Christmas & Leaves

I'm scurrying to get December pics and memories posted before February begins!  We had a great 2nd Christmas at our little house.  I especially enjoyed Christmasy things happening in our 85% finished kitchen.  And it was sweet to do the second round of lights on the house, putting decorations up for the 2nd time, developing traditions involving place and being settled.

First round of Christmas cookies on this counter!

Playing in the leaves was not part of my Christmas memories as a child, but it will definitely be nostalgic for these 3.  Fall lasts forever around here!  I think it makes the pain of summer heat and bugs worth it.  

Gingerbread house makin'.   

Lucy hanging Jesse Tree ornaments.  The big kids thought they would be the ones to hang the high ornaments and leave the low branches for Lucy, but she figured out how to reach the high branches herself.  

This year, I was especially aware of the disconnect at Christmas time between who Jesus was and his birth.  We say and hear "Jesus was born!" hundreds of times in December, but why does it matter that Jesus was born?  Doing the Jesse Tree helps put Jesus' birth in context for us.  It's one of my favorite traditions.