Christmas Carols

One of the things I find so beautiful about this time of year, are the Christmas Carols. I LOVE music (well, certain music, haha, I'm picky). But this year we are being very careful about what songs we are listening to and when. As far as the silly Christmas songs, and just the fun typical songs like Jingle Bells, etc. I don't really care when those are listened to or sung. However, when it comes to the songs about Christ, we are being careful. I don't want to spend all of the advent season singing songs about Christ's birth and how he has already come, when during advent we are supposed to be waiting anxiously for His birth. So we are trying to hold off on the typical Christmas Carols for a bit later in the season, and listen to things more appropriate to the season of Advent. I want my kids to really feel that anxiousness about sitting and waiting for Christ. I want Christmas Eve to be the magical moment when they realize, YES! He is coming! And for Christmas Day to just be a light for them, a day of joy and excitement! I feel like we have missed that in past years, because of our eagerness with beginning Christmas...well, right after Thanksgiving! I really want to make the distinction this year. I have been sharing our experiences with a few others, and people who have never celebrated Advent before, are becoming very interested and have said they would like to next year, in order to bring the focus on what Christmas is truly about, and to make it more meaningful. I'm so glad they feel that way! And I hope they do celebrate next year!

For now, here is one of my favorite songs that I have been listening to during this Advent season. Warning: you might cry. Or, maybe that's just the pregnancy hormones, haha.

P.S. Did anyone else's parish (or church) sing O Come Emmanuel this past weekend? I was like, nooooooooooo!!!!! I so wanted to wait with that one. Oh well. It is a beautiful song. We are very excited to sing it one verse at a time this year at the time we do the O Antiphons. This year is just full of so many new and beautiful things for our family! I love it!

P.P.S. I am feeling quite sick. I know this is a good thing. But, I'm starving, and I can't eat anything. Today is "go out to eat night" for our family, and I REALLY want to be able to enjoy it. And not be hungry, haha.