1st Week of Advent {pretty, funny, happy, real}

Like Mother, Like Daughter is one of my favorite blogs. When I want to read something inspiring and see something beautiful, I head over there to browse the new posts and re-read the archived ones. Leila and family are amazing folk. Every Thursday they host a round up of posts based on the theme, "pretty, funny, happy, real." So here is my post for the first week of Advent. 

Kirby enjoys Advent too.

1. Pretty: The Advent wreath on the dining table. Our parish has a tradition of making advent wreaths out of tree rounds, branches and pinecones, cut from the cedars on the property around the church. Since the candles burn quickly, after a few hours of letting the Advent wreath burn, I transfer the flame to this pillar candle nearby, so we can enjoy the candlelight all week.

I took this photo from inside because I'm hiding from the kale.

2. Funny: The kale survived the week of snow and ice. Dang. Some kids hide their vegetables. I'm hiding from this one.

Pinging Pingu

3. Happy: My 11yo Ellie made this from a chocolate foil wrapper this morning. What makes me happier, the peppermint bark bells or the cute origami penguin? It's a toss up. ;)

Sigh. The joy of home ownership.

4. Real: Whoops. The spigot was left in the "on" position even though the watering system for the garden was turned off. Water in pipe. Freezing. Expansion. Thawing. Boom! Fortunately, I was sitting nearby when I heard the ominous sound of water gushing out and got it turned off quickly. And fortunately it was just the exterior piping that cracked and broke, not the interior house pipes.