Ole Christmas Tree, Ole Christmas Tree, How lovely are your branches.....

A Quetzal (Guatemala's national bird) ornament. Tuki's Gmom found this Guatemala ornament in a local shop. How cool is that!! It is just beautiful.
I asked if there were Haitian ornaments..she said she hadn't noticed any.


The tree.


Tuki examining a non-breakable ornament.


Now a plastic ice sickle. She will no doubt have 1 or 2 of these broken before the season is over. She can't keep her hands off them.


sMurph and Tuki's snowy owl under the tree.

One of the many reasons I like Christmas is the Christmas tree. It has always been magical to me. All the colors, the calmness surrounding it and its magnetic effect on everyone to congregate around it. It does not have to be perfect, it doesn't need presents under it, it just needs to be there and admired. Some of my fondest childhood memories are when I would shut off all the lights in the room where the tree was located and then lay down next to the lighted tree and just stare at it. I'd do this for hours and hours on end. My hope is to help my kids see the magic in
the tree. Nearly every single year I have put up a tree. In the coming years when Tuki is old enough I hope to add my nativity scene under it. But I don't think she could resist the temptation of the people this year, maybe next year.

Tuki and sMurph were hanging around the tree tonight and while I was snapping their pictures (without the flash to catch the aura of what we were feeling) I was surrounded by the three dogs...

still magical.............