Advent calendar activities this year include: making paper snowflakes, making tin lanterns and going on a night hike, watching the Nutcracker (a movie version will have to suffice), blanket forts, reading Christmas stories and drinking hot chocolate, ice skating, and much, much more. The little slips of paper were stowed away in the advent stockings this morning, and now we will see if all of my grand schemes will come to pass. Sundays, being special feast days to celebrate the Lord's Day, will have chocolate treats and the kids will get to light the advent candles on the table.
What are your advent traditions and plans?
Relaxing on the couch, sipping more hot cider - after the tree was put up, the baked ham with walnuts and cranberries was eaten, and the kids were in bed - I wondered aloud why putting up the Christmas decorations felt funny this year. Like no time had passed at all since last year, a complete deja vu. It's not like nothing has happened since last year... Amelia being born, attic addition built, et cetera, et cetera... And then it hit me. This is the first time we have set up the decor in the same house and in a similar manner.
Year 1&2 - Christmas in transit, traveling from Idaho to various parts of Missouri with no preparatory advent season at our own house. Year 3 - Portland, Christmas at our apartment and massive quantities of snow, flying out the day after and spending 12 hours stuck in the Vegas airport. Year 4 - Clay's parents fly into Portland to help us move back to Missouri. Year 5&6 - Christmas in the Ozarks. Cedar trees in the dining room.
I am going to have to get used to this setting down roots and living in the same house with the same yearly routine thing.
I think I like it.
Elissa, I can try to get you discounted tickets to see The Springfield Ballet preform The Nutcracker in 2 or 3 weeks... Would you be interested if I can? Would you want 4 or 5 seats?
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Kristy
I love your photos, Elissa, and your humorous, honest way of capturing the moment :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your wonderful posts. It is so nice to see & hear what is happening in your cozy home...
It really makes me wish I could hop across those 1,709 miles to see you in person, though!
Enjoy making memories!
It's funny how something so desirous as putting down roots can feel weird and take some getting used to! I think due to the timing of our moves I've had two Christmases in each place we've lived. But I've used the same garland with the twinkle lights strung through. It's like the one constancy throughout all the other changes. It's fun to see how it works in each new dwelling.
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