Preparing for Christmas and time at home!

Such a unique year full of ups and downs. Seeing people virtually and some not at all. Leaving your house for the grocery but not really having anywhere else to go. It’s been such a good year to reflect on where your happiness comes from and how you feed your soul on a daily basis! So much has been learned and reflected on throughout this pandemic. I’ve loved so much of this year for Bringing me things I didn’t know I needed. Funny how that works out. And then I’ve hated this year for so much of the heartache and trauma it’s brought to homes and families across the world. For that I am saddened and have had to reach into my faith to pray for those that I so badly wish I could personally help. The quiet Advent season gave us extra time to focus on our family, reflect on the year, find gratitude for our health, happiness and time together, and spend extra time in prayer for those who end this year with an extra heavy heart. 

The joy and excitement for Christmas though was not one bit impacted this year - it was maybe even stronger! We have been counting down the day’s for Christmas and have been loving all the Christmas season prep we do during Advent! 

The day after Thanksgiving we packed into the car with dinner packed, a Christmas movie to watch, candy canes and hot chocolate and Christmas music and drove to Kentucky for a drive thru light show! It was so great and a wonderfully festive event to kick off the Christmas season!

We also got our tree the weekend after Thanksgiving - we always get our live tree at Nativity. 

We had a virtual gingerbread train making day with the Meyers for St. Nicholas Day

We collected all the different pine from around our yard and the girls helped me assemble them into vases

We took a long walk around a light contest event in St. Bernard neighborhood with the Meyers and Boone’s 

We baked a few different types of cookies and treats throughout the month of December 

The girls and I dressed up to go to Omis for the day to bake cookies with Omi!

Elisabeth was such a good cookie decorated and did not lose interest - she stayed at it until every cookie was beautifully decorated!

Josie still says, weeks later, that her favorite part of the day after prayer at night is “Making cookies at Omis house”

We walked downtown at the purple people bridge to see more lights!

We read lots and lots of books! 

We participated in cleaning up our neighborhood as an advent giving day 

 Elisabeth has her last preschool class of the semester on zoom to talk about the Nativity! 

We went to the dollar store for each kids to shop for their sibling - jack and Elisabeth really understood it this year and picked out great gifts! They were also able to head to the counter in their own, count out their money, and collect their receipt/talk to the employee

We decorated cookies from a kit Joes friend made! We had a great time doing this together as a family!

What a great season of Advent! The preparation for Christmas truly is full of so much fun and anticipation 🎄💕