Tuesday, December 4, 2012

O Christmas Tree

A fun family tradition for us in December was bundling up and trekking out to a Christmas Tree farm.  It is a tradition that my family maintained all through my years of growing up.  This year the memories are just too strong and painful and so we are choosing to not celebrate this year...which is so difficult for this die-hard Christmas fanatic.  Thankfully, Ivy is young enough to not miss it.  I usually love to go "all out" - I love to decorate the house, play Christmas music and only Christmas music from Thanksgiving til New Year's, bake, craft, I love to creatively wrap gifts, I love all the events to go to, I get hyper ecstatic over snow, I love the lights, I love the movies and the cartoons...I typically love it all.  And, now I'm avoiding almost every bit of it.  It's horrible to feel so scrooge-y.

But, here are some pictures of some of our December traditions to delight in ~

(Vienne's first Christmas tree - the only year we didn't cut one down because Mark had to go on a long trip and we didn't have the time before he left - sorry for the poor quality photo)

(my snowman collection on the beautiful mantel of our old home in Cannon Beach)

(the first hat I crocheted for Vienne at Christmas time - I was just learning)

(7 mo. old.  Playing with one of the snowmen)

(this is the photo I used to make our Christmas cards that year...my Beauty)

(December 2009 - hunting for our tree for her 2nd Christmas)

(hehe, they're silly)

(us)

(chopped)

(oh yeah!)

(playing on the best Goodwill find to date!)

(2nd year Christmas tree all set up)

("no touch, Vienne" - actually, it is no surprise that she was really great about not messing with the tree)

(Christmas tree hunting in 2010, age 2 1/2, for her 3rd Christmas)

(petting the animals in the farm....it looks like it's eaten her hand!)

(the family going to hunt a tree down)

(decorating the tree that night.  She took all jobs seriously.  She loved meticulous detailed little jobs.)

(When given a task, she took it seriously. I taught her how to stick the holly sprigs into the branches...she took all of them and painstakingly threaded each and every one through the holes in the twisting of tree light cord. She was so focused and took minutes to do each one. Perfectly. Can you see?)

(snowman collection on the mantel of our Beaverton home)


(the finished tree.  I cut each and every snow flake many years ago and have treasured them every year since)

(Bragging rights:  What I typically did each year, with my Little Elf, was make gifts and fill a basket for each family with goodies like homemade soy candles, homemade biscotti, Mark's home brewed beer, homemade granola, homemade play dough, crocheted treasures and so on and so forth.)

(Vienne also loved to help wrap the gifts.  She was great at taping and holding her finger over the knot as I tied the ribbons - last year we wrapped with brown paper bags and scrapped fabric to make these darling gifts)

(one of my many crochet creations last year...what consumes my hands in the winter.  I was also teaching V to crochet.  I wish I had a photo of the "bracelet" that she completed.  She was so good with tiny details.)

(our finished tree from last year, Christmas of 2011, Vienne's 4th Christmas.  We do not have pics of the tree hunting adventure because I was in my 9th month of pregnancy with Ivy.  I stayed in the barn with the hot cocoa while Mark and Vienne went and found this beauty.  They were so proud to find it without Mommy's input.  I was pretty impressed and thankful!  I think it's my prettiest tree to date!)

We will start fresh next year with Ivy when we are a bit stronger and when she is more aware.  But until then, I will live through these photos of precious treasured memories.


8 comments:

  1. I am proud of you, my daughter, for posting these...and tearful. I miss our VN sooo much.

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  2. Dear Jenny and family, I have been reading your posts for the past few months. I am so very sorry for your loss. I admire you for finding the courage to live each day. I have no idea the pain you and your family are in, I can only imagine. Please know your blog is read each and every day by many people who care and pray for you.

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  3. I love these pictures and holiday memories you have. I miss those days for you so much. My only hope is that one day, you will find a way to enjoy the new memories ahead while of course not forgetting these precious ones with Vienne. I wish more then anything in me, that you could have your girl with you this year and every year...at Christmastime and always. I still ache for you daily, my friend. I'm praying for you all to get through this holiday month. Kiss Ivy for me. ~Kristel xoxo

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  4. Beautiful pictures, thank you for sharing your Christmases with you little one :) -jaimee

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  5. What stands out to me in all your pictures of your daughter is the joy that she had in her eyes. What a gift. That speaks a lot about her and about you guys as parents. It looks like a lot of love was packed into her short life. I am sorry that this has happened to you guys. My heart aches for you.

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  6. Beautiful memories. You took so many wonderful, detailed pictures. Thank you for sharing them. <3

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  7. Be kind to yourself this Christmas and just take care and the time you need. Thanks for sharing the wonderful memories of past happy Christmases with us.

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