This year we were very late in getting our Christmas tree. We usually have it up for a couple weeks by now, but we picked it up this morning, brought it home and then had to wait while it melted off. Rain and cold together make ice on trees and that's what we have. The trees were all half price which was great, and once we made it out of the tree lot, we were home free. Wisconsin has ICE today. The roads are salted, but the rest is treacherous. This is a very bad picture of our fir tree already decorated.
I usually have sort of a Memory Tree, but this year decided to do ALL memories. It was exhausting & I couldn't figure out why. They are all good memories.
My first memory picture is of my first Christmas here. I was just married, barely 18 and had a 3 and a half month old baby. Nothing much else, but I wanted to "make Christmas". Somewhere I got walnuts, cracked them very carefully, ate the insides and glued them back together with string, thread, and whatever I could find to hang them on the tree. I sprayed them gold and/or silver and have them to this day. I believe I strung popcorn too, but that is long gone.
The spool ornament was a gift from my best friend's daughters. I have two of these spool ornaments. The daughters were in a girls club and for Christmas they were to choose someone who meant a lot to them and give them the ornament they made. They both made me one and I cherish them.
The "angel" below is an one of the ornaments from Bob's mom. I never met her as she had passed before we married, but this and other things she made are special for him and we bring them out at Christmas. The angel is nestled in a milkweed pod. It's a piece of satin with a wooden head that she painted, and braid to hold it in.
Last, but not least is the "announcement" we received at Christmas in 1993. The ornament reads, "From our Whole Family" but as you can see, the top red ornament is blank. This was their way of telling us that another one was on the way.
That "other one" is 19 already, home on Christmas break from college and is downstairs with Bob watching a movie right now.
There are many other memories on the tree, such as handmade ornaments from my sister and friends, and pictures of the grandkids when they were young, but these are my favorites.
So make a memory this Christmas and share. I know I will.
My first memory picture is of my first Christmas here. I was just married, barely 18 and had a 3 and a half month old baby. Nothing much else, but I wanted to "make Christmas". Somewhere I got walnuts, cracked them very carefully, ate the insides and glued them back together with string, thread, and whatever I could find to hang them on the tree. I sprayed them gold and/or silver and have them to this day. I believe I strung popcorn too, but that is long gone.The spool ornament was a gift from my best friend's daughters. I have two of these spool ornaments. The daughters were in a girls club and for Christmas they were to choose someone who meant a lot to them and give them the ornament they made. They both made me one and I cherish them.
The "angel" below is an one of the ornaments from Bob's mom. I never met her as she had passed before we married, but this and other things she made are special for him and we bring them out at Christmas. The angel is nestled in a milkweed pod. It's a piece of satin with a wooden head that she painted, and braid to hold it in.
Last, but not least is the "announcement" we received at Christmas in 1993. The ornament reads, "From our Whole Family" but as you can see, the top red ornament is blank. This was their way of telling us that another one was on the way.That "other one" is 19 already, home on Christmas break from college and is downstairs with Bob watching a movie right now.
There are many other memories on the tree, such as handmade ornaments from my sister and friends, and pictures of the grandkids when they were young, but these are my favorites.
So make a memory this Christmas and share. I know I will.
I loved this post and your photos, Carol. I thought we weren't going to be able to afford a tree this year but we too found a half-price one by leaving it so late ;-), and it's one of the most special things about Christmas to me because all the ornaments are memories. Even all the little handknit snowmen from our first Christmas when C was out of work bring back happy memories despite the hard times.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Christmas holiday.
What a great post and so nice to read about your "ornament" memories. I didn't realize you put up your tree so much later than you planned. I think it's very pretty. :)
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