It's A Wonderful Life!

Holly-Daze are here again.
Jarrod and I went out last week and picked out our Christmas tree, short and sweet.
Danny refers to all of our tree's as Charlie Brown trees ... but I love them all just the same.

What I love the most is the decorating tradition at our house. 18 years and counting!!
Every year we all get a new ornament, one thats symbolic of something directly related to each of us that took place during the year that we are about to close.

Some of my ornaments are great... I have many from my childhood, a wooden rocking horse, paint by number ornament that I remember painting with my Mum as if it were only yesterday. Jumping forward to 1988 I have a pregnant lady holding her big belly and her maternity shirt reads "Baby" with an arrow pointing to her belly, obviously that was the Christmas I was expecting Jarrod. Then I have favorites that Jarrod made for me; a Mommy and Me bulb which he colored (scribbled) himself when he was only two and a half, some preschool photo ornaments with him wearing his big googley glasses, God he was darling! I even have a tiny manger I bought at Saint Mary's Christmas bizarre when I was in the 1st grade.

Then we have Jarrods... there are surf boards and hockey players, ski's & skates, even a smore (symbolic of our camping trips), he's got car keys with a miniature picture of his drivers license on the key chain ... obviously that was for the year he got his license. We even have a rasta man banging on a bahamien bongo drum, from Jarrods Bahama 16th birthday trip.

Danny's range from an Oak leaf (The Oak Financial Group, his Company.) a six pack of beer, to a canoe and a China doll... yes you read that correctly... a China doll~ symbolic of a little Chinese waitress at our favorite Chinese food place, who basically bowed at his feet every time we walked in and barely even acknowledged my existence. We all got a hoot out of that, especially Jarrod! (we named her ming-ling)

We have doggie ornaments too... can't forget our furry friends. The tree is covered with Goldens!

Point is ... we each pull out an ornament to hang on the tree and we gab about that particular ornament and what it stood for, it's a very sentimental evening. Me, being the mush that I am, end up teary eyed for the days gone by and for those to come.

I always put together a great big meal, although I must confess, there was the odd year when we may have done take out...Guilty as charged!
Not this year... roasted rosemary chicken, mashed w/ gravy, Dan's Dads Italian sausage stuffing, sweet potatoes w/ marshmallows & peas. Pecan pie w/ eggnog ice cream for dessert (which we all passed on, by the way... too full)!

Anyhow, this tradition we have is what Christmas is all about ... it's not the gifts or the hustle and the bustle leading up to "THE DAY" it's all about nights like this ... taking our time, laughing, sharing, remembering. It's literally like watching a movie of our past. It's so meaningful. I hope that Jarrod will one day carry on the same with his family.
Merry Christmas one and all!
~~ Peace