It's Beginning to Look alot like Christmas!!

The excitement! The anticipation! The Tree!  The baking!  The longing!  The Photos!

This has been a tough, but great Advent for us.  We spent the first two weeks trying to focus on Advent and preparing for Jesus to come.  We tried to light our Advent Wreath every night for dinner and sing "O Come, O Come, Emanuel".  We celebrated St. Nicholas Day with candy in the boys shoes and a new DVD about St. Nicholas.  We celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  All the while "Christmas" is raging all around us.  Advent is always a very confusing time for me.  My soul longs to prepare my heart for "the one my heart longs for", but my flesh can't help but get caught up in the secular "Christmas".  I then become depressed and cynical which is completely counterproductive to what Christmas is all about.  AT least those who are celebrating and preparing are filled with Joy!  But I think for me, this is all part of my struggle in preparing myself for Jesus and the graces He's bring on Christmas morning.

The third week was a little stressful when the the reality that Christmas is almost here sets in and we prepare for the celebration of Mark's birthday.  This year we discovered the O Antiphons.  How beautiful!  Where have they been all my life?  The longing, the anticipation in those Antiphons.  Another family tradition has begun.  Bruce and I prayed the prayers together each day while the boys helped us by singing  "O Come, O Come Emanuel".

The boys are counting down the days until Christmas.  Andrew, especially is so very excited.  The other morning I was laying in bed, enjoying the peace and quite of the day and the sound of the the shower in the bathroom while praying my morning offering.  All of a sudden, Andrew came running into the room and jumped into bed with me.  He snuggled up next to me and asked, "Mom, what do you want for Christmas?"  "Peace and Joy", I responded.  "I would like Baby Jesus to fill my heart with  Peace and Joy.."  "OH, so baby Jesus can bring gifts, like Santa Claus."

Andrew and I made an Advent Chain to help give him some idea of when Christmas would get here.  He asked almost every day of December, "Is it Christmas today?"  until we finally sat down and made one.

We cut down our own Christmas tree this year at a Christmas tree farm.  The boys had so much fun.  It it sure to become a family tradition.

Christmas Photos of the boys this year!

So, now we wait in anticipation for the night of Jesus' birth and all the graces of peace, hope, joy, and faith he will bring!!!!!!