15 years old.
Dear Jack,
Mommy did such a good job planning our most recent weekend activity: Our family drove about an hour away to check out Christmas with the Alpacas at TMMA Farms in Trion, Georgia last weekend.
You loved being able to interact with the animals. You always have.
And thanks to your idea, our new Christmas tree topper is an alpaca we bought from the gift shop.
Love,
Daddy
7 years, 7 months.
Dear Holly,
My entire life, I had always wanted a white Christmas tree. It seemed that it would simply add to the Christmas magic.
I had totally forgotten, but last year after Christmas, Mommy ordered a new Christmas tree for our home- and the decision in our family was unanimous in choosing a white tree! So this past weekend, we set up the new white Christmas tree as a family, for the first time.
I insisted we take a family photo in front of it before we left to go to church on Sunday morning. Fortunately, Mommy shouted out, “Now let’s do a silly one!”
Love,
Daddy
6 years, 6 months.
Dear Holly,
This past weekend, as family, we decorated our “Charlie Brown Christmas tree”, as Mommy likes to call it.
My role is always to climb upstairs in the attic and bring it into the living room and then to snap a few pictures of the rest of you actually doing the “fun part”.
After Mommy assembles the tree, you and your brother then take pride in carefully adding all the ornaments.
The system the two of you had set up was that you picked out which ornament would go on the tree next, and then your brother would find the spot on the tree to put it.
It was a family affair!
Love,
Daddy
10 years.
Dear Jack,
I think it was you who was most excited about putting up the Christmas tree this year. Granted, as Mommy pointed out, we have a ridiculously small tree for a family of four.
But still, it’s still big enough to (barely) fit all the ornaments we’ve collected together as a family.
You were so proud to be able to help me, as I had to climb up into the attic to bring down on the Christmas decorations.
Notably, our Christmas tree is mainly weighed down by all the ornaments you’ve made over the years.
Your sister has some catching up to do!
Love,
Daddy
4 years, 11 months.
Dear Jack,
This past weekend, exactly two months before Christmas, our family bought our first official artificial Christmas tree. I call in our “clip-on tie” Christmas tree.
I am very pleased with it. Not only did we only pay $30 for it by the time we used our Lowe’s coupon, but the tree came pre-lit!
It’s no secret that while I am gifted in the creative department, I am completely bankrupt when it comes to mechanical skills.
But there was nothing complicated about assembling this tree. I just took it out of the box and stuck it in its stand.
The tree came in two halves with a connected cord for the lights. So I just simply spread out the twigs like a fan and was done.
In the 7 years Mommy and I have been married, we never really bothered to get a little Christmas tree since we lived in a townhouse and opened the presents at Nonna and Papa’s house anyway.
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Things changed this year, though. We have our own real house.
Romantically Mommy and I liked the idea of a real tree, but Mommy didn’t like the idea of the mess it would bring in our new house, and I didn’t like the idea of having to set it up.
So a 4 and a half foot tall “clip-on” tie version of a Christmas tree ended up being the perfect fit for our family.
As I was taking care of the tree, Mommy was wrapping the gifts for our extended family, while listening to traditional Christmas music on YouTube.
Christmas is about 2 months away, but our tree is up and the gifts are bought and wrapped.
With all the inevitable upcoming holiday clichés, like “the hustle and bustle of Christmas,” this is our family’s attempt to get ahead of the stress.
We are ready for Christmas!
Love,
Daddy
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