Monday, December 8, 2008

everyday unwrapped {tree}


Emily at Chatting at the Sky has an incredible post going on called {everyday unwrapped}. I absolutely love the idea and had to join in...hope you will too!


This is my Christmas tree y'all. This is the tree that for 3 years I have strived to achieve some sort of picturesque beauty on it's branches. I was on a very delusional mission to whip up the perfect Christmas tree with ornaments that coordinated and that were distinctly placed appropriately, and then a topper with the perfect ribbon and length to set it all off. Each year I'd put up the tree, make it awe worthy all the while putting back into the box the ornaments the represented our true memories.

But this year after a good ole' come to Jesus meeting with myself I boxed up the faux memories and put up the real ornaments. And despite the fact that it's now become a canvas of random ornaments and that this weekend a foot of the tree's belly lights gave out (probably somewhat do to the abusive dragging from the attic) and still remain unfixed... it's GORGEOUS! It's a beautiful reminder of where we've been with plenty of room for where we are going.

Every now and then you need that reminder to open up your eyes and breathe it in for what it truly is. Costco's finest pre-lits are not the reason for the season...thank goodness. We have been given something so much better!!

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

15 comments:

Dawn said...

hooray for the "real" ornaments! how i love to look back and see where we've been... i think i'm going to need a bigger tree next year... because we don't quite have room for where we are going!"

Bee said...

Well said! Our Christmas tree would never win any design awards, but it has a little half walnut shell holding a plastic Baby Jesus in it that I'll treasure forever because my little girl (now almost 20) made for me.

I bet your tree look maaaaaahvelous!

V. said...

thank you for visiting me - I loved your post as well!

Check back in on Dec 17 when I do BOOMama's tour of homes....my tree is a pathetic second hand tree, and I put it up every single year because I refuse to let something like a TREE dictate my joy in this season!

Denise K. said...

Great reminders of what is really important! Thanks for sharing this insight today! :-)

emily freeman said...

This is fabulous! I love this post. Let's here it for the real memories and the imperfections! Now you can get on with enjoying the gifts of the days rather than stressing, right?! Easy to say. Hard to do. But we are off to a pretty good start, I think.

Lee said...

Our tree is always covered in our ornaments dating back 70 or 80 years up to ones from today. It's really great to think about the memories they hold.
We bought our first fake tree this year, and wouldn't you know it, we can't figure out the switch for the center lights. Grr.

I am Mom said...

well said and I like your tree - "as is" is a good thing

Miss G said...

oh, this is a really good post! thank you so much for writing it, for living it, for stopping by my blog and for your sweet comment. Kelly

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't trade my cheap Menards tree with its hodgepodge of memories for the most beautiful designer tree in the universe. Each of the ornaments on my tree (even the HUGE hideous fun foam gingerbread man) makes me happy. :)

Anonymous said...

Great post!

We have four children, so we have oodles of ornaments made in at school. The wife and I also started buying ornaments for each other way back when we were dating, so all our ornaments are originals and mean something. Just this morning, we were contemplating the need for a second tree . . .

All this gives me a great idea for a post . . .

Shannon said...

Good post! I'll have to have one of these meetings with myself when I have kids I'm sure. :)

Unknown said...

isnt it funny how we've conditioned ourselves? i was just sitting here thinking...ive never celebrated Christmas without having a tree up. the gifts thing, i get...HE gave us the greatest gift - we give gifts to others in the celebration. but the tree. do i really need the tree? it would be super strange without it, i admit it. i dont know if, immediately, i would have the same giddy emotion with out having my tree up and decorated.

ok. i know that was a bunny trail.

i love the pic, btw!

*Just Jen* said...

I gave up on the real ornaments years ago when my son was able to help decorate the tree. The first few years I would go right behind him and move the ornaments apart so they weren't so crowded. Now, I just let them stay where he puts them. It's our work of art together. Great post! Happy Holidays!

mk said...

The homemade, weird, ugly, etc. ornaments are the best. They have stories.

Tina said...

Found your blog from "chatting at the sky" blog...great post! Love your comments about real ornaments. Also love your header and little pug. Check out my blog and see our little 9 wk old visiter we had a week ago. I fell in love. Merry Christmas!