Christmas for Caleb started early this year, with early gift exchanges with Auntie Sarah and Uncle Mark before they left on their big trip to the Phillipines. Caleb has definitely been having cousin withdrawal... every time he sees a picture of one of them he goes nuts.
Caleb and I met Aunt Amanda, Uncle Spencer, and Cousin Will in Ames to do a trade-off with Grandma Cindy before Christmas. It's always fun to see Will and watch the two of them interact. It's too bad we aren't closer, but they really do love playing together. Caleb did great on his 4-day adventure with Grandma and Grandpa, although he was really excited to see us when we picked him up. Skype and Apple's Facetime are both great for visiting with family when visiting isn't an option. We're so thankful for the technology advances that make the world a little smaller.
We spent the Christmas holiday up in the Quad Cities with Eric's family, which was great! It was so wonderful to see Great-Grandma Sally and the rest of the family. Grant made it back from Japan and we enjoyed seeing him. It was a restful visit - which isn't always the case with a lot of people under one roof (as I'm sure you all know) - and for that we were thankful!
It's fun looking back at pictures from the last year and to see how much Caleb has changed. From 5 months old to 17 months old, he seems like a completely different little boy. And to think that this time next year Caleb will not only be 2 1/2, but will also be a big brother! It's hard to think of Caleb as the big anything, but we have no doubt that he will enjoy the role of oldest child and seasoned veteran.
Family Photo Shoot Pictures:
Here's some more pictures from this fall. Enjoy!
We hope your holidays continue to be enjoyable and that you all here in the midwest continue to enjoy this ridiculously mild weather!
All our love,
Stephanie, Eric, and Caleb
