Sucker for some twinkle, especially a Christmas twinkle!

Our very first Christmas married, I wanted a tree really bad! We'd moved from our bachelor suite, into a one bedroom apartment (whoot, whoot!) with a red wall, the perfect backdrop for a Christmas tree. 

We "invested" in a tree (I'm sentimental enough I'll probably keep it forever) and I was so excited to put it up.

Now in my house growing up, dad set up the tree, and put on the lights while mom and kids got out all the decoration...a family affair. 

Have I mentioned the dangers of expectations?

After struggling with stupid broken lights, in retrospect I realize I was subconsciously thinking "this isn't even my job!"

Now I was pregnant, so the weeping that ensued after all my failed hinting could be blamed partially on hormones, but still my poor new husband had no idea what hit him. 

"But YOU wanted to set up the tree, " he tried to clarify.

"But I wanted to do it together!" I wailed.

Ahhhh, the lights go on. This is one of those things she wants to do but I hafta pretend I want to too. He marched off to the store in Edmonton winter weather to buy me some new lights (he came home with the LED ones...the latest technology at the time... he was so impressed with himself. I on the other hand, did "the cry" (pregnant women tend to have perfected), the one that turns into hysterical laughter in an instant.

"I want a tree, not an UFO!"

Ben was a good sport and went back to the store to get me lights of a more acceptable "twinkle"age.

Since then I've realized, that although putting up the tree may one day be a "together" family activity, we're not there yet. 

So I crank my Mo-tab Christmas music, and happily do it by myself while Ben plays with the boys, somewhere else. 

McKye was pretty awestruck this year..."Christmas tree!" (man it's fun that he's starting to "get it" a bit!) And Levi was all over the "balls", just the right size for his little hands to throw!

This is our first house without my signature red wall. So I decided to change up the decorations, keeping the gold, but switching out the red for a green. 

Man, it's kinda unbelievable how happy my tree makes me.

I'm typing by it's lovely twinkly glow, right now. Ahhhhh.

The night after I put it up, nature decided to decorate right along with me, and frosted my window just beautifully. 

I didn't set my tree up by the fireplace this year, because it's in the same room as the TV and I didn't want to compete with video games, or hafta turn off the tree for movie watching. Have I mentioned Ben's family is all coming here for Christmas... like for five days. Yup,  I figured it was a good idea to set the tree up in my front living room as kinda a sanctuary, so when things get tense (not if, when...and not because I don't adore Ben's family, just cuz that's what five days of family will do) I can sit with some apple cider (bought myself a whole case! Merry Christmas to me) and just stare at my tree for a little twinkle therapy.


The red decorations got "re-assigned" to mantle duty.  

Ahhhhh, twinkles. How I love you.