O' Christmas Tree. O' Christmas Tree.

O' Christmas Tree. O' Christmas Tree. How in the world are you needles still clinging to your branches?

It's January 11th and our Christmas Tree still stands tall, and round, and full of light. Not only that, but it's a live tree that hasn't been watered for a good three weeks and it stands with its needles still attached and its color still saturated green.

I've never had a live tree in my home before. In fact, I've only had a GREEN tree in my home once before - in December 2003, the first year I moved in.

I had been using white wire trees in my home every year since then. They were beautiful...but they were not the color of the Christmases that I remember. Then again, a lot of the time this home hasn't really captured the feeling of "home" that I remember.

But, right now my home isn't the same as it was last year or the year before. I feel settled in. I feel like this is "home" 7 days a week again.

This year, together, we picked out a beautiful tree. And so far we've been in no hurry to tear our first Christmas down.