Oh No! My Christmas Tree!

That was all she could say. "Oh No, My Christmas Tree!"

We love Christmas trees at the Green house, so we put one up wherever we can find room. There's one in the study - a formal one, only for looks mind you. Not functional, but very pretty. White lights and gold and red balls only. With a big red bow adorning the top. Then there's Austin's tree at the top of the stair case. Small, functional, and filled with memories of decorating. A little less formal, white lights, but still no homemade ornaments. Lily Grace has her own tree in her room. Very simple - colorful lights. Only a few ornaments purchased in China - mainly Panda Bears and a few gold balls. The functional tree is out in the breakfast area, er .. keeping room. That's where we have Christmas celebrations and exchange gifts. This tree is our real tree. It has all manner of ornaments, storebought and homemade. The fresh smell of Christmas. Ah, ... now that's what I'm talking about....







Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even that pesky mouse ...



Remember this story from last year? It seems that a real-life mickey mouse always invades us around Christmas time and this year is no different. I guess that's when it usually gets cold for the first time and they come looking for somewhere to warm their toes (claws?). Last year's mouse, of course, met his fate in one of those immensely effective, metal-wood-spring contraptions that'll snap a finger in two if you're not careful. However, this year's mouse is a bit more pesky, and apparently more destructive, than last years pink-nosed reign dear. But of course, the evidence to this point is circumstantial. Your honor, may it please the court, here is the evidence:

The stockings Connie hung by the fireplace with care,
In hopes that I'd leave them and not move them from there;

More about that later, but suffice it to say that had we known the impending danger, we'd have selected a better location!

Lily Grace was resting all snug in our bed,
Pinching my nose and thumping my head;
And Connie in her Bobby Labonte gown, and I in my black socks with shorts,
Were playing with Lily Grace while teaching her sports;

After dinner, Connie had announced how much she liked our 'real' tree this year. Of course, this was a poignant victory for me, being the one who has kept the tradition of the live tree alive and well in our household. The main advocate for that fresh smelling Frazier Fur from the mountains of North Carolina. Oh, we have our "Lowes" tree, mind you. Complete with pre-hung lights that are faltering at an alarming rate. And of course, they can't be replaced. So in a year or two, we'll be back at Lowes to plop down another few Ben Franklins for yet another plastic and metal salute to Christmas, lights and all. While we sat there admiring our tree - it's definitely the prettiest one we've ever had - we heard a thud. A small thud, mind you. Nothing to be worried about. Probably just one of the ornaments on the back side (you know, there are two back there), losing it's grip and falling to its grave ending. I joked with Connie that sometimes when people bring a real tree home, they find a squirrel in it later on - maybe we have one! So we retired to the bedroom with Lily Grace for a little more play and then ...

When out in the kitchen there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter;
Away to the kitchen I flew like a flash,
Slipped down on the floor rug, and opened a gash (not really, but I couldn't think of another rhyme).

The moon on the flake of the new-fallen snow (did you get flurries today?)
Lit up the kitchen and the objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a new fallen tree, and shattered ornaments everywhere,

All she could say was "Oh no, my Christmas tree!" Bless her heart, the world had suddenly ended. The last prize in the last box of cereal had been taken from her. Dora the Explorer had been canceled and replaced by reruns of the Johnny Carson show. It was over. Done. Everything was ruined. "Oh no, my Christmas tree!" Of course, Connie was looking everywhere for the squirrel and I was looking everywhere for the mouse! Lily was looking everywhere for the ornaments she had made and placed herself, proudly. Austin was on his way up the stairs...

With this disaster unfolding, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment Austin would be sick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the stairs! to the kitchen let's go!
Now dash away! dash away! make it so!"

Austin, too was there in a moment surveying the damage. Like the president's quickly dispatched disaster review team, he kicked around a few broken items before announcing "It looks like the tree fell!" We managed to get the tree righted, but only half so - a mistake that would later strike us another blow!

When Austin surveyed the progress on reconstruction, all he could say was " You May Be a Redneck If ..."

This is the most pitiful tree since Charlie Brown's ill-fated attempt at decorative fashion!


"As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the treetop the ornaments we placed,
Though the tree was leaning slightly, threatening more space.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard from behind
A slight bending and cracking, that could not be denied.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down to the floor came the Frazier Fur with a bound.

This time there were four witnesses. Connie, Austin, Lily Grace and I simply stood in disbelief as those ornaments that had survived the first storm were suddenly and violently tossed to their fate in a second untimely event. Snowmen sat silently on the fireplace mantel, horrified by what was unfolding before them and the disaster they were about to become unwilling participants in. The first time, they simply watched as the tree fell silently (there was no one in the room to hear it!) away from them. This time the falling timber collected many of the snowmen and their inanimate mantel mates, who could neither run nor hide from their Goliath (they have no legs). Stockings flew, more ornaments crashed from the tree and the mantel, and singing cartoon characters at the base of the fireplace announced the second coming of the Christmas tree disaster.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of new ornaments he had flung on his back,
and he looked like a Home Depot helper just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

Santa had decided to come early to the Green house today,
To help clean up this mess and to save the day;
Lily was all down and Connie was too.
What to do. What to do? Oh, what to do?

So I gave them a portrait from a friend named Jim,
Who asked me not to attribute it to him;
He had painted Lily Grace, From the card last year,
And to Connie this time it brought several tears.

Well, at least Connie and Lily have a painting to look at. All Austin and I have are some fun memories making up new Christmas songs as we picked up the pieces with Santa's help ...

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly (Santa had a few extra pounds too).

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And he laughed when he saw me, in spite of himself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know he'd clean up this mess;


He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And replaced all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
Winking and twinkling and wiggling his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;



Alas, Austin and Lily's Christmas tree was righted and redecorated, better than ever, waiting to be of service on Çhristmas morning to two little, sleepy-eyed dreamers - Connie and Jerry!. This time with some ornaments on the back side in case anyone views the tree from the outside. Austin and Lily Grace were happy to see their real tree again and we were happy to have several Christmas celebrations with the tree holding court in the Breakfast room. Oh, BTW, the snowmen requested and received guardposts on the hearth, where they perceived there to be less danger from falling timbers!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,
"Balance that tree, Jerry, so I don't have to come back tonight."

Waiting for Christmas!

Merry Christmas to All of You,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace (and Lia Faith somewhere)
Green, Party of Five

What Do You Want for Christmas Daddy?

As she sat next to me outside the Probate Judge's courtroom, she looked up with the brightest smile and deepest expression she could muster and said "Daddy, what do you want for Christmas?" And just like that, it became clear that a three-year old had more clearly understood the events of the previous 30 minutes than I could have imagined. All I could think of to say was "I just got it, sweet baby girl."

We are slowly, but surely, checking the boxes that are required for us to bring home Lily's sister one day and this was just another step in the process. You see, for Lily Grace to travel to China with us to meet Lia, she needed a U.S. passport and to get that, we needed a birth certificate issued in the U.S. And in order to get that, we had to convince the State of Alabama that she was really our child and that we'd be good parents to her if they let us adopt her! Even though Lily Grace is ours according to the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA), and even though she is a full U.S. citizen, she was not officially "ours" according to the laws of the State of Alabama. So no official birth certificate could be issued for her until we accomplished this step. Most of you know this already, so just smile at us and whisper a quiet "Oh My. Bless Them."

So, we hired an old friend to do some legal work for us and met with the probate judge at our appointed time and finalized the adoption by the laws of the State of Alabama. You want to know the really cool thing about living in a small county? The probate judge was the same judge who issued a marriage certificate for us 23 years ago! I think he even recognized us and we certainly recognized him. Now, Lily will get an Alabama birth certificate and then eventually a U.S. passport for travel. Yea!

But for this day, all she could think about was what I wanted for Christmas. And all I could think about was that the joy and love that she has brought into our family was all I really wanted. And what does Lily Grace want for Christmas? According to the Santa Claus at Santa's Village - "a candy cane!"

What do you really want for Christmas? Here's another question to consider "What does Jesus really want for Christmas?" It is, after all, His birthday we celebrate. Tomorrow night, I will be blessed to celebrate Jesus' birthday with my K-2nd grade girls Upward basketball team. I plan to talk about what we might give Jesus for His birthday. Maybe, just maybe, one of them will think it a good idea to give herself to Him ...

Love,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace (and Lia Faith)
Green, Party of Five