OH CHRISTMAS TREE

This is our third Christmas here in the Philippines. Our first year here, we were staying at my cousin's house, we really didn't have a Christmas tree but we did have a white ceramic tree that my sister-in-law gave us one Christmas back in the States. It is 10 inches tall and needs 2 AA batteries for its lights to glow. Here it is:

Beside the white tree is the plaque of the tiny baby Jesus with an angel quietly watching over him while he slept.  It was a gift to us from our dear friend, June Loggins-Hicks a while back and we brought that with us also.  The white tree and the plaque made up our Christmas decoration on our first Christmas here in the Philippines.

Then last Christmas, feeling nostalgic, we went into the pasture to look for a “perfect tree.” This tree, called “manjakaba” by the locals, grow in abundance and is used as fencing to mark one's property. Sort of the hedge apple trees in Kansas farms. I remember using it to make our Christmas tree when I was growing up. I was the decorator in the family so I enjoyed doing it myself. Here is the “manjakaba” tree used as fencing.

Here's a close-up of how the branches look like:

As you can tell by this picture, once you take the leaves off of it, you will have a tree to work on to transform it into a Christmas tree.

 

I like to use it to make our Christmas tree because its branches jut out straight from the trunk on all sides. All you need to do is cut the branches to the desired length and symmetry. You can either have a slim tree or wider tree. I have two choices for my style, either I wrap each branches in green or white Japanese paper that's cut in strips, or I could opt for the Ivory soap process where I lather the white soap with my hands until the lather becomes stiff. I would then cover each branches with the stiff lather. The result is like that of a tree covered in snow. Both options are tedious and takes patience. Last year I used the Japanese paper to cover the branches for our tree.

I sectioned the paper strips then curled them before wrapping the branches to give each branch a little body. But last year I found out, because our windows weren't done yet, we get blow-ins from the Easterlies that prevail during this time of year. “Easterlies” by the way is the wind cycle here in Asia that occurs between November to January. It's wind gusts that sometimes almost feel like typhoon and usually brings with it torrential rain. That's how we get blow-ins. The poor tree got sprayed in from the outside rain plus strong wind blowing in. Before Christmas was over the curly paper that covered the branches became straight and just sort of "hanging" in there. So we called it our "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree. Still, I had the chance to take out our decors and hung them on the tree. That was last year.

This year we debated whether we should buy a fake tree instead, we decided not to. On my trip to Maasin with JJ a couple of weeks ago, we bought several garlands. I had a wonderful idea and I think it works. Here is our staircase all decked out and the middle pillar wrapped with the garlands. This is our Christmas tree this year. As long as I can hang our decorations for me to enjoy I am happy. You see, the decorations on our tree have lots of memories for me. There's an ornament that bears our first Christmas (1987) as husband and wife, Joshua's, Zach's, and JJ's first Christmas ornaments, their ornaments made when they were in Kindergarten, or their laminated pictures shaped like angels they made in their Sunday school classes. Ornaments that mom and dad and my sister-in-law attached on each presents they gave us through the years (mostly dated). Christmas ornaments given by family, friends and colleagues.  I kept them all because I don't want to forget any of them and I want to be reminded of how blessed I am to have them in my life and how God sent them my way. That's why I hang them every year on our tree even on our "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree last year.

Our Christmas tree this year:

Here's one that Zach made when he was in Kindergarten at Faith Christian Academy back in 1998:

This one was made by Josh when he was 3 years old at Sunnyside Baptist Church during his Sunday school class:

Zach proudly took this home from Sunday School in 1996:

Judson's grandma gave this to him for his first Christmas:

Then Judson brought home from his Sunday School class his ornament:

Each year during Christmas when it's time to decorate the tree, I get sentimental and my heart overflows with thanksgiving for all the people God had brought to me, starting with my family, my husband Michael, and to the newest person I met the day before. Our tree does not have the newest shimmering balls or tinsels like others' trees but each time I look at it I am reminded of how great our God had been in our marriage, our families and our friends. Our Christmas tree to me is a strong testament to God's faithfulness throughout the year. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

Thank you all for following. HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY.  YOU ARE ONE OF GOD'S MANY BLESSINGS IN OUR LIVES and we love you all!!!