Flashback Friday- My Favorite Ornament

I don't know how important Christmas tree ornaments are to you, but to me they're a pretty big deal. Collecting them is far beyond your basic branch decorating- each one holds meaning and memories. When I met Christopher, he was like most men probably are, and just didn't get it. "Oh, you got me an ornament as a gift. A snowman couple that says 'our first Christmas'.... and its not a new record player or pocket knife. ...rad?".

Yes, I did, and I'm going to get you one next year too, and every year after that, for the rest of our lives, so- hope you like it!

While I was growing up, my Grammy would send me an ornament in the mail every December. Little things like that were everything to me. It was like a great big warm hug- the kind where you don't want to let go, because the laundry detergent that lingers on her sweater smells so comfortable. I remember running to the mailbox, after getting off of the school bus in the afternoons, fumbling with my mail key to get the gray square open. Would it be there? Would it be there?

Now that I'm all grown up (booo), my Grammy continues on the tradition by sending ornaments to my babies, which warms my heart so much I could maybe make toast, and I get just as excitedto see what their December packages hold. This is the first year that Eleanore really 'got it'. In the past, shes just kinda gone through the motions, not understanding the wonder of mail, or giving, but- this year, now that shes four, she loved it. And I loved it.

A great big hug from Grammy.
I can smell the fabric softener.



I'm not sure what year I got this ornament, I feel like I was 9, but its my absolute favorite. Every year when I unwrap it, nostalgia taps me on the shoulder and shows me a picture of the freshly cut Christmas tree taking up the entire corner of our yellow and brown kitchen. I can feel the cold air that came through the nearby front door, and I can hear my Dad in the background whistling silent night, his favorite Christmas song, while my Mom made the ribbons on the packages curly with the orange handled scissors. Memories that I tuck away when we take the tree down after the new year, but welcome back with anticipation, and a hot mug of cocoa, the day after Thanksgiving, no matter what.

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Flashback with us! Go through your polaroids, scrapbooks, old crappy cell phone pictures- whatever you've got. Scan them, upload them, get them onto the computer somehow, and then share them with the world! Or... with us at least. Post them onto your blogs, write a little bit to go with them- tell us your story. When you're all finished, grab one of our buttons from down below (wayyyy down there at the bottom of our page) and put it somewhere inside your post (or link back to us the old fashioned text way). Come back here to this post, and add your link to the photo list below!



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