We both grew up in fake Christmas Tree homes. But fake Christmas trees don't smell as Christmassy as the real deal. And there is something magical about going to the Christmas tree lot each year to find the perfect one. So we're real tree converts.
Since Samson is an unreliable babysitter, Clementine came with us to choose our tree. She looked so cute all bundled up in the Bjorn!
Our favorite lot isn't anything special. It's just the one closest to our house, in the same parking lot as Jamba Juice and Dickies. But it's tradition!
We found the best little tree on the lot! It's a shorty, but it's ok cause we're still young and poor. Maybe someday we'll have a big ol' fancy Christmas tree. But for now, I love our little humble tree.
We took it home and were excited to set it up, but the trunk ended up being toooo thick to fit into our tree stand. Luckily, and oddly, we own two tree stands, and it fit wonderfully in the other one. We just had to bug Braxton to get it out of storage for us before we could use it. Our poor tree spent it's first night propped up in the corner without a stand.
Clementine is mesmerized by our tree! One of her favorite things since it has been up is to look at the lights and all of the sparkly ornaments. That could keep her happy all day! It melts my heart and makes me love Christmas time even more.
This wooden reindeer puzzle was the only decoration Nathan was adamant that we get. I'm glad that he wanted it, because I love it too! I spent so many hours as a child knocking the reindeer over and putting them back together in weird size and body part combinations. I'm excited for Clementine to get to enjoy them too some day!
When we were growing up, each kid got to pick out their own ornament for the tree every year. My choices were always bears and angels. I'm glad that my bears and angels still get to live on my tree.
This is a goat with three goat legs and one pig leg. Because my mom was resourceful and creative.
This bear says 1985 on it. 28 Christmases ago. The year I was born. Aw.
It was a little bit tender for us to break up our family stocking set and send us all home with our individual stockings. The most tender part was… who takes mom's?
I love my childhood stockings. I love that I was obsessed with bears. I love that there was always an orange in the toe of the stocking each christmas morning. And when I started playing the cello, the "string elves" would always leave new cello strings in my stocking as well.
This is my Grandma Beckstrom's Precious Moments nativity set. It is one of my favorite things of hers that I have to remember her by. It reminds me of Christmas Eve family parties of Funny Mother and Don't Eat Pete!
Just like the reindeer puzzle, I spent so much childhood Christmas time playing with this chunky wooden nativity set. As I was setting it out this year, I felt 7 years old again, putting everything in the exact order and place that I had for 20 years. I already told Clementine all about it. I hope she loves playing with it too someday.
Having Miss Clementine this year is making Christmas so much fun. I love reading Christmas books to her and singing all of my favorite Christmas songs to her. She loves Oh Holy Night, and lights up when ever I sing it. I love watching her look at the Christmas tree and seeing the reflection of the lights in her beautiful big eyes. We bought her some cute little Christmas presents, and even though I'm sure she won't know whats really going on, I can't wait for her to get them.
How is Christmas already in 2 weeks?
1 comment:
I love reading about how you guys are keeping and honoring traditions and creating new ones : ) I think that's a fun part of being a new family. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!!
Post a Comment