We got our tree up last weekend - a little later than we intended for Miss A's sake - but she was dazzled with the event just the same. Miss A has an ornament on the tree for each of her Christmases and here are the two we have from last year and the year before:
Both ornaments above were handmade - the first one was by me and the second one was made by Miss A with my assistance out of air-dry clay and then painted with tempera paints I had leftover in the studio.
We didn't do a handmade ornament this year (but I think we will return to it next year because I think it adds a little bit of something extra) but this year's ornament WAS handpicked by Miss A herself.
The ornament actually came from what was the first of what we hope will be many annual trips to Hershey Park earlier this year. The cool thing about the ornament is that it has a bit of a story that goes along with it as we snagged it at the end of a day where Miss A rode her first roller coaster (over and over again!) and when the huge rainstorm started and ended up flooding the area where Hershey Park is located. Miss A and I got separated from D when there was mass hysteria when the rain started coming down and Miss A and I sought refuge in the Christmas ornament store just inside of the gates at the park. Funny thing is that it's the only store I told D that I wanted to hit up before we left for the simple fact of getting an ornament to commemorate our trip to the park! Miss A and I were able to stay there long enough to pick out an ornament for her and one for the whole family...
... and then we headed right back into the storm to try and find D and get to our car and get out of there. The rain had come down so quickly that we literally had to both run and wade through standing water and if it sounds like it was chaotic and like mass hysteria then take it that way. I'm not coming even close to overdramatizing it.
It's awesome to look at the ornaments we have and remember the time we had at Hershey Park and I think that's why I like Christmas tree ornaments so very much. I've tried to make a point of getting one any place we travel to but I've done such a bad job at it and I'm going to make a point to do better from here on out.
Miss A has been completely enthralled with all things Christmas and I swear it's because of her that D and I are just that much more excited as well. We've tried our best to make the whole thing as "kid-friendly" as possible by not having it be a situation where she is not allowed to touch things like the Christmas tree or the nativity we put out.
We have a regular nativity set but the one that we are using this year is one I picked up for 50% off last year at Family Christian that is so much more kid friendly than the Willow Tree one that I have and love so very much. I highly recommend the What God wants for Christmas set since it has little boxes that you can open up on days leading up to Christmas until the set it complete which go along with scripture readings of the real story of Christmas. We're trying our best to keep Christ in Christmas the best way we know how and in a way/on a level where Miss A gets it as well.
Hard to believe but we're finally so close to Christmas that tomorrow is Christmas eve but I'm getting so excited that it still feels like it is just a touch too far away!! :) Last evening D took Miss A shopping and she almost spilled the beans to me about what she picked out for her gift to me because she is just so excited. Only one more day for both her (and me) to wait.
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