Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Deck the Halls

This Christmas is vastly different.  Not bad different, but it does take some getting used to.  My Mr. and I are very happily decorating the few small things in our home that can be decorated and sneaking presents around the house so the other doesn't see them.  It's fun and it's led to a lot of creativity.  For example:

This is our Christmas tree.  It's branches I found at the Farm and strung together with wire decorated with odds and ends. 
This is the first ornament we bought together last January on a ski trip.
I love foxes, so my littlest brother, Gizmo, painted an ornament for my tree.  It says "I love you" on the back in his handwriting.
These little bears were a wedding gift from one of my cousin's little girls.

 I think this is why I've always loved the Christmas trees in our family.  Ever since I was little mom would buy each of the kids a new ornament every Christmas to help us remember the special things that happened throughout the year. And then, every year, we'd unpack the old ornaments and hang them all up as a family.  It was like unpacking years of memories and holding them in your hands again.  I'd pull out a Tangled ornament and remember The Perfect Thanksgiving (a tale for another day), a little dancing fairy for the days spent playing in the woods,  a silver plaque for a lost dog, an octopus for the start of my blog. 

Our tree is simple, colorful, and already full of love and memories even though it's only our first Christmas.  This year is tough, different, and exciting.  We don't have an ornament for it yet, but whatever it is has a lot to reflect because this year has been a handful.  We're spending the winter in our living room and kitchen because this house has too many rooms and it would be silly to heat them all and I'm loving it.  Last night we made a pallet in front of the fireplace and cuddled while we watched Friends.  This morning has been spent in our PJs playing League, sipping hot tea, and trying to rest-the-heck out of our colds.  The night before we were up until 4:00 a.m. telling stories from our childhood and laughing together. 

In sickness and in health
In wealth or poverty
Now and forever.

Life is beautiful.

Merry Christmas,

kaJo

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