Jesse Tree and other family traditions

It's here --  The Christmas I've been anticipating all of my life.  I know this sounds like the previous post, but all of the sudden I am saturated in awareness that this season of my life and of my little girl's life is the one I've looked forward to for so long.  And I want to bask in the moments.  I want to capture every golden smile and sunshine-drenched day of these precious little toddler years.

Right now I'm reveling in the joy of instituting family Christmas traditions.  One that I've recently encountered is the Jesse Tree Advent Celebration. Jacie and I found the Jesse Tree branch today in our yard.  I'm sure she had no clue why Mommy was foraging through brush looking for just the right stick. But I was excited, and she was happy just to be outside.  Tonight I hung the homemade, crayon-colored earth ornament on our Jesse Tree and read Jacie the Creation Account from Genesis.  As I look at our Jesse tree adorned with its lone ornament, I'm almost tempted to just have the Jesse Tree this year and not do a regular Christmas tree.  I love the simple symbolism of the Real Meaning of the Advent Season.

Almost tempted.  Because another greatly-anticipated tradition to be instituted this year is choosing and cutting our own tree!  We've had a fake one since we got married, and I probably had it for myself  when I was single even before that. I've long vowed that it would be different once we had kids.  Last year hardly counted, I felt, since Jacie wasn't quite six months old at Christmas and completely unaware of anything.  This year is The Year.  The year of awareness.  The year of instituting traditions.  The year it all begins.