merry | a tree named benny.

it's my first live christmas tree, ever.

growing up, my parents were always worked throughout the christmas season since it was the busiest time of year. you see, they owned a toy & gift store practically my whole life. my sisters and i were always busy helping out at the store, wrapping up other kids' toys. so celebrating christmas usually fell by the wayside for my family. in fact, it was usually a pretty stressful time. and after a long day at the store, we were too pooped to do anything. and by "we" i mean, my parents. i'm not sure how my sisters felt, but as a young child, i did get pretty wide-eyed at the wonder of christmas - the lights, the gifts, the mystery of santa claus - but i never knew how to rally a family of all older people to get on board with a holiday i secretly wanted to relish. i was just a wee little lass with a small voice, envious of the stories & delights i had only really heard of. 


two sundays ago, i moseyed over to a christmas tree lot to take a gander at the selection and within the first 7 seconds, i saw my tree. nameless at first, by the time i paid and got the trunk trimmed, his name came to me. benny. (the boy that helped me load the tree in my car suggested the name jerry since "benny's are usually tall." i laughed and let him know i'd consider it, even though i had immediately vetoed it in my mind. hehe.)


i've dressed benny simply, with some white lights and a few clear ornaments. & i think i like him, a lot. : ) 


but more than having a tree, i'm just appreciating that my inner little lizzy gets a chance to relish christmas just a bit this year...