FINALLY!!!
Our 1st Christmas Tree since 2004.

Yes, that's right. Before you call us Scrooges, let me explain.

Baby Bear was born late October, 2005. Hubby left for 7 weeks of training a week later, coming home or meeting us about every other weekend. We were much more interested in spending time together with our new baby when he was home, and by the time he came back for good, there was less than 1 week before Christmas. Last year, we spent the Christmas week at Tech Mom and Dad's. I DID put up my techno-Charlie-brown-counter-top-tree both years. But it just was not the same.

So as we set up the tree tonight after we put our daughter to bed, it was nice. In less than 3 hours, we set the thing up, put on the lights and decorated it. This is not one of those simple 3-piece pre-lit trees. They were brand new and way too expensive when we were tree hunting. Allergies keep me from even considering a natural tree, plus picking one out at the school yard is not the same as choosing one for Dad to chop down at the tree farm as we did prior to, was it my 2nd grade year? They don't exactly thrive in this climate, so by the time we get them, they have well-begun the drying out process, posing a fire hazard. But I digress...

Decorating our tree was... like Christmas. I opted to leave off the glass balls. With a 2-year old, hooks and the risk of shattering scare me. We have no hooks on our tree this year, so I don't have to worry about Bear chewing on one. DH and I worked together to put all the branches in place and drape the strands of lights around the tree. (Note to self: buy some replacement bulbs, and perhaps another strand for next year at the year-end sales.) As I dug through boxes, I uncovered lost treasures. You see, our ornaments may not all match or coordinate, or fit one theme. Instead, they reflect bits and pieces of who we are and where we've been. That's how my family's tree was growing up, and I'm following suit. Making their debut on our family tree this season: Baby Bear's "Baby's 1st Christmas" Pooh ornament, which was given to us by one of hubby's buddies from Police Academy. The crystal-cut plastic bear that my Dad brought back from Grandma's house after she died. I added a white ribbon to it and it is so charming. A pottery ornament which my parents bought while on Cape Cod for my cousin's wedding in 2005. A mirrored angel ornament from a neighbor, also given to us to commemorate Baby Bear's birth. A hand-colored wooden ornament which our "niece" gave to us. And last, but not least, a star with 3 bears on it and our family name and the year written on it. Hubby and I picked it out while we were on our last pre-parenthood vacation together.... the one where I hiked 2 miles to see a waterfall in the Smokies at 26 weeks of pregnancy. Oh, there are many more ornaments which remind us of friends and family, and there are also some I picked out just because they were pretty and in my price range. I may pick up some shatterproof ornaments to fill in some of the bare spots, or I may not.

I can't wait to see Baby Bear's reaction to the tree when she sees it tomorrow.

Now to get some lights up outside and decorate downstairs...