Old Meets New

One of my favorite childhood memories, hands down, is our family's tradition of Christmas tree decorating.

My mom would fill the glass treat box, which would sit on top of the fireplace mantel, with goodies...fudge, raspberry filled tarts, airy frosting filled cookie sandwiches, chex mix...to name a few. Christmas music would be playing in the background and my mom would sit on the couch with a couple of old suitcases (you know, the really old hard sided kind!) full of ornaments. I can smell that old suitcase smell now. The ornaments were wrapped year to year in paper towels or old wrapping paper...folded, unfolded, and refolded so many times they were like cloth. She'd carefully hand us ornaments, paying close attention to give us any that were specifically "ours."

And so it would go, every year, the six of us would munch on the treats, hang ornaments and spend family time together. There are few things I remember with such fondness as that, so that's a special tradition I want to create at our house too. Sadly, I don't have a compartmentalized, glass treat box like my mom...not to mention, Meatball would probably break it right now. But, the kids were both old enough this year to help decorate, listen to Christmas music and have treats.

My beloved old Raggedy Andy ornament.

No idea where I got it, but I've had it as long as I can remember.

One of my new favorites.
Banany's thumbprints make up this little snowman family.

She did such a great job carefully hanging ornaments.

He tried. :)

We'd been trying to find a tree topper, but hadn't had luck finding one that suits our style.

One night last year, Banany came home from a church activity with the

most perfect tree topper of all.

Putting the angel up at the top of the tree.

Perfect.