The Monster Tree and the Spirit of Christmas

 Christmas at the Phillips home is not for the faint of heart. Our tree is over 14 feet tall (not counting the angel) and has over 4000 lights and it seems it has just as many ornaments. Over the years we have accumulated ornaments from trips, from neighbors, family and special ornaments created by or for our children and grandchildren. One year, we took out a magic marker and wrote on many ornaments what we were thankful for. That is why you will find ones that say "LIPS"or "TACOS". Some were brought home from the Soviet Union where we served as friendship ambassadors. One commemorated the first landing on the moon (this happened on our first campout together in the Uintas). And many priceless ones belonged to our dear David.

One by one over the years, each child has taken their ornaments to their new home with their new family, and one by one, we have had fewer and fewer helpers to put up the tree.

 This year some of our grandchildren came to help us, and some of our kids. Little Jeffrey didn't help much, unless you count the increase in the Spirit that could be felt as we had our own little Christmas child to love.

 On Thanksgiving Day, Laura told Janene just how much she loved putting up the tree at her home. "I don't necessarily like it while I am doing it" she says, but " I really like it when it is all done". Her Dad and brothers put up the tree without her this year, so she called to see if she could help us. The tree would probably still be hanging in sections in our new "tree room" in the basement if it wasn't for her call. She was able to see and help hang ornaments that had belonged to her great great great grandmother who also bore her name.

 Lily had a fever and was asleep on the couch in the family room for most of the night, but we finally coaxed her into coming up and sitting on the floor as we worked. All I could get was one of those Mona Lisa smiles from our cute girl, but I think she still had a good time.

So with Christmas carols in the background and Frosty the Snowman on the family room TV, the work progressed like a house afire. Ryan had been told not to climb the ladder. (14 or 15 feet is a long, long way for a small boy to fall.) But we caught him a few times sneaking ornaments to higher elevations on the tree. Amazingly, no ornaments were broken this night.

 Tyler took on the task of tying on the golden butterflies. He is so patient and can stick to a job until it is done. He especially enjoyed the upper portion of the ladder too, for some mysterious reason.

Uh -Oh, here are three little boys playing video games instead of helping. These little guys deserved a break. This was probably the first time we have ever gone from box to completely up! in one evening. We could never have done it without the help of these guys. Max came over and helped me hang all the outside lights the day before. That is the fastest that that has ever been done too! I only wish we had actually planned to do this so that other kids and grandkids could have helped and enjoyed the fun.

That's right, you heard me. FUN! After Dave died, it was hard to put this up without his help. I don't think we would have done it again except for Chelane and her insistence that we remember the Spirit of Christmas. And remember, we do. We are grateful for the knowledge that we can be together again as a complete family thanks to the special gift from a loving Father that made this possible.  He is the Gift.

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