Oh Christmas Tree

This is where we get our family tree every year since we've lived in Lemon Grove. It's the tree lot at the Veteran's Thrift Store ( where I do quite a bit of my shopping ). It's become a fun tradition to take a family photo in front of the tree that chooses us.

The sun set while we were there this year and these pictures don't quite capture how pink with delight the sky was.

You can sort of tell from the reflection on Hannah ( our mini van "Hannah Montana" ...it's a Pontiac Montana ).
I love, love, LOVE the tree. I love what a gift it is each year, and how it continues to give. I love the outing of going to get it as a family. I love decorating it. I love the wonder it creates in our home.
Every year I am tempted to leave it like this. Just the lights. I love it like that. This year I did leave it like that for two days. It was nice.

But then I get excited to see and enjoy all of the ornaments from all the years of doing this. So I turn on the Christmas tunes, pour myself some nog, and get to it.

Usually after lighting the tree, I have to trim the top to fit the star. This is the very top of the tree from this year.

I found it significant.

This is one of my favorite childhood ornaments. It's a cheap little piece of plastic, and I love it.

Opening the boxes of ornaments each year is a big part of the gift. It costs nothing, and means so much. It's such a treat to rediscover them, and remember where they all came from.

So many of them I've had since I was little, even ones that I made or bought myself as a kid. Many have been made by kids in my life, or have been gifts from loved ones. Our little family gives each other an ornament each year, and I realized when I opened this box, that it represented ALL of these categories. Very old, brand new, handmade. I love it. It's such a gift. I get lost in the boxes of beautiful memories, and love finding a special place for each one.

Ah nostalgia.

And I love how it changes our home from outside.

It just sheds a little more light, right where we need it...

and blesses me.

Oh Christmas Tree.