The last decoration

After the long deliberations of whether or not to put up my tree last month suddenly Christmas is all over and my tree is packed away ready for Christmas 2012. 

The house is back to pre-Christmas normality.

The boys decorated the tree but I wonder how much thought they gave to each individual item they hung?

I remember decorating the Christmas tree as a child.  My favourite ornaments were two wooden bells.  They were blue and painted to look like angels with strands of wool for hair.  I guess they got thrown away years ago replaced by more modern baubles but I still fondly think of them.

There are lots of memories with the decorations we have collected over the years.  It is the same tree we had when we first married.  I was working in BHS and we bought the biggest and best available using my staff discount.

Our original trimmings were handmade by me at evening classes.

Over the years they have been added to with decorations made by the boys.  There are a lot of cardboard and glitter creations.

Oldest son tends to be like his father not seeming to have much time for traditions and favourite baubles. Although you may remember he was the one adamant we put the tree up in the first place!

But I do know that youngest son has a favourite ornament, he wouldn’t add it to the tree without me being there to watch.

I purposefully made it the last one I took down too.

youngest son's favourite guinea pig tree decoration

We bought it in York at a Christmas market.  Andrew had organised a bus trip and we filled the coach with people from church as a fundraiser for our church hall extension.

It was such a fun day out.  A real family day for us.  For once the crowded streets didn’t bother Andrew.  We weaved in and out of people and shopped for only special things.

On the way home there were chocolates for all and much laughter.

Just one of many joyful memories in the treasure chest of Christmas decorations, packed away for now but ready to be taken out next year and happily remind us all over again.

P.S. just asked youngest son why he liked that one best,

"Because it has a guinea pig on it!"

 

"Do you remember when we got it?"

He didn't and he returned to playing with his DS without another thought.  Maybe that's as it should be but one day I'll enjoy telling him this story all over again!