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We set it up and eagerly anticipated the reading of the story with Ace each day. Now what to do with all these little books once read. I was a tad nervous to place them on our tree 1.) because Ace removes ornaments at will and goodness knows where they all are and 2.) the strings are a tad short to easily fit. So I came up with another solution that also helped us prune back our tree out front. I made our own tree! with some pruning scissors, tape and ribbon and wa-la our Advent Tree was ready.
Ace more than anything wants to put the books on the tree rather than read them, but often he will sit through the two page story of the day and then we place it on the tree together. So while he's a tad young to truly understand the meaning of Christmas. He certainly knows who Jesus is (to a point) and when asked where Jesus lives he points to his heart and then runs over to his Fisher Price Nativity scene and picks up the stable. :) 
Yes, this project was done using the Pound of Love yarn in Lavender and the pattern that came with it. The pattern is relatively easy and it took me a few weeks of leisurely working on it to complete the blanket and only an hour or two to complete the hood and attach it to the blanket. I realized I could have made the blanket a tad larger since I ended up with about a skien worth of yarn leftover - so good to know for future blankets made using this pound of yarn. 
I shipped Kaylee's blanket to her along with several outfits the day Jen went into labor. I was so excited to become an auntie! These pictures of Kaylee in her blanket are when she was just a few weeks old. She's so cute. It's hard to believe that she's already three months. :)
This one is just funny :)
We then stick it in the glory hole and soften up and melt it all together. We then took more of the color and rubbed it all over and back in it went for some more time in the hole. We wore sunglasses because it was SOOO toasty.
After we finished applying the coloring, the instructor them firms it up into the proper shape and puts a bubble into the glass. We then get the job of blowing the ornament ourselves, while the instructor shapes it for us.
A few chose to put a ribbon around their ornament - which requires an additional layer of glass be spun on top of the other glass. While the instructor is obtaining the additional glass the original glass must be rolled back and forth in order for it to remain in the correct shape.
The additional glass is then placed on the existing glass while you roll the rod away from you. This process is mostly done by the instructor and then it is placed back into the glory hole for some softening of the glass once more.
Then we get to shape our ornament by blowing into a tube and pushing air into the preexisting bubble the instructor created.
From there we're able to torch it if we've decided to use the metallic. The torch creates the shine. It was pretty fun - and the instructor extremely trusting!
We all did something a little different! The top two are pictures of D's, the one next to it is B's. The bottom row from left to right is Dana's, mine, and Jackie's. They required 24 hours to cool, because it has to be cooled slowly or they will shatter. D will pick them up on Monday for us. Perhaps more pictures will be forthcoming.
We had an excellent time doing it! Happy Birthday, D!
Tuesday of the this week it was a different story... in fact today it probably is even more frozen. Nights around here have been below 15 degrees and the days rarely make it above freezing. It's down right frozen around here! 
