Each Christmas...

Each Christmas I remember

The ones of long ago;

I see our mantelpiece adorned

With stockings in a row

Each Christmas finds me dreaming

Of days that used to be.

When we hid presents here and there,

For all the family.

Each Christmas I remember

The fragrance in the air,

Of roasting turkey and mince pie

And cookies everywhere.

Each Christmas finds me longing

For Christmases long past

And I am back in childhood

As long as memories last.

~ Carice Williams Christmas Past

We found a tree farm closer to home and on Saturday we got our tree.  It is a blue spruce which quickly scented the house. I told the kids it would be very “pokey” and by the time I was done putting on the lights my arm looked like I had put on porcupine  arm warmers.

Then we started to decorate.  It is always a walk down memory lane. 

This ceramic mouse ornament is from many moons ago.  My nickname was Mouse because I loved cheese so my mom made me this ornament.

My mom also bought this ornament for #1 daughter’s first Christmas. 

Years later we were given this one when she was deployed to Iraq.

In Montessori school #1 son made this and we use it to mark where his presents will be under the tree each year.  It is my favorite school picture of his, so young and innocent.

After he graduated and got his first full time job as a carpenter.  So we documented it with an ornament.

#2 daughter’s place is marked by her handprint done in pre-school.

Several years later we bought her a horse .  As Christmas approached we bought an ornament to remember when this happened.  We spent New Year’s Eve in the ER with a broken wrist from her falling off the horse.

#2 son felt very manly when he was allowed  to skip school and go salmon fishing in Pulaski, NY.  That was the first of many fishing trips.  He still holds the nickname “Bob” because he kept falling in and “bobbing” up and down in the river. 

Each ornament is dated and I try to commemorate some event in their life that year.  I hope later they will decorate their tree and pull out these ornament and remember years long past.

And now that the tree has been procured, decorated and there is less than one week left where does it find me?  Well the presents are bought or made and for the most part wrapped.  I did encounter a small problem…the square afghan that I was knitting and that I thought was 6 feet wide turned out to be 4 feet.  It must have been wishful thinking on my part.  I had been measuring from the center to the corner.  I wrapped it and will let them decide if they want it bigger, knit all the way around or added to on the top and bottom.  It is just a throw for their sofa so I don’t know which way they will go. 

In the baking department….I seem to have married and birthed hoover vacuum cleaners.  As soon as I make something it is inhaled.  I love that they love it but would like a little for company and baskets.  So today while everyone is still occupied with work and school I will try to bake and hide it.

#2 and I still have bird seed ornaments to make  to put on the outside tree on Winter Solstice.  This is something she saw on Little Bear many years ago and we still do.  

I think that is one of the best things about this time of year...the memories and traditions.  Love it!