ADVENT ONE

Candles in a window in Norway
with a choir of handmade angels

Today, the first day of December, also marks the first Sunday in Advent.  One candle was lit on our Advent wreath at Trinity this morning.  As we await the celebration of Christ's birth in Bethlehem, we also await His second coming, a day only known to God.

I had a fun Friday evening when Clare and Abbey picked me up and we went to Carter's first game of the Pee Wee Tournament in Estevan.  We joined Kirk, Shauna, Lindsay and Jamie in the stands and watched an exciting game as Arcola Combines (with Lampman players) played Estevan Tarpon Storm.  It was a close game but Arcola ended up with the loss.

Cousins enjoying treats and the game

"Movember Kirk" and Clare
(Are you clean shaven today, Kirk?)

Shauna's Rider scarf also works for Arcola Combines green and white.

Then the Johnsons headed to Boston Pizza for good eats and a good visit before heading home.  Clare and Abbey spent the night at the farm as Jodi was Black Friday shopping in Minot.

Lindsay loves those little twin burgers.

Jamie enjoying her cheese pizza & Caesar salad

 #4 Arcola waiting for his meal

Abbey knows how to roll that spaghetti!

On Saturday Abbey helped me put buns on pans and we made a big batch of rolled out oatmeal cookies.  We made Christmas shapes as well as round ones that will be filled with date or raspberry jam filling.  So that's the start of my baking that traditionally includes Norsk favourites like lefse, flatbread, sandbakkels, krumkake, and Julebrod.  My Aunt Ruth used to make seven kinds of cookies, also a Norsk tradition, but one that I don't follow!  I should make a batch of Uncle Oscar's "Reindeer Milk Toffee" but it never seems to turn out as good as his was.  When I make peanutbutter cookies I usually put half a peanut in the middle of each one, as I remember Aunt Ruth doing. "Porcupines" were another of her seven kinds.

One of my mother's traditions was making a special "Coffee Bread".  I remember her having that treat ready when I would come home from Teachers College or University.  For some reason I never make it, maybe because I think of it as "Mom's Treat" and with her passing, the treat would never be the same but leaves precious memories.

I put the Thanksgiving decorations away and started putting out Advent and Christmas ones.  I admired  the electric candles in the window in almost every home in Norway. I bought a set (in the US as Norway uses a different power system) for the living-room window. It is similar to the one in the top picture.  I don't have a choir of angels but I have an angel tree that Abbey helped me decorate.

Back in Norway, here's the Julenisse who took part in a gathering for Kristiansund children on Saturday.

I'm checking out this big guy in red!

I love this big cookie!

I know who this big red guy is now!
(He took off his mask and showed me so I wouldn't be scared.)

News update from this afternoon:  Here's Ashley posing with Santa before she went to Globe Theatre's production of "Sleeping Beauty".  She loved it!

Ashley with Santa, Dec. 1,2013

Enjoy this special time of preparation with your family.