Our Christmas tree is up and decorated with our odd conglomeration of family ornaments. Many are homemade, like this one. I believe this is Mark's masterpiece. When we were first married and living in South Carolina, we was broke. No ornaments for the free tree we scrounged from a tree lot the day before Christmas so we made some out of salt dough. Most have not survived the years but I'm glad his elfen dude made it.
This one was made by Gloria in kindergarten. My guess is there are hundreds of children who strung wooden beads as a "pattern" project in Jane Nelson's kindergarten class at Marshall Elementary. Glo assures me it was HARD to stuff the yarn into the bead holes. Similarly, Hope stitched buttons on the felt tree in Jennifer Sanders' Second grade class at Marshall.
Other ornaments on our tree are mementos. This little Minnie was bought at Disneyland on a trip we made when Monica was five. 
The little Girl Scout was purchased in Savannah, when Hope and I made a trip with our Girl Scout troop - a very special pilgrimage to Juliette Lowe's Birthplace.
During the holidays, I see theme trees and trees decorated to match the home decor. They're all so pretty but, at our house, decorating the tree is a chance to reminisce as we hang our ornaments where they can best be admired. The girls each have personal ornaments (Hope and I each got a Girl Scout in Savannah) that will move with them. Monica has hers and her sisters will someday take their ornaments to new homes so that their pasts can be included in their futures.
