A tree full of memories

I am excited to share my Christmas tree this year. We got it up and decorated last week. I always try to have it decorated before Thanksgiving. I love putting up the Christmas tree. Back in the day when I was a young mother I sort of went crazy with my Christmas trees. I think I had about twelve around my house at one point. Each one had a theme and had to look perfect. But as I have gotten older, my priorities have shifted a bit. I no longer need that designer tree sitting in my living room. I have something better. My memory tree.

It is a tradition each year in our family to pick out an ornament for our tree. I then take a sharpie marker and write their names and the year on the back or bottom of the ornament. We also get an ornament on every trip we take. When we first started this tradition, I had to use or make other ornaments to decorate the tree so I got creative (and a little crazy). Now, after twenty years, we have plenty of beautiful ornaments to fill our tree.

It is so fun to get the ornament box out and see the excitement on the kid’s faces. They look for their own ornaments, put them in a pile, and use them to help decorate our tree. The whole time we are decorating we are talking about all the fun memories we have had over the years.

It makes me and them realize how blessed and lucky we have been. This is the only tree we have up in our home. It may not be a designer tree, but it is a special tree. It represents our life, and the amazing memories we have shared together. That is what Christmas is about for me. Memories, family and tradition. Pretty much everything I put out for Christmas reminds me of a time or a person in my life. I had this idea of gathering ornaments years ago when my husband and I got married. What was a fun idea back then has turned into something special for our family.