Decorated By Life

I have to put a disclaimer on this blog entry. To anyone who has the talent to put together a Christmas tree with beautiful bows and ornaments that match the rest of the decor in their home, I commend you. I am not that talented. If your house is large enough to have a "grown up" tree in the main room and a "kids tree" somewhere else maybe I am a little bit jealous, but not too much. Let me tell you why...

I LOVE my Christmas tree. It started with just David and I and a bunch of Precious Moments ornaments, some burgandy and teal balls and a matching tree skirt my mom made. And now? I can't begin to describe it other than to say that it screams "CHILDREN LIVE HERE!" You know, the first rule is "all non-breakable ornaments on the bottom third of the tree". There is only one other rule for the Sloan tree and that is "look with your eyes and not your fingers, unless it is a bell then please ring it!"

I hear other moms who are excited that they have a "grown up" tree. You know, the kind that the kids can't touch and only mom can decorate. It usually stands in a more prominant place in the home where everyone sees it. They have this great grown up tree so that all of the homemade and plastic tacky kid character ornaments can hang somewhere else and not disturb the "beauty of Christmas" in the main part of the house. It just goes to show that people have different perspectives. Again, my disclaimer...there is nothing wrong with that, it is just not my life right now.

The beauty of Christmas for me is sitting in my chair and enjoying the blessings of one more year of paper ornaments and Barbie or Bob the Builder smiling back at me. My life, like my Christmas tree is intricately woven together with "life". I know that some day the childern will leave one by one along with My Little Pony, the homemade Sunday school yarn lamb, and each Precious Moments "Baby's First Christmas" ornament. They will each find new homes on their perspective trees with a "new" family.

For now - I praise God for another year with children laughing, crying, fun and joy in my home. Let the little children come...and place their ornaments on my Christmas tree.