First Birthday!!!

This time last year, we had just brought home our newborn baby and were adjusting to life as a family of three. A year later, it's hard to imagine our lives without Luke in it.

A lot of people have asked recently if the year went by quickly. I'm not sure I'd say that. It was a long year, with lots of learning and changes. It was full of so many moments of joy, love and excitement, and we experienced these emotions in a way we've never felt before. But, it also came with challenges and tears. We wouldn't trade a second of the good or the difficult for anything! Luke has changed our lives for the better and we are so grateful that God chose to give us this amazing gift.

We celebrated Luke's first birthday with family and close friends up in Michigan this past weekend. We could not have asked for the day to go any better. Luke had a ball and we were just beaming with pride at how much our baby has grown into a little boy! Here are some photos from the day's events:

Opening gifts...Luke especially liked looking at the cards, which was no surprise to us, since he enjoys books so much!

My new construction hat and vest, from Grandma and Grandpa Caulk, to add to my hat collection!


It's cake time!


What's this all about??


Can I eat this stuff?


I think I like it!


Just a little bit!!


Playing in the paper from all my gifts

With all four grandparents. We haven't taken a picture like this since Luke was only a couple months old!!

Washing all the cake off at the end of the night, in Grandma and Grandpa Pyle's big bathtub!

Luke, we love you so much! We love the way you love music, and how you bounce your little body whenever you hear it. We love the way you name everything "ball", wanting us to tell you how to really say the word. We love the way you try to snap your fingers. We love to watch you get so excited over simple things, like balloons or birds flying outside. We love that you like to hold our hand while you walk, and would choose that over walking alone most any time. We can't get enough of your sweet hugs, or the way you sit so calmly on our laps as we read you your bed time story and Bible verses, and then say a prayer. We love how you interact with people, showing a genuine interest in others and a certain sort of compassion (which sounds crazy for a one year old!). We love that you love to wear hats and sunglasses, and often walk around the house wearing them. We love the way you enthusiastically greet us with "mama" or "dada" every time we come home. You are an amazing little boy and we are so incredibly proud of you! We are full of excitement for all that your second year holds.