Christmas Tree Traditions

Christmas is one of those times that brings me back to my childhood, to the traditions of my own parents. I can't think about Christmas trees without thinking of the popcorn & cranberry garlands that adorned every Christmas tree we had when I was a kid. It seems as though it has fallen out of favor, perhaps because it was considered "cheap" or perhaps because it is a lot of mess or maybe because Christmas itself has become about mass consumerism more than homemade traditions. I haven't seen any in a very long time, and yet I am inspired to make one for our tree this year... chances are that's all it is, inspiration because I find myself completely overwhelmed by everything else I have to do this year! Maybe next year...

Every year my aunt sent us kids ornaments, they too were homemade. A few years ago my Mom gave me all those ornaments for my own tree.

My own Christmas Tree tradition started a few years back. I am not at all "crafty" but I loved the idea of a new "special" ornament for the tree each year. Thankfully, the company Bruce worked for always gave pewter ornaments as Christmas gifts. Every year a new pewter ornament would be added to our tree. They weren't overly personal, but for some reason I always enjoyed hanging the new pewter ornament. For Dylan's first Christmas I went out and bought him a pewter snowman and had his name and year engraved on it, and thus began the tradition. Bruce no longer works for the same company, but every year I source out pewter ornaments of my own and buy one for each of the boys and one for our tree. I love the idea of someday having an entire tree full of them!

Last year I bought what is my favorite thus far:

Coincidently, the ``eight doves`` ornament above is the collector ornament from the year I was born, it was last years addition to my collection.

This was Dylan's 2nd Christmas Ornament:

Dylan's 3rd- reminded me of him last year, the magic

This is Dawson`s 1st Christmas Ornament:

This year I of course ordered more ornaments. My initial idea was to gift these ornaments to the kids someday when they have their own houses, but I might have a hard time parting with them because they remind me so much of my boys each year, casting memories in pewter!

This is Dawson's 2nd ornament, yes another penguin ornament... in part because Dawson loves penguins (cummas as he calls them) and in part because of the significance of the bond between parent and child that is represented by penguins.

Dylan's 4th ornament: the boy is OBSESSED with trains!