Oh Christmas Tree

Todd and I have this tradition for Christmas. We started dating right before Christmas so that first dating-Christmas would have just been awkward... so we decided to DO something together rather than give presents. We still do that and have done everything from building bears at Build-A-Bear to snowboarding to going to a concert. We never do the same thing twice, and it's really been a lot of fun.

Our first Christmas married, however, was a rough one for me. I hadn't been back to California since the wedding and I was feeling the depressing cold, dark and flat that is Illinois. I was also lamenting the loss of my family's Christmas traditions. We had no money for decorations, but Todd, in all his husbandly wisdom, decided that our "gift" that year would be to DO Christmas. We cut our own tree, went to the Dollar Store and got as many cheap decorations as we could afford, and strung popcorn and made ornaments out of wedding cards. (Those are still some of my favorite and most treasured ornaments!)

The following year, I was complaining to some of my fellow Bible study gals about how we didn't have a tree and most of the popcorn and candy cane decorations had gone bad. A wonderful friend said she'd come over with some "left-overs" she had laying around. Turns out, she was in charge of all the Coats for Christmas campaigns in town and just revamped a bunch of the fake trees they put at the schools for the kids to hang the mittens and hats and what-not on. She came over, as it was snowing, early one Saturday morning with (kid you not) a trunk full of decorations, a tree... the works.

When we were packing things to come to the field, we left a lot of things behind, but my Christmas stuff was non-negotiable. Todd was rather upset with me on that one, but as we unpack the tree, for the second year in the heat of South Africa, we're both so grateful for our free, cast-off tree and all the provisions God set ahead for us. I spent all day cleaning and dusting and organizing so that tomorrow, the family can put up Christmas decorations. I'm excited to see the kids' reactions to all the sparkly and colorful things. I'm excited to see what the new townhouse will look like with the halls decked. But as all that excitement builds, I'm again reminded of how fortunate I am and how wonderful people like Lori, who didn't realize the full impact their actions would have years down the road, have blessed my life. Here's to hoping that you and your family are equally as blessed, and that you realize those blessings for what they truly are.