Happy New Year/Let's Catch Up On All The Things

I've been incredibly delinquent here, I know. I become aware that I need to write when blog posts begin in my head while I'm driving, in the shower, taking a walk. Then it's a matter of actually sitting and writing. Actually, that's not the hard part. The hard part is making sure I have some new cute pictures! Seriously. That's my hang up with writing. This blog is not really about food anymore, it's about life, and I feel that if anybody reads it's because they'd like an update on our life and really, they just want to see some cute pictures of Caleb. I don't blame them. I'll try harder, I promise. Sometimes though, I might just write without pictures. My dear friend in Virginia does that and I love reading her posts just as much. So I'm reminding myself of that now.

We had a wonderful Christmas, a really wonderful Christmas. This was the first Christmas day I've spent with in-laws and frankly, it was magical. I was slightly worried ahead of time: at 29 years old, this was going to be the first Christmas I spent without my parents. Would it feel like Christmas? Would I miss them and the snow and our traditions terribly? The answers came easy. Yes, it felt like Christmas. Yes, I missed them (a little) and I did miss the snow but it was Christmas. It was full of the people that I fell in love with (yes, I fell in love with all of you, not just your son/brother/cousin/nephew/grandchild) three years ago. These people played with my son, let us sleep in, let me leave early to accommodate naps, babysat so I could go shopping with my sister-in-law (my partner in crime in that family) showered us with gifts and generally made it one of the most wonderful holidays I've ever had. I was rested (taking the baby monitor made all the difference in the world!) and relaxed. My son was so taken with his extended family that he didn't ever noticed the lit up Christmas tree covered in tinsel. We were all happy and at peace, and Caleb slept like a rock at every nap and night from all the playing!

We came home from North Carolina on a mission to close on our house before the end of the year! At 1pm on December 31st we started signing our closing papers. I haven't mentioned the house on here, but this has been in the works since before Thanksgiving. We are so excited. The house is perfect for us, not too big, not too small, a large yard with a garden, garage for Brian's shop, etc. We move next weekend (more family! Caleb's first birthday!) and cannot wait.

Caleb turns 1 in a week and that deserves a post (with pictures!) all it's own. Suffice to say, the time has gone WAY too fast, but I can't say I'm especially sad. Caleb gets more fun to be around every day. He has become this 24 lb walking mass of happiness and love. I'm biased, but I'm not exaggerating. Yes, we've got moments with glimpses of the tantrums ahead, but in general he is a happy, loving kid. His new thing is hugs. For the people he knows well, his family, teachers and us, he walks from person to person giving hugs and kisses. In the ten minutes it took me to get him out the door at school the other day, I watched him give out 4 hugs- 2 to me, 1 to each of the caretakers. Who gives 4 hugs in 10 minutes? Wouldn't be amazing if adults did that?? Now when Brian and I do the welcome home hug & kiss, Caleb runs over to us, hugging our legs, like "let's make this a family hug, guys!" He has brought so much joy in our lives in the past year, it's a million times better than we ever imagined.

I'll stop here, we've got a busy weekend of us prepping for the move. We are not exactly fully packed...