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Matt 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
Merry Christmas
I remember that tree for many reasons. But the most important is...
Nagging.
Did I just say nagging?
Yes...
This tree stood in our little living room until late in Feb.
But Christmas is over in Dec.
Yep.
We were in a standoff...
A holdout...
A war of wills...
I took all the ornaments off.
I took all the lights off.
And then I asked him to drag the tree to the curb.
I mean, that's the mans job... right?
But he didn't take the tree to the curb.
Did I mention we lived in a little house behind a house...
The curb was a really long way.
But still, he did not take the tree.
So I asked a little less kindly.
And that friends is when he dug his heals in and so began the Christmas tree standoff of '98.
He wasn't unkind.
Just kept saying "yes, I'm going to take the tree to the curb."
He just wouldn't say when.
I finally broke in late Feb. and dragged the tree to the curb. By that point it was so dead it wasn't heavy anymore.
It was a defining day in our marriage. That tree taught me a lot about how Gregg works. He will do anything I ask him to do. But he will do it on his time table. Asking him repeatedly and nastily will do nothing to help my cause.
And I have learned over the years there are many things I can do myself. And that is good b/c he works really hard for us and if I can do a few things around here to make it easier for him then I will.
But if there is something that comes along that I cannot do myself and I have to ask himfor help. I have learned he will do it when he's good and ready and not before. And I'll be honest, sometimes it gets on my nerves, but I've learned...
Not to say anything...
Not to nag...
Just to wait it out.
There are some serious problems in marriages today. This is not one of them. Ya know what I mean.
And if there is something I need done in a time sensitive manner, it helps for me to kindly explain to him why I need it done right away.
He's not mean.
He does love me.
He will help me.
We are, after all, on the same team.
Remember...
Thanksgiving last year...
It makes me want to stop time...
Or at least slow it down a little.
Yes, it's blocking a door way and I'm not even going to go into why...
Then there is the tree skirt which goes back many many years. The pattern is from... are you ready... my mom's sister's mother-in-law. My mom had one and took it apart and used her pieces to make the pattern for my sisters and mine. There are many woman out there with this tree skirt all connected by this one lady who went to be with the Lord many years ago. And that makes it even more lovely. 
This little glass angle is surrounded by a string a pearls. I don't know if you can see them, but they came from the veil my mom wore on her wedding day. I love it.
This little picture and frame sat in my grandmothers house for as long as I remember going to visit her in Alabama. She gave it to me last year and I of coarse made it an ornament. It's my sister and my thumb prints.
Then I have some fun ornaments too...Like Troy here, because nothing says "Fa la la la la" like the Cowboys. And lets face it. You can take the boy out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the boy!!!
Then there are the fun ones that we have picked up over the years that help me remember what stage of life we were in at the time.
I made these ice skates for our exchange one year. 
But they were patterned after these which hung on our tree when I was growing up.
As did this...
My uncle made this broken glass Christmas tree for me. Many people on my dads side of the family have them hanging in their houses too.... Family....
It sits on the mantle above the stockings that we got at Walmart back a few years ago. I was going to make stockings for everyone using the stocking I had as a child as my pattern. But I can't. The year we bought these $2.66 stockings was a really tight year for us. I can still remember us all at Walmart together trying on Santa hats...and buying new lights for the tree and laughing. I can't replace them. It's a reminder of how our memories are not tied up in the "big" things we get at Christmas...but in the times we share together as a family. Even at Walmart...
And then there's Dixie. She's been gone for 3 year now but still a huge part of our memories even my kids. We just couldn't leave her out.
The blue wreath came from the Great Minnesota Get Together or the MN State Fair. We went every year, sometimes more than once. And I will go back again someday.
And of coarse we have the 1st Christmas ornaments for all our kids...
This was the 1st ornaments we bought as a couple. It's Rainbow Row in Charleston. That is where Coach grew up and also where we spent the 1st few days of our honeymoon.
So you see, when I look at my tree it's more than ornaments and decorations...
My sweet little baby girl will be wearing one like it soon because...
This week is Christmas Outgiving Week at A Life in Need of Change.
{You can read more about it by clicking the box in my sidebar.}
And yesterday this skirt was part of Brooke's "Outgiving" and I was fortunate enough to win.
The skirt will be made by Beth at Sew Anyhow. She's a pastors wife, homeschooling mother of 7 and incredibly talented seamstress. Please go to her site and look around at some of the things she has made. From twirl skirts to personalised pillows you can see that she is gifted. And I'm so excited to be the recipient of one twirly owl skirt.
Hoo Hoo! I can't wait.
