I remember best when I was young that we had a 6 foot tree with a variety of ornaments; some were ones I had made myself. Others were from my parents, maybe when they were young or first married.
When I got a little older we traded out the 'traditional' tree for a 3 foot one that dad would spend hours lacing lights while mom and I spent days (yes literally) making the popcorn string that decorated it. We used real hot air popcorn and would string it on, one at a time. The string went from our back door to our front door, and then halfway back again. Yes--for a 3 foot tree!!! But I think we ate more popcorn than got strung. :o)
This tree we left very simple: white lights, real popcorn string, red velvet bows, and 3 birds (fake with feathers glued on them). It really was one of the most beautiful trees I've ever seen!
Then I hit a time that the tree didn't mean enough to me. There were a few years that I convinced my parents for us to put our beautiful 30-piece Nativity scene on a small round table and let that be the place where we put our gifts under. I had just accepted Christ in my heart, and it was important to me to have the nativity out where we could see it and remember the true reason for Christmas.
Because of our cats, that didn't last long. We were worried about them jumping on the table and breaking the treasured nativity that mom had made so many years ago. So now it sits on top of the entertainment center, where we can turn a light on and illuminate it. My parents brought in another tree, a fiber-optic tree that changed colors and sparkled. This time they bought bulbs and we placed more ornaments (mostly new, some from the past) on it. It became a laid back tree again.
A few years ago, I wanted my own tree, so mom and dad were amazing and bought me a small 3 foot one that sat in the 'fish' room and I got to decorate with ornaments I had started collecting (I started asking for at least one ornament a year and the collection has grown!) This one was a white light-attached tree, which was plain and simple, but made me happy. I would always turn on the radio to Christmas music and it would bring such joy to me to put it up!
Most recently (last year) I got my newest, greatest tree: the one I share with Cary! It is a multi-colored 3 foot tree that I am so excited to put up this year. From all of the ornaments I have collected in years past, last year it was covered! We may have to 'retire' some of them for now, or get a larger tree! I love the feeling of Christmas in the air, and putting up the tree helps the decorations to all fall into place!
Fire Dept. Santa
Marrying my hubby
Waking at 2 a.m.
And One golden kitty!
1 comment:
How funny. I was talking to Sondra and was telling her almost the same favorite Christmas memories.I'm glad you have lots of Christmas memories and now you will have many more to share with Cary.
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