The Christmas Photos I Never Posted

Our Ultra-Portable Christmas Tree

This year I knew it was time to start having our own Christmas tree. But a prerequisite of having a Christmas tree is acquiring a tree. Should we go with real or fake; large or small. Real trees tend to shed. I hate that. And the larger they are, the more they seem to shed. Fake trees are fake, and I hate that even more. Looking back on the preceding sentences, I realize that perhaps "hate" is an inappropriate word to be throwing around, especially in relation to Christmas trees. Please feel free to replace all the "hate"s with "have feelings of hostility or animosity toward." Fortunately, while on a family grocery shopping trip, I came across this little ¥600 (about $6.00) potted plant. It's called a Golden something or other . . . I think. I can't remember; I threw the tag away. Anyway, after attaching a few little Christmas tree decorations that only cost slightly more than the tree (bush?) itself, we had ourselves a lovely little Christmas tree. I liked it so much that I didn't un-decorate it until early February. Now it is sitting naked on our china cabinet, and our friend who is a forester is of the opinion that we should give it more sun. I have grown very fond of our little Christmas tree, so if it needs more sun to survive until next year . . . why, I will find a way to give it more sun. I am so proud of our Christmas tree that I am now going to force you, the reader, to look at it . . .

. . . again . . .

. . . and again . . .

. . . and again . . .

. . . and again.

Singing Christmas Carols by the Light of the Advent Candles

(We got this family tradition going two years ago)

Family Christmas--Early (i.e. 22 December)

(This is when I got . . . when Grace got her Lego set)

Our Latest Attempt at a Usable Family Photo

Christmas Dinner at Our Favorite
French Restaurant

(The only one within a hundred miles of us, I think)

The Two Moms

Oddly enough, this is the only picture I got of the grand-Elliot Christmas in Ajigasawa. Next year I should make a point of photographing the traditional Christmas sushi.

The Elliot-Ghent Christmas
at the Ghent "Warehouse"

Stay tuned for photos of New Year in Hokkaido . . . .