Oh, Christmas Tree…

As per tradition, we set up our Christmas Tree and got out our Holiday Decorations on Friday. Four boxes of Christmas lights, several hours, and a couple of hundred dollars later we have a tree decorated, a wreath on the front door and a handful of presents already wrapped and waiting for Christmas Eve. Since we were staying with the husband’s family last season, we didn’t get to decorate our own tree. It was especially exciting to spend the afternoon unwrapping Christmas Ornaments, watching the snow fall and listening to some holiday tunes while our house underwent the huge transformation.

Little Man finally reached the age of sheer excitement over the Christmas Season. Last year he wasn’t quite old enough to really get it, but after spending a little while over at my BFF Amy’s house Friday afternoon and seeing their Christmas tree, he decided that it was something to get excited over.

A few years ago (back in 2009 actually) I wrote a post about Christmas Ornaments and how sentimental I am about them. It was a tradition my Grandmother started back before she passed away; one of the things that our family has continued to add to over the years. It was a bit emotional to pull them all out, reflect on their significance and hang them up. I always get a little teary eyed when we hang up the decorations. Our family Christmas Tree tells such a story for me. Stories of my childhood, stories of family members and memories that will only live on by telling them again and again.

I spent a lot of time just watching Noah this year; reflecting on how much he’s grown, how much he’s changed…wondering what kind of traditions and memories our little family will continue to build as the years go on. Wondering what kind of stories he’ll tell his children one day about his childhood. Hoping that as he gets older and gets married, maybe even has kids of his own someday, I wonder if each little trinket and ornament from years past will remind him of a simpler time like it does for me.

Each little decoration on our tree brings up a memory.

Each passing year we add another new ornament to our collection.

We build our own memories.

Add to our own families history.

And as with each Christmas, with each year spent hanging little tiny remnants of my childhood on a tree, I wonder what the next year will hold…

This post will be continued on Thursday….