Last Sunday marked the first Sunday in the Advent season. I usually think of Advent as church-speak for the season of Christmas. And I do like Christmas. But the real meaning is more specific than that. Advent is "The arrival of a notable person, thing, or event." So of course we prepare for and celebrate the coming of Jesus every Advent season.
This Advent Team Gramkow is preparing to celebrate the arrival of another notable person. A little baby boy name Beckett. We have been praying for many weeks that we he would arrive home by December 25. In fact, according to my plan he will come home the afternoon of the 23rd. That happens to be the day I have off for the holiday. Of course, if history repeats itself he will surprise us all by arriving early. Who knows.
Team Gramkow is a big advocate of holiday traditions. One tradition we started in recent years is the lighting of an Advent candle. So we have a candle to light on each of the four Sundays before Christmas. And I think we're supposed to have a Christ candle to light on Christmas, but truth be told: We've only got four candles. Our church has a Christ candle. Maybe we can use theirs.
Another tradition we follow is everyone getting their own stocking. I have no idea, what I would want to find inside my stocking. A sock full of candy isn't really on my wish list. But by golly it wouldn't be Christmas if I didn't have a stocking. Just about every Christmas since Mandy and I have been married we've been looking for stocking holders. This has been a difficult search for us. That's partly because we plan on using these stocking holders for the rest of our lives and partly because we weren't really sure how many we were going to need. (One for every person of course, but we weren't sure how many kids we'd end up having.)
Well this year marks the first year that we have a fireplace ... and a mantle ... to hang stockings from. Hmm. We thought we'd better go ahead and get those stocking hangers. And we did! Last Saturday we went out and decided on four stocking holders just like the one below. Well, not just like it. They each have different words. We quickly decided that Beckett would get the Hope stocking. Daddy gets the Peace Stocking. Mommy gets the Love stocking. And Ellie gets the Joy stocking. All very appropriate.
The day after we got the stockings was the first Sunday of Advent. So our church lit the first Advent candle: The candle of Hope. Our pastor explained that the hope we celebrate is more than just a longing, but an assurance of things to come.
We hope you'll celebrate hope with us this during this special Advent season.
This Advent Team Gramkow is preparing to celebrate the arrival of another notable person. A little baby boy name Beckett. We have been praying for many weeks that we he would arrive home by December 25. In fact, according to my plan he will come home the afternoon of the 23rd. That happens to be the day I have off for the holiday. Of course, if history repeats itself he will surprise us all by arriving early. Who knows.
Team Gramkow is a big advocate of holiday traditions. One tradition we started in recent years is the lighting of an Advent candle. So we have a candle to light on each of the four Sundays before Christmas. And I think we're supposed to have a Christ candle to light on Christmas, but truth be told: We've only got four candles. Our church has a Christ candle. Maybe we can use theirs.
Another tradition we follow is everyone getting their own stocking. I have no idea, what I would want to find inside my stocking. A sock full of candy isn't really on my wish list. But by golly it wouldn't be Christmas if I didn't have a stocking. Just about every Christmas since Mandy and I have been married we've been looking for stocking holders. This has been a difficult search for us. That's partly because we plan on using these stocking holders for the rest of our lives and partly because we weren't really sure how many we were going to need. (One for every person of course, but we weren't sure how many kids we'd end up having.)
Well this year marks the first year that we have a fireplace ... and a mantle ... to hang stockings from. Hmm. We thought we'd better go ahead and get those stocking hangers. And we did! Last Saturday we went out and decided on four stocking holders just like the one below. Well, not just like it. They each have different words. We quickly decided that Beckett would get the Hope stocking. Daddy gets the Peace Stocking. Mommy gets the Love stocking. And Ellie gets the Joy stocking. All very appropriate.
The day after we got the stockings was the first Sunday of Advent. So our church lit the first Advent candle: The candle of Hope. Our pastor explained that the hope we celebrate is more than just a longing, but an assurance of things to come.
We hope you'll celebrate hope with us this during this special Advent season.
So happy for new Gramkow traditions! We did one of our family traditions last night after decorating our Avery tree as James read Mandy's letter right before hanging our Avery Angel toward the top of the tree. Thank you again for such a beautiful remembrance of our daughter.
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