The Chaos of the Family Christmas Picture

We finally finished getting the halls decked, which is a walk down memory lane for me because my ornaments have been passed down from my great grandmother, grandmother and mother. I have ornamets that are pre depression, some that I made in elementary school and a few my daughter made. Over the years there are ornaments that were given by family and friends, which tomorrow I have to find the one a childhood friend gave me in junior high so I can send her a picture of it. I love my tree because it is a piece of my history, my mothers and my grandmothers and now my daughter's history. I tell her the stories every year for each ornament, who it belonged to so when she has children she can add to the history. My tree is rich with love and memories of those that are no longer here.

This year I have a new addition to my holiday that my grandmother gave me. She is 93 and as sharp as ever because she remembered that as a little girl after hearing the story behind them I told her I wanted them some day. They came here with her mother from Ireland and belonged to her great grandfater or grandfather I'm a little fuzzy on that detail. Ok as I am writing this I realize it is a bit morbid because these were used at Irish wakes. People use to have wakes in their home and the candles were placed on the casket, I believe they were also on the casket when they would walk it out of the home too. So yeah a little morbid but for me they are beautiful. Something from the 'old country' that were so important to my great grandmother that she brought them to America and now they sit on my fireplace but for Christmas they will light the table that my family will eat at.

Time to take the family picture because all of the kids were here this weekend and it is important to me so they have something to remind them of a less complicated time. Of course, no one wanted to do it than we had hair trauma so we had to quickly fix that and I am typically a bit of a perfectionist but this year I have let that go. Seriously, I didn't even rearrange the ornaments on the tree, which was a very big deal. Unfortunately, as you can see the picture was a bit difficult and I kept trying to redo it but I decided this is who we are today and wasn't that the point? So it isn't 'hallmark' perfection, it is however my family a little goofy, a little chaotic and beautifully imperfect. When they grow up and have children of their own they will treasure these pictures. Tradition is even more important when you move away from your family, it's as if they are all here in my home and it feels just a little warmer.