Boris.

Whew! What a week. Since returning from our trip, it’s been all Christmas/all day. And right now, as I watch fat snowflakes swirling around outside, it’s hard to believe it’s over. Just like that. I’ll be sharing more about our holidays this week, but first, meet Boris.

I know we’re not the only ones who name their Christmas trees. Let’s pay a visit to Christmas trees past. For the first couple of years, all of our trees (at my house and at John’s)  were named Sherman.

Next came Herman (and Cholula’s first Christmas!).

Our first tree in our new home was tall and lanky like the star of my favorite Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. We named him Stewart.

Last year, we brought home a big mama we called Bertha. We almost couldn’t get her into the house!

And this year, we fell in love with a tree that could be Bertha’s slightly smaller cousin. “Boris” just seemed to fit.

I love wandering through the groves of trees at the Park City nursery. There are tiny Charlie Brown trees, thick and bushy trees, tall and skinny trees. There’s a fire burning to warm chilly hands and a big old stove in Santa’s Workshop. And when you find The Tree, you just know it.

Thankfully, it wasn’t as difficult to get Boris off of the truck, up the stairs, and into the living room as it was with Big Bertha. There was a bit of trunk-trimming and Boris’s off-kilter top section was a little tricky, but he fit right into the designated Christmas tree corner.

Decorating for Christmas is magical and full of nostalgia. We know each item and ornament well, but we pull things from boxes with child-like glee as if seeing the stuff for the first time. Each ornament has a story, and every Christmas tree is deeply personal. We sang along to classic Christmas songs, donned Santa hats, and made Boris sparkle.

Because we got started a little late this year, we won’t have a tree in the house as long. So we’re doing our best to enjoy the magic while we can…it’ll be over as soon as it began.

Stay tuned for a proper holiday recap, John’s birthday shrimp boil, and the rest of our East Coast adventure!