Waiting for Christmas.

Unpacking boxes of Christmas decorations and has to be one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season.  The entire season of Advent is about waiting, anticipating the moment when "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."  And it's that waiting and preparing that is my favorite part of Christmas.  Christmas Day is great, but it's not the best.  All the days beforehand are most meaningful to me--days of playing my favorite Christmas CDs over and over,  baking, watching the same holiday movies over and over (we've watched Elf twice this week), crafting gifts for family and friends, and remembering anew how amazing is the gift that God sent to the world in the form of a baby born in Bethlehem.

So we're nearly a week into Advent.  Thursday  night we started a brand-new Christmas tradition:

Our first ever REAL Christmas tree.  We had an incredibly pathetic, small fake tree for the last several years, and when we moved we decided not to keep it.  We opted for the scent of real pine and the imperfections/character of a tree that spent some years growing outside.  We opted for a tree that is actually taller than me.  We opted for a month of trying to keep Teddy and Truman from drinking out of the tree stand.  (That hasn't been much of a problem.  Yet.)

It's a Korean Fir.  I kind of thought that Christmas trees were just Christmas trees till our trip to the tree lot on Front and Garfield.  Choosing the perfect tree became a bigger job when we realized how many varieties there are.  The Christmas tree farmers were contagiously enthusiastic as they extolled the virtues of each tree type.  We settled on the Korean because it's strong branches are perfect for heavier ornaments, 

and because it's cool-looking.

At first we didn't think this star would work on the top of the tree.  But Matt figured out how to rig it.  Whew.  It's been on our Christmas tree for eight years now, I wasn't ready to give it up yet.

All decked out.

This is one of my favorite ornaments.  Matt gave it to me in 2002, the year we were engaged.  There's a photo of us inside.  We were really young.  And really skinny.

Our tree skirt makes me smile.  We've had it for several years now and I hope we'll pass it along to our children, grand-children, great-grand children.  Maybe that's a little too optimistic for a piece of painted burlap.  But I just love it.

"But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me

one who is to be ruler in Israel,

whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.

Therefore he shall give them up until the time

when she who is in labor has given birth;

then the rest of his brothers shall return 

to the people of Israel.

And he shall stand and shepherd his 

flock in the strength of the Lord,

in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great

to the ends of the earth.

And he shall be their peace."

Micah 5:2-5a

Wishing a very blessed, joyful Advent season to you all!