Oh, Christmas Trees!

As the horrific details of the Newtown massacre unfolded last weekend, we were fortunate enough to be alive and well at the Homestead.  With all of the beauty around us, it was hard to digest the news.  Heck, no matter where you were, it was -- and still is -- hard the digest the news.  I couldn't help thanking God for so many blessings, especially a heathy unharmed first-grader.

Even without a fleck of snow yet this year, the Homestead still manages to be the ultimate Winter Wonderland.

 Although we have been fortunate to have visited there many times, we've never really been there around Christmastime. 

 After this past weekend, I now think it's my favorite time of year to be there.  However, to clarify, there is never a "bad" time to be at the Homestead.

Here is the Homestead in miniature.  Sam said the building reminded him of the one in Wreck It Ralph. It did have an uncanny resemblance.

It seemed like there were gorgeous Christmas trees everywhere you turned!  That's because there really were.  We lost track after keeping count for a while.  The gigantic tree at the end of the Great Hall below was incredible.  It was almost too perfect to be a real tree, but it was.  Sam loved it, too, once he got over the fact that the gifts under the tree were fakes - and not for him.  Ah, lost innocence!

This one below even had its own guard.

There was even a "tree" made entirely of poinsettia plants expertly arranged.!

We somehow got an ridiculously amazing upgrade that came with our very own Christmas tree!  Wow! So this is how the other half lives!

I really need to have McKayla teach him how to do the "I'm not impressed" look.

Merry Christmas, everyone, although I know all of our hearts are heavy.

LibbY