Getting Ready

The Christmas Spirit is making it's rounds. It's taken a little bit longer with me to be possessed. But, it's slowly sinking in.

Today, Michael came home from work and we went to Big Lot's and bought a smallish tree(about 5ft) for G-G(great-grandma to Kea). I should say, I did. Mike sat in the car with his friend from church and Kea.
I then began imagining a tree. Not a perfect, Macy's window worthy tree, just a nice simple, but elegant one. Trying to conj our up images of Grandma's tree from when I was a little girl, I began picking out ornaments and tinsel, and the most demanded tree item for Grandma, garland. 50ft of it. Gold and Silver. The "balls" if you could call them that, were spiked. They were like little round starburst type shapes. They had spikes sticking out all over them. They were very modern, which for some reason made me think of Grandma. She was never one to follow the flow. She liked what she liked. And I thought she would like those spikey Christmas balls. So we threw a jingle bell wreath, some fake snow(which I forgot to use now that I think of it), and to Grandmother's "house"(apartment) we went with sleigh bells jingling and all that jazz.

The Edwinola, where Grandma lives, is decked out with Christmas lights. Beyond what I would have ever imagined a retirement community such as this doing. It is nearly too much. You can see the glow of it out here in the middle of the country!
I watched as my little girls gaze beheld the glory of the sparkle and glitz and saw the reflection of those lights in her sweet eyes. She was so excited and kept yelling "Christmas tree Yights"(no I didn't misspell that's how she says that word). She ran to her G-G's room and knocked on the door then did her little routine of hiding against the wall to jump out at G-G when she answers the door.
Once inside, these two little elves went to work. Unpacking and unwrapping and untangling the goodies.
We began the decorating, the tree is pre-lit(God please bless whomever invented the prelit tree!) so all was needed was the final touches of our starbursts and garland. Kea helped and was so elated to be the one putting decorations on one of her beloved trees that she so enthusiastically points out everywhere we go.
Stepping back and watching G-G's face as she took it all in was wonderful. She sat so proudly, so excited about having Christmas decorations up.
We left G-G's tired but in a good way. So much done, and still so much to do. We are now looking forward to putting up our own tree in our home. I just can't put into words the joy I'm feeling as I watch my little girl take in the wonderment of this precious Holiday. I am praising my Heavenly Father for giving His only Son to us. Not only as an atonement for our sins, but also a reason to celebrate each year a glorious occurrence.
This year Kea seems to understand a little more. She isn't quite there yet but she's getting it. You can see the wheels inside her head turning and thinking and processing it all. I can't wait until she is old enough to understand how to give back. Next year we are going to "adopt" a child off the Angel Tree Project. I'm so curious to see how Kea will do. She already demonstrates compassion and a kind heart. I pray God will use those gifts to reach others for Him, through her.

So the Christmas Spirit is spreading, don't let life get you so busy you can't let it consume you.