He has come!

So, sadly, it has been a while since I have blogged...life happens and blogging has just not been a priority over the past 2 months.  But, I am ready to get back at it and enjoy it!

Before the season passes, I wanted to share our Christmas with you...I love decorating at Christmas...and creating a festive atmosphere in our home.  December has been filled with lots of fun crafts, Christmas music, advent celebration, nightly book readings, worshipping with our Church family, Christmas movies, and lots of other family fun activities and times together. And even though Christmas day has come and gone, the celebrating of our Savior's birth seems to be just beginning for me and our family. My sister and I went out the day after Christmas, and I was so saddened that every radio station had already stopped playing Christmas music.  But, that seems to be how we "Americans" celebrate holidays...we move from one right to the next.  For me, all the anticipation and preparing to celebrate the Savior's birth continues on after Christmas day! He has come and He is our Emmanuel! It is amazing how my perspective of Christmas seems to be shifting from what once was so focused on the gift giving, to now truly celebrating our Savior's birth and continuing that celebration leading up to the ultimate gift of His giving of life for our's at Easter. So, for now, we will keep up our fun decorations and continue celebrating our "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Different books of Elisea's wrapped...she would open one each night and we'd read it as a family before bed...she LOVED this! They were all books we had...some "Christmas" and some not - but, something fun to do:)

Our tree from Mom and Dad's Christmas Tree Farm

 Our beautiful big girl

 Our Dining Room...simple & festive.

 Our Advent House as Elisea called it...there was a Bible verse for each day and some days a piece of candy as well...great fun for the big girl.

 A free printable from here - love this blog!!

 Our advent wreath...the youth at church made the candles.

 Fun letters that I originally was going to put on our wreath, but then thought of hanging them...and there was a spot for all 5 of us:)

 Our cozy kitchen

I switched out E's artwork for Christmas cards...lots of fun:)

 Mine and E's first snowflakes together...so fun to make with her:) I was reminiscing the whole time...

 Elisea's first time using kid scissors to make a snowflake:)

 My sister arrived the Wednesday before Christmas and finally changed out our board for Christmas:)

 The stockings were hung...

Our cozy den...

 Another free printable from here.

 And another from here...so fun to fill the home with fun art that is free! And, I use the same frames and replace the art with other pictures depending on the season or holiday.

 My 3 loves...

My little Jewel...sweet, sweet Julia...

I pray your Christmas was a day of rejoicing and celebrating with friends and family - and that we will continue to celebrate and ponder on the awesomeness of God coming to earth to give us life!