It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

One more stocking to hang this year!

Advent wreath ready to light

Blurry I know, but check out Eliana's pretty hair

Eliana's favorite thing to do - bite!  I hope she is just teething and this stage doesn't last long.  Also a close up of her ponytail.  Her hair is getting so long!

Another hair picture.  She didn't leave this one on for long though.

 I've started decorating for Christmas here at home.  All of our decorations have to be at least four feet off the ground because Eliana gets into everything!  I don't think we will do a tree this year since we will be in Indy for Christmas anyway.  Maybe next year when Eliana is a little older and might appreciate it a little more.
The Advent wreath is a really important tradition for me.  I love having one on our table to light before the evening meal.  I was a little slow getting ours out this year because we didn't have any candles.  We burned the ones we had down to nubs last year, so I just threw them away with the thought that I would buy new ones.  Finally on Saturday I went to the store.  I wasn't sure where to go, so I just googled Christian stores and stumbled upon what might be the best store in Columbus!  The closest Christian store to us is a place called Generations Religious Gifts and Church Supply.  I had no idea what it was or even if it was Catholic or not (since I just looked on Google map) but I figured they would probably have Advent candles.  You would have no idea looking at the store from the outside what treasures it holds on the inside.  It is AMAZING!  The store has anything Catholic you could ever want!  My favorite part was the children's section.  If Eliana was just a little older, I could have easily spent tons of money.  They have so many fun toys!  They have board games like "The Priest Board Game", "Trivial Pursuit Bible Version", and "Apples to Apples Bible Edition".  They had Pope t-shirts and vocation dolls (they had a priest and a sister, but the box said you can collect all six - I wonder what the other four vocation dolls are?).  They had children's bibles of all kinds, pop up Noah's ark books, books about how to be God's Princess or Knight, and books with titles like "Where do Sisters come from?".  Craft kits included build your own tabernacle and make your own stole.  And my absolute favorite was My Mass Kit which is a collection of soft stuffed toys like a chalice and hosts.  How awesome is that?!?  What Catholic child wouldn't love to have a gift like that?  Seriously, I loved it.  If you live in Columbus, you have to check it out.  I might just take Rebecca and Ben there when they come to visit.  I think they might appreciate it as much as I do.  In the end, I just bought Advent candles and a couple of books for Eliana.  The best part about Christmas shopping with a baby?  They have no idea you are buying their presents right in front of them!