So, as I mentioned in my earlier Christmas post, we have successfully determined the cause of Alysa’s health issues lately. She is allergic to evergreen trees. As soon as we took the tree down Christmas morning (yes, Christmas morning – it was down and cleaned up by 10am to be exact), her runny nose cleared up and she has been perfect ever since. Her appetite has returned as well.

So this means that next year and every year thereafter, we will have an artificial tree. Now, for me this will be hard. I have always prided myself on having a real tree. And I was lucky to find a hubby who wanted nothing less than a real tree as well. Neither of us ever planned on switching to an artificial. But of course, the health of our children come first, so we have pretty much given up dairy and now we will give up our real, fragrant tree.

Now, I can tell myself that we will save money in the long run, as it will be $300 or so next year to buy the tree, but then no more spending $60-70 per year on a tree. And I can tell myself that we won’t have anymore needles to prick our fingers and no more watering and vacuuming constantly under the tree. No more imperfections to hide against the wall or in a corner. No more trudging around in the cold for hours (yes, this year it took hours) looking for that tree that we all love – the one that is “perfect” for our home.

But you see – these “negatives” are also the things I love about a real tree. I love having a tall, full (aka fat) tree that is not perfectly shaped. I love that scent that fills the house from the tree. I love the traditions of decorating with lights and ornaments and finding the right way to put the tree so it looks just right. And most of all, I love the trips to the tree farm. Kayla loves the wagon rides and running amongst the trees. Both girls love being outside. Kayla was so excited with all the trees around her. As soon as we told her where we going that day, she immediately asked for a wagon ride. And this year, we went on Alysa’s birthday and decided it would be a yearly birthday tradition – something fun and meaningful we would do on her birthday every year.

And add to that that these Christmas tree hunts and outings have been a part of my life since I can remember. My parents have never had a fake tree either. It’s what I (and J) grew up with and it’s what we assumed our girls would grow up with.

It saddens me greatly that all these things will come to an end. And yes, I know it is not the most important part of Christmas. We are all healthy and will be together. But nonetheless, it’s something I need to “mourn”. And then we will work on coming up with new traditions for the years to come…