Remembered Joy - Trimming the tree

The five kids on Christmas morning

Taking a page from Mrs Micawber's Advent series on favorite Christmas memories or traditions...

I decorated our Christmas tree Sunday afternoon, while G looked on from his seat on the couch, and it made me think about our tree trimming traditions growing up.

Going to the tree lot as a family to choose a tree was an important part of the tradition. While my dad would hold a tree upright for us to approve, we would walk around it, passing judgment. Too skinny. Big bald spot on that side. Not enough branches at the bottom. No good point at the top. At last one tree would make the grade and be lashed onto the top of the station wagon for the trip home.

We used colored lights and spent a lot of time fussing with the strings to get all the bulbs to light, for if one was loose, the whole string went out.

Some of our ornaments were from my dad's tree when he was a boy, some from his parents' trees when they were young. (Nothing from my mom's side? Apparently not.) Others were school projects, home made treasures, souvenirs from travels. As each ornament was lifted from the box, we talked over where it came from, the occasion it marked, or to whom it belonged.

And as I lifted each ornament from the box on Sunday,
I reminded G of where it came from or the occasion it marked.

One from my childhood.

As is this, a gift from a Brownie troop party.

About 4 inches tall, made by my older sister for me,
she's a mini version of a favorite doll Carlie had as a child.

Knit by my mom.

Purchased on a business trip to Australia.
The back side of this little guy is just as funny.

See?

From a business trip to Taiwan.

From G, our first Christmas together.

A 'Maui angel' from our honeymoon.

Cinnamon stick Santa made by my sister-in-law, K.

He is still adorable.

From my parents to G
when he bought himself a used speedboat.

Quincy, Oscar's predecessor.

I think it's time to get a picture of Oscar on our tree, too.