No.466: Last Week at the Farmhouse // The Third Week of Advent

O Lord, we beg Thee, incline Thy ear to our prayers and enlighten the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy visitation. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

advent wreath prayer for the third sunday of advent

Gaudete Sunday is a big deal at our house because this is the day the kids get to decorate the tree! I had to laugh as I watched them pull out the hodgepodge of homemade decorations and “unbreakable” balls from the bins. Our tree is definitely not Pinterest-worthy, but it’s perfect for the stage of life we’re in and isn’t that what matters most? Someday I’ll get to trim the tree completely in beautiful glass ornaments…and I’ll miss those little hands that clumped all the decorations in one small spot. Ahh, motherhood.

With the joy that is ushered in with Gaudete Sunday, I finally start the process of decorating the house. My budget was pretty small this year (and I decided to spend it on outside decorations) so I made the best of things I already had with a mix of evergreen branches from the property. Simple and beautiful.

The highlight of the week was our first snowstorm of the year! So many things to be grateful for: that we are all healthy and strong enough to shovel our long driveway, that our Internet connection remained strong so Mark could work, that we didn’t lose power, that almost all of the kids can dress themselves in their snow gear, those pink cheeks on happy, exhausted kids…I could go on and on.  Snow days are just good for the soul, I think.

I finally mailed out our Christmas cards. There was a delay in delivery from the post office (of course, #2020) and I didn’t receive them until late last week. Coupled with the snowstorm and the fact that the mailman couldn’t get to us on our untreated roads…well, they’ll get there when they get there.

Without fail, there is one day during Advent (some years, more than one day!) where I feel completely overwhelmed with the demands of December and this year is no exception. A challenge parenting day, a to-do list still full, and just utter exhaustion made me feel like sobbing and throwing up the white flag! Being the head merry-maker is a big responsibility! Over the years, I’ve learned to combat this with a long shower or walk, deep breaths and choosing just one thing on my list to complete.

My parents came over on Saturday to celebrate a mini-Christmas since we’ll be apart this year on December 25.  They created a little game for the kids to find out their gift…and it was a trampoline!  The kids were thrilled as this has been something we’ve talked about for years, but has always gone on the back burner.  Now to wait until this snow melts to start construction…