Decorating the Christmas Tree

We have a fake tree that already has the lights built in and for that I am grateful. Although the top of the trees lights don't work and some of the bottom lights are out also, I am really not worried or stressed about this as the tree is about the only thing in our house that is actually together. Moving three weeks before Christmas with three toddlers simply means that Christmas and the next couple months will be spent unpacking boxes and unloading the boxes the kids decide to pack after they were empty. It is a long road ahead to make the house be home. And it seems that the to do list and things we need grows longer daily, BUT in the midst of that, I did manage to find time to decorate the tree.

Well, I had three (make that four helpers)- my kids and a very curious cat. I had the bright idea of having the kids help with decorating the tree and it really was a good idea. Except I forgot that the plastic ornaments I bought after Christmas last year were on the bottom of the ornament box. So, we proceeded to decorate with all the sweet, more fragile, sentimental ornaments we have collected over the years.

And yes, many were broken. But luckily, I broke the first ornament went meant I couldn't scold or be mad at anyone else. I must say that I think my curious cat Cali has broken the most ornaments as she decides every night to crawl through the tree and undecorate it. This means things to do in the morning as we go on scavenger hunts for the ornaments the cat played with throughout the night!

All I can say is that no matter how messy or how silly our tree may look, we are together as a family. And it is a Christmas that we get to spent just enjoying each other. (It is the first time in 11 years that I haven't been in a Christmas Eve service in some way. And this will be the first time my family gets to go to a Christmas Eve service TOGETHER!)

Emily

Henry

Sara

Cali

Our tree...