Advent

I love this time of year.  The decorations, songs, cookies, smells, gift-giving...I love it all.  But over the past few years one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season has become celebrating advent with my family.  It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of "Christmas" that we forget to prepare our hearts and minds for the birth of our savior.  During the Advent season we celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and anticipate of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent.  I love that it helps prepare all of our hearts for the true joy of Christmas and puts a larger focus on Christ than on presents or Santa.

Here are a few of the Advent traditions in our home.

Advent Calendar

Rather than a piece of candy each day the kids get to open a tiny wooden door and place a magnetic piece of the nativity out.

Advent Chain

A few years back I found this website

I love it!  We make the 25 day chain and each night we read the scriptures from the Bible and do the listed activity.  Today we made handprint angels =0)

Nativity Sets

Our kids love to act out the Christmas Story with their nativity sets...a fun hands on way to learn.

We currently have 2 child proof sets.  One from Costco... 

...and one that was a hand me down from my cousins

We keep the wooden set under our tree amongst our presents as a reminder that the birth of Jesus our Savior is greatest gift of all.  Maybe one day we will get a grown-up Nativity set =0)

Wreath

This year I ventured out and made my own "wreath".  I put 5 candles on my cake stand and adorned it with our tree trimmings.  Joe and I hope to teach our children the significance of the wreath and each candle as we light them.

We also read "Getting Ready for Christmas" at dinnertime.  It is very similar to the chain and is great for families with young children.  It has a simple scripture, prayers and activity for each day.

I am a sucker for traditions and look forward to making may and sharing many with our family.

With the cooler weather, stockings hung, and the tree decorated...it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Russell house  =0)