O Christmas Tree...

I've been working on decking the halls around here for the last few nights....  And as of last night, the biggest thing - the tree! - is done.  I live in a small but precious little apartment, but I've never had to compromise and have a small, artificial tree because the first Christmas I was here, Dad was determined to figure out a live tree for this place.  And he did!

So I cram one in the corner of my dining room. :)  And here it is!  (You don't get to see the top because I can't back up far enough to get the whole thing in a shot.)

I love that a Christmas tree can tell stories with its ornaments. 

As I was hanging to many of mine last night,

I loved thinking of where they have come from over the years.  Here are some favorites!

Front and center, every year.  As it should be.

My ornament that always hung on Nanny & GanGan's tree growing up.  All 7 of us had one, made by my aunt.  We used to always decorate their big tree as a family and order in pizza for dinner. 

Nanny even had these ornaments on a little tree in her room at Arbor Acres for Christmas. 

We all got to take ours home this year from Thanksgiving. 

I will always always put this on my tree and think of my grandparents and Christmas at their house.

Oh, my very favorite Hotel del Coronado in San Diego...  I stinkin' love it.  I've been there lots of times, but this ornament is from a family trip in November 2007.  It's where I would want to end up if I could close my eyes and click my heels and instantly be somewhere.

My Abraham Lincoln china ornament from my cousin Brian and his fiance Christina who live in DC. 

They so appreciate my love of good ole Abe.

My sweet little yellow "dough star" that I made in preschool 25 years ago. :)

Man, did I love high school... I might be the only person on earth other than Martha Land with one of these on the tree.  Wes gave it to me a few years ago because he knew I'd flip over it.  And I did.  Bless his heart.

No, this is not the Old Well at Carolina.  PLEASE.  AS IF.  It's from the Greenbrier in West Virginia. 

My grandparents took us there several times growing up, as a whole family.  We were so fortunate to get to make so many memories there together over the years.

Rainbow Row in Charleston, from a trip there to celebrate Amy's 21st birthday in 2003.

 From my very first Festival of Trees tree 5 years ago.  It had fallen off without me knowing it and I found it after I got home from delivering my tree.  I decided I needed to keep it and hang it on my own tree. 

I love getting it out every year and remembering that darling tree.  And it really was cute, if I do say so... :)

My very favorite ornaments and the first ones that go on the tree every year are my photo sculpture ornaments.  They are hard plastic cutouts that the preschools here do every year.  I counted last night - I have 15 of them. :)  They are of all of my precious Winston kids, and their moms always remember me when they order their ornaments. (You can see lots of them in the full tree picture up top.) 

This was the very first one I got, of Spencer and Sam in 2006.

And now, for the good stuff:  Baby's First Christmas. 

"There's nothing like a baby boy to bring a world of special joy to Christmas."

Seriously.

But wait, I'm just getting started.  Here's the other one.  Now, I don't mean to split hairs, but not only is this one ANOTHER boy ornament, but excuse me, that baby is BLACK.

Best part?

It was given to me by my aunt.

 However, because they are hilarious, they have always been put on the tree for some comic relief. 

Every single year.

Merry Merry to you and yours!