Outside Fun and First Christmas Present

As Christmas was slowly approaching, we found ourselves out of our usual routine just a bit. Everyone was already on holiday vacation...the library, play group, swim class, gymnastics, even Daddy was home on vacation. With all of Presley's daily activities canceled for a few weeks, we had to look for other ways to have fun during the day. One simple pleasure that every kid loves: playing outside.
So on this particular day, Blaine and I brewed a pot of French press coffee, filled up our mugs, bundled Presley up, and headed outside to let Presley run around and play. We turned on the Christmas lights (even though it was only 3 in the afternoon) so she could see the trees all lit up while she played. She spent most of her time picking up acorns and bringing them to us...but had a blast doing it! Just like her Momma, she likes everything to be neat and tidy...even the driveway!

We've started working on teaching Presley how to smile on command. It still needs a little work, but it's really cute to watch her try. It's definitely not the most natural smile, but we love it!

After playing outside for a little while, we thought it would be fun to let her come in and open one Christmas present. We picked the gift from Uncle Larry, Aunt Bethany, Nate, Anna, and Ellie. It was the cutest little Dog, named Violet. When we push the buttons on her paws, she sings different songs. But the coolest part about it was that it came with a little cable that lets you connect to the computer and personalize the songs. We uploaded Presley's name, her favorite animal (a dog), her favorite color (purple...so far it's the only color she can say), and her favorite food (blueberries). Then, Violet sings a song and incorporates all of Presley's favorites into the lyrics. It's so cute and Presley absolutely loves her new BFF!

Presley giving Violet her first kiss....so precious!