CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS 4: JESSE TREE

Special family devotions for the Christmas season have always been a tradition for us. Last year we used the wonderful heirloom Christmas tree countdown, made by Eric's mom, and tailored our devotions around each ornament as we placed it on the tree.

I've always wanted to do a Jesse Tree with the girls, and this year I found a wonderful book to provide the basis for our devotions. The Jesse Tree represents the family tree, or genealogy of Jesus Christ. It tells the story of God's salvation plan from creation and throughout the Old Testament, to the coming of the Messiah. The name comes from Isaiah 11:1, "Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit."

Our Jesse Tree was actually a poster (you know that I am NOT crafty!!). Each night, the girls colored a "leaf" for the tree that coincided with the story we read. Sometimes the story we read was about a person in Jesus' lineage (Abraham, Ruth, Mary) and other times the story was about a prophet or event in the course of God's plan.

The book we used is The Jesse Tree written by Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Bee Willey. I highly recommend this book. There are so many fun ways you can create your family's Jesse Tree, based on the stories. Next year we might use molding clay and shape the symbols :)

Our Jesse Tree devotions have been an awesome reminder to our family that God didn't begin thinking about a solution to sin at Christmas. God's big plan to reconcile people to Himself began in the beginning, with the promise of a Messiah, and many lessons along the way to illustrate our inability to save ourselves.

So tonight, on Christmas Eve, we rejoice that Jesus is alive! He has come and saved us through His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave.

"Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:6-11 (NLT)

Merry CHRISTmas! Thank You, Jesus! We love you!

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS 3: CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Each year we love to drive around town and see the Christmas lights. Sometimes we make a detour while we are already out, other nights we have the girls get into their pj's and then head out in the car, instead of heading to bed. We have a few "regular" spots that we go to every year. This year I received a notice via email about a couple who decorates their house with more than 100,000 lights. So tonight we headed out to check it out. It was unbelievable!

This picture didn't come out very well, but it was a gingerbread house with a nativity on the side and the heavenly host on the roof.

We ran into our friends, Sean & Kristin, who were also there getting involved in the Christmas cheer.

The couple who own the home start decorating in July-August and they come outside each night to welcome guests to their holiday display and hand out candy canes

If you live in our town and would like to see the lights, email me for specifics. Everything will come down on Dec. 26 and this is the last year they are doing it.

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!

Oh the weather outside is frightful . . . at least it was yesterday! Ella's school was cancelled and we ended up bringing Avery home early so she didn't have to ride the bus on the slippery streets. We had about 10 inches of snow yesterday and it is beautiful!

Today it was cold but sunny so we all went to a park to sled. Eric was bummed that he couldn't sled (still nursing the back) but the girls and I had a blast!

Ella was especially hardy -- down the hills and back up again, even when she was so tired she could barely make it up.

Avery decided to take a break and didn't really get up again :)

As we prepare for Christmas, we are excited that it might actually be "white"! And we praise God, the creator of snow, and everything else, for the pretty world that we live in today.

RUDOLPH COOKIES

Check out these adorable reindeer cookies that Ella made! Just a dab of white icing fastens the twist pretzel antlers, red M&M nose, and chocolate chip eyes to a Nutter Butter cookie. All set for her Christmas party at school tomorrow!

SMALL GROUP CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION

What an awesome night! Our small group joined together with our "other half" to enjoy good food, awesome singing, and wonderful friendships. We are blessed to have GREAT musicians in our group!

With Gary on the guitar, Allison on violin, Chris on piano, Harlan on drums and Willie with the bass, we sang many Christmas favorites and even enjoyed a rousing rendition of Feliz Navidad (thanks to Kristen!).

Here are a few photos from our evening together . . .

Kim, Falen & Cheryl

Kathy & Dave

Jill & Kim

Chris & Loriann

The guys: Eric, Willie, Jim, Gary & Harlan

Karen, Kim, Jill & Michel

Cheryl, Kristen & Kathy

This is our current small group:

And our "other half" that multiplied into a new group last year:

Thank you, Mario & Michel, for hosting us and to Kim for putting this wonderful evening together. We love all of you guys!

COUSIN LOVE

I didn't grow up in close proximity to my cousins (and I only have a couple of them), so it is great fun to watch our girls develop a close friendship with their first cousins. This weekend they had a lot of time to spend with their girl cousins on the Tillis side. On Saturday, we went to Skaneateles to the Dickens Christmas festival. It was freezing, but the frequent indoor stops and free hot chocolate helped to warm us up.

To Avery & Ella's delight, their 8-year-old cousins, Amanda & Kelli, returned home with us for an overnight stay. They had many rounds of hide-the-Webkinz and various other made-up games. Not to mention a VERY late night and early morning. We spent this afternoon at the Strong Museum and made many happy memories.

We are thankful for my sisters and Eric's brothers and the many cousins who bless our family!

To see the full album of our weekend with the cousins, visit our Kodak gallery here!

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS 2: WHERE IS BABY JESUS?

This is one of our very favorite traditions, and it is actually a tradition from the Tillis family. I've been doing this all of my life (slightly modified for our family)!

We have 8 nativity sets, ranging from the "nice" porcelain set in the living room to the plastic set that I got the girls to play with when they were toddlers. Each year we set them up around the house. Almost every room has one. However, the baby Jesus figure from each set is hidden until Christmas morning. When the girls wake up on Christmas, the first thing they do is place each baby Jesus in His manger.

Usually I lay the baby Jesus figures on the dining room table and the girls take them from there to the appropriate mangers (followed by Eric with the video camera, of course!) However, last year Avery decided that the figures should be hidden so that she and Ella could hunt for them. At first this sounded a little sacriligious to me, but then I thought, "why not?" and so our new tradition includes a hunt for the figures. Hmmm...that strangely mirrors the egg hunt that we do at Easter...

The reason that I love this tradition is that it focuses my children on why we are celebrating Christmas. There hasn't been a year where they run to see what's under the tree first. They have always delighted in placing baby Jesus in His manger before we turn towards the presents. I hope this means that they're beginning to understand that He is the greatest gift that we will ever receive.

"The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS 1: GINGERBREAD HOUSE

This is my first post of the season, highlighting some of our favorite Christmas traditions. Creating a gingerbread house is not the most unique family tradition, but it is certainly one of Avery & Ella's favorites! My main role is to purchase (no, I do not make the gingerbread from scratch!) the house pieces and make the "royal icing". I cannot believe how glue-like it is! This year, Eric and I put the house together while the girls were at school so that it was dry and ready to decorate when they got home.

The "funnest" candy that I found this year to add to the house was Peeps in the shape of snowmen and evergreen trees -- so cute!

Voila, the finished product!

ERIC IS 40!

Yes, as of today, December 1, 2008, I am married to a 40 year old man. My brother-in-law, Jerry, told us that once you reach 40 it's not downhill, it's more like falling off a cliff! Maybe there is some truth to that . . . right after dinner Eric fell asleep on the couch saying, "I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm so tired." Hmmmm

To celebrate this milestone, I had an 80's party on Saturday eve for some of our family and good friends. It was a blast! Games included "Name that 80's Tune" and trivia from 80's TV commercials. There was great dispute over one of the answers, so for those who requested it, here is the Wikipedia blurb about "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up":

In 1989 LifeCall began running commercials which contained a scene wherein an elderly woman, identified by a dispatcher as "Mrs Fletcher" uses the medical alert pendant after having fallen in the bathroom. After falling Mrs Fletcher speaks the phrase "I've fallen and I can't get up" after which the dispatcher informs her that he is sending help.

And the YouTube version of this classic commercial. My apologies to the outraged (and competitive) players who insisted that it wasn't a commercial for "the Clapper". Thank you, Jeff, for listing this answer on your paper so I didn't feel so alone!

We enjoyed awesome food and GREAT 80's outfits for all who attended! An award goes to Darrin & Jill for their version of Alex Owens (Flashdance) and Lloyd Dobler (Say Anything)

Most creative prizes go to Marty (aka Indiana Jones)

and James (aka Gorbachev). It helped when he told us, "It's not blood!"

I also loved Jean's dress. Very authentic 80's, and she just took it out of her closet! Can you wear that on Sunday, Jean?

Eric and I dressed as we actually did in the 80's. Eric wore an '88 Santana t-shirt that he tie-dyed himself when he was 20 :) I wore pink and green preppy, although I have a lot less hair than I had in the 80's!

Thank you, everyone for making this a special day for Eric. He is such an awesome husband and father and we are both thankful for your love and friendship! Happy Birthday, Eric!

THANKSGIVING FEASTS

In the last week, our family has been reading about the first Thanksgiving, both at school and at home. On Sunday at HighPoint, Mr. Dudley taught the kids that the original Thanksgiving was created by God, in the form of Jewish festivals. With Thanksgiving on the mind, we've been working on an "attitude of gratitude" all month.

On Thursday we will head out to spend Thanksgiving with my family. Getting an early start, Avery and Ella each celebrated Thanksgiving feasts at school today with their teachers and friends. Both girls made crafts (placemats, a pilgrim hat that is not shown because it got crushed in the book bag, necklace and a treats box)

Unfortunately I could 't be in two places at the same time (I hate that!) so I volunteered in Ella's class. I was in charge of helping kids with their necklaces. So cute :)

My favorite part of Ella's Thanksgiving feast was when each child read his/her "Thank You Story". Here is what Ella wrote:

I am thankful for God because he sent his only son to die for are sin. I am thankful for my sister because she loves me and I love her. I am thankful for my friends because they are nice to me. I am thankful for my parents because they lov me so much and care for me.

Avery also had a nice Thanksgiving song to share with us when she got home from school.

A few things that I am most thankful for:

• My salvation and eternal hope because of Jesus
• My husband of 10 years. God knew that Eric is the exact person that I needed as my partner and best friend in life. He is an awesome husband and father!
• My precious girls, Avery & Ella. They bring me so much joy.
• Everything I need and so much more. God blesses me daily with more than I could ask or imagine.

FIRST SNOW

It has been a blustery, cold week around here! Much more like February than November. But Avery & Ella have loved it. Lots of time with their best friends -- each other!

RUNAWAY WALKER

Okay, this story is about 2 weeks old, but I haven't had a chance to write it down until now! The girls and I went to visit my parents, my sister, Coleen, & her family, and my grandma. For those of you who prayed for Grandma this summer & fall as she transitioned into assisted living -- thank you! She is doing great! So much better than I expected when I went to see her -- "...all things are possible with God."

One evidence that Grandma is doing well was that she wanted me to take her out to lunch. We went to Friendly's, and this particular restaurant is on a busy street (almost a highway) and up on a hill. Grandma has a teal-colored walker that she LOVES. She shows it to everyone that visits her and she calls it her "buggy". It has a storage basket under the seat, and on this particular day she stored her take-out container before we left Friendly's.

It was a very cold day, and my main concern after lunch was getting Grandma into the car, especially since she refused to wear a coat to lunch. Grandma let go of her "buggy" to get into the car and I helped her up the step into the van and got her settled. When I turned around, her "buggy" was gone! A panicky thought came into my head and then became reality -- Grandma's walker was moving at a fast pace down the hill and into the road!

I ran (and I am not a runner!) as fast as I could, down the hill. But just as I reached the road, the walker rolled right out into traffic (moving at 50+ mph). All I could imagine was having to tell Grandma that her "buggy" was demolished. And how was I going to get her back into her apartment without it??

Fortunately, a very nice man noticed the walker before he hit it. He slowed his car and stopped, allowing me to run out into the road and retrieve the teal-colored walker. As I was sheepishly pushing the walker back up the hill to my car, I could see the man and his wife getting a good laugh at my expense.

God is good. Grandma's buggy was safe and even her take-out quesadilla wasn't any worse for the ride. I considered sharing this adventure with Grandma once I got into the car, but decided that it would be more prudent to wait to share the laugh with my mom and dad. Grandma never noticed a thing and I guess that was for the best.

Here is a picture of Grandma with three of her great-granddaughters, Ella, Sammie, & Avery . Sometimes it's just better not to know everything that happens around us.

BEST HANDWRITING

Today Ella won the award for "Best Handwriting in the First Grade". Each month, one child gets selected for this honor. The prize is a special lollypop. Here is a picture of Ella with her prize and a sample of her "best handwriting"

SINGING TREE

This beautiful Japanese Maple is in our front yard. I can't help but think that Psalm 96 can be literally applied . . .

"Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;

let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.

Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;
they will sing before the LORD"

Psalm 96:11-13

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

This was an unusual Halloween . . . I came down with a stomach bug in the wee hours of Friday morning, putting me out of commission for all of the Halloween festivities. Eric had already taken the day off, so he was able to attend Avery's party and parade at school and get the girls ready for trick-or-treating. It was my first (and only, I hope) year to miss the fun with them.

Avery changed her mind at the last minute from dressing as a butterfly to being a fairy. Ella was a kitty cat (aka "cutie-cat"). Thank you, Aunt Coleen, for loaning us the hand-made fairy dress, and thanks to Grandma W. for making the purple satin cat tail! This mom is hopeless when it comes to sewing.

Eric and the girls enjoyed two hours of trick-or-treating with our good friends and neighbors. Then they visited Grandpa & Grandma's house and Mr. Matt & Miss Meg's house. Thanks for all of the candy! It has been an extra-sweets kind of day :) Maybe my stomach will be ready for chocolate by tomorrow . . .