It's our tradition to decorate the day after Thanksgiving for Christmas. You can have your Black Friday sales and all their madness. We always pick new ornaments each year, one for each child and a family ornament with figures to match the number of family members. I was so surprised when I opened my ornaments to find I had already purchased our ornaments at Hallmark last year after Christmas. Two less shopping trips...I'm liking this Christmas season already. The youngest child always puts on our angel, so this was Michael's first year to put it on the tree. (last year he was just too little, and Daniel was still small enough for JP to pick up). Michael has been struggling with something this weekend. He ran a fever the whole day so he felt pretty puny when it was time to put on the angel. His fever broke the next day, so he's on the mend.
Our new advent wreath this year. Isn't it pretty? I like it so much. Tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent, so we will light our first candle during our church service.
Our stockings
A new way to countdown to Christmas. The kids stamped small envelopes with the date and a Christmas themed stamp. I punched a hole in one end and strung it through some curling ribbon. Then put strips of paper with Christmas activities in each envelope. I strung the envelopes in the doorway of our dining room. Starting Dec. 1st, they will take turns taking down an envelope. Some activites included: reading favorite Christmas stories, Christmas movies, having hot chocolate, Christmas crafts and other special holiday things.
Our Jesse Tree and Advent Calendar. Last year, my mom gave me a set of Jesse Tree ornaments and a devotional. They were made in Southeast Asia. She has since bought two more sets, so each of our children will have one to carry on this tradition. Jesse Tree comes from the basic idea in Isaiah 11:1 which says: "A new branch will grow from a stump of a tree; so a new king will come from the family of Jesse." This was a prophesy foretelling the coming of Jesus as Messiah and Savior of the world. Each ornament has a symbol from "our story" as Christians, starting in the Old Testament and continuing through the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
This year I found 25 Scriptures of Advent, so we are using those in our Advent Calendar this year to focus our hearts on the real meaning of Christmas.
I am so excited about this Advent Season---this season of expectation and anticipation. Excited to see what God has in store for us next.