advent

i am not a morning person but.......

with a gift like this blushing sunrise, i may have to change my ways.

it is the dawn of my favorite season of the year.....

christmas, glorious christmas time.

we(i) like to start the festivities on the first day of december by rummaging through our christmas storage boxes in search of the numerous advent calendars we've collected and made part of our family christmas traditions over the years......

our family's oldest advent calendar is the felt christmas tree my mother made for us when nicole was 2 years old, she is now 22. it is an exact replica of the calendar i grew up with.

do you know the betsy-tacy book series by maud hart lovelace?  absolutely charming.....it is just about top on the list of favorite children's books among all the girls in our family.  

we follow the series with a delightful christmas reading advent calendar fashioned by some of my most creative friends at the storybook home journal. then i designed the reading list into a bookmark.

gabi has her own music box advent that she keeps in her room......

our family was given this playmobil advent one year......

(ben and sab still like this one!)

and just one more.......

a friend sent me an e-advent today......thanks jill!

check it out here....... you may just want one.....

fa la la la la

la la la la...

i looked out the window this afternoon and 

this is what i saw......

?

tonight is also the night to choose names from the hat......

which sibling do you get to make christmas special for this year? 

gabi and i love these holiday teas made by our boulder neighbors at celestial seasonings......

her routine is to brew a festive tea in her new mug from our latest shopping spree at anthropologie... 

it helps her get through homework time......

i can understand that.

we welcome this most joyous time of year and everything that you have to offer.  may our senses be stimulated and filled and may our hearts be open to every opportunity we have to share during this glorious of all seasons.....