"She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands." ((Proverbs 31:13)

Saturday, December 15, 2012

On The 15th Day of Advent


Sing We Now Of Christmas, on this, the 15th Day of Advent!

Thank you, to Jo of Serendipitous Stitching, for hostessing this wonderful Advent Calendar Blog Event!

This beautiful Christmas design was begun at a
Stitcher's Hideaway Retreat, in December 2005, just two days after our daughter's wedding. (I had registered for the retreat months before our daughter became engaged to be married.)
This was a wonderful and very memorable retreat for so many reasons.
                                      'Victorian Noel'
                                   Betsy Stinner
                                             of
                                  Earth Threads

Memories, Memories..... As I think back to so many Christmases past, with our children as they were growing up.  
For our family, the Season of Advent, is the most precious time.  Each year we look forward to getting a new Advent calendar, with the little numbered windows to open each day.



Our children always looked forward to taking turns, each day, opening up the little windows, and then reading aloud the scripture for the day. Now my husband and I take turns opening the little windows each day.  
For each Sunday in Advent, after dinner, we always read a scripture and  light the candles on our Advent wreath. Then we sing a Christmas song or two.  Our children always loved doing this every year.

Another sweet memory is the traditional visit to go see Santa Claus and have the children's pictures taken with him.
                                               

We will never forget this Santa picture.  The children said that "he was a very 'smelly' Santa Claus", and they couldn't wait to get off of his lap!  That was so funny!  Oh such sweet times!


This is a very special ornament, stitched for me last year by my very true love, my darling husband, who is an avid stitcher of Hardanger designs.  Isn't it truly beautiful?

We are so blessed in so many ways every day.  Let us hold dear, in our hearts, those very treasured Christmas memories, and the special memories that we will create in our hearts and homes this Christmas.

Blessings to One & All of You, My Very Dear Friends!

25 comments:

  1. Merry Christmas and God bless you and your family and Meggie too!
    That is a wonder. A real treasure. Your husband is gifted.

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  2. so sweet..
    merry christmas to you and your family dear friend.
    love cucki x

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  3. I too love Advent calendars! And wow! Your husband is a very talented stitcher!! What a beautiful ornament!

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  4. What beautiful memories you've created for your family. Your Victorian Noel and your husband's finish are wonderful!

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  5. Kathy,
    What fond Christmas memories you will always cherish along with your children and they can pass onto their children. I love it.

    Victorian Noel is a gorgeous piece. Your husband did a beautiful job on the hardanger ornament for you. It's wonderful to see that you both can share something you have in common.

    Thank you for taking the time to share you story and pictures with us. I had to giggle at the innocence of the children and the "smelly" Santa.

    Hugs,
    Carolyn

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  6. Lovely blog and such sweet memories, hugs.

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  7. Your Victorian Noel piece is stunning Kathy Ellen.
    Wow to the gorgeous ornament. Your husband does
    Beautiful work.
    Happy Christmas!

    Margaret

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  8. Your Christmas piece is beautiful! Love the ornament your husband did also... so sweet.

    happy stitching...

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  9. Thanks for taking part. Your sampler is gorgeous and new to me. The hardanger ornie looks familiar though, I have a set of NOEL letters with the same design on each one.

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  10. Those are such beautiful memories. God bless you and your family, Kathy!

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  11. Such a talented husband. Beautiful stitched items and thank you for sharing your Christmas stories with us.

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  12. Beautiful post. B's work is stunning!

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  13. The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other

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  14. Such a beautiful post Kathy Ellen! Love the Victorian Christmas you stitched and the advent calendar tradition is lovely and just what Christmas is supposed to be about: celebrating Christ's birth. I love how you read some readings from the scriptures and light an advent candle. Your husband is amazingly talented! His ornament is so beautiful!!

    Many Blessings to you and your family during this wonderful Christmas!

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  15. Lovely traditions and memories! The ornament stitched by DH is stunning!!

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  16. Precious memories! I love your idea of the advent calendar, to open a window each day. You have a talented husband, that hardanger ornie is so beautiful!

    Happy Holidays!

    Hugs,

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  17. The stitched piece is just lovely. Your Christmas memories are special. And big kudos to your husband the very accomplished stitcher!

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  18. Beautiful! Thank you for sharing your memories and traditions!

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  19. Hi Kathy, I just read your 2 most recent posts. Your Christmas stitching is beautiful and Bruce's ornament is gorgeous! Looks like you have many wonderful Christmas memories as well as new ones from this year. Sorry that I have been out of touch. I'll make a chatty email a priority for later today!

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  20. Wow, your husband is very talented, that hardanger is beautiful! Your sampler is wonderful too.

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  21. I love the Earth Threads piece and your husbands ornament is gorgeous

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  22. Victorian Noel looks wonderful, and it's even more precious because it's linked with such a great memory.
    We were having the same Advent tradition when I was a child. And the tradition went on to our house when we had children. Our children also had their advent calendars every year (the ones with little chocolate pieces behind each door), and even today I always send them one.
    What a great ornament your husband made. Very beautiful!

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  23. Hi Kathy,
    Your samplers are so sweet and I loved hearing about your Christmas memories and traditions. I too have such lovely memories. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. Thank you so much for your prayers for my son and your visit.

    Christmas blessings,
    Sandi

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  24. It was such a pleasure reading your CHristmas stories and looking at allthe photos! Thank you so much for sharing them in the hop! All of the stitching is beautiful, your and your husband's too!

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  25. Victorian Noel is such a pretty piece!
    I loved hearing about your Advent traditions. I also used to open those calendars with the windows and the scripture readings. It is so difficult to find them now. All I seem to see are the ones with the chocolates behind the windows.
    We have a collection of photos of all the children taken with Santa. In addition there is one of myself and of my hubby with Santa taken when we were children.

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Consider the Lilies of the Field

Consider the Lilies of the Field
"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the Lilies of the Field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, that even Solomon in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these." Matt: 6: 28-29)