We live on 3 acres of mostly wooded property here in Maine, but for the past 2 years, we had decided to go to a tree farm and pay for a Christmas tree. We liked the idea of making it an event. There was usually hot chocolate and candy canes. They took our picture each year and it was fun to get to see the picture of us from the year before hanging on their bulletin board. But this year, due to lack of funds and a lack of time, we decided to see what we could find in our own woods. I knew that our pine trees would not be as full as the ones from a tree farm, so I was prepared for a little more rustic tree. What we ended up doing was cutting down 2 trees that had very skinny trunks and had pretty sparse branches on one side. We put them together and Trey bound them with cable ties. Our 2 little trees, though different from years past, make quite a beautiful addition to our living room. We all were giddy when we brought out the ornaments and began to go through them to hang on our “Little House on the Prairie” tree. Here are some of my favorites.
- Picture ornaments – every year, I buy a little photo frame ornament for each child and put a photo of them from that year in the ornament. I have them labeled on the back so I can remember what year it was for each picture.
- Cardinals – the mascot of my school was the fighting Cardinals. I am sure it is part sentimentality, but I am still rather partial to cardinals today. I love t
hem, in fact! - Black lab – for my dog, Baron. Wearing a santa hat, it looks just like our wonderful dog.
- Navy ship – Trey was in the Navy for 7 years (just got out this year). I’ll have very fond memories of our life in the military.
- Age ornaments – Aunt Brenda sent the kids Hallmark ornaments every year when they were little to represent their age for that year. They are all so cute and bring back such lovely memories.
- Handmade ornaments – I made 2 ornaments from various materials the year Trey and I were first married (14 years ago). Since then the kids have made salt dough ornaments and various other ornaments that are so special to us.
- Santas – Another of my obsessions. I love Santas and buy way too many after the holidays are over and they are way marked down. But I do love them!
- Place ornaments – I have ornaments that I have bought in the different places we’ve lived. They always bring back a flood of memories from each home and town.
What are your favorite ornaments? What is your oldest ornament?
View Comments (3)
What a great picture of your kids!
My favorite ornament is really ugly. It's kind of broken and the paint is chipping off.
It's a rocking horse.
The reason why I love it is because it's the only ornament I have from my childhood. It reminds me of when I was a kid and it sits right on a branch on the tree. Most years I hid it deep inside the tree so that when I catch a glimpse of it, I smile.
My wife has made cross-stitched ornaments. I enjoy puting these on the tree. She's gifted them to some members of our extended family and friends.
oh, List Mama!
My Christmas Tree was full of speciaal ornaments. Every year I gave my girls an ornament relevent to some occurance in their life that year, or at least some ongoing interest. Ornaments with their names. As well as simple pairs (rocking horses, teddy bears) that their Great Granny gave all her great grandchildren each year. My intention was always to give each girl her own collection when she married and moved away.
As it turned out though, I'm the one that moved away! I moved overseas, and at 20 and 22 the girls could not come along because of the immigration and work laws here. So, packing up Christmas in 2006 meant dividing the ornaments into hers, hers, and mine. Oh, how I cried!
The girls have used theirs, in their seperate apartments full of girl friends. I haven't unpacked mine though, Christmas trees are not a required element here, and as we've spent the day away It just didn't seem worth the trouble. My son was born in 2007, and I have bought ornaments for him, but don't expect to put up a tree until next year, when we are back home.