In the Tradition of Advent...

Advent means Christmas is coming.  Soon we get to celebrate Jesus's birthday.  I've always loved the preparations of Christmas and Easter.  They are full of traditions.  In Advent, we start with the advent wreath.  Then we hand decorations.  Just like my mother, most of my Christmas decorations are the artwork the kids have created over the years.  I love the many Christmas trees, wreaths, angels, and Santa's that have come home.  I have two of many because the kids have had the same teachers for most grades.

After we get the decorations up, we go to a tree farm and pick a tree.  Every year we try to talk ourselves into buying a different kind of tree and every year we buy either a Noble or a Frasier.  This year we picked a grand.  Very pretty.  Except that it was too tall.  We ended cutting the top off which makes me sad.  The bend at the top made me giggle.  Everyone helps put on ornaments for a while.  Even Arnie who can be rather Grinchy and Scroogy this time of year.

We pour eggnog - an adventure in food.  I cut it with milk to change the texture slightly.  Each year, Robby and Katie like eggnog better and better.  This year, Robby drank most of his.  Katie drank all of hers.  She even wanted to buy more soon.  Excellent. Next year maybe we'll try to make it.

Well.  We have so many ornaments that everyone peters out after a few hours.  Arnie usually leaves first, always with a project to finish in the garage.  Then Robby gets interested in a football game.  Katie hangs in there until the bitter end usually, when I have to go make dinner.  She and I work on the ornaments together over the next week until they are all on.  Sigh.  So beautiful.  We can't wait for Christmas.

Except that now we've lopped off the top and the star doesn't fit.  Have to fix that still!

The next tradition - wrapping presents to go under that shiny tree.