One last look

One last look at all the memories. All the mementos from the years past before they go back in a box. I love Christmas ornaments. Every year growing up my parents always bought us kids an ornament, it was always a big outing as we would all search for that perfect ornament. As a parent now I have carried on the tradition with my own kids and family and each year along with the ornaments the kids choose for them self we choose an ornament for our family that represents that year. We also purchase an ornament at each vacation we take, I liked the idea of an ornament as opposed to a nick-nack that stayed out all year, I think the novelty of it doesn't ware off the way it would if it were out all year. I love putting up the tree each year as we take out the ornaments and remember when and why we bought each one. Here are a few of our favorites and their stories.

Nathan's last year of college he had to take a science class to graduate. The only class being offered before graduation was an ornithology class (the study of birds). Most of the homework was required field work and since he worked the weekends were the only time he had to complete it and since the weekends were are only family time we went with him. It quickly became more than just homework but favorite family obsession past time. We continued to explore birding sights long after the class was over and all our kids received their own birding binoculars for Christmas. It is still a favorite family outing and before each vacation we study up on which birds might be in the region we are traveling to. The bird pictured is just one of our many bird ornaments but this one is a Black Cap Chickadee, our families favorite because during the spring in they would fill the tree outside out apartment at our Washington home.

I bet you can guess where this is from. Yes our Disney World vacation. You would be surprised how hard it was to find a Mickey Mouse ornament though, we searched all the parks till finally finding this in a small glass shop at Epcot. I knew the ornament for this trip had to be Mickey. Colden's hero and the year he finally got to meet him. It is a great memento from a great family trip and brings back many memories.

I love nativities and this one brought back lots of childhood memories of snuggling up with my sibling in our new Christmas PJs  and watching a Charlie Brown Christmas.

Nothing really significant about this one, it is just my favorite I like the simplicity of it.

This Nativity was a gift from Nathan's great-grandmother, Mamo, the Christmas before she went to be with Jesus.

This is the family ornament that was picked for this year. An empty chair. The reminder of the loss of our beautiful baby boy whom we will never forget.

There are times I look at beautifully coordinated "Martha Stewart" trees and wish mine looked like that, but only for a moment. I wouldn't give up my non-coordinated, collective tree for anything.