What’s Most Important?

I am a perfectionist. I’ll admit it. I am an overachiever. And to be quite honest, I am a keeping-up-with-the-Pinterest-trends kind of mom. Typically, I have a big 9 foot tree, with white lights (they can change to color for the kids). I deck it out in coordinating, perfectly spaced ornaments, with a pretty burlap skirt and the matching stockings. Normally putting up the Christmas decor is a huge fuss and a big task. Our entryway is styled carefully. The porch is given its own tree with lights. I love to do it, don’t mis-hear me. But it is an undertaking, and I like it the way I like it, so I often don’t let me kids help. Can you relate?

This year, with our home sale closing any day, we had put our tree into storage. Once we found out we would be home for Christmas, we decided that we HAD to do a tree for the kids. We bought a simple $50 real tree from Lowe’s (no fancy cutting down our own tree experience here). We put some hand me down colored lights on it. I let Addie choose some ornaments at Walmart and we pulled a few simple ones we hadn’t packed. I put down our kitschy tree skirt that I had thought I got rid of. And you guys, I legit did not move one single ornament. The kids did this (with a little help from their dad for the tall ones). We got the cheapest star topper we could find. At first, I was a little sad. No entry decorations. No heirloom ornaments. 

But then I saw it. I saw the JOY in my children’s eyes. I saw the peace that came from making a memory rather than a perfect home. I saw a calm that I don’t typically see this time of year. And I have decided that while it may not fit my modern farmhouse style, this might just be the best tree we have ever had. Because it was decorated with love by the people that mean the most to me. We will cherish this one last Christmas in our home, and I will soak in every second.  That’s what is most important <3