One of my FAVORITE things leading up to Christmas this year has been doing an advent activity with Ella. It is truly amazing what a child at 16 months old understands!!! We wanted to start a tradition with our kids that requires us to take a moment each day to focus on why Christmas is such a big deal. We want Ella (and Micah) to understand what and who is most important at this time.
So we decided to do a "Jesse Tree" with Ella this year. It is called a "Jesse Tree" because it starts with the first person in the genealogy of Jesus. It begins a month before Christmas and each day takes you through scriptures from creation to the birth of Jesus. Here is the link I used to download the activity cards. http://www.eriercd.org/jessetree.htm Instead of building a separate tree for these "ornaments" I just laminated them and put a magnet on the back and we attached them to our front door. I admit we definitely weren't as diligent about doing them every single day. But when Ella walked by the door she would point to the mantle where we keep a bible, take a seat at the bottom of the stairs beside the front door, and patiently wait to read the verse before giving her the card to put on the door. Here are some pics of the process... (disclaimer... Ella did not wear the same sleeper all month. This just happened to be the day I took pictures. And there were many days she chose to take all pics down for review.)
 |
| Each card followed with a celebration! |
 |
| The finished tree! |
|
|
As I think about the birth of Jesus I can't help but think about what it was like. The simplicity of it all. Husband, wife, and child surrounded by nature and God's love. Not running from one Christmas party/family event to another. Not racing to the store to get all the ingredients for the big feast or last minutes gifts. Don't get me wrong, it was a blast to watch Ella tear apart wrapping paper, the snow was beautiful, and family-get-togethers are always a blast. But there is something magical about laying on the couch with my husband holding one child and I feeling another child kick in my stomach. And laying there in the quiet and calmness of a moment and thinking about the "moments" Mary, Joseph, and Jesus had in that stable. The same God created all of us. He created the family Jesus was to be raised in. He created Ryan and I to raise Ella, Micah, and whoever else may come along, if any. And God intended for THE BABY who was born with humility in a stable to die with humility on a cross. And that baby - King/Messiah - was intented to save us all!! So what was my favorite Christmas gift? Having 4 days at home with my husband and daughter and basking in the fact that the only hope we trust in is Christ Jesus! I hope you had a fantastic birthday party for Jesus this year!
Here is Ella's first time at opening presents...
 |
| A square inch of paper was removed at a time and immediately disposed of before moving onto the next piece. |
She may not have had the opening presents down, but she sure knows how to play with them...
 |
| Within 30 minutes, ALL toys were all over the floor! |
 |
| Oh how we LOVE organizational presents!!! |
 |
| LOVES her daddy! |
 |
| This is her "cheeeeeeeeeeeeese" face. |
 |
| Takes after her daddy. Prefers to read more than one book at a time. |
 |
| Boy, do we know how to have a tea party! |
 |
| It had been such a long day! |
And now for my favorite pics!!
Blessings to your families!
~ The Lewellings
No comments:
Post a Comment