Christmas is one my favorite holidays. I love the sparkle and the build up to the big day. I love picking out a tree and decorating it, writing Christmas cards, searching out just the right gifts for people you love and wrapping them up in pretty paper. I love that its a time for family and traditions. One of my favorite traditions of recent years has been to make an advent calendar for my godson Aidan and now also his sister, Keira. It’s a lot of fun to search out little gifts to fill the pockets. Since they live in Virginia and don’t usually see them over the holidays, its something special I can do to be a part of their holidays. I spent a part of last weekend hunting out little gifts (note that finding little gifts that will fit into those teensy pockets is not so easy!) and tonight, taking advantage of an evening catching up on Homeland, I wrapped them all up so I could mail them to Virginia before December 1. Advent calendars are a very German tradition. When I was a kid, we had the kind with little doors, that opened each day to a piece of chocolate in some sort of cute shape. I can remember waking up each morning excited to open the next door for that piece of chocolate, all the way up to the big door and chocolate on the 25th. I also remember my brother eating his whole calendar in one fell swoop!  I’m really looking forward to the day when I’ll be able make an advent calendar for my son or daughter, and share with them all the many things I love about Christmas.