Advent...

This Christmas season we have started celebrating Advent with you. This is something I did as a kid and loved, so we thought we would start it with you. I am learning that I need to pick and choose what traditions we do because, one, there is only so much time in the month of December and two, I really want what we do to be important and emphasize the right things about Christmas...that's three things but, oh well. 

So, since Jake, you are only 2 and Jackson, you are still in the womb we kept it really simple this year. Each Sunday we would light a candle, talk about Jesus's birth, read a Christmas story about the birth of Christ, play with your Little People Nativity and then open a small gift. The gifts we gave you were things you like...books, cars, blocks, just small and to help teach that Jesus was a gift. Advent is really great to help spread out Christmas...it's not just about one day or all the gifts (although thats fun). It's about Jesus and what his birth means for us. 

This is our Advent Calendar...not traditional by any means...it looks like a Christian menorah...and it's in a straight line...when traditionally advent candle are in a circle...also our candles are all white...anyways. Your Daddy made this candle holder and I love it...it might stay out all year. But I think that it represents all the right things for us.

I'm not going to tell you boys about Santa. Just so you know. If you come home asking about him I'll explain to you who he is...really. But, I'm not going to teach you about a real true savior and in the same breath tell you about some made up guy who brings you gifts if you are good. I don't want fiction and non-fiction lines to be blurred, I don't lie to you (even in the name of good fun) and I think you should be good all the time, because that's what Jesus asks of us...not to get gifts. In no way will this cut down on any amount of Christmas merriment...actually I think it free's us up to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas! 

I'm not a crazy Christmas nazi...I just want the right things to be emphasized at Christmas. Yes, I know Christmas started off of pagan holidays and most of the common traditions have their roots in pagan history. I'm still wrestling with some aspects of things... like caroling and gingerbread men...remind me to tell you how they came about...funny!! Anyways, Christmas can be made into whatever you want it to be. For some it's about the gifts and Santa and all that jazz. But, for us, in this house, we choose to remember the ultimate gift we have been given. 

The gifts we exchange are in representation of the gift of Jesus' birth and the gift of eternal life that he give us in his life and death. So, that's why we do that...plus it's really fun to give gifts. I love plotting out what someone would want and then secretly getting it/making it. Pure delight! 

Well, I think that sums up how Christmas is going down in our house.

I'm excited for Christmas' to come too...I'm going to plan out lessons for each advent night with a story, maybe a craft or something, we'll see how crazy your mama gets. I just love teaching you about our precious gift, Jesus. He is the reason we can celebrate! 

Merry Christmas my boys...

Love, 

Mommy/ I'm learning some advent I never knew...did you know that the 12 days of Christmas come after Christmas and are called epiphany? Pretty crazy right...I grew up in church and never knew that. This whole advent season is full of neat things!