All I want for Christmas...
“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!”
Yes, feel free to sing that in your head...it’s okay. I did.
This weekend’s mission with the boys was to get our Christmas tree. With the addition of some snow, what better way to enjoy the experience than by taking some pictures too?
After a slight detour to Kohl’s to pick out a few items to complete their outfits, we set out in the mild 29-degree weather and made our way through the tree farm.
Shout-out to Hansen Tree Farm and its amazing location!
As the boys and I walked through the endless rows of trees, the conversations were abundant and completely random.
We discussed footprints, animal tracks, different kinds of trees, why some trees were purple, the chemicals and ingredients in hand warmers, what they wanted Santa to bring them, tractor rides, and the list went on and on.
But it made me think about one thing from my childhood:
Family.
I don’t remember the toys I received from Santa, the gifts from my parents, or the latest craze every kid seemed to have after Christmas vacation ended.
I remember the home-cooked meals Grandma spent all day and night preparing—the ones no one else could reproduce.
I remember nonstop playtime with cousins we saw only a handful of times each year.
I remember staying up all night building forts with every pillow, sleeping bag, and blanket we could get our hands on.
I remember the long car rides between Chicago and Wisconsin.
I remember my mom making breakfast for my brothers and me. I remember building snow igloos with five-gallon buckets and freezing water, just so we would have a place to play.
I remember being with family.
I’ll bet money that 20 years ago, I would have had a different perspective. But as I get older and reflect on the past, I’d take family over anything else in a heartbeat.
Material things are replaceable. Family is not.
Would I be heartbroken and upset if my camera were lost, stolen, or broken?
Oh, absolutely. I’d probably even cry.
But I could always get another one.
As the holiday season continues, I know I can always rely on family and friends. I can cherish every second I have with the boys and capture the silly faces they make when Dad forces them to take pictures.
I might add that they really seemed to like the vests.
I hope everyone is fortunate enough to have someone with whom they can spend the holidays—to live, love, and laugh with—and to remember that anything can happen at a moment’s notice.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
