Caleb's 12th Birthday (in Three Acts)

For some reason, 12 years old feels so much older than 11.  An 11-year old still fits into the "young kid" category in my mind.  A 12-year old, in contrast, fits into the "goodness gracious he's only one year away from being a teenager!" category which feels like a whole new ballgame and brings a lot of thoughts and emotions with it.

Back in May, Caleb turned 12 and changed categories in my mind.  This kid is not even remotely a little kid anymore!

ACT I 

It began the week before his actual birthday with a small gathering for cake and presents in Michigan.  Caleb requested an Ice Age cake - "not like the movie, just like the time in history" - so this is what I concocted.  He was fairly pleased with the cake which pleased me immensely.

Our bookworm acquired several new books, some of which made him literally squeal or shout with delight.  My personal favorite gift was a sasquatch-shaped multi-tool!

The evening ended with a boat ride around the lake, with the Birthday Boy behind the wheel.  It was a lovely finish to the first half of the celebrations.

ACT II

We celebrated Caleb's actual birthday while in California visiting with Eli's aunts and uncles.  They were gracious enough to spend the entire day driving out to Yosemite National Park and enjoying the sights in honor of our kid.  Caleb loves national parks and especially loves hiking, so it was completely magical to do a bit of hiking at Yosemite for his birthday.

Caleb was so excited when we stopped to view Yosemite Falls that he literally ran and jumped in my arms as soon as he got out of the car!  (Can you see him running toward me in the photo below?)  His joy was infectious!  Honestly, that day at Yosemite was the highlight of his entire year.

Although we didn't have time to go anywhere beyond the valley floor, there's a reason Yosemite Valley is so popular.  In addition to Yosemite Falls, views of Half Dome, Bridalveil Fall, and El Capitan are all there.

We packed lunches and, instead of birthday cake, Aunt Laurie packed Swill Rolls which are Caleb's current favorite treat. This kid was well-spoiled on his special day!

We had brought one more present for him to open on his actual birthday - this T-shirt which has a fabulous John Muir quote on the back: "Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt."  It felt particularly appropriate on this day.

We were so thankful for Eli's aunts and uncles who hosted us and were happy to drive six hours round-trip just to take us to Yosemite for Caleb's birthday.  Our son doesn't like much attention and doesn't like engaging in much social activity, but they accepted and respected that. They were happy to accommodate our kid so he could have a grand birthday, and he truly did.  He was so very happy, which made us so very happy too, and we're deeply grateful for the part Eli's aunts and uncles played in making that happen.

ACT III

The last special thing about this birthday was the letter we shared with Caleb, which I had written to him when he was a baby explaining why we chose his name.  I'd never told him about the letter before, but had decided that the milestone of turning 12 felt like a good time to share it with him.

Caleb's first name means "wholehearted" and Caleb's namesake in Scripture was known to be a wholehearted follower of God with a noticeably different spirit about him (Numbers 14:24).

We are so thankful that our Caleb also loves the Lord and is committed to following Him.  We will never stop praying that our son will love the Lord wholeheartedly and choose to follow Him all the days of his life.

The Lord has blessed us with a passionate, bright, God-fearing son.  As we walk alongside him as he navigates this life, our greatest hope is that he'll always know how loved, cherished, and chosen he is.  His birthday at Yosemite was an outpouring of confirmation that he knows that to be true.