A Christmas Memory

The month of December stirs so many memories. I'll share a few.

This is my twelfth Christmas with my husband.

The first Christmas, I was 16 and we'd barely known each other over a month. He got me a stuffed bear and a tub of popcorn. I got him a wallet.

The second Christmas, I was 17 and we'd been dating just over a year. He got me an engagement ring, and I don't have a clue what I got him.

Our first Christmas as a married couple was strange for me. I was 18. Still so immature and used to the traditions my mom had instilled in me while growing up. I was used to getting a tree the first weekend of December (and watching my mom use a kitchen knife to trim it to fit in the stand) and I was used to a bunch of decorations and Christmas baking and Christmas songs and wrapping presents.

And there was none of that. And it was turning out to be the worst first married Christmas, ever! I may have shared before, so forgive me if I repeat myself, but we had no tree for the longest time. A few days before Christmas, we'd eaten dinner and I was fed up. I got up from the table and started to head out the door.

"Where you going?" He asks.

"I'ma gonna git me a tree!" I answered.

I was tired of waiting and in my stubborn mind I realized, "my mom didn't wait around for any man so she could get a Christmas tree, I don't need to either!"

Such a naughty frame of mind.

He went with me. And neither of us was happy. We got the lil thing home and I realized-we had no decorations. I wish I'd known more about making stuff on my own then, I could've made some ornaments. Instead, I bought a "first ornament" I also cut out a snowflake and I think my mom bought us an ornament too.

So...we had three ornaments that first year.

Each Christmas since has gotten better. I'm not nearly as stubborn and I'm enjoying the traditions that we've started as our own family. One being, we go up in the hills and cut down our own tree. This year, Josh took a day off and we left early in the morning, went sledding and then hunted the "perfect" tree.
Jaylee loved sledding and she loved playing in the snow.
But I think she liked eating it even more.
This isn't the tree we chose, but it's where Jaylee chose to take a rest and pose for a picture.

We got the tree home and Jaylee wanted nothing to do with decorating it. But she was excited to help put the star up.

And here she is, in here finished glory.


While I enjoy the memories and traditions my mom had for my sisters and me growing up, I take them and add to them, instead of having my mind set that things have to be the way they were when I was little. Feel free to share a Christmas tradition your family has.