Prepare a place...

And so begins the Advent Season... We love this! Last year we started one of our favorite traditions with Ben and Carly. Advent Calendar. Our Pastor's preached these great sermons all throughout December on Advent and just slowing down during the most hectic Season of the year. We took it to heart. We sing this song in church (it's by Michael W. Smith and Christine Dente) called "Prepare a Place"

Prepare a place, while you’re waiting.
Prepare a place for the coming One
Prepare a place and be patient.
While you wait for the coming one.

Chorus:
Wait for the coming one!
While you wait for the coming one!

Prepare your heart, while your waiting
Prepare your heart for the coming one.
Set time aside and be quiet.
While you wait for the coming one.

We really try to be patient, and be quiet, and prepare our hearts for this amazing gift! Each day the kids get to look in the "countdown box" and see what our activity will be. Don't get me wrong: Being patient, quiet, and preparing our hearts isn't all about sitting and reflecting... mostly we want to take the focus off the commercialization and take time together as a family, doing things we unfortunately, rarely slow down for. Tonight was our tree decorating "party"... complete with music, milk and cookies. That I baked. You know I NEVER bake. (Ok, they were scoop and bake cookie dough, and I had locked my keys in the car and couldn't go anywhere today...) We had fun TOGETHER...

And for my siblings... Mom's Angels... Yup, seriously thought she hung these on her tree each year to represent her favorite little children. Apparently not:) I love having these on MY tree, almost as much as I loved sitting in the chair tonight with the big box of ornaments in my lap, handing out ornaments to my 2, very excited children... just like my mom used to do. And I'm not moving ANY of those bunched up ornaments, either!