Advent

When I was growing up, we started celebrating Christmas on December 1st - with the countdown to the big day. Each night, we three kids took turns receiving an "advent" present, which was something little - an ornament, candy, etc. It was a BIG deal when it was your day! We hung the handmade (by my Great-Aunt Nancy!) advent calendar train and looked at it each morning to see how many days were remaining. This year, William has gotten to enjoy the calendar! How lucky for him that it happened to be a TRAIN, of all things! He loves it, too.

It was so exciting when we were little to be getting closer and closer to Christmas. Even when I was living in NYC, my Mom sent me home from Thanksgiving with a box of my advent presents. 25 little things, each wrapped up just for me to open one per night.

Four years ago this week, Esch, who had sneakily saved some of the wrapping paper from an opened advent present, got down on one knee (see where this is going?) and pretended to look under the couch. It was the night before he was driving me home for Christmas (and looking back, it was the last Christmas that we wouldn't be together to celebrate!). The city was beautiful as it always is at this time of year. I had been packing, and Esch was playing with Georgia in the living room. He leaned down, and "discovered" an advent gift that must have fallen under the sofa. "Hey! Here's one more."

I opened it. It was not from my Mom. It was a gorgeous diamond engagement ring.

Now, starting on Decemeber 1st, I always think of that special (shocking!) little box and how cute Esch was when I opened it and stared. This year for advent, we decided to save some money, and instead of buying eachother little gifts, write down something we were thankful for. We each wrote ours on November 30th, put them in the train calendar's pockets, and have opened one a night for the past few weeks.

Some have been silly "I am thankful for green bean casserole," "I am thankful for the sleep sack, pacifier, and 7:00 bedtime" but of course, many have been more along the lines of, "I am thankful that we're back, and closer to our families" (we both had one of those!) and "I am thankful for little boys who squeal when Daddy gets home from work."

We are so thankful for our friends and families, and for all of our health. We're thankful for the dozens of Christmas cards propped happily on our shelves, that came from all over the country.

This time next week, Christmas will already be over. December is such a fun time of planning and bustling around, wrapping gifts that you can't wait to give, and oohing and aahing at the pretty sparkling tree. William has made it infinitely (if that's even possible! I LOVE Christmas!) more special for us.

What a crazy little face.

It's a wonderful life!