Kristen Welch

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It’s Time to Share Your Tree

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I love Christmas. And I love decorating.
Put them together?  
Oh, yes. 

We are trying to keep the focus on Christ this year. After all, we wouldn’t have the day without Him. It’s a struggle though.

But I like to weave The Savior throughout all of our traditions and even decorations.  
I asked my kids, “Why do we light up our tree?” They waited… “Because Jesus is the light of the season. And the Wisemen followed a light…and”
Call me corny, but I try.
We have a couple of family traditions: We read the Christmas story from The Bible (something my hubby did as a child) and we open a gift on Christmas Eve (something I did as a child). We also give each of our kids a special new ornament every year.

What are some traditions your family shares?

My tree:
To see more great trees, visit Kelly’s!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. 2

    Beautiful tree!

    We have a lot of traditions & they all come from MY childhood. I just realized that. I'll share a few of them. We always go to the movies on Christmas Eve. All of us get new pajamas and a new ornament on Christmas Eve. We bake Jesus a birthday cake and sing Happy Birthday to Him. We also always have the same breakfast on Christmas morning. I love Christmas traditions!

    Reply
  6. 6

    Beautiful tree! This so fun!
    We have a birthday cake for Jesus and sing happy birthday to Him on Christmas evening. We also have a stocking for Jesus, in which we place our gifts to Him on Christmas.

    Reply
  7. 7

    What a beautiful tree!!

    We also give the children a special ornament every year. We read the Christmas story and have a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas day, too.

    Reply
  9. 9

    I have been going though your blog and I have tears in my eyes…From laugh so much….THANK YOU!…for making me feel normal…Our family seems so crazy…but now I know there are more of us out there…Thank God…

    Reply
  11. 11

    What a great idea! Thanks for setting up Share Your Tree! We too buy a special ornament for each family member each year. THis is my favorite time of year.

    Reply
  12. 12

    very pretty. I am not linking up because my pictures are still stuck in the camera until my sweet hubby puts them on the computer for me, probably around next Christmas! I enjoyed seeing your tree, very nice!

    Reply
  14. 14

    I firmly believe that nothing says let us be thankful for the birth of Baby Jesus quite like Yoda, with a light saber, in the form of a Christmas ornament.

    Where on earth did you find something like that? Totally made me laugh.

    -Francesca

    Reply
  16. 16

    We start later around here since we mostly celebrate the 12 days to Epiphany following Christmas Day. As much as I love the decorations, in our house, it’s all about the food. Forget the smell of evergreens. It’s the smell of steaming Christmas pudding that signals Christmas around here. Speaking of food, yhour strawberry ornament is making me hungry, yum!

    Reply
  17. 17

    oops, sorry. I must have been really tired when I linked up and forgot to add the link.

    I love all the Christmas trees, but they make mine look more like Charlie Brown’s tree.

    Reply
  19. 19

    We, too, buy a special Christmas ornament every year. So, our tree looks a lot like yours’. There’s no matchy-matchy stuff here! 😉
    And, we, also, open a present on Christmas Eve, like my family always did.
    I’m really liking that chocolate covered strawberry ornament! That one needs to be on my tree.

    Reply
  21. 21

    Love your tree! And your traditions are similar to ours. We always ready the Christmas story on Christmas Eve, too. And we get one ornament for the kids when we travel during the year. Of course we can both have tree parties today! And Boo Mama is having another on Monday. I am always up for Holiday Home Touring 😉

    Reply
  24. 24

    Your tree is gorgeous! My favorite ornament is the chocolate covered strawberry! Wouldn’t you love to one day have a kitchen tree with all food related ornaments? I want to do that one day when we have more discretionary funding!

    Reply
  26. 26

    My hubby would love that Yoda! LOL!

    Our Christmas is full of tradition. Everyday in Dec. we do a Christmas activity together. On Christmas Eve we go to my mom’s and make Cut out Cookies. We have a family get together at my parents that evening and eat finger foods and drink the fancy Grape Juice in the bottles. The boys get one present from my mom which is new PJ’s to wear that night. Once at home we read the Christmas story from the Bible. It is truly the best time of the year!

    Reply
  27. 27

    I love your Yoda ornament! We have a Darth Vadar ornament that says “You are not a Jedi yet” every time you turn the tree lights on. It’s the kids’ (including my husband) favorite.

    Reply
  29. 29

    We’re in! This is fun and a little preview before the Monday Tour.

    Congratulations on the SNOW! Wahoo!! We got the cold 32 and no snow…. Dreaming of a white Christmas.

    Reply
  33. 33

    One of my favorite traditions was the home made pjs my mom would make for all of us kids and give us on Christmas Eve. Now she carries on the tradition with the grandkids.

    Reply
  37. 37

    Decided to link up a post I did several days ago, since our decorated tree is in it! Found your blog just a little while back and want you to know it’s an inspiration… you are THAT special! I can just tell!

    Reply
  38. 38

    We are having our first Christmas since being married in June. We did go shopping and buy our first special ornament to celebrate our first year. We have a lot of ornaments that I made many years ago.

    Reply
  40. 40

    It’s a difficult balance…. Christ and Frosty The Snow Man all getting bunched into one celebration. We’ve just recently encountered how confusing this can be to a kid as our oldest is just old enough to ask the tough questions. I’d love to hear from other veteran moms ways to detangle (or at least find a cohesive balance) between the two.

    Reply
  41. 41

    It’s a difficult balance…. Christ and Frosty The Snow Man all getting bunched into one celebration. We’ve just recently encountered how confusing this can be to a kid as our oldest is just old enough to ask the tough questions. I’d love to hear from other veteran moms ways to detangle (or at least find a cohesive balance) between the two.

    Reply
  42. 42

    It’s a difficult balance…. Christ and Frosty The Snow Man all getting bunched into one celebration. We’ve just recently encountered how confusing this can be to a kid as our oldest is just old enough to ask the tough questions. I’d love to hear from other veteran moms ways to detangle (or at least find a cohesive balance) between the two.

    Reply
  43. 43

    It’s a difficult balance…. Christ and Frosty The Snow Man all getting bunched into one celebration. We’ve just recently encountered how confusing this can be to a kid as our oldest is just old enough to ask the tough questions. I’d love to hear from other veteran moms ways to detangle (or at least find a cohesive balance) between the two.

    Reply
  48. 48

    Wa-hoo! I hopped over from The Finer Things and linked up my trees. Yes, you heard me–two full size trees. I thought I was the most insane person on the planet. Until I read a blogger with SEVEN! WOH! I think I’ll stick with two…

    Reply
  49. 49

    Thanks for the tree carnival idea! I envy your chocolate covered strawberry ornament. I’m going to have to find myself one of those. Merry Christmas.

    Reply
  50. 50

    Better late than never!! got my tree posted and my link up!

    I’m having so much fun sipping my coffee looking at everyone’s gorgeous trees!!

    Thanks for doing this!!

    Merry Christmas!
    ~Tidymom

    Reply
  51. 51

    I LOVE your “main” tree! It’s so beautiful. Thanks for the link to all the other trees – what a cool meme. Congratulations on having your photo selected. It is quite an honor, I’m sure. Merry Christmas!

    Reply
  54. 54

    Love the tree and enjoyed your story. Guess I’ll be lurking a while until I check out everyone else’s trees! Merry Christmas.

    Reply
  56. 56

    FINALLY getting my post up!

    And for what it’s worth – I don’t think that’s corny at all. I tell the kids we use lights because Jesus is the light of the world, and we use things that reflect the light because we’re supposed to reflect Jesus’ light to the world. See? You’re not alone. 🙂

    Reply
  57. 57

    We have two trees so that all the children’s ornaments can go on their tree and I still get to decorate my own tree. I love being able to coordinate a tree each year.

    Reply
  61. 61

    I always like to be fashionably late to a party, but I think even I’m pushing it this time. Oh, well! I couldn’t resist joining in. It looked like too much fun.

    I linked to your party from mine (it’s “Hooked on Holiday House Tours” time on my blog today), so maybe you’ll get some more guests in the next few days. Thanks! -Julia 🙂

    Reply
  62. 62

    So fun! I finally got mine linked….wonder if I will be the last one to procrastinate.

    I also need to email you to join the society…since I read EVERY one of your posts. Maybe in January…

    Reply
  65. 65

    How on EARTH did I not remember your tree party. Bad Kimba.

    I linked up my post and added your link to the list of parties I’ll be swinging by on Monday.

    Kimba

    Reply
  66. 66

    I’m a little late to the party, but I’ll add my tree. What a fun thing to see everyone’s entries! And you may already know this, but I’m doing a virtual cookie exchange (with prizes), and I’d love it if you came and checked it out! 🙂
    ~Angela 🙂

    Reply
  69. 69

    SO many fun parties today and this week! We are going to have our fill of eggnogg and yummy cookies (as well as fabulous decorations!!)
    we have been decorating our tree and are so excited to go visit others as well!

    lOVE THAT YOU WEAVE THE REASON FOR THE SEASON THROUGHOUT YOUR DECOR!
    BEAUTIFUL!

    Blessings,
    kari & kijsa

    Reply
  70. 70

    As children we also received 1 gift on Christmas Eve. It was always something my dad picked out for “his girls.” Not something we had asked for, but a collectible, or a piece of jewelry, etc. We also received an ornament each year, a glass ball decorated by our mom with our name, year, and a small picture like a candy cane or wreath.

    Reply
  78. 78

    We have those same traditions! Our new rote lesson this year is about why we give gifts. “Jesus was the greatest gift so we give gifts!”

    Reply
  79. 79

    Beautiful tree. We also give our kids a new ornament every year and we try to make it relate to something personal and meaningful from their past year.

    Reply
  88. 88

    The neat thing to think about is one day YOUR kids will do these traditions with THEIR kids…and so YOUR legacy lives on (and your parents’ legacy). That’s one of the most beautiful aspects to Christmas–bridging family past to present…and then future.

    Rooted in the Lord? It has eternal significance :).

    Reply
  90. 90

    Love your decorations!

    My dad (81) still reads the Christmas story. We open most of our presents on Christmas Eve (my family tradition) and then a few special ones Christmas morning along with a stocking.

    Reply
  92. 92

    I am loving all these parties – what fun! You have my kind of tree! Two of our favorite traditions are to buy ornaments for each year and tell the Christmas story using the nativity set as props. Merry Christmas!

    Reply
  94. 94

    This is so much fun! Thank you for inviting us to join with you. I have really enjoyed looking around at everyone’s sites. YOur tree is so beautiful – thanks for sharing!
    Blessings to you,
    Kymber

    Reply
  95. 95

    Beautiful tree! I'm going to borrow your question about asking the kids why we light up our tree? I have a 3 yr old & 5 yr old…their answers should be interesting!

    Thanks for letting me peek inside your lovely home. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! God Bless.

    Reply
  96. 96

    We do a new ornament each year too. I also make the kids new pjs. I bring out all the Christmas books and put them in a tub by the tree….then we read through them throughout the month.

    Reply
  100. 100

    We buy a new ornament each year, if only for our Kiddo. I try to get one for us, too. Another tradition we have is to bundle up, head to Starbucks for cappucinos and hot chocolate and drive around looking at lights. We love it!

    Reply
  101. 101

    This is such a great idea! I had my pictures all ready early, but alas this week has been CRAZY! The job is REALLY interfering with my schedule right now. 🙂 I’ll have to come back later to visit some of the other trees!

    Reply
  102. 102

    This is such a great idea! I had my pictures all ready early, but alas this week has been CRAZY! The job is REALLY interfering with my schedule right now. 🙂 I’ll have to come back later to visit some of the other trees!

    Reply
  110. 110

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    Reply
  114. 114

    Very pretty tree! I think it's awesome that you teach your kids that Jesus is the reason we have Christmas to begin with. We are trying to teach ours as well that it's not about gifts and presents. Awesome!

    Reply

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