I CANNOT BELIEVE CHRISTMAS IS 9 DAYS AWAY. I am somewhat prepared; 90% of my presents are wrapped and the snow has fallen, so we are *almost guaranteed* a white Christmas, but still, how did this happen? Less than a month ago it was 60 degrees!
Since December 1st I have been way too emotionally invested in Hallmark Christmas movies (that shouldn’t be a shocker, considering my last post) and baking cookies galore. I fondly recall similar memories from 10 years ago, but at that time it was just my mom and I at the Mohawk house… there were probably young kids wailing in the background. These days I am watching most of the cheesy movies at my apartment with my friends (I threw a Hallmark movie party this past Thursday -shout out to The Christmas Cottage!) or my roommates’ dogs, but I still enjoy the traditions. As time marches on, some things this time of year just stay the same and I love it.
My sister Jenna and I, next to a potential candidate for the Deutschman Family Christmas Tree of 2017.
Cutting down and decorating the tree together as a family, while seasonal music plays in the background, is one of my favorite traditions and childhood memories! We hang cheesy homemade ornaments next to ornate glass bulbs -probably received as gifts, because lets be honest my parents have 5 children and would never have purchased such fragile items themselves- and I love the authenticity of it all. The wooden cranberry balls, gold strands of beads and white dazzling lights tie all of the chaos of the otherwise clashing hanging decorations together and that makes our house feel even more like home than usual.
This year my parents and all of my siblings -except for Andrew because he’s lame and claimed he was sick- trekked to a tree farm a few towns over and scoured for the perfect ficus. We took a four wheeler/sleigh ride through the commercialized wilderness, threw snow balls, and stumbled upon our gorgeous 9ft tall fir tree, from this point forward known as Tim Burr.
~That’s another one of our traditions; we name our tree each year. There have been some gems! For example, Ka-tree-na, Needles, etc.~
My parents and I, selfie-ing while braving the elements on our tree hunt.
I didn’t always have an appreciation for these little things. I can recall a year when I skipped out on going to get the tree, another year where I complained more than I actually decorated. This new development of gratitude probably comes to most people with age, I think that’s whats happening with me.. but anyways, this Sunday when my extended family -aunts and uncles, cousins, siblings and multiple generations of parents- and I gather at my Nana and Papa’s house to frost some sugar cookie cut outs *they’re seriously THE BEST.. the secret is lemon extract*, I will enjoy it even more.
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How do you celebrate this time of year? What are your favorite traditions?
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