Peaceful Advent

Let me just start by saying that I think there's a mouse in my basement.  Except that it's not a basement really.  Okay, so it's below ground level but it's lovingly and beautifully finished by Scott and his dad.  And although I love my home I can't live without the girls playroom.  It just happens to be where our computer is as well, my pretty desk and my Christmas wrapping station.  (I guess that doesn't matter since I don't have a single gift to wrap yet)  Anyway, he or she can stay as long as they stop that racket and go for the trap quickly.

Back to my regular post.  



Boy, Christmas would be a piece of cake it all of the 'regular life' stuff would stop.  But somehow there's still dinner.  And we can't skip sitting on Santa's lap.  And there's there's still mountains of laundry. But we won't cancel our Christmas get away weekend coming up.  And there's my volunteering in the school.  But cookies must me rolled and iced.  We just do all that on top of life.  It just makes for very little sleep and a heart that revs every time I check my list of gifts to buy but there isn't one to check off.

But we won't skip one evening around the kitchen table.  Girls in their jammies and wet hair.  Around our advent wreath.  There's still just the first candle lit each night.  (that makes me feel better)



We pray.

And I read a bible lesson from this book.



We discuss while they have their bedtime snack.

And sometimes their bedtime snack matches with the lesson.  (those are sure feel good mommy moments) 

Are those really my hands?  They look like 100 year old lady hands... can I just take some fluff from other parts of me and puff it into my hands to fill them out a bit?  






We learned all about the symbol of the Christmas Tree and how it reminds us of Christs love.  




And then we say the Our Father and our nightly "thankfuls" that we've always done.  But now instead of us sitting on Anna's floor we're around the kitchen table.

The to dos are washed away and I feel a deep deep peace.

Getting our time in with God each night as a family has really made this Advent beautiful.

I love my Christmas home but there is no happier place for me to be than my kitchen.  So I snapped a few today.











Like you, each one of the things in my Gingerbread kitchen has a special story, meaning.  And that's what makes unpacking so wonderful each year.















This year Scott surprised me with this whole set up on the kitchen windowsill. After dreaming of having a seasonal tree up all year (like Billie Jo) I really was lovin my fall lights and such that I had up in October and November.  I told him that I wanted to find a way to have pretty seasonal/monthly twinkle lights near where I spend most of my hours each day... the kitchen sink.  So he came home with these cool red light one day.



And the greenery and little baby clothes pins to clip on another day.





And he was super excited when he found me this cookie cutter garland for my gingerbread themed Christmas kitchen.











Lovin my super cute new apron :)



And pictures of my babies in Christmas pasts all around me.  Oh that little red head in that picture!




Hope you are all enjoying this beautiful season.  The forecast calls for snow tomorrow.  We're getting our tree... I can't think of a more romantic forecast.