Advent

OK, so some of you have been wanting to know what we're doing for advent this Christmas. I've posted that I finally had my list together this afternoon and I've gotten comments from people wanting ideas. Not sure if this will be helpful or not but I'm really looking forward to getting ready for Christmas! Some people have different definitions of "advent". When I looked it up on Google, it gave me quite a few definitions. Here are the ones that fit what we're doing this "advent":

-arrival that has been awaited (especially of something momentous)
-is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for ...
-coming; coming to; approach; arrival
-arrival; in Christianity a period of some four weeks preceding Christmas

I think you get the idea. We're actually taking on two new traditions this Christmas the first is:

A) I found all the Christmas/winter books we had and I'm going to wrap them. I have 20 books so I need to have a total of 25. I need to go out and grab 5 more cheep ones. Every evening we're going to unwrap one book and read it before bed. I thought it might be nice to have a few new ones to keep it fun for the kids. I thought it might make it fun for them to be able to open something leading up to Christmas. Hopefully it helps on them not opening up the real presents and to actually wait for their book present each night.

B) This year we're going to do "something" special each day. I made 25 envelopes with a number on the front for each day leading up to Christmas. Inside is an activity or an event that we're going to do for that day. Here is my list. Feel free to take an idea and please, I would love to hear any of your ideas! Here it goes:

1. Game Night
2. Make a paper chain
3. Make homemade hot cocoa and watch "Polar Express" on ABC Family
4. Grab a cheese pizza and watch "Frosty's Winter Wonderland" on ABC Family
5. Go to Sunbury United Methodist for their Christmas Breakfast then go to Granville for their candlelight walking tour.
6. Make Christmas Cookies
7. Put up and decorate the Christmas tree
8. Watch Mickey's Christmas Carol on ABC Family
9. Go to Night in Bethlehem at Westerville Christian Church
10. Red & Green Day: Wear red and/or green and eat all red & green food the whole day (we'll be using a lot of red & greed food coloring this day!)
11. Sleep downstairs by the Christmas tree and read Christmas books with hot cocoa
12. Go to the Holly Shop at Aiva's school. When we get home, watch Rudolph on CBS
13. Make paper snowflakes and decorate with glitter glue.
14. Game Night
15. Go to the Columbus Zoo to see the lights
16. Make honey buns and watch Winnie the Pooh Christmas on ABCFamily.
17. Surprise someone with a basket full of cookies
18. Get pizza at CiCi's and drive around to look at lights. When we find our favorite house that's lit up, stop by and give them a gift card.
19. Go to my mom's for Christmas. Roast marshmallow's
20. Wake up early before church and make a run to Tim Horton's for some fun Christmas donuts.
21.Game Night
22. Dr. Seuss Day! Watch the Grinch and have green eggs and ham for dinner.
23. Backwards Day! Wear your clothes backwards and eat your meals in reverse order. Dessert, then Dinner, next lunch, and then breakfast.
24. Watch the Nativity and before bed read the Christmas story from the Bible and also "Twas the Night before Christmas".
25. Have a birthday party for Jesus. We're actually having cake and ice cream after dinner. I'm going to have the kids tell me what they would like to give Jesus this year for His birthday.

I think that just about does it for Advent. I'm putting together the things we would like to do on Christmas Day. I'll post those ideas maybe sometime this week. Nate and I have decided and have had a tradition that we don't go anywhere on Christmas Day. We just want to relax and enjoy spending time together. I'm really looking forward to this day but need all the ideas we can get. I have a list going but would welcome any other ideas :)

Hope you have an enjoyable December! I know we will!