Happy Holidays 2016!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 2016!

Looking back on the past year, we are very grateful to have survived 12 months with Callan and made many wonderful memories in the process (at least, those we can remember in our sleep-deprived haze!).

Callan had a fantastic year filled with getting to meet so many friends and family and traveling around the country (and the world) to see new things. He has grown from a five-pound little squawking ball into 22 pounds of curious toddler, and we’re expecting him to start walking any day! One of his favorite activities is swimming. We started swim lessons as soon as the doctor gave us the OK at four months, and he is now a veteran! He loves being in the water and is very confident going underwater, holding onto the side, and falling into the pool.

In between his busy life at daycare and home, Callan has embraced our travelling spirit and joined us on trips to California, New York, Vermont, and New Mexico. In August, we all went to Germany and Austria for some rest and relaxation outdoors. While the flights were not easy even for us adults, Callan took it all in stride and enjoyed experiencing his first train rides, gondola trips, and long alpine hikes.

Chris continues to work at the startup that he co-founded, Revmetrix, and is enjoying the challenges of growing a new business. Niki was excited to head back to work in March after four months of maternity leave. She continues her work at The Daschle Group advising clients on legislative and regulatory matters related to health care. She feels blessed to work with incredible people and to have such an interesting and challenging job, even if November’s election did throw an unexpected wrench into plans for next year.

Melee has gotten over her initial hesitance toward Callan and the two now coexist in peace. Our beautiful puppy doesn’t get the attention she once did but she has been patient when an eager baby pulls her ears. She is now quite protective of Callan and enjoys helping us with his bedtime routine.

We finally managed to do something with our backyard this year. Previously, it had been a muddy, mosquito-infested void between our backdoor and the garage. Thankfully, we were able to get it finished in time for Callan’s first birthday party. We are looking forward to having more chances to host friends and family and use our barbeque, which had remained dormant for the last four years.

If you are planning to visit DC in 2017, please let us know! While we no longer have a guest bedroom, we love having visitors to the house.

Much love,

Chris, Niki, Callan, and Melee

P.S. If you have an iPhone or iPad, we have a private Apple photostream where we document all of Callan’s adventures (available upon request)!

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