Advent Season!

I love decorating for Christmas! We moved into our apartment in December 2oo8, so as we were settling in and setting up our home, we were also decorating for Christmas. So much so, that our entertainment center (and the pictures that are hung above it) is always slightly off center on the wall, due to our need to make room for the Christmas tree. I guess that's why our home seems more proportionate, er, I mean a little cozier and more homey with all the decorations up (at least this is what I try to convince Wes of when I want to start decorating for Christmas . . . before Thanksgiving, Ha!)

I am working on transitioning our Christmas tree into a cross-themed Christmas tree. My mom and mother-in-law have already given me a few cross ornaments to help with the transition. I am really excited about having a Christmas tree that will remind us that during the Christmas season we are not only celebrating Christ's birth,the 1st advent, but also rejoicing in His work on the cross and longing for the day when He will fulfill the promise of his return, the 2nd advent!

About the time Wes and I got married, 7 years ago, I began collecting different creches. We buy a new one together each year. It is a fun little tradition.
This one is one of my favorite. Wes bought it for me when he was in Bethlehem. I love having a nativity that is from Christ's birthplace.

My mom started piecing this Willow Tree creche together for me as gifts over the years for different holidays: birthdays, mother's day, Christmas, etc. It is another one of my favorites!

Wes bought me this one last Christmas. I love it.
Each figure has a scripture etched in it.
I love Mary's verse, it says "My soul magnifies the Lord. Luke 1:46"

This is a little countdown to Christmas calender that I made at MOPS. It is made from a small pizza pan, cardstock, ribbon, and sparkly glue. The star is made of foam and has a magnet on the back. Super simple, but so cute! Aubri loves moving the star all around.

Our Advent calender.
I found the idea on pinterest. I modified it a little to make it our own.
Each day we light the corresponding advent candle(s) and Aubri pulls the card out of the day's pocket that consists of the daily scripture reading and a family activity. The family activities include different things like reading the Christmas story from Bri's bible, playing with her Little People Nativity set, drinking hot chocolate, calling grandparents to sing Christmas carols, etc.

I'm so excited about our Christmas wrapping paper this year!
It has a nativity scene on it! I found it at Hobby Lobby if you are interested...

This is Aubri's tree that is in her room. She LOVES it!
The first few nights she would take the ornaments off the tree because she said she wanted to sleep with them. Some of them are glass, so we had to put a stop to that! :)

Aubri's creche. It lights up so it serves as a little nightlight, too.

Her Mickey Mouse snowglobe. Our sweet friend, Jenny, gave this to Bri because she knows how much Bri loves Mickey Mouse. It sits on her nightstand but usually ends up in her bed... with the ornaments. Crazy girl! :)

The purpose for celebrating Advent is to quicken our hearts with anticipation for the Lord's arrival into the world through the birth of God's Son, Jesus Christ. Advent is a time to celebrate light in the midst of darkness. It is also a time to look forward to Christ's second coming.
A friend of mine on facebook, wrote a quote from Ann Voskamp's blog,
"Whenever Christmas begins to burden, it's a sign that I've taken on something of the world and not of Christ. Any weight in Christmas has to be of this world... Christ came into this world as grace to lift all the weighty burdens."
May this be our prayer for one another as we fight against this world, striving to rejoice and celebrate Christ's birth, and await the second coming of our Lord and Savior with eager anticipation!