First of Advent

This is such a special time of year. I love all the traditions I grew up with and have always tried to keep them going with my little family. I think that this year it is especially important to me that we keep these family traditions alive. We have had such a tough month with so many uncertainties. Emma is now starting to feel much better and I want to do everything I can to keep this time of year special for all of us.
As today is the first of Advent, we lit the first candle at the end of the day while eating saffron rolls. I used my mother's recipe and if I do say so myself they turned out pretty tasty...though maybe not very pretty... The house smells wonderfully of the Christmas tree we picked up today mixed with the aroma of freshly baked bread. The mood has been helped further by the fact that it snowed most of the day - everything is white and fresh!
Tonight I will finish wrapping the little gifts for Emma and Henry's Advent calendars so they can open the first ones tomorrow. Emma and I are going to decorate the tree in the morning while Henry naps - I hope she has as much fun as I plan to!