December Events

December was a busy month for us and that helped it go by fast.  Some of the fun things we did included:  my dad's "Tuba Christmas" concert at the Colonial Theater, our ward Christmas party, and the gingerbread/nativity display at the Museum of Idaho (free admission therefore we went FOUR times to get into the children's section!)

Picture with " Boppa" after the concert

All ready for the ward Christmas party (it was formal dress)

At the Museum of Idaho

My kids LOVE the kid's room at the museum.  It consists of a teepee, and log cabin with dress up clothes, etc.

Crew's Birthday Party

Crew's birthday was on a Sunday this year so on his actual birthday we didn't do much. I made him pancakes for breakfast and we put a candle in it and sang to him.  Then on Mon. for FHE we had a party for him with my parents and all our cousins and aunts and uncles that live around here.

(When I put the candles in the pancakes they didn't stand up too well, so then I stuck them in a banana and that worked much better--lol!)

Crew is really into trucks and motorcycles lately so I thought I would have the party based around that theme.  You can't laugh at my very FIRST attempt at making a somewhat "creative" cake!  (Usually I just make cupcakes and now I know why--it's MUCH easier to do that...)

Diggin' in--Yum!

Mmmm...love that doughnut "tire"

Check out his grumpy face.  He did not want ANY help opening his presents!

This is the little motorcycle I gave him. (It looks just like Caleb's and even makes noise.)  After he opened it he pretty much didn't care about  opening anything else.

Crew with his two favorite cousins--Davis and Isaac
(they are all within 6 months of each other)

I was bummed that Caleb had to miss it all, but oh well.  Maybe next year...
 We love you, Crewser man!!

Our Little Crew is 2!!

Is it true?  Can he really be two?!!

It seems like just the other day he was born...

We love you so much, Crew!  Happy Birthday little man!

First Dance Recital

This past Tues. was Caysja's very FIRST dance recital ever.  It was so darling!  She did great and I was so proud of her! ( I have a video of it, but it's not letting me put it on here at the moment so I'll have to get Caleb to help me with that when he comes home in a week...)

Anyway, the theme was "Winter Wonderland".  Caysja's class did three dances with costume changes each time but this is the only costume I got a picture of, unfortunately.  (The costumes are rented, so I didn't get to take her picture in them when we got home either.)  Caysja's teacher's mother made each costume and she did a fantastic job.  I was really impressed with Caysja's teacher, Miss Kortney.  To get three and four year olds to learn ONE dance is amazing let alone THREE dances!  And they really knew them quite well!  I think Caysja may actually have a little bit of natural talent.  She really followed her teacher well and was right on the beat most of the time--plus, she told me she had so much fun!

My little dancer all dressed up and ready to "Rock around the Christmas tree"

Caysja, her cousin Mariah, and friend McKell before they went on stage

This is her whole class minus one girl

With her teacher, Kortney Calder

The girls also had the opportunity to perform (as a sort-of dress performance) for a retirement center in Idaho Falls, the Bon Adventure.  

Hugs!  

Caysja loves her cousin, Mariah, and she's so lucky to get to take dance with her this year.

Silly girls - Who knows what they were doing here!?  Pretending to be Santa Claus?

We had to take this picture because they have matching coats--and it wasn't planned that way either!

Giving Thanks 2010

Our biggest blessing this year was that Caleb made it home SAFELY from his rotation in Tacoma Washington on Thanksgiving day (about 2 am).  The roads were pretty bad in some places so we were so very thankful that he was okay!  Caysja and I colored a a big sign to surprise him.  He was so excited to see the kids after being gone for nearly a month, that he woke them up at 2 am to give them hugs and kisses.  They were SOOO happy to see him!  (And luckily for us, they did go back to sleep okay, thank heavens!)

We celebrated Thanksgiving at my parent's house.  My sister Chalise and her husband Steve came from Salt Lake.  Caysja said, "daddy, I'm so excited that you're here because today we're going to have 'roast beast' for dinner!"  (I couldn't figure out where she'd gotten that one until I remembered that she'd been watching "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and that's what they eat for dinner--she must have thought it was the same thing as turkey- ha ha!)

Chalise and me--she's growing her hair out.  

Could we pass for twins?

Silly girls!

Making pie with Grandma

Priesie and me
I had to take a picture of our matching hats (well...mine is actually a headband but close enough, eh?)

Crew was in heaven with Caleb around.  He always wanted to be where daddy was, doing whatever daddy was doing.

Caysja made these cute pilgrim/Indian costumes in Preschool
(do you like her pose?  It seems to be her favorite one lately...)

The day after Thanksgiving we got out Caleb's parent's Christmas tree and decor from their garage.  Then Caleb put the kids up in the shelves just for fun.  They loved it!  A secret hideout just their size!

We had a whole week with Caleb home and it was wonderful.  We went sledding, played in the snow, built forts, went to a movie, out to eat, to the temple, Christmas shopping, a family progressive dinner with Caleb's brothers, etc.  Today he left for his December rotation in Jacksonville, Florida.  We'll miss him but he'll be home for Christmas.  And guess what?  The end of November marks the half way point of this loooooong year of him being away from us!!  Woohoo--only 6 months to go til graduation in JUNE!

 Being apart these past 6 months has been pretty hard, I'm not going to lie.  But at the same time, I have a greater appreciation for Caleb and everything he does for me.  Heaven sakes, he's doing these away rotations this year for US--to be able to provide for us one day and I know it isn't easy on him either.  He is a wonderful husband and father and I can't wait til we are a whole complete family again.  

I LOVE YOU, Honey!