Festival of Trees

All together now. "It's the most wonderful time of they year. . ." To officially kick off the start of the Christmas season, Nate and I took the kids to the Festival of Trees. Just imagine. Hundreds of elaborately decorated trees each with their own theme that looked at if they jumped off the pages of a holiday catalog. Needless to say, I was in heaven. 

When Brynlee saw this set-up, she literally had a sharp intake of breath, followed by an "Oh my," said in a hushed tone. Of all the toys and decorations in the whole convention center, I am sure nothing was more coveted than these ornate princess dresses. I know Brynlee sure wished they would be found hanging in her closet on Christmas Day.

I saw this creepy statue, and turned to find Nate who taken Brynlee to the other side of the aisle. I grabbed his arm and said, "Nate, look! That hideous thing is going to give me nightmares tonight." He looked at me and burst into laughter. He laughed a little too hard at my not-so-funny joke, and when he finally was able to catch his breath he said, "When we were just looking at that, Bryn said, 'Look Dad. That lady looks like Mommy!" Awesome. Talk about a kick in the teeth. I have been compared to a lot of things, but never to a hideous, nightmare-inducing mannequin with ratty old hair. My self-esteem definitely took a hit following that little comment.

Poor Hudson was a little under the weather. We thought he would be fascinated by all the decorations and twinkling lights, but my poor little man was just too miserable to enjoy any of it. He spent most of the evening snuggling with me or Nate. And when our arms got tired, Grandma was more than willing to step in.

I think the whole idea and the purpose of the Festival of Trees is pretty inspiring. Each of the trees and wreaths are auctioned off with all the proceeds going directly to Primary Children's Hospital. These proceeds then go to help offset some of the medical costs families incur while their child is staying at the hospital. Just reading some of the stories about the kids is enough to break your heart and makes you realize that health, especially that of your own child, is something that should never be taken for granted. I told Nate that once we are in a position to do so, I would love to purchase one of these trees and help support such a worthy cause.

Throughout the convention center, there were different plaques and signs with quotes on them, typically centered around dealing with the loss of a loved one. My favorite one was attributed to Winnie the Pooh and said, "If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart; I'll stay there forever." It was a wonderful way to start off the holiday season.