Gather 'round

Some people gather 'round the kitchen... dinner table...

We gather 'round the computer.

(Okay, we do still gather 'round the dinner table, too.

But lately not as much as we used to.)

Christmas 2009

Christmas 2009

13-hour drive there, 11-hour drive back.

Baby's first Christmas.

New house, but just as many trees as ever.

Home for the holidays, a truly magical white Christmas.

Yes, I know that there are a lot of pictures here.

No, this is not the time to tell me that "less is more."

Let the Christmas magic linger just a little bit longer.

My 3-year-old birthday boy.

Man, how does time fly!

Adjusting the decorations on the tree just to his liking?

Better.

With his buddy.

And with "his baby."

Grandmom and Pop Pop's magical new house.

Our magical new baby.

Opening his and her Christmas outfits.

Wearing them on Christmas Eve. Thanks, Grandmom!

With cousin Natalia. She and Ariana have the same taste when it comes to color.

There should be some pictures here of me.

Uh-hum, there should be pictures of me.

Santa (pretend Santa, Angel, whatever suits your fancy) arrives.

Just Caleb and the presents Christmas morning.

Puppet theatre. For hours of imaginative play.

First watch - from Pop Pop.

A multitude of other presents from grandparents, aunts, cousins, and friends.

A lucky bunch are we. Thank You, everyone!!

Sharing a cookie with his "If you give a mouse a cookie" mouse. Priceless.

Christmas Dinner.

Ariana watches us. We gave her bananas for the second time in her short lifetime.

The birthday celebration continues.

Chocolatey chocolate cake with chocolate.

As requested by Caleb, delivered by Grandmom.

The magic of an extra pair of candle-blowing lips.

Ariana looks on. Apparently, we have decided to feed her chocolate icing too today.

My exclusively breastfed baby has now had bananas twice, and chocolate once.

It must be Christmas!

It was Christmas.

I know, because there were a couple of days there

when that computer was only turned on by the light of the Christmas tree in order to

reconnect with friends and loved ones

and to wish them a

Merry Christmas!

Autumn fun at the Apple Festival

The tractor hay ride was a big hit

Paying for his pumpkin... I love the look on his face

Caleb entertaining everyone while waiting in line for the hay ride

Great little dancer, he is

Corn maze, here we come!

The apple orchard

Idyllic setting for portrait photography

Pumpkin patch

(this time, a real one)

Caleb and the pumpkin he picked

Ariana and I were also there

We had such fun running through the corn maze

Great day.