This Season

This holiday season we have been busy.  Busy spending lots of time together.  We ventured out on the day after Thanksgiving to find the perfect tree.  High on a mountain in the knee deep snow we walked and hiked until we found just the right one.  While we were there the kids also found the perfect sledding hill and they went up and down the hill until they were soaked and cold.  Finding the tree is quickly becoming one of my favorite traditions.  I wish I had more images from our time in the wind and the snow, but I chose to leave the camera behind and enjoy the experience.  There are many things about it that I won't forget.  Like the stillness on the mountainside.  Like the beauty of the white wonderland.  Like the sound of laughter coming from the bottom of the hill every time the sled went rushing down through the snow.  Like the fire that we made when we made our way back to the truck and the hot cocoa that kept our hands and bellies warm as we prepared to make the journey back home.  I also won't forget how the kids begged us for almost three days to decorate the tree, and I won't forget the smiles that came to their faces as we dug out each ornament that they have collected from years past.  I won't forget the way the tree looked when we lit it up for the very first time.  It's as beautiful in our home as it was in its home on the mountain side.  I also won't forget what this season is really about and the beauty that it adds to our home.  This season feels good.  This season is one of my favorites, and this season I will be enjoying as much time with my family as possible.