Merry Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve to all of our friends. We just had a wonderful family dinner with our friends the Cohens again, and it was more reflective this time for me. 

Aside from all of the kids having a great time, and the adults laughing and telling stories, it was a chance to reminisce back to our childhood. Our family, along with the Cohens grew up together  playing soccer every Saturday for 16+ years. We had soccer parties, birthday parties, sleepovers, little Indian princesses, you name it. But we were always together. And every Christmas, Heather Cohen would come over to our house and spend Christmas Eve and day with us. 

And now here we are, with kids of our own, starting our own traditions and making new memories. It was very cool watching the next generation tonight playing with balls in the backyard and toys in the house. Exchanging presents and playing with the new gifts. Laughing, crying, screaming, fighting, all the kids creating noise. And Caelen and I get to be a part of it. 

I never dreamed 15 years ago that this is where we'd be. I didn't even dream 15 months ago that this is where we'd be. But I'm so glad to be here now. 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all of our prayer angels, we wish you a good night.

And a Happy Anniversary in Heaven to Grandma Doris and Grandpa Joe. 

Love,

Katye & Caelen

Crazy toddler

We're sitting in Too Jay's restaurant for dinner with Jen, Noah and kids, plus Noah's mom Joanne. We are the youngest table in here, which is good because the 3 kids are yapping and screaming and being "the kids in the restaurant you want to avoid."  My ears are ringing, the hand sanitizer is flowing as Caelen is touching EVERYTHING...and then I stopped freaking out about the noise, germs and bad children in the restaurant behavior because I realized, this is everything I prayed for last year. All of this, the good, the bad, the ill behaved. Every single second of it. Caelen is everything I dreamed and wished for, and he's here next to me, throwing Cheerios and saying  "mommy, mommy, mommy" times infinity. 

And I'm grateful.