Oh Christmas Tree

We finally did it. We conquered our fear and decorated our tree! It turned out to be a pretty good tree, I think. Charlie Brown would be proud. Little side note: Kobe got a new ornament this year. I haven't found one for Drew's first Christmas yet, but I did find one for the dog. He posed with it before we hung it on the tree! (Hey, he needs a little extra attention after being demoted to just a "dog" now that we have a real baby!)

One of my friends, Ashley, did a cute blog post about her favorite ornaments on their tree. What a great idea! (Imitation is the highest form of flattery Ashley, so I hope you don't mind if I copy you!) I'm very sentimental about Christmas ornaments. I love collecting them. Andrew and I try to buy them as souvenirs on trips, and we love to get them as gifts from special friends and family. They add personality and meaning to the Christmas tree and bring such fond memories to mind every year when we're decorating.

A little about our treasures:

Cowboy Santa - My sister painted this ornament for me. I can't remember the year, but it was long before either of us were married. This ornament was the first of many wonderful creations my sister has given me using her artistic talents.

Nativity Ornament - My parents gave this to me a long time ago. It was "decoration" on a Christmas gift, but I thought it was a gift in itself. I love it because it hangs on the tree and reminds me of exactly what we're celebrating at this time of year.

Hot Air Balloon Santa - We found this on our trip to New Mexico this October. It's to commemorate our first family trip with Drew...and our attempt to see hot air balloons that never got off the ground!

Avery's hand print - Stephanie & Avery made these as a gift to us in 2006.

Waterford Charlie Brown - My parents gave this ornament to us. The Charlie Brown Christmas Special is a classic tradition on the Ellison side of the family. I think we love it so much because half of my Dad's vocabulary comes from Charlie Brown himself...and the movie has a great Christmas message!

Fire Hydrant - This is Kobe's ornament (ha!). We found it at a cute shop in Sherman the first time we came to explore the city and talk to Dr. Burlingame in 2006. It reminds us of the beginning of our future.

Our First Christmas - 2001. Andrew surprised me with this Waterford ornament as a gift the first Christmas we were married.

Green Christmas Tree - We bought this at Macy's in New York when we were there for Christmas in 2006.

Snow Globe Santa - The Poages gave us this ornament last year when we were celebrating Christmas in San Antonio. I love it because my sister loved snow globes when we were kids, so it reminds me of her!

Christmas Egg - my parents gave us this ornament in San Antonio last year.

Red Snowflake - we were given a whole box of these ornaments by the Plauche's this year because it matched our wreath above our mantle. A sweet reminder of the dear friends they are!

The Pickle -- yep, it's a pickle! We found the first Christmas Pickle ornament on a family Christmas trip to San Antonio when I was in high school. It's a Swedish legend. Santa hides the pickle ornament on the tree Christmas Eve. The first person to find the ornament Christmas Day gets a special present! There have been some fierce hide & seek competitions Christmas morning between Steph & me trying to find the shiny green thing!