Learning to let go...

I think our Christmas tree could win an award for "least likely to appear on Pinterest!" 

The boys and Farmer J cut down the tree from our very own farm, which is quite cool! Unfortunately, the tree size was a little too big for our tree stand so it kept tipping over...a few times when all the lights and ornaments were already strung and hung.  Add two kittens to the situation and the only way to keep the tree upright was to use a fluorescent orange ratchet strap attaching the tree to the heating vent on the nearby wall. Ever see that on Pinterest?! No, me neither.

The boys begged and begged me to decorate the tree on a school and work night. I was tired and hungry so I quickly broke down and said "yes" and my little elves went to work. They were efficient with their decorating, often putting 2-3 ornaments on the same branch.  Because of my boys height and the kittens batting at the tree, 75% of the ornaments are located on the middle 1/3 of the tree.  Some ornaments were put on backwards. Some ornaments were broken, by felines and humans. And some ornaments are still miraculously hanging on despite all rules of gravity!

The tree needles are already drying up and falling off, as the kittens prefer drinking the tree water instead of their water in their dish! In the kittens defense, Pickle does often forget to fill their water dish. 

This year, our first Christmas at our first farm of our own, I wanted our home to look perfect and be decorated perfectly...six months after we moved! Yeah...realistic goals have never been my thing!  

Amazingly, despite our ugly tree and the fact that our stockings weren't hung until the eve of Christmas Eve, we had a lovely holiday. Some highlights: Volunteering at Pickle's Christmas party at school, Christmas Day fondue with my family with the goats making a guest appearance in our kitchen, watching our boys wish a "Merry Christmas" to their classmates they saw at church, Farmer J and I wrapping presents to cheesy holiday music late into the night on Christmas Eve, the boys and their cousins singing "Happy Birthday" to baby Jesus, Papa K reciting a traditional family poem about cremation (yes, I did write cremation) and JJ giving a special ornament to his Mima.

Someday, our farmhouse will be ultra cozy and cute at Christmas, maybe it will be next year, maybe it won't be until the boys are in high school or college...until then I'll breathe deeply when I sweep up yet another broken ornament on the floor, quietly chuckle at our orange ratchet strapped tree and thank God for all the rich blessings in my life!