9 years olds a few weeks back.

On the morning of Tori's birthday she opened her gifts and then we hung out and did our usual dinner and home cake!

This rarely happens and when it does it makes me soo happy to see him loving his little sis.

                         

Sydney turns 9!!!!!!

This year instead of a party for Sydney I let her invite 2 friends to go do something fun with.  She chose roller skating and cupcakes! So we got Kaiya and Jesamyn and went.  Sydney and Kaiya were glued to the wall the whole time....except at the end when they finally got the hang of it.  Then we went to the cupcake shop, went back to the house and opened gifts and then to Red Robin for her birthday dinner. 

On her actually birthday we were in Washington for 48 hours and she got to see all her Grandparents!  We had a great Thanksgiving and quick visit with Family. 

We gave Sydney some money to go shopping with this year because all she wanted was cloths! 

My little Beautician!!

The other day Sydney said to me "let me french braid your hair" and I asked her do you know how to do that and she said "yeah I do it all the time to my friends at school".  I asked her how she learned it and she said "well I know how to braid and I know you have to add hair so I put them together."  I love it! I have never taught her and just learned myself so I think its amazing how she can teach herself these things!   I have never been  creative with hair but she loves to do her own hair and anyone who will let her.  Its so fun  to see your children develop talents,  especially ones you wish you had!

Halloween- Sleeveless.....

This year Steve was gone during Halloween for his Lowe's Store manger Training, which lasts 13 days and we are counting down until he gets back!  2 1/2 DAYS LEFT!  It has been really hard on Sydney and Steven, while Tori and Reese just ask here and there "when is Daddy going to be back?"  I didn't think the days would go by so slow.  It was really nice to have mom come and stay with us for 7 days.  She helped distract the kids and spend one on one time with them.  Not to mention she saved them from a few beatings they may have received from their crazy mom who almost lost it on them when they wouldn't stay in there beds at night :)
Before Steve left we carved pumpkins and made caramel apples like always
                              Before:

                                Steve has the afters on  his phone..oops!

                                              Getting ready for Trunk or Treat at the Church

                                     Frost/decorating Halloween cookies with Grandma!

                                            Reese doesn't like to eat them just decorate

                                                Heading to School in  their Halloween shirts.

                                                           Grandmas witch hat!

  At the school costume parade Sydney was a Diva...(suited her well!) and Steven Captain America!

                                       Tori changed her mind last minute and decided to be a cheerleader!

                                                                       Iron MAN!

                                                                       Princess!

                                                                   She Devil!

                                                          Ready for some CANDY!

                           We met up with our friends Chrissy and Becky and their kids (Sydney's BFF Kaiya) and had a great time!!!!!