For almost twenty years, my husband and I have collected a Christmas tree ornament a year. The first year of our marriage, friends gave us ornaments to get us started and I had a few that my daughter had made.


When my husband and I decorate the tree, each ornament has its own story. We often laugh about some of the places we got the ornaments and reminisce about other Christmases as we decorate the tree each year. It’s a special tradition we both love, Christmas music playing in the background and as we dig out the ornaments.Fortunately, we have high ceilings in our 1915 house so we have a big tree, because we have collected a lot of ornaments over the years. I love al

 

l of them, a few are a true favorite like the one that our puppy took outside. That puppy grew up and died. But the cloth ornament still has a smear of mud on it from its backyard trip in Scout’s mouth all those years ago.

Quite a few years ago, my daughter, two stepdaughters and I decided to make Christmas stockings like the one my husband’s mother had made back in the 1950s. It was fun to copy the style and personalize them. These are definitely a favorite and always a joy to get out each year. This year my older granddaughters and I  made cloth wreaths, cutting strips of Christmas fabric and tying them on a metal wreath frame. It is my favorite decoration this year. I love remembering the time spent making the wreaths with them.

We drove up into the Little Rockies to cut our tree a few weeks ago.We always take our three Springer Spaniels and this year it was so nice we had a picnic, although it was a little cold out. The best part though was coming home and decorating the tree.

The lighting of the tree is always one of my favorite moments of the year. Add Christmas music, snow, prettily wrapped presents under the tree and holiday treats and I’m ready. How about you? Do you have a favorite decoration that means something to you? Or a favorite tradition this season?