An Ode to The Christmas Tree
It will never be within us to apologize for a long video of family footage, and so if you made it to this paragraph after 25 minutes of adorable reels, you have the heart of a warrior! We promise that future videos shall not cut short the little moments that make our hearts dance and sing to the life it gives. This Christmas was better than the last, as each day with Bronte is better than prior.
At Alhambra Tree Farm, Bronte took her stride as she hunted trees. She only wanted the little ones that would be ready for another season, or she would choose the broken branches on the ground. Sadly, we could not yet trust her to pick out our prized Christmas tree, and settled on a peculiar pear shaped tree with a deep green and blue hue. Once we got it home, we questioned it still. And once it was decorated, we loved how it angled.
Christmas at Grandma Debbie’s and Papaw Bill’s was as we will always remember it to be: cozy, loud, and every moment drenched with happy traditions. I counted presents the night before, we played cards till bed time, and I always turn the tree back on after mom went to bed for one last look. We made monkey bread in the morning, ask Google to play Classic Christmas music, and took turns opening presents. Mom was the worst at this - she would desperately beg for it to be Conor’s turn again to open his present, and we would have to ask them both to be patient. John tried to be happy about his presents (though a Magic the Gathering deck produced authentic gratitude, I think) and Bronte had no idea why she kept getting asked to open more boxes. She just wanted to play with Conor and Colin and their toys. After presents were unwrapped, we ate cookies, drank tea, and put on A Christmas Story as the kids rolled around on the plush carpet.
Several days before the Garvin Christmas morning, we spent a day with Great-Grandma Marcia. Bronte played with toys as Marcia watched, and we ate a home made breakfast casserole (because what comes from Marcia’s hands is always a home cooked meal) and delicious iced tea. We played cards as Bronte read through Grandma Marcia’s Christmas Cards and rummaged through her drawers, finding bags of pennies (R.I.P.).
We also went to our first cousins party at Brittany and Tyler’s new and beautiful house. All the kids were great together - Taylor showed Conor new board games, Bryce and Taylor put Bronte down for a “nap” countless times, Colin and Ruby vied for the cookies, and almost every single one participated in the “Bunny” game we concocted. We were all bunnies, and had to do what a cousin shouted out to do, whether it was running, hopping, sitting, spinning. It was so much fun, and our hearts were insanely full seeing the kiddos together like that. Bronte was doted on by Bryce and Taylor, and Rose and Zoe looked up to their cousins in such a sweet way.
Christmas at Grandpa Matt’s and Grandma Julia’s was very special this year. We stayed here as our base camp, and most nights were sitting by the Christmas tree lights, watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and eating Marian’s Pizza or Skyline. Jamie and I slept in for the morning time, and Dad and Julia got such a kick in feeding Bronte her yogurt, honey, fruit, and egg breakfast. By the time we got downstairs, it was band practice. Bronte was either on the flute or Xylophone, and Dad was practicing his Christmas songs on guitar. Julia kept beat with the drums, and it was so picturesque, we hesitated to join.
This year we got to go to Clifton Mill light show with Dad and Julia, and got to see Santa in his workshop. Many times he would single Bronte out, from his window or from where he perched on the chimney. Bronte was mesmerized by his moving reindeer, and in awe of seeing the bearded jolly St. Nick from her books. She knows Santa this year, and she knows he eats cookies and has lots of reindeer friends. Another evening we ate Oreos at the Danishek’s Chrismas party, followed by seeing lights at the Dayton Dragon’s Baseball stadium.
Christmas morning at the McCarty household held its own happy rhythm. We unwrapped gifts, and Bronte was given her first guitar! We had a fun Christmas kids music on, and Julia made towering hot chocolates with marshmallows. After presents were done, Dad sang “Jingle Bells” on guitar, and we all joined in singing and swaying as if it had always been a tradition. Bronte even picked up her instrument for it!
Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!
This was our final year with a beloved 12ft Christmas tree. The one that took a week to put up and decorate, and has been in the Perin household for 23yrs. It’s massive existence shoved Christmas in your face, and I couldn’t ask for more. It will be honored and cherished, and greatly missed!
Spending time at Jamie’s house is always so special. Candles are thick and full of buttery scents, the fireplace is always on, and Hallmark reigns supreme. The kitchen is always overflowing with cookies, and there is Christmas music along with the smell of sausage rolls. The lights all around the property make us excited to go on evening walks, bundled up for the layer of snow that usually exists. This year Bronte loved watching Kai chase snowballs roll around looking for sticks. She took a tractor ride with Grandpa Perin, and went to see the neighbor’s cows with Grandma Jane. We successfully went sledding twice - once down a local hill with Jamie’s cousin Lilly, and it was silly to see how much air Bronte would get when her and Jamie hit a few bumps. Another time we connected the sled to the four wheeler, and zoomed around the property as the snow really began to fall.
Christmas morning was perfect! We all woke up and jumped out of bed, around 6am, and Bronte was awake and ready for presents. Santa is now very real to her, and loved the wrapping paper and bows. As the morning went on and we unwrapped the gifts slowly, she gradually became more interested in hiding in the boxes and under paper. Grandma and Grandpa got her a Christmas house, which they decorated with lights, a baby stroller, a fast motorized Bluey car, and books galore. It was in this little Christmas cottage that Bronte would bring fake candles into, and we would pretend to heat up water and have tea parties. Jacque brought Mason and Brittany, and spent an afternoon making fake snow for Bronte to play with indoors.
This season was also the first time Bronte saw a theater show. We were blown away with the fact that she sat through a 1.5hr performance of The Grinch Stole Christmas, and she even laughed at all the appropriate parts. Evenings turned into dance parties, and “Bunny” games with everyone. After Bronte went to sleep, we played cards and snacked to our hearts desire. This particular Christmas was a true vacation for me. Jane and Jim took over Bronte so much, I was able to read two books in one week, cuddled by the Christmas tree and fireplace. It was also my introduction to the world of smut literature - all thanks to “The Christmas Tree Farm.” It was perfection.
The Dicken’s Faire, 2025!
Bronte was given her first Shakespeare pocket book, and we danced together in Fezziwig’s dance hall. She met Santa again, and danced to a fiddle band.
Officially sending Santa her letter!
