Festival of Trees

As Abby has said a few dozen times since she discovered the fact, “The Festival of Trees” is older than I am.  This is pretty astonishing to her.  I don’t know why, lots of things are older than me.  All of her grandparents are older than me.  Black and White movies are older than me.  Dirt, in fact, is older than me.  But for some reason, she was really enthralled that this traditional event is older than me.  In fact, it is 40 years old this year.  It was, however, my first time going and the girls’ as well.

“The Festival of Trees” is a benefit event.  It is a fundraiser for the Primary Children’s Hospital.  It is held in a huge events center.  There are hundreds of trees that are donated and decorated, then sold to benefit the hospital.  There are also refreshments and crafts.  There is a kids’ corner where you can buy tickets and then spend them at different booths.  There is live entertainment on both sides of the center.  There are quilts, gingerbread houses and wreaths as well.  All made, decorated and sold for this great cause.  It was really quite an experience.  The girls really loved everything and so did I.

The best part was meeting Santa.  I think this is the first time Iris has ever sat on Santa’s lap.  She was quite nervous that she would forget everything on her list, and she was not satisfied with just telling him one thing.  In fact, after she got off his lap, she remembered something else and they were gracious enough to let her go back up to him to tell him.  It was pretty funny.  Then they gave her an orange candy cane and sent her on her way.  Apparently, orange was not the color candy cane she wanted and we had a good little tantrum after leaving Santa about it.  UGH!  But all in all, it was a cute thing to watch her eyes light up as she sat on his lap.  The picture we bought is one of the best pictures I’ve ever seen!  It was so good, I wish I had bought the CD and used it as our Christmas card picture it was that good.

Oh well, maybe next year.  And we will go next year!  We got home after a few hours, a bit tired, but in the Christmas Spirit.  Poor Nate was stuck at home, again, as he has been all week.  There was a ward Christmas party scheduled that night, but I just didn’t want to leave Nate home alone again.  So we discussed it and decided that it would be a good time to decorate for Christmas.  So I hauled all the decorations upstairs and we put on some Christmas music and decked the halls!  While pulling out all the Christmas stuff, we realized we didn’t have batteries for all the singing Christmas toys.  So Iris and I bundled up, headed to Costco for batteries and pizza.  We ate dinner, got the girls all cleaned and in their Christmas dresses and took the pictures for our Christmas cards.

We are a little behind in schedule, but some things are worth the wait!  I feel so blessed to have had that fun day with the girls.  For some reason, I enjoyed the Christmas decorating more this year than I have before.  I just feel an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for where my life is, where my little family is and I feel tremendous hope for what next year will bring.

Here we are in front of a Coca Cola Tree

This was one of my favorite gingerbread houses, it is a Japanese Pagoda.

I thought this candy carnival was amazing!

Abby is helping Iris sneak a peak at Santa.

The girls getting their picture.  Mine is not as good as the one I bought!

This was a fun bubble game in the Kids' Corner

Abby's pretty Christmas dress.

Iris... just being Iris!

I love this sign!

Got both girls to pose with it.

They needed a break from the serious.

That's better!

Iris needed her own turn with the sign.