A McCreary Christmas!!

 

 

 

 

 

Well here it is December 11th and I just completed MOST of my Christmas decorations last night. Let me start by saying I love the holidays. Thanksgiving is quite relaxing for me as I do not cook (thank goodness for everyone else sake) therefore, I can just go to my in-laws then my mom's and eventually my dad's and enjoy! Each house brings a completely different atmosphere but each house is wonderful. Delicious food, laughter, children playing all around, some tension I mean it can't all be perfect. All in all it is great.

 

Then there is Christmas. The music, the excitement on the children's faces in anticipation of Santa, the baked goods, warm fires and cold winter days with occasional snow, (well Kentucky has been more like Florida the past couple of winters) but you get the picture. Then there is the shopping and the decorations. Those to words make me CRINGE!!!!! Those of you that think you know me probably did not know that I despise shopping. I do not like crowds. I do not like lines because I am way too impatient......that last part will not shock anyone that knows me. I do not like standing there thinking, "Will she like this? Or will she like this better? Or maybe she needs this or that." I mean seriously I turn into the GRINCH!! Give me one day, a computer, a credit card, and enough money in my bank account to cover the cost and BAM it is done! No stores no crowds just me in my pajamas shopping away with a smile on my face! Black Friday, NO WAY!!!!! Cyber Monday, YES!!!!

 

Now that we have covered the shopping, on to the decorations. When I was a little girl my parents

would take us children to a Christmas tree farm in a neighboring county. We would sing Christmas carols and walk and walk looking for the perfect tree and eventually we would find it! My dad would cut it down and drag it out and tie it to the top of the car. We could not wait to get home and trim the tree. Those fond memories will stick with me forever. Well my children are DOOMED!! In my adult life I have never bought a real tree. I have a 6ft artificial Dollar General Charlie Brown tree. At one time it was pre-lit which was wonderful! You just put the two pieces together and plug it in and voila the tree is up! But no, the lights have now gone out. I loathe Christmas tree lights. I huff and puff and untangle and sling them on the tree (literally) and then half work and half don't! That is when I lose it. The bigger problem is when you go to the store and they are out of lights so you go to another and another and another. NO LIGHTS!! I try to take my lights that are currently working and stretch them throughout the tree. I mean there are ornaments for those holes, right? Finally it is time to put the decorations on and by this time I am so frustrated and the kids are just over it, so I usually end up trimming it myself. Just long enough for our precious boxer Mason to come each and every day and pull one ornament or more off and chew them up.

 

 

 

Here is an example of the half lit half not strand. Gotta love it!

 

And so it begins!

 

Tree #1

 

Tree #2

This is not my taste now necessarily, but it holds the most precious memories. Our first angel and tree skirt as newly weds. Priceless!

 

My mantle adorned with Christmas pictures of Park and Alli.

 

I think we all lose the meaning of Christmas from time to time. Who cares if you don't get the perfect gift for someone? Who cares if your tree is half lit? It is about the birth of Jesus. It is about being with the ones you hold dear and being thankful that you have yet another year to spend with them. Don't sweat the small stuff.  Remember the reason for the season. But if you happen to drive by my house and see a Christmas tree laying out in the front yard, no worries. It is just part of the McCreary Christmas. Happy Holidays from our home to yours!

 

June

 

"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way (s)he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."

                 ~ Maya Angelou