Merry Christmas!

Just a few pictures from my tree. As a newly wed (11 Christmases ago) We struggled to fill a tree with ornaments. As a new parent a few years later, I never liked what I considered "cheesy" ornaments and in fact, worked hard to make my tree look "uniform" and "perfect" with only bows and balls all in coordinating colors. As my kids grew and we acquired new ornaments each year, some bought, some made, the uniform look get's thrown out the window, but what is left is all "us". A one of a kind collection of ornaments that is a unique only to our family and in my eyes, couldn't be more "perfect".

I look at my tree often and think about how each ornament, big or small, hand made or expensive, really becomes part of our family history. I could tell a story about each one, but instead, I'll just tell a few.

The picture ornaments are of course some of my most cherished. I love seeing my smiling babies from year to year. Oh how I forget how little they were.

The white stars represent my "perfect tree" phase. I don't hang them all anymore - there isn't room! But I always hang some.

The "Mother Tree" was given to me the year Jack was born, holding the birth stones of each of my children, with my family now complete.

Rodney and Rhonda Reindeer are near and "deer" to my heart. These were my prized possesions in 2nd grade, coming from a Burger King kids meal during the holidays! My hasn't the quality of kids meal toys changed! Way back in the 80's you had to pay extra for your kids meal toys, I believe $1.99. These toys have sat upon the branches of my Christmas trees for the past 26 years and will sit there for hopefully at least 26 more.

That bottom middle picture... that's a special one. That ornament was purchased only a few years ago. I thought it was quite beautiful. It was a red beaded tassle. One evening during the holiday season of 2005, Tom and I were out with friends and the kids were with a babysitter. I came home to see this ornament, complete with cardboard hearts, scotch tape and "I "heart" U" in it's place. The girls had taken my new ornament and were swinging it around, feeling the beads between their fingers when, poof... every bead, every strand was on the floor, broken. Knowing, how much I loved that ornament, they gave their best attempt at fixing it. I won't lie... I was mad. And when I went to take down the tree, almost... almost... threw it away. But I'm glad I didn't. I get quite a giggle out of it now, thinking about their poor little faces the moment it broke and their whole hearted attempt to "fix it" in hopes that they wouldn't get in trouble.

We bought a new ornament this year, actually a full set. It's the numbers 1 - 12 representing the song the 12 days of Christmas. A song that the girls and I sing together, loudly and off key, each season... repeatedly.

And of course, our family wouldn't be complete without a homage to "the team". The one and only ornament Tom brought with him when we got married, that normally lives happily on the back of the tree. But now that we have 4 Hawkeye fans in this house, it keeps creeping out to the front. ;)

So here's to all the "Perfect Trees", may they all be decorated with love and memories.

Merry Christmas!