As we were decorating the tree, I couldn’t help but think about where I got each ornament the boys were mishandling. So, I thought I’d share a few of my favorites.
I bought this one (and the two coordinating ones) after Christmas one year at Hallmark…so there’s no special story to them, but I for some reason LOVE them. Someday, when I have a “decorative” tree, I plan to have it done in snowflakes.
This is my “baby’s first Christmas” ornament. 1977!
This ornament came from my last trip to Santa Fe, where my aunt and uncle and cousin live…I think it was 11 years ago that I was last there! You stick a light from your tree in the top to make it glow.
I love this one…I bought it in 2001, just a couple of months after September 11th. It just seemed appropriate.
Aside from a few ornaments from my childhood, this is the oldest one on my tree. My friend Karen‘s mom made this for me, and matching ones for Karen’s and my roommates, my junior year of college. I can’t believe it’s still in one piece…every Christmas I think it could be its last, especially since the boys love it!
This one just makes me laugh every time I get it out. My aunt and uncle gave me this the year that Matt and I got engaged. I have a picture of me wearing it as a bracelet!
Luke made this baby Jesus ornament last year at our church’s Family Advent Workshop. He and I had such a good time together that day. I think it’s so cute!
Zach and Michon brought this back for us from Mexico when they went on their honeymoon, and we babysat their pet fish, Dwight. He almost died the first two days he was here…in fact, I nearly flushed him because I was SURE he was dead. Then, he’d just revive himself miraculously!
Oh, this one. This was one of Matt’s from childhood. The head broke off more than once, and was fixed, but at some point, Matt decided that this is a much funnier way to display this ornament. We hang the head by the string, and the body (which is ceramic and has a hole at the neck where it’s broken) just gets shoved onto a branch.
Last year for Christmas, Luke gave me the first present he’s ever picked out on his own. At AWANA, they earn “bucks” to use at the “store”, which is open 3 times a year. At Christmas, the kids are supposed to pick out gifts for their parents at the store. Luke picked this out for me, and then saved it for three weeks until Christmas! When I opened it on Christmas day, I started crying when he said, “I picked this because I thought you would really like it.” So sweet!
Which brings me to these ornaments that we just got on Wednesday night. Bennett couldn’t wait to give Matt and me our Christmas gifts from AWANA. He picked out matching fiber-optic snowmen ornaments! They change colors, and apparently when he was shopping for them, one was green (my favorite color) and one was Matt’s favorite color (blue, I guess?), so that’s why he chose them.
There you have it. Our hodge-podge Christmas tree. If you want to play along, feel free to leave a comment so others can check out your tree!
Here's the Diehl 
My daughter (Jessica) usually puts up our tree because she enjoys it. So we’ll probably have to wait until she is home after her semester is over before we see that happen.
I love all your special memory ornaments. 🙂
By the way, your poll has checkboxes instead of radio buttons. With checkboxes people can actually choose more than one selection which probably isn’t what you want. It also probably isn’t earth-shattering if they do but just thought if there was some way for you to change that it might help. 😀
thank you, jan! i’ll fix it!
matt’s childhood ornament… with no head and the body just shoved onto the tree… hilarious!!!!
Okay, so the poll? I don’t know if I answered truthfully…
I picked feet only. Because you said face and I hate it on my face. I put it on both feet and above, but I HATE it blowing out of the vents on my face, so I put it on the combo for feet and the windshield vents (defrost).
This is funny to me because Ryan and I fight over this too… he likes it full force from the vents, blowing on your face!!, which I hate, and I like it on my feet and warming the car NOT my face. I’m curious to see who does what in your car!
We’re doing our tree this weekend. Loved seeing the fun memories on yours. I love that giant engagement ring!! 🙂
OK, Matt’s ornament? hilarious!! I laughed out loud reading your post. But, for some reason, it doesn’t surprise me that Matt would want it this way! 🙂 thanks for sharing! Cute ornaments from the boys!
I have the same 1977 ball! It’s on my tree now! That rocks! And I don’t think I have the gingerbread man my mom made – yours beat mine!
i still have an ornament from susan (from my school). it’s a little clayish stocking. i love it.
btw-matt’s ornament is hilarious.
Tom & I argue about the air blowing on the face thing, too. I can’t stand it and he loves it! I want my toes warm, then the rest of me warms up! My eyes get dry if the air’s on my face! The ornaments: Love them! Our tree probably looks freakishly full to anyone but the 4 of us, I pack it with every ornament I’ve ever collected. I buy one for each boy each year for their own collection to take with them when they have their own house someday. I just love Christmas!!
First, I checked “both” for the heat in the car; however, I don’t really want it blowing in my face–I adjust it so it blows somewhere indirect! (You can imagine how long I always spend on objective-style tests; I always want to qualify every answer!)
Matt is just a real sick man. Head-less little blond boy on the tree–sad!
Matt also had a “1st Christmas” ornament just like yours. I thought I still had it, but I didn’t see it this year, so I’m not sure what happened to it.
P.S. You’ll have to let us know how you & Matt vote on the heater debate.
Ha! I am the lonely vote for face only!
Let me say that I HATE the defrost setting b/c I don’t love air directly in my face/eyes. . . but I like it out of the middle vents hitting my body.
Sometimes I put it on the feet, but that takes power away from general body warming, IMO.
My parents think this is dumb, and this is a fight between us when I go home. They think heat should only come from the feet.
I love the ornament post. . . good work!
i only do the feet/face combo if my finger are freezing and i’m trying to get warmth to them quickly. i notice right away, though, that my toes start to get cold, so i always resort back to feet only.
matt’s ornament is my favorite. and the one that luke picked out for you!
I have so many that I love I could never pick. Korry just got her 1st Hallmark ornament from Nonna last night. She now has 2 ornaments. Since my tree is full of Disney, teacher, and music (and I’m not putting it up this year) I’m going to buy a Charlie Brown tree (after Christmas and find a deal) for Korry and put her ornaments on that!
I choked up when I read Luke’s AWANA ornament story.
Such a pure heart.