Advent: week 1

Every year, starting on December 1st, the kids start drawing activities out of our Advent calendar for each day. I'm glad I took the time when Camden was a baby to make the calendar and activities, because I doubt I'd have time now! I'm usually figuring out what our activity is for the day midday (the kids often have to wait to pick the item until I figure it out).

This week we: blessed our Christmas tree, made a Christmas craft, had Breakfast with Santa at Arnis, drove around to look at Christmas lights after drinking hot chocolate, and had a brief trip to the Children's Museum (due to a sudden onset of illness for Camden), had a get together with some church friends and went to the Luminary Walk at West Park.

Every year I feel like we get a little better at focusing on the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus' birth. This is the first year we are lighting our Advent candles at dinner and saying a prayer/listening to a song with it. The kids usually are interuptting to talk during the prayer or song, but we'll get there some day!

This is also the first year where I felt like the kids were helpful with decorating the tree (no tears or time outs this year!). They were taking several ornaments off and collecting their favorites, leaving the lower part of the tree nearly bare, but they've stopped doing that now.

Christmas is a nice time to reflect on the past year and realize how much has happened and how much everyone has changed. I try to really slow down (as best we can) to enjoy it.

Chris and I noticied we have 10 years worth of dated ornaments :)


Santa at Arni's restaurant




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