Happy 1st of December!
I've been so looking forward to December this year. I don't know if it's because we've had such an awful year and that we need something fantastical to focus on, but for whatever reason I'm completely on board with Christmas this year, even more then ever.
When I was looking to see which year I made this advent calender I reread this post, and was surprised to see that I said something very similar 2 years ago. That was a tough year too, with another redundancy as well as Jim and I seperating. Two years on though some things have changed (and some unfortunately are horribly familiar). Of course Jim was made redundant again, but I'm so pleased to say that two years on we are very much not seperated. We're riding this wave together these days, determined to get through and learning how to be kinder to eachother. Because we both deserve a little extra kindness these days.
But I'm sad to say that this is the first year ever where I'm not looking forward to the future. As hard as it's been with Jim out of work and Bella being in and out of hospital, I truly wish I could stop time. I want December to last forever and next year always to just be in the future.
Of course with two excited and excitable girls I won't have much time this month to worry about the future and I truly intend to enjoy the Christmas month as much as possible.
I made this advent calender for Bella 3 years ago. I designed it because I didn't want her to think that advent calenders automatically meant chocolate calenders. So I made 24 pockets just big enough for a small toy and designed it so that each pocket folds over to mark the passing of the days.
I'm still really happy with the design and how well it works, but I have to admit that this year it has pretty much just become a chocolate calender!
At least it's a homemade chocolate calender though!
