Christmas Trees

This is the first year that decorating for Christmas has been a truly exciting event for me.  All the years I have lived away from home I have put up a Christmas tree out of obligation.  I have played Christmas tunes that leave me feeling relaxed, festive and blissful and baked up a slurry of treats that I can not eat but love to watch others enjoy.  But the actual decorating for the season felt tedious.  Why take all that time to put out all those lights, garland and a tree that even though artificial still leaves dropping all over my carpet, who's gonna notice anyways?

The last 2 years I've had Bethy who would notice, but I spent the majority of the season telling her to "Don't touch the tree!"  It kind of killed whatever was left of the enjoyment for me. 

But this year, well this year is a totally different story!  Bethany is all over Christmas.  Everywhere we go she happily points out Santa - Santa Claus if you ask her his full name.  She talks to the light reindeer that move and squeals at the sight of Christmas lights in the mall.  She's a little confused as to why crazy people put lights on the outside of their houses, but still finds them mesmorizing.  She'll tell anyone and everyone she sees that Christmas is Jesus birthday and we are going to have a party for Him!  (If you asks where he lives, she will always point to her chest and say, "In my heart") And her favorite part?  Well, it's when we go somewhere that has a Christmas tree.  She stares with this serene look on her face, a look that has made me anxious for the day we pulled out our decorations.

That day was yesterday, after spending hours in the car searching for a new truck for Corey, because the dough-head that was going to sell us his truck decided to sell it to someone else while we were at church (I know God's planning but still, I'm gonna call him a dough head), we told the girls we'd come home and make Christmas.

I've never had more fun stringing lights, hanging decorations or telling the stories of the ornaments as we pulled each one from the box.  Audrey helped hang an ornament or two but subsequently wound up wailing because Daddy made her leave it on the tree.  She was much better suited playing with the empty boxes and watching the pretty lights.  But Bethany, she dug in with both hands.

She carefully hung each ornament on the tree, telling me about it's perfect spot or about the one from her "real first Christmas".  It was wonderful, and well worth it.  Then, while she was having her dinner I snuck into her room and decorated my old little Christmas tree, complete with non breakable ornaments and pretty lights.  When she walked it, I could have cried.  She was so excited!  Jumping up and down and telling her Daddy about her "really own Christmas tree!". 

Then, she helped string some lights in Audrey's room so she too would have her own Christmas. 

She pleaded to keep her tree lights on while she fell asleep and they were her first request when she was allowed up at 7am.  She's spent the morning running from room to room, checking on the lights and showing off her tree to her Gram.

Christmas is around the corner, and while the shopping is fun, and the music is awesome.  Christmas through the eyes of my children is the reason this season, it's awesome purpose aside (you know the whole birth of Christ, salvation of the world part) holds magic beyond measure!

Ps.  We took these and can't decide which one we like best, leave a comment and vote.  You can vote for your favorite photo or vote that we try again!

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