Baby, it's cold outside. After stepping out to get some mail, I decided that our errands today could simply wait. The big girls are bundled up reading together in the chair downstairs while I have my gingerbread coffee, a sleeping baby, and the happy distraction of Christmas pictures to keep me busy.So while I postpone the inevitables for at least a few minutes more, here are some memories from the first twelve days of Advent... celebrating in little, special ways as we countdown to Jesus' birthday. I hope the girls remember this, one of my favorite traditions that we began last year, for a long time to come.
Auntie Marcie's pajama package is always a BIG hit! Perfect for wearing while unwrapping this year's book find and reading by the tree.
An early morning pancake "breakfast with Santa" adoption fundraiser
Stuffing blessing bags
Tailgating at our small town Christmas parade
Delivering goodies
Making gifts
Baking and baking some moreIt's hard to believe that Christmas is upon us so soon. There have been some of the sweetest Norman Rockwell moments amongst all this holiday cheer, and there have been a few other Christmas Vacation-like ones when someone took someone else's something and put it somewhere. The nerve.
I never want to forget, though, how Hope was overcome by compassion for a homeless man and how that inspired the creating of the blessing bags. How her little heart genuinely wanted to give away her bed, our home, our car, and the rest of our stuff. How I slipped her out of bed as a surprise the night before we made the bags, how we shopped in Target using $7 of her own piggybank money to buy travel-sized toiletries. How she asked some hard questions of why, and how I wasn't exactly sure how to give her the answers she was looking for because pain and loss are pretty much always hard to understand.
I don't want to forget Maddie and her excitement over a tiny plastic Jesus, how she understands now the reason why we celebrate, how she loves to act out the story by wrapping Raggedy Ann in old receiving blankets since there was no more room at the inn.
How Alysse looks grinning or napping by the glow of her first Christmas tree, how red is really her color, how last year this time her face was unknown to us but she gave me the gift of her first kicks to let us know she was there all the same.
Sweet Advent season. Here's to the days that are left to count.
~Katrina
I never want to forget, though, how Hope was overcome by compassion for a homeless man and how that inspired the creating of the blessing bags. How her little heart genuinely wanted to give away her bed, our home, our car, and the rest of our stuff. How I slipped her out of bed as a surprise the night before we made the bags, how we shopped in Target using $7 of her own piggybank money to buy travel-sized toiletries. How she asked some hard questions of why, and how I wasn't exactly sure how to give her the answers she was looking for because pain and loss are pretty much always hard to understand.
I don't want to forget Maddie and her excitement over a tiny plastic Jesus, how she understands now the reason why we celebrate, how she loves to act out the story by wrapping Raggedy Ann in old receiving blankets since there was no more room at the inn.
How Alysse looks grinning or napping by the glow of her first Christmas tree, how red is really her color, how last year this time her face was unknown to us but she gave me the gift of her first kicks to let us know she was there all the same.
Sweet Advent season. Here's to the days that are left to count.
~Katrina
1 comment:
you know...if you had a reality show, i would tune in every week. you guys are adorable. :)
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