Festival of Trees

It was such a joy to be part of the Festival of Trees this year. We named our tree "Gift of Reading" in honor of Mom and Dad and the value they always placed on education. It was simple compared to some of the extravagant, professionally decorated trees, but it was also elegant, and we were so pleased when it sold for a generous amount! Most of all, we were pleased that we were able to honor our wonderful parents.

Nikki and Lyndsie helped us set up and decorate it at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy. I think there were about 400-500 trees, and it was fun to see them all. Kurt painted letters and the chairs for us, and Michelle was the chief designer. All of the books donated by the family were tied with bows under the tree. Nikki donated the table and chairs, and I bought the tree with money donated by the family. We also donated a magnetic board with Dick, Jane, and Sally magnets. The picture on the floor is a 1954 print called Storytime with Dad (If you click on the picture to make it larger, you may recognize Verlene, Judy and Me). In my opinion, the little red schoolhouse lantern tree topper really set our tree apart. It was Kent's idea, and I think it was clever and classy. It truly was a family effort--thanks to everyone who helped and contributed.