The Most Wonderful Time

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree; how lovely are your branches?

Well, if we are being honest here they are a slightly above marginal in our case.

We have a $20, 6 ft tree from Walmart (I didn't even allow myself the splurge of spending $39 on the pre-lit one.  And yes, I did question that decision later.); I didn't make, purchase, refurbish, etc. a single holiday decoration this year; and the beaded garland may now be falling of due to a two year old thinking it was a giant necklace made just for her.

Someday my halls will be decked in ways that will make Martha herself envious.

But for now, each time I walk by the tree or bask in the warm glow of it's twinkling lights during an early morning feeding I can't help but smile.

After all, it is the most wonderful time of the year.

Stella is still mostly oblivious to the whole thing, especially the part that includes scouring Toys R Us catalogs to create mile long wish lists full of the latest toys and gadgets.

But there are moments when I see her light up in understanding.

She knows Santa says Ho, Ho, Ho; she loves the Christmas tree; but the most special moments are when we talk or sing of that sweet baby Jesus and his humble birth so long ago.

She makes all of life, even the crazy and hectic parts like the holidays, so much sweeter.

It's that time of year when you find excuses to wear matching Mickey Mouse Christmas crew necks and hideous awesome mustaches.

And when tarantulas are given as the ultimate white elephant gift.

It is wonderful beceause in the coming weeks new traditions will be created and old ones upheld; and airplane rides across the country with two kids seem worth it, because at the end of the runway there will be grandmas and grandpas and aunts and uncles waiting with open arms.



It seems that is has been a non-stop family reunion around these parts as of late, but that doesn't mean I am not still counting down the days until we see those beautiful mountains and get to show off our two sweet girls to quite a few people who can't wait to see them.

Nana P is here spending her scheduled help-with-the-new-baby visit, and we might just be following her home very soon after she leaves us.

Two months ago our plans were to spend Christmas by the light of our meager Christmas tree in Ohio, and while not ideal I was okay with that.

Then we had a baby three weeks early, mommy healed up nicely, and flights were cheaper than they had been in 5 months.

Sometimes I am actually happy when my plans don't quite turn out.

It is also the time of year when absences are magnified and the holes in my heart hurt a little more.

I so wish Christmas meant visiting with dad at the cabin or laughing together in the early morning hours as we help Santa put together pink wagons and kitchen sets.

One way conversations in the middle of a snowy cemetery just don't seem as nice.

Sometimes the most wonderful time of the year is also the hardest.

Nice effort on the gingerbread house, dad.

In the end the wonderful does manage to outweigh the difficult.

There are still phone calls from Bolivia to look forward to, lots of Christmas songs to be sung, and excited giggles from little girls unwrapping presents to be heard.

Wonderful!  Wonderful!  Wonderful!

And all these things thanks to a tiny baby who was born so long ago in a stable.

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." St. Luke 1:10-11



Christmas card courtesy my AMAZING sister Kyrsten