A favorite ornament. Front door with "slippahs"
When my children were young, I loved it when their preschool and elementary teachers made ornaments with their pictures on them. These ornaments are like having our family's Christmas history dangling nostalgically from the branches.
This angel is from my own baby days. My sisters and I each had one and once our tree was up, my sisters and I would carefully place our angels, each vying for the most regal perch for these treasures. That makes this worn, messy-haired little angel somewhere close to 50 years old.
My husband has been off four days this week. Next week he has five days off. He works in a swanky five diamond hotel, and what with the economy being what it is, things have slowed to a screeching stall. For ourselves, we don't mind skipping the gift giving in our home. We bought our teens one present each, and we are not exchanging presents ourselves this year. Still, there are a lot of other family in the extended portions. Work and office Secret Santas. It takes some ingenuity and creativity to give while staying within a tight budget.On the bright side, my husband and I get more time together with his extra days off. Usually we are like two ships passing in the night, working opposite hours most of the time. Since he has been home this week we have enjoyed working together to get things done around here. Last night he talked of his accomplishments of shopping and having completed his to do list. He looked at me and said, "Christmas sure is a lot of work."
I replied, "It's not supposed to be work. It's supposed to be a spiritual time. A time of giving and a time of appreciating the gifts we have."
To which he said, " I wish it were that simple."
Today is my last day of work and then I go on Winter break. I hope to do another post on the Helping Hands project before Christmas.
For a thoughtful and sobering Christmas video, checkout Shaunna's post.
For more Friday Fotos, visit Candid Carrie's.
26 comments:
what a lovely post... I wish I had it together enough to do photo ornaments w/ my students this year... I usually do them for at least family and haven't even done that this year.
Thank you for sharing your tree. Looking forward to your winter break posts. :-)
Some of my favorite ornaments are the ones of my wee one that were made in school. I always make sure they're in a place to be seen!
Movie - hang in there. Your break is coming too.
Mama Dawg - me too, those ornaments get hung first.
Hey... I was just thinking about you... are you guys ok with all that rain Hawaii has recieved??
We're fine Pam. Thanks for asking. The ground is soaked like a sponge and there has been a couple of landslides, but where we live is very level.
I wish it were that simple too!
I will be proposing a gift free Christmas for our family for 2009(adults only).
Loved all the ornaments, Happy Friday!
Great ornaments! I have a few picture ornaments too - we should be making them like crazy this year.
Aw, I love those homemade ornaments. And I'm so glad you and your husband get to spend some quality time together. As you said, that's really what the holidays are about. :)
Cheers!
Love the pictures.
Merry Christmas!
Jack - The kids are a different story. Otherwise, for the adults, I'd be ahppy each time with the gift of special moments and time shared.
GF - Your girls are teh perfect age for putting them on ornaments.
Kristan - I think you should amke a Riley ornament.
K -thank you for stopping by.
I'm glad you enjoy the ornaments from elementary school. We just made them with our kids this past week with popsicle sticks. They came out really cute.
I totally agree with the sitting with the tree lights on! But I am totally with your hubbie right now- I'll try and keep what you said in mind tho:)
I cherish all the kiddo ornaments. The absolute best.
Dear Hubby and I are also not exchanging. We're filling each other's stockings with low budget stuff because "Santa" brings the stockings. Difficult to explain to your 6 and 3-year-old how Santa might get laid off ;-).
Lovely post Pseudo! Pre-kids our tree was very London chic - now I love each year bringing out the ornaments they made the year before (they are little enough not to remember so each year is like a history lesson for them!) Finally this year the six year old is recalling Christmases past.
Same in our house - no big presents (and have always filled Santa's stockings with cute gifts from second hand bookstores/flea markets and charity shops - lots more fun, beautiful and £ goes to a good cause!) Happy Christmas to you and yours x
Great ornaments! Every year I tell myself I am going to do a "designer" tree with only silver and white ornaments or some such, and then i start unpacking and all the memories flood back, and they ALL go up on the tree!
Queen Bee- your students' parents so appreciate it, really.
star - I'll think of you tonight enjoying your lights while I'm over here sitting under mine.
Em - Those are precious times. Seems like just yesterday mine were that little.
Kate - I like the idea of flea markets for stockings. The stockings are still on my to do list.
Robin - My daughter has always coveted the designer trees, but she has grown up with our odd ball assortment and even remembers picking out a lot. I can't help but think she would miss them.
Loved it. We are away from home this year and I really miss all those special ornaments and the memories attached.
It isn't supposed to be work - but it is. That is the reality. Today I was thinking that it really needs to be two different holidays. One for gifts and all that stuff, and one for the religious celebration of Christmas. I can't balance the two but I keep trying.
Nice that you'll be able to spend Xmas together...Xmas bonus...
amymommy- we keep saying we will go to snow one year.
debbie - it IS all about balance, Christmas and everything else. Just not easy.
braja- I do like when husband's wok slows down right when I get on break. Happens in th esummersometimes too, it's just taken awhile for him to see it as a blessing and not stress about money.
Aw. I can't wait until I have a bunch of homemade and/or meaningful ornaments of my own, instead of a bunch of ornamental balls from CVS!
love your tree, love the ornaments :) I have a few, one is a popsicle stick santa that I made in 2nd grade or so. His beard is fading away.. lol
Have a wonderful Christmas! I didn't put up a tree this year as we're going to be away, but next year is a different story!
Ooo, actually that's an awesome idea!
Happy holidays to you and to your family!
Loved the tree--my favorites are the ornaments made by my girls with their pictures.
Christmas is never simple, but the tight budget does bring it back to the essence of the season. Simplicity is a great gift.
love, love homemade photo ornaments. I have some of pets from year's gone by that we put on each year, but now that we have kids I guess we will have even more.
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