These Are A Few Of My Favorite Blings

One of my favorite things about Christmas is bringing out all of our Christmas tree ornaments (also called “tree bling”).   Every Christmas my husband, son and I give each other an ornament…it’s our little family tradition.  We started this when my son was born 12 years ago and now he has quite an awesome ornament collection with some seriously nice (read expensive) ornaments.  I decided that when he is 34 years old, I will relinquish the collection to him.  I figure that’s a good, safe, responsible age.

Each year after we pick out our Christmas tree at the Christmas Tree Farm, we pull out all of the boxes full of tree bling and start decorating the tree.  Almost every ornament holds a special memory or reminds us of a funny story.  Some ornaments have been banished to the “Don’t even THINK about going on the tree” box.  Like the ornament I gave to my husband when we first started dating.  I bought this corny ornament and had it engraved with “Mike and Wendy”…pretty brave, huh?  I’m still shocked he did not run far, far away.   While that ornament does not go on our tree (EVER), I keep it because it is sentimental.  Here are some other favorites:

1. This was my son’s first ornament.  We call it the Elephant Ornament but this year my son informed me it was a Heffalump….?   Gotta love a little Christmas controversy.
2. The Duck in Stocking ornament was purchased when my husband and I visited Greece*.  It is a hand blown glass ornament and is my husband’s favorite.   I love the candy cane!  *Correction…this is from Venice (see comments).
3. This is the Reindeer with a Martini ornament.  Guess who that belongs to…ME!  It’s one of my favorites because my husband gave it to me and it makes me smile every time I see it. 
4. This is the Bee ornament.  It is delicate and beautiful and the bee’s wings sparkle with glittery goodness.  I want to keep it out all year but can’t stand the thought of it breaking and never being able to hang it on a tree again.
5. The back of the Magical Snowman ornament says, “It’s the most magical time of the year.”  I love this one because it reminds me of my Grandma.  When my family was together this time last year for my Grandma’s funeral, my mom and stepdad had my sisters and me pick out an ornament that reminded us Grandma.  I picked this one.

6.  Whoops…someone escaped the Easter box and got into the Christmas box.

Do your ornaments have special meaning?  Do you have a box of “reject” ornaments that  just don’t make the cut?

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday!

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Life as a Christmas Tree on a Christmas Tree Farm

Today was the day the family went on our annual hunt for a Christmas Tree.  We don’t go to the grocery store parking lot where the pre-cut trees are for sale.  No, we go out to the “country” and explore the wonders of the Christmas Tree Farm.  We go tree hunting.  Yes, we stalk all of the poor, poor Christmas trees until we find the one we want.  When we find “The One” we carefully, and with much thanks to the Christmas Tree gods, kill said tree and haul it off to our home.  What must those poor trees think?  OK, I know and you know trees don’t think, but for the sake of this post, please play along.

Armed with a farm provided saw, my husband, son and I wandered up and down the rows and rows of trees.  There were  Grand Firs, Fraser Firs, Blue Spruces, White Pines, Noble Firs, you name it.  If it was Christmas tree material, it was there.  When we go Christmas tree hunting, usually one of two things happen:

1. We find a tree within five minutes of setting foot on the farm but we feel too guilty taking that tree because, after all, we drove quite a distance and it would be a pity for our family excursion to end so abruptly.
2. It takes us for-freaking-ever to find our tree.  These are the years when it is usually sub-freezing temperatures, one family member has pneumonia, one has frozen snot stuck on their nose and the other is just plain miserable. 

This year, we found “The One” within a half hour and there wasn’t any snow on the ground, no one was sick and we all were actually enjoying the day.  Yes, it was a good day.

I believe that on the farm the trees are divided into two camps:   The trees of camp #1 don’t want to die and the trees of camp #2 can’t wait to get out of Christmas Tree Farm Hell.  The ‘I don’t want to die’ trees see you coming and start acting all invisible.  They chant softly to themselves, “Don’t pick me.  Don’t pick me.  Don’t pick me.”  If they’re lucky you will walk right past them.  Of course, there is always that one tree whose strategy is just let’s itself totally go to hell.  Like this beauty:

I’m thinking this was the farm’s crack whore tree.  It looks like a piece of crap tree and it’s not going ANYWHERE any time soon.  Seriously, who would want that thing in their home?  Even Santa thought this tree was tragic:

Then there are the trees who believe the world is going to end soon so they want their last days to be warm and toasty in someone’s home where they will be blinged out with shiny ornaments and will have presents piled as high as  possible under the lowest branch.  They will leave this earth bringing joy and happiness to humans like only a Christmas tree can.  They know they were carefully selected out of all the other trees and they feel special.  Our family seeks out trees  with this tree mentality.  Here’s a picture of my son and I with our happy tree-mate:

While hundreds of trees were spared today, our family found a cooperative tree from camp #2…or should I say, our tree found us?  So far the holiday season is heading in the right direction.   I spent a great day with my great family and we found a great tree!  Does your family have any fun holiday traditions?