#TistheSeason

I just love Christmas time! And it has been especially fun this year with Molly as she starts to really get into things. Such a joy to live your childhood again through your own kiddos.

It is also the last Christmas as a family of 3! Eek! That sounds crazy. In 3 short months we will have another family member so we are trying to really enjoy all the holiday festivities and good family time we have now with just M. Next year will be very special with the baby's first Christmas but there will never be another year where its just our little family of 3. Soakin it up!

I made a Christmas Activity list this year with some ideas of fun things to do together. So far we are progressing through the list quite nicely.

We have had so much fun doing all of this and more!

And of course...our visit to see Santa Claus! She did so good this year. She told him what she wanted for Christmas and that she has been good (ish). ; ) And she smiled for the picture...she just wasn't looking at the camera. Something to work on for next year!

Merry Christmas from The Vincents! We wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season.

Tis the Season

Its only taken me until Christmas Eve to put up a Christmas post. Very unlike me if you know about my love for this season. But its that love that has kept me from blogging about it...things have been crazy ya'll! Between shopping, decorating, events, and more events, preparing to travel back home and now being back home I have not had much time to blog. But I am sweeping in at the last second to put some holiday goodness up on the blog.

I spent two days decorating the house, we don't really have that much stuff but a toddler makes the job a little harder than it used to be.



The outside lights are Chase's job and he recruited my brother this year as well. We go for the classic large multi-color lights. I love the old school look.



We also get a real tree every year. I grew up with a real tree and the thought of ever getting a fake one just doesn't sit well with me. They are so beautiful and the house smells so good. It wouldn't be Christmas without the smell of a fresh cut Christmas tree.



Our tree is decorated with a mix of old and new - classic and modern. My Grams gave us a Hallmark ornament every year growing up so most of those are on the tree as well as some other special ornaments commemorating important events. This one is my favorite, its the one we got the first year it was the three of us.







And our beloved elf Ellie is also back this year from the North Pole. Molly has really gotten into her this year and every morning runs around the house looking for her. "Where Ellie?! Where Ellie?!"



We also got a little snow/ice storm earlier this December, which is very rare for Dallas, so it really helped us get into the holiday spirit! Look at my cute family...so lucky and blessed this season!

Merry Christmas to all!! xo

Christmas Morning

There is something so special about Christmas morning. It has always been one of my favorite few hours of the year. I can vividly remember many as a child. Turning that corner down the hall from our bedrooms with such excitement and anticipation. Getting to the tree to find that Santa had indeed made a stop at our house and we were, in fact, good little boys and girls.

The morning my brother and I got our play kitchen, our first Nintendo and my cowboy boots still stand out to me as some of the greatest days of my life. Christmas mornings make such an impression. And I was so excited this year to start making Molly's special.

While this was Molly's second Christmas, last year she was only 6 weeks old. Not quite ready to embrace the holiday. This year, at 13 months, she still doesn't understand a lot but she loved opening presents and playing with all her new toys. She could point out Santa Clause and Rudolph and she was in awe of the tree.

I was so excited to begin to relive that all important morning through the eyes of my own child. Complete with late nights being Santa's helper and early morning shrieks of delight!















I can't wait until next year!

Merry Christmas Eve

Its been a wonderful few days of being back home in Oklahoma City with my family. I love staying with my parents because that means I have baby back-up which always leads to naps. Oh how I LOVE naps.

Most of the time we have just been lazing around and enjoying time together. Lots of eating, playing games and catching up. But we did take some time to get out for some holiday fun!

Downtown in December in OKC has become a very big deal in recent years and with the opening of a new park and skyscraper came new activities. Look at those pine cones, beautiful!

 









We hit up our friends annual Festivus party. Ugly sweater style.

 

And now we are prepping to have all our family over for Christmas Eve dinner. This year has been so much fun with Molly. This time last year I was bouncing her on a yoga ball and thinking I would never enjoy Christmas again. So glad those things actually do pass.

Tomorrow we are expecting snow. A white Christmas! And Molly's first snow. The holidays can be so magical. We hope everybody has a wonderful holiday.

Merry Christmas all! Love, The Vincents.

Simple Weekend

After the events of Friday I wanted a simple weekend with family and friends. I wanted to cherish what is important to us and get in quality time with the people I love. So we kept it simple.

A little visit to Santa to commemorate Molly's 2nd Christmas. (she was not a big fan of Santa)



Two trips to the park complete with her new found love of the slides!






Holiday date night out to a few Christmas parties.

And a late night of baking with a good friend.



Simple and perfect.

Tis the Season

We are in full on Christmas mode around these parts. Our live tree is up and decorated, our house is adorned with lights and yard ornaments, and every nook and cranny of our main living spaces has something to celebrate the season.

Last year was Molly's first Christmas but she was just a few weeks old and had absolutely no clue about anything, let alone the holidays. And this year she still doesn't understand a whole lot but she is curious enough and mobile enough to make it fun!

I have been thinking about and pinning things that could be traditions for us to start. I have lots of traditions from my family growing up but I want to start things just the 3 of us. I have yet to come up with anything that is just ours. So we are celebrating with the good ol stuff.

The tree! Complete with soft animal ornaments at her level that she is free to take off the tree.



And our favorite ornament...



We also started Elf on the Shelf this year. While Molly doesn't understand the rules yet she does have fun finding her and pointing at her, yelling dat dat dat!



We even wrote our very first letter to Santa. I had to help translate. I wasn't sure if Santa can read toddler writing.



And hosted our first holiday hot chocolate and cookies playdate.



This year is a little different than last year. So much has changed. And its making it all the more fun!



I am going to keep working on new traditions but in the meantime we are going to enjoy the ones we have already. Tis the season!

Happy Weekend!

We are enjoying some beyond mild temperatures here in Dallas. The high today was 72 degrees. It definitely doesn't feel like December or the Christmas season. While I am ready for the cold winter weather to kick-in you can't deny what God is giving you so we hit up the park during my lunch break.

If you give this kid some open space she takes off and there is no looking back. I can easily catch her for now but I think I am going to have my work cut out for me as she gets older.

















What a smile!

We are in full holiday decorating mode this weekend. Can't wait to get our tree and put out all of our Christmas decor.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Christmas as Three

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year but this year it was extra special as our first holiday as a family of three (4 really...Paisley our dog). While Molly is too young to have any idea what is going on it was still so fun having her first Christmas. And we got to introduce her to lots of family and friends.

We headed to Oklahoma City for a full week before Christmas so we could get settled in and enjoy the help of a few extra hands as grandparents soaked up some good Molly time. It was so nice and we enjoyed the help. Our time back home came to an end before we knew it and we already miss being in OKC with everybody, but time to resume real life and get ready to ring in 2012.

In the meantime a few photos to share...


Bath time at the grandparents house


Big Smiles!


Chill time with Daddy


Reading The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve


Playing with new toys from Santa


Opening presents on Christmas morning


I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday!!