We have a Christmas tradition in our family that started when my mother-in-law gave us the ornaments that my husband (her son) grew up with over the years (you can see some of them in the Christmas tree pic below). They are precious and full of family memories; I am forever grateful to my mother-in-law for giving us the ornaments for my girls to enjoy now and later when they have their own families. Because of these ornaments, we started getting a family ornament commemorating each Christmas year. It’s a tradition I look forward to checking off my list. My girls and I go to the mall, at one of those kiosks that sell ornaments, agonize over which ornament to pick, and have the kiosk girls painstakingly and beautifully hand-write our names and the year.
Since my husband and I were married in 1997, we have amassed quite a few…but not as much as I thought. Somehow, a few of the years were missing when we unwrapped the ornaments this past weekend to trim the tree. You can see from the photo above that there are only 10 pieces when there should be 15 (from 1997 to 2011), not including this year. I’m missing 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2005…bizarre. I know I got them but I can’t find them…I’m thinking they’re somewhere in my basement in a separate box (basement organization is one of my projects that I want to check off my list soon). I’ve been putting it off but I guess I’m buying more than one ornament this year to fill the gaps. Also, the 2001 ornament is a bit out of place…it was the year we had our first baby and I was too busy (and tired I’m sure) to actually go out get a proper ornament; the hanging door pillow was a gift from a co-worker. I think I’ll get a 2001 ornament to supplement the pillow.
Looking back at these ornaments, it’s an interesting representation of how our family has grown from just me and the hubby, to each new addition of my Boo, then Lulu, then our Jack (pet Japanese Chin). It’s wonderful to see my girls appreciate the meaning behind each ornament and the traditions that they represent. I’m really thankful for these days leading up to Christmas when family moments matter more than the opening of presents and such, when simple acts of togetherness are the stuff that memories are made of.
You can see from the Christmas tree photo below that ours is not one for the interior design or Martha Stewart magazines but we can tell you the story behind each and every ornament…which I think is way better than a picture perfect Christmas tree.
What Holiday traditions do you cherish or practice in your family?
Dear Boo and Lulu 