Oh Christmas Tree

I have a Christmas shop on Etsy, and I have a Christmas Pinterest, so you'd think I should be the queen of Christmas, right? I should have a tree in every room with  different, trendy decorations on each one,  all handmade.  While I really enjoy seeing all of the wonderful Christmas ideas on Pinterest and in the Blog world, I can't break away from from the holiday traditions that have developed through the years of my life, and have been nurtured by my family.  Maybe someday things I do and make will be Christmas publication worthy but for now, I really enjoy my family oriented Christmas traditions.  

Decorating the tree is a big part of the Christmas holiday season for children.  When I was a little girl, I loved to put my special ornament on our Christmas tree.  My children LOVED to decorate our family tree.  They loved finding just the right place for all of the special ornaments they had made in school and Sunday school through the years.  Kory liked to get his ornaments as close to the top of the tree as his arms could reach. When my children grew up and moved away, and had their own trees to decorate, I was left with the sad and lonely job of decorating our Christmas tree all by myself.  But then last year, my granddaughter was 2 years old, old enough to help me decorate the tree.  Jillian has become my tree decorating partner and when Audrey is a little older, she will join the fun.  

Jill decorating the tree 2012

Jill Decorating the tree in 2013

Jill was pretty excited about getting started.

Jill carefully placed each ornament on the tree.

The bottom of the tree got pretty weighed down with ornaments, so I brought Jill a chair.

Jill placed every ornament on the tree with concentration and care.

When we were finished, I snapped a photo of Jill in front of our Christmas tree.

While we were decorating the tree, Jill said, "Remember when Auntie Helen decorated the tree with us Grandma."  Helen had come over last year while we were decorating the tree and she had helped us.  I showed Jill a picture of Auntie Helen helping us last year.

Jill was only 2 but the tree decorating experience was important enough for her to remember it a year later.  Christmas is about family, love and tradition. Everyone has their own way of celebrating the winter holiday.  Winter holiday traditions bind our families together and encourage us to renew relationships.  In this setting, we are forced to remember what is really important.