How Lovely Are Your Branches!

The Olson Christmas tree is standing beautifully in our living room, surrounded by presents and blocked off from lil hands. The boys picked out their tree with Grandma and Papa on Saturday and made it pretty on Sunday with Mom and Dad. It is beautiful red and silver this year with a few bulldozers, trains, and Tim's beer mug. The lil boys couldn't believe their eyes when they saw Dad bring this giant green thing in the house.
Tim and I were talking about our childhood Christmas tree memories and this is what we recalled. Tim - remembers his Dad taking their tree out of its box and fixing all the branches, then sitting down to watch Tim, Emily and Heather decorate it. Mel - I remember picking our trees out at the Boys' Club every year (it had to be perfect), going home to decorate it with my siblings and Mom while Dad watched, BUT then I remember every year my mom in the middle of the night up in her night gown tying the tree to the window because the dogs knocked it down. Everyone has their own way of doing things BUT I will always have a freshly cut Christmas tree in my house. Nothing is wrong with the fake trees (my older bro and his wife use one) but I can't bring myself to use an imitation. Even when Tim is too old to carry our tree in the house, I hope that our three boys will remember their Mama's wish and get the thing in the stand. My grandma Arleen always had the most beautiful trees for Christmas (usually frosted) and I hold that memory close to my heart. BUT she never had bulldozers on her tree, if only she knew Charlie...

Getting the tree in the stand STRAIGHT

Charlie had to inspect and tell his brothers what was going on

Have to keep it watered boys!

Lincoln decided he needed to be watered too.

Papa Jon Jr. Tim is very pleased that Maxwell is looking like his Dad.

Lincoln was into fixin the stand with the pliers

Charlie was the first to put an ornament on - his new dinosaur

I am proud to say that my nativity scene is complete. My dad handmade the manger backdrop for me! He completed it last year after the holiday so this is the first year I was able to use it.

Dad was trying to capture the moments while Linc had another agenda

Remembering moments as a kid and making new ones with my kids

Max's turn - he wanted to touch and yell and pull at the branches

My new sign from Tim's mom and Charlie's new light up decorations from Grandma- love the glitter!

Trying to get a good picture of the three of them is ridiculous!

Well, there's two