The kids get their own ornament every year to put on the tree.
They can take them to their own home someday (sniff, sniff). 
This is actually an ornament from my childhood tree. I can remember this doll vividly.
This is actually an ornament from my childhood tree. I can remember this doll vividly. I always wanted to play with it. 
Isn't this stocking a kick! Eric was four and surely had help with the embroidered name and year or he is a child prodegy when it comes to needlework.
And here is our $5 yard sale tree. This tree is very green...we saved it from the land fill when we first moved to Alaska and we don't cut a living one year after year. At least that's what I told myself as I was decorating this sad little tree. A locally cut tree just doesn't compare to the lush beauties from Washington State so we don't torture ourselves. And besides I'm one of those freaks who puts up my decor the day after Thanksgiving. Someday I hope to have a "real" fake tree. Pre-lit, 9 feet, and adequate branches to hide the center trunk.
I make fun of our tree, but actually I like it because it's a little "off". It seems like it's the quirky or "off" things that we remember the most. Like the year my mom made all the gifts she gave us when we were kids. Or the year she pulled a fast one on us and gave us white chocolate goodies in our stocking instead of milk chocolate as usual. I'll probably remember last year when Aiden made us hold hands around the Christmas tree and sing Silent Night. Cute...but a little awkward.
Isn't this stocking a kick! Eric was four and surely had help with the embroidered name and year or he is a child prodegy when it comes to needlework.And here is our $5 yard sale tree. This tree is very green...we saved it from the land fill when we first moved to Alaska and we don't cut a living one year after year. At least that's what I told myself as I was decorating this sad little tree. A locally cut tree just doesn't compare to the lush beauties from Washington State so we don't torture ourselves. And besides I'm one of those freaks who puts up my decor the day after Thanksgiving. Someday I hope to have a "real" fake tree. Pre-lit, 9 feet, and adequate branches to hide the center trunk. I make fun of our tree, but actually I like it because it's a little "off". It seems like it's the quirky or "off" things that we remember the most. Like the year my mom made all the gifts she gave us when we were kids. Or the year she pulled a fast one on us and gave us white chocolate goodies in our stocking instead of milk chocolate as usual. I'll probably remember last year when Aiden made us hold hands around the Christmas tree and sing Silent Night. Cute...but a little awkward.
