this is me.

:: Christmas 2010 ::

Jody (pre-coffee) & our Santa Baby. Blissfully, family day started with mimosas in Fort Langley. Maybe mimosas should be included as part of all future family days. Is that wrong?! We wandered through toy stores stocked with vintage finds, buying a steel spinning top for our wee man, and boutiques filled with everything quaint and unusual and entertaining. We squeezed together tightly underneath the umbrella, laughing at our happy baby, who, in his red jacket and grey skinny jeans, made everyone smile. A baby who squealed with delight at the strangers' attention and stared fascinated at the Christmas lights, bright even during the day. We laughed and loved our life, excitement spilling over our first Christmas as a family of three. Jody and I dreamed of more traditions we hoped to have as a family, memories to make and special moments to build - traditions to give our children security and faith in our family and in our love.

We stopped in to visit our uncle Noah, who fed us the best pizza in town, between his shifts as a 'dough boy' and an OG server. He entertained us with tales of girls and customers and his high school buddies. We told him to stop corrupting our baby.

Then off to my favorite part of Christmas - the Christmas Eve service. We are joined by my mom and her husband. As a group, we sang traditional carols loudly, watched the excited children flood the stage for a Christmas story, drank hot apple cider and watched snow - yes, snow! - fall from the church ceiling. We bump into good friends and are able to share brief moments of Christmas wishes and embraces. The joy and anticipation for the season is everywhere.

Off to my in-laws for the Christmas Eve celebrations. Too much food and delicacies too difficult to resist. Jody entertains us... he is my 'special' elf.

Opening treasures, selected just for our loved one to surprise and delight them.

My favorite picture of my little man & me from Christmas.

A very long day for our baby.

But he was a little trooper and did so well staying up late.

Christmas Day was filled with family ice skating fun, a tradition in our family for the last six years. My in-laws came along for the chaos... which was good because they provided support - literally - to my brothers in their ice skating attempts. Watching Elliott ice skate around with my father in-laws, holding hands, for not one but TWO laps, was priceless!