Gaude, Gaude!

I know, I know, how pathetic to post about Advent and Christmas in Lent! But I forgot I had this post in queue and I couldn't let our Christmas go unnoticed. I check my blog every year just to see what (the heck) we did last Christmas! So, go read something Lent-y if that's your thing. I am posting this firstly for my own enjoyment. :)




The beautiful season of waiting.

Without the loudness of the malls, or the busy-ness of readying for cookie swaps and kids' Christmas concerts, our Christmas prep is decidedly quiet in comparison to so many families. A few nights scrolling Amazon to order a few carefully chosen toys for our children, and everything else picked up at the Madonna House gift shop.

(A wonderful place to shop during Advent. It's so quiet, reverent and simple. I selfishly want to shop there because it's like a little pilgrimage to Bethelehem every time we go.)

So we make our Advent traditions. 

Now we are in a wonderful stage where the oldest child knows well how we observe Advent as a family (and reminds us what's what!) and the youngest is experiencing them with awe and newness.

We make things.

Christmas-y things.

Noah shows off his banner, which he is now accepting commissions for, at only $2 each.

And dear old Patrick aged another year. 

He dutifully joined me in a Whole 30 for November (a 'nutritional reset' where you eat only whole foods of meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts {no dairy, grains, sweeteners of any kinds, alcohol, and certain cooking oils})... and then asked me to make him a Double-Chocolate Cheesecake for his birthday dessert. And wine.

It was horrrrrrifyingly decadent after fasting from each of those food groups for what ended up being 40 days. But also so very delicious.

Quiet evenings as a family are my love language.

 Note the homage to my province of origin in the top left corner.

The boys are always so excited when we put Anna to bed and have a movie night or a board game night in jammies. I may or may not play Taylor Swift music for ambient happiness.

The build-up towards Christmas, in so many ways, was as wonderful as the actual Christmas day. Going for walks to collect greenery to put around the house, getting some baking ready for the freezer, practicing our favourite Christmas hymns (and maybe a little Bing Crosby, too), hosting a few friends for co-op or a meal.

It was unusually warm this year for Advent, and it was even incredibly mild and rainy on Christmas Eve. It reminded me so much of "home" -- Nova Scotia.

Making St. Nicholas Day gingerbreads. Definitely one of my favourite Advent occasions, year after year.

Decorating the tree with great excitement

A peek in our Advent and Christmas book basket. My favourite by far, and the favourite for the boys as well, was "The Miracle of St. Nicholas"

Since we moved to our new locale, we have cut down a tree from our friends' farm. I do love the slightly-less-than-symmetrical look it produces, and the kids are making fun memories of traipsing in the snow to gather it.

These photos were taken after Midnight Mass, so they were appropriately confused and delighted by being up at 1:40 AM. So much fun silliness erupted in this short photo session. 

He adores his baby sister, and she knows it.

Their cuteness kind of chokes me with joy and amazement. I mean REALLY now!

And speaking of cute, look who's accessorizing in her jammies.

Christmas morning, the kids slept in until after 8, a boon to me and Patrick after taking them to Midnight Mass. They were suitably delighted by the festivities.

I love his expression in this photo, just in awe of the gift his father and I chose for him.

But this makes me even happier, to see Noah lighting up over what Isaiah was receiving, a stuffed cat, grey, that he asked for in October or so. He promptly named him Tiger Tom and he is a member of the clan now.

Anna was clearly delighted by her new doll, a Baby Stella.

Christmas morning breakfast. 

Going out on an honest-to-goodness date with Patrick! Miracle of miracles!

I do love that despite being married for over six years, I still feel a bit giddy getting to go have dinner and movie with him.

(That, and the fact that I could do that sans stockings. Winters in Nova Scotia are generally much more suited to bare-legged lasses like myself.)

And this may be one of my favourite pictures I have ever taken of my boys. We were sitting in the Ottawa airport, waiting to board our plane to visit our families. They sat eagerly watching the airplanes on the Tarmac.

There's something so charming and hopeful about their waiting and watching that just spoke to me about the sweet delights of being a child. That, and Isaiah's bare feet never cease to make me smile.