The Three of Us.

Welcome, 2011.

And while a great big happy new years/2010 wrap-up post is brewing, we're a few days behind....

Oh, what a Christmas we had. Little man let us all sleep in until about 7:30 am and, after a new pair of Christmas morning jammies, to the family room we headed. Philip asked if I could take pictures of Jacob coming down the stairs since that is the tradition they had when they were little tots. And, as if I needed an excuse to pull out my camera, a tradition we did follow....



Over there, Little One. Under the tree.



Cue in some holiday tunes and we were good to go.



My great-grandma Rose used to open presents so delicately to ensure that she didn't rip any of the paper in the event that she wanted to save it....So proud my little one has inherited this trait.





After each present, Jacob would give a great big "wooooooowwwww!" as if each purchase (or as seen here, a $4.99 Berenstain Bears book) was the most fantastic gift he has ever received.



Until he opened this one... a brand new pack of Gap big boy undies and he gave it back to me, politely saying "nooooo."





A very special present from Daddy.... his very first baseball glove.



And a very big first catch.



And because Philip and I promised each other we would not do gifts for each other (and we each almost followed the rules), my husband gave me this...



And in twenty-three minutes, our family room looked like a train wreck and momma went to work preparing one fantastic Christmas breakfast.



We headed off to a church service with Phil's parents where Jacob and I spent much of the service not quite seated in our seats. Maybe it was the Cinnamon rolls or the extra hour of sleep, but little man wanted to be out and about. After spending some time looking out the windows and taking thirty-one "just one more" sips from the drinking fountain, Jacob decided he was ready to go back in to the service. While first calmly walking in front of me, he took off for the small basin of holy water. And as visions of my child diving head first into this water in front of a room full of people thinking I was being "that mom" with no control of her child came over me, I grabbed the little booger and was done playing that game.

And then... we headed to my parent's house. I love, love the fact that our entire family lives within twenty minutes of each other. I love that we can bounce between both of our parent's home in one day, in one hour, and soak up all the family time we want. And oh, do I love family time. It's not a lie that if my husband would agree to it, I think I'd move back home. Just pack up the whole family and set up shop in the lower level. We are the result of the environment that we come from and I know that this is the reason that our little one is such an amazing individual.... he has hands-down the most remarkable sets of grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins around him.

Didn't you know it takes a whole village to raise a little one?



And off we went sledding.... in freezing cold weather with my own momma yelling at us every minute that we should come in because it was too cold for little ones.



Jacob's first trip up the mountain.... or the small hill.



And yes, that would be my husband sending him down face first during his first experience sledding.







Sledding is the perfect test to determine whether or not you still have the "kid in you."



Exhibit A: No child in sight.... no, that would be dad and husband racing head first down the hill.









It was a good day, this twenty-fifth day of December.



A day where you can forget about work and checking your email and keeping things tidy.



A day to try new things, dive in, and enjoy every single moment of it.



A day for families, for uncles.



For mommas.



And for looking at that one person and realizing they were everything you ever wanted.



Oh, it was a day to enjoy all the kid-things in life.



It was really quite magical.



And when the fun was over, when we were finished sledding and making snow angels.....



when we had rosy cheeks and cold little noses.....



when Yaya demanded we come in and treated the little one to pre-warmed towels and hot chocolate....



we headed home and enjoyed just being the three of us.