i heart advent

I haven’t put up my tree yet.
I haven’t even gotten it down from the attic.
I’m not opposed to get all Christmas-y.
I’m just not to the tree stage yet.
I like to do it one step at a time.

Yesterday we made a list of 25 or so things.
One for each day.
Yesterday we made an advent wreath.
Well sortof.
It isn’t really a wreath ( just a big candle holder), and I don’t even have the right colors.
(Micheals and Target were all out of purple……..and good luck finding tapers!)
But in the middle of our kitchen table is a glass dish with three chubby pink candles and a one green one surrounding a big white candle that Owen likes to call the Jesus candle.
Owen couldn’t wait to light the first candle ( of course, he couldn’t because he is a little pyro).
….but he knows that it represents hope.
…..and he knows that next week he will get to light another.
And eventually…..we will get to that big special white one in the middle.

Not everyday, but often enough I’ll be posting about Advent.
A few years ago my writers group and I published (does kinkos count as publishing?) a little Advent booklet for our church. I’ll be recycling plenty from there….but going through the traditional four weeks: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.
I am hoping (begging) for some help. If you would like to guest post and write a piece for one (or more than one) of those weeks please contact me ( email me if you know it, or comment below) and I’ll work you in.

Today, we set out the nativity scene.
And we talked about Jesus’s birth.
(and then O arranged them into an animal vs. three kings battle while Tess chewed on the baby Jesus).

And maybe tomorrow (or the next) we will tackle the tree.
Because Advent is a season of preparation, and it doesn’t have to happen all at once.