Oh Christmas Tree

I used to be the person that had a perfect Christmas tree

with matching ornaments that were perfectly spaced lights that covered each branch never missing one.
It was delightfully beautiful.

Then we had kids.

Now, I have a tree with no lights at the top, burlap ribbon that's bunched and twisted some closely spaced and some widely spaced.

I have store bought ornaments with our kids names scrolled on the bottom and I have paper puppy ornaments cut from paper and colored as precise as a 4 year old can.

I have wooden ornaments scribbled with marker and gorgeous glass balls with just the right amount of glitter.

I have clusters of three ornaments per branch so heavy they drip to the floor.

I never move a thing.

It was decorated with love by our ever growing kids who just wont slow down.

When decorating day came, the day before Thanksgiving, I came in from work and
 The Fancy Farm Girl couldn't wait to show me
"momma do you love it?"

 I do, I really love it.

It's perfect..

I love how the soft glow fills the quiet of our living room when everyone is still snug in their piles of blankets.

I love looking at the ornaments the kids made and remembering their tiny chubby hands and rubber band arms.

I love how much they love it.

I don't love that these are fleeting moments that will soon be no longer.

I know that the days are coming when I will just have one of my children doing the decorating because they other will be too old and too cool

for silly decorating or ornament making.

He will probably do some of it just because he knows I will want him to.

Soon after that I will be handed back the task of decorating the tree

without the kids.

Then I will have my tree with perfectly spaced ornaments with loads of lights even at the top, but it'll never be like it was when tiny hands filled with love placed decorations in just the right spot.

Those littlest Linders are what make it perfect.

Blessed Is Me...