Advent is here!

     Advent is here!  We couldn't wait to go get our Christmas tree!  No small carpeted apartment living room, so we could get a real tree again this year.  We went to a small Christmas Tree farm that is near our house called Davidson's.  We ended up walking the whole place before the girls found the perfect one.  Then we had to drag it in a cart all the way to the front to pay for it.  It was quite heavy!  We all took turns though.

     We've also gotten into the spirit by making some pasta angel ornaments.  The intention is for the girls to sell them at a craft bazaar that our field trip group is having, but if no one buys them we'll keep them!  It's so funny how excited my girls get when I let them use the hot glue gun.  It's a very special treat I guess.

    Speaking of the girls being excited, they ALWAYS beg to get on the roof any time Jason or I have to do something on the roof.  They have always done this since they were itty bitty and I never would have let them up there.  But I was putting the lights on the roof and they kept begging so I gave in.  I remember getting on the roof of my grandparents' house when I was little with my Papaw.  I thought it was the coolest thing.  And the girls thought it was the coolest thing too!  No worries though - I told them they had to stay on their bottoms and they could not get anywhere near the edge.  And no one got hurt.  Yay!  They were so excited they were waving and yelling at passing cars.  They even got one honk out of it.

     We've started lighting our Advent wreath.  The girls have those chocolate Advent calendars too that you open a little door each day and get a little chocolate to eat.  I love the visual reminders of counting down until Christmas!!  We also discovered a super fun game that I had bought years ago.  No one ever wanted to play it before, but Big Fish Little Fish is a really fun card game.  The girls get so excited they start squeeling and laughing until they can't breathe!

     All the trees are decorated.  The real one ended up looking a little huge once we got it home, but that's ok too.  The tiny one I've had since I lived in a dorm room my freshman year in college is up too - even though it drops so many needles every year I don't see how it even still looks like a tree.  And the old hand-me-down fake tree is up too!  If I had my druthers (is that a real word?  Or one Southerners made up?)  I'd have a tree in every room.  I may have to work on that next year.   We also put out our nativity that my parents made for us.  I love it!  And the tree they made up many years ago.  I've had several neighbors compliment it so I'm glad that other people can enjoy our decorations too.

     So we're trying to finish up our school semester, buy or make the gifts that still need doing, keep everyone fed and clothed in clean clothes.  Sometimes those last two can overwhelm me!  But we're looking forward to all the holiday fun - parties, decorations, events, traveling, gifts, music.  I love the fact that people that don't know Jesus still give him worship unknowingly at this time of year.  I know we also do a lot of things that are not worship at this time of year, but I love that God is bigger than a Christmas tree or a list of songs.  He is good and Christmas is when I'm reminded just how good.  God Himself as a little baby, living among us, to bring us His mercy and grace.  I love it!