Bright little lights of Advent

It's the week of Christmas! Advent has felt different this year, faster and slower than prior years. There are a million things to say about this year, but on the best of days, it highlighted the joys of being still, living a quieter life, being at home. Here are some other little bits of joy in the last couple of weeks:

A room lit only by the tree. So beautiful.

Watching Korean street food videos, like this one and this one. It's oddly mesmerizing to see a large amount of food prepared efficiently.

Setting up a cozy puzzling station in the finished half of our basement. I wrapped the decorative post in twinkle lights and hung our Christmas star, put out some rugs to make it softer, flipped over all the puzzle pieces on the table and sorted out the edges, and surprised Nicholas. It's so nice to make the space much more cozy for winter, since it was otherwise unfurnished.

Reading this Christmas book with Cooper over and over again. He grabs it from his new(ish) bookshelf and comes and sits in our laps. He loves the pictures.

Setting up the new sideboard in the living, we're using it as an entertainment center. We love it! Much better scale for the TV size and room size, and perhaps most excitingly, easily baby-proofed, phew!

Baking kladdkaka (gf/df) I use ghee and gf all purpose flour, 50% coconut sugar, 50% organic cane sugar. So tasty.

A fun, Christmas-y day with my SIL. We got curbside drinks (a mint chocolate latte and a peppermint latte) and then went to her house to bake. We made this recipe for sugar cookies from Nourished by Nutrition.

I have been knitting away on Christmas socks for Nicholas, and just finished them! (more to come in a separate post).

Drinking peppermint coffee in the afternoons, regular coffee in the morning. Both with nutpods creamer, usually.

It snowed! (a tiny amount, but still my heart was happy). Cooper and I played in the snow, although there was hardly any, I'm not sure you could say we were "in" it. Regardless, he loves it, just like his mama. He ate a fair amount of snow straight off the deck, and kept wanting me to take his mittens off so he could touch it. It's irresistible to me too. buddy.

Aunt Katelyn stopped by after work to say hi, too!

A few nights ago, we grabbed coffee and walked around our little downtown to look at the lights, including the ice rink by central park. We love our home.

We made salt dough ornaments. They're far from perfect, but there was a moment when all three of us were playing with it, silent, enjoying ourselves.

Praying this Christmas brings you joy, from the coming of our God as a baby, who would grow into a man, who gave His perfect life so that even in the midst of a broken world, one not yet healed and restored, we could enjoy Immanuel, God with us. Because of His birth, we can experience God's presence and be freed from sin and separation from Him.

I listen to I Heard the Bells often, so moved to worship by the words:

I heard the bells on christmas day

their old familiar carols playand wild and sweetthe words repeatof peace on earth goodwill to menand in despair I bowed my head"there is no peace on earth" I saidfor hate is strongand mocks the songof peace on earth goodwill to menthen pealed the bells more loud and deep"God is not dead nor does He sleep"the wrong shall failthe right prevailwith peace on earth goodwill to men

God is not dead, nor does He sleep. What comfort and joy we have in Jesus! Wishing you a Merry Christmas.