It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

With the help of my little elves, Macy and Marshall, the tree is up! My tree has no particular theme. I've just collected ornaments every year, from travels, from friends, and other places. Here are some of my favorite ones:

My mother used to do needlepoint and this is one she made probably about 40 years ago!

This is one that was made by a student named Michael who I taught at Jackson-Keller back in the late 70's. He had a lot of problems and I was touched by all the work that went into this pretty ornament.

These stars were also made by a student at Jackson-Keller. There are five of them and Macy has always loved them and asks me to hide them around the tree and then she likes to hunt for them.

This ornament is the oldest one I have and was on my tree when I was a child. If you hang it above a light, the heat from the light makes the little foil pinwheel spin around. I love looking at it.

Redbirds have special meaning for me at Christmas. I've always loved them, and my book club has read a book that had "Red Bird" in the title the past two Decembers. I have lots and lots of birds on my tree, and I think maybe next year, I will have a second tree with just birds on it!

This ornament is exactly 40 years old. It was in a flower arrangement that was sent to me in the hospital from friends when John was born.

These two little sleeping babies are 35 years old. They were given to me when Julie was born by my Aunt Allene. She said the blue one was John and the pink one was Julie. I always hang them together.

These are antique penny postcards from the year 1902 that have been in the Gee family for over a century! We found them this past year in boxes that belonged to Larry's mother. We have them for all the holidays and I love to set them out. They were sent to Larry's Uncle Pfaeffle when he was a baby by friends. He never married, so they were passed on to his sister, Larry's mother.

This is one of many nativities I have. The true meaning of Christmas.

My snowman collection

A Santa I bought when Larry and I were honeymooning in Colorado sixteen years ago. He plays "We

Wish You a Merry Christmas" when you wind him up!

A Hummel Christmas plate that was my mother's.

Another nativity set...

and another one. This one is at least 40 years old and was bought by my mother in Mexico.

And another teeny-tiny one from France, given to me by a friend.

I've been collecting Christmas books since the birth of my first grandchild.

My Santa collection, which started out with only tall, skinny Santas, but they have gotten plumper over the years! One of my favorites is fourth from the left and is a newer one given to me by my daughter-in-law's mother, Carolyn!

Christmas is definitely my favorite time of the year. I love sitting in the living room with a fire in the fireplace, listening to Christmas music and just gazing at the Christmas tree thinking about the many blessings I have in my life and the birth of the baby who started it all in Bethlehem.