4th week of Advent and Ultrasound tomorrow!!!

Whew!!!! I'm writing this post, when I should be in bed, but I'm so pumped that so many of our "to do" lists for Christmas just got completed today. I'm not behind anymore, what's left is so doable, and I feel I can be more "Advent-y" in the last 2 days before Christmas.

Not that we haven't done a lot of focus and activities....I just felt distracted by the prep for Christmas day and beyond (and not things that could wait and be done during the Christmas season). It brought me down a lot. I guess I wanted more quiet, more peace and "waiting" - not running!

Lovely and I have loved doing something every day for the Advent Season with the Jesse tree ornaments, Advent Calendar, etc. I just didn't get to more of the feast days and cooking tie-ins as I wanted. But as a family we loved lighting the wreath every night, singing "O Come O Come Emmanuel" together as we lit the candles and eating in the candle light, and reading stories and bible stories to enrich the experience. We've also had lots of fun at a live Nativity, watching Christmas specials, and Lovely running around with her blinking red nose and antlers :) She has quite the imagination. I'll also find her dressed up as Mary with a doll as baby Jesus (or Valiant) and it is too cute!!!!!!!

We just got the tree up with lights (no decorations yet) and today had a mega day with cooking and concocting some edible gifts (I hope???) for dear friends next door, seeing dear family friends off and exchanging some lovely "happies," painting, creative writing, crafting, and other handmade gifting for the family for the big day. We got so much done. Lovely painted and painted for family and friends! Checking things off the list felt so good! It also felt good to enjoy it, not just feel stressed and taken away from the season. Today felt GOOD.

Here are some pictures from our past week. The pictures range from Lovely making cookies with my sister at her house, to some of Lovely's crafting for Christmas gifts, to her making her Jesse Tree ornaments and filling up her tree (countdown to Christmas!!), our Advent Wreath lighting, Advent Adventures, Valiant and Lovely hanging out watching our Nutcracker music box, the girls at the Live Nativity, Goddaughter E with her Godsisters (she's gotten so big), Lovely helping me cook rolls for dinner tonight, our humble tree lol, etc. I'll just post them:





















It's been an incredible week - full of the season, busy, but blessed. I'm glad tomorrow brings some time to reflect and be :) I look forward to living these last 2 days before Christmas with growing joy, and preparation for the reason for the season :)

Oh - before I go to bed (it's soooo late!) I almost forgot - the ultrasound is tomorrow!!! If we can, we will find out the gender (but we're always up for a surprise!), and seeing about how the baby is growing. What a blessing this baby is, no matter what tomorrow brings!

Ok...sleep....sleep.....much love.....