12 - Decorating the Tree

Deck the halls with boughs of holly...

After nap time we decked the tree out with the entire small shoe box of ornaments that we own. Every year we buy the children an ornament that represents them the best that year. It occurred to me this year that once they all move out I'll have a total of five ornaments to hang on our empty-nester tree. I think I've decided that when one moves out the payment for all the years I toiled over soiled diapers and spilled milk will be ten new ornaments. Then I will give them their personal set and I will not have an empty tree. Yes, so now it's official.

Kaeley was the easy one this year: first year at school. Nathan we bought what we thought was a car ornament, but ended up being just a car. Then he didn't want to put it on the tree. Well, for right now it's resting carefully on a branch. Alynna loves cuddling with soft blankets and small soft dolls and animals, so we got lucky with a stuffed ornament.

I couldn't help taking a picture of an ornament we received several years ago from friends. It's the little bear who says "Parents-to-be". It must be about three and a half years now that I was pregnant with a baby we believe God wanted us to name Faith. By January Faith was gone. It's odd that an event like that can change a woman's heart forever. I'm so blessed with our three children and, looking back, I can really see God's awesome working through that hellish time. However, you hear about heart strings being pulled? Well, I think of it as very strong ligaments still attached to my heart. A baby I never met except in the darkest of circumstances. So, as we placed on the tree Brad's childhood ornaments, cross-stitched ornaments made by my mother when I was West Germany, ornaments we made in camp, first-Christmas ornaments for each of the children, and ornaments displaying the children's hobbies, I placed that little fuzzy bear on the tree for a baby I will see one day in heaven.

Well, one always needs a good cry every now and then, right?

Now here we are, three and a half years later, and two children later. I like looking at our family pictures, because I think, "Look at all those heads!" Coming from my little one-child family, we look pretty enormous.

I am now officially quite late in the Sunday morning routine. We have to be at church in an hour and I am the only one awake. I guess I should fix that.