A few years ago, instead of taking down our Christmas tree, I thought it might be kind of fun to keep the tree up and make it an around-the-year tree. Maybe I didn’t want to have to pack it up and get it back in the closet, but actually I’d seen something online around that same time showcasing a year-long holiday tree and the idea intrigued me. Okay, and I also liked the idea of not giving up the place our Christmas tree took during the end of the year because in our small living space, it can sometimes be a bit of a challenge to clear out the Christmas tree spot. And, so, we embarked on a year-long tree of holiday celebrations.
I absolutely loved it (and am seriously considering doing it again for 2026).
One of the things I loved most about that tree was watching my youngest girl take charge of decorating it while I simply enjoyed the beauty of it. And beautiful it was. Beautiful and festive. And a wonderful expression of creativity. We enjoyed birthday trees, a St. Patrick’s Day tree, a spring tree, an Independence Day tree, and several others. They were all quite a lot of fun.
As we’ve rolled into October this year, I’ve felt a familiar sense of anticipation. I love the final three months of the year: the arrival of fall, the delight and expectation associated with the shifting of the weather and the cooler temperatures, the changing of the leaves from one color to several, and, of course, the wonder and celebration of the holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is gratitude and wonder and great anticipation as the days draw us closer to these celebrations and to each other.
Obviously, this is all ushered in with pumpkins and apples and fall festivals and Halloween. Where I become giddy with the idea of Thanksgiving and Christmas on the horizon, my oldest becomes filled with the anticipation of Halloween. Designing her costume is one of her favorite creative endeavors and each year she contemplates how she can outdo her costume from the year before. As someone who has never been particularly gifted with choosing an idea or designing a costume, I am incredibly impressed each year not only with her ability to put together an amazing and elaborate costume, but with her ability to outdo her efforts from the year before. I also love that even before she has changed out of her Halloween costume at the end of the night she is already mulling over next year’s options.
What fun it is to watch the ways my girls express their creativity.
Even though we don’t have that year-round holiday tree this year, I decided to pull out some of the fall decor we used when we did. I love to hand over garland strands of leaves and candy corn lights to my 15 year old and let her loose to create a festive atmosphere in our living space. Her touches have provided me with delight, capturing this favored time of year that fills my heart with joy and delight and anticipation. Because she doesn’t necessarily enjoy dressing up for Halloween like her older sister, I love that this has given her an opportunity to express herself in a different way.
Now, as I sit in our cozy living room, I love that I am surrounded by touches of fall both inside and out. I am anticipating the delight my 17 year old will experience in a few weeks as she dons this year’s costume and we head out to our local Halloween stroll where she will get to show off her creativity and one of her favorite hair metal musicians. I love that I get to celebrate October in this way with my teenagers. And I love that they fill my fall with such creative flare because that is definitely something worth celebrating!