CHRISTMAS: day 1

 Decorating the Christmas tree is not just the application of ornaments when we are putting up the "family tree".  It is like opening up a scrapbook of our adventures.  We have all the handcrafted ornaments that the kiddos have made since they were old enough to hold a pair of scissors or squeeze a glue bottle,  We have the wreaths made of puzzle pieces that capture how young they were at the time.  Reindeers made from their hand impressions and various paper mached items.  Then we have the ornaments that we have gotten on various trips or vacations: cruise ships, mermaids, pieces of Yellowstone or Yosemite.  My favorite is when we start putting up the ornaments that Steve and I have given to each other.  Sometimes they are just cute holiday ornaments and others represent something we did that year.  For example this year Steve gave me an ornament that looks like a purse to represent my new "business" venture.  I made him one with a picture of Suzy Bogguss and a little guitar because he got to meet her this year after her concert. 

  Once it is all done, the ornaments are on, the angel is atop the tree and the pretty red bows have been attached to various limbs.  I love to step back and bask in all we have done in our 16 years of marriage.  A reminder of our good life and how much we are blessed.

DECEMBER DAILY: Day 1

I ended the 1st day of December decorating "my" tree. This is the tree that Steve gave me for Christmas. Since our 1st Christmas I had wanted a tree that would have all coordinated ornaments. So a few years ago, Steve bought me the tree and I have acquired these bright colored ornaments during the after Christmas sales. So since Steve was at work, Zack and Belle were at Mutual, so the girls and I turned on Christmas music and I decorated the tree. It is always fun to pull out those new ornaments that I bought in Januray and am finally getting to use.
I enjoy setting up this tree. A few nights before we did the "family" tree which is also fun. That trees has the ornaments we have collected over the years from the places we have visited. Steve and I also give eachother ornaments each year. This year we also gave the kiddos ornaments. Last year we had given Zack and oboe ornament and then this year we got Belle a piano ornament and Katie a Black kitty ornament. But my favorite is the Hallmark "countdown" ornament. Becky has a white board in her bedroom and has countdown all the big events of the year, so it seemed only right to give her that ornament.

FESTIVAL of TREES

Saturday I took the kids to South Towne Center to visit the Festival of Trees.

There were hundreds of beautifully decorated trees in different themes.

Many of the trees are decorated in remembrance of a child or adult that has passed away. Next to some of the trees would be there photo and there were people who stood near the trees that could tell you the stories behind the trees.

There was a sweet spirit there with those trees.

It was a little piece of heaven for me. There were many brightly decorated trees that I fell in love with. There were a couple of trees that were "girlie themed" with purses and shoes. Those were also some of my favorites. Another one that caught my eye was the tree that was decorated with PEZ candy dispensers. Very clever. The kids enjoyed the trees too.

It was an excellent way to spend a chilly Saturday afternoon