Advent...

Our new church calendar began on Sunday with the first day of Advent.  The first day of Advent also begins my favorite time of our liturgical calendar!  This year we are again using our Advent wreath and our nativity scene to help us count down or "prepare" for the birth of Christ.

I kind of spruced up our Advent wreath this year by adding new silk flowers in it.  I added pink and purple flowers to join the colors of the Christmas holiday and the colors of the Advent season.  I also went to our local parish and obtained some Holy water.

On Saturday, daddy blessed our wreath with a prayer and then sprinkled Holy water on it.  It was ready to use on Sunday!

We also set out our nativity scene.  Well, not all of it.  Each day we will add something new to it, building up to the big day!  Day 1 - the stable; Day 2 - the straw.  Last night the 3 littles, me and daddy added snow to the scene.  Each night after blowing out the Advent candle, the kids will pick an item to add to the scene.  On Christmas Eve, they will place Mary and Joseph in the stable.  Mary and Joseph have already started their travels...we placed them in our family room and each day they slowly move towards the stable searching for a safe place to give birth to Jesus.  I can't wait to see what is in the stable Christmas morning!

We also prepared our fireplace mantle for Advent.  Sister K helped me.  Originally I had the statue of Jesus off to the side and was trying to place the flowers and berries around Him there, but it just didn't look right.  Sister K suggested I place Him in the center "because He is in the center of the holiday anyways!"  So, I did as she suggested and it looks great!  Thanks, sister K :)

We haven't decorated for "Christmas" yet.  We will be doing that the weekend of Gaudete Sunday.    Gaudete refers to the first word of the Entrance Antiphon "rejoice", lighting the rose candle signifies rejoicing that we are over half way until the birth of Christ, our Savior!  On that weekend of rejoicing we will put up our Christmas tree and decorate!

Talk to ya soon...