DAY 23: CALEB

It feels fitting to have Caleb follow Chris here, because he feels like such a mini-Chris in so many wonderful ways.

One of my very favorite things about Caleb is that, from a young age, he has looked up to the men in his life and decided to follow in their amazing footsteps. I feel like whenever he's heard a story about one of his grandpas, he internalizes it and applies the lessons to his life immediately. Watching him emulate his uncles and talk skateboarding with Zach or watch-making with Ben is seriously the best. He's so willing to listen and learn from his elders (male and female) and that's made him so much more mature than your average 16-year-old boy. Also, I particularly love that last time I visited, we worked on crossword puzzles almost every night (insert multiple heart-eyed emojis here) - that's got Grandpa Bill and mom written all over it; I can only imagine how much they would've loved that, too.

Caleb has such swagger and confidence, he's just so cool. Like, really. I've been telling my friends about how cool my nephew is for years now. Any boy that gets more manly when he wears pink has earned that title, you know? He's super talented and really ambitious with his interests. He was meant to live in the YouTube era; like, all those how-to videos were made for him. I really love watching him try new things and hearing about all the latest skills and projects he's worked on since the last time I saw him. He is the current Renaissance Man of the family, if you will.

But beyond his many physical talents and skills, I just really like watching him love others. He takes after his mom and is so quick to serve someone in need, giving his all to help without complaint. He and Max have a great brotherly relationship with each other as the only boys, and I see a particularly unique relationship with each of his sisters, which can be hard to get in a large family. But watching him with Chloe is exceptionally heartwarming to me because I see how much she looks up to him and how much they bond in their activities - like doing push-ups together! I just think the world of Caleb because I know that one of his ways of emulating his elders is by being worthy of emulation by his juniors, as well. He's a great influence on his siblings and I love watching him become a man equal to his dad, his uncles, his grandfathers, and his great-grandfathers.

xoxo, CCB!!