Advent and Our Tree

Another out of order post...

Although I decorated for Advent when it began, we didn't have a chance to get our tree until the Sunday before Christmas.  

I may have mentioned this before, but I found Advent boxes for the rest of the children and so now all six kids have a calendar "box" that is reusable.  I just bought the candy to put inside each tiny door.  They do take up a lot of room though!

They covered Brian's new bar  and the top of his beer glass cabinet.

One of the kids won the arch on your right and it is battery operated so we can keep it when we move.  The other arch is a 220V so it will probable be given away before we leave.  I love these arches in our new kitchen windows.

I was under the impression that the landlord was replacing the window that the stockings usually hang on so I found a new place for them to hang.  Turns out I was wrong and they didn't even replace it.

Of course, we had the Advent wreath, the O Antiphons, Nativity scenes, and our crib for baby Jesus out as well.  This Advent we read Ishtar's Odyssey.  We love that series of Advent books and we found out last year there was a new one out and so I had decided to order it then so I wouldn't be caught off guard by Advent this year.

Our neighbor made us this winter decoration.  We found the perfect place to hang it.  

Finally we had a free Sunday with no snow and we went to the tree farm nearest our house.  The pickin's were slim by this time and we settled on a tree that was big enough, but not quite as full as last year.  Last year was the Griswald Family Tree.  This year we called our tree Spike.

You may have guessed why we named him Spike.  This was a rather painful tree to touch and decorate, but Spike was an excellent deterrent for little fingers that weren't supposed to be touching the tree.  If you were nice to Spike and gave him the respect he deserved than he was usually nice to you, but touch him roughly or the wrong way and he got you good.

Fully decorated and with gifts all wrapped below!