When our tree comes out of hibernation, you will often find me hibernating in the kitchen.
Making hot chocolate. Lining up the Christmas music. Umm . . . truth be told (sorry Hottie) avoiding the whole “barn raising” of the tree.
You see, the tree is beautiful (thanks Pam) but it has lots of branches. So many branches that it goes through the alphabet twice. And it’s messy. And I simply wouldn't want to spoil all that father/son bonding time. I would just be an extra hand . . . in the way. Right?
So kind of me.
I love the end result, though.
In reality I do enjoy parts of the tree decorating process . . . like how all of the ornaments end up on the bottom of the tree.
I love telling the stories behind each ornament. The boys love to hear them, making for a good audience. Most of our ornaments have stories. The Hottie’s mom purchased an ornament for him each year. It typically represented a highlight from his year or an event that stood out in her memory bank . . . like when the Hottie Daddy used to work at a Christmas Tree farm. Mama (my MIL) gave the Hottie a car ornament loaded with a pine tree.
And now she has passed that tradition on to my children. I’m excited to see what they are going to receive this year!
Because I’m gonna met Jolanthe, Lord willing, in a little less than a year . . . and I really want her to link up to my Elementary Round Up for her older children, I thought it would be magnanimous of me to participate in her ornament show and tell.
Go grab some hot chocolate and hover around my tree for awhile (don’t worry, all of my helpers are sleeping as I write this!)
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I wouldn’t be a busy little Martha if it weren’t for this ornament, I mean date. Here hangs Brian’s and my FIRST ornament as a married couple. Precious.
Growing up, it was rare that we didn’t make a trip to Florida for our family vacation. As we passed through the southern states I was always in awe of how many signs there are advertising for Rock City. One year I went so far as to count them. As I recall, there were over 200 billboards. I believe I highly annoyed my mom. But it must have made an impression on her . . . she bought me this ornament!
This isn’t even my ornament, but I would like to have a retro looking tree one year. Old looking ornaments but not necessarily old ornaments.
After the year of the retro tree, I’d like to have a glass figurine tree. Normally, I’m not into “glass.” I’m a pottery girl. Give me something funky. But there is something spellbinding about the way the lights flicker through a glass dove.
Speaking of doves . . . this is my most recent ornament. My friend Melanie gave this to me. Actually, it isn’t unique to me. I still admire it, though. She had made one for all of the ladies sitting at her table at our church’s Christmas Tea. (Let’s not mention that I was over 1/2 hour late to said event, in clothes with puke on them, and crying as I was escorted to my seat.)
While we are on handmade ornaments, I can boast of making this colorful glass ornament with a bunch of 5 year olds . . . back in the day when I was a kindergarten teacher. Did I mention there was glass and paint involved?
This Kashmiri ornament floods my mind with memories for two reasons. We purchased it in India from a very persistent shop keeper. On the day we purchased this ornament I remember getting really mad at a cow that was in my way.
And the second reason I smile when I look at this intricately painted ornament . . . I had given it to my grandma. When she passed away, my mom gave it back to me.
For many of you who know me, need I explain this ornament? It speaks for itself.
Yet another ornament that isn’t mine . . . but oh so cute. And we have three sets of these on our tree. They remind me of a dear friend.
But these ornaments . . .
they really make me laugh. Because they aren’t ornaments. They are part of our wooden nativity set.
I was looking everywhere for them last night. I needed them for this blog post.
I found them this morning. Sleeping on the job.
Silly Wise Man and Cow.
Silly sons.
Click on the button and take a peak into someone’s house! Or at least Jolanthe’s!
