Nov 24, 2017

The kids couldn’t wait. They breakfasted and played and got dressed and made their beds and brushed their teeth and cheered when we finally said it was time to go pick out a Christmas tree. It wasn’t a picturesque tree lot where we cut it down ourselves; it was just Costco and the friendly guy wearing work gloves standing at the back of the semi truck full of pre-wrapped trees who grabbed one and helped Bryan load it in our car. But for all the smiling and pointing and giggling the kids did we might as well have picked the best one on the lot. It was perfect.

We came home and brought up all the decorations from the basement and went to town. Nearly all the regular pictures and things came down and have since been replaced by a fresh dusting of holiday greetings all over the house. And finally, when Bryan had wrapped all the lights so expertly around the tree, it was time. I opened up all our bins of ornaments and called the kids in and they squealed and gasped over every single one they unwrapped. And we kept unwrapping and hanging years of funky old ornaments all over that tree until it was nearly as full as a Thanksgiving belly and when we stood back to admire our handiwork we all agreed–it was perfect.

And while I did haul near-empty storage boxes back down to the basement for a good long while after the kids went to bed, I simply can’t give any explanation for what I’ve ever done in my life to be blessed with such a wonderful husband and such sweet, bright children. More often than not our family is busy and tired and flowing from one change into another, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s just perfect.