A Little Christmas Cheer

This year marks Matt's and my 4th stretch of holiday celebrations as parents.  Two have been with babes too small to recognize the festivities going on around them, 1 can best be described as being "heavy" as we grieved the loss of our little girl...and this year...well, this year we have finally been given the blessing of seeing the holidays through the eyes of a child.  The little things - a strand of garland hanging in the dining room, twinkling lights on the banister, old and new ornaments dangling from our tree - they all feel a little bit more special as we watch Harrison soak them all in.  And while he may be too young to comprehend the meaning behind all of this celebration, he most definitely gets that something is up.  His reactions have been absolutely priceless (wide-eyed stares and frequent shouts of "WHOA!") and he is constantly naming off all of the objects he sees on our tree - puppy, ta (star), hohoho, and most commonly "Issa (It's a) Packer" at Matt's various Green Bay ornaments.  I want to bottle it all up so that I never forget the innocence behind his awe.

Speaking of our tree...it has to be one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season.  Yes, there is something inherently mezmerizing about the glow of a  trees lights in the evening, but the part that I love most are the ornaments. 

There are memories of my childhood...

Opportunities for me to learn more about Matt's...

And in most recent years, reflections of the life that we are building together.  

(Cue my tears!)

We even have some special additions this year...

And of course, it's all topped off by the world's most perfect tree topper. 

Year after year our tree tells a deeper story.  Year after year it gets a little more "full."  Full in terms of the love that it reflects...and full in terms of the number of ornaments that we crowd onto its branches!  This year we thinned things out a bit and put up a special angel tree.  Let me tell you...between sweet Charlotte and her Papa Paul, there's a whole lot of love covering this perfect little tree.  And just like our larger version, this one is topped by symbol of our little girl - a Charley's Heart ornament that was given to us as a gift last year (Thanks, Holly!)

Our home is definitely filled with the holiday spirit and we are so excited to introduce Harrison to all of the magic of this season.  And while I often find myself day dreaming about what our house would be like with a crazy-haired, 3-year-old girlie running around with him, this time with Harrison has been so incredibly healing for me.  He makes my heart smile with every "whoa," and serves as a constant reminder of life's many blessings....of why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.

We hope that your homes are also filled with love and that you're enjoying a little extra magic this holiday season!