When my husband and I first moved in together, we weren’t yet husband and wife.  (We were engaged to be married and were a year later).  We also weren’t two people with a lot of disposable income.  Actually very little disposable income.  Finances were so tight, that I kept a record of every dollar we spent.  What wasn’t absolutely necessary, wasn’t purchased.

Except for one thing.  I wanted (not needed, but deeply wanted) a real live Christmas tree.  Growing up my family always had an artificial tree.  In fact for most of my childhood, our tree was white (to resemble a snow-covered tree) adorned with blue ornaments.  (Which in fact worked out quite nicely since blue and white are the Chanukah colors, and my family celebrated a mish-mash of Chanukah and Christmas).

But living on my own I wanted a tree.  So we saved our money and bought one.  And every year since, we’ve had a live tree. 

This year it was our son who found the “perfect” tree.  And this year it was mostly our eight-year-old son who decorated the tree.  But that’s what makes the tree become our tree. 

Happy Holidays to all my readers!