Day 1,652 - The Jesse Tree

Wow, it’s kind of hard to believe but Christmas break is nearly over. Seriously! Thursday marks Ellie’s first day back at school. Ethan has a little bit longer but his time is coming soon (Muhahaha). If I had to pick one word to describe the past couple of weeks, it would probably be exhausting but that’s ok. Part of what made it exhausting was the same thing that made it fun and that was Bethany being off work for 11 days straight!  Ellie and Ethan just have slightly different personalities when their mom is home. There’s an unbridled excitement that “can’t stop, won’t stop.”

Of course, in between epic play sessions designed to delight kids and exhaust parents, there’s been lots of Christmastime excitement. We’ve had multiple Christmas celebrations, baking days, expeditions to see Christmas lights, and Christmas movies aplenty. All have certainly been memorable. Honestly though, one of the things I’ve come to enjoy the most about our Christmas season is also one of our newer traditions, the Jesse Tree.

For those that are unaware, the Jesse Tree is not referring to me, although that would be pretty cool. Instead it’s referring to Jesse, the father of King David in the Bible, and specifically Isaiah 11:1 (“A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.”). Our version of the Jesse Tree is actually a 12x12 coffee table book that features a pop-up tree when we open it. Beginning on December 1, there is a box that we open each day containing a small ornament to hang on the tree. Of course, the ornament would mean nothing without the daily story which serves to describe the ornament and its relevance to the story of Jesus.

It's fairly normal for our family to read the Bible together each night before the kids go to bed. In fact, one of Bethany’s goals for last year was that the kids would get to hear the entire New Testament and we succeeded in that goal. It’s honestly a pretty cool accomplishment even if the kids were more than a little confused during Revelation (To tell the truth, we all are!). With the Jesse Tree though, we do that activity in the morning in addition to our nightly bible reading.

Generally, our time with the Jesse Tree would take place in those last ten minutes before Bethany leaves for work. We would place the book in the middle of the living room floor and all sit around it. For the record, it’s never unusual for Bethany and I to each have a kid in our lap during this time. We would start by reading whatever the story was for the day and talking about it a little with the kids. Then, we would have Ellie and Ethan take turns guessing what the ornament might be on this day. That’s pretty much just as competitive of an experience as you might guess it would be for them. Finally, the time comes for one of the kids to open the little door on the book and pull out the corresponding ornament where they proudly hang it on the little tree. It all culminates on December 25^th with the final story and the final door which contains a star for the top of the little tree.

While 2022 was our first year for this tradition, it’s honestly become a really fun one. For one thing, it’s fun to see the kids excited about being in the Word so early in the morning. It’s fairly normal for them to even still be in their pajamas from the night before (Me too if anyone’s keeping track). I also love watching and being a part of moments that include the kids silently snuggling with us and listening intently. Those are special moments that are all too fleeting as the kids get older and ones that I don’t want to take for granted.

Who knows how many years we’ll get to do the Jesse Tree together as a family. I don’t know if at some point the kids will decide they’re “too old” or “too cool” for this tradition. All we can do is enjoy these little traditions for as long as they last and then enjoy whatever new tradition may follow.

#DaddyWrite

I don't have any Jesse Tree specific photos from this year so enjoy this shot of the kids in their pajamas at a lighted Christmas display.