O Christmas Tree O Christmas Tree

I feel like I need to blow the dust off before I post a blog post. As I have been preparing my lesson for this Sunday I have been practically hit over the head with the impression that I need to journal more. I need to record our lives, all of it. I don't need to share with everyone all of it but I need to record it. I felt this same way about becoming organized last year and I did pretty well with that so here is hoping.

I have been thinking a lot lately about our Christmas tree. We were debating on whether we were going to put one up at all this year. Where would we put it? Would she bother it? Would it be a cause of frustration? Was it all worth it? On December 23rd I answered all those questions and out the boxes came and up the tree went. I am so happy we did. Every year it makes me so happy to see. The Christmas tree and the lights add such a magic and romantic glow to the living room.

I had the opportunity to experience Christmas trees in three different ways growing up. My dad's way, my mom's way, and my grandma's way. Through these very different experiences I got to see what I did and did not want to carry on to my own family.

My Mom's way was very hmm..precise. Her tree was always so very beautiful, was/is always magazine perfect, and artificial. We would get the tree up followed by the lights and then there was a very specific system for the bows, ribbons, ornaments, decorative whatnots. It always took a long time but so gorgeous everyone who came over would ooohh and ahhh.

My Dad's way was very cold. Every year we all would bundle up and travel to a Christmas tree farm where we would get on a big tractor that would leave us in the middle of nowhere to find our trees. It ALWAYS took FOREVER. We needed to find the exactly perfect tree no exceptions. I remember one year trudging through the snow coming up with headlines for my obituary because I was so sure I was going to die while Christmas Tree shopping. (I even remember thinking," then they would be sorry!") We would eventually find the perfect tree come home and put the lights on only to have to sometimes restring them then we could put the ornaments on. I always liked the after part of it when we would then sit in the living room with the lights off just sitting and talking.

My Grandma's way was my favorite. She would put her tree up and then invite Ashley and I over to come decorate it anyway we liked. We had white lights and colored lights and tinsel and ornaments. We would put it all on and it was so much fun. If any of my Aunts dared criticize the tree she would quickly come to our defense. She liked it that way and it was beautiful.  The best part was that every year my aunts, uncles, and cousins would all come over to my Grandma and Papa's for Christmas and we would open presents in front of that beautiful Christmas Tree.

Our Christmas tree is still taking shape even though we've been married almost 7 years. We've only had a Christmas tree for two of them. It's absolutely artificial no doubt about that, pre-lit also a requirement, as far as the rest of the decorations go it's just our childhood ornaments we received upon moving out. The ornaments and decorations will morph as the years go on I am sure but the pre-lit artificial Christmas tree will always remain.