I have wanted to do a post on our Christmas tree for a long time now, but I finally got around to doing it now that our tree has been taken down (I am writing this on January 2nd, but I back dated the post so that it fits in chronological order!) Our family has some neat traditions when it comes to Christmas trees. I believe that there is a time and place for the picture perfect trees, but I personally love that everyone who walks into our house wants to hear the stories behind the ornaments. My mom started giving each of us an ornament for Christmas when we were kids. Over the years, each ornament has come to represent something from that year in our lives. She has continued to do this now for her grandkids and we as couples have still been getting our own ornaments too (though she threatens every year that she is done with it!) Here are a few random memories from our life as told by our memory tree.
The theater mask.... I received this one my senior year of high school (I think!) to represent my deep love of drama, the many roles I had that year, and especially the honor of placing with my partner at the state drama competition that year!
The capitol building ornament... represents the trip my mom, sister, and I took over spring break my sophomore year (I think?) of college to visit my brother, Nate. This was my first trip to DC.
The bathtub ornament. This was part of our couple ornament from last year representing the total fiasco we had trying to put in the tub while finishing our basement bathroom. The concrete had been cracked and my dad broke a pipe underground while trying to "help" which resulted in Kyle using a jackhammer to break out the floor, fix the pipe, repour the concrete, and finally set the stinkin tub. That was the bathroom project of 2010. Interestingly, it was over Christmas week this year that Kyle finally entered back into that bathroom to pour more concrete and finish tiling the floor and shower in that bathroom! It is the never ending project!
The grad school/graduation ornament of 2005. This ornament has a cute poem on the back explaining that after completing a four year stint at BYU, I was now led to Logan, UT where as part of the deal, I would properly learn to ask, "How does that make you feel?"... a huge joke in my family. This was the beginning of my journey to become a Marriage and Family Therapist.
Chef Grant 2010... this was Grant's ornament from my mom last year. It has a hanging spatula and whisk to represent Grant's love that year of all things culinary (he still loves it all!)
When Grant was born, Kyle's mom also began a tradition of giving her grandkids and ornament. This was Grant's from 2010...handpainted and beautiful!
The year 2009 was huge for our family... as this ornament shows from the dangling circles, we had a baby (not to mention all of the medical drama that came with that year!), bought a house, and Kyle graduated from college.
My talented grandma often makes an ornament for all of her grandkids on some years. I have a beautiful collection of crocheted snowflakes and beaded snowflakes from Grandma Beth.
I believe this was in 2004... my mom took me along as her travel partner on a cruise...just the two of us! We went to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. This was my first cruise and it was so fun! She picked up the ship while we were on the cruise and saved it till December when she added a mini beach towel and all of the embellishments!
The year I turned 16, I felt like an absolute princess accompanying my wonderful friend on a magical Homecoming date. I had picked out the dress long before I turned 16 and was so excited for a reason to dress up. This was my princess year!
2008... the year I finally graduated (after much tribulation!) with my Master's from USU. We were expecting Grant and very unsure of our future with him that Christmas.
Pretty self explanatory... look at that cute chubby face, tube and all! How far we have come!
Part of last year's bathtub ornament... it is incredible how much money we have spent at this place during the last two years as Kyle has been slowly working his way through finishing our basement!
The other part of our couples ornament last year... our camera has been a constant source of learning for me as I have tried to develop a talent for portrait photography.
The Ballerina ornament... my sophomore year of high school, I participated in a silly pantomime with four of my girlfriends for our drama class. The premise was that we were all ballerinas in a beginning class and we each had distinct personalities that appeared as our "teacher" tried to teach us a basic routine. The skit was hysterical and we ended us going all the way to State Drama that year and placing... a huge accomplishment for underclassmen!
Christmas 2002 was spent in Chile picking up my brother, Aaron, from his mission. It was the trip of a lifetime and so fun to be reminded of that with my Chili pepper on the tree!
Lastly, this was our ornament the year we got married... I love to be reminded of that wonderful day. The pickle ornament was a gift from a college boyfriend, but I keep it because of the tradition associated with it. Each Christmas morning, the pickle ornament is hidden somewhere new on the tree and the first child to find it opens the first gift. It is to remind us continually that it is not about the presents, but taking the time to see all the good around us.
What is on your tree?
p.s. this year, the much anticipated ornaments were a picture of Grant surrounded by tools showing his love this year of all things tool related, and a stork for us loaded up with question marks as we had yet to know our baby's gender!
1 comment:
How fun! My mom did something similar (and that's what my tree is decorated with), but it was the same one for each child. And she too says each year that it's the last. :) I am impressed that she could find some of those ornaments (I'm thinking of the bathtub). And what a lot of work going into some of them, too. What a great way to preserve memories. I had friends who did something similar for each other for Christmas, something representing the year. I thought about doing something like that this year for Andy... but didn't. I need to be more creative! :)
By the way, I am loving all these posts! The back dating thing had me confused for a minute. :)
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