over the break we...

...opened some presents.

The flashlight G found in his stocking may have been his favorite gift.

Either that or the Tinker Toys. He was SO happy about them when he ripped off that wrapping paper.

Uncle Adam gave G this awesome retro Jazz jersey that G didn't want to take off for days. He opened the rest of his presents happily in his jersey.

Love the feeling of Christmas morning that this photo exudes to me.

We spent the afternoon with J's family where G was gifted with many lovely things, but I think the tiny green candy cane may have been his favorite.

The boys playing with their puppets. (By "playing" what I really mean is tangling up the strings and getting them in many, MANY large knots.)

...played with the new lens J got me for Christmas.

(Dear f 1.8, I think I love you.)

(Actually, f 1.8, I know I love you.)

...continued to grow a large belly of baby.

I can't believe there are only 9 weeks left.

...played with our new toys.

Tinker Toy robots are pretty awesome.

...played with old friends.

Jerrod is such a good sport. He is pretty much G's favorite person in the world.

We loved getting together with some of our best buds from high school. The blizzard made it rough for people to get there so not as many made it as we would have liked, but it was so much fun to get together with some of the people that we have so much history with. 

...built a giant snowman.

G has been in love with snowmen all season, and his daddy decided he needed an enormous one right in his own front yard. I came home from a little shopping to these two boys out in the dark putting the finishing touches on this beauty.

...started and finished G's new big-boy room.

My husband may have referred to me as a "nesting nazi," but I was determined to tackle this project over the break because I knew I wouldn't get another full week with nothing to do before the baby comes. This was a huge undertaking since the bedroom had basically been being used as our storage room. We got rid of SO much stuff, tore out a built in bookshelf, primed and painted, nailed in new baseboards on one wall, moved in a new bed for G, and got it mostly decorated. I still need to hang the maps on the walls and get a lamp, but the bulk of the project is done, and it feels SO GOOD. Yay for checking things off your list!

G was insistent on helping paint, which is why we did most of it while he was napping and after he went to bed one night.

G's new bed that, of course, he HAD to help put together. Notice his tool in his hand.

Here is a sneak peak of the room. When it is all done I will post more pictures.

...loved waking up when we wanted, having lazy mornings,  and eating juice popsicles. 

I am so grateful to be teaching at a place where my boy can come with me (and it is only three days a week for three hours a day), and I will never complain about being able to make extra money, but I'm not gonna lie, it was hard to wake up on Tuesday morning. I don't know how I ever worked full-time! G and I only have a few more weeks of going to school together though, so I am going to try to enjoy it as much as I can. Soon enough I will be done and we will have two kids. Two!