And we're back!

It's been a long time since we've updated our blog, and I started to feel bad about that. So, to make up for our lack of attention to the blog, I decided to make you all a nice little video to soften your hearts a bit. :)

Life has been good for the Hampton Version 5.o's lately. We're into the full swing of 2009 and are looking at an exciting year ahead. As always, we would love your prayers, and know that you all are prayed for too!

Enjoy the video. Caleb is getting so big!

Love you all,
JJC

Merry Christmas!

Well, it's the day after Christmas and all through our house there are toys everywhere and we are pet-sitting a mouse. Actually, it is a rat.

We had a great Christmas with Family. We went to Christmas Eve lunch with my parents at "Famous Daves." The food was delicious. Then we headed to the College Church Christmas Eve service. See, here's the thing, I totally understand why they don't have childcare for this service...I mean really...who wants to watch kids on Christmas Eve. This left us with our less than calm 18 month old in the service with us. Awesome! We decided to keep a low profile and sit in the balcony. That lasted about 2 minutes. Caleb saw this as a great opportunity to throw Johnny's cell phone...luckily , it didn't quite make it to the edge of the balcony, but it did make quite a noise and a scene. Sorry, to everyone who was in the balcony that night...hopefully we did not ruin your worship. If we did, next year you should volunteer to do childcare. :) jk. After the service we went home and put Caleb to bed and watched Horton Hears a Who. Cute movie.

We woke up to lots of fresh snow on Christmas morning, it was beautiful to look at! Not so much to drive in...thank you Lord for our jeep.

Caleb slept in on Christmas morning until 8am! I told Johnny this is the last time for 15 years we will be able to sleep in on Christmas, we better enjoy it! We did our family stockings and presents. I didn't realize how much we had gotten for Caleb until he started opening it all...sheesh! He got a new tricycle thank you to Grandma and Boppa Hampton! Then we headed over to Boise to be with the Deakins family. After all, it is an even year. We had a wonderful day! Grandma and Papa spoiled Caleb with a 4-wheeler riding toy and a basketball hoop! He loves both of them! He also got a remote control car from Ava and lots of fun little stocking gifts. We spent the day eating, playing games and playing Guitar hero...which Jana rocks at! We topped the night off by watching Mama Mia! PS I always thought the "Dancing Queen" song had a line in it that said "unless you are a Nazarene". I was proven wrong last night. Whatever.

Caleb is getting to be such a fun little boy...he has ENDLESS energy and is full of wonderment over the littlest things. His new word is "snow". He and Johnny had a great time playing in the snow last week. We feel so blessed to have Caleb in our lives.

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! To all our Family who we couldn't be with, we love and missed you all!

Um, I don't think Johnny is going to ever let me update the blog again, apparently I am long-winded. Enjoy all of these pictures!

Love ya,
JJC

He LOVES bananas.

Can't you tell?

Caleb's 5 favorite things: "Mi" (Binki), Geoffry (the giraffe), "Ma" (Milk), "Nack" (Snack cup), and "nana" (Banana).

Chubby Bunnies with mini-pancakes.

"Booh, booh, booh..." All day long.

Fun in the snow!

He loves the santa hats.

Christmas morning at home - first "stocking" experience.

And wouldn't you know it - all we needed to do was buy him oranges for Christmas and he would have been perfectly content.

Notice the fist full of oranges in Caleb's right hand.

Thank you very much Grandma and Boppa Hampton!

What a deal - two stockings in one day!!

Thank you very much Grandma and Papa Deakins!

A vallient attempt at taking a "cousins" picture. By the looks of Caleb's body language, he is saying, "I gotta get out of here!"

8 Years, 17 months, and 3 days till Thanksgiving!

Whew, the last month has been full of "stuff."  We went to Pittsburgh for 5 days leaving Caleb with to be well taken care of by amazing familia.  It was a long time to be away from our little man, but we had a great time and we know Caleb had a great time as well.  Then, we had a normal weekend followed by two weekends where Johnny was gone leading an event for NNU and his annual fall retreat for the youth ministry.  So, needless to say, it is nice to be on this side of that "stuff" and we are really looking forward to a mellow week and a long weekend eating more food than we should.  Mmmm...mm.  Can't wait.

Our family is doing well.  Tomorrow marks 8 years for us!  It is hard to believe that 8 years ago we said, "I do."  It is crazy how fast time goes by.  It has been a beautiful 8 years.

Then, on Thursday we are going over to some family's house to feast for Thanksgiving.  Coincidentally, Thursday is also when Caleb will be 17 months old.  You know what this means don't you?  Only 7 more months until we can stop counting months!!!!  Seriously though, as each day goes by we become more and more thankful for an amazing son.  He is so fun, so funny, and just continues to amaze us.  I know, I know, we're biased, but that's okay, every parent has that right don't they?  He is just one smart little dude.  He picks up on things so fast.  His vocabulary expands daily now and it is so fun to watch him and help him connect things cognitively and physically.  He keeps us on our toes.  I'd be lying if I said he was the best behaved little boy out there.  He's a handful.  He's super active, into everything, and wants to know what's going on when it's going on where it's going on and why it's going on.  People tell me that's just "boy-ness."  His new words are "apple" (appie), "please" (me - with his hand on his chest), "cow" (cow), "socks" (ocks) and his best new "trick" is that he closes his lips really tight, blows through them making a buzzing noise with his lips, lifts his arm in the air and then drops it.  What is he doing?  He's making the sound an elephant makes!  It's pretty cool.

So, lots of fun these days in our home.  We hope that your home and life is filled with lots of fun and love especially this week!  Thanks for checking in on us and we'll try and do better about updating our blog more often.

Peace,

JJC

Caleb LOVES sour cream.

We went to the pumpkin patch with some friends this year (Davis' represent!).  Caleb had fun!

It got really quiet.  Then, this is what we find - Caleb just hanging out in a drawer.

Mmmm...that looks so good daddy, I just want to eat it now!

Mamma's big helper.

For some reason, he thinks closing himself in the fridge is cool.  (Pun intended.)

Happy Saturday!

Thanks for checking in on us. We had Caleb's 15 month check up on Monday. He got shots. Enough said, right? I definitely would NOT want that job, but it is an important one. Caleb is still growing well. He is 25lbs. 10 oz., 33 1/4 inches tall, and has a 19 3/8 inch noggin. That puts him in the 66th, >95th, and 94th percentiles respectively. So, tall, skinny, and still top heavy. :) As always, we're thankful for a healthy child.

Today we've got a lot going on. Joye's got a baby shower and a "Scentsy" party to go to (separate events just in case you were wondering how that worked), and Johnny's going to play football sometime in between. This evening we're going to the Cheesecake Factory to help a friend celebrate her birthday - I know, sometimes you have to suffer to go out of your way for a friend. :)

Here are some pictures for you. We hope you're all doing well!
Love ya,
JJC

Mmmmm...toast.

"Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi..."

Apparently Lemons are the best thing since sliced bread.

Hey daddy, I have an idea. Why don't I put a basket on my head and walk around bumping into things? Why? Because it's hilarious!

It's been a while...

Yeah! We are finally updating our blog! I know, I know, it is long overdue, but here it is and here are some pictures and a video for you to enjoy. We hope that you are all doing well and are ready for fall, because believe it or not, here we are. :)

Today, Caleb turned 15 months old. Everyday is exciting with new challenges and brand new experiences in the Hampton house. Caleb is a little sponge absorbing everything that goes on. He doesn't seem to miss anything, nor does he want to. The middle of the action is exactly where he wants to be all the time. He is very active and is very fast! He lowers his head and it seems like gravity pulls him forward as he tries to keep up with his head. :) We have recently started using the baby gate less on the stairs. He pretty well manages himself up and down the stairs now with really no concern for him falling. Of course we watch him, but he understands "falling" and knows he needs to be careful.

His vocabulary is expanding and he's even got a little sign-language down! It is becoming clear that he really does understand quite a bit of what we say to him.

Mostly, Caleb is just plain fun. He has so much energy, but he loves to laugh and play. He likes to wrestle around and he'll come up behind us and tickle us looking for a response. He has such a fun spirit about him and he really lights up our lives every day.

Joye and I are doing well too! Life is full as usual, but Joye is still enjoying her job (of course it's still a job though) and the student ministry is always exciting.

Well, we hope you enjoy these pictures and this video. I'll try to give an update sooner next time! We love you all and hope to hear from each of you soon.

Love ya,
JJC

Wii got a new toy. :)

Joye's cousin Sally got married on Monday - that is why we're so pretty.

One toy is not good enough. Sitting on all the toys is better.

He LOVES brushing his teeth (all three of them)!

Yum, yum.

As long as no skill or style is required, this will have to do for now.

Hangin' with the homies. That is Alexander (Joe & Bekah Chapman's new baby)
& Miles (Jeremy & Melissa Mueller)

He loves to be "side" (Outside).