O Christmas Tree!

I'm stealing this post idea from my cousin, Wendy. I've always loved Christmas traditions. I made my parents trudge through the Christmas tree farm every year because I refused to have a fake tree. My parents went fake, but I still make Pat get a real tree. We cheated a couple of years and bought one from the grocery store, but 3 of the 5 years we've gone out and cut one. I'm not so picky about the variety of tree. Growing up it was a Scotch pine, not a white one like my dad claimed. We alternate between firs and spruce. This year we went with a spruce thinking it would hinder Tate. It hasn't. Anywho, decorating this year was a lot of fun. Cole asked a lot of questions and it was fun to tell him the history behind the ornaments. We've never had a fancy coordinated tree. Growing up it was always full of handmade ornaments from school and teacher gifts. Now, I know where nearly every ornament on our tree came from. Here are just a few faves.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think my Grandpa N made these.

I got this one in Switzerland back in high school. It's hand painted.

We couldn't have a tree without tractors on it. This year Cole hung most of them on the bottom and Tate has had a blast taking them off.

According to my dad, when he and my mom got married, they were dirt poor. So for their first Christmas they cut a flower from a Kleenex box and hung it on their tree. Cheesy tradition, but K and I both have one on our trees.

This was the house I grew up in.

From our honeymoon in Mexico.

Tate's preemie nukkers. Cole had an identical one, but he outgrew it before we brought him home. I love remembering how small they were and how far they've come.

Stay tuned for part 2: the boys picture ornaments!