I took a picture of our lit Advent candles for my blog post a few days ago. My 14-year-old daughter saw the picture and said, “Wow. Our house looks pretty in that picture.”

Not to say that our house in reality is not also pretty–in it’s own messy, disorganized way. It’s just to say that, of course, you don’t get the full picture of a house or a family from a blog. So please know that it hasn’t been all jingle bells and fa la la around here the past month. But we have done some fun stuff. And I’m ready to think about and share about the fun stuff.

(Plus, no one took a picture of me with brow furrowed telling my children we were not going to even get a Christmas tree this year because they were just whining and complaining about which one we picked and I was sick of it. Sick of it, I tell you.)

Anyway, here’s the fun part of our Christmas tree farm excursion:

We made cookies with cousins:

We made gifts for teachers and friends:

And we have been using our Advent Calendar most nights. Our nativity scene is getting full. Just waiting for the Holy Family to show up–and of course baby Jesus on Christmas morning!

I pray you are enjoying moments of joy with people you love this Advent and Christmas season!