Risky Business baby

I took this photo of Eli at Michael and Di's (his grandparents) 30th anniversary party this past Saturday. It was a great celebration, and I really don't think that they had a clue we were throwing a surprise party for them. We ate and laughed and played games, and just generally had a really wonderful time.

Of course, my favorite part of the day was when we were saying goodbye, and Eli came to give me a hug. Completely unprompted, he said "I love you, Carrie," and I just melted. He's simply too cute for words.

My parents are coming down this weekend in order to attend the dedication of my cousin Jim's baby daughter Rebekah at Willow Creek Church. It will be nice to have the family together again (minus Michelle, Linnea, and presumably Erin)--it's so strange not having everyone within a one-hour drive. I suppose that was also true when we were off at college, but everyone made it home for the holidays, so it didn't seem like we were really separated. Having family in Austria and China (albeit temporarily) certainly changes things!