Our Christmas Card

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!

Gracie's Tree

Wow, I can't believe the Festival of Trees has already come and gone. It was a once in a lifetime, wonderful experience! Monday, November 30th was decorating day at the South Towne Expo Center. We transported the tree in a moving van which made the day go by relatively fast because the tree was already decorated!! It was fun to be there and feel all the energy of everybody busily working on their creations. The Festival is such a massive undertaking, it was very impressive to see how they ran it like a well oiled machine. There were 400 large trees and 400 small trees along with wreaths, centerpieces, quilts and more. You could feel the spirit that was there. So many trees were dedicated to people who had passed away, it was very special. I have heard that some people call it the 'Festival of Tears' because of all the dedicated trees and their stories.

Pictures of Gracie's Tree don't really do it justice. It is so much prettier than the pictures portray! We were able to make it so nice all because of our wonderful family, friends and blogging friends who donated to the Gracie Tree fund!! Without all of you, this wouldn't have been possible, we thank you from the bottom of our 'hearts'!

We took our kids on Wednesday, the first day the Festival was open to the public. They had already seen it decorated at my sister's house but they had a fun time being there and feeling the energy of the Festival. This is a picture of Max reading the back of the sign for Gracie's Tree. They have you put the story of the person it is dedicated to on the back of the sign. That way, people can choose whether or not they want to read about the person's story. It was sweet to watch Max stay close to the tree and observe all the people who came and commented on her tree and her story. It was kind of a surreal experience.
This is a picture of the WHOLE tree on decorating day. The black tape on the ground divides all the sections. We had a 9 foot by 7 foot space.

We bought a vanity to go along with the tree. I found it with the help of my friend Michelle, at a consignment store and had it painted at another store. It turned out so cute. I also bought the white chandelier that we jimmy rigged to hang above the vanity. We completed the vanity with a dress up boa, brush, comb and mirror set, dress up beads, a silver decorative Christmas tree and fake cupcakes on these darling handmade little holders made out of upside down glasses and dainty plates glued together.
I found this gorgeous adult minky blanket at Swiss Days in Heber over Labor Day. We displayed it over the bench that came with the vanity and topped it with the picture of our sweet GG. They allowed the large trees to include ONE 8x10 picture of the person the tree is dedicated to. No pictures were allowed on the tree itself.

Our empty boxes were wrapped with cute wrapping paper from Swiss Days. And a $150 gift certificate to BRIGHTON!!

A $125 gift certificate to any spa that participates in the Spa Finder program.

I found this cute little stitchery at Swiss Days. I knew it had to go with the tree because this phrase has been on so many of us heart moms blog. It reads 'Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain.'
I found this dress form at a fun store down in American Fork called Finders Keepers. We added some pink and green ribbon and the flower to match Gracie's Tree.
A close up of some of the fun ornaments on the tree. The crystal chandelier ornaments were one of my FAVORITES. We got a lot of our ornaments at Hobby Lobby but we bought them in September so we had a great selection!
The tree skirt was made out of a bright pink minky fabric with a pink and green cotton border and green jewel trim. I wanted a minky tree skirt because it reminded me of all the fun, soft blankets we had for Gracie. It was big and beautiful. I had a lady from the fabric store make it and my mom finished it by sewing on the trim and the darling covered buttons that secured the tree skirt together in the back.

Tom, Me, Mimi, and Steve on opening night.

We went to Opening Night at the Festival on December 1st, from 8-10 p.m. after the auction which was from 5-8p.m. It is an event that is mainly for the decorators and no one under 16 years old is admitted. It is semi formal and they have a child with medical issues 'turn on the lights of the festival'. It is also when you can go and see if your tree sold at the auction. Well..........when we got there, our friends, Steve and Mimi Roberts had come earlier to the auction and BOUGHT GRACIE'S TREE AND GAVE IT TO US!!!!!!!! We couldn't believe it and were so humbled by their thoughtfulness and generosity. The tree has now been delivered and is in Gracie's room by the window for all to see. Gracie's room has been transformed and has a piano in it with a recliner and a wall with her shelf and some of her mementos. Her room is a special place to be where it is just a little bit quieter, a place to have a little peace.

And last, a picture of our sweet baby last Christmas opening a gift bag. Little did we know that would be the one and only Christmas we had with our girl. I remember packing away her ornaments last year wondering what 2009 would bring. I would never have guessed the road we were to take this year. It is human nature to dislike and resist trials in our lives but I have to admit that it brings a dimension to your soul that you cannot achieve in any other way.

We are so grateful to all of you who we met at the Festival, who stop and tell us how touched you have been by her story. For all of our friends and family who continue to bless us with their support and friendship. The relationships we have formed through this blog and the existing friendships and family relationships that have deepened because of it have enriched our lives forever. We are grateful our baby's life has had an impact on so many through this invaluable blog. Thanks to all of you, we are able to honor Gracie through the Festival of Trees and raise money for precious children who have vibrant futures ahead of them!! Thank you!