2015-Year in Review

What a year, what a year! 2015 started and I remember telling Peter this was our year. I said I wanted a new job this year. Well, I was right on one account, but so much else happened as well! New house, new cars, new school, new job! Wow!

I did get a new job and am now an assistant principal in the Parkway School District at Hanna Woods Elementary. I love my new job and feel that this is what I am supposed to be doing. My new principal is great and we work really well together too! The staff is good to and I am getting to know some people as well. I miss my Affton girls terribly and know I will never have those same types of friendships again because I am a boss now, but it was time to move on. And the way it all happened was surreal as we were on vacation and I was totally not expecting to interview by skype from our condo! So crazy.

We did move though. If you would have told me this time last year that we would be moving in 2015 I would have told you that you were absolutely crazy! I thought Katie was crazy for putting her house on the market and then we did and what do you know it sold in the first two days! I love our new house and for as nervous as I was to move our family and start again in a new neighborhood and school. I have been so pleasantly surprised. We have some really nice people that live in our new neighborhood and I hope to continue to get to know them as the year continues to go. And I LOVE Nora's new school. Her teacher is amazing and she has grown so much! She is making friends and is happy.

Nora is still involved in Irish dance at the Clark Academy and we still continue to push her to do this. She doesn't care for it as much, but she still does it. She recently started volleyball through a clinic and loves it. She is also part of a brownie troop through school too. I am hoping she makes some more friends through that as well! School is not really her thing and she has to try really hard at it, but is doing well. She is still a mommy's girl and prefers me over her dad. She is starting to become a little more outgoing, but doesn't like any attention on her what so ever. I cannot believe she is going to be 8! She is such a kind girl and so nice to her cousins, her sister on the other hand is a different story. Nora is for sure a rule follower like her dad. She warms my heart!

Stella is involved with Irish dance as well and started last year. She is a good little dancer! She is going to participate in her first feis this year. She is in her second year of preschool and doing well. It amazes me how opposite my girls are. Stella is an outgoing kid and loves attention! She cracks me up with her antics and silly personality! She can make anyone laugh. Stella is a mommy's girl too, but also does like attention from her daddy too! Stella is so inquisitive as well!

The Reid family has had a great year! Can't wait to see what 2016 has in store for us! Graduation, first communion, 10 year anniversary! It is going to be good!

Winter break fun

We are having a great break so far. I. Got to start my break by having dinner with Valerie, which was so nice. We were able to sit and catch up.

Peter and I. Got to go on a date and check out a brewery for my grad party. And then visited another one and saw my dad!

Today we headed to Valerie's moms house so we could see the girls and let them play. I got to see her brother, Andy and meet his little guy! He is a doll! Only the big girls would take a pic for me. So fun! Can't wait for the rest of the week!

Christmas Day

Wow! Santa was good to us. He brings the girls something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read and then they get something from us. I just feel they get so much from everyone else and it's not all about the gifts and hopefully they will get it someday! They got zoomer kitties from us and love them. They are pretty cool. We then went to Katie and zachs and opened more presents and then played rob your neighbor and played other games. Nora cried because she didn't get enough toys. And Daphne wanted Stella's skates and Stella had fun playing with Daphne's microphone! She is not shy! We had a great day and are so incredibly blessed.

Christmas Eve

We hosted Christmas Eve with the Bromeier family this year. I can't even begin to tell you how nice it is to be able to host 20 people and still be comfortable in our house! Anyway...Peter did a great job on the meat. He made the Reid sides traditional polish sausage and sauerkraut and also smoked a pork butt, which was delicious. We played bingo and rob your neighbor and laughed. The girls got rollerskates and they love them. They have been practicing in the house. They are getting better and better. We put out our reindeer food, cookies and said goodbye to Merida (our elf).

First Family Vacation

We took our first family vacation this year. We went to Peter's families condo in Harbor Island, South Carolina. It was great. It was the girls'first time seeing the ocean and it was the best feeling being able to give them that opportunity. I kept telling Peter I felt like crying when they first saw it and ran in the ocean. Harbor Island was a little different because there is a drastic tide change daily. I didn't figure out the schedule until like our second to last day there. We played on the beach and in the pool. We also went to Savannah, GA to visit my cousin, Maggie and stay with her for a night. While we were there went to a nature preserve and saw some animals, fed alligators, went to a famous ice cream shop, saw her wedding dress, and had fun catching up. We were also able to meet up with Peter's cousin, Stacey too! We had dinner with her family at a local restaurant. We visited downtown Beaufort and did a little shopping and had really yummy ice cream. Now any time Stella see's an airport she wants to get on a plane. Peter thinks she thinks that every plane goes to the beach! The craziest thing about vacation was that I actually interviewed on vacation, but that is in a different post! We had such a great time and I cannot wait to take my girls back to a beach!

Fourth of July

The Kurt Bromeier family hosted the fourth of July this year. And as always we had the annual washer tournament. It got pretty intense as the rounds went on. I was paired with Gary and we did pretty well considering we lost the first game. Zach and Katie got partnered together and they just knew they were going to win it all and Zach was finally going to get his name on the trophy. Peter and Kurt were partnered up. And it came down to the Wilson's vs. Bromeier/Reid. AND....Peter's team won! You would have thought that the Wilson's lost a million dollars that day by how upset Katie got. I thought it was pretty great that Peter's name is on the trophy before Zach's. It was a great day as usual. Stella loved the fireworks and Nora was her normal not so sure self. I love our fourth of July celebration. 

Majestic Mountain Adventure

Way back in June we went on a road trip to Colorado. We were going to head east and we had to change plans and so we went west instead. So on a Wednesday morning we loaded up and headed out with my mom, Jalen, Nora and Stella! What a trip it was. My mom and I shared driving responsibilities and believe it or not we ran out of gas!!! Oh boy was mom mad at me for pushing her to go further. We were doing so good and the kids were being so good and I said we could make it and we didn't. I totally thought she was joking when the car started to die and man did it die! Thank goodness that mom has AAA! We were a little over a mile from the closest gas station too! It was a 45 min. of sweat added to our trip, but we got through it! We learned a lot about each other as well during that time.

We made it to Uncle Pat and Aunt Mary's around 7:30ish that evening and Uncle Pat had dinner all ready for us! We had such a great time. We went to Hammonds Candy Factory the next day and had the chance to taste some sweets. The next day we headed to Colorado Springs for a tour of Garden of the Gods and a trip up Pikes Peak with Matt! Nora even pet a chipmunk :) We went for a walk in downtown Manitou Springs and had dinner with Matt before heading back to Denver. The next day in Denver Molly met up with us and we took the girls and Jalen to a water park for the day and then came back to enjoy dinner one last evening.

Overall it was a great trip and a lot of fun. One we will not soon forget! So glad that the kiddos are all good travelers and we can make trips like this. I hope to do this at least once a summer so we can visit family and they can see everyone!

I will post again!

Wow! Time really gets away from you in the blogging world when you are busy! Have no fear, I will blog again!

Grandpa

I am so blessed to have such a great family! As many of you know I am working on my doctorate and am less than a year away from being done! Woohoo! But from now until Christmas time it is going to be crazy. I asked Grandpa to come in town to help out so I could get some of my internship hours done. He stayed with us for 15 days. I have to admit I wasn't sure how it was going to be, but I was sad to see Grandpa go today. He was such a huge help! He was the chicago chauffeur! He helped get the girls to swim lessons, camp, lunch, play dates and more. I was able to get 37 hours done and that is huge! 1/3 of the way done.
While he was here he was able to experience some St. Louis things too! Baileys Range, Bogarts, River City Casino, three golf courses, Joey B's and Ted Drewes! Not too shabby. Not very long after he left today Stella said she already missed him. And I have to say the same. Thanks Grandpa! We love you.

More Camping Fun!

So about once a month we get together with a group of friends for dinner. There are six families and nine kiddos in all. Last weekend instead of dinner at someone's house we decided to go camp for the night out at our friends farm. It was great because it wasn't too far and there is a pond the kiddos can fish on and the sprinkler was set up. The only disappointing part was that it rained! And really rained! And our tent leaked! Luckily they have a house there and the girls and I were able to sleep inside and everything turned out okay! Hopefully the next time we go back it won't rain so much!

Family Time

Tim and Candace came into town a few weekends ago and we had a great time with them. The girls play together so well and have so much fun when they are together. We went to the Magic House and the Zoo while they were here. It was our kickoff to summer, even though it was a little cold. Here are some pics from our adventures!