My Christmas Favorites

 Decorating the tree is an art of love for me, do you agree? I love my family, and I want our home to look good and inviting and I want the tree to be so pretty to look at that we can't take our eyes off of it for the few weeks it is up and lighting up our living room. I enjoy decorating the tree and as I am taking the ornaments out of their containers, I am always looking for certain ones that seem to hold so many memories in them. 

This had candy canes or something in it when I received it in a gift exchange that I done with a penpal. This lady and I shared many good and bad parts of life in the short time I was able to be friends with her. She lived many states away and wrote with the news that she had cancer. A mom of 4, a wife, a homeschool mom and she had cancer. How is that fair God? It was His will, but I just did not understand. She did not want traditional treatments and although, I was thinking I would do all I could, I realized that she was doing what felt right to her- trusting God's will for her life. She passed within a few months, and I was so sad, but this became a part of our tree from then on. How I miss my friend, Ang.

This ornament was given to me while I was working at Kroger. A customer made these and handed them to many of us workers. What a special reminder that we were thought of as family and that our job mattered.

I Love Lucy- what an amazing comedian Lucille Ball was. My husband got this for me one year because he knew I loved the show so much. 

I love the Grinch, and this hand painted ornament was purchased this year at a craft show. I purchased three ornaments that day. This one and one for the two oldest grands each. How I wish I could paint like this. 

This ornament was purchased this year too. Remember the Festival of Trees that I attended at the local historical museum? This is a hand painted ornament that has the log cabin that is outside the museum on it. Just a reminder of the town I grew up in. 

I am unsure how old this is. I believe my grandmother made this. It is a Santa face in a nutshell. It is not a great looking ornament, and I have had to glue Santa in many times, but I still treasure it as I remember it being on the tree when I was a kid. 

Another Santa that hung on Grandma's tree. His beard is so fragile and yet, he makes it to the tree each year. Santa is a huge reminder of Christmas of past years. I remember the year I asked for the Sunshine Family and it was under the tree. Did he truly have that much magic?

Another Santa, this one in an airplane. A plastic Santa in a plastic airplane that is another reminder of my childhood. I believe he was on our family tree for many years and I am thankful that I still have it. 

Finally, my absolutely favorite decoration on the tree. This small angel with her wings upon her back. No clothes, just a bare little angel with wings. Blonde hair, blue eyes and such a cute little angel. Another decoration from my grandma's tree and I have no idea as to how old it is, but I can't imagine the tree without it. 

Do you have any of these ornaments? Do you have childhood ornaments that still go on your tree? I am thankful that I have these memories on my tree each year to remind me of those years that life was much less complicated.