Decorations...

My mom goes all out for Christmas decorations. After she is finished with the decorations our house is transformed for the Christmas season. I remember Ben and I helping her put decorations out and putting up the regular stuff, but more times than not she did it all herself. And the house always looks wonderful and warm and inviting and festive. Not everything was always in the same place each year (it's hard to remember where you put things from year to year), but there were a few things that were the same... there was a nativity set in every room in the house (even in bathrooms) and there was the reindeer scene that belonged to my great-grandmother Angeline that was always on top of our piano and of course the Christmas tree.

Decorating the Christmas tree was always a family affair. Mom, Ben, and I "fluffed" the branches (no real trees in our hose if we all wanted to breathe!) while Dad asked for the colors of the branches. Each set of branches was color-coded with a place on the tree and he would put them in there respective places. Next was the garland and the lights. This just makes me smile. No matter how hard they tried, my parents always ended up in an argument during this part of the decorating process. Something about winding the strands around the tree in an even manner always resulted in miscommunication and frustrated parents. Once they finally got it, the argument would be over and all of us would help put the ornaments on the tree. Our ornaments do not match and there is no theme, rather they are a collection of memories through the years representing different stages in our lives and those we love. What a special time going through all of our little treasures. The last ornament placed on our tree is always the ornament from the year mom and dad got married and they put it toward the top on the front of the tree... together. And then they kiss!

Several of the ornaments we used to have were ones that Ben and I had made when we were very young. We used to keep the Christmas stuff in the basement of our house and one year we found out that water had been seeping through and caused a terrible mold problem. Several of the paper ornaments that we had made were ruined. It was a sad time, especially for mom. Sentimental, I know, but I don't blame her. I'd be the same way.

Now, mom doesn't wait for us to put up the tree, but she does save the ornaments from the year Ben and I were born for each of us to put up... just like we always have. They also have a new Christmas tree... the old one "died" and they invested in a pre-lit tree. Less arguments!

Last year was my first Christmas with my new husband and we had our very own tree. Pre-lit. To avoid any arguments of course. We each have ornaments that we have collected through the years (thanks to our parents and grandparents) to put together on our tree. Mamaw always gives her grandchildren a Christmas ornament and she always gives the girls an angel ornament. I have a wonderful collection of angel ornaments. I look forward to collecting ornaments through the years with Zach to pass on this simple tradition with our kiddos.

I got Zach to help me get out the Christmas decorations last night. I even got him to help me put some of the stuff out and take the empty boxes back upstairs! We decorated our tree and it was fun pulling out the new ornaments from last year as our "first Christmas". We just have to be sure and get an ornament for this year!