Oh Christmas Tree

With December being half way over, we finally got our Christmas out! It took us two days but we did it. Last night I started pulling it out. Rayni was in a very bad mood and wanted nothing to do with anything except for all attention on her. So we only got some decorations out. But not our tree. Today I was determined to get that baby out. There is something about putting my tree up that gets me all warm and fuzzy inside. It is a place that holds so many memories and special things.

There are people out there that have the trees that are all matchy matchy... not that this is a bad thing in any which way or form.

 I just love my old fashiondy-nick nack-modge podge-of memories-tree.

Each ornament that I pulled out tonight reminded me of someone and some memory.

My Grammy: The red silk ball ornaments that used to be on her tree when I was growing up

My great Grammy Williams: an old ball ornament that was hers at one point

My mom: My mom collecting my kiddy cucumber cat ornaments for me and the 100 year old bread ornaments she made.

The Thompsons (Uncle Gary, Aunt Jill, Cousins Brooke and Robin) The ornament they make every year and my very favorite and special Snow White ornament from Brooke.

Zach also has a few ornaments that were his growing up.

I love that our tree is a combination of his and mine. I love that we have made it our own. I love the that our star is held together on top of our tree with bobby pins and has had to be done that way since we first put up out Christmas tree 6 years ago.

I love that there are past memories that we think about when we look at our tree and that new memories will be added.

I L.O.V.E.D sharing this with my Rayni. Seeing Christmas through the eyes of an innocent child just makes it that much more special. It was so fun to see her excitement and wanting to be apart of it all. She makes all of our favorite and special moments in life that much more worth wild.

Enjoy some fun moments:

 

 

On the first day of decorating this is all Lou wanted was the bell

 

 

 She was very curious about the lights. She kept softly touching them.

 

 She kept thinking there was more in the Christmas tree box. Like it was my Marry Poppins bag and I would be pulling out a lot more that just the tree.

Helping mommy pull out the ornamnets

Trying to eat the bread ornamnets

helping mommy hang the ornamnets

She loves bags and boxes that are full of stuff for her to pull out so this was much entertainment for her!

Still wanting to look at the tree long after we were done

Daddy hanging our Jerry rigged bobby pin star

All finished

 

I have to mention my stockings. My Dad's mom has 9 kids. She started making these stockings for them when they were just kids. The tradition carried onto making one for their spouse then their kids. The stocking making was handed down to my aunt who continued to make sure that everyone in my dad's very large family had a stocking. When I got married to Zach he was made one. Well when it came time to think about Christmas this year I just had to have one for Rayni. I knew that the stocking making had kinda stopped. If you really wanted one my aunt would give you the materials and explain how to do it. I called her to ask if she could teach me so I could make one for my Lou. She said that she was already making one for her granddaughter and that she would also make one for Rayin since she was already doing it. I was so thrilled! When my dad brought it home for me and I looked at it it made me teary. All growing up we all had the same stocking. They all hung on the fire place oldest to youngest. I new that I had always loved my stocking but now that I have  a family of my own I love it even more. It makes me so happy that I am able to carry on a tradition that means so much to me.

 ( I don't have stocking holders just yet, but they will be hung soon)