growing up, it was our family tradition to pick out a different christmas ornament every year. our family tree was always decorated with random ornaments. when brady and i were married on december 22, i started dreaming of decorating my very own christmas tree. i imagined all things themed, glittery and shiny but more importantly . . . coordinating! i thought i wanted the kind of tree you would only see in magazines!
so, for a few years, i bought matching balls and ribbon, bells and white lights.
so, for a few years, i bought matching balls and ribbon, bells and white lights.
this weekend, we decorated our tree. i decided to be true to my roots and go back to the traditional hod podge tree. unlike the last few years, i watched my kids in pure delight as they opened ornaments they had forgotten they had. i listened to them tell one another when and where they bought them and the story behind why they chose the ones they did. when it was all said and done, i could see . . .
off to the right, years of baylor’s toy story ornaments all nestled together. at eye level, my red ice skates crocheted by my grandma crowley. towards the center, my red felt bear on a ball with the year 1976 written in my mother’s handwriting. beneath the tree, the bateman family LGB train complete with smoke. off to the left, my brittle white dove that i insisted be the last ornament hung on the tree every year since it's purchase in 1981. toward the back, my glass heart placed strategically by burke in front of a bulb to reflect the light in the same way i had hung it as a child. all around, the faces of my children on hand made ornaments made as gifts while at a neighbor's house the day i gave birth to brooklyn in 2006. and then on top of the tree, the angel made from my mother’s own wedding veil.
when i see the trees in magazines, i see beauty. i see elegance. i see perfection. when i look at our family christmas tree, i see the past. i see the present. i see the future. i see simplicity. i see life. my life.
and it's a wonderful one.
10 comments:
Our tree is a collection of random ornaments, too! I love that you already have yours up, I wish mine was, too! It's always great to travel down memory lane as you hang each ornament, especially now that Carter and KayCee are a little older, I love telling them when and why we bought certain ornaments! It was so nice to read a blog from you again ;) You have such a way of capturing emotion!
That is our tree too! I love seeing all of the memories collected over the years
Wow! You just got me in the Christmas spirit :)
I love that each ornament has a story behind it.... even the matchy, maychy ones.
When I had my first baby my grandmother gave her a felt teddy bear stocking ornament.....and it suddenly began. You see my first tree was a magazine tree too! But the tradition had been born.
Soon there were two for her, then the next baby and the older one enjoyed helping pick out something for her younger sister. The years flew by and single ornaments of five children grew into labeled boxes. As I tissue wrapped them and laid them gently to rest each year, I smiled to myself as I knew each of my special children would have a treasure chest of memories to unveil and trim their own trees someday. My heart panged as I held in my minds eye, images of their children listening to stories about the "old" ornaments.
When Briana married and had her "own first tree", I didn't show it but felt sad when I saw her magazine tree, but I knew at some point she too would have plaster handprints, beaded candy canes and mirrors with faces to hang among her own childhood treasures.
I wept as I read this post, welcome home Bri, to a few of my favorite things. mims
I'm trying to type through tears, you sure know how to say it!! I have enjoyed the same thing with my kids. and used to say, someday I'll do two (one for the magazine and one for the kids). It IS like early Christmas, unwrapping each one as they get hung. I used to "spread them out" after the kids put them up, but then i realized how fast they are growing and i decided to enjoy the way it looks while i can!btw mom, i still have the felt bear made by Great grandma Sheets...:)
my tree has always been a hodge podge mix of stuff and I love it! it wouldn't feel like mine if it was "pretty". You know me, everything i have is "real". So my tree always fits right in...
a bit of a mistake to read niki's blog and now your most recent posting while at work. it is a good thing no one came into my office while reading as my door is always is open. they may have thought that i finally wals letting the work get to me and i was breaking down. you now me it is hard to hold them back. i am glad that some of your traditions yall are keeping. the good ones of course! not it is possible to have more than one tree so you can have a magazine tree or a jimmy buffet tree ha! ha!. i think we should start with the jb tree this year as we spend most of the time out there and can enjoy it. having said that we still have our own that we have been collecting all of the years as all of you kids were collecting yours. some of them are disintegrating as the material like bread dough has seen better days however we could never get ride of them.
Christmas has always been my favorite time and it is still hard because we do not have the pleasure of the tree going up you placing the last ornament, putting the angle on top, (ya know she had a make over - no plastic surgery or anything just a new vail gown and same halo). angelic voices singing at the top of the stairs to start the morning!!! Those memories will never die. miss all of you more than ya know.
lv
dad
Well, lets see a picture of the tree! :)
i have collected snowmen ornaments since before i got married... my mom has a santa tree!! i love it. i can't wait to put mine up this week!!
miss you..
Way to let go of perfection so you could see what the kids see! I'm with you as to wanting a tree that coordinates. But, as you have found, I think it's better to have all the memories.
Post a Comment