If you know me, then you know I adore an ornament. I mean it. Obsessed even. I collect them for all the things. I buy them for trips, memories that mean more than I want to ever let go, milestones, and just because they are cute sometimes. My tree is FULL and so is my heart when I open those totes every year. My goal is to have my tree full of life, love and happiness. If it doesn’t have meaning, it does not go on that tree. You can almost feel the love beam off that 7.5 foot spruce. My Uncle Joe always looks at it each year like a kid looks at the Macy’s Santa for the first time…he is always in awe at it and that kind of reaction makes me beam with joy.
Last year was mine and my sister’s first Christmas without our dad. I never thought about adding memorial ornaments to it one day but here we are. I guess no one prepares for that, honestly because that’s just sad. Who wants to be sad at Christmas?! Well, my friends are amazing and made the love of ornaments and my daddy come to life on my tree in the most unique ways. He was born on Christmas just like Jesus.
I have been collecting ornaments for about 20 years and have stories for each one. They remind me of special times that have molded my family into into who we are today. I love meaning and purpose in all things, even my tree. It has become a tradition for my family and one I cherish more with each passing year.
Each Christmas Eve my little family of 3 exchanges ornaments. We try to find one that represents us for the year or something we love, laughed at, etc. One year my sweet husband forgot my ornament and had to run to Walgreens at the 11th hour to find one. I have never watched the show this dude came from, nor knew anything about him at the time, but now The Situation hangs on my beautiful spruce with as much laughter and meaning as all the other ornaments. When we exchange them we tell why we picked it. Well, Randall said he got The Situation because he has nice abs and I had been working out a lot that year. He pulled it off. He never ceases to amaze me. It’s funny memories like this one that I cherish the most. I never thought I would admit that! Don’t encourage Randall to keep waiting for the last minute at Walgreens, please!
Do you know that an ornament serves a purpose besides all the family memories and funny stories? It is to adorn and enhance the tree. It makes the tree beautiful, shine and sparkle. I love to lead my Christmas décor back to Jesus and that’s clearly what I am trying to do here! We are His ornaments. Our lives are to shine and be enhanced by His beauty to bless those around us. Just like the endless ornaments on my tree, I am to do the same for Jesus all year long. What a wonderful reminder as we decorate our trees this season!
Click the video of some of my ornaments and stories about them. Some funny stuff to lighten your heart today.
Abby Jo
Life With My Sister 