Count down to Christmas

Growing up my mom made many, many varied advent calendars. As kids, we loved them! It helped increase our excitement for Christmas. I would love to do that. I wanted to last year and then I wanted to this year, but I just haven't had the time or energy. My life has been too chaotic for me even to think what type of advent calendars I'd like to create. One day I'll get to it. So, instead of something really fun and creative, I purchased chocolate advent calendars for the three boys. They've loved it and each day try and figure out what the little picture is on the *tiny* piece of chocolate. (I don't remember the chocolate being quite that small when I had a chocolate advent calendar.)

Excuse the mess in the background - we're sorting through our books and trying new paint colors on the walls

This is our third Christmas living in this neighborhood. Our first Christmas (2011) we had only just moved in two weeks before. But someone did the Twelve Days of Christmas for us, secretly, and so each day we got part of the poem/song and little gifts that went along with the song. That was fun! Last Christmas (2012) we were in Baltimore. But, this Christmas someone is giving us a homemade nativity set made out of wood. It is beautifully made. Each night we find a new piece which is wrapped on our front porch and a statement about that aspect of the nativity. We've received the stable, an angel, a shepherd, and three wise men so far. I love this tradition and would love to do it for someone else at a future Christmas.

Apart from that, we have so far received tons of Christmas treats. Almost every night someone from our neighborhood brings us cookies, candies, or cupcakes to wish us merry Christmas. We really love the people in our neighborhood.