Deck the Halls

Christmas has to be my favorite holiday by a mile. Maybe it's the fact that my birthday is also nearby, or maybe the presents under the tree, or maybe it's the cold weather & hot chocolate. I also love the music, the decorations, the cards in the mail, and the excitement of the season. I love seeing family and friends I haven't seen for the passed year, and looking forward to see what everyone else gets from Santa. All of these things are temporary, and I know that they will not benefit my eternity, but I find seasons and celebrations like this are a blessing from God and joy in a world that is so distant from Him. As his child I am thankful for his gift of his Son and the perfect life he lived so he could die as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. I will never forget that, even in the hustle and bustle of a crazy Walmart parking lot, I am filled with joy and thankfulness for his free gift of grace. I am thankful for God's creativity in bearing gifts for his Son, and I thoroughly enjoy that aspect of Christmas. I love to buy and give gifts, and I love to open and receive them. But one thing that fights for first place in my favorite Christmas traditions is the Christmas tree.

I don't think I ever really appreciated the tree until I was married and on my own. Chris' family always decks out their trees in the coolest Hallmark ornaments, almost to the point of barely seeing any tree! When we got our first tree, I couldn't believe how many (more like how little) ornaments we had! Barely enough to fill one sixth of the tree! It was fun going to the store and picking out ornaments with Chris, and decorating our tree together. Of course some of the best ornaments we got were from his dad and his obsession with Hallmark ornaments! Here are a few of my favorites.


This was from our second Christmas together. I can't believe this will be our fourth Christmas together! There has been so much that has happened in the last four years- I can't even believe it! But really, how pretty is this? Love it.


These are too cute. We group them together on the tree because they'd get lost otherwise. So tiny but so cute. Chris teases me that tiny = cute. And maybe in this situation it's true. But how can you not love the tiny Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer character bells?


2006. Wow... look at us! So young and so freshly married! This has to be one of my favorites. Maybe I'm vain but how cute is that tiny little picture of us?? Ok, and tiny = cute is accurate here too.


As I've been grafted into the O'Neil family it means you also have to love Disney. I never thought I'd be hanging Mickey ornaments or decorating my china hutch in Disney decor but I have changed my ways and fallen into the religion-like adoration for Mickey and Minne. See our Halloween post for more incriminating evidence. Look at Mickey's forehead! He's sweating bullets! Too cute!

After a successful day of garage sale shopping earlier this year I found a treasure that I just had to have. They were practically giving away the tree, so I HAD to get it. Stand, lights, and all! I've always loved seeing the fancy trees decorated in themes at the stores, so I begged Chris to let me have a tree to myself. So he gave me the tiny one. Fair enough. I can't say it's the most beautiful tree you'll ever see, but I'm pretty impressed with my cute and small tree. (Clarification: I did not use the word tiny).


Needless to say, my halls are decked and my world is filled with joy. I am ready for Christmas! Merry Christmas 2009!