Almost That Time of the Year

As my kids keep pointing out to me, it is already November.

I still don't have the year straight, and it is almost over?

Less than three weeks to go until Advent. Unbelievable.

Advent is one of my favorite times of the year. Hands-down my favorite time of the church year. Yes,  I love Advent even more than Christmas. There is a holy stillness to the season. It builds in anticipation in such a delightful way. I have not managed to get the same sense of purpose out of Lent. I know Lent is good for the soul and all, but I love the joy of Advent. And the decorations. And the food. And the music. Oh, the music.....

If you need some tips for some neat Advent traditions, you can read my article about Advent Traditions in a Christmas-Oriented World.

One of my yearly Advent traditions is buying Advent calendars for my godchildren. It is one of my favorite things to do, ever! The only problem now is, I am starting to forget which ones I have bought for them before and which ones I haven't! I find myself looking at one and thinking, 'that one is cute, but it looks really familiar', or, 'I know I bought that one for Anna but did I also buy it for Dana?'.

Ah, clearly the brain is not what it used to be!

I have three god-daughters and one godson (with one more on the way - I will get to see him towards the beginning of Advent, but he will be too little for a calendar...this year!). They range in age from 15 to 4 (or -3 weeks until showtime). Each one gets a calendar picked expressly for them by me! So much fun! This year someone is getting a sticker calendar and someone is getting a cool house calendar. Okay, so that is all I have bought so far. It's a process, people!

Before you know it we will be dusting off the Advent wreaths and hunting for candles (every year I can never seem to find purple ones. We end up with "Mulberry" or "Cranberry" or other assorted berries!)

Do you have cool Advent traditions?