Getting ready for Christmas

We do a Jesse tree as our Advent calendar. For those not familiar with one, it's the story of Jesus's lineage. 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." We hang ornaments each day beginning on Dec 1st until Christmas. Matt made our tree out of left over branches from trimming the trees in our yard. We bought the ornaments that you put together and it came with a scripture reading for each day. The kids really love doing this and it keeps the focus on Jesus's coming. 

We had our annual music concert this christmas with Ava and Matthew on piano and Rachael and I on violin. We took a lovely video which you'll have to take my word on was some of the best playing from all my kids. Unfortunatley when I copied the pictures over, the videos did not upload and they are now lost. So instead I put some pictures of what the girls where wearing that night. I know not the same, believe me I'm VERY upset about this. Moving on...

The kids and I baked some cookies and passed them out to our neighbors. We visited some neighborhoods with beautiful and elaborate christmas light displays. Christmas shopping is done. It's time for St. nicholas to appear.

 

 

 

Rachael hanging an ornament on the Jesse tree

 

 

Girls all dressed up and ready to go

 

 

Making gingerbread cookies