I decorated the tree before Thanksgiving this year because our daughter Jenessa will be home from her 18-month mission on December 12. I want to concentrate on her rather than on "to do's" after she comes home; there will be lots going on planned and unplanned. Our Christmas decorating usually begins the day after Thanksgiving so I am about a week ahead, but will surely fall behind in something else. As I listened to Christmas music and hung ornaments on the tree, I thought about where the ornaments had come from, why I had chosen them, or who had kindly given them to me.
So many come from places we have traveled to over the years. Just recently I added Butchart Gardens in Victoria and the tram in Whistler to remind me of our lovely summer trip with Rick's parents to see Cameron in British Columbia. Some ornaments are old and sentimental that the children made when they were little. I love the ones that show their school pictures! Some of the paper ones get hidden toward the back, but I know they are there and remember the sweet hands who made them and brought them home to share. Others are framed newborn pictures of our grandchildren. Baby Hugh's picture-frame ornament gets to join the tree this year on Christmas Day.
My dear friend Marilyn has given me so many ornaments over the years that I make a special grouping on the tree to highlight them. Most of hers are homemade and remind me of the sweet stories that go with them: a green van with lifesavers on top when rescuing Luke who had car trouble, a round ball with red dots signifying the chicken pox, and dough art depicting Lindsay and Juliann with a pair of scissors. Thank you Marilyn!
Three little bears are placed near the top last to remind us of when Rick bought them to decorate our first Charlie Brown tree together at BYU. In addition, we have made it a tradition every year to give an ornament to each child along with one for our tree so our children can have their own ornaments and memories for their Christmas trees when they are grown and we can too.
We have a small tree that sits on our kitchen counter decorated with Mickey Mouse ornaments which delights us as we are soon heading to Disneyland to celebrate Jenessa's homecoming, then coming home to celebrate Christmas together. Jenessa has said that the song I'll Be Home for Christmas takes on a new meaning for her now and we wholeheartedly agree!
There are so many "Mommeries" in the Christmas season. Ornaments on Christmas trees are one of my favorites.
Three White Dancing Bears
Our Children's Homemade Ornaments
Marilyn's Sweet Ornaments
Framed Ornaments of Grandchildren
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