Counting Up to Christmas

Here is the final Advent calendar we are enjoying this year: The Story of Christmas.

This is a set of 24 little jewel-toned books that tell the Biblical story of Christmas.  Each little book has a gold cord so you can hang them on your tree.

We open our Advent calendars in the evening, right before bed.  What I love about this one is that it brings a note of spirituality into even the craziest of December days.



Fourth Sunday of Advent

How dark outside!

but see -- a star's in the sky;

Mary and Joseph are passing by.

So let's light a candle to welcome them

as they go on their way to Bethlehem.

Our homemade Advent wreath with four candles lit.

We are eager for your birthday, Lord Jesus.  We love the ornaments on the tree and the decorations all around.  We love the making and the wrapping, and the happy secrets we keep.  But most of all we love you, Lord.  We love you for loving us so much that you wanted to be a human being just like us.

(Please note that the prayers and images that we use for our Advent wreath prayer cube came from somewhere else, but unfortunately I don't remember where.)

Counting Up to Christmas

This Advent calendar also appears annually in our house.  24 doors hide 24 birds -- an assortment of bluejays, cardinals, goldfinches, robins, and one or two varieties we can't quite identify.  On Christmas Day a white dove appears to perch on the roof.
 

This calendar always puts me in mind of The Birds' Christmas Carol, a sweet and sentimental story by Kate Douglas Wiggin that actually has nothing to do with birds.

Counting Up to Christmas

It's not entirely accurate to say this is our favorite Advent calendar -- we love them all for different reasons -- but this is one we pull out year after year, and each time we see something we hadn't noticed before.  This one is too big to fit on our scanner, so this is just a portion of it.  Presenting the Mr.Cookie Baker calendar, designed by writer and illustrator Monica Wellington:

We are huge fans of Monica Wellington's bright, happy, and delightful books.  This calendar is based on this book:

and as it says on the back:



Third Sunday of Advent

How dark outside!

but see -- a star's in the sky;

Mary and Joseph are passing by.

So let's light a candle to welcome them

as they go on their way to Bethlehem.

Our homemade Advent wreath with three candles lit.

Mary, for you this time before Jesus' birthday was a quiet time, a growing time.  Now we are all waiting for your Son, Jesus.

(Please note that the prayers and images that we use for our Advent wreath prayer cube came from somewhere else, but unfortunately I don't remember where.)

Counting Up to Christmas

Here's another delightful Advent calendar that we are enjoying this year -- also courtesy of Aunt Martha!  Two sisters look out their window on Christmas Eve, hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa.

Second Sunday of Advent

How dark outside!

but see -- a star's in the sky;

Mary and Joseph are passing by.

So let's light a candle to welcome them

as they go on their way to Bethlehem.

Our homemade Advent wreath with two candles lit.

Lord, we've been waiting and waiting and waiting.  Christmas seems so far away.  Thank you for wanting to be with us always.

(Please note that the prayers and images that we use for our Advent wreath prayer cube came from somewhere else, but unfortunately I don't remember where.)

Counting Up to Christmas

Here is another of our Advent calendars -- this one was sent to me by my dear friend Laura back in 1992!!  (I know because she wrote a note on the back!)  I've had this gingerbread house calendar since before I met my husband -- and it has added sweet joy to my Christmas every year.

Counting Up to Christmas

We love Advent calendars in our house -- we have six this year!  Here is a new one, sent to us by Aunt Martha -- Santa in his workshop.  Behind each window is a tiny picture and a verse from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas:

First Sunday of Advent

How dark outside!

but see -- a star's in the sky;

Mary and Joseph are passing by.

So let's light a candle to welcome them

as they go on their way to Bethlehem.

Our homemade Advent wreath with one candle lit.

Father, we're going to celebrate your Son's birthday soon.  We will be preparing our home, our gifts, ur food.  Help us to remember to prepare our hearts.

(Please note that the prayers and images that we use for our Advent wreath prayer cube came from somewhere else, but unfortunately I don't remember where.)

Look who's here!

It's Wink!  Our resident elf -- back again to keep an eye on things and make nightly reports to Santa.