My Auburn boys

Although I am a huge UGA fan, I can't help but think the Auburn Tigers look pretty dang cute on Caleb! And since he loves growling like a Tiger this outfit is most appropriate for him :)

Caleb with Santa Claus 2009

OK, so I know it is mid March and I am just now uploading the picture of Caleb and Santa Claus.....where does time go! We couldn't quite get a smile out of Caleb sitting with Santa, BUT he didn't cry so it was altogether successful. I was waiting for Caleb to grab Santa's beard (he was checking it out so intensely), but unfortunately he didn't do that either :)

East Coast Bound

As we prepare to make our journey home to Georgia, I will say I will miss several things about our being in Arizona. The weather and sunsets here are amazing! Today I was able to lay out while Caleb took his nap. The skies were blue as the ocean and the temperature perfect (mid 70s). I know I would not have been able to lay out today if we were in Georgia! The mountains surrounding us are also beautiful to look at each day on our daily walks. The desert has a different kind of beauty that takes a bit of getting used to, but once I did I have really enjoyed it. I will also miss our walks to the nearby park for Caleb to swing, and the ability to walk to the grocery store, library and Target. I will miss our simple days and our adventure out West. However, with all of that being said I am so excited and longing to get back to Atlanta. Being close to family, friends, and our church has definitely been missed. We are so blessed by all three that sometimes it takes being away for a little while to realize just how much all of those things mean to me. The countdown is now on for April to come and our journey back East.

Over and Under

Why is it that all children (especially boys) want to climb under, over and in anything they possibly can? Caleb has discovered so many new fun places to play like under the table, inside the kitchen cabinet, the drawer of the stove, and onto the couch (to name just a few). I have to constantly keep my eyes on him so he doesn't get stuck or fall off of something. I am currently reading a book by Dr. Dobson called Bringing up Boys. This book and the previous book I read on boys by Robert Lewis called Raising a Modern Day Knight have given me some insight on what the next 18+ years are going to look like. I highly recommend both books, but especially Raising a Modern Day Knight (which is geared for Dads). It is very exciting and scary all in one. It looks like we are in for quite the adventure and challenge as we try to raise Caleb up to become a man. Which brings up a great question from one of the books. When does a boy actually become a man? Many people have lots of different answers for this question. Wives, ask your husband this question--when did they consider themselves a man? It makes for an interesting conversation.

10 months old!

Caleb turned 10 months old on March 2nd! I can't believe it is already time to plan his first birthday party! As you can see in the picture above, Caleb's hair is still standing up all over his head. We are enjoying this fun hair so much and are stopped about 20 times a day to talk about it with complete strangers. Caleb has never met a stranger so he loves all the attention when we are stopped. He is also showing off his four teeth in the picture which are being used so much right now to try new foods like meatloaf, mashed potatoes, noodles and anything else he can sink them in. As I mentioned above, Caleb has never met a stranger and will do anything to get someone's attention if they are not looking at him. Currently, he will laugh, say "Hey" or make a noise until he can get them to look at him and talk to him. We have quite the socialite on our hands. Caleb has taught himself how to turn around and get down the stairs properly and off a bed or couch as well. He has also figured out how to stand up in a highchair and stroller if he is not strapped in just right. Caleb can say many new things like bye-bye, gog (which means dog), ba ba (which means bottle), and of course mama, dada, and Hey. Caleb loves animals and currently growls at every animal whether they are alive or in a picture (thanks Pappy)! He is the joy of our lives and brings so much laughter to our family. We are so proud of you Caleb and our hearts swell with pride because of you!

While we were gone......

We just returned back to AZ after being gone for about three weeks to caddy and to visit family and friends. We flew into ATL and then Caleb and I drove to WR for a couple of days to visit my parents and my sister's family. We had a great visit with them before we returned to ATL to fly down to Palm Beach, FL.


As you can see, Caleb enjoyed his time at the beach so much. Daddy even tried to show Caleb how to build a sandcastle....his attention span only lasts so long though and we will have to try that one again another time!

From FL we were able to fly back to ATL and spend a few more nights in ATL & WR before heading back across the country to Newport Beach, CA. We had such a great time in CA visiting with Josh's parents and watching Pappy play golf. While in CA, Grammie, Caleb and I happened to find another carousel in the mall and Caleb had the best time riding it!

Caleb was a trooper flying all over the country...even after several hours of delays in ATL due to snow! That is the second time our flights have been delayed or canceled this winter due to snow in ATL. I know Spring will be welcomed by all once it arrives!

Arizona....Josh says it best

I have recently realized I have been blogging about being in Arizona, but have not really shared how we even got out here in the first place. It is really a neat story that can be contributed to one thing...God. God is the reason we believe we are currently in AZ and we have just said "Yes" along the way. Josh explains it best in his blog www.moxygolf.com or go directly to this link http://moxygolf.com/category/faith/

It has been a fun journey so far and I am just glad to be a part of it. Currently, I am reading a book titled What Happens When Women say Yes to God. It is really a great read for those of you looking for a new book to read. I have been challenged with what it really means to say "Yes" to God. I really do want to be a part of the plan He has for my/our life and I know that there are times when I have said "Yes" to Him and there are probably many more times when I just ignored Him. My desire is to be more aware of His promptings and be prepared to say "Yes" when I feel that He is moving me to do something, say something etc. Part of that I am learning is being still enough to get to know Him better so that I am more in tune with His promptings. Being still has never come easy for me. I really enjoy doing things and visiting with people. Since we do not know many people out here (and we are sharing one car) it has really forced me to be still more. This has been a great challenge and lesson for me. Hopefully, I can remember the values of this in the future when I am back in a place with more distractions & things to do.