And a Happy New Year!

On Christmas Day, we flew to Santa Fe, New Mexico to visit the Paxtons. This was Oliver's first trip back to Santa Fe since Christmas 2010, but he didn't miss a beat. He loved chasing the cats, snuggling with Momma Joy, going on walks with Pop, and playing dinosaurs with Uncle Ben.

Of course, he didn't mind that we got to open more presents:

And everyone took a turn sporting their new gear:

After opening gifts, we snapped a few pics of Oli with his grandparents... Are these the cutest pictures ever?!?!

During our week there, we spent a lot of time outside. Although Oliver had seen snow before, this was his first time to be old enough to play in it, and he had a blast (and yes, he is wearing mom's hat... it seemed warmer than his and with an extra roll, it fit just fine):

He even went for a little sled ride:

He took lots of exploratory walks with Dad:

And though I know this picture has terrible glare (since I was inside, taking it through the window), I LOVE this shot of the Paxton boys hanging out on the porch:

The other momentous event of this trip was Oli's first haircut. I know he still looks practically bald in most pictures, but the rat tail in the back was getting a little extreme:

So one of Momma Joy's sweet friends offered to give him his first big-boy haircut:

We had to save his one curl, though, of course:

And the result? Voila:

SO grown up!

We went to a park later in the week, and Oliver and Momma Joy tried out the rope ladder:

And drove the "boat":

Could there be any more joy on that little face? I admit that an almost-2-year-old toddler is not always the easiest charge, but this one certainly brings so much fun to our lives. And what a fabulous bonus to have such wonderful family to help enjoy him! Thank you, Steve and Joy, for having us, showing us a great time, and loving our little boy so much. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!