advent preparations

i've been thinking ahead to christmas. well...advent, really. it seems like this is the first year when love will really be able to start to comprehend what christmas is all about. i really desire to take time to slow down this coming advent season. to share the story of jesus birth with love, and also soak it up once again for myself. to plan activities for advent that involve serving others, having fun, and basking in the hope that christ brought to this earth. i need that these days.

in thinking about the coming season, i am trying to find ways to share the coming of jesus with love in a way that she will be able to understand. she enjoys reading, so naturally, books seem like a wonderful way to accomplish this. i came across two books that i think would be very helpful, and if you are looking for a good christmas book to read with kids, check them out. someday i would like to own them and be able to read them every year during advent.

the first one, my favorite of the two, is song of the stars, a christmas story, by sally lloyd jones. we looked at this book at a bookstore recently and loved the way the story was told. jeremy said it gave him goosebumps. it is a beautiful book.

the second, room for a little one: a christmas tale, by martin waddell, has beautiful illustrations and a sweet story. i appreciate the phrase in the book, "a little one came for the world". yes, for the world he came.

by far, my favorite christmas book as a child, and still today, is the twenty-four days before christmas by madeline l'engle. i read it every year. in the book, the austin family does a special activity each day during advent. i know that a lot of people do this, but i have never done it. i think this will be the year that we will start this tradition with our little family. so, i have also been making a little advent list...so far, i have fourteen things on the list, and i will continue to add to it as we go along. by the beginning of advent, my list will be complete and we will be able to do something special each day. at some point, i will share our list on this blog.

we also have this way of light wreath that we will be using with advent devotions this year. i think it is such a meaningful way to lead up to christmas.

today was a little gloomy and a lot boring. after a dinner of pumpkin pancakes, we had a family dance party to christmas music. it lightened the mood around here and brought out some much needed giggles. the first dusting of snow drifted into our world tonight, and that calls for some snuggling time on the couch with my hubby.