One Tree is Not Enough
I’m 8 years old and it’s Christmas time. Mom has gone to the tree farm and asked them for just the top of 2 trees. The guys look at her like she has 4 heads, but they proceed to find her 2 trees about 4’ in height. Now, it’s time for me to decorate my tree. I can do anything I want with it. Mom has given me access to all of the decorations and I can use whatever I want. As my room is yellow with red accents, we put little yellow lights on the tree which give off a soft glow at night. (Yellow lights on a tree are my favorite, but I don’t have a yellow room with a tree anymore)
I have random ornaments that I’ve confiscated from the family tree and I begin to accumulate others to decorate my tree. A small wooden train is under my tree and my very first nativity scene. My yellow quilted stocking is hung on my vanity waiting for Santa.
I’m 25 years old and it’s Christmas time. My house in New Berlin is decorated in navy, burgundy and forest green. There is a 7’ artificial pencil tree in the living room, centered in the front picture window. This is my “fancy tree”. It is decorated with little white lights, navy/burgundy/green plaid ribbon for garland and burgundy glass balls hung from the branches.
In the family room is the 9’ real tree. I don’t know why we have 2 trees because we go home to Beaver Dam to celebrate Christmas, so Santa won’t be coming to our actual house. This tree has homemade ornaments on it and some of the ornaments from my childhood tree. This tree has multi-colored lights for a little bit of variety.
Bradley’s nursery is decorated in a circus theme, complete with a circus wagon bookshelf that Dad made for me as a child. The 4’ tree in his room has rainbow ball garland and clay circus animal ornaments that I made. I still have the ornaments and they are damn cute – even if I do say so myself!
I’m 32 years old and it’s Christmas time. My family is now complete with the three kids and my Christmas decorating continues to expand. I now have a total of 7 trees that I decorate and the house feels warm and cozy. There is the main 12’ real Christmas tree that I decorate in copper and white. It has copper, yellow, and white lights on it, and each year, I continue to add new ornaments that I make myself. There are white and ivory crocheted snowflakes from Grandma Is, cellu-clay stars and hearts painted white and copper, mirrored hearts with copper wire and beads that I made in my hotel room during a business trip, and hollow ornaments that I swirled white and copper paint in, just to name a few.
In the kids’ rooms, there is a tree for each kid. Jessica’s room is decorated in pastels and she has her own room, so her 7’ tree is decorated with little mirrors and iridescent garland. The boys share a hunting lodge-themed room and there are two 4’ trees in their room. Bradley’s tree is decorated with little woodland creatures and hunting gear, like snowshoes, a little fishing pole, and tiny rubber boots. Nate’s tree is decorated with s’more garland and marshmallow people ornaments.
There is another tree in the dining room which holds all of the special ornaments I’ve received over the years. Ornaments from my childhood, some I received as gifts, some that the kids have made, and some that I’ve found that I just love (like the characters from Rudolph). The last trees are a sports-themed tree in the basement and a small tree in my room.
I’m 53 years old and it’s Christmas time. My home in Beaver Dam has at least 4 trees up during this time of year. I’ve tamed down my decorating over the years, but I still love how everything looks when it’s all done. There are the small bedroom trees for myself and Jessica. Mine has no lights but is decorated with a variety of pink/burgundy flowers all over it. Jessica’s tree has purple lights and is decorated with purple and silver velvet ornaments and little shimmering mirrors.
I still have the main 12’ real tree and it’s still decorated in copper, white, and ivory. The main tree has been done the same way for the past 26 years. The only difference is that I add a new type of ornament every few years. Last year, my latest addition was to make copper bows and I purchased copper snowflakes. The year before that I painted wooden snowflakes copper and white and sprinkled them with glitter.
At this point, it’s only a few days before Christmas, but I’m still trying to finish my decorating. Most of the trees are up already, but there is a bit more stuff to do. Maybe I should consider putting up fewer trees, but in my personal opinion… one tree is not enough!
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