Christmas Throw-Up

This is what I have lovingly dubbed "Christmas Throw-up" It is our family tree. Last year I finally was able to get a tree to make pretty but this is the one that matters in our family. Every year it is a huge production to get this tree ready for the holidays. Here is kind of how it goes...


Everyone has to take their turn at the nativity puzzle that Lisa made me. Eliza is having a turn with help from dad. My kids are pros now but it still gives me trouble.

We have a big basket of Christmas books that come out and Susanna started reading some to Eliza while we unpacked the boxes.

Clara is standing around all the boxes as we figure out where we want to put everything. We clear a corner for our tree.

Dad puts the tree up and then the kids start unpacking all the ornaments. The boys were at a fireside tonight so the girls started on their own. Each child has tons of ornaments that are "theirs" and if they aren't really, they adopt them. They sort them into big piles and remember when they got their ornament and think about how special they are. Many of them have come from Grandma and Granpa Fillmore and they love each and every one of them.

Here is Nathan with his safely guarded pile.

Amelia has none yet so I thought I would throw a cute picture of her up. I try to start with one special one their first year. I still need to find hers.

This is one of her favorite activites right now. She is my next dancer in training.

AND she wants to be mobile so badly. I think she will be scooting around a little by Christmas. Watch out.

here are a few of Clara's favorites. She got the baby Jesus from Aunt Jenny (I don't think it is really hers because I think they came before she was born but it is one of those adopted ones.) And her ballerina bear from her Grandma. Oh the number of ballerinas on this tree.

Susanna couldn't decide a few favorites so she managed to get most of hers on her fingers at once.

Here they are decorating the tree. It is funny, they start out not wanting anyone to touch theirs. By the end, we are forcing them to get them all on. There are just too many but how do you stop the memories? Hence the word throw-up...too many ornaments, too many things, no rhyme or reason or theme. There is almost no room to put them and it is a little tree.

Had to put on in of Eliza working on the nesting Santa Claus. She loves that.

I think this is one of my favorite ones because it shows how tiny this tree is. Justin is as tall as the tree. It is full of fun and memories and I wouldn't have my Christmas Throw-up Tree any other way. Merry Christmas