O Christmas Tree

This year my husband decided it would be fun to cut our own Christmas tree.  On our Thanksgiving hike,  we spotted one we thought would be suitable.

One day in December, the children went with him to bring the tree home.

Once they brought it in the house, we realized it was taller and wider than we anticipated; so back out it went to be trimmed.

We had to adjust the living room furniture, but we found a spot for it.  The smell of pine filled the room.  With Christmas carols playing in the background, I placed the lights.  As they removed their handmade ornaments from the box, the three youngest children exclaimed over each one and hung them on the branches.

Our oldest took it upon himself to hang garland and lights on the front porch railings.

Arranging the nativity figures is a highlight each year.  My favorite is when one of the children places all the figures in a circle with the characters all gazing at the baby Jesus.

I love to see the soft glow of the tree at night.  It gives a cozy winter feeling.

 

 

*Photo credit for the first three pictures goes to our third child.

November Beauty

For part of this November past, the lack of sunshine that cloudy days bring and the fact that I was dealing with a cold left me feeling rather “blah.”  This time of year in the mountains, one has to look for soul-nourishing beauty.  Once the vibrant colors of the leaves fade and before the snow paints the mountains white, there is a lot of gray.  One evening, while on a walk, I spotted an enormous gibbous moon rising above the hills.  I was wishing for my camera; but once I was home, the moon was still behind the mountain.  Although I had to wait until it rose and was no longer as huge, I still found the beauty on a November evening.