A Dalmation, Some Ice Skates and a Carousel Horse

Of all the family traditions that we have, one that never gets old is decorating the Christmas tree. Unwrapping the precious ornaments from the tissue paper that keeps them safe during the eleven months they are tucked underneath the stairs and placing them on the branches of our fresh Christmas tree. What I love most about this activity is that there is a story behind every single ornament. From the rock climbing Santa to the beautiful glass ornament fondly known as the "dule", there is a reason that the particular ornament goes on the tree. For me, the most imortant ornaments are the carousel horse and the Christmas tree made out of buttons. For others, it is the birdhouse, the reindeer and the angel.

This festivity, more than any other, brings a full load of memories with it. Picking up the fragile glass bells reminds me of the note written on the box they come in: My grandma paid 35 cents a piece for them and considered it quite the holiday splurge. My dad comments on the patheticness of the one legged soldier and I explain to him the story of the steadfast tin soldier and show him the paper ballerina that goes with the soldier. My personal favorite is the cake topper: the little Scandinavian couple who are glued together and 28 years ago sat on top of my parent's wedding cake. These are the things that make me love the holiday season.

I love the holiday season not because of the hot chocolate and Christmas music, but because of all the memories associated with it. They are all such joyful memories that will always be with me and that is what this holiday season will be for me: more memories. We have Grandma with us this year and we will bake cookies and watch movies and create beautiful memories that can add to the hundreds that have already been accumulated. This is a wonderful season and I can't wait to see what comes from it.