Advent hope

Advent kulich?

Our Advent wreath this year really doesn't even look like a wreath. Maybe it will as the grass grows up, though. That was something to hope for in the first week of Advent, when the theme was hope. We've been using the idea of planting grass for Jesus, mixed right into our wreath. The candles are from our trip to Pecherskaya Lavra in Kiev, and in the middle of everything there is a "shoot coming up from a stump." I didn't have a pink candle, or even anything pink to decorate the joy candle, but Will and Raia stopped at a flower store on the first night of Advent to get the potting soil. They also got flowers for me... and Raia specifically chose a pink ribbon to go with them, not even knowing that it would be perfect for what we would put together later that evening.

Lighting the first candle

A closer view

Jaan reading to us

Asya planting seeds

Bogdan listening to the songs

I found the tune for the song we were just using as a poem last year! Now we're singing it every night.

Tonight we lit the second candle, and started the week of Advent love.