Our Christmas Tree came home this year and unlike last year, it did not have to be returned!! Of course this year, we completely skipped going to Home Depot and headed back to Sneed's Nursery where we had purchased our glorious tree last year. A major difference from last year: we chose a shorter tree so that 1) our angel could fit on top (please recall the flying moose that held the place of honor on the tree last year) and 2) the top wouldn't scrape the ceiling. :-) But he is really quite a lovely tree!
We set to decorating it that night after the traditional chili dinner. With Mannheim Steamroller playing in the background and a beautiful tree in front of him, how could Dave look anything but cheery?!
I thought I would highlight just a couple ornaments that adorn our tree. Take this Father Christmas below. My Aunt Weezie sends us ornaments every year that she has made -- usually a cross stitching pattern. Our tree is full of Weezie Ornaments and I love it!
Our tree is also full of my Grandma Mary's snowflakes that she crocheted. I believe I also have one or two that my sister, Julie, made using my grandma's patterns.
Dave insisted that I add a bird ornament to this entry. Aunt Stephanie -- you would LOVE the birds he has added to the tree. In addition to the Northern Cardinal you see below (Virginia's state bird), we have an American Goldfinch, a Carolina Chickadee, a Hummingbird, an Eastern Bluebird, and a Bluejay. Quite the ornithological display! :-)
The ornament below was one of the first given to me and I remember putting it on my family's tree every Christmas.
I always get just a little homesick as we decorate the tree and I pull out ornaments from my childhood. But my family helped out with that a little this year. The day they decorated the tree, they called and we arranged to video chat on our computers. My mom has a laptop so as we were video chatting, they took me on a tour of my family's house, all decorated for Christmas; the tree (which they pointed out significant ornaments from years past), the beautiful fireplace mantle, the church display, and my dad's expanded train set up. It was great -- especially since we won't be going home for Christmas this year. The little trip through the house melted away a little of the homesickness!This is a chunk of marble from the historic Yule Marble Quarry in Marble, CO. My family has gone to the Marble area of CO to camp almost every year since I was born. It is practically a second home for all of us. And Dave has fallen in love with the area too since he has been there with my family during Christmas a couple years ago and in the summer to join them for their camping adventures. It is a place that means a great deal to us all and this little ornament is a reminder of our beloved valley.
Voila! The finished product! Not only is it not as tall as last year's tree but it is also not as wide. But it fits perfectly in our house and warms our living room.
Dave also insisted that I add his contribution to the Christmas decorating this year. A neighborhood Ace Hardware store opened just minutes from our home and Dave, like my father, has been sucked into its charm, friendly staff, easy layout, etc. So much so that he brought home this little porcelain display. Some people have Dickens Village displays -- we have Ace Hardware. :-)
He put the whole display together one day while I was at work and what a surprise it was for me to come home to! :-) He went to Ben Franklin and picked out the snow, the packages, the trees and all the ornaments to decorate the trees with. Notice the Northern Cardinals atop each tree! He is VERY pleased with his contribution! :-)Happy Advent to everyone and everyone in the Pedersen household (with the exception of Buster, the cat, who more resembles the Grinch with his heart 2 sizes too small) would like to wish you and yours a Merry, Merry Christmas!!
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