Merry Christmas

This year due to my lack of time management skills and my new desire to "save" the planet. we have made our card a digital one. Thus saving on printing, postman time and you just looking at and throwing away! So Wishing you a super duper meryy Christmas. May you continually feel the Lords light in your lives!

Love- TeamCaldwell

Change of Command (finally a new post!!!)

So today was one of those pretty big things in the life of an Army Family.

Today Brian took command of his own company. He is now the commander of 6/1 HHT. He takes command just a few weeks before deployment and is ready to do his best for all the families he and I are now responsible for. It's quite a big undertaking that he is ready for.

As we prepared for this day yesterday I made all the final arrangements for our reception, ie picking up cake, plates, sandwich trays etc. The day started to turn a little ugly, then it started to rain and got even uglier, then snow?! Are you kidding me? Our ceremony is outside at 9:30 am it can't be snowing. Surely its a freak thing and will go away right? I mean we are in El Paso. So I went to bed thinking nothing other than man it's chilly. Only to awake to this view!

SNOW, in EL PASO in OCT!!!!! Super exciting unless you have to sit outside! Oh well we will endure!

The ceremony was very nice. Everyone spoke and it was as short as they could make it for all us poor freezing folk. It was very humbling to see your husband being the one to take the reigns and the responsiblity of being the commander. I am proud to say he is mine!

He's the hunk on the right!

Handing the flag from old commander to new

Taking the lead

Super sweet 1 minute speech!

Going to his men

Telling the COL the meeting is done and handing the troop over to 1SGT

I LOVE this wonderful man.

I will miss him dearly but know he is needed and will do a gret job at this new venture in life.

Thanks for having me along for the ride Love!

Brown boys...are cooler

So on the way home from church today we were listening to Rdio Disney, like ALWAYS! A typical boy group song was on and abbey like to try and figure out which boy it is. She is usually saying, this sounds like jonas brothers or mitchell muso etc. well today was a new boy. so in all her 5 year old wisdom she came to this conclusion....

" well, he can't be a brown boy because they only make cool music. huh mom?!"

She is only 5 and knows her soul music already! Man she makes me laugh with the stuff her ever thinking mind comes up with.

If you are leaving, I am coming WITH you....

So Brian is off to train in CA for hopefully just 6 weeks! While he was packing Abbey decided that she could fit right in those bags and she could go too!!!

It's moments like these that make us realize how great our little family is!

What's that in the day pack?!!!

A- bag (funny that name is perfect for this! A=abbey

1st day of school revision (NOT so lonely after all)

Thought I better write a quick note post first day of school pick up!

Don't feel bad for me, turns out it wasn't so bad.... truthfully it was quite relaxing!!!

Guess I should chill a bit before I freak a bit!!!

Lonely, I'm so lonely... aka- 1st day of school

So it's official...

I am a stay at home by myself mom!

cue sad violin...

School started today. Meaning Kassidy is in the 3rd grade and Abbey is a big all-day Kindergartener! Really meaning... I AM ALONE!!!!

Too many emotions. You "wait for this day" from the time they are born talking about all your freedom, etc. On the other hand, you spend all their lives hanging out and playing. They are your built-in buddies so you are never alone.

So today we left our tiny little girl at her giant table and I went home alone!
Are you feeling sorry for me yet?! ha ha
Lucky for me, I haulted ALL home improvement project just for this time. Knowing I would need something to keep me busy with Brian leaving tomorrow for 1 1/2 months and me with no kids.

So here's to smart kids and a lovely home!

Sassy!

Breakfast of "sausagy rolls" made with LOVE! (dorky...yes)

Her Jonas Brother's bag she HAD to have

Look at those long chicken legs!

Awhhhh

Note the NO make-up just in case of a melt down. I look soooo nice!! :)

Too cute. Brian and I ate up this moment because he will be in Iraq on the last day of school and the first day next year so we enjoyed every little moment!

I love my eternal family!

Our newest neice Olivia Grace

This is super late but she's so cute i had to share.
A couple weeks ago we were able to go to Flagstaff to see our newest neice Olivia be blessed. It was a nice trip to play with scott and danielle's girls. We have never lived close enough to pay visits so it was nice. She is so good. She just sits in her bouncy and watches the world. The girls of course thought we needed a baby too because they are "soooooo cute!" I told them they can have all the babies they want when they get married!

Papa Larry with Charlotte, Abs and Kassidy
Awhhhh

Isn't she just so cute?!!!!

painting endevors part one

Seeing as how we have been in our house for 4months I decided it was time to start painting. Here are 2 rooms that are started. Well, the girls room is all done except for the window treaments _i will post those when I am done (if you blow them up- yes I hit the ceiling and yes i fixed it!!! hard to paint when laying on your back on top of a closet!!!)

Guest room. This brought on new appreciation for my painter friends (jacque and Dave!) this was a tedious job that paid off but ...MAN!!! Window treatments to come soon here too- and lamp shade! ha)

Not exciting I know, but felt I was so lsacking on the posts that I needed to do something. I got some great fabric while in mesa and can't wait to get it all up!!! I have a hard tiome doing all that while the kids sit and do nothing so i can do something, so it will come soon enough!

4th of July (a smidge late! what a lame-o)

Realized my site is quite lame then relized on top of that that it doesn't have the 4th on it!! Stayed home because you can see the fireworks from our house....
EXCEPT......
the cloud coverage that night was too heavy so they waited and waited and waited (you get the idea) to do fireworks, so at 10 we called it a night and went in.
However,
We did do the sparklers, kiddie stuff with grandpa and grandma caldwell. So you can't beat yummy fruit with FAB dip and "friendly" fireworks!

Aprons and ice cream!

At church kassidy goes with the 8-11 year old every other week and learns different things (called activity days for those that know what it is!) Their recent project was to make their own apron all by themselves and then have an ice cream social for the dads. It was very cute. they did a fashion show and then served the men. It was very very very very (get the idea) very hard for me to let her do the entire project herself complet with crooked cutting and sewing. I did let her do it all on her own and it is adorable! She is so proud of herself and we are of her.

YUMMMMMMY

She knows how her dad like it! Super huge

My little sewing gal

Look at those cuties I get to have all to myself!

(Now I have to make Abs one because "it's not fair for Kass to have one and not ME!"

Man Alive...Abbey is 5!!!!

Our little baby turned 5 on Sat! We can no longer say we have a little toddler. we just have BIG girls. She was so excited for this day to come. We headed to Az for the fastes bday visit known to man. Brian got called back early so we had had to leave shortly after the party but it was worth it. We went to the good 'ol Chuck E Cheese! (for all mesan's the one on Alma school is wonderful- the staff was awesome and it was so not crowded)

Just woke up a 5 year old!


Bring on the party

4 wheelin' and a little nervous

Airhockey with old school pal Garrett

Yeah me!

Marin likes cake!!!

Abbey is into dresses only again.. thanks Linsey

Mom let me have the forbidden playdoh!

So true so true!!!!

It took some bribbing but we finally got her to stand there long enough to pretend she liked him!

Trapped by aliens

Home and wishing we would have gotten at least 1 present!!!

Oh my gosh! She made a haul. thanks to all that came and gave so generously. she has more than we know what to do with. In fact it filled an entire 3 drawer plastic bin!!! She had the best day. She told me when we unloaded the car...

"mom. I'm RICH!"