Adventszeit, schoenste Zeit

Translated that means that the time before Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.

So Christmas is my second favorite holiday, right after my birthday. Okay, all kidding aside, Christmas is a wonderful time and every year, I am enjoying everything about it, the music, the smells, the anticipation. But most of all, I have come to appreciate it as the celebration of the birth of our Savior.

So tomorrow is the first day of December - do you know what that means? My children do! They get to open the first window on their advent calendar. This is a part that I remember so vividly from when I was a child that I don't want my kids to miss out on it.

This year, we are going with the Playmobil one. It's the forest theme - which I thought was great for boy and girl. I only have one, so they have to share it. Each window has a toy that will be added to the scenery that came with the package.

I am a big fan of Playmobil and so is Coqui. Peanut is still a bit too young for most the pieces, but I hope that she will grow accustomed to it fast. At the end, we will have a nice collection of forest animals and their winter food.


Of course, slowly, we are decorating our house for the occasion. I pulled out all the boxes, but I have not have time to put it all up yet. But this weekend, we will buy the tree and decorate it. And I want to finish everything else, so I can do other things, like shopping and making cookies.
Here are a few pictures from the stuff that is out already. Of course, we are playing LOTS of Christmas music, in English, German and Spanish - a very interesting, cultural mix.
Most of all, I want to show off our stockings, because they are FIVE this year! Yeah.

Eventual, the baby will get it's own hanger, but I need to make a trip to a certain store for that. Can you tell that I have an oldest-one that is obsessed with trains? 

 This is Coqui's room. It's the most decorated so far - he is just way too excited! He also has a candy cane on his window, and those lights that look like candles. It's so bright in there at night that I can read his good-night stories without turning on the room light.

 My German 'Pyramide' that Mema had found for me one year. I totally love it.

Merry Christmas.