Christmas Ornaments

I am an sure there are things that make Christmas Christmas for each of you. You have some tradition that marks the season. For me it is not decorating or maligning gingerbread houses. My Christmas is kept in a very special box that has been missing for almost two years. Every Christmas my grandmother makes a Christmas ornament for each of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. I have every one she has ever made me beginning at Christmas 1981. When it is time to decorate the tree I pull out all the ornaments and lay them out in the order I received them (first by trying to guess, then by checking their tags). Every year the most exciting gift is not found under the tree or in a stoking. Instead it is a small lovingly made ornament that comes about a week before Christmas and has a simple tag the reads "To Sonnet, From Grandma." Unfortunately, last Christmas we realized that my box had gone missing. It didn't come to Arizona with Christian and I, and Mom couldn't find in among the Christmas things in California.  The only thing we know for sure was that they had been packed away after Christmas 2009. Last week my mom sent us a Christmas package. In it, among other things, was a very special box found in an attic-crawl space at my parents house. My ornaments were back. I was ecstatic.

These are some of my special ornaments. Though not ornate or expensive, they are priceless to me.

1981 - My First Ornament

My Favorite - 1984

Mrs. Clause - 1983 (Tiffany has Santa)

Bell Box - 1993
Banjo - 1986 (When I was young this always
went not he tree with Blake's drum and
Tiffany's guitar. We called it Santa's Band)

Snowflake - 2008

A New Addition - 2011

Ruthie's first Ornament - 2011