Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours!!
Don’t you just love the “Merry Christmas Y’all” phrase on my front door? Can you tell we live in the south?
This is our main Christmas Tree. It holds all of our very special ornaments. Each year, our tradition is for each of us to choose a new ornament that represents our year or something we love. It’s fun to unwrap each one from storage and notice the year we bought it written on each one. Our tree is getting pretty full! 
Several years ago, my parents gave us a very special ornament to hang on our tree. It is “The Christmas Nail”. It is always the first one my husband hangs on our tree. It represents what Christmas means to us as believers and as a family.
This is the Christmas Nail. It is to be hung on a sturdy branch near the trunk, a branch that will hold such a spike without being noticed by well-wishers dropping by to admire one’s tinseled tree. The nail is known only to the home that hangs it. Understood only by the heart that knows its significance. It is hung with the thought ‘the Christmas tree but foreshadows the Christ-tree which only He could decorate for us, ornamented with nails as this.’”
I share this with you so that you can pass along this tradition in your family. It is such a reminder to our children and to us that Christmas is not about gifts, but about our Savior who was born so long ago in Bethlehem.
One of our special friends from Austin made this beautiful ceramic Nativity for us 17 years ago for our wedding present. What a keepsake.
We have trees everywhere! This one is my 13- year old son’s tree. Lots of trucks, trains, & now sports.
And my daughter has one in her room too! Many angels, elves, and cute animals live on her tree.
We have a very special tree upstairs in the hallway and it holds all of our children's’ handmade ornaments from school. Oh my goodness, there are treasures there!!
I found these great plates at Walmart this season and decided to attach them in the center of some of my wreaths for added beauty.
Something I started doing many years ago, was to buy a new Christmas frame each year and display that year’s Christmas card photo for us to enjoy all season. My, my have my children grown!!
This Christmas season, I hope you’ve been able to enjoy time with your family and friends. I wish you God’s richest blessings in the New Year 2011!!
Expecting great things,
My kids get a new ornament every year too! It's so fun to look back at each one every year and remember why they picked that particular ornament. My favorite is Kaitlyn's ballerina--so not her now, but was once upon a time when she was 3. I love the handmade ornament tree--I've gotten rid of most of mine. We also collect ornaments from vacations--fun memories every year when we unwrap them.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Your house looks wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the Christmas nail! I have never seen this and need to get one for next Christmas! Hope you are having a wonderful day!
ReplyDeleteHappy new year!
Melanie :)
Merry (belated) Christmas, Sandi!
ReplyDelete