Monday, December 3, 2012

Celebrating the Holidays

We put our manger up early last week and J's mom send us the wise men for the creche this year.  Last year she sent the manger, holy family, shepard with flock and angel.
The paper chains and Kirigami snowflakes are slowly going up.  The snowflakes in the living room are of various colors on one side and white on the other.  I've been making them over this past year.
This year's Advent wreath.  I bought a brass frame with candle holders built into it along with the appropriate candles from a local Catholic book store.  J cut branches off the rosemary from my garden and wired it to the wreath.  Every night through Christmas we'll be lighting the wreath.  One purple candle (the candle of Hope) for the first week of Advent, two for the second (the candle of Peace) and on the third Sunday we light the pink candle which is known as Gaudete the Shepard's candle representing Joy .  The final purple candle represents the message of the Angels : “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.”

Even J is decorated for the holidays.  I bought him a Santa-style hat which has antlers.  He wears it quite often.  This photo was taken at his cousin's house recently.
 For the last three years J and I have enlisted the aid of his cousin's children in decorating the main window in his cousin's house where we get together at each year.  I think it turned out quite well this year.








kind of cute but I'd rather have this:

http://www.christmasvacationcollectibles.com/productDetails.cfm?merchID=100623134433905249&category=100430112032173163&position=1

10 comments:

  1. i love the advent wreath! At church yesterday we lit the first candle and i was thinking how awesome it would be to have one in our house as well. Yay for festive decorations :)

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    1. We've been meaning to get back to church and soon but my main excuse is the pews. I have a bad back and with all the standing, kneeling, and sitting I'm really done for the day after an hour of Mass.

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  2. Great idea for the wreath! Happy Holidays.

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    1. I love the smell in the house of the rosemary. Alas I can't take the plant with me when I move. Unless I can find a way to cut off some of it and grow it in a pot to take with me.

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  3. WOW that awesome! I love it! We have yet to decorate our house :C It is one of the oH so many things we are going to do when we get home.

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    1. The paper chains started when I was living in the hotel in Tacoma while J was in Korea. I was determined to have a nice setting for the holidays even if we didn't have our own home.

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  4. Beautiful! I imagine the wreathe smells wonderful as well :) It reminds me that I need to get some decorating on around here.

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    1. Are you going to post photos of your house decorated? I really the interior of your house. You've done such a wonderful job with it.

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  5. I love your decorations! I always look forward to your pictures, it's neat to see what other people's homes look like! You are always so festive!

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    1. We are still decorating too. I took more photos last night of the lights since we put the tree up with the lights on it. Tonight we'll decorate the tree.

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