First Christmas

fRESH EVERGREEN wreaths were piled up near the grocery store exit, taunting me with their scent. I longed to buy one for the front door of our home, the perfect way to put the finishing touch on my holiday decorating. A reminder of that warm, homey feeling I experienced as a kid from the Northwest. I wanted to bring that same feeling to our new, blended family.

I rolled my full cart into the parking lot, once again leaving the wreaths behind. My