O CHRISTMAS TREE

How much fun it is to see our kids faces the first year they actually understand the awe of the Christmas Tree. After getting up from their nap, the girls came down to see a TREE growing in our family room! LOL! Their eyes were HUGE with wonderment and they kept looking at me then at the tree then at me again. Then - big giggles! The looks on their faces were especially priceless given the fact that they have actually encountered many a real evergreen tree on our walks "outsie". The next afternoon we decorated the tree with Christmas ornaments and the cranberry garland, again during the girls nap, so when they woke up from their nap they came downstairs to see hundreds of "toys" hanging from the tree!

Hollyn's eyes were like saucers! She was so excited! She kept saying over and over again, "Oh! WOW! Oh! Wow!" and "Coooool!" She is a few days from being 2 and doesn't have many words yet, so it was especially delightful to hear her first exclamation of "COOL!" and "Oh! Wow!" I kept thinking she sounds like she is trying to sing "O Christmas Tree" because she kept saying "Oh! Wow! Tree!" They must think when they take their nap magic happens because now they both run to the tree to see if anything new has happened while they were sleeping! And Jessa Li keeps repeating to me, "Tree? tree? tree?" as if to say..."Mama, you do know there is still a tree in our house?...right?" hee hee! So funny!

So right in the middle of my attempted photo shoot Jessa decided to pretend to lay down and go "night night" & the other kids copied her. I guess all the excitement was exhausting. :)

Andrew was such a big help setting up all the decorations and he was thrilled to be so involved in making decisions like where certain ornaments should be hung. He loves talking about each one of them and trying to remember the events that inspired the ornament. I guess he is a lot like me and just really loves the meaning that each ornament represents and enjoys sharing about our family memories. Each year, there is always one moment in the excitement when we pause to feel the weight of missing Hayden. As we unwrap his ornaments and begin to hang them on the tree, we can't help but wish for him to be here. The ornaments that show his little photo and his smile sure do bring back each year the reality of what is gone in our lives. To hang them up for a month or so and see him there each morning as I turn on the twinkling lights, it puts so much joy in my heart and reminds me to treasure today. We only had one Christmas with our sweet Hayden, it wasn't enough, but we are thankful that we celebrate the reason for the season - the birth of our Savior, Jesus, and that He came to earth to bring us out of darkness and into light! And brings with His gift of love much grace and a reason to HOPE!

Silent night, Holy night, All is calm, All is bright...