Advent

This Christmas season, we started the Jesse Tree Advent with Ryan.  Growing up, it was a tradition we looked forward to every year.....following the line of Jesus from the very beginning with Adam and Eve all the way to baby Jesus's birth.  

Since I was not able to make an advent calendar this year, we read "The Jesse Tree" by Geraldine McCaughrean every night before bed.  

The other night as part of our advent, we sat down as a family, turned all the lights off except for the ones on the Christmas tree and sang Christmas songs and read the story of baby Jesus (from his bible storybook).

We drank hot chocolate during the story.  We told him about the gift of baby Jesus and why he had to come. Then we asked him if he wanted to open  presents early.....

DID HE! 

He loved it.

And he's been sleeping in it ever since.