Jesus Tree Under Construction

So it's almost finished... the preparation at least... Today I spent a large part of the day writing the names we are going to use on cardstock. Jeff and I discussed where this "tree" would be going. We really wanted it to be some place that Hannah spends time and that she can show her friends. After a lot of discussion we decided that we need a new house, HA! Well not complete Ha since it is true that we are quickly outgrowing our house but for the sake of this tree, HA! Anyway, instead I've decided that we will decorate "ornaments" on flashcards and we will post them on an empty wall in her room. That way she will wake up to it first thing in the morning and it will be a reminder to us to talk about it before bed. Basically as we do each day we will construct a paper tree that in the end will be in the shape of a tree..... the last name we will have will be on a star at the top and say "Jesus".

In short it will look like this,

Star
name
name name
name name name
name name name name
name name name name name
name name name name name name
name
name

name

Now I have to figure out how to get it to stick to the wall without peeling off the paint!

Thanks CA- for your suggestions... I overlooked so many "simple" ones in my effort! They were great!

Jesus Tree

Hannah has really started to grow in her faith in the last few months. I think she is starting to really get it.... the concept is so broad though and her little 2.5 year old mind is so fleeting that it's hard to tell. Either way she is all about some Jesus... which just makes my heart swell. She has been desiring to read her bible more and more and to pray before meals. She has been asking questions and is LOVING church! Praise God... I thought she was going to hate church forever but she FINALLY is starting to not only like it but LOVE it! (Drew of course just goes with the flow... I swear that kid is so easy to get along with!)

Anyway, this year I decided that I want to do a "Jesus Tree." Basically the idea is to create ornaments with the different names of Jesus on them. I want to do this sort of as our advent calendar in preparation for Jesus's birth. So each day while Drew naps in the mornign she and I are going to create an ornament with Jesus' name on it. I have been scowering the bible tonight looking for names of God that I felt would be simple enough for her to understand or for me to explain. I must say that it was a little more difficult than I had imagined. Don't get me wrong, I love all the names for God and have rather enjoyed my time of mediating on each in my search, but most of them seem so difficult to explain to a 2 year old. I have picked 25 that I think I can, with some divine intervention of course, explain to Hannah. I am hoping that we can make this a tradition. Now I just have to figure out how to display them and where to put a second tree!

I've listed the names I've choosen below. I am open to suggestions if you do this in your house... Please try to remember that we are doing this with a 2 year old and that I would like the scripture to back it up! Thanks for the suggestions!

Beginning and End (Rev. 22:13)
Bread of Life (John 6:35; 6:48)
Bridegroom (Mt. 9:15)
Creator (John 1:3)
Deliverer (Rom. 11:26)
Faithful Witness (Rev. 1:5)
Gate (John 10:9)
God (John 1:1; 20:28; Heb. 1:8; Rom. 9:5; 2 Pet. 1:1;1 John 5:20; etc.)
Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14)
Head of the Church (Eph. 1:22; 4:15; 5:23)
I Am (John 8:58)
Immanuel (Mt. 1:23)
Lamb of God (John 1:29)
Light of the World (John 8:12)
Lord (2 Pet. 2:20)
Master (Lk. 5:5; 8:24; 9:33)
Morning Star (Rev. 22:16)
Our Protection (2 Thess. 3:3)
Our Redemption (1 Cor. 1:30)
Rock (1 Cor. 10:4)
Savior (Eph. 5:23; Titus 1:4; 3:6; 2 Pet. 2:20)
True Vine (John 15:1)
Truth (John 1:14; 14:6)

Prince of Peace (Isaih 9:6-7)

Everlasting Father (Isaih 9:6-7)

Long over due

This month has gone by so quickly.... it seems like only yesterday that I posted the last time. I had great intentions of adding Halloween pictures and some of our other festive fun but on the 6th we received some sad news. My grandmother, who I talked with daily, and who lived with my parents for 6+ months of the year, died suddenly in her sleep. It was very unexpected. We packed the car that day and had a whirlwind trip 10 + hours to PA for the funeral and other arrangements to get my grandfather down here. Needless to say, when we returned I was not in the mood to write right away.

It was a long and emotional week in PA and before I new it it was Thanksgiving. So here we sit.... I never finished my Disney posts, I haven't added my Halloween pictures, and I have Hannah's Thanksgiving feast at school to post too.... but all of that is on the camera and I have yet to download it. But I have some free time tonight and thought I would post.... so though it will be out of order you are somewhat caught up on our life and craziness. Hopefully I will get caught up with week on posts... although with Christmas on the horizon I can't guarantee anything!

Dougnuts for Dad's

Today at preschool was dougnuts for Dad's. Hannah was so excited for Jeff to go with her to school. She told me I wasn't allowed to come. I was to stay home with Drew and she would go and eat dougnuts. "Like a date" was what she said! So cute!
Anyway, it was also picture day at school. As the dad's pointed out, who came up with the grand idea of mixing dads, dougnuts, dress clothes, and pictures! It was a disaster waiting to happen. Luckily the Lord was smiling on us and both Hannah and Daddy remained powder sugar free for the pictures. Hannah's bow didn't make it and Daddy doesn't do hair.... but he did convince me that she looked good and he combed it??? We'll see ;) I'll post it when the pictures come out. The took individual photos, Daddy and kiddo photos, and a class photo. They were outside shots too so I hope they turn out! Here are some before they left... can you tell she was excited?

Posing with her boots! She loves them and rarely gets to wear them!


Loving the camera! This age is great for picture taking all of a sudden.

Can't control the giggles and excitement!

The duo before they left for their "date"! My favorite picture!!!



And what did Drew and I do all morning..... what else.... we rolled around on the floor! Fun times!