advent candles
Terri Webster Schrandt

Sunday Stills: Celebrating a Winter Wonderland and the Fourth Day of Advent

Do you wish you lived in a Winter Wonderland? I thought I was living in one, but snow is trying to elude us this week.

Reindeer lights

The winter solstice begins today, December 21. The sparse daylight of our loooonnng winter days will increase by 2 minutes a day! Woohoo! Today, the sun set here at 4:00pm 😨

While waiting for snow, I captured a couple of beautiful sunsets.

A pretty image. But wouldn’t it look better with more snow?

christmas time winter

The lighted deer decor still enjoyed the sunset’s glow.

lighted deer

A few moments later…BAM!

winter sunset
Glow of a Winter Sunset

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” ~ Norman Vincent Peale

For Sunday Stills, please share your images that depict sunlight or darkness, the winter or summer solstice, sunsets, sunrises, love, Advent, and/or holiday magic.

The Gift of Love During the Final Week of Advent

Over the last four weeks, you have celebrated Advent with me, or at least read more about the tradition. I hope that you have learned as much as I did. We celebrated the season’s themes of hope, peace, and joy, culminating this week with LOVE.

advent candles

The whole meaning of Christmas can be explained in one little four-letter word…LOVE. It doesn’t matter what religion you subscribe to, or whether you believe in anything spiritual at all; as human beings, we all have the capacity for love.

Colors of the Advent Candles and Their Meaning

Three purple candles symbolize penitence and preparation. One pink candle represents joy, while one white candle symbolizes the purity of Christ.

On the fourth Sunday of Advent, we light the fourth candle that represents love. Then on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, we light the fifth candle, a white candle that represents Christ.

“The white candle is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to symbolize the arrival of the Light of the World that the darkness cannot overcome.” ~ Color with Leo

o holy night

“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” ~ O Holy Night, John Sullivan Dwight, 1855. Original Lyrics in the Public Domain.

4 advent

The birth of Jesus was not just a historical event – it was the breaking of divine light into the darkness of humanity. When Jesus entered the world, the long night of separation from God came to an end. (Song of Heaven Reading Plan), The Hope Centre, Australia

As with my second Advent post, I’m sharing some of the comments people left on a similar post I wrote 10 years ago.

“Call it Diwali, Advent, Hanukkah, this is a time of year where we all light our candles to spread the lights and pray for peace. I agree with you, there is not much we can practically do, but hoping, spreading love and practicing compassion for ourselves first and for the rest of the world is already a step in the right direction to me.” ~ Estelea

advent candles

“But indeed, the holidays are a time of eager anticipation! May peace, hope, joy, and love reign this holiday season and always!” ~ Lia

Hope, peace, joy, and love all summed up in this photograph of Opa Hans and his granddaughters from earlier this year!

children

My stepson and my granddaughters will be spending the Christmas holidays with us — we’re so excited!

I’m sharing for Hammad’s Weekend Sky, Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday, and Sadje & Kym’s Writer’s Quotes (WQ): Winter Wonderland.

holly border

Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders

The Sunday Stills weekly-themed photo challenge is easy to join. You have all week to share and link your post. Please use your own original images, whether new or from your archives.

  • Remember to title your blog post a little differently from mine.
  • Please create a new post for the theme or link to a recent one.
  • Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
  • Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
  • Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
  • I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.

If you are participating in the photo challenge, I look forward to seeing how you interpret this week’s color challenge theme! Creativity is encouraged, so please share your own photographs (old or new), poems, original short stories, and music inspired by the theme.

This is my last Sunday Stills post until January 4th, when we’ll celebrate 2025 and look back at the events and images that defined the year.

The Flower Hour returns January 6. Color Challenge themes for 2026 are now listed on my Sunday Stills page.

The featured image was A-I generated.

I cannot thank you all enough for reading my posts, engaging with me in the comments, and linking to these photo challenges. I sincerely wish you all a wonderful Christmas and holiday season! May 2026 bring you hope, peace, joy, and love. 🎄❤️

Christmas signature

© 2025 Copyright — Terri Webster Schrandt and secondwindleisure.com — All Rights Reserved

All content on this blog is copyrighted. Please do not repost or reblog without my permission.

Discover more from Second Wind Leisure Perspectives

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

95 comments

  2. A warm, loving, and beautiful post, Terri. Even without snow. You’ve captured the spirit of the season. I hope you had a beautiful holiday season filled with love, peace, and joy. Wishing you a new year filled with the same, and a bundle full of creativity thrown in. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. No winter wonderland in El Paso, Texas. We have had positively spring-like temperatures and it has been delightful but not very Christmasy. I love seeing the snowflakes falling on your blog. I used to do that on my WordPress blog each winter. And your snow-less photos are lovely. What colors in that winter sunset. Hope you have enjoyed the best time with your precious grandangels this holiday season.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Aww, grandangels,… I love that Leslie! Thank you for reading! Texas can be warm in winter, at least in the West. Today was cold 🥶 but sunny. There is snow in the nearby mountains, so we’ll see it this week. My grandangels are excited and its been a fun few days so far. Merry Christmas to you and Shiny New Year ✨️

      Like

      Reply

  4. Terri, thank you so much for this beautiful post and the meaning of the candles in advent. I went to the Women’s Advent meeting at church but didn’t go to the Christmas Eve candlelight meeting. I went when my daughter’s family went. They went to Leavenworth this year and are on the way back home. I’m so glad your stepson and your daughters spent Christmas with you. The photo of Han and the grandkids is adorable. I was so busy before Christmas. My daughter had her milestone birthday this year – the day after Christmas, I spent 6 weeks to create an album from her birth upto this year. My son-in-law envited their friends to send her messages and birthday wishes and I included them in the album also. We had an early Christmas dinner on December 22 and she opened her birthday gifts also. She read every message right there and was so pleased.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you, Miriam, learning more about Advent Season also blessed me. The grand-dots and my step son are here until NY Day. We’re having a great time with them. We wanted snow but we can go to Mt Spokane and playing in the snow there. At least it’s sunny here (29F now)!

      Sounds you had a wonderful Christmas and how amazing you created the album for her! Even though I’m on a bit of a blog break, I appreciate comments and replies this week. I’m helping Marsha with her blogging book update, by writing a chapter on photography. And my children’s book…January is the month to focus on these projects. Talk soon! Happy New Year!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • I appreciate your response, Terri! How wonderful your grandkids and stepson stay until NY day. My daughter and family played in the snow in Leavenworth. They returned home this afternoon. It’s cold here wih 31F the last few days but no snow. I bundled up even when I’m in the house. My son-in-law was going to take the following week off but they called on their way home and asked us to have the grandkids on Monday and Tuesday with a Monday sleepover.

        How nice you’re helping Marsha. I have to take time to set up the audio books for my books on Amazon. I better do it when it’s free.
        Lynton’s birthday is on January 3, and we had a joint birthday dinner last year for Mercy and Lynton. We may do the same this year.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. A beautiful display of solstice and the holiday season – with a beautiful sky. And I loved the message of lighting up the world with hope for peace.

    Wishing you a beautiful holidays season Terri. 💜

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. ★˛˚˛*˛°.˛*.˛°˛.*★˚˛*˛°.˛*.˛°˛.*★*★* 。*˛.
    ˛°_██_*.。*./ \ .˛* .˛。.˛.*.★* *★ 。*
    ˛. (´• ̮•)*.。*/♫.♫\*˛.* ˛_Π_____.e ˛* ˛*
    .°( . • . ) ˛°./• ‘♫ ‘ •\.˛*./______/~＼*. ˛*.。˛* ˛.*。
    *(…’•’.. ) *˛╬╬╬╬╬˛°.｜田田 ｜門｜╬╬╬╬╬*˚ .˛

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  14. I love the winter sunrises and sunsets, Terri. Not only because I am up early enough to see the sunrises but because they display such spectacular patterns and light.

    The last time we had a white Christmas was 2010, although we have had snow in December in other years, but it always melts before Christmas. This Christmas looks cold, frosty, dry and sunny. perfect for walking off all the festive food.

    Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Hans and you. And have a super time with the grandchildren who I’m sure can’t wait for Santa’s visit. So don’t forget some carrots for the reindeer and a drink and treat for Santa.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Even your comment is full of festive Christmas fun, Hugh! Our sunrises now happen about 7:30 for which I am always up.

      We’re super excited for all the Christmas activities this week: a Christmas eve service, rhe annual Christmas eve dinner with extended family, then hosting grandkids. Last year at this time we were in the first leg of our road trip south. Great to stay home! Santa and our local deer will be well taken care of!
      Merry Christmas to you and your entire household. Wishing you all a bright, shiny new year!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  18. Oh, that one picture with your husband and granddaughters is priceless! You all are going to have a wonderful time this Christmas!
    Beautiful pictures of your place dressed for Christmas, and then add a sunset! Gorgeous!
    Thank you for all your knowledge of Advent. It helped me to remember God’s love each week.
    Merry Christmas to you and yours!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  19. Winter does deliver great sunsets! I like your festive reindeer but personally I’m happier if it doesn’t snow. It’s probably very pretty where you live but in London it quickly turns to a muddy, slushy mess! Plus we’re useless at coping with it so the whole country grinds to a halt 😦 I’m happy that Christmas looks like being chilly but bright!

    I’ve added a link from my recent post about the Cologne Christmas markets as they are very much an Advent ‘thing’: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/festive-scenes-at-the-cologne-christmas-markets/

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  22. Terri, I agree with you as to snow making it more picture perfect, but your reindeer are still festive, lit up and frolicking in your front yard. Thank you for the explanation of the meaning of the Advent candles and colors, something I didn’t know. I have linked your post to mine, for readers who may follow your posts through my link every Sunday, although I have my annual Christmas memory post, but not the Winter Solstice or snow. That’s a nice photo of Hans with his grandchildren. Enjoy the blessings of the holiday, surrounded by family and friends.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I suppose I like snow on the ground this time of year…I prefer the bright white over the endless brown. I’m glad I could illuminate more about Advent, I also learned some new things myself. Thank you for sharing my post. Merry Christmas to you, my friend!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • One of our weather forecasters gives a “walking the dog” forecast for evening. That’s the name of this portion of her forecast and the other day she said muddy paws after all this rain. Haven’t heard that in a while but everything is frozen mud now. Same to you Terri!

        Liked by 1 person

  25. Terri, I love the sunset photos with the lighted deer, but what my heart glows more for is the last photo of the laughing, smiling, children which symbolises love and joy! Merry Christmas again.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  32. The thought of a light that darkness cannot overcome is a wonderful one, Terri. I know you’re longing for snow, but the granddaughters will love their time spent with you whether it happens or not. Those deer are magical in the half light. Merry Christmas, darlin! xx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  36. What a stunning sunset, Terri and your house looks wonderful. I was wishing for snow too but it wasn’t to be. Lovely post, wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  37. Happy Solstice. Now the light returns! How weird the sun sets in your world 55 mins before mine and I am quite a bit farther north than you — far enough that a white Christmas is on the ground. Like very deeply covering the ground! Take care. See you in January. Enjoy the special family time.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  42. Thank you for the heartfelt Christmas blessings and your wonderful photos, Terri. I love the pink glow of that sunset; it is magical!

    Warm Christmas blessings and peace to you and your family over the holidays, Terri. All the very best to you in 2026!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a reply to Miriam Hurdle Cancel reply