celebrating Jesus!!!

**************************before thanksgiving i asked lainey beth what were her favorite things she remembers about Christmastime and specifically last year. mike and i have been talking about traditions and things and ways we want to lift up Jesus in our home during this special time of year. lainey said there were 2 things: 1. she remembered/loved decorating the tree with us. we do make a big deal out of decorating our little tree. we try and talk about how the green tree represents "new life" with Jesus and how He makes all things new, how He causes us to grow and change as we submit to Him. as we unpack the ornaments i try and talk to her about how the excitement of unpacking the ornaments is somewhat like God's Word. each time we open the Word we see new things, in new ways and appreciate new things about what He has done for us....its always new/exciting...like a new package everyday. lainey gets so excited to help me unpack each box and you guys know her...her animation and enthusiasm is fabulous. we also always drink eggnog and have a little sweet treat of somesort (whatever mom has made...this year it was sugar cookies, decorated at our dear friend em's annual cookie decorating night) beau even liked the eggnog this year....mike...well its still of no interest to him...we drink his. those that also don't like eggnog are saying to themselves....yuck! but for those of us that like it we had fresh nutmeg on top this year that i had bought in boston with maggie at a darling little shop. it was really yummy.

her #2 thing: was the "ice storm" last year. it was hard to explain to her that this will most likely not be a billingsley tradition. i think what she loved about it was having a giant slumber party at our house for several days. so....anyone who might be interested in re-creating that for lainey let me know....

we love doing our "jesse tree" this is a tradition we started 4 years ago. lainey really enjoys. beau im not sure he understands it yet. but he likes to try and scribble on lainey's drawings...which of course you can imagine she does not appreciate. we've done it several different ways. the first couple years we did an actual tree with ornaments, last year we made a book and this year we are doing a wall hanging. we decided a tree and beau would not mesh together too good. jesse tree the idea is taken out of isaiah 11:1 and it is devotional reading for each generation of lineage from genesis to the birth of Christ. we have really enjoyed talking about Jesus' family.

another tradition we love is setting up our nativities. we love doing this together. each one is so special and of course baby Jesus is the treasure at the center!